Golf in Camano

Staffed by experienced professionals and computers who’ve sworn allegiance to the Three Laws of Golfing Robotics, GolfTec’s syndicate of golf training centers grooms games with a five-pronged approach enhanced by technological refinements. Score-shaving wisdom resonates within the walls of the indoor facilities, where certified personal coaches point out flaws and strengths while providing golfers with tips to permanently improve their game from tee to green. By utilizing video swing analysis and motion-measurement software, instructors can assess pupils’ abilities with objective data and a fact-based tact superior to traditional hearsay-oriented coaching strategies. To further enhance performance, GolfTec offers club-fitting services to match each swing profile with its ideal set of sticks.

As golfers line up tricky, round-deciding rolls on the green of the signature 17th hole at Olympic View Golf Club, they might have to block out an unusual sound. Just behind the green, water crashes earthward for more than 60 feet over one of the course’s two waterfalls. The dramatic feature generates a roaring din as well as a beautiful backdrop for players as they near the end of their scenic golfing excursions.

Such tranquil scenes are common on the 6,600-yard course framed by the dense forest of south Vancouver Island and the looming profiles of Olympic Mountains peaks. But the calm can be deceptive, as the Bill Robinson–designed layout aims to challenge. Twelve lakes are interspersed throughout the site, and numerous bunkers intimidate golfers with their depth and walls etched with tally marks. This signature mix of beauty and difficulty earned the club a four-star rating from Golf Digest in 2008, as well as a ranking of 10th Best Public Golf Course in British Columbia by Score Golf in 2011.

The GBC Golf Academy at Olympic View Golf Club aims to prepare golfers mentally and physically for playing the most enjoyable golf of their lives. Located on 14 acres, the academy features nine large grass driving areas with target greens as far as 330 yards. In three short-game areas, players practice putts, pitches, and fake surprise at finding the ball in the cup. The amply appointed grounds complement a teaching philosophy that encourages development of a repeatable swing tailored to the individual’s physical capabilities.

Course at a Glance:

• 18-hole, par 72 course
• Total length of 6,600 yards from the back tees
• Course rating of 72.7 from the back tees
• Course slope of 133 from the back tees
• Four sets of tees per hole

The blue and white peaks of the Olympic Mountains overlook the greens at Metchosin Golf & Country Club, where westerly breezes from the Salish Sea stir the pompoms of golfers' hats. Fir trees and deciduous flora have grown up alongside the course's 2,760 yards for more than four decades. The nine-hole, par-34 layout consists mostly of par 4s. Sand traps hug the edges of the putting greens on holes 1, 3, 6, and 9, their coarse textures thwarting clubs and stupefying golfers with the geological miracle called sand.

Between Tuesday and Thursday, the course invites golfers to Nine and Dine during afternoons or evenings. The event pairs nine holes of golf with repast such as flat-iron steaks, pork back ribs, and vegetarian burgers.

Course at a Glance:

• Nine-hole, par 34 course
• Length of 2,760 yards from the farthest set of tees
• Course rating of 67.7 from the farthest set of tees
• Slope rating of 113 from the farthest set of tees
• See the scorecard

Award-winning Recreation Oak Bay exercises minds and bodies with classes and camps at numerous locations. The facilities all foster a safe, welcoming environment where community members can come together and splash into the pool during children’s or adults’ swim lessons, work out in fitness studios, stretch in sync during yoga classes, or swing through the nine-hole Henderson Park Golf Course. Recreation Oak Bay also keeps children safe from the video-game-proffering witches that lurk in most public parks with a variety of kids' sports programs, including skating and hockey, soccer, and tennis.

A graduate of the CPGA's Professional Golf Management program, Adam Novosad combines his education and more than three years of teaching experience as he continues to build personal relationships and polished golf games at the training facilities of Prospect Lake Golf Course. Since each golfer learns in his or her own unique way, Adam customizes private and group lessons to each individual student's skill level and swing tendencies, whether that means lending expertise in individual skill areas or recommending a wardrobe of only argyle. By the end of sessions, players see improvement in their swinging motion, putting consistency, and chipping accuracy from unoccupied bald spots of passersby.

Meadowmeer Golf & Country Club’s nine-hole course takes golfers on a pin-hunting odyssey through fairways and greens nestled in the shadows of dense tree lines. The scaled-down layout boasts dual sets of tees, creating front- and back-nine experiences unique enough to convince near-sighted sand wedges that they are playing a full-length course. The course shares its grounds with a practice area for chipping, pitching, and driving, as well as a nine-hole practice green, which helps players get a feel for the speed of greens without having to bribe an earthworm.