Sagebrush, A Course That Meets Golf Getaway’s Desires
By Gord Montgomery, Senior Writer, Inside Golf
QUILCHENA, British Columbia — The two things that are most important on a group golf trip are a great place to tee it up and a great place to recoup during the night from your awesome round(s) of golf. At Sagebrush Golf Course, just outside Merritt, BC, you get both.
Simply put, this golf course is an amazing piece of work. From start to finish, it’s a test of skill and patience but more than anything, it’s one great golf hole after another. The terrain is undulating, with balls skittering about given the dramatic slopes.
That means you need to understand that not every great-looking shot will end up in a great spot because when you add slope, fescue rough, and sagebrush together, you will see good shots end up in places you’d rather not be.
Director of Golf Randy Smith pointed out that this is a track you need to play more than a time or two to learn the characteristics of the fairways and greens. The pro was quick to mention that while this scenic design is intimidating, especially off the first tee where the uphill fairway in front of you looks about 10 yards wide, don’t become overwhelmed before you even begin.
“That’s a great point. Yes, the first hole is a very intimidating visual but it’s not as bad as it looks. There’s lots of fairway there,” the pro explained.
Smith continued to say that the huge bunkers scattered about this property, including a few on that opening test, also hold an intimidation factor. They are all classed as 'waste bunkers' meaning you can ground a club inside them and moving rocks out of the way is allowed. Even still, they can be scary to look at. Still, the pro welcomes everyone to come and give Sagebrush their best shot(s). 
“I believe this is a golf course for all skill levels,“ Smith stated. “A novice golfer can come here and hit some worm-burners. They can have a lot of fun because they don’t have to have the ball in the air. The forward tees, for the most part, are right at the start of the fairways, so you don’t have any forced carries to get to the fairway.”
From the tips, Sagebrush can be a monster, playing out to 7,400 yards. The second set of markers (blue) drops the yardage to 6,556 yards with the whites seeing a significant drop down to just over 5,500 yards. There is a combo tee as well, which places distances at a shade over 5,900 yards. The front tee box plays out to 4,872 yards.
Given those varying starting points, Smith noted, “We want to break down the stigma a bit,” that this course is too tough for those who aren’t big hitters or are novice golfers. “It’s a golf course for all skill levels. I believe, especially for women, that there is a perception that it’s too tough,” which he hastened to add, is not the case at all — as long as you start on the correct tee.
One of the “This makes you feel comfortable on the course,” aspects at Sagebrush is the fact that tee times are spaced 15 minutes apart. This means you essentially feel like the course is yours and yours alone.
“We do four groups in an hour, 16 people in an hour. This isn’t a golf course where we’re going to do 200 people a day. It’s not designed for that. It’s a model of having more elbow room. That’s what makes it so unique. It’s a one-of-a-kind golf experience.”
That it is. After that opening hole, you are faced with a downhill par-4 with a blind tee shot, where if your ball hits the speed slot on the fairway, your usual 225-yard drive ends up at about 260 yards out or more. From there, it’s a short approach into the huge green, which overlooks Nicola Lake, giving you a legit shot at birdie. Missing the fairway though, makes par a more difficult prospect.
The course continues to meander about through the opening nine, with the second par-5, No. 7, a beast to conquer at 588 yards from the blue tee. It bends slightly to the left with strategic bunkering and rough throughout, winding up with an approach shot from well above the green. A par here is a great score but hey, sometimes even a bogey can make you feel good. 
The back nine starts with a par-3 downhill shot, with a backstop on the green to bring long hits back toward the hole and another legit shot at a birdie. Another great hole on the back is 13, a short downhill par-4 of under 300 yards where a birdie is a real possibility, although you are hitting into a narrow but lengthy green. The shortest challenge on this layout is the 12th, topping out at 126 yards from the back tee, 102 from the combo tee, and a close-up of 82 yards from the front box.
The best mindset a newcomer here needs is to accept what comes your way because you will get some unexpected caroms off the sloping fairways.
“A 15-handicap or any golfer that comes here needs to come with an open mind,” said Smith, who noted there is a digital assistant available as well as a handout he’s putting together to help with shot placement. There are also thoughts of creating a group caddy program to lend a hand as to where to aim at certain holes.
“There are so many different dynamics [and] many different ways to play (holes). The attitude to bring; just come out and enjoy the golf course and the grand views. Learn as you go, as you do on any golf course,” Smith advised about this dynamic layout.
While there isn’t a driving range in play at the time of this writing, one is being constructed near the day parking area. There is a huge putting green and a practice chipping area to warm up on before you take on this great layout that should be played more than once to truly enjoy its unique characteristics.
Stay & Play (Again and Again)
After wrapping up your day on the course, the on-site suites offer a relaxing place to sit back and dissect how things went. Sagebrush’s GM Chris Hood noted that staying and playing here is a great idea for a golf getaway. There is the option of upper suites with balconies off each bedroom and ground floor suites with walkout patios from each bedroom. Each outdoor area is furnished with a table and chairs to enjoy the spectacular views over the lake.
Inside your suite, you’ll find a common area with a dining table along with comfortable seating elsewhere and a large-screen TV. Amenities include a coffee maker and a bar fridge. There is also a TV in each bedroom.
“The rooms are built on foursomes coming to play golf whether it’s two couples with King Suites or foursomes in four twin beds. They each have (large) ensuites so you have a lot of room to get ready for golf. Then you’re on-site so you can enjoy all the amenities Sagebrush has to offer you. That’s the golf, the ranch, the Badlands putting course, the Double Eight Ranch Chipping Course, the Ranch House Restaurant (now under the direction of Ned Bell), and The Hideout," (where you can stop mid-round for a bite to eat, a drink, and cast a line or two into the pond looking to catch and release a rainbow trout).
“The goal is to get people out for one or two nights to experience everything Sagebrush has to offer,” said Hood.
Stay and Play packages are available with replay rounds as well as daily rates for this spectacular golf getaway that one has to experience for themselves to realize how good this property is. If the on-site suites are full, Sagebrush has a package for staying the night in Merritt, about a 15-minute drive from the course.
For more, go to www.sagebrushgolfclub.com.