Prospect Lake Golf Course

Prospect Lake Golf Course

We've been wanting to play this one for a while now, so when we had a few dry days in a row, we decided to make the trek to Prospect Lake. It's a little out of the way, and unfortunately we didn't think it was worth the commute. We had a rain check to use from our first visit to Prospect Lake where the intense fog made the course unseeable, let alone unplayable.

The course is nestled right on the shore of beautiful Prospect Lake with the clubhouse looking out over it. The licensed bar and kitchen make the restaurant and patio area exceedingly enjoyable, however this is the highlight of the facility.

The course was in decent shape and relatively dry, so there was no reason not to have trimmed the fairways. The greens were at a decent length which made the putting aspect of the round the only noteworthy experience. You'll notice there was no mention of the tee box conditions, and well that's because there weren't any. Astroturf mats were placed for players to hit off of.

The first hole is a slight downhill, dog leg left. Nothing more than a mid iron off the tee is required here followed by a wedge into flat green. It is difficult to decipher the rough from the fairway so the only advice here is to avoid the trees on the left. A wedge to the middle of the green followed by a two putt will get you your par out of the gates.

The second hole was a little bit interesting. It's an 150 yard par three with no sign of the green anywhere. We didn't even think we were in the right place, the only indication we were still on the golf course's property was the "hole 2" sign. So we walked on up across rock and long grass and it wasn't until the 149th yard did we come across a green. This hole had no business being here. Nonetheless, we ventured back to the tee box and prepared to hit our shots. It's a blind shot, so your best bet is to take the club you hit 150 yards and knock one out there. The green is tiny so don't expect a GIR here but it also makes it rather difficult to 3-putt.

The third hole is the first time to get the driver out, be mindful of the lake on the left and the forest on the right, but there is enough fairway in-between to grip it and rip it. Your next shot will be no more than wedge into another a decent sized, flat green. Best bet here is to aim for the middle of the green and hope you make your birdie putt. Worst case scenario you can escape with a par.

Next hole is a short par 4 dogleg with forest protecting the green. A mid iron to the centre of the fairway will set you up for another easy wedge shot into the green. Again, a relatively flat green provides a birdie opportunity, if not it's an easy par.

The fifth hole is the last par four before a stretch of par threes. It's of relatively short distance with minimal risk. The play here is to get the big stick out and swing away. Much like the previous holes, all that separates you from a birdie is a wedge shot into the middle of the green. Make the putt for a birdie, miss it for a par.

The next three holes are par threes that begin with the course's signature hole. It's a short par three over water, so the littlest of mishits will cause you to re-tee. The green is slightly downhill but don't make the adjustment because if you're short you're wet. The green is rather large, but because of the lake protecting it your best bet is to aim for the middle and stay dry.

The seventh is an 170 yard uphill par 3 to a relatively small green. There is forest if you go long so aim for the front and hope for some roll. It is best to wait for the next hole to attack the flagstick. The eighth is a hole that seems to have been forced in to make up the nine. It's less than 100 yards with no hazards and minimal forest. Get a wedge out and go pin seeking because you won't face an easier par 3 than this one.

The final hole is a short par 4 downhill equipped with signs pleading golfers not to go for the green. So of course we went for the green. There's a wide open fairway with a barn on the right hand side that probably won't ever come into play. We ended up within 20 yards are so and faced an uphill wedge to the green. Perhaps the easiest hole on the course, the 9th is one that should be no worse than a par.

Prospect Lake Golf Course is in a beautiful location and has the potential to be one of the best public courses on the island. Yet what's being offered is far from stellar. Along with the inability to recognize rough from fairway, it seemed that the architect designed and built seven holes before running out of space and cramming in two holes that have no business being on any golf course. It's a short, unimpressive, and easy course that isn't worth the trip out there. Surrounded with the natural beauty of Prospect Lake and the surrounding landscape, the only redeeming factor here is the view from the clubhouse's patio.

Mount Doug Golf Course

With the weather starting to warm up, and conditions improving, we are happy to tell you guys we’ve got some more courses to tell you about. Mount Douglas Golf Course is the most recent venue we visited. It’s a nine hole facility located quite close to downtown Victoria. The elevation changes and surrounding forest provided the course with the potential to offer a great golf experience, however this was not the case. The conditions are mediocre at best, and the round itself is slow and unimpressive. It’s a rather short course, made up of par 3’s and par 4’s, none of which are all that challenging. The tee boxes are all quite poor because the course has you hitting off of AstroTurf. Too add to the frustration, it appeared that the turf hadn’t been changed since the ‘70s, as it is worn and faded.

The first hole is a short par 4 downhill, which is easily reachable with a mid to long iron. We urge you to go for it because like many of the other holes, it is exceedingly difficult to decipher the fairway from the rough. The green is rather small and flat, however the putting is still difficult because it’s evident that the mower hadn’t been used in some time.

Moving on to the short par 3 second hole, which is only a stones throw away to an elevated green. This is were fortunes changed, as it was clear the green had at least been trimmed within the past week. A wedge is recommended for the tee shot, as you want the necessary height in order to stick the green. Another small and flat green provides the player with an easy opportunity to make birdie here.

Holes three and four are the only ones you will consider pulling the big stick out for. The third is a straight par 4 with trees on either side of the 50-yard-wide fairway. Even the biggest draws and fades will struggle to run astray. The second shot is no more than a short wedge, however you could be in for a lengthy putt, depending on the placement of the pin that day. The third hole finally possess a green that could challenge players with putts outside of 20 feet. However the flat terrain makes for an easy read.

The fourth hole is one that provides a bit of a challenge off the tee. It’s a par four straight up hill to a blind green. The non-existent fairway makes it difficult to plan your second shot, so our advice here is to just let the big dog eat. This will set you up for a short wedge shot into the green, and assuming your ball carried far enough, you should have no issue seeing the hole. This green, although not challenging, can pose a problem if you don’t leave your shot below the hole. The uphill putt will offer players the opportunity to make an easy birdie.

The fifth hole is the first par 3 of reasonable length. The 20X20 foot green straight downhill makes the target rather difficult. A short to mid iron should get you pretty close, but don’t fret if you miss the green, because the grass on the green was quite long and made stopping the ball quite easy.

After you disappear into a forest, you’ll emerge on the sixth tee. The tree lined par 3 makes this hole the most difficult on the golf course. Not only do you need to keep your ball flight straight, you have to make sure you hit it low enough to avoid the overhanging foliage. The elevated green makes it quite difficult to stick, the odds are you’ll roll off and be left with an up and down recovery shot to make par. If you can escape this hole with no worse than a double bogey, the final three holes will provide you with the opportunity to salvage your round.

The seventh hole is a short par four straight uphill to a blind green. A long iron is the club of choice here, as the green is easily reachable. If you are fortunate enough to encounter a pin near the back of the green, you’ll have a relatively easy uphill eagle opportunity.

The eight and ninth holes are both short par threes that require no more than a wedge. The eight hole has a green that funnels your ball downhill, so be prepared for your most challenging putt of the day. We found this green to be well kept, and the ball rolls true. So trust your putter and drain your downhill birdie putt.

Lastly, the ninth hole is a short par three into an elevated green. The small area and front pin made it somewhat difficult of a tee shot. You’ll find success if you land near the center of the green. The surface is flat enough to avoid any difficult slopes for your birdie putt, regardless of where the pin is placed that day.

Mount Doug has a decent putting and chipping green along with nets to hit into to get loose before your round, but other than that it’s nothing to write home about. It has a small proshop that doesn’t offer much equipment and food and beverage wise. If you’re looking for a decent round at a quick pace, this won’t be the course for you. It’s more of a beginners course, or where families with young children should play. Expect delays when playing here, as the layout of the course has people walking all over each other. Had the course been properly manicured, it would have possessed some redeeming qualities. Unfortunately, we don’t see this as anything but a place for families to get exercise and fresh air, and for that reason we will not be returning to play here.

Metchosin Golf & Country Club

Hole 5 - Metchosin G&CC

It’s been a long winter golf fans and BJ’s Golf Talk is happy to announce that we are officially back up swinging the sticks again.  This winter we were able to brave the elements and bring to you a full analysis of Metchosin Golf and Country Club.  Located just outside of Colwood on Metchosin road, the club is within a twenty five minute drive of downtown Victoria and we believe that it’s worth the trip.  Friendly staff and licensed bar make for a good day and low prices ensure that a good time can be had by all.  It’s a nine hole track but the layout maximizes distances and certain holes with dual greens and tee decks allows for different yardages and shot angles when playing eighteen.

Number one is a short par four that acts as a good warm up hole.  Straight forward and downhill it’s a good idea to start the day off with a long iron from the tee.  Depending on your distance you should have around 100 yards into the elevated green that’s protected by a sand trap in the front left.  There’s a bit of a gully that acts as a landing zone so make sure you hit at least 200 yards to avoid a downhill lie on your approach shot.

Number two, is a short downhill par three that plays to between 130 and 115 yards.  For us, a gap wedge seems to do the trick nicely here.  Be careful not to leave it short, as there is quite a valley that collects stray shots.  Trees to the left and right with a backward sloping large green make this a tricky hole to par. 

The third hole is where the fun begins.  A dog leg to the left, medium sized par four, lined with trees on both sides make it the hardest hole yet.  A straight 150 to 170 yard shot hugging the right tree line is your best bet.  Although for a brave player it’s tempting to try and cut the corner, a sign on the tee deck reminds us that it’s against course policy to do so.  If you’ve managed to find the fairway, you’ve got about a 150 yard approach shot into a small awkwardly angled green protected by sand traps, trees, hills and out of bounds.  If you’re going to miss the green, it’s best to miss short here and try for an up and down par.

The fourth hole keeps the game interesting.  A par three up a massive hill with a large green with a tree line right behind it, a well struck shot is the only thing that will save you here.  Nothing fancy, just a pure 8-9 iron usually puts you in par territory. 

Number five is the scenic hole of the track - a dog leg to the left with a tee shot over water.  Not a lot of trouble here as long as you carry the ball a solid 150-200 yards, the farther the better on this hole.  With a good tee shot straight down the pipe you’re looking at about 150 yards slightly uphill to a fairly large and unprotected green.  If you want to make up some stokes, this is a good hole to do it on. 

Number six, or number fifteen, depending on which nine you’re playing, has two tee decks.  One of which is farther back and elevated, making for a wide open downhill par five.  The other tee is a little closer and a littler lower making it an easier par five.  The green on this hole is tucked in at the bottom of a hill surrounded by trees and a water hazard.  This means depending on your position you could be looking at a somewhat scary, blind, approach shot.  We recommend you take the extra time to walk up the fairway a little ways and properly scope out your shot; then attack the green accordingly.   

Number seven, or number sixteen, has two sets of tee decks and two separate greens.  Both of which are slightly uphill with tree lines on either sides, and relatively wide open greens.  The length of these holes obviously differs, but in both accounts it’s a good idea use your driver.  Both greens are relatively flat and medium sized.  These holes are a good opportunity to make up some strokes before the day is done.

Numbers eight and nine are two medium sized, straight forward par fours.  Eight is slightly downhill with trees on both sides, number nine is up a steeper hill with trees on both sides.  The green on number nine is neatly tucked and incorporates some large breaks that make for a tough finish.

The course is currently in their off-season, so off-season pricing is what you can expect. $13.00 for 9 holes or $20.00 for the full 18. You can also expect off-season conditions, but that shouldn't come as a surprise when you play a round in Canada in the winter months. We ran into the odd temporary green and temp tee box, but overall the conditions were solid for the time of year. 

The course has a small pro shop where you can find the basic supplies

- tees, balls, hats etc. They have a good sized bar and restaurant that fills up for the nine-and-dine event and the tournaments the course hosts.

Overall, we were satisfied with Metchosin as a nine hole facility. There are holes that are long enough and wide open where you can hit the driver without running into too much trouble. The par threes will require short to mid irons depending on the wind. But most importantly, the greens have enough slopes in them to set up difficult pin positions if required. The one knock against the course is that the "back nine" is pretty well the exact same as the front, the tee boxes are just moved back a few yards. So essentially you're just playing the same nine twice. 

Metchosin would be a great track for the golfer who wants to get in a quick nine without too much difficulty. We have yet to experience a long wait, as traffic flows pretty smoothly because of the course's set up. This would also be a good course for new golfers because it is wide open enough to swing every club and never really be in trouble.

Royal Oak Golf Club

Royal Oak Golf Club is a great little track just outside Victoria, British Columbia. Although it is quite a short course, predominantly made up of par threes, it’s well maintained with phenomenal greens and makes for a great, quick round of golf. Integrated with houses, the course has a relaxing atmosphere that makes you feel simply relieved to be on the golf course for the day.

  The first hole starts you off with a 290 yard par four. Sounds like an easy par, yet the water hazard on your right, and narrow tree line approaching the green makes for an interesting hole. Your best bet is to go with a long iron off the tee, to set up a 100-150 yard approach shot. Try to make sure you land on the pin side of the two tiered green, there can be some nasty breaks. 

Teeing off on the second hole, feel free to bring out the big stick and go for the green. Try to avoid the tree line along the left. Keeping the ball right will take advantage of a conveniently placed slope that will give your ball an extra kick towards the green if played properly. 

This is where the course takes you through a series of short, relatively straight-forward par threes. Although there are not many hazards on these holes, you really do have to hit some consistent shots in order to keep your score in the competitive range heading into the scoring holes. Numbers three and four are only about 100 yards each, and are reachable with a 56 or 52 degree wedge. The greens are quite small, so it’s best to be aggressive and go pin hunting. 

Numbers five and six are downhill par threes, a little bit longer than three and four with slightly bigger greens. As always, when playing downhill, adjust your club selection so you don’t fly the green and end up in a hazard, or in someone’s backyard. 

Seven, eight and nine are back into driver territory, you can definitely let the big dog eat. Watch the water on the left hand side of number seven off the tee. The green is tucked away to the left, neatly between the water hazard and a cluster of pine trees. If you don’t have a nice looking approach shot, it might be best to aim a little to the right of the green and try to get up and down to make your par. 

The eighth hole is another par four slightly uphill with a gradual dog leg to the left. It gets pretty narrow closer to the green, so you might be better off taking a long iron off the tee in order to set up your approach shot. This green is the biggest green on the course, so make sure you check where the pin is to avoid an incredibly long putt. 

The ninth is a scenic and challenging closing hole. A 250 yard downhill par four over water is a great way to finish the round. The safe bet is to stick with an iron off the tee, landing short of the water to the left, leaving you with a 60 degree wedge into a medium sized, relatively flat green. Or for the big hitters out there, capable of carrying 250 yards, can try to reach the green in one, setting up a rare eagle putt on a par four. 

                  We played this course numerous times this season. We found it convenient to be able to get in a quick nine holes in less than two hours on a course that will challenge every aspect of your game. It’s well maintained and was always in good shape this season. The tee decks are cared for, even though they can take a beating on the short par threes due to wedge shots. The fairways are in good shape although a little rough in areas.  What makes the course challenging and well worth the price, is the greens. They’re fast, tricky to read and in near flawless condition. They will definitely make you focus on your putting, humbling those who rely on the flat-stick for success. Royal Oak is a good track for just about anyone.  It’s short enough to be enjoyed by beginners, with enough challenging holes to keep experienced players entertained. Like most short, nine hole facilities, Royal Oak can play slowly, however with good playing partners and cold refreshments, you almost don’t even notice.

                  Royal Oak is an exceedingly well-priced golf course, never charging more than $22.00 prime time. During the off months, the golf course offers a $15.00 fee to play all day long, a deal we cashed in on several times already. The pro shop sells equipment and apparel, as well as tees and balls at an affordable price. The staff are always friendly and outgoing and never hesitate to talk golf with you.

                 The venue is for more people than just golfers. Royal Oak has a licensed restaurant with very well priced food and beverage options. People often rent out the restaurant for weddings and parties. The snow capped mountains that can be seen from several different holes make this a truly picturesque golf course, well worth the price of admission. For a short-yardage, nine hole course, Royal Oak has quickly become one of our favourites to play in the Victoria area.

Premiere Edition

Check back in early December for the debut of BJ's Golf Talk. Brian and Jay will be heading out to face the elements and hopefully avoid any 3-putts.