Over the past few years I have been fortunate to have played some of the top golf courses in the world: The Old Course at St. Andrews and New Course, Royal St. Georges, Carnoustie, Kingsbarns, Bandon Dunes, Pacific Dunes and Baltusrol. I can now add one more to that list: Sagebrush Golf & Sporting Club, located in the Nicola Valley right here in the B.C. Interior only a 90 minute drive from Kelowna.
The short journey to play links-style golf is well worth the time. Golfers who are truly passionate about the game MUST play Sagebrush. Speaking of passion, Dick Zokol (Chairman and CEO) and Terry Donald (President and COO) have it oozing out of them for Sagebrush. The design team of Zokol, Rod Whitman and Armen Suny have created links golf in a truly amazing setting over-looking the picturesque Nicola Lake and surrounding area.
The concept first started to blossom in August of 2002, and by September of 2002 Dick and Terry had walked the property. Golf courses are not developed overnight; it was in July of 2005 when the routing of holes was completed. On July 15th, 2006 the ground-breaking began, but not much dirt was moved, as the design philosophy was one of “minimalist”. Here is a definition right from the Sagebrush website: “Minimalism being a school of golf design, which put simplistically, attempts to move as little earth as possible and relying on the natural features of the land while designing golf courses.” Old Tom Morris would be proud of what has been created at Sagebrush.
It took a few holes for me to remember the nuances of links golf. After that it was pure joy watching a golf ball bounce and then roll, finally coming to rest 15 to 20 seconds after it had been struck. Golf was meant to be played along the ground as well as in the air. At Sagebrush you can do this and you must, if you want to be rewarded in your shot making.
Links golf is an acquired taste, and for me it took about 30 seconds. The first links course I ever set foot on was Royal St. Georges in the little town of Sandwich in Kent, England. I was hooked after that round and have been a fan of links golf ever since. Spend a day at Sagebrush and you will be too.
I have had the pleasure of traversing over the Kingsbarns Golf Links, in Scotland, as a caddy during the summer months since 2006. I believe that Sagebrush has a very similar feel as Kingsbarns with the ever present wind and spectacular views of water. Combine that with hard running ground and you have a great links golf course.
Will Sagebrush climb up the ladder in ranking of golf courses? That remains yet to be determined. I don’t think the success of Sagebrush for its “Posse” will be based on world wide acclaim. Sagebrush is a place where friends can gather and play golf in a relaxed setting. One of the best things about the course is that on the 13th hole you can stop; have a meal, do some fishing, and basically relax for as long as you want. It is called “The Hideout”. On our day of golf we passed it twice and should have stayed longer. Next time for sure! The food is outstanding and fish are always biting. I could write an entire column about “The Hideout”.
I could be cheeky and profess that my favourite stretch of holes are one through eighteen. Rather than that, the 10th through 14th are my pick. The terrain changes as you move upwards to a wooded area from the sage swept hillside. Hole #12 feels like you have left the property and ended up where someone has built a one hole golf course. The 12th can be best described as a “Fussy Wee Hole” (I borrowed that from the Kingsbarns yardage book commentary). It played 112 yards from the blue tee box and was anything but simple. Hole #14 is a par 5 that allows for some risk reward, and after a fine meal at “The Hideout” you are so relaxed, why not go for it. Patience and three well played shots may be the method to a birdie, but we each choose our own path. I did not put these choices in numerical order because at Sagebrush you don’t have to play the holes in order. Just be courteous not to intrude on another game and play the holes how you like. The 10th hole is a down-hill par three that will test your club selection, ball striking and course management. Once you get to the green it really picks up. A smallish green by Sagebrush standards requires your full concentration for holing out. Chip shots, pitches, and bunker play are not for the faint of heart either. #13 is a driveable par 4, possibly. Downhill and with yardage of 285 from the blue tee box, it provides a warm up for your risk reward strategy.
Red Tail Golf Course north of Toronto near St. Thomas provided further inspiration for Zokol’s dream of a similar course in B.C., Red Tail West if you will. The original plans at Sagebrush may have been altered slightly but have in no way changed what will be an exceptional golfing experience for years to come.
For more information on group or corporate packages please contact Jason Monteleone in Kelowna at 250.860.3134 or by email at jason.monteleone@telus.net. For more information about membership follow the “links” on the Sagebrush website.
Gord McGarva has been playing golf for over 30 years and believes “Links golf is how the game was meant to be played”.
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