Black Mountain Golf Club

“Write” Down the Fairway

Written June 2009

I had the pleasure of playing the newly opened Black Mountain Golf Club this past week. The condition of the course is superb, the vistas are spectacular and the unique layout makes for some memorable shots, with your golf clubs and camera.
The Black Mountain Golf Club officially opened June of 2009. In reality it has been ready for play since June of 2008. The owners of the golf course (Melcor Development Ltd.) decided to wait until the clubhouse and pro shop were completed this year. An excellent decision on their part. The view from the clubhouse deck provides a great setting for your pre or post round meal. I am not claiming to be a restaurant critic, but the food was very tasty and the setting alone is worth the drive.
Now back to the golf course itself. The grass used on the greens is a Dominant Extreme Creeping Bent Grass. Without getting into too much horticultural theory, the greens are extremely smooth and putt very true. The ball seemingly wants to go in the hole as it tracks its way there. Fairways and tees are Dwarf Kentucky Blue Grasses which allow the ball to sit up waiting to be hit.
The Black Mountain Golf Course plays to a par of 71 and has six par 3’s, five par 5’s, and seven par 4’s. With four sets of tee boxes to choose from, all levels of golfers can be accommodated. One of the first questions I had for Brice MacDermott (Golf Shop Manager) was, “Is the course walkable?” His answer was … “Yes and no.” There are a few uphill climbs from green to tee, but for the fit golfer it is possible. On the day I played, I saw two groups walking and carrying their golf bags, but I would recommend a cart. The 5th hole, a 372 yard par 4 to an island green is a feature hole and is both spectacular and intimidating. Make par and your walk to the next tee with a smile on your face.
The holes that I found most impressive were the 11th through to the 15th. The par three 11th plays anywhere from 182 yards to 108 yards over a natural ravine. The downhill tee shot makes the task a little less daunting. The 12th is a par 5 dog-leg right, uphill and around to a green that is blind from the fairway. I often heard Scottish Caddies remark “Aye laddie, tis only blind once!” The extra tall flagstick makes the approach shot appear closer. The 13th is a great par 3 and will test even the longest of hitters with a yardage of 234 yards from the back tee and 128 yards from the red tees. The setting for the green is very natural. It sits on a plateau that looks like it was created just for the purpose of placing a green there. The architects did a great job of using the natural topography of the landscape to create a very difficult yet fair test. The 14th requires a well placed tee shot to the left centre of the fairway. Club selection from the tee can be anything from a driver to a long iron or a hybrid. Depending on the wind, your approach could be a mid iron to a wedge. The 15th is a 352 yard par 4 from the gold tees. The hole gives the impression of being very narrow, but the further you go, the wider the fairway seems to become, and if needed, you can run the ball onto the green.
The course comes to a crescendo with the challenging 501 yard par five 18th. Favour the right centre of the fairway for the best approach for your second. From there you may have the decision to try for the green in two or lay up. A possible birdie could be rewarded with a round of applause by the gallery on the majestic setting of the clubhouse deck.
Be sure to make your way to the Black Mountain Golf Course this summer for an enjoyable and challenging day of golf. During my round I used every club in my bag and walked off the course satisfied and wanting to play it again, now that I have the knowledge of what needs to be done. Check out the website for online booking and current green fee rates at www.blackmountain.ca.
Gord McGarva has been playing golf since 1979, and has played over 250 golf courses in Canada, the United States, Scotland, England and Northern Ireland.