Northlands Golf Course - North Vancouver, BC, Canada

[Silver]

Well, another wonderful day on the course in every way (discounting my score, of course).

This is a course I've never played before, but it's the only muni in North Vancouver and was built about 7 years ago right into the lower portion of one of the local ski hills (takes me about 35 minutes to get to from the far side of town if there's no freeway traffic). North Vancouver and West Vancouver make up the semi famous "North Shore". It's mostly famous for mountain biking and excellent local skiing within minutes of the main city of Vancouver...as long as there's no stupid prick threatening to jump off one of the bridges that you have to cross to get there.

It's a tough course that puts an emphasis on punishing the lungs of the fat and unhealthy who decide not to take carts (me). It's rated as follows:

Black 71.6/135
Blue 70.0/124
White 68.0/120

It cost only $25 CDN to play a twilight time today and wasn't busy at all. I think it goes up to about $65 in the summer for a weekend fee.

We played the Whites because one of our group is pretty new and has a terrible swing. Then again, I think he beat me.

Anyhow, on to the pics. Which are apparently out of order. Oh well.

1. 1st - Par 4 - This is my friend (and hookup at the local golf shop) teeing off on the 1st which is a par 4 that's having drainage work done on it so there's a temporary tee at the 150 marker. Believe it or not, I still bogeyed.

2. 4th - Par 5 - View up to the green from where my second shot landed. It's a hell of a climb carrying a golf bag.

3. View from the clubhouse - basically the 18th green on the left and the 1st fairway on the right. The 18th has crazy elevation changes, probably 60 feet down and then 100 feet back up. More on 18 later.

4. 4th - Par 5 - view of the fairway from the green. The shadow at the lower left of the visible portion of the fairway is a large pond about 150 yards off the white tee and from then on up it's bunkers and a climb. You can't even see some of the bunkers off to the right because of a dip in the fairway, but they're there.

[Silver]

1. 8th - Par 3 - A beautiful Par 3 that gives you an idea of how high up we climbed (those are bigass mountains in the background). If you notice the bunker on the right, there's a huge stump in the middle of it. Don't go there. Apparently my friend (in the picture on the 1st tee) ended up on TOP of the rocky outcropping on the right hand side last time (a good 20 feet above the green) and had to chip down. Interesting play.

2. 10th - Par 4 - This picture doesn't do this short downhill par 4 justice. All around the front of the green is a HUGE water hazard. It's 242 to the water from the Whites and about 270 to some semblance of green. Can be nasty if you try to go for it. No one tried. I still ended up in the water after a slightly short approach (1 yard further and it would have rolled right down to the pin).

3. 11th - Par 4 - Nothing really special, just an example of the lovely conditions we had today and you can see the break through the trees just to the right of the green, gives a lovely view down that I failed to take a picture of.

4. 12th - Par 3 - Fairly straightforward par 3 with a few bunkers but a nice mountain view. Good stuff for a day in the sun.

[Silver]

1. 14th - Par 3 - Interesting downhill par 3 with a huuuuuuge green. Pin was tucked up front, so it played pretty short, which was good because if you have to go long, you risk going over into the water in the back.

2. 15th - Par 5 - Extremely looooong uphill par 5. Big trouble in the middle (environmentally sensitive area) followed by an uphill battle of bunkers. Tough hole and a hard walk.

3. This is the view from the walk to the 10th. Looking down, you can see the 16th green and 17th fairway and some of the surrounding trouble. What a great course.

4. 18th - Par 5 - View from the tee. Man, what a test. The trouble in the middle is more of the "environmentally sensitive" area and is about 300 from the tee. You've gotta get a decent drive to have an easy time getting over it and then you have to crank it up the hill to the tee. The bunkers were in rough shape from recent weather and made them tough to get out of, but it's a great hole.

[Silver]

Even though it was lovely weather, this is an indication of how chilly it was in the shade. This is the water on the backside of the 14th green/right of the 15th tee.

Brr.

[Loop]

Nice photos Silver. Those trees around the course are daunting. No room for error.
But I see it's still cold, as the water has a bit of frost on it.

Is your friend the next Lefty who'll win the Masters?

[The master]

Great pics you seem to play a lot of nice courses, where does all the free time come form?

Also the hole in the pic before last looks great.

Thanks.

[bdcrowe]

Nice photos and tour. Thanks!

[Silver]

I doubt he'll win the Masters anytime soon, Loop. He used to be near scratch but lost his drive to play about a year ago (I guess that can happen when you work in a golf store) and hasn't been able to recover his game yet, but he still enjoys it.

TM, I'm on my version of Spring Break right now, so that helps. Also, being in school, I only have about 16 hours of class time per week (supplemented by a gajillion hours of readings) so if even one class gets cancelled (or skipped), that leaves a lot of open time to get out on a golf course and right now, they're so cheap that it's easy to get out and have a nice round at a reasonable price.

[Bravo]

Absolutely beautiful countryside. The course looks great - has an excellent slope/rating and is a great value.

I'd play there all the time if I were you...

Thanks for the photo's...

[The master]

Originally Posted by Silver

I doubt he'll win the Masters anytime soon, Loop. He used to be near scratch but lost his drive to play about a year ago (I guess that can happen when you work in a golf store) and hasn't been able to recover his game yet, but he still enjoys it.

TM, I'm on my version of Spring Break right now, so that helps. Also, being in school, I only have about 16 hours of class time per week (supplemented by a gajillion hours of readings) so if even one class gets cancelled (or skipped), that leaves a lot of open time to get out on a golf course and right now, they're so cheap that it's easy to get out and have a nice round at a reasonable price.

I wish I was you. I'm donig just over 30 hours a week in school But at least I have the summer holis to look forward to.

[DaveE]

Another beautiful course. Nice pics Silver.

I enjoy how warm it stays here in the winter but I would love to have the chance to play some courses in that kind of setting.

[Silver]

Thanks guys, now that I know about it, I'm sure I'll play there more. I'll keep 'em coming, haven't decided where to play today yet!

[MAHALLEDAY]

That looks erely similiar to my home course in in Manitoba. Minus the mountains of course.

[JasonMacIsaac]

Same type of courses we have in Nova Scotia.....lets see Phil and Ernie bomb them in those woods and find a way out.