Capilano Golf and Country Club...

[Frank M]

Hey,

I've posted a picture review of Capilano Golf and Country Club on my blog. If anyone is interested please check it out. The blog allows me to post bigger photos. Hopefully this isn't against any rules.

Thanks

[JNC Lyon]

Obviously Capilano is a great looking golf course--you got some good photos there as well.  The 18th looks like a phenomenal par five finisher, and the midrange par five is probably my favorite type of finishing hole. 

Question for you, having not played the golf course: what did you think of the tree situation there?  The giant pine trees appear to be indigenous in Vancouver, but a giant pine is also one of the worst golf trees in existence.  Do you think the pines at Capilano add or detract from the golf there?  Do they encroach on angles of play?

[Frank M]

Obviously Capilano is a great looking golf course--you got some good photos there as well.  The 18th looks like a phenomenal par five finisher, and the midrange par five is probably my favorite type of finishing hole. 

Question for you, having not played the golf course: what did you think of the tree situation there?  The giant pine trees appear to be indigenous in Vancouver, but a giant pine is also one of the worst golf trees in existence.  Do you think the pines at Capilano add or detract from the golf there?  Do they encroach on angles of play?

I thought the tree situation worked very well. They didn't encroach on any angles of play that I could tell on my first time out unless you were offline and in those cases there is no reason why they shouldn't encroach on play. In many instances, even if you were offline, the trees still allowed a recovery shot. I actually felt Capilano was fairly wide and forgiving and that the size of the trees make it seem much tighter.

[Jeff_Mingay]

Good review, Frank.

JNC,

Capilano's 18th hole is very LONG; and, the hole plays significantly uphill. I don't think its yardage has changed much since the course originally opened for play, either. It must have really been a brute back in 1930s. Very cool hole though.

As for the trees, I agree with Frank for the most part. Corridors of play are good. There are certain areas where I know it's difficult to grow grass though (a lot of shade from those large evergreen trees). The biggest problem are a number of spectacular views - particularly of downtown Vancouver - which have been closed by tree growth over the years.  

 

[Frank M]

Good review, Frank.

JNC,

Capilano's 18th hole is very LONG; and, the hole plays significantly uphill. I don't think its yardage has changed much since the course originally opened for play, either. It must have really been a brute back in 1930s. Very cool hole though.

As for the trees, I agree with Frank for the most part. Corridors of play are good. There are certain areas where I know it's difficult to grow grass though (a lot of shade from those large evergreen trees). The biggest problem are a number of spectacular views - particularly of downtown Vancouver - which have been closed by tree growth over the years.  

 

Thanks Jeff...appreciate it. I wanted it to be more of a pictorial than a review. I just don't have much negative to say about the course.

The one thing I kept thinking was how much shade the trees provided. I suspected it would be a problem in terms of growing grass, but didn't know for sure.

[Jeff_Mingay]

Frank,

It can be really wet up there on the side of the mountain, at Capilano, during many times during a typical year. All of those large trees can really prevent the course from drying out too. Superintendent Adam Zubek, and his staff, do a great job under this circumstance.

[Frank M]

I completely agree. The conditions were really good if you ask me. The course played pretty firm and fast, which was not what I expected.

I actually couldn't believe the speed of the greens. I couldn't help but feel that maybe they were a little too fast for the contours...they were also VERY firm. I think the greens would play better if they were slightly slower or slightly softer. Doesn't have to be both, but one or the other.

The only other thing I noticed, which wouldn't be a problem after playing the course a couple of times, is that the sand seemed very thick. I was in there a couple of times and it seemed to really grab my clubhead.

Jeff, do you find that the greens tend to run faster than expected with the fact that they are built on the side of a mountain slope? I couldn't help but notice that the downhill, down mountain putts played MUCH faster than I expected and every uphill, up mountain putt somewhat slower. The same also seemed true for breaks. Maybe it was just me though???

[Jeff_Mingay]

Frank,

I haven't been to Cap. in a few years, but am actually planning to be there for a visit in a few weeks.

No matter the condition of the greens, that mountain side - which is very steep, as you know - is going to make downhill putts "fast" and uphill putts comparatively "slow", right.

Glad to hear Zubek and co. have the course in impressive condition; though, I'm not surprised. Adam's "into it". And, he certainly has great appreciation for what he's in charge of maintaining.

[Bill_McBride]

Good review, Frank.

JNC,

Capilano's 18th hole is very LONG; and, the hole plays significantly uphill. I don't think its yardage has changed much since the course originally opened for play, either. It must have really been a brute back in 1930s. Very cool hole though.

As for the trees, I agree with Frank for the most part. Corridors of play are good. There are certain areas where I know it's difficult to grow grass though (a lot of shade from those large evergreen trees). The biggest problem are a number of spectacular views - particularly of downtown Vancouver - which have been closed by tree growth over the years.  

 

Jeff, you still get those great framed views of the harbor on #5 and #6.  The long par 4s on the back nine behind the clubhouse - #15 and 17? - have equally cool framed vistas of the mountains.

It's now been six years since my one round at Capilano, but I also didn't find the trees to be in play unless you were pretty far off line.

[Frank M]

Frank,

I haven't been to Cap. in a few years, but am actually planning to be there for a visit in a few weeks.

No matter the condition of the greens, that mountain side - which is very steep, as you know - is going to make downhill putts "fast" and uphill putts comparatively "slow", right.

Glad to hear Zubek and co. have the course in impressive condition; though, I'm not surprised. Adam's "into it". And, he certainly has great appreciation for what he's in charge of maintaining.

Sounds good. I was starting to think I was going crazy when the members I was playing with said the mountain has no effect.

[Jeff_Mingay]

Bill,

Indeed. There still are "framed views" of the harbour and mountains... the frames have just gotten quite a bit smaller over the years 

[Bill_McBride]

Bill,

Indeed. There still are "framed views" of the harbour and mountains... the frames have just gotten quite a bit smaller over the years 

Nothing a few crews with chain saws couldn't handle!  What a great course, the only Stanley Thompson I've played.  Are they all that good?   

[Jeff_Mingay]

Bill,

The crews can handle the chainsaws. Problem is, they have a hard time handling committees and Boards 

[Mike Benham]

Hey,

I've posted a picture review of Capilano Golf and Country Club on my blog. If anyone is interested please check it out. The blog allows me to post bigger photos. Hopefully this isn't against any rules.

Thanks

As a rule, we are a lazy bunch and you need to learn from the expert blogger/writers such as Jay Flemma, hotlink your blog URL

My Take Golf

[Matt Bosela]

Thanks for the great photos Frank.  It looks like a super fun track to play!

[John Mayhugh]

Thanks for the photos and your thoughts.  Capilano is a wonderful place.  Here's a photo tour that I did back in 2009.
http://golfclubatlas.com/forum/index.php/topic,38375.msg797000/#msg797000

[Bill_McBride]

Bill,

The crews can handle the chainsaws. Problem is, they have a hard time handling committees and Boards 

That's why they have to work under cover of darkness!   

[Ian Andrew]

Most of the trees you are discussing are not on property. Much of the potential clearing got done about five years back to return the views you get now. There was quite a bit done at the time.

Most of the course has been slit tiled and much of that was sand capped at the same time.
The work took place over five or six years under Dennis and Adam. The course drains well despite the upper area being quite “organic” in places.

They are in excellent hands.

One last fact - 380 feet of fall from top to bottom - and its a reasonable walk.
That's the sign of a genius.

[Bill_McBride]

Most of the trees you are discussing are not on property. Much of the potential clearing got done about five years back to return the views you get now. There was quite a bit done at the time.

Most of the course has been slit tiled and much of that was sand capped at the same time.
The work took place over five or six years under Dennis and Adam. The course drains well despite the upper area being quite “organic” in places.

They are in excellent hands.

One last fact - 380 feet of fall from top to bottom - and its a reasonable walk.
That's the sign of a genius.

Ian, the uphill hike is all in 9 and 10, right?  18 is uphill but that's nothing to do with the fall of the first 6 holes.

[Jeff_Mingay]

Capilano really does feature one of the very best routing plans ever made. Genius, as Ian says.

[Garland Bayley]

Capilano really does feature one of the very best routing plans ever made. Genius, as Ian says.

Are you telling me that the ODGs had to work with bad land too? OMG! I have been led astray on this site, with all the talk about the good land being gone so now the NLGs have to make cartball tracks.  I guess back in the day they knew a thing or two.

[Ian Andrew]

Ian, the uphill hike is all in 9 and 10, right?  18 is uphill but that's nothing to do with the fall of the first 6 holes.

Many climbs are made between holes as you criss-cross going up.

The 9th is a large climb, the second part of the 10th is a big climb and the 12th is suprisingly uphill.
This returns you to the height of the 5th tee!

The 13th is really uphill and the climb up to the tee on the 14th gets you to the height of the first tee!

From 8 green to 14 tee is a massive climb.

[Bob Jenkins]

At home, I have copies of the two Capilano GC histories that have been published. The most recent, which I think is 7-8 years old, has, as part of the course tour, the elevation changes for each hole. I will pull it out and get it on here later. It really is amazing how you take a huge elevation drop from the first tee down to the sixth green and then work your way back up. Other than the climb up 9, the climb from the 13th green to the 14th tee and a few other smaller climbs, you really do not notice the climb all that much.  Most members still walk the course and I do not recall seeing an abundance of carts at all.

[JC Urbina]

Bob, Ian, Frank.


I enjoyed the golf course.  The scale of the golf course is Big and the trees are really not in play on most holes.  I had mentioned to a few people that if someone had property on a mountain side I would use Capilano as a model of a great golf course that uses elevation changes to the fullest.


If someone could answer a question. 

Are the bumps on the ridge just in front of the 7th green original?   It looks like they were added to keep you from rolling off and down to the depression below?

I believe I asked Ian the question but maybe I wasn't clear on the location.

[Bill_McBride]

Ian, the uphill hike is all in 9 and 10, right?  18 is uphill but that's nothing to do with the fall of the first 6 holes.

Many climbs are made between holes as you criss-cross going up.

The 9th is a large climb, the second part of the 10th is a big climb and the 12th is suprisingly uphill.
This returns you to the height of the 5th tee!

The 13th is really uphill and the climb up to the tee on the 14th gets you to the height of the first tee!

From 8 green to 14 tee is a massive climb.

Massive but you really don't feel it.  9 and the last of 10 were the only climbs that got my attention.  It's a textbook!