Enjoy Golf in British Columbia This Summer

Soar with the Eagle, Run with the Wolf in the Kootenay Rockies: Located at nearly 5,000 feet in elevation at Panorama Mountain Village, Greywolf Golf Course is ranked as one of the top mountain golf experiences in the world.

A couple of thousand feet lower in elevation near the lakeside town of Invermere sits another awe-inspiring course: Eagle Ranch. Routed through arid coulees, hoodoos, and deep ravines, Eagle Ranch is spectacular; a course where your game is sure to take flight. These two stunning Kootenay Rockies layouts can be played back to back with the “Soar with the Eagle, Run with the Wolf” package, which is currently being offered at the Panorama Mountain Village.

Rates start at $129 per person per night and can be booked by calling Panorama reservations. www.greywolfgolf.com; www.eagleranchresort.com

Christina Lake Golf Club: A True Hidden Gem: Tucked in a fairly remote section of south central British Columbia – sitting snug between the sun-soaked Okanagan and the famed Kootenay Rockies – is a golf course that can rightfully be called a hidden gem.

With 18 championship Les Furber-designed holes, a brand new clubhouse, striking black sand bunkers, and a beautifully-flowing route that parades through towering pines and affords glorious mountain views throughout, the Christina Lake Golf Club is a pastoral piece of paradise. To top it off, minutes from the course is world-renowned Christina Lake. www.christinalakegolfclub.com

Golf and Wine in the Cowichan Valley: In the language of the local First Nations people, Cowichan means “The Warm Land.” And, when making the short drive along the Vancouver Island Golf Trail from Victoria into the Cowichan Valley, it won’t take long to realize you’ve found a special place.

Here, with a local microclimate that is one of the warmest in the country, grapes - especially the German white varietals such as Ortega, Riesling, Muller-Thurgau, and Siegerrebe – thrive. In all, the tranquil Cowichan Valley is home to 12 wineries. However, unlike other regions, this is intimate wine touring. Expect to sip with the head wine maker himself (or herself) in tasting rooms that are small and quaint, often steps from the vines. Cheese shops, farmer’s markets, antique stores, and country-style bakeries can be woven into your tour.

And, naturally, before or after your “tour,” you can peg it up on a couple of great courses. The Cowichan Golf & Country Club, Duncan Meadows, and Arbutus Ridge Golf & Country Club are three of the most popular courses on the Island. And, coming on board for 2008 is another course sure to make considerable noise – Greg Norman’s Cliffs Over Maple Bay. With dramatic ocean views and spine-tingling elevation changes over 6,891 yards, perhaps it’ll be best to partake in wine sipping after the golf. www.golfvancouverisland.ca; www.wineislands.ca; www.cliffsovermaplebay.com

Group Therapy at Furry Creek: What could be more fun than rounding up a couple of friends and playing scenic Furry Creek Golf & Country Club on BC’s stunning Sea to Sky Highway between Vancouver and Whistler?

Try getting lots of friends together to play Furry Creek. And thanks to their “Group Therapy” promotion, groups of 16 to 144 people – and, yes, we know, you’re doing pretty well if you have 144 golfing friends – can play the course for the great summertime price of $85 ($75 in June) per player (business groups also qualify). Price also includes shared GPS-equipped cart, personalized bag tag, live group leaderboard scoring, dedicated event coordinator, and golf shop discounts. The course is located just 40 minutes north of Vancouver.www.golfbc.com

Say “I Do” at Swan-e-set Bay Resort & Country Club: Vows at a golfer’s wedding: “Will you take me, to have and to hold, to love and to cherish, and to play golf with from now and forever more, in sickness and in health, rain or shine?” There is no better locale in the lower mainland to say your golf-influenced vows – or to peg it up and play for real - than the Swan-e-set Bay Resort & Country Club near Vancouver.

The location features a Grand Ballroom, which has 60-foot floor-to-ceiling glass windows, bold chandeliers, an award-winning chef, and majestic mountain and golf views. With two Lee Trevino-designed championship courses carved through the pristine setting, Swan-e-set serves up one of the finest golf experiences in the Vancouver area. www.swaneset.com

The Okanagan Golf Alliance - Give Me Five: How many different golf courses do you like to play on a golf trip? Two? Three? Four? If you can handle playing five world-class courses – and you’re ok with some wine touring, sun worshipping, festival going, and outstanding Okanagan cuisine in between – then booking a golf package through The Okanagan Golf Alliance is your ticket to the ultimate golfing rendezvous. The five courses represented by the alliance are Predator Ridge, The Okanagan Golf Club (two courses, The Bear and The Quail), The Harvest Club, and Gallagher’s Canyon. www.spectaculargolf.com