Just got back from a BC golf trip up to the Kamloops area with 5 rounds in 3 days
2 rounds at Sagebrush - 1st time there
2 rounds at Talking Rock - 3rd time there
1 round at Tobiano - 3rd time there
A little bit of my thoughts on each course ...
Sagebrush[/b]
Been on the radar for a while and this was the first opportunity to go play it. For those that know about the course you may know that they've had some on/off ownership related challenges for the last handful of years but is now on the right track but it's still a little bit of a work in process in terms of its facilities, what it offers, and the lodging. It's a very daily exclusive course where daily play is limited to roughly 60 players per day.
Lodging option was solid on-site with generic 2 bedrooms with 2 twins, living room, etc.
As for the course, it's a bit of a mountain course with a links style vibe. In a lot of ways, somewhat similar to what you might get with Gamble Sands crossed with Desert Canyon maybe. Definitely some really good holes mixed with great views of Lake Nicola. Highlights of the course for me are the Par 3's that range in length, elevation changes, and impact from the wind.
What makes the course difficult though is that besides the mountain element with elevation changes and sidehills, picking and committing to your lines off the tee I found to be a bit challenging and it results in hitting some really good shots that you end up never finding.
I don't think I'd go out of my way per se to go back but I wouldn't be upset if a group I was part of wanted to go there again.
Talking Rock[/b]
Course is located about 45 minutes east of Kamloops on TransCanada 1 ... very secluded about 5 minutes off the highway. Very wooded course that can appear to be very narrow on your first playing but after getting around the course once or twice you realize that it's much more playable than you think. There's a good mix of holes here in terms of length, doglegs, and green designs on all hole types (3's, 4's, and 5's).
Course conditioning here is top notch and you're going to find yourself hitting off of perfect fairways, lush rough, and greens that move.
The signature hole by far is the downhill Par 3 15th that has a tremendous backdrop of the lake in the background that you can see from the tee over the tree lines.
Tobiano[/b]
This is unquestionably in the Top 5 to 10 courses that I've played. Almost every hole is a signature hole on most courses with so much quality throughout the course.
Conditioning here is top notch and you can definitely find yourself in a position where the rough can be penal as it can be more on the lush and grabbing side if you find the really healthy stuff.
Signature hole for me is tough to really pick but I'll go with the 14th that is a dogleg left tee shot that plays down to an infinity looking green with a tremendous lake/rock wall backdrop on the 2nd shot that typically is playing into a direct or in/sideways wind. That's followed by a par 3 running parallel to the lake playing into the wind that is as beautiful as it is difficult with the wind.
Apparently the course also recently purchased the adjacent marina and will be offering golf + boating packages as early as this year. Every time that I play the course the number of housing development in/around the course increases but is doing so in a manner that actually adds to the course backdrop than taking away from it. Given it's location about 20 minutes west of Kamloops everything about it makes sense. It wouldn't shock me if development continues if a 2nd course gets announced/developed in the next 5-7 years.
Next trip coming up is to Kelowna in June ... a place that I've never been. Definitely looking forward to that experience and playing some of new courses that look outstanding.
