Vancouver Island is one of Canada’s favoured holiday destinations and now there is a dedicated golf trail for golfers wanting to enjoy a break.
The Vancouver Island Golf Trail has been designed to take in the 13 courses on the island and it is one of the best golfing destinations to explore in north America if you are heading west to the Pacific coast in British Columbia.
You don’t need to play all 13, but can tailor-make your own golf trail and choose which of the courses you want to tee it up on during your holiday.
From Victoria to the Campbell River, the Vancouver Island Golf Trail is 155 miles across four regions in total—whichever of the 13 you choose to combine, the experience won’t be a slog.
Essential Golf runs through the 13 courses making up the Vancouver Island Golf Trail from south to north.
Olympic View Golf Club
This is only one of five courses in Victoria. Here, the waterfalls, views of the Olympic Mountains and some exceptionally impressive tree-lined holes make this a gem of a venue for a round of golf.
Highland Pacific Golf Course
Highland Pacific has been beautifully carved into the forest in Victoria and what designer Chris Young has come up with is incredible—it combines the Highland Nine with the Pacific Nine to complete a course that flows across natural terrain.
Bear Mountain Resort Mountain Course
As the name suggests, Bear Mountain has been partly designed by Jack Nicklaus. The resort boasts two courses with the Mountain Course the pick of the pair. It is a serious test as well as a host on the PGA TOUR Champions.
Bear Mountain Resort Valley Course
The Valley Course ensures that Bear Mountain is the only Nicklaus-designed resort with 36 holes in Canada. Lakes, creeks and rivers are present throughout this one, which is an easier test than the Mountain Course.
Arbutus Ridge Golf Course
What starts with a pleasant stroll along coastal holes turns into more of test with some mountainous ones that offer great views of the island and the wineries nearby. There’s an island green to contend with, too, on the penultimate hole.
Cowichan Golf Course
The Vancouver Island Golf Trail moves into the Cowichan Valley region where Cowichan Golf Course is the only option. It boasts incredible scenery with mountain backdrops and views of the bay as well as fairways that have been around since 1947.
Fairwinds Golf Course
One of three courses in the Parksville/Qualicum Beach region, Fairwinds is arguably the best course on Vancouver Island. The setting in Nanoose Bay is stunning and you couldn’t ask for more of a course and resort.
Pheasant Glen Golf Course
Peace and tranquillity are the order of the day at Pheasant Glen where you could be forgiven for thinking you are miles from civilization. The final three holes here are tough, the toughest closing stretch in British Columbia in fact.
Nanaimo Golf Club
Nanaimo is, more or less, central in Vancouver Island and the picturesque course overlooks Departure Bay. The course is open all year round and is a perfect winter destination if you’re keen for a round of golf.
Crown Isle Golf Course
The first of four courses in the Courtenay/Campbell River region, Crown Isle sits below the Comox Glacier and Beaufort Mountains and has a sensational backdrop to it. The long par-4 18th is the signature hole here.
Storey Creek Golf Course
Storey Creek has been carved into the forest close to Campbell River and you can get up close and personal with nature while enjoying a round. Deer and bears are regular visitors of this course.
Quadra Island Golf Course
You will need to get on the free ferry with your clubs to get to Quadra Island, where the newest addition to the Vancouver Island golf trail is located. Situated just off the coast, it is no surprise the course is known as the “Island off the Island”.
Campbell River Golf & Country Club
Located in the heart of Campbell River, this is the most northerly course of the golf trail. It is a new addition to the Vancouver Island golf trail, but it oozes all the class of a modern-day creation.
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