Editor’s Note: This post was originally written in 2016 by Pip Campbell, and has been updated to reflect recent changes by Whistler.com’s golf specialist, Jason McClean.
Mingling with the mountain bikers, hikers, yogis and shoppers in Whistler Village are visitors who come to Whistler purely for the greens. There’s plenty here to offer golf enthusiasts from the most seasoned player to the casual after-work crew – here are our reasons why you should plan to play here this summer.
1. Whistler Golf Courses Have Unbeatable Views
Spin 360 degrees on any golf course in Whistler and you’ll get an eyeful of snow-tipped mountains and deep, green forested slopes. You might find yourself playing alongside an alpine lake or mountain stream, or perhaps putting surrounded by a stand of majestic old-growth cedars while wildflowers wave alongside the greens.
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2. Play Four of Canada’s Top-Rated, Public Golf Courses
Play four of Canada’s top-ranked courses all located within a 25-minute drive of each other here in Whistler; the only golf resort in Canada to offer four courses ranked in ScoreGolf’s Top 59 Public Courses in Canada.
Where some golf resorts feel very repetitive, Whistler’s legendary architects have gone to great lengths to create four unique courses that look, feel and play entirely differently.
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3. Mountain Temperatures
While Whistler is known to have plenty of warm, sunny days in summer, the average top temperature for golf season is around 22°C (72°F). Throw in a mountain breeze to keep the air moving and you have ideal conditions for playing your best.
Misty, morning tee times offer night-cooled air temperatures and fresh-cut greens, while later in the evening the long shadows offer relief from the sun. The grass species used on golf courses in Whistler also thrive off the warmer days and cooler nights, meaning the greens stay in tip-top condition all season long.
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4. Nicklaus, Palmer, Cupp & Trent Jones Jr. Chose Whistler
These guys don’t put their name to just any old greens. Here you can take your pick from four championship courses by four different designers, each featuring completely unique terrain and a different aspect.
Valley floor, lakeside, mountainside? Choose a course where you can play to your strengths, or throw yourself in the deep end and play a round that will challenge your skills – it’s a choose-your-own-adventure kind of place that offers plenty for an extended holiday.
Get a glimpse of all four courses in the video below.
5. Our Golf Greens Go To 11
Our greens are rolled and cut to perfection. Speeds of 11 or more on the Stimpmeter are not uncommon. All four courses feature bent grass greens, commonly the first choice for grass on the world’s best-putting surfaces including Augusta National Golf Club.
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6. We Know How to Après
Whether you’re celebrating or commiserating, we know the value of après in Whistler – no rushing away after you park the cart. Four courses mean four different patios to discover post-round.
That’s four different menus, four different selections of Pacific Northwest craft beer to work through and four different aspects from which to watch the sunset.
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7. Stay and Play
At just two hours north of Vancouver, it’s completely possible to scoot up from the city for a quick round with the work crew. But with a range of accommodation on hand, it makes way more sense to check in for the night.
That way you can fit in an extra round and not have to worry about driving after the post-round beverage. Have two!
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8. Unforgettable Golf Experiences
Whistler is the only resort in Canada to offer a heli-golf experience. This, very literally, takes your game to new heights, 2000 metres to be exact. This mountainous 19th hole can be added to a round at either a Whistler or Pemberton golf course, or it can be done as a stand-alone experience.
Golfers are flown, via helicopter, to Mount Currie, spending 20 minutes in the air taking in the stunning scenery below and then given half an hour to hit some eco-friendly balls at BC’s highest tee.
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9. Health Benefits
We’re big believers here at the Insider that being outdoors is good for you, and if that landscape happens to be breathtakingly beautiful that’s even better.
Aside from a healthy dose of fresh mountain air and sunshine, if you choose to walk the courses you’ll get plenty of exercise and some mental-health-boosting conversation as well. It might be just what the doctor ordered.
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10. Room to Improve
There’s always (at least) one aspect of your game you’d like to improve, and a golf vacation is the perfect excuse to polish those skills. Each course has a driving range for warming up and working out the kinks in your short and long game plus pro shops where you can get advice on the latest equipment and clothing.
If you’re really keen on getting ahead, check out the lessons and clinics on offer – nothing beats having a pro on board to help fine-tune your swing. You might just surprise the lads and lasses on your home course when you finally hit that hole-in-one.
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11. BONUS: Non-Golf Options
Within a few minutes’ walk of each course there are lakes, bike trails, hiking trails and more. It’s nice to know there are options if you want to take a day off, but it’s also good to know that you can entertain non-golfing members of your family while you play for days. Set them up on a spa day, an art workshop or zipline tour and enjoy your round in peace until you meet on the patio later in the day – guaranteed smiles all around.
To book a tee time, check out the current weather or find a place to stay for you and your mates check out Whistler.com.
To learn more about golf in Whistler, call 1.800.944.7853 to speak with our Whistler-based Travel Consultants.
