Langford, BC Health and Fitness

At Newera Wellness Centers, co-owners Dewar and Jen McCarthy give special attention to the face with a variety of beautifying services. As an accountant, Dewar handles the business side of the center while Jen, a certified weight-loss coach and certified Finer Face therapist, handles the treatments. Jen helps stabilize insulin production by providing clients with adequate protein and low-sugar diet plans. She also performs nonsurgical Finer Face facial-rejuvenation treatments that use low-level microcurrents to even out complexions—a method that’s generally preferred over the use of Wite-Out, pencil erasers, or a firm commitment to walking backward forever.

Multiple fitness disciplines converge at Studio 4 Athletics. The warehouse-style facility houses two floors and eight training areas, each dedicated to a distinct purpose. The cardio area whirrs with the sound of treadmills and ellipticals, and the strength-training area clinks with the sound of free weights and functional-training equipment. In a cycling room, trainers lead a stationary Tour de France. Other studios play host to yoga, dance fitness classes, and boot camps. Within a boxing ring, instructors teach students how to duel their way to tighter forms, or mix fighting and creative movement into art forms known as capoeira and slap-hopscotch.

Owner Liz Lampard and her elite squad of trainers combine a kitchen-sink approach to fitness with an all-comers clientele policy that welcomes sweat seekers to group classes designed to challenge both the peak-condition athlete and the career couch potato. Innovative, high-octane flex-fusion programs combine an array of calorie-scorching methods, with 45 minutes of cardio and strength training followed by 45 minutes of Vinyasa flow or Yin yoga. Group sessions rendezvous at several area locations for kickboxing and boot camp. The company's online booking system makes it easy for clients to reserve their spot in class and schedule three-round sparring matches with Dynamo's kickboxing instructor or tax accountant.

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