72 holes in five days

John Reid from Redstone takes five writers on a memorable West Kootenay golf tour

“It really is a gem to have so many gorgeous golf courses in such close proximity to each other, with all these great little towns sprinkled amongst the mountains,” said Roy Wood, a freelance golf journalist based out of Edmonton, as we putted out on our 72nd hole in five days. Travelling with a fearsome foursome of writers from San Diego, Edmonton, Trail and Rossland and hosted by Redstone’s marketing and sales manager, John Reid, instructional pro Loretta Bulfone and Kootenay Rockies marketing and communications manager Chris Andrews, we toured the West Kootenay playing six of the eight jewels on the Kootenay Golf Passport. We spent the first night in Rossland, in the wonderfully renovated, comfortable ski kitsch charm of the Ram’s Head Inn at the base of Red Mountain Resort. Recent new owner and top-notch chef Rose prepared our gourmet breakfast to fuel the adventure ahead. An hour’s drive later along the mighty Columbia River and through serene Kootenay River valleys, we pulled into the clubhouse at Granite Pointe high above Nelson. Here, you begin to catch the first glimpse of the spectacular mountain backdrops that define golfing in the West Kootenay. Overlooking the peaceful west arm of Kootenay Lake, the Big Orange Bridge and peek-a-boo views of Kokanee glacier, the par four signature hole 16’s elevated tees left even the most seasoned golfer in our group speechless. Finishing up on the 9th green, adjacent to the bright and airy clubhouse patio, we were rewarded after a wonderful morning with refreshments and delicious wraps before continuing up the shores of Kootenay Lake for an afternoon rendezvous with the Les Furber-designed Balfour Golf Club. Winding through the spruce and cedar forests of the Purcell Mountains high above the lakeshore, the magnificent and challenging 6,510-yard course is loaded with character. Featuring dramatic elevation changes, the large greens make the tree lined course playable for all ability levels. The undulating course emits a real romantic feel as it wraps neatly into the geography of the land frequented by whitetail deer and soaring bald eagles. Situated on the high point of the property at the 10th tee, the quaint gazebo and Adirondack deck chairs offer a welcome rest spot to take in the towering Selkirk skyline high above the sparkling waters as you prepare to take on the back nine. Just around the corner from the golf club and built into the side of the mountain is McQ’s restaurant, where we finished the day with delicious steaks and seafood fettuccini in the log cabin-style facility. “This has got to be the most incredible free tourist experience I’ve ever seen,” said San Diego-based Rosanne Zinnigan regarding the Osprey 2000 ferry. Plying through the silky smooth waters of Kootenay Lake from Balfour aboard the longest free ferry ride in North America is an experience not to be missed as you make your way over to Kokanee Springs in the artisan rich village of Crawford Bay. Originally planned to be a major tourist destination complete with multiple ski and golf resorts in the ’70s, the land was rezoned with a change in government, maintaining the majestic middle-of-nowhere wilderness feel of the area. The immaculately maintained course, lined with 68 varieties of wildflowers, white-water creeks and stunning vistas of the north face of Kokanee Glacier, is a truly one of a kind experience for all golfers. From the rock wall elevated tee boxes of the first tee, to the uphill stadium-like 9th hole, this 18-hole 6,604-yard masterpiece left no detail unfinished. Forgivingly tree-lined, with most holes containing water features along the creek, each hole affords a different aspect to the surrounding white-capped peaks of the Selkirks to the west and Purcell Mountains to the east. Rounding the bend we stopped to enjoy the monster burgers cooked up on the grill by the outgoing staff at the 10th hole tee box, basking in the sun before heading out on the back nine. As the sun rose again on the third day of our adventure, we found our way to the Castlegar Golf Club, hidden behind town on a secluded plateau looking out to the Rossland range in the distance. Castlegar’s open fairways, blossoming cherry trees and mature spruce and pine-lined holes are a testament to the history awaiting discovery behind this course. Rounding the corner of the 4th hole we were lucky enough to meet one of the local black bears that make their home in the area enjoying the beautiful green spaces as much as we were. Making our way back along the Columbia River, 30 minutes from Castlegar brought us to the newly redeveloped golf course in Rossland. Now known as Redstone, it was named in honour of the 1920’s course designer Reg Stone. Unique to the region, this Les Furber-designed course features elevated tees and tight aspen and cedar-lined holes on the upper back nine, with a completely different feel on the more flowing, undulating front nine with its mature willow trees. Currently under re-construction, the front nine is scheduled to open late in the 2008 season, creating a 6,800-yard championship style course complete with new residential development just minutes from downtown Rossland. As Australian-born owner Robert Flesch and his wife Robyn showed us around the facility, it was easy to see where the extremely courteous staff get their motivation. Rob and Rob, as they’re known, are fountains of energy and their bubbly, welcoming personalities have clearly invigorated the staff at the club. Waking up early on the final day of our tour in Rossland’s Prestige Hotel with views down to the Redstone course, we stumbled into our van and chugged through the Nancy Greene Pass 45 minutes southwest of Rossland to the summer sports mecca of Christina Lake for our final round at the Christina Lake Golf Club. Highlighted by stately ponderosa and lodgepole pines, the first thing you notice as you approach the first tee is the unmistakably fresh scent of the pine forest. It’s a pleasure playing around the forgiving course that has been well brushed out making it easy to find balls on the occasional accidental nature walk as our tired bodies put a few balls into the woods. With its relatively new clubhouse well situated behind the ninth green, our crab and shrimp wraps were a succulent way to quite literally wrap up our West Kootenay Golf Tour. Dozing off on the trip home after an inspiring tour, my golf partner Marilyn’s quote kept ringing in my ears, summing up what golfing in the West Kootenay is all about: “How can you not feel great out here—-blue skies, mountain views, beautiful courses and wonderful people—that’s what it’s all about!”