A couple of summers ago now, I walked off the ferry in Quathiaski Cove and looked around for someone holding a “MIKE DAVIES” sign, because my ride was supposed to be meeting me, and I’m a pretty big deal, right?
You always see a few of these people in the airport – at least in the movies you do – so how was this any different?
Okay, maybe I’m being a bit facetious, but I did think it was pretty cool that Quadra Island Golf will pick you and your clubs up at the ferry terminal and take you to the course (and back after your round, obviously), thereby saving you the extra cost of BC Ferries bringing your car across.
Once in the van, I had a nice chat with their driver about the course’s short history – it’s one of the newest tracks in the region, first opened in 2012 – on our way across the Island, unloaded my clubs (watch your head on the rear door of the van, by the way, if it’s still the same one), and headed out for my round.
The first hole begs you to unload with your driver, but just don’t. Play to the marker in the middle of the fairway – which is well below you, making for a wonderfully picturesque opening to your round – and play to position yourself for an easy approach.
That’s good advice for the whole course, actually. It doesn’t add enough benefit to be long off the tee anywhere, really, to compensate for missing the fairway, especially if you miss on the wrong side of a dogleg and block yourself off from having a path to the green.
Follow that advice as you make your way around the course, and you’ll be fine.
If you don’t care to listen to this one simple tip, I sincerely hope you reloaded your golf bag before you got on the boat, because you’ll frequently be digging into it for a new ball, assuming you’re not a scratch (or better) golfer.
In any case, I recommend booking yourself in for twice around this nine-hole gem when you’re making your way there, because as soon as you come off the ninth, you’ll want another crack at this track.
As soon as you come off the ninth, you’ll want another crack at this track.
The green undulations are subtle and difficult (but fair – try to stay below the hole) and the mistakes you made the first time around are likely easily correctable, so you’ll be itching to see what your score would look like if you played it properly now that you know how.
You’ll especially look forward to having another go at the par-5 third, where you probably chose the wrong club off the tee box, because there are very specific places you need to be landing your ball if you are to get through this hole unscathed, and if you didn’t take enough club on your uphill approach, your ball rolled back quite some distance towards your feet, which was pretty annoying, wasn’t it?
The other par-5 is a monster – in the best possible sense of the word. At 494 yards from the back tees, the fifth hole bends to the left and stretches uphill a full 40+ yards, so it plays like it’s 700 yards long for someone who moves the ball left to right (yes, I’m exaggerating, but it’s a beast). Turn around and look back down the hole before you write down your score and head towards the sixth tee box. It’ll take the edge of the number you had to write down.
Speaking of the sixth: here’s another great opportunity to take the wrong club off the tee! Long hitters will look down the fairway of this beauty and see the green a mere 350 yards from the back tees and think about letting rip with the driver. The only problem with that theory is the creek that runs across the hole about 50 yards short of the green, gleefully adding penalty strokes to your card like it’s some kind of … evil score zombie … or something.
Then there’s the ninth. One of the most beautiful par-3s I’ve played anywhere on the West Coast of the country, this stretch of 180-yards is one of the bet finishes you’ll find to a round of golf. Just make sure you pull enough club to make the carry over the pond so you can fully enjoy it.
In any case, enjoy your round. Maybe I’ll see you over there, because I’m on my way back at my earliest opportunity.