Kelowna Springs
Summary: Value Rating = C+
After playing other courses in the Kelowna area, the Kelowna Springs golf club was a disappointment mostly because it is just an average course located in a flat and wide open area. There isn’t very much spectacular about this course and thus my average rating.
The course is located near the Kelowna airport which offers you the opportunity to watch planes land and take off from the airport – enjoyable to watch if you like airplanes in flight. The course doesn’t provide golfers with many of the spectacular features that you’ll find at other courses in the region like the Bear, the Quail and Predator Ridge. The course is fun to play as it does offer some challenge with many sand traps around the greens and some water to contend with but with a slope rating in the 116 to 114 range it presents fewer of the nice to have features you will get elsewhere in the area.
The price was good – $58 (2006), including cart – a discounted rate obtained through the resort we stayed at while in the Kelowna area. Despite the very reasonable fees compared to the other courses I noted earlier, you will probably enjoy playing the other courses more even though it will cost you more.
My value rating is influenced by the fact that you don’t get any elevation changes, you have few spectacular views of the surrounding area and the course just offers an average experience.
Check out the website for additional information www.kelownasprings.com
Play and Value Evaluation Rating Table
| Scenery | C |
| Mix of Holes | B- |
| Consistency and Condition | A course was in very good shape and is well maintained |
| Character | C |
| Golf Challenge | C+ not a difficult course to play |
| Tee Shots | C |
| Fairway Shots | B- |
| Pin Placements | C average size greens |
| Putting | B some contours and swales to deal with |
| A Chance to Recover | A as long as you don’t hit the ball out of bounds or in the water you can pretty much recover from an errant shot anywhere on the course |
| Intangibles | An average course without any spectacular features |
Refer to my evaluation criteria – www.lifepast50.ca/topic-list/golf/reviewcriteria
Some Details:
We played this course early in May in 2006.
A very easy course to walk – you do not need a cart at all.
The water and the bunkers around the green do offer some challenge but this isn’t a difficult course to play. Accuracy is required on a few holes as the fairway has water on both sides – hole 14 in particular. Holes 15 and 17 also require accuracy due to the water.
The staff was very friendly and the course is well maintained.
Should I go back to the Kelowna area I would probably not play this course again because the other courses offer more attractive features. If you want an easy and leisurely afternoon then Kelowna Springs might offer you an enjoyable outing.
My Evaluation Details:
Scenery – located in the base of the Okanagan Valley, you do have views of the valley but nothing overly spectacular.
Mix of holes – Just average on this front.
Consistency and condition – The course was well maintained and in excellent shape.
Character – just average on this front.
Golf Challenge – the course does offer some challenges…..
- tee shots – for the most part you have good size fairways to hit onto.
- fairway shots – mostly flat lies everywhere, even in the rough.
- pin placements – nothing spectacular.
- putting – the greens were fast.
- greens – the condition of the greens was very good.
- a chance to recover – you can play from just about anywhere on the course and recover easily.
Other Observations
Sorry no photos.
Lane@lifepast50.ca