Golf in Ferndale

Almost 50 years ago, Herb Plasterer—an architect, historian, and artist—acquired 190 lush acres nestled along Thetis Lake, where he envisioned building a public golf course that would preserve the land’s natural beauty. When Herb passed away, his wife, Rose Maria, and their six children decided it was time to realize his dream. Their hard work, along with that of course architect Chris Young, yielded the Audubon-certified Pacific Nine and Highland Nine that golfers tackle today.

While drinking in views of the Olympic Mountains, Thetis Lake Park, and the Strait of Juan de Fuca, golfers face close-cropped fairways hemmed in by thick copses of trees and wetlands that swallow balls without even chewing them first. Cybergolf calls the Pacific Nine “truly sublime,” and Canadian Golfer—which lauds the course as being on “the must-play list”—marvels at the tricky contours of its par-4 fifth hole. Although more compact than its sister, the Highland Nine is challenging on its own terms, with uphill approaches that end in fast, unreceptive greens, as well as a number of downhill par 3s.

Before zooming across the fairways in GPS-equipped golf carts, players can warm up at a 300-yard-deep driving range that boasts heated stalls and an illuminated tee line. PGA professional instructors offer guidance during lessons at the golf academy, and students can fuel up for swings with homestyle soups, entrees, and sandwiches at the Range Café, rather than with the usual gulps of petroleum. The café also invites celebratory post-round sips of beer and wine out on a heated patio or next to a crackling indoor fireplace. And to keep guests looking fresh, the course laundromat will even wash sweaty polo shirts right after a round.

Course at a Glance:

• 18-hole, par-71 course
• Length of 6,603 yards
• Six tee options
• See the scorecard

A nine-hole, executive course consisting of five par-fours and four par-threes, Royal Oak Golf Club provides tee-to-green fun for clubbers of all stripes with an approachable 1,915-yard layout. The course presents two relatively short par-fours on which long hitters can attempt to reach the green in one with a perfect drive or a well-struck golf ball punt. Those who try to overpower the course must steer clear of its water hazards, which come into play on five holes. To prepare for their round, guests can schedule a lesson with Royal Oaks' CPGA pro Bill Wakeham.

After rounds, Royal Oaks' hilltop clubhouse enchants weary golfers with a lounge equipped with two big-screen HDTVs, dartboards, and free WiFi. The Club's outdoor patio overlooks the first and seventh tees, allowing golfers to enjoy a cold beverage or scold an underperforming nine-iron.

Recipient of a 2008 reader’s choice award from Peninsula News Review, Ardmore Golf Course has challenged club-brandishers with its nine holes since course designer E.S. Wise opened the grounds in 1926. Before teeing off against opponents, visitors rehearse their swinging skills at a practice putting green, driving net, and chipping area. Golfers in need of expert tutelage can turn to CPGA professional instructor Steve Middleton, who harnesses more than 30 years of golfing experience to help pupils find their natural swing and reunite with lost balls raised by wolves. In addition to tournament participants, Ardmore Golf Course accommodates overnight players in their golfer’s cottage, a furnished abode with a full kitchen, television, and wireless Internet. After each round guests can scarf down gourmet fare concocted by chef Graham Little, load up on golfing gear at the pro shop, admire the course’s 110-foot tall, 1,100 year-old douglas fir, or search the sky for wild birds and escaped golf clubs flying overhead.

At 3D Golf Performance, CPGA-certified instructors give back to the sport they love by combining their deep knowledge of real-world club swinging with some of the most impressive player-improvement technologies available. The Coquitlam facility's assortment of 3-D imaging technologies and finely calibrated simulators allows players to discover the nuances of club-head speed and elbow angles while teeing off indoors. Staff members quell the anxieties of traditionalists who find electronic contraptions perplexing by offering training clinics and educational sessions that demystify stroke-saving machinery such as operating TruTrac software, analyzing a swing with Target Zone tracking, and learning to reconfigure kitchen toasters as golf-ball washers.

Eaglequest Coquitlam is a haven for golf enthusiasts of all stripes and sizes; it features a 9-hole golf course, state-of-the-art practice facilities, and an 18-hole mini-golf course. With holes that range from 77 to 147 yards, the par 27 golf course challenges short-game skills and grants golfers ample time to discipline misbehaving drivers by sending them to timeout in their head covers. The 76-stall driving range features a synthetic landing area with realistic targets, and a learning academy helmed by PGA of Canada instructors can help golfers further improve their swings. For pint-sized practice, players can putt their way through the 18-hole mini-golf course designed to be both charming and challenging by incorporating large rocks, pieces of wood, and an intersecting brook. The golf centre also houses a 9,000-square-foot clubhouse with a café, pro shop, and resident hobbit that whittles wooden spoons into sand wedges.

Course at a Glance:

• Nine-hole, par 27 course
• Course length of 1,006 yards from the farthest tee
• Two tee options available
• Click here to see the scorecard.

Wooden beams form rows of V-shaped pillars that prop up the ceilings on both floors of Takaya Golf Centre's two-tiered driving range, creating a visually compelling, rustic design. Surrounded by a dense forest, the 270-yard range boasts 78 hitting stalls, 58 of which are covered to protect players from the elements and rival golfers who hire a stealthy buffalo stampede to record surveillance. Along with clearly marked yardage signs, the target field sports wide hoops at various distances to emulate greens. After the sun sets over the opposite end of the westward-facing range, Takaya Golf Centre activates its stadium-style lighting to keep practice sessions alive and illuminate woodland creatures' late-night board-game sessions.

Four teaching professionals preside over the centre's practice complex, where they help players smooth out swings in group or private lessons. Those looking for more leisurely activities can putt across the centre's mini-golf course, lounge with a cup of coffee in the TV lounge, or build an indoor fort with the pro shop's selection of hats, tees, towels, and golf balls.