Banff to Victoria Golf Safari

The Banff to Victoria - Peaks to the Pacific, golf vacation takes you from the Snow Capped mountains of Banff in the Canadian Rockies to the Oceanside courses of Victoria on Vancouver Island. It is built around one single premise: Play only the absolute best courses in only absolutely unforgettable scenery. You simply cannot find a better golf vacation anywhere in Canada.

Banff to Victoria destinations: Banff, Okanagan, Vancouver, Victoria, Whistler

Banff:

Few places in the world are as awe inspiringly beautiful as the Canadian Rockies and the resort town of Banff. Protected by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site, Banff is a living reminder of the awe-inspiring beauty of nature. Here mountain ranges tower into crystal clear skies. Turquoise lakes reflect rugged mountain peaks. Elk and Deer roam the resort streets, and lush green forests blanket valley floors. Add world-famous resorts and four of the highest rated courses in all of Canada to this setting and you will begin to realize why Banff is one of the greatest and most popular golf destinations in all of North America.

The most famous course of the region is the Banff Springs. Designed by master architect Stanley Thompson, this course put the region on the golfing map and is widely considered to be his best work ever. Thompson’s protégé, Robert Trent Jones passed on his knowledge to his son who built two great courses in the Canadian Rockies in what he called the “greatest natural setting I have ever been given to work with”. Stewart Creek and Silvertip, the two most recent additions to the region continue the tradition of incredible golf in the Canadian Rockies. Both are ranked in the top-fifty in Canada and both offer unforgettable views of the towering mountain peaks. 

With all this fantastic golf it is easy to forget that the Canadian Rockies offer even more to do off the course than on it. From roaming glaciers and taking guided nature tours to lounging in natural hot springs and dining on world-class cuisine, if you can think of it, there is a very good chance you can do it in Banff. 

If you are looking for a vacation where incredible golf, scenery, luxury and amenities will all vie for your attention, look no further than Banff. Nowhere else in the world will you find such a blend of rugged, pristine nature, phenomenal golf courses and opulent five-star resorts. It is a vacation you deserve to take at least once in your life!

Okanagan:

The Okanagan Valley is one of Canada’s top golf destinations. The valley’s warm dry weather, thirty golf courses, innumerable wineries and over one-hundred kilometers (sixty-two miles) of beautiful lakes make this region BC’s summer playground. Here you can play a nationally ranked course in the morning, sample internationally award winning wines on an afternoon winery tour, and dine at sunset on a lakeside patio.

The Okanagan’s courses have attracted such golfing giants as Phil Mickleson, Fred Couples, Sergio Garcia, Mike Weir and the golden bear himself, Jack Nicklaus. While the entire region is blessed with fantastic golf, the top five courses that put the Okanagan on the golfing map are all centered around the valley’s largest town - Kelowna. Kelowna’s courses will take your through Ponderosa Pine forests, alongside stunning ravines, over rolling terrain and beside some of the most beautiful vistas the valley has to offer.

After your rounds you can choose from any number of activities. From winery tours and lake cruises to spa treatments and shopping, the Okanagan has your perfect après golf indulgence. Add consistently warm sunny weather to the equation and you will understand why the Okanagan has been a favorite vacation choice for generations. If you have been looking for a destination with superb golf and a sunny disposition, look no further than the Okanagan Valley.

Vancouver:

Vancouver British Columbia is one of the most beautiful and vibrant cities in North America. This city has it all: spectacular scenery, world-class hotels, a seemingly endless list of après-golf activities and attractions to choose from and, of course, great golf. Mountainside courses that require you to shoot across ravines, seaside links that force you to tame the gusting winds, and meadowland tracks that demand precision and a sound strategy, Vancouver has them all. Payne Stewart, Mike Weir, Vijay Singh, Greg Norman, John Daly and Happy Gilmore (yes Happy Gilmore) are just a few of the golfing giants who have been drawn to Vancouver’s courses.

Once off the course, this cosmopolitan city of 3 million will tempt you with options and activities that would take a year to complete. You can watch the sunset from a mountaintop restaurant, browse the trendy shops along Robson Street, take a trolley tour of historic Gastown, walk the dizzying heights of the Capilano Suspension bridge, escape the crowds with an afternoon in Stanley Park or relax over a fantastic meal in one of Vancouver’s 10,000 restaurants offering cuisine from every corner of the globe.

If you are looking for a place where your days are spent getting away from it all on a great golf course and your nights are spent enjoying being right back in the heart of all the options, look no further than Vancouver, BC for your golf vacation. 

Victoria:

Victoria is a world famous tourist city on the southernmost tip of Vancouver Island. The historical capital of the province Victoria possesses that rarest of blend of attributes: small town atmosphere and cosmopolitan charm. Multiple winner of Conde Nast Magazine’s “Best City in the Americas” award and home to some truly incredible courses Victoria is a superb choice for any golf vacation.

On Victoria’s courses you can tee off on holes that jut out into Pacific waters, hit approaches to greens defended by water falls or drain putts on greens that offer a 180 degree panoramic view of the city skyline and the snow capped Olympic Mountains. From the venerable Victoria Golf Club, one of Western North America’s oldest courses, to the modern Bear Mountain, Jack Nicklaus’ latest mountain golfing masterpiece, Victoria has the golf experience you are looking for.

Your time off the course is filled with seemingly endless possibilities: Tour the world famous Butchart Gardens, browse the shops on Government Street, go whale watching in the protected waters of the Gulf Islands, indulge in a traditional High Tea at the Fairmont Empress, visit the incredible Provincial Museum of Natural History, dine on the deck at an outdoor café, or while the night away at any one of Victoria’s fantastic pubs or nightclubs.

Whether you want a romantic getaway exploring the streets of a colonial town, an adventurous vacation combining great golf and innumerable natural attractions or a raucous escape indulging in all that the local night scene has to offer, you can find them all in Victoria.

Whistler:

With its incredible blend of snowcapped mountains, world-class resorts and superb courses by Jack Nicklaus, Robert Trent Jones Jr. Arnold Palmer and Robert Cupp it should come as no surprise that Whistler has been named as the Top Golf Resort destination in Canada and one of the Top Twenty Golf Destinations in the World by Golf Digest Magazine.

What may come as a surprise is the incredible diversity of things to do after your round of golf. Whistler Village is the central hub of all activity in the valley. “The Village” as the locals call it, is an intriguing mixture of high-end retail chains and locally owned boutique shops, luxurious spas and mountain biking stores, fine dining restaurants and laid-back pubs, elegant lounges and thriving nightclubs. No matter what kind of atmosphere or indulgence you are wanting after your round, odds are you will be able to find it simply walking through the pedestrian-only streets of Whistler Village.

With Whistler being awarded the 2010 Winter Olympics the atmosphere in the Village has taken on a whole new life. This fantastic combination of world-class golf, world class accommodation, incredible scenery, vibrant atmosphere and seemingly endless après-golf options make Whistler a great choice for any BC Golf Vacation.

Getting there: The Peaks to the Pacific Golf Safari can be started from either Vancouver or Victoria in the West or Banff (via Calgary) in the east. The west is served by Vancouver International Airport in Vancouver or Victoria International Airport on Vancouver Island. Banff is served by Calgary International Airport (90 minutes east of Banff) in Alberta.

Alternatively you can fly into Seattle in Washington State and drive two hours north to Vancouver or catch a ferry from downtown Seattle to Victoria.

Après Golf:     Here is a brief list of just some of the activities available in the Peaks to the Pacific region.