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What do grizzly bears, earthquakes and Vancouver Island golf have in common? A “duck and cover strategy”, that’s what! New technology has allowed even novice golfers to hit the ball a long way. Trouble is, when you’re just a couple degrees off course and you hit the ball far, then you’re really off course, prompting more and more piercing bellows: “Fore!”

Vancouver Island, British Columbia, is golf Mecca. Imagine, on this beautiful 500 km (300-mile) long island in the Pacific Northwest, there’s a golf course for every level. No matter what your skill, you can find a course that will best suit you.

No bears on Bear Mountain but lots of deer! The 19th hole is an optional bonus - it hangs off a cliff with a spectacular view of Greater Victoria. Bear Mountain, on the western edge of Victoria, is one of the most scenic courses you’ll find.

Golf carts, fully equipped with GPS systems, are included in the green fees. Get too close to the green, the cart shuts down and tells you on the screen to back off! Then on the 8th hole, a reminder pops up that you can order food to be ready at the end of the 9th hole! Impressive, eh! There are four sets of tees, with excellent equalization for novices and shorter hitters.

An elevated green with the backdrop of a waterfall is typical of Olympic View Golf Course, also on the western side of Victoria. The 12th hole is where nightmares are born: a precise tee shot to a narrow fairway beside a long water hazard, followed by a second precise shot to an elevated green! This is just one of many challenging holes here. A golf cart is recommended for the hills. Olympic View has the best equipped practice area on any course on Vancouver Island.

Well-groomed greens, sculpted fairways and panoramic ocean views make Cordova Bay, on the eastern shore of Victoria, one of the finest courses you’ll find on Vancouver Island. Four sets of tees allow you to choose the challenge that best suits your game.

Sometimes you find a hole where you’d like to have a serious discussion with the course architect, like at the Crown Isle Golf Course, where a fine tee shot put me 12 feet in front of the hole. I putted about 18 inches past it, then the unthinkable happened: my ball found a groove and rolled at a right angle to the line of my putt - off the green, within inches of the water hazard! My chip back onto the green was just short of the hole. Yes it rolled right back to me! My fourth shot could not be short, so I blew it 10 feet past the hole. I putted tentatively towards the hole and the gap that ‘eats’ balls. Naturally, I putted light and in great disgust, got a six.

The Crown Isle Resort has some of the best facilities of any course on the Island. It’s typical of resort courses with housing developments nearby. The club house is spectacular.

If it’s your lifelong dream to live on a golf course, Vancouver Island has lots of courses with houses bordering them: Arbutus Ridge, Morning Star, Bear Mountain, Pheasant Glen, Crown Isle and others offer exemplary housing.

Imagine a course where each fairway is lined with tall Douglas Fir, virtually isolating it fromthe others. This is Storey Creek. Every hole is different and the course offers challenges with narrow fairways, water hazards and strategic sand traps. If playing along the edge of housing developments irritates you, then try Storey Creek, just south of Campbell River.

With a backdrop of Mount Arrowsmith, well-manicured greens and fairways, an executive-length golf course awaits you: Mount Arrowsmith Golf Course is one of the Island’s best-kept secrets.

An automated telephone booking system makes for easy-access. Drive 10 minutes north of Qualicum Beach and you’ll be playing one of the finest executive courses on the Island! It has one par 5 hole (the rest are par 3 and 4).

There are approximately 60 golf courses on Vancouver Island - each offering something for everyone. Read a synopsis at:
http://tourismmall.victoria.bc.ca/vancouver-island-golf.htm

Ron Kirstein is the owner of a Canadian Travel & Tourism Web
site (since 1995). Ron has traveled the length and breadth
of Vancouver Island BC Canada in search of
adventures; see http://tourismmall.victoria.bc.ca/travelmagazine

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Travelling north from Nanaimo on the Inland Island Highway, there’s a stretch of wilderness before you reach the Comox Valley. It’s so easy to tell when you arrive in the first metropolitan area on the northern part of Vancouver Island. On your left are the snow-capped Beaufort Mountains and the Comox Glacier defining the western edge of the valley. The salty sea of the Georgia Strait to your right defines the eastern edge of the valley. Rocky snow covered peaks roll gently down to the valleys below.

Forests, alpine meadows, crystal clear rivers, sandy beaches and bucolic farmland make up the beautiful Comox Valley. The Comox Valley extends from Fanny Bay in the South to Saratoga Beach in the North, a distance of about 30 miles or 50 kilometers. It is the Recreation Capital of Vancouver Island. Only in the Comox Valley can you ski, golf, fish, kayak and scuba dive all on the same day. Choose a vacation filled with outdoor adventures or check out the incredible artistic and cultural community - the four museums, the live theatre performances, the many local festivals and attractions - or you can go shopping in the many boutique-style stores.

We arrived at our beautiful accommodations at the historic “Ship’s Point Inn” near Fanny Bay. This distinguished Inn is a serene Bed and Breakfast nestled on the shore of Ships Point. The manicured gardens and flower-covered arbour entry greet you as you drive into the parking area. The Inn has a garden gazebo, a covered hot tub and a deck overlooking miles of ocean scenery. In the distance you can hear the sea lions discussing their day.

The Inn has six elegantly appointed rooms, with views of the Baynes Sound and Georgia Strait.

The Inn is at the end of Ships Point Road and is well away from the Oceanside Route Highway into Courtenay and Comox. From the spacious deck you can see snow-capped mountains, sea lions, eagles, the Denman Island ferry dock and ocean cruise ships traveling to and from to Alaska.

It’s so peaceful and the sunsets are very special indeed. This 4 Star Inn is a great romantic retreat or just a great place to get away and relax. The area is perfect for “antiquing”, visiting art galleries, beach-walking, cycling, bird- watching, fishing, golfing, hiking and kayaking.

Check out the Comox Vacation Deals

Fanny Bay is home of the world famous Fanny Bay Oysters. Check with the Inn staff and they will tell you where to get a feed of these great oysters. Fanny Bay is also the gateway to Denman and Hornby Islands with regular BC Ferry service. To get to Hornby Island you must first take the ferry to Denman, drive across the island and the take a well-timed ferry to Hornby.

Once we checked in, we were off to have some lunch. One of our local friends recommended the Monte Cristo. This restaurant is situated on the Courtenay River and the deck hangs over a tributary. The meal was excellent and since we were celebrating a birthday, the staff responded by bringing the “birthday girl” a special cake. This restaurant has been recommended by a number of people and is one of the best in Courtenay.

After lunch we decided to visit the world’s best little tourist trap, the Coombs Country market. This gem of a country store is famous for the goats that live on the grass roof above the store. The owner shops the world and fills the store with unique gifts and specialty food items. Coombs is not in the Comox Valley, but being in Fanny Bay makes so many things central. Coombs is only a 30 minute drive south and west of Fanny Bay. The Coombs Country Market has a deli, a produce section, bakery, and incredible crafts from around the world and probably the best ice cream bar on Vancouver Island. The 40-foot ice cream bar offers over 30 flavors of ice cream as well as sorbet and gelato (Italian ice cream). The Coombs Country Market has spawned a village of other establishments that thrive because of the draw of the market. On the return trip to Fanny Bay, we followed the scenic Oceanside Route (Highway19a). It travels through Qualicum Beach, Bowser, Lighthouse, and other communities.

Ron Kirstein is the owner of a Canadian Travel & Tourism Web
site (since 1995). Ron has traveled the length and breadth
of Vancouver Island BC Canada in search of
adventures; see http://tourismmall.victoria.bc.ca/travelmagazine

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Terrific Tofino

The Esowista Peninsula is perched in the edge of the North America Continent. Next stop Japan! At the north end of the Peninsula is the town of Tofino, located in a protected harbour. Just to the North, you will also find protected waters, and directly offshore is the Wild West Coast.

The constant ocean surge in this area keeps the surf breaking on expansive white sandy beaches. In winter, waves can reach up to 50 feet in height! North of Tofino, you’ll find the Ahousaht First Nations Community, Cougar Annie’s Gardens and Hot Springs Cove, and just across the harbour you’ll find Optisat First Nations Village on Meares Island.

Before you enjoy all the exciting tourist activities Tofino has to offer, you must first find a place to stay. Since nearly one million visitors flock to this paradise each summer, it is best to book in advance.

Clayoquot-Orca Lodge

If you are looking for a good value, check out the Clayoquot-Orca Lodge. It’s centrally located on the East Side of Highway 4, just as you approach Tofino, and close to all the major beaches. Clayoquot-Orca is a unique destination resort featuring on-site Eco Experience on 4 acres of old growth rain forest. Well groomed trails lead to Jensen Bay, a waterfront Bird Sanctuary, while other trails will lead you throughout the rainforest. The Lodge has comfortable, spacious ensuite rooms, some with private hot tubs. There is a licensed piano lounge, ‘the Chuckling Oyster’ which is also pet friendly. It’s full of games and activities and has a nice fireplace to curl up beside on summer evenings.

Olivia, the owner/operator of Clayoquot-Orca is a unique character who’s dedicated to ensuring you have a special holiday. She quite regularly helps guests plan their days and book their chosen activities. Many people who’ve stayed here have written to say their stay in Tofino was the highlight of their trip. Olivia is currently adding an additional 30 rooms to the Lodge. We stayed in a spacious suite that had two Queen sized beds and a pullout couch in it. The room could have easily handled six people and there was lots of room to relax at the end of a busy day.

The Lodge also has a dining room that operates throughout the peak tourist season with an attached Solarium where guests can dine with their pets. Now that is pet friendly! Chloe is the host pet. The highway sign proudly boasts that the Clayoquot-Orca Lodge was voted #1 for best-value accommodation in the Tofino area.

Ron Kirstein is the owner of a Canadian Travel & Tourism Web
site (since 1995). Ron has traveled the length and breadth
of Vancouver Island BC Canada in search of
adventures; see http://tourismmall.victoria.bc.ca/travelmagazine

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