There's nothing worse than sweating it on the golf course - be it from that last errant putt or a blazing hot sun beating down on you. But while we can't do much about your short game - we'll leave that part to you and your local golf pro - we can offer some advice about the weather: beat the heat with golf in British Columbia this summer. Snow-capped mountain tops, lakeside settings, ocean breezes, and temperate climes mean that beautiful British Columbia is practically designed to help you keep your cool, both on and off the golf course. And oh what golf courses: more than 300 at last count. What's more, whether you prefer your golf with a side of swim or ski, and your cool-down powered by mountain zephyrs or ocean mists, there is a course here with your name on its tee sheet. No sweat.
Vancouver Island
Olympic View, Victoria
Island golfing conjures up visions of teeing up to ocean views, where seagulls fly and mermaids cry. Oh wait. That's an Eagle Eye Cherry song. Regardless, it's not far off from your Vancouver Island golfing experience. Named in the top North American islands by Condé Nast Traveler Magazine for the last 10 years, Vancouver Island boasts mountain-top fairways to oceanside greens. And ocean views aplenty. Après golf also sticks close to the sea: whale watching, fins and skins, and wonderful waterfront restaurants are all easy-to-find options. As for those mermaids, well they're as elusive as a hole-in-one, but we watch (and golf) in hope.
Average Summer Temps: 16°-23°C (61°-73°F)
Regional Tourism Info: Vancouver Island Travel
Vancouver Seawall | Nelson Mouellic
Vancouver
Named the “World’s Most Liveable City” more than once - five times in fact - Vancouver is a bit of a unicorn: a city that lives comfortably in nature, a place where you can golf, sail and ski, all in one day. Set against a backdrop of mountains and oceans, green spaces abound within Vancouver itself too. None more appealing, though, than the startling number of wonderful golf courses all within the city limits, some not even 20 minutes from downtown! Add to this a mild climate - for reference, August is historically the hottest month in Vancouver, averaging a balmy 18°C (64°F) - and you've got a perfectly cool summer golf getaway.
Average Summer Temps: 17°-22°C (62°-72°F)
Regional Tourism Info: Tourism Vancouver
Fairmont Chateau Whistler Golf Club, Whistler
Whistler
Whistler is world-renowned as a top ski resort. Indeed, Whistler and skiing go together like bacon and eggs. Bert and Ernie. Clubs and tiny white balls. Tees and greens. Speaking of which, Whistler and golf are also turning into quite the iconic pairing. Not least because those same rugged Coast Mountains which get ski buffs all hot under the collar, offer golfers views for days, fresh alpine breezes, and long mountain shadows, all of which add up to cool summer golf conditions. It's really not surprising then that Whistler and surrounds are home to five award-winning golf courses designed by internationally-renowned architects and players Jack Nicklaus, Robert Trent Jones Jr., Arnold Palmer and Robert Cupp.
Average Summer Temps: 17°-21°C (62°-70°F)
Regional Tourism Info: Tourism Whistler
Okanagan Golf Club - Quail Course, Kelowna
Kelowna & Vernon
Averaging over 2,000 hours of sun every year, Kelowna offers one of the longest, driest golf seasons in Canada. But that doesn't mean you're in for a cruel summer round. Because with it comes vineyards, orchards, rolling hills, and expansive lakes, making this the perfect setting for a round of golf cooled by misty morning tee times, lake-fuelled, vineyard-scented breezes, and shady hillside settings. Okanagan Lake alone stretches out 135km (84 miles) from north (Vernon) to the south (Penticton), with over 20 golf courses peppered along its length. Bonus: for every five golf holes, the region offers one winery, so even if your game gets you all hot and bothered, a glass of icy white awaits.
Average Summer Temps: 18°-27°C (64°-80°F) R
Regional Tourism Info: Thompson Okanagan Tourism
Shuswap
Once upon a time, there was a golfer who docked his boat at a golf course and walked onto said golf course for a round of championship golf. True story. Where is this mythical place, you ask? Mara Hills Golf Resort in the Shuswap region of beautiful British Columbia. The Shuswap is well-known as the houseboating capital of BC - if not Canada (oh, go on, the world!). It also just happens to be a hidden jewel of a golf area, offering incredible value on amazing golf courses. Here you can beat both the heat (thanks to lakeside golf course settings beneath snow-capped mountain peaks, with their accompanying breezes), and the crowds! Plus, that really was a true story: at Mara Hills Golf Resort you can quite literally dock your houseboat at their marina, then hop on a complimentary shuttle service up to the Clubhouse and your tee time. Houseboat: check. Golf clubs: check. Dream summer vacation: check.
Average Summer Temps: 14°-22°C (57°-72°F)
Regional Tourism Info: Shuswap Tourism
Eagle Ranch Golf Course, Invermere
Kootenay Rockies
BC’s mountain-framed southeast corner, known as the Kootenay Rockies, is home to over 25 championship golf courses. Which makes for exactly the kind of mountain playground we like. Because while some take their mountain thrills from biking or skiing, for us it's all about the dramatic golf - the ball flies further, the views are endless, the wildlife is wilder, the space is bigger, the air is fresher... You really can get away from it all here. Do you know what else you can get away from here? Golfing in the summer heat. Yes, temperatures can get up there, but your round is guaranteed to be cooled by those towering mountain peaks and the shadows and zephyrs they send from high above. Sounds almost spiritual, doesn't it? Consider the Kootenay Rockies a gift from the golf gods. Now that's cool!
Average Summer Temps: 19°-28°C (66°-82°F)
Regional Tourism Info: Kootenay Rockies Tourism British Columbia. Where the golf is hot but the conditions cool.
Start exploring hot BC golf destinations today!
