Predator Ridge - Ridge

When I made my first trip to Kelowna/Vernon to play the Predator course, the Ridge course had only just opened to members for limited 'preview' play. It was not yet available to the public. After my first of back-to-back rounds on Predator, I brushed shoulders with Jarome Iginla (hockey royalty in western Canada, and a resident at Predator Ridge.. as are many NHL players). He was just coming off of the 18th green of the Ridge, so I asked him what he thought of it. He simply grinned and said "oh.. better than Predator..". At the time Predator was ranked #59 in Canada, so I knew the Ridge had to be really good.

An aside; if you want some interesting trivia knowledge, look up Jarome Iginla's full name.

Predator Ridge originally consisted of 3 distinct 9s designed by Les Furber. The Redtail/Osprey combo made the famous 18 that hosted multiple skins games, and the Peregrine was the extra 9. After years of this arrangement, Doug Carrick was brought in to make Predator Ridge a 36- hole facility. He added a number of new holes, while altering many from the original Peregrine 9 to create the new Ridge course. As a big fan of Carrick's courses, I was excited to see how this would compare to Furber's Predator course (which I enjoyed but felt was slightly overrated)

I eagerly awaited a chance to return to see the Ridge course for myself, and got that chance a few years later while living near Vancouver. I had beautiful weather, but was disappointed to find out the greens had been aerated just days before. I happily accepted my discounted green fee and headed to the first tee.

With the exception of the hole #1, the first 7 holes play downhill. There is slight elevation gain through the middle of the course, and the closing stretch is almost completely flat.

The start and finish of the Ridge use the original Peregrine holes, with the middle of the round being all newly designed. I didn't play Peregrine before the renovation, but can imagine that it would've played much like the other original 9s. The first hole was not significantly reshaped, but had new bunkers to blend with Carrick's style. A nice way to start the round.

Short, uphill approach to the 1st, with Carrick's new bunkers

As you reach the second tee, the round starts to get really interesting. The original 27 at Predator Ridge was quite hilly, but had very few extreme elevation changes. I don't know exact numbers, but the tee shot on #2 must drop 100 ft. The fairway is more forgiving than one might expect, but finding the left side will obstruct your view on the approach.. which also drops severely.

2nd tee

Approach at the 2nd

If you look really closely, you can see my ball next to the hole, above. As my dad would say, "every now and then even a blind squirrel finds a nut". The 3rd plays much like the 1st: a slight dogleg right with a gentle climb. The slopes are a bit stronger than at #1, so it is quite fitting that hole 3 has no bunkers.

Hole 4 also bends to the right, but with an uphill tee shot and downhill approach. The green, perched high above a hill looks like its hanging off the edge of the earth. Picture an infinity pool. The 5th is often considered the post-card hole on the course, so why not throw my picture into the mix as well. The long par 3 obviously has a huge drop, with a great rugged backdrop. I'm looking forward to getting out to Muskoka, I imagine it looks much the same.

The signature par 3 5th

You can see how disappointing it was to have freshly punched greens, but its still easy to see how exciting and dramatic the layout of the course is. The steepest drop on the course is likely at the 6th. a 400 yd, drive-able par 4. Some love it, some hate it. I was on the 'love' end of the spectrum, although it wasn't my favorite hole on the course.

A drop from the tee at the par 5 7th gives you a chance to attack the hole in 2, but the elevated green is well guarded. Its followed by a long 3 with inviting mounding right of the green.

The short par 5 9th is possibly the most unique hole on the course. The fairway meanders through a number of huge rock outcroppings.

The rugged par 5 9th

A good drive will give you the green light on the second shot, but a poor drive will make you work around the most prominent outcropping which cuts into the fairway from the left. A good birdie opportunity.

The 10th is one of few uphill holes on the course, and is a great one at that. Despite being a short hole, the green is out of reach. The golfer must choose how aggressive they'd like to be.

Uphill 10th, how aggressive do you want to be?

If you lay back to the start of the fairway (150 yds) the green will be mostly out of sight. There is a higher plateau just beyond the first right-hand bunker, which leaves a gentle wedge approach. This is a gorgeous little hole which should be a sure-par if you keep a level-head, but can bite you if you get wreckless.

A long-ish par 5, the 11th is less exciting, and has a narrow green as its main defense. Its very receptive to short approaches, but doesn't welcome seconds shots.

Something about the 12th was extremely appealing to me. The par 3 has a bit of a punchbowl feel with the surrounding rocky landscape, although it is not a true punchbowl green. This corner of the course is evening more beautiful than my picture shows... but here's a look.

Really cool 12th

The 13th and 14th have similar appearances, both playing through a narrow corridor with rocky mountainsides on either side. The first being a par 5 with a gentle bend right, the second being a par 4 with a gentle bend left. Both are good holes, but neither are signature holes.

By the 15th you've reached the edge of the course where Carrick's new holes meet up with Furber's previous holes. There is noticeable contrast in styles, which is obvious with the forced carries over water on 15-17. Much like #1, #15 is essentially a Furber hole with a Carrick bunker. Not my favorite par 3, especially considering how memorable the others are.

Of the converted Peregrine holes, 16 is by far the best. Playing 290-330 downhill, it is short enough to entice some to go for it. If you heard 295 yds, and saw this from the tee, would you go for it?

The inviting view from the tee on the short par 4 16th

The doesn't seem to be much standing between you and a sure birdie. However, if you take a minute to look at what lies ahead you'd be more inclined to lay back and set up a nice full wedge on the approach. This is what you see as you descend to the landing area...

16th green from 100 yds out

Not as welcoming as you would've first thought? Its a very fair hole which yields birdies... but you must play smart and plan your attack! Carrick changed the hazard lines on this hole, and added 2 new bunkers, but the overall strategy is much like it previously was. Of the Furber holes, this one is not only the best, but also blends with all of Carrick's new holes the best. One of my favorites.

The 17th is a 'tough-as-nails' long par 4. The "cape" template would accurately apply to this hole, as it entices golfers to bite off as much as they can chew. The bunkers are a conservative target, leaving a long approach. Most can carry the water just left of the bunkers (probably 200 or so), but the required carry gets out of reach quickly if you miss left!

The 'cape' par 4 17th

The approach is also no bargain. While Carrick did as much as he could to blend many old holes like this with his new ones, the marshy feel of 15 and 17 just don't fit the rest of the course (the marshy area reaches over to #16, but the 16th isn't dominated by it). The 17th isn't a bad hole, but it's differing feel disrupts the continuity of the round. In my mind, this hole pulls the Ridge course down a few spots in the rankings.

I think the 18th is a really good closing hole. It is by no means the signature hole on the course; it is just a good hole. It is easy to put the ball in play off of the tee, but a strong drive must be hit to allow an reasonable second shot. As you can see below, this is because the uphill approach is not very inviting to long, running shots. You definitely want to be hitting a shot iron into this green.

The final approach

I like how this hole sets up for tournament play. If you build a substantial lead, you can easily lay back off the tee, play conservatively with the second and try to get up and in for par. If you have a narrow lead, you have to hit strong shots; timid play will likely ensue in a bogey+. Similarly, if you are a shot or 2 behind, birdies can certainly be made with bold play. Its not a "death or glory" hole (which I rarely feel suit an 18th). If Carrick's other great BC course Greywolf had this finishing hole, it would rank 5 places higher... but that's just the humble opinion of a washed up competitive golfer (at 24, already reflecting on my 'glory days')

Although The Ridge and Greywolf are quite different courses, it seems only logical to compare Carrick's two best courses in western Canada. I feel as though Greywolf has more great holes, but also more weak holes. Even 1 or 2 ghastly ones. I don't think the Ridge has any terrible holes. Its weakness is the lack of continuity you feel as you play the converted Furber holes. Ironically, I felt as though the Ridge had less of a 'resort course' feel than Greywolf (ironic because of how noteworthy the Predator Ridge Resort is). I also found course conditions better at The Ridge. I must say, however, that I prefer the simple and elegant bunker styling at Greywolf. If I had to pick one of the two courses to play regularly, I would choose The Ridge. For that reason I give it the nod.

A friend from overseas recently told me he had limited time to visit Kelowna, and asked if I recommended The Predator course or Ridge course. I should, therefore, include a brief comparison of the 2 courses at Predator Ridge (although my post on the Predator course is still pending). Predator has stronger contouring around many of the greens, resulting in harsher penalties for poor approaches. I also found Predator to have more blind shots. The elevation changes and vistas are far more dramatic on The Ridge. The Ridge is not easy, but I found it to be more fair (rewarding good shots, and punishing....but not destroying... bad shots). Both are a lot of fun and worth playing. The Ridge is noticeably better in my mind.

As I also mentioned in my Greywolf post, I am also looking forward to returning to The Ridge course. I want to see the course with smooth greens, and see if my opinion of the 'feel' of the course has changed. Similarly to Greywolf, if you are planning a trip to Predator Ridge, let me know... I just might join you!


'Til next time, keep your stick on the ice!

The Golfing Canuck