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The course
Par 72, 6,584 yards from the Blue. Routed by Roy Stone in 1962 along the west bank of the Columbia River, restored to his original 1969 layout in 2018. Surrounded by the Selkirk and Monashee mountains. Walkable, public-access, open April 1 through October 31.
Par
72
Holes
18 (10 par-4 · 4 par-5 · 4 par-3)
Tees
4
Blue yardage
6,584
Rating / slope
71.5 / 121
from the Blue
What to expect
Not a marketing list, the specific facts that shape every round here.
Walkable by design
Roy Stone routed Birchbank when carts were still rare, the holes flow one into the next with short tee-to-green walks. Most members walk. A power cart is $24 per rider for 18, if you want one.
Four sets of tees
6,584 yards from the Blue down to 5,330 from the Red. The Blue tees are the most-played; rating 71.5, slope 121, a fair test without being punishing.
Water on the back nine
The 2018 irrigation project added two ponds, one on hole 12, one on hole 15. Both in play from the Blue. Neither was there in Stone's original 1969 routing, but the ponds earn their place.
A single river
The Columbia runs the length of the course. Holes along the west bank open and close the front nine; the back nine loops inland and returns. You'll see the river on most of your round.
How to play it
Jeff Papilion, our CPGA head pro, on how to navigate the course, in his own words.
The corridors are actually quite generous, but if you don't know your yardages and the ideal lines, blowing it through fairways and getting blocked out is easy to do.
It's better to err on the side of caution when you're playing Birchbank. You can easily get into trouble if you're too aggressive.
Good players who understand the course will use numerous clubs off the tee throughout the round. But there are some outstanding holes that scream grip it and rip it, the opener and the closer, both shortish par 5s that can be had.
Quotes from Jeff Papilion, Director of Golf / CPGA Head Professional. Originally published by Andrew Penner in SCOREGolf, “Birchbank a Kootenay Rockies classic,” October 2022 ↗.
The routing
The front nine opens along the river, your first sight of the Columbia on the walk to the first tee, and your last sight of it when you putt out on nine. Tight to the water, generous fairways, the sort of holes that reward a well-placed drive over a long one.
The back nine turns inland through the Cominco land and the trees, with the two ponds (holes 12 and 15) both in play on the long par-4s. Hole 6 is the stroke index 1 from the Blue, the one that tends to decide your card.
Stone's original 1969 routing came back in 2018 along with new irrigation, restored greens, and the rebuilt back-nine ponds. What you walk today is what he drew on paper sixty-some years ago.
The course has been called on to host several provincial championships over the years.
The scorecard
The Classic Scorecard for tracking the round, the Course Atlas for the routing, local rules, and pin colours. Click either to view full size, or download to print at home and bring along.
Keep reading
History
A century on the river.
1922 club, 1962 land, 1969 Stone routing, 2004 purchase, 2018 restoration.
Scorecard
Every hole, every tee.
Pick a tee, see the yardage, rating, and slope. Or read the scorecard as-printed.
Conditions
Is today a good day?
Live weather from Environment Canada's GEM model. 24-hour hourly + 7-day outlook.
