[Jim Johnson]

Just back from a trip to beautiful British Columbia, westernmost of our provinces here in Canada. We had the opportunity to golf at Wildstone, Trickle Creek, Osoyoos, Predator Ridge - Predator & Ridge courses, Talking Rock, and Tobiano.

Rather than incite a frenzied discussion of each course (although that is certainly welcome), this photo tour is meant more to show, to some degree, courses which may or may not be well known in other parts of the world, and hopefully spark interest which may result in future play.

We started in the town of Cranbrook, in southeastern BC in the Kootenay mountain range, playing Wildstone. According to their website ... Wildstone is the first Black Knight Design by Gary Player Design in Canada. Gary Player brings his reputation for excellence and his design expertise to Wildstone. The Wildstone Golf Course measures over 7,100 yards, and embodies the same distinction as Player himself.  Set on the rolling highlands above Cranbrook, BC, Wildstone exposes stunning postcard views of the Rocky Mountains from start to finish. "This is the most beautiful site that I've ever had the privilege to design a golf course on" ~ Gary Player

Details:
Total Length: 7,127 yards
Par: 72 (Out 37, In 35)
Designer: Black Knight Course by Gary Player Design
Greens: A4/T1 Bentgrass
Tees and Fairways: Kentucky Bluegrass

Scorecard:
Black = 7,127 yds slope 123 (m)
Blue = 6,669 yds slope 117 (m)
White = 6,233 yds slope 111 (m)
Red = 5,629 yds slope 121 (w)
Gold = 4,947 yds slope 113 (w)

A few pictures from the course ...












Of the courses played on our trip, this may have been the least favorite. Can't put my finger on it; the course was in excellent condition, the greens were in fantastic shape and putted true. It is only a year old, but feels like it has been there for awhile. It had good topography for a golf course, but many of the holes felt very similar in nature. Being our first day in the mountains, perhaps we were looking for more of a "wow" factor, something which Trickle Creek, in nearby Kimberley (20 minutes away) and one we played the next day, definitely has more of.

[Ronald Montesano]

To frenzy or not to frenzy...

I like the playing corridors at this first course. If that's the least favorite, sign me up!

The holes in the pictures look like they have lateral movement, but no vertical movement. In such mountainous country, is this a flat course? Does it have rippled fairways anywhere? Can you describe the topography a bit, in a decidedly-anitfrenetic way?

[Jim Johnson]

Ron, there is decidedly vertical movement on the land at Wildstone, particularly at hole #5, a big downhiller of 380 yards (black tees). My wife's ball and my ball finished within 3 yards of each other (from tees of 351 and 255 yds), in a collection area in the fairway, most of which is not visible as the tee shot is struck over a slight rise with a huge downhill slope after that. There's even a viewing platform to the side of the tee, and golfers are asked not to tee off until the group ahead has walked onto the green (something the 4some behind us failed to do, as one of them hit their ball 25 yards past us as I was hitting my approach shot).
Overall, yes, playing corridors are comfortably wide. Don't get me wrong - the course is good. I just went into it with higher expectations, which weren't met.

[Ronald Montesano]

I've played two Gary player courses in my years, both of which I've forgotten completely. Does Player demand the draw on his courses with the frequency that Nicklaus used to demand the high fade?

[Jim Johnson]

To me, a good sign of a really good golf course is memorability. Am I able to recollect each and every hole on the golf course after only one round? Or almost every hole?
At Wildstone, no, I was not able to, a week or two later.
"Blackhawk" (Edmonton, Alberta - Rod Whitman with Jeff Mingay) still stands out as the most memorable course for me. I can recollect each and every hole on that course, years later.

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