Golf Course Review by: Billy Satterfield
The Takeaway: An Arnold Palmer design highlighted by mountain backdrops, and in typical Palmer fashion, utilizes the par fives as the routing’s highlight. The overall terrain is flat but the severe amount of "bumps" throughout the playing area will keep you on your toes for every shot. Grade B-
Quick Facts
Designer: Robert Trent Jones Jr. 1993
Cost: Dynamic Pricing Click for current rates
Phone Number: 604-932-3280
Course Website: Official Website - Visit Whistler Golf Club's official website by clicking on the link provided.
Directions: Get here! - 4001 Whistler Way, Whistler, British Columbia V8E 1J2 – CANADA
Photos: See additional photos of Whistler Golf Club
Similar Course:
What to Expect: Designed by Arnold Palmer and opened in 1983, Whistler is laid out on mostly flat terrain framed by relatively thick rough and featuring a scattering of trees and water hazards. Nine lakes and multiple creeks come into play throughout the routing and act as the course’s greatest defense. Oddly, the fairways have small bumps/ridges throughout, which surely are unintentional but are so uniform that they look like they were created by the tread of large machinery. For players looking for a nice stroll, the course is an easy walk with smooth transitions from greens to tees and very little elevation change. For players who have visited Palmer’s Teton Pines layout in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, they will find a number of similarities in the layout, strategy, and setting surrounded by mountains.
By the Numbers
| Tees | Par | Yardage | Rating | Slope |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tournament (Black) | 71 | 6678 | 71.9 | 136 |
| Palmer (Blue) | 72 | 6336 | 70.3 | 131 |
| White | 72 | 6004 | 69.0 | 127 |
| Green | 72 | 5198 | 65.2 | 111 |
| Gold (Ladies) | 72 | 4032 | 65.5 | 118 |
Individual Hole Analysis
Signature Hole: 16th Hole – 460 Yard Par 4 – By far the most impressive hole at Whistler, the 16th is one where you want to make sure you have your camera, and your game, ready. The setting looks like something from the Sound of Music with a beautiful mountain backdrop, evergreen trees framing the fairway, and a lake between the tee and short grass that creates an idyllic scene that is viewed from the elevated tee. Beyond the lake a creek crosses the fairway and runs up the left side, emptying into a pond that stands as a defense to players trying to cut yardage off the hole as it bends that direction. Bunkers flank each side of the green and demand accuracy on the approach shot, so there isn’t anywhere to bail out on this stout two-shooter. With a walking path behind the tee where onlookers are common, now is a great time to rip your best drive of the day.
Best Par 3: 17th Hole – 181 Yards – Named “Bird Bath” for the pond located off the front of the tee box, the 17th is highlighted by its setting with an impressive mountain backdrop and a green complex that will require some game to find the putting surface. The bunkers pinch the green in a fashion that will call for a draw for the highest chance of success, but if you are going to bail out, going right is your best chance of saving par afterwards.
Best Par 4: 10th Hole – 334 Yards – Light on yardage but mighty in merit, the 10th is a short two-shotter that has trouble lurky at every moment. Off the tee, water impedes from the left side while a tree covered creek sets the boundary on the right. While accuracy is demanded on the tee shot, distance control is mandatory on the approach shot with Crabapple Creek cutting in front of the green and a bunker resting on the back side of the putting surface. With lots of decisions to make and ways to challenge this hole, Whistler starts the back nine with a cerebral test that can set the tone for your inward nine.
Best Par 5: 3rd Hole – 552 Yards – Aptly named "Hairpin," the 3rd hole takes more than a 90 degree turn to the right as it keeps working its way along the hazard and tree line on that side. Many players will need to take less than driver off the tee to avoid going through the fairway and missing the turn, but tee shots on the left side of the short grass will be rewarded with the best look at the green. The approach shot into the green is highlighted by a pond on the left side that will drown balls that come in off line, although a pair of bunkers sit between it and the green and can save you from an impending death. It is a hole that truly requires length and precision to conquer, but doing so is highly rewarding.
Birdie Time: 4th Hole – 301 Yard Par 4 – Tipping out just over 300 yards and generally playing downwind, the 4th hole is a prime scoring opportunity for the bold. With a thick tree line and hazard flanking the right side, players that command a draw off the tee will be richly rewarded with a chance of chasing their drive up near the green. While trees also line the left, they are much more sparse and open up, so tugging one down that side can still leave a short approach shot you can go pinseeking with. The trouble with bunkers is along the sides of the green, but the front is wide open, so be aggressive and go card yourself an early birdie.
Bogey Beware: 5th Hole – 233 Yard Par 3 – This hole is just a beast. Anytime a par feels like a birdie, like it does on Whistler's 5th, you know you are contending with a hole that will put a lot of boxes on player's scorecards. Already plenty long for a one-shotter, the bunker on the left side wraps around to the front corner and catches balls coming up wanting on a consistent basis. Convincing yourself to start it at the bunker on the right and draw it into the putting surface can be a tall task mentally, but more likely, too demanding skillfully. Another bunker awaits on the backside of the putting surface for shots that come in low and fast into the green, so you better have your sand game dialed in or hit a perfect tee shot to conquer this hole.
