Golf Escapes 2009 - (Page 37) What to see and do en route After leaving Vancouver and following the Fraser Valley to Harrison Hot Springs, there are three options for reaching Kelowna. The Coquihalla Highway toll road is quickest, but far prettier is the route via Manning Provincial Park, in the Cascade Mountains on the Washington State border. Plant lovers will want to visit the park’s spectacular Rhododendron Flats. The slowest alternative is to continue up the Trans-Canada Highway, visiting the Hell’s Gate canyon. From Kelowna, you can tour some of the Okanagan Valley’s 60 wineries or visit a fruit farm and feast on the produce. Lake Okanagan offers water sports. At Osoyoos, the Nk’Mip Desert Cultural Centre showcases First Nations heritage and the endangered ecosystem of South Okanagan’s desert. Nk’mip Cellars is North America’s first aboriginal owned and operated winery. Apples in Kelowna. touriSm britiSh columbia Okanagan Golf Club’s Quail course. courses. The first, The Black Knight, opens this spring, while the second one, a signature Gary Player course, will open in 2011. Nearby, Kimberley is a ski resort with quality golf. Trickle Creek’s manicured fairways carve through a forest of firs and contrast the rugged mountain surroundings. Heading north, spa resort Fairmont Hot Springs has two courses. After a game you can take a relaxing soak in the resort’s odourless hot pools. Nearby Radium Resort also combines springs and two golf courses. The Springs Course’s finishing greens are perched close to a rim above the Columbia Valley Wetlands. The Columbia Valley provides excellent golf weather and a long season, with play possible from March. Courses include Eagle Ranch, several holes of which run along bluffs with commanding views over Lake Windermere. Copper Point Resort now has two courses. Copper Point’s original, undulating layout The Okanagan has 60 wineries. Bavarian-flavoured Kimberley is one of the Kootenay Rockies’ heritage towns. There are also ghost towns, left by the Kootenay Gold Rush, and restored 1890s pioneer town Fort Steele. Panorama is a summer mountain activity centre with everything from hiking and mountain biking to whitewater canoeing. And the region has several hot springs to soak away your aches and pains. Golfbc Group The 18th hole at St Eugene Mission provides a memorable finish. Don weixl touriSm bc/tom ryan incorporates a deep ravine on its signature par-3 15th while bunkers edged by long grass give the course a natural feel. A shorter course, Ridge Point, opened in May 2008. Another ski resort, Panorama, is home to one of British Columbia’s golfing gems – the Doug Carrick-designed Greywolf course. Open from May to October, its piece de resistance is the awe-inspiring par-3 6th hole – called Cliffhanger because the green hugs a plateau edged on three sides by vertical rock faces with mountains as a backdrop. Golfers tee off across a chasm called Hopeful Canyon, with a whitewater river at its base. Disaster awaits any shots which are too short, too long or too far left. From Kimberly, it is a three-hour drive through the Rockies to Calgary. The Kootenay Gold Rush preceded today’s golf boom. FaCtFILe British Columbia Time difference: GMT -8 Getting there: Daily scheduled flights from London Heathrow to Vancouver are operated by British Airways (0870 850 9 850; www.ba.com) and Air Canada (0871 220 1111; www.aircanada.com). Several charter airlines also fly to Vancouver from other airports. Getting around: All the major car rental companies have locations at Vancouver Airport as well as in Vancouver itself. Climate: Southern Vancouver Island has the mildest climate in Canada, with play possible year-round. Mountain courses are generally open May-October; some lower interior courses from March to November. Summers are warm. The Okanagan is one of Canada’s warmest and sunniest regions. Recommended duration: 13 nights Overnights: Vancouver, Kelowna, Osoyoos, Nelson, Kimberley, Panorama Golf ESCAPES 2009 37 St euGene miSSion reSort http://www.ba.com http://www.aircanada.com
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