Opened in the resort destination of Whistler British Columbia in 1997, and immediately named as one of the top golf courses in Canada by Score Magazine, Nicklaus North Golf Course is the embodiment of the class, style and competitiveness you would expect from the Golden Bear himself. In typical Golden Bear fashion, the Nicklaus North course offers golfers of all levels an intriguing debate between risk and reward on almost every tee.

Shorter hitters will find wide landing areas but long approaches to well defended greens. Longer hitters will find enticing landing areas that are reachable only if you manage to fly the water hazards or fairway bunkers that invariably guard that portion of the fairway.

Perhaps no other hole better typifies this kind of risk-reward golf than the par-four ninth. At just 376 yards from the back tee, this hole sounds like a guaranteed par. Take a second more involved look though and you will begin to see the Nicklaus magic emerge. The first portion of this dog-leg left is entirely water; therefore, the further back on the tees you go, the tighter the angle to the fairway and the more water you will have to carry off the tee.

Higher handicappers, playing off the forward tees will only need a long iron or fairway wood up the left or the middle to reach short-iron range to the green. Lower handicappers will have to wrestle between two options: #1 take a conservative fairway wood up the middle, #2 rip a drive up the left side and have a sand wedge in to the green. The only problem with the second option is the deep fairway bunker that sits on the left side of the fairway at 235 from the back tees. If you don’t manage to carry the bunker, you will have little opportunity to go for the green. If the drive is too far left you will find yourself in the fescue or behind the tall tress that line the fairway. If you push the ball to the right, you find yourself with two green side bunkers to carry and a difficult angle of attack.

With all of these negative possibilities, the smarter strategy is clearly to play conservatively. No one ever accused golfers of being smart though! Take out the driver and blast it over the bunker on the left side. You will be left staring at a short pitch or easy wedge to the green and a golden opportunity for bird. Besides, with our golfer’s powers of selective memory you won’t have to worry about remembering it if it didn't work out!

No matter what your game, Nicklaus North Golf Course, with its immaculate conditioning, incredible views, and incomparable service, is a course you are sure to remember for a long time. Be sure to include Nicklaus North in any Whistler golfing trip with BC Golf Vacations.