Hold Your Horses... This Is Now An Excellent Golf Course
Revelstoke Golf Club Welcomes B.C. Senior Men’s Championship As It Celebrates Its 100th Anniversary
By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf
REVELSTOKE — Every golf course has a history, but few have as fascinating a past as Revelstoke Golf Club.
Golf was first played in 1924 on this scenic tree-lined layout that hugs the Columbia River and is playing host to this week’s B.C. Senior Men’s Championship as part of the club’s 100th anniversary celebrations.
But before it became a golf course, part of what is now the back nine was a horse-racing track. If you look closely, you can still discern remnants of the old racetrack.
On the par 4 12th, there’s a burn that runs down the edge of the hole. That was part of the racetrack. The downstairs of the clubhouse, which is now the restaurant and kitchen area, was a stable where the horses were kept.
Thankfully, there are no remnants of that. Horse-racing patrons packed viewing areas upstairs and the tower atop the clubhouse is where the judges watched the races. “It really has a fascinating history,” general manager Dean Jackson says of the property.
That old racetrack has turned into quite the golf course. Revelstoke is another one of those hidden gems that lots of British Columbia golfers have not yet discovered. Many in the 156-man field competing at the B.C. Senior Men’s have fallen in love with the layout, which proved to be a stern test in the opening round of the 54-hole event. No one broke par in the first round.
“This is a great golf course,” said Kelowna’s Norm Bradley, the 2020 B.C. Senior Men’s champion.
“The first time I played it many years ago, I thought I’m never going to come back again and play it. Then last fall I played it and I thought, oh, my goodness. It’s pure. Off the tee you have to be really good. If you miss greens there are some really tough up and downs, the greens are really fair and have some slope. Then today the wind blows. It was a challenge out there just trying to hold on and get in.”
Bradley shot a two-over 74 and felt pretty good about his score. Jim Nicholson, a 62-year-old from Spirit River, Alta., shot the day’s best round, an even-par 72. He gave nearly all the credit to his putter. “I had 25 putts today,” Nicholson said. “I made almost every putt. I missed the 50-footers, but made the 10-footers coming back. It was crazy.” Albertans are 1-2 on the leaderboard, as Calgary’s David Schultz opened with a one-over 73.
Jackson, who has been general manager at Revelstoke for the past 10 years, isn’t surprised no one went low in the first round. “People look at the scorecard, look at the layout, and think they are going to eat it up and no one ever does,” he said.
The two nines are quite different. The front nine is tighter, but with three par 5s it is perhaps more scoreable if players can keep it in the fairways. “If you hit it in the trees you are going to find it, but it’s essentially a one-shot penalty,” Jackson said. “You are chipping out.” Holes six through 10 hug the Columbia River and are visually stunning.
“It’s a nice track and it’s in very good condition,” said two-time champion Sandy Harper of Nanaimo. “There’s a few holes that are pretty long for us old guys, though, especially against the wind. As a little guy who’s 67 now, I’m not long.” Harper put himself in the race with a solid two-over 74.
Revelstoke Golf Club will soon have a golfing neighbour as work continues on the highly anticipated Cabot Revelstoke mountainside course that is scheduled to open in 2026. Jackson said the Cabot development, which will include lots of high-end real estate, will only benefit his course. “I compare it to Whistler, which started with Whistler Golf Club, then Chateau, then Nicklaus North and Big Sky,” Jackson said.
“When people go to Whistler now they play all of them. So I figure that is exactly what is going to happen here and the area will become a destination for golfers. This is such a good golf course that once they play it, they’re going to be like, 'whoa, how have we not played here before.'”
Jackson also thinks having the B.C. Seniors event at Revelstoke will benefit his club. All but three of the 156 competitors are from out of town. “So, 153 gentlemen are going to go back to their clubs and hopefully say, ‘go play Revelstoke,’” he said.
About 60 per cent of the play at Revelstoke comes from its nearly 400 members. Out of town play continues to increase each year. Daily green fees are $89. Juniors play free when accompanied by an adult.
CHIP SHOTS: The B.C. Senior Men’s Championship is open to players aged 55 and older. A Super Senior Championship is being held concurrently for players aged 65 and older.
Click HERE for complete scoring from the 1st round.