WE are in the midst of the annual hand-off from spring to summer.
In the wilderness north of Grouse Mountain, the last fingers of snow are yielding to wild alpine flowers, and early shoots of salal and blueberry bushes reach out for sunlight and warmth. The bears are stirring, shaking off the long sleep of winter and will soon make their presence known on the trails and mountain paths we share with them.
Up in Whistler, another bear, a "golden bear," made his imprint on the valley floor almost 20 years ago and his presence is still felt today. When the Nicklaus North Golf Course opened for play in 1996, it was hailed as a masterpiece of golf course design, and put all B.C. courses (those already opened or those in the planning stages) on notice that an "average" golf experience wasn't good enough.
Joining the Whistler and Chateau Whistler courses as the third jewel in the resort municipality's triple crown of golf, Nicklaus North has continued to attract players from around the world anxious to experience a superb course in a stunning natural setting.
Driving toward the club house along Nicklaus North Boulevard takes you past gorgeous homes set in beautiful neighbourhoods. There are parts of the world where this lifestyle would be behind gates, closely guarded by security and available to only the very few.
This, however, is Whistler. The signs on the way to the Nicklaus North clubhouse say "everyone welcome" and they back it up in spades.
From the moment you drop off your clubs until you start your engine to drive home, you experience excellence. Everyone working at the club house or on the course is genuinely friendly, polite and anxious to please.
It seems that their sole mission is to make sure you have the time of your life.
It was the May long weekend and Nicklaus North had been open since May 3, one of the earliest starts to a golf season recalled, when I visited the course. A month ago, the ski hills were still buzzing with late-season visitors, getting the last few runs out of the remaining snow pack. I was among them. Now the action had moved to the lowlands as the first arrivals of the summer season unloaded their mountain bikes, kayaks and golf clubs.
Golf is an individual pursuit played in groups and therein lies one of the secrets of its attraction. You can have a bad round and still enjoy yourself if you have the right company. I was joined that day by Dan, actually, three Dans: Dan Rothenbush, Dan Rees and Dan Foster, all good friends, so we were in for a pleasant outing regardless of the actual golf.
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From the championship tees Nicklaus North clocks in at 6,961 yards. There are five par-threes, four par-fives and nine par-fours. The course is bisected by the Sea to Sky Highway, creating two slightly different playing environments. Holes 1, 2 and 14-18 are near the clubhouse and along the shores of Green Lake. Lined with tall evergreens and vacation homes, it's a little more protected from the winds that can rage up and down the valley.
Holes 3-13 are right out in the open of the valley floor and if there's wind, it's right in your teeth. The opening hole at Nicklaus North is 390 yards from the back tees with water running down the right, past the tee boxes to the beginning of the fairway. There are a pair of bunkers down the right-side rough and one to the left guarding the green.
It was an excellent introduction to what lay beyond. The large landing area gives you plenty of real estate for your tee shot, but after that it narrows considerably and you've got to be accurate with your iron play or suffer the consequences.
That's how most of the holes are set up at Nicklaus North: plenty of room off the tee, but a narrow second shot to greens guarded by bunkers or water. It's actually a perfect layout for recreational golfers who can be a little wayward off the tee. Good iron play can get you out of most of the trouble you'll create for yourself.
Greens were very healthy and held their line, removing any excuse for a poor putt.
Some of us managed to find sand, some of us found trees, but the course was in outstanding condition and it was a decent start for a round in May.
The second hole was the first of the par-threes. The par-threes at Nicklaus North are worth the price of admission alone. They are perplexing, astounding, maddening and beautiful.
At 197 from the tips, Nicklaus North's second hole is a challenge. A large pond occupies most of the right half of the approach to the green and there are big, nasty bunkers waiting for you on the right and right-rear of the green. There's plenty of real estate down the left side but this is Jack Nicklaus daring you to go for it.
From the third tee to the 13th green, the course is a wild ride though the elements of the Whistler Valley. The views of the surrounding peaks, shedding the last vestiges of the ski season, were glorious.
The Whistler Valley is one of the main corridors for airflow between the interior and the coast and wind can be a serious factor for golfers. If it's flowing steadily in one direction, you can allow for it and make adjustments accordingly.
That day the wind was up and swirling, changing direction and never fully dying down. Perfectly executed tee shots were pushed into water or bunkers and we faced revised calculations with almost every swing.
The first of the par-fives, number 3, was 518 yards from the back tees and sent us head-first into the tempest. Foster and I wilted somewhat but the other Dans managed very respectable pars.
The fourth was no easier. The longest of the par-fours at Nicklaus North, number 4, is 465 yards from the championship tees and swirling wind played with us almost everywhere but on the putting surface. We only managed one par between the lot of us.
One of the prettiest holes on the front is the slight dogleg-left 376-yard par 4 9th. There's water all the way down the left side of the tee boxes to the fairway and the view of Whistler Mountain is absolutely magnificent. It reminded me how fortunate we are to live where we do, among all this beauty and world-class destinations.
People from around the world save and plan months ahead, with no weather guarantees, to catch a glimpse of what we have in our backyard. We can go almost on a whim and take advantage of what some people wait a lifetime to experience.
The back 9 begins with the troublesome 185 yard par-3 10th hole. Like number 2, there's water all the way down the right and bunkers to the left and rear of the putting surface.
Pin placement is dictated by the wind and it was howling.
With no real way to estimate the speed or direction of the wind up at the green, the safe play was left and a little long. Bailing out? Perhaps, but the score card would look much better at the end of the round.
There are some great stretches of play on the back 9: the 555 yard par 5 11th and the 438 yard par 4 18th come to mind, but for me the most memorable are the par threes.
Number 12, at 225 from the back tees is all carry over water to a steeply crowned green. What was already a pretty hole has been enhanced by the addition of the Ben Hogan Augusta National Bridge to take you to the putting surface or the drop zone.
The crowns and contours on the green mean that even if your tee shot stays dry, par is no easy feat. The final par three is the 17th, Nicklaus North's signature hole.
At 226 yards from the tips, the heavily bunkered putting surface juts out into Green Lake and you have to be aggressive if you want to be remotely close to par.
Foster was just off the back of the green and chipped it close for the only par in the group. Walking down the 18th fairway we felt a sense of accomplishment, that we had taken on a big challenge and emerged, if not victorious, at least not defeated.
Make no mistake, this is a fantastic golf course. It takes a dedicated team of grounds crew to maintain top playability in an alpine environment and the course will only improve as the weather warms.
Jack Nicklaus Course Design has produced more than 360 courses around the world. Only six bear his name. The only one in Canada is Nicklaus North.
The people who make it all work understand that you have a choice about where to play and go out of their way to make sure you leave with a smile on your face. When it comes to superb golf courses, B.C. has an embarrassment of riches, yet Nicklaus North still impresses.
It's a great destination.
