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Plan your visit
Birchbank sits on the west bank of the Columbia River in Genelle, BC, 15 minutes from Castlegar, 12 minutes from Trail. This page covers the road and the runway. Where to sleep is on Stay & play. Crossing the border is on For US visitors.
By road
Drive times below are summer and no-traffic estimates. Winter pass closures on Hwy 3 (Paulson and Crowsnest) can add an hour. Always check DriveBC before a long haul. Driving from the US? Full US drive times and border detail live on /usa-visitors.
Spokane, WA
250 km · ~3 hours
US-395 N → Paterson border → BC-22 N
Shortest route from the Inland Northwest. Paterson is the small rural crossing west of Castlegar.
Kelowna, BC
290 km · ~3.5 hours
BC-97 S → BC-33 E → BC-3 E → BC-22 S
Through Rock Creek and Grand Forks. Watch Paulson Summit in shoulder season.
Calgary, AB
640 km · ~6.5 to 7.5 hours
AB-22X → Crowsnest Pass (Hwy 3) → Creston → BC-3 W → BC-22
A committed day on the road. Many golfers break the trip overnight in Fernie or Cranbrook.
Vancouver, BC
630 km · ~7 hours
TransCanada (Hwy 1) → Hwy 3 E → Castlegar → BC-22
Hope to Princeton to Osoyoos to Grand Forks. Overnight in Osoyoos or Grand Forks breaks the drive.
By air
YCG is closest. GEG is best for US visitors. Car rental at all four.
West Kootenay Regional (Castlegar)
Closest airport. Air Canada service from Vancouver and Calgary. Car rental on-site.
Spokane International
Best option for US visitors. Many daily flights, full rental counters, cross at Paterson.
Kelowna International
More daily flights than YCG. Reasonable choice from eastern Canada or Vancouver.
Canadian Rockies International (Cranbrook)
Alternative for trips routing through the Rockies. WestJet flights from Calgary stop here.
Coming from the US? Border crossings, documents, currency, and Spokane / Colville / Sandpoint drive times all live on /usa-visitors.
When to come
The course averages 213 days a year, opening April 1 and closing October 31. Peak summer runs warm and dry. Shoulder weeks, April to early June and mid-September to October, play firmer, cooler, cheaper, and less crowded. Mid-October is the best stretch for colour along the river.
When you arrive
Address. 5500 Highway 22, Genelle, BC. Free parking at the clubhouse. Pull straight up to the Pro Shop, that's where you check in.
Pro Shop hours. 8 am to dusk, seven days a week through the season. Phone 250-693-2255.
Walking the course. Yes, the course is walkable, the routing returns to the clubhouse at 9 and again at 18. Power carts are available at the Pro Shop, $13.50 per rider for 9, $24 for 18 (tax in).
Bistro at the turn. The Bistro is open daily 10 am to 6 pm. Phone 250-693-5451 for a reservation, or walk in.
Ready when you are