Photo© by Wayne Duchart - Photography West
Photo© by Wayne Duchart - Photography West
KELOWNA GOLF COURSES:
(excerpts from the Kelowna Visitors Guide)
A great selection of world-class facilities await golfers where the scenery and climate are both out of this world. Golf Digest, for example, rated three Kelowna-area golf courses with four stars in the Places to Play booklet. The ratings are based on playability, conditioning, value and overall levels of service. Yet another Kelowna course was given the nod as B.C.'s Golf Facility of the Year, an exceptional honor.
The Okanagan Valley is home to about 40 golf courses, 12 just a short drive from downtown Kelowna, so a vacation here is sure to please any golf lover's appetite.
No matter what your handicap, there's a suitably challenging course, from par threes to world-class designs where even the most ardent and proficient golfers will meet their match.
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Okanagan Lake and the scenic mountain tops provide a fabulous backdrop for
the lush fairways and smooth putting greens. That, combined with the sunshine
and blue sky unmatched anywhere else, makes Kelowna a golfing mecca during
the long summer days. Kelowna averages only 13 inches of precipitation annually,
so the weather is usually ideal for golfing. And when the day on the links
is done, spectacular sunsets over the greens are something to be expected.
Photo© by Wayne Duchart - Photography West | 
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The golf season usually starts in March and continues through November, but there are years when golfers will be out on the links even in the winter months.
The Okanagan Valley Golf Association and its member golf courses, hotels, motels and booking agencies promote golf in the region as a whole. Most Kelowna area hotels and motels offer golf packages so a vacation on the links can be easily affordable.
You may not have the time to test out all the golf courses in the area, but you will have fun trying.
A FEW SUGGESTIONS
(for those in search of a self correcting swing):
Gallagher's Canyon Golf & Country Club located in East Kelowna, is one of Kelowna's premiere courses. It offers 18 championship holes with spectacular views. Challenging yet very playable, this course is a favourite. The ultimate golf destination while in Kelowna, this course provides great driving ranges as well as an exceptional executive course the Pinnacles. 250-861-4240.
Kelowna Springs Golf Course, located just south of the airport is one of the top-rated courses by Golf Digest. It features seven spring-fed lakes (hence the name) and 72 sand traps, real challenges for even the best golfer. Kelowna Springs features a full-stocked pro shop, golf lessons and a practice centre. 250-765-4653.
Sunset Ranch Golf and Country Club, located in the Ellison district, was designed by J. Bruce Carr and takes great advantage of the Okanagan landscape to provide players with a tremendous golfing experience. Some of the highlights include a turn of the century cattle ranch, near desert roughs and towering pines. 250-765-7700.
Harvest Golf Club, located off KLO Road and just minutes from downtown, offers a spectacular orchard setting overlooking Okanagan Lake. Rolling greens, strategically placed bunkers and water hazards are just some of the features. 250-862-3103.
Quail Ridge Golf & Country Club is north of the city, across Highway 97 from the Kelowna Airport. The lush fairways of this 18 hole championship golf course meanders through rolling terrain amongst towering pines. You'll enjoy exploring the Borgata Lodge and the growing community, which includes stylish town homes, villas and custom homes. 250-765-5955.
Shannon Lake Golf Course, on the Westside near Westbank offers varied terrain and elevation sure to impress anyone with an appreciation for well-designed, challenging courses. The view is great too. 250-768-4577.
Ponderosa Golf and Country Club is just a short drive away in Peachland and offers some of the most scenic views of the valley. Golfers of all skill levels will enjoy a day here on the links. 250-768-7839.
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