by Chuck Collet
Lets see now. The great Vancouver Island Golf Trail.... Bear Mountain Golf Course. A great golf course to be sure, Mr. Nicklaus did a fine job but I wouldn't call it one of his best, (I've seen many golf courses designed by no name designers that were just as impressive, and some more, than this course).. Now, the TIME & PRICE..We are talking about Vancouver Island here. If you live on the island it's no big deal. If you are coming from the British Columbia Mainland or the U.S. it's another story. From the Vancouver area you are talking a 5 hour return ferry ride, (hope there aren't any waits as the summer season can find it turning into a 3 or 4 hour wait to get on). The price for a twosome and a vehicle return is $112.oo right now and will be going up shortly, (price of fuel and all that you know)..The drive to the Bear Mountain Golf Course is quite nice, but the price when you get there is $145.00 each plus any tips for their fancy service. So, a 2 and a half hour drive from Seattle, A wait of who knows how long at the ferry, two hours+ for the ferry, an hour to get to the course and put your clubs on a cart. You would be looking at about 6 hours from Seattle on a good day. That may seem like a downer, BUT, if you are going for a week it is well worth it. The Island has a number of very interesting golf courses beyond the hallowed cart paths of Bear Mountain. Storey Creek is one of them, but not the best by far. Arbutus Ridge, Olympic View, (great course), Crowne Isle, Morningstar, Duncan Meadows (hidden gem), Fairwinds, and many other good courses dot the landscape on the island. There are some very good values for the high Canadian Dollar in this group and all are well worth playing. So if you are a real golf nut and want something different, take the extra time for a nice ferry ride and see what Vancouver Island has to offer.. Chuck Collet, Pitt Meadows, British Columbia
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