[Matt_Ward]

Has anyone played the course?

I didn't have enough time to make the trek to BC but I heard from a number of people that's a fine layout.

How neat that the facility is located in Panorama?

Thanks ...

[peter_p]

I played it this summer. It was in good condition. Mostly up and back down canyons, little intrusion from housing. I would guess the elevation changes is near 800-1000 feet. Strongly sloped greens are the primary defense. The par fives are in the 4 1/2 category. The only negative I came away with, was playing all the par 3s with the same iron. A good mountain course.
The drive in to Grey Wolf from the junction with Hwy 95 is a very tight, scenic 25 minutes. If you are in the area take time to play Copper Point, which is a few miles south of the 95 junction.

Doak 5.5  

[Chris Perry]

It was SWEEET!!!!

Hole 4 you'll bust the longest drive you'll ever hit in your life without even trying. Mine went 360... into the ROUGH!

Hole 6, the view from the tee is daunting, but the view from the green is heavenly. Words can't describe it and picture don't do it justice so you have to se it with your own eyes

Hole 11, don't get sucked in to trying to drive the green.

Hole 14, don't go in the greenside traps. In fact many of the greenside traps  are so deep set that you'll barely see the top of the flag if you are in one.

Another one you pass to get there is Eagle Ranch in Invermere. It has it's own verson of Greywolf's 6th, but it is more dastardly because the green is 1/3 the width and you simply can't miss it. The only place you can miss it is long, but that's no guarantee either, and if the pin is back, there is no way you will hold a chip from there, which coincidentally is where the drop area is if you miss your tee shot completely.

Golden is another gem an hour  to the north that was thoroughly enjoyable for me.

[ian]

The 6th called Cliffhanger, 176 yards from the back with a drop of 30 feet. The canyon is 100 deep at the left of the green



The 4th, 460 yards of drive and flip wedge. The drop is 260 feet from the 4th tees to the 5th green. The 4th has 150 feet of it.



Peter,

I obviously liked it more than you did, but do agree with the club comment on the par 3's. It needed a shorter hole and a much longer one for better balance.

Chris,

Why not go for the 11th, it is comfortably reachable with a drive to the upper fairway, and the green is a redan green which helps run the approach in.

Matt,

Imagine playing 18 holes without hitting a single shot into the sky. Its quite fun. The accomodations there are top notch.

[peter_p]

Ian,
I liked the course. I said "the only negative". If I returned to the area I would play it again. I can't say the same for Trickle Creek (Kimberly BC) or Silvertip (Canmore, AB). Par fives were good risk/reward.

[Chris Perry]

Ian:

As far as I know, the 6th has a back tee set lower and farther back (level with the green instead of higher than it) that plays to 200 yards, however, this is a hole that you don't really want to be hitting a 3 or 4 iron into. The best candidate for a 200+ shotter would be 12 because it's slightly downhill and not fronted by hazards like the others. Best one to shorten would probably be 15.

Regarding 11, I'm a lefty and hit a fade easiily, so that lake would be a magnet for my driver or 3 wood, so I took it out of play completely by hitting a 5 iron to the fat of the fairway. Given the chance of risking a double bogey to try and get an easy birdie, I'll take the guaranteed par and save $2.00 on a ball.  

If the lake wasn't there, I'd probably blast away, but if I don't take efforts to avoid hazards, I usually find them.  

[John Foley]

Ian,

When Doug routed the course did he find #6 first and then go from there or was it discovered durring the process?

[Mike Nuzzo]

The green complex on the first was very creative (as was the 2nd), I liked the hole.  I liked the par 5, 3rd uphill hole quite a bit.  The feature work was super.  I didn't like the next downhill holes as the greens required a lot of fill to get them to pitch from back to front.  My nerves got the better of me on the 6th.  The back 9 wasn't as memorable - a few good ones.  It got too spread out - tough terrain.  It was by far the best designed mountain course of the trip.  

Cheers

P.S. Go Yanks!

[Chris Perry]

Ian,

When Doug routed the course did he find #6 first and then go from there or was it discovered durring the process?

I believe it was the former.

One cool thing they have in the clubhouse locker-room, are the original architect plan overheads of all the holes. A few of them look different than what the finished course conveys, or the overheads in the yardage guide, including number 6.

[ian]

John,

We talked about this, when talking about routing about three weeks ago, the 6th was the centre point to all routings.
He went up the hill on 1, 2 and 3 (400 feet), to get the climb out of the way early. The land was very tight due to the condos and housing that were approved before we got involved. A few houses were moved, but not too many.

Mike,

I've played the course reversed (frost reasons) and perfered that direction; sinse the first holes are a tough opening.

[Matt_Ward]

Ian, et al:

How does GreyWolf rate versus the other "top" courses in British Columbia and western Canada?

Thanks ...

[ian]

Matt,

I'll try answer the question although I'm trying to figure out why comparing is important.  

British Columbia is an awesome place to site see, and is worth a trip to any of the aeras. It is that beuatiful throughout. Golf there is an afterthough, but I love mountain setings.

If your going to play Capilano, play Whistler so that you will make the drive up the sea to sky highway. Heck, play anywhere in the interior just to see the scenery!

I would go to play Banff and Jasper (Wolf Creek, Greywolf and Blackhawk make perfect add on's) on a golfing only trip, although not seeing the National Parks is a rediculous waste to me.

Waskesiu is the ultimate lost destination; a wonderful lodge, suprisingly great golf and the opportunity to fish for Walleye in one of the best lakes that I know of.

Waskesiu (and many other Western destinations for that matter) would not make any raters list, but the experience adds up to more thatn a golf resort could offer.

I didn't answer the question, did I?  

[Matt_Ward]

Ian:

You did a great tap dance ... you must be observing the American Presidential debates in not answering direct questions!

Comparing is important because it gives me a sense of what strenghts / weaknesses each has when compared to the likes of others in a given area / region.

I also know certain people are uncomfortable in making such decisions because it puts them on the spot. For me personally I make my future travel plans based on where a course falls on the strength of the responses people provide.

I'll say this again for those who can provide a clear and direct answer -- is GreyWolf among the top 5 in British Columbia ... the top 10 ... the top 25, etc, etc.

Many thanks to anyone who can be of assistance ...

[ian]

Only my opinion, definately top 5.

[Mick]

Matt Ward,

Take it for what its worth but the Score Magazine ranking of the 100 best in Canada http://www.scoregolf.ca/rankings/top100/2004/index.cfm?fuseaction=thelist has Greywolf at 40th in the country.  This puts it at 7th in BC behind Capilano, Salmon Arm, Royal Colwood, Shaunghnessy, and Predator Ridge.  Of these courses I have only played Salmon Arm, which was recently given a makeover by Les Furber (I think).  Enjoyable course on nice rolling land, although maybe a bit short for longer hitters.  If you are going for courses in that area you should probably look at the Alberta mountain courses as they are considerably closer to Greywolf than the lower mainland/island/whistler courses around Vancouver and Victoria.

Mick

[Chris Perry]

Of the courses I've played in BC (which is a lot) I'd have to rank it in the top 5 just for the ambiance of the whole property it's in. Mind you the only course that Mick mentioned that I've played is Predator, and that was years ago. Looks like I'm missing out eh?

I'll have to admit I don't buy into the theory that if it's private, it must be better than resort or public. To me the best 5 courses in BC as far as beauty, setting and playability aren't everyone's cup of tea. They would be the Harvest Club in Kelowna, Morgan Creek in South Surrey, Chateau Whistler, Greywolf, and Bear Mountain in Victoria.

Since you're in the area, Golden and Eagle Ranch are well worth checking out as well.

[Jim Johnson]

Ian,
I liked the course. I said "the only negative". If I returned to the area I would play it again. I can't say the same for Trickle Creek (Kimberly BC) or Silvertip (Canmore, AB). Par fives were good risk/reward.

Peter,
What were your dislikes about Trickle Creek and Silvertip?
I plan on heading out to that area next summer.
JJ

[Mike Nuzzo]

JJ-
Don't play Silvertip...I'd explian why, but it hurts my brain to think about it...see "zero" in The Confidential Guide.

Panorama was a nice place to stay.  Greywolf is worth the trip.  Some very good holes and features.

Play Banff over and over instead of anywhere else, unless you venture up to Jasper.

It's pretty cold this time of year....

[peter_p]

JJ,
Trickle Creek is overpriced and an average layout. It was the only course I played in Kimberly. Staff was nice and worked me in on a busy day off the 4th(?) tee. Althought the first tee was open when I fininshed, I chose driving to Radium above finishing the round. Taking 10 rounds at Trickle Creek (1), Panorama (3 or 4) and Copper Point (5 or 6).  

[Robert Thompson]

Silvertip is remarkable -- and that isn't a compliment. There are actually holes where it takes almost five minutes to drive from green to the next tee.
Furber is average at his best -- Predator Ridge has some neat bits, but at Silvertip, you get the sense that every hole is downhill, so the routing always forces a drive uphill to the next tee.
The 10th, until it was overhauled recently, was among the worst golf holes I've ever played.
Imagine a blind par four, dogleg right, with a 100 foot drop of 340 yards. The problem is that you can't see the group ahead of you on the tee, so you are forced to have staff with walkie-talkies on the fairway and on the tee. Players hit a six iron and then a wedge. Recently it was changed to bring the tee down to the bottom of the hill. It is a better hole.
However, the original left me wondering what kind of golf architect would ever conceive of such a hole. Furber worked with Trent Jones, but it often doesn't look like he took much away. Some place him in the big four -- with Carrick, McBroom, Cooke. I don't understand it. Furber gets lots of work and a talented person like Rod Whitman doesn't get any.

Robert

[Jim Johnson]

JJ,
Trickle Creek is overpriced and an average layout. It was the only course I played in Kimberly. Staff was nice and worked me in on a busy day off the 4th(?) tee. Althought the first tee was open when I fininshed, I chose driving to Radium above finishing the round. Taking 10 rounds at Trickle Creek (1), Panorama (3 or 4) and Copper Point (5 or 6).  

Peter,
What impressed you about Copper Point?
Have you played Stewart Creek (Canmore, Alberta)? Same architect...Gary Browning.
JJ

[Mike Nuzzo]

JJ,
Greywolf had some very fine work, not much room for improvement.
Copper Point had some very nice greens to start, but then seemed as if they ran out of patience.  There is lots of room for improvement - but it's pretty good.
There was a stunner of a hole on the back nine, a long par 4 across a ravine.
I also recommend avoiding Silver (not Stewart) Creek.
Some very bad holes - Cart ball - with rides almost as long as that other unmentionable course.
a few points below Grey Wolf.

Stewart Creek was recommended by the starter from Banff...didn't make it...too many modern names, I forgot which was which.

Are you going to Banff and Jasper?
Why don't you just play them multiple times?

Oh and play Blackhawk also...
That was worth the extra miles.

Cheers

[peter_p]

JJ,
I highly recommend Stewart Creek. Where Silvertip was built vertically on difficult land, Stewart Creek is built along benches on the low mountainside. Very solid holes integrated into the terrain, and on an old mining site with timbered entrances. If you're doing Stewart Creek look into the Kananaskis courses as a second option rather than Silvertip.

Copper Point is a strong course, especially the back nine.
http://www.copperpointgolf.com/    You can view the holes by clicking on the course map numbers. #13 is the great hole already mentioned, with a sideways biarritz green. 10 and 18 are good cape holes, #10 has a very tight green complex, but a soft opening sequence and good variety in par 3s. It has taken a lot of play away from Eagle Ranch. Greywolf, Copper Point, Eagle Ranch and Radium are all close together for a long term stay.

The riverside course at Radium Resort looked interesting from the highway.

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