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St. Eugene Mission Golf Course
| Course Overview |
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| Par |
72 |
| Championship Length |
7,007 |
| Championship Rating / Slope |
72.8 / 130 |
| Course Architect |
Les Furber |
| Clubhouse Facilities |
Lounge / restaurant, BBQ, outdoor patio |
| Season Length |
early April to late October |
| Driving Range |
Yes |
| Putting Green |
Yes |
| Club Rentals |
Yes |
| Power Cart Mandatory |
No |
| Beverage Cart |
No |
| Price Range |
$65 - $95 (includes cart) depending on month, day of the week, and tee time
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| Opening Year |
2000 |
Course Overview
This outstanding new course opened in May 2000 and in 2001 was awarded a top 3 ranking in Golf Digest's "Canada's Best New Courses" category. St. Eugene Golf Course takes full advantage of its spectacular Rocky Mountain setting, where majestic pine forest and the St. Mary's River provide a fitting backdrop for the championship layout. Designed by the renowned golf architect Les Furber, St. Eugene Mission offers a rich variety of environments and is destined to join the ranks of famous courses that attract golfers to the Rockies from around the world.
More...
(by Andrew Penner, TravelGolf.com writer) When you step onto the tee at St. Eugene Mission's closing hole -- a hazard-strewn par-5 -- you'll have an opportunity to go for broke. But if you don't pull off a heroic drive, which must carry a huge fairway-splitting bunker to get within striking distance of the green, then you'll likely be clawing and scratching for a par.
But, hold on to your hats, even if you make the carry, trouble looms everywhere. Joseph Creek guards the front of the green and anything mishit will sink to its murky depths. It's golf gambling at its finest. At the St. Eugene Mission Golf Resort the opportunity to "roll the dice" presents itself many times over -- and in a variety of forms.
Anyone who knows the game of golf is well aware that "gambling" is an exciting and inevitable component of the game. In fact, players often have two distinct choices when playing a shot: a) play safe, or, b) throw caution to the wind and "go for it." But now, at the St. Eugene Mission Golf Resort, the "gambling" is taking a whole new direction.
In the fall of 2002 the Casino of the Rockies and the Delta Hotel at the St. Eugene Mission Golf Resort opened their doors. The casino, which is operated by Lake City Casinos in Kelowna (they now operate five casinos in British Columbia), is part of a new-look resort that has added an exciting dimension to a golf vacation in the B.C. Rockies. The $42.1 million (Cdn) expansion features the 19,000-square-foot casino (225 slot machines, blackjack, roulette, Let It Ride, three-card poker, and more) and the 125-room Delta Hotel. Now golfers can cruise around a silky-smooth Les Furber track, which boasts a unique combination of river, mountain, and links-style holes. And, after playing Let It Ride on the golf course, golfers can keep their hot hand going in the casino's version of the same game.
"The Casino of the Rockies brings distinction to the B.C. Rockies as a tourist destination. We're excited to be in the Cranbrook area," says Suzanne Carter, Lake City's director of marketing.
Not surprisingly, many of the locals and golf operations staff are also excited about the resort's new look. Don Shindle, the general manager of the resort, echoes the same feelings. "The expansion of St. Eugene is great for the local economy," he says. Not surprisingly, his thoughts seldom stray too far from the resort. "The luxurious Delta Hotel, the casino, the fabulous golf course, the beauty of the area, can it get any better?" The short answer: No.
The history at St. Eugene dates back to the early part of the last century when Catholic priests set up a mission to help teach the local natives. Started in 1908 and completed in 1912, the massive stone mission building with Spanish architecture is still the centerpiece of the property. It now, however, has been transformed into 25 luxurious rooms at the Delta Hotel.
If you're a golfer, you'll focus on the terrific 18-hole championship golf course. Even if you're not a gambler, the course is certainly reason enough to plan a trip to St. Eugene.
The strongest attribute of the layout is its variety. Most courses fit into some type of category -- mountain course, prairie course, links course, etc. As for St. Eugene, Furber has been able to incorporate a number of styles simply because of the remarkable terrain he was given to work with.
The course starts out in the open and the feeling is that of vast, wind-swept, links land. But on hole No. 3 -- a short, twisty par-4 -- the pines start to close in. Holes four, five, six, and seven roll gently through the forest but offer little in the way of birdie chances. The seventh, a long par-3 over a depression, features one of the wildest greens you'll ever see. The left side of this green appears to have sunk in an earthquake. Needless to say, three and four putts are the norm here.
Holes eight and nine cruise along the wide, rock-strewn waters of the St. Mary River. The ninth, perhaps the best hole on the entire course, is wicked in character but an absolute treat to play. The river chews into the landing area and will swallow anything hit left. However, with a long, high-flying drive you can carry a big chunk of water and potentially give the green a go in two. The problem with that, however, is that Furber wasn't in a good mood when he built the green complex. It's small, narrow and pinched between sand and a pond. A slight miss, and you'll be lucky to make a six.
The back nine takes you into the rugged slopes that frame the south side of the course. The 13th, a plunging par-3 with a glorious vista from the tee, will be a hole burned in your memory for quite some time. Club selection falls into the "grab a stick and cross your fingers" category. Whatever weapon you choose, it's virtually impossible to keep your game face on while standing on this tee. The closing stretch at St. Eugene once again takes on the links character as 16, 17, and 18 head into the open, grassy areas from where the course started.
Whether you decide to play a few hands in the casino or explore the exceptional beauty of the area, a trip to the St. Eugene Mission Golf Resort is bound to be a memorable one -- hot hand or not.
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