Thompson Okanagan Famous for Award-Winning Golf Courses in BC, Canada

By Steve Ball

Golf Writer/CanadaGolf.com

Throughout the years, Thompson Okanagan has attracted numerous renowned course architects to design a handful of the more than 50 golf courses found in this region of BC, Canada, including Les Furber, Michael Hurdzan, Robert Trent Jones Sr. and Fred Couples. It only takes a moment at the start of your golf vacation to realize why top talent enjoys designing courses here in British Columbia – with mountain views of the Canadian Rockies that stand tall over the horizon and desert terrain married against a backdrop of orchards, vineyards and brilliant blue lakes, the BC landscape found in Thompson Okanagan can transform almost any golf course design into something breathtaking.

The Club at Tower Ranch in Kelowna – A Top BC, Canada Golf Course

Gallagher’s Canyon in Kelowna delivers the quintessential Okanagan golf experience with exquisite scenery visible along its 6,802-yard course. Gallagher’s Canyon was listed among the Top 100 Courses in Canada by SCOREGolf magazine in 2008, making it a popular addition to golf packages.

 

The course at Harvest Golf Club is as unique of an experience as a golfer will find in BC. It is home to a large working orchard, and is also used to grow grapes for a local winery. Meanwhile, the Okanagan Golf Club boasts the popular Bear Course, envisioned by Nicklaus Designs and built around a man-made lake, and the dramatic Quail Course, which is a design by Les Furber.

 

And if you are looking for something new on your next golf vacation in BC, tee off at The Club at Tower Ranch, which opened in 2008 and was named one of the top new golf courses in Canada by Travel Leisure, Golf Digest and SCOREGolf. Also check out the signature island green at British Columbia’s 6,394-yard Black Mountain Golf Club, which opened in 2009, or view more BC golf courses in Kelowna at Golf Canada’s West.

Kamloops’ Tobiano named Canada’s Best Public Golf Course

British Columbia’s stunning Tobiano, named SCOREGolf’s Best Public Course in Canada for 2009, overlooks Kamloops Lake and was designed to highlight natural features such as bluffs, hoodoos and sagebrush-dotted gullies.

Kamloops is also home to the Robert Trent Jones Sr.-designed Rivershore Golf Links, and the naturally beautiful The Dunes.

Ridge Course – British Columbia’s “Top New Course in Canada”

The highly acclaimed Predator Ridge Golf Resortin Vernon recently added the spectacular new Ridge Course, which SCOREGolf named “Top New Course in Canada” for 2010. Their Predator Course is consistently awarded 4.5 stars by Golf Digest in their Places to Play, and is listed among the top courses in the country by SCOREGolf.

Opened in Vernon, BC in 2008, The Golf Club at The Rise has a Fred Couples Signature Course looking Okanagan Lake from a vantage point 400 meters above the lake.

 

If your next BC, Canada golf vacation includes a tour through Shuswap, it is practically obligatory to go to Talking Rock Golf Course in Chase, which highlights Aboriginal traditions and artwork. Be sure to soak up some history at the Salmon Arm Golf Club in Salmon Arm, BC, which was established in 1928 at the base of an extinct volcano and rated among the top 50 courses in Canada by SCOREGolf in 2008.

 

Or travel south to Oliver, known as the “Wine Capital of Canada,” to sample some outstanding vintages after a round at the Les Furber-designed Fairview Mountain Golf Club. There are 20 wineries located within 15 minutes of each other!

 

Plan a Golf Vacation to a Course in Thompson Okanagan, BC

 

Golf vacations to Thompson Okanagan should be planned between approximately March to November. Tee times should be booked in advance of your arrival to BC, Canada, most notably during July and August as golf courses are usually packed to the brim during peak season. Also, most top golf courses in Canada, which are included most often in golf packages throughout British Columbia, have a dress code – so be sure to check ahead with the resort to make yourself aware of their policy so you do not run into any unexpected problems on a fantastic golf vacation to beautiful Canada.

Golf Canada’s West is the official golf course, tee time and golf packaging company of Vancouver and the Canadian Rockies. Call them at 877-323-3633. For additional information be sure to check out GolfTheRockies.net. For more BC and Alberta vacation and tourism information, please visit Banff National Park.com and Banff Travel.com.