Point Roberts Golf Club

Point Roberts Golf Club is definitely one of my favorite courses by a long shot. If you know the unique situation that Point Roberts faces it makes it even better. Part of the U.S. the only way in on land is through Canada. The reason it's in the US is because it falls beneath the 49th. About 25 minutes from Vancouver and just across the border from Tswwassen. My family has a property down there so I've golfed the course many times. Conditions are questionable depending on the season. It's open all year around and in spring and fall are probably the best conditions. It gets really dried out in the summer but that just makes it more of a challenge. The wildlife you can encounter is amazing. I've yet to have a round without seeing deer multiple times on the course and I once saw a Golden Eagle swoop down and pick off a smaller bird (some may find this gross but it was an amazing thing to see). Now to the course. It's a Graham Cooke design and honestly if you pick the right tees its a challenge. Not many extreme slopes but the holes are shaped that you can get some interesting lies and weird bounces. One thing that makes the course extremely difficult is the heavy brush just off the rough. If you go in it your balls gone. Some notable holes are,

Hole 2: Decently long Par 3 with a heavily guarded green. Landing it on the green is a challenge.

Hole 5: a true three shot par 5. From the tee if you can drive the ball far enough you need to worry about water on the left but its the second shot that the water really comes into play because it's water all left and it swings around in front of the green. The green isn't too big so you dint have much to work with.

Hole 8: toughest par 3/hole on the course. Shorter par 3 with shot to an elevated green where in the front is guarded by a steep slope and bunkers and looming just behind the green is a swamp. I've had it where my ball has landed on the green and still manage to find water. It's a challenge to walk away with par here.

Hole 9: decently short par 4 that has a large dog leg left. You can cut the corner over the water pretty easily but the landing area isn't too wide so you need to be cautious doing so.

Hole 13: long par 5 lined with bunkers up the entire way almost.

Hole 15: misleading par 3 that plays longer than posted.

Hole 18: long par 5 dog leg left to finish off. Commonly hit bunker right in front of the green were second shot going for it normally ends up.

That's my thoughts on the course. It's worth the short haul over the border in my opinion.

It is a decent course but the conditions have gone dramatically downhill, as compared to the first time I played it about 8 years ago. Played it last fall and it was a shadow of what it was when it first opened. I was told that it has gone through some major financial issues and that is why it has not been able to maintain itself. Disappointing as the layout is fun and it was in excellent shape when it first opened.

Love this course. Iv been playing it for 5 years or so mostly in the summer but I think it has some of the best off season golf in the region. The drainage is excellent and being right close to the water it usually has sun while the rest of the lower mainland rains.

I agree that it did go through some hard times but over the past couple of years Point Roberts has started to turn itself around. The course is getting better and the prices are still very reasonable.

[quote name='Miller79' timestamp='1404826373' post='9658791']
Love this course. Iv been playing it for 5 years or so mostly in the summer but I think it has some of the best off season golf in the region. The drainage is excellent and being right close to the water it usually has sun while the rest of the lower mainland rains.

I agree that it did go through some hard times but over the past couple of years Point Roberts has started to turn itself around. The course is getting better and the prices are still very reasonable.
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Agreed - I played last year and was very disappointed. By chance I gave it another shot about 6 weeks ago and was surprised how much better it was. Certainly not a 5 star resort course but some much needed TLC had been applied.

WhiZ

Yeah I've heard about the financial issues too but let's hope that development goes good and gets a little extra money to improve on it. Or new owners come in.

agree with qfore's comments about the holes. The routing is great & the course is walkable. But like cndrockies noted, the conditions over the past several years in the summer have been less than ideal. I love firm & fast conditions but last summer Pt Roberts had hard dirt patches in the fairways that were unplayable.

But I don't play there anymore for two other reasons. About 5 years ago in August my friends and I were playing on a Sunday morning. The course was busy and we were not moving fast. But on #10 we just ground to a halt. On #12 I asked the players' assistant why it was suddenly extremely slow. He said the course owner had just inserted himself and three buddies on #10. We were not impressed and my three friends haven't been back.

I last played there 2 years ago as a single on a March weekend. The starter went up to about 6 groups (each with less than 4 players) and asked them if they would prefer to play by themselves or would be okay with a single joining them. Each group said they didn't want a single. So after an hour of waiting I ended up playing by myself and naturally it was very slow.

I've played many courses up and down the West Coast, Arizona, & Idaho and have never seen a starter be so reluctant to add a single. For example, one year I played Torrey Pines South as a single and there was no waiting about. The starter put me with the first group that had an opening.

My view is that my $ are better spent at a course that wants them.

Point Roberts is very nice, but does have a couple minor flaws as you guys have mentioned which is probably due to not having too much extra $$. The ladies in the proshop/kitchen are great, they have free coffee in the morning, etc. I just don't think they have the resources to have a starter/marshall all the time as when after you pay, you can just sort of head on over to #1 and go as you like. I've never really seen them enforce joining up singles with 2-3 somes just to keep up the pace of play as I think they are just trying to be nice. Usually pace of play is good on the front nine, but can grind to a halt on the back. But the prices are right, great drainage in the winter, and during the summer I think they have a 4-5pm $25 rate, and Monday-Friday if you can make it out around then you will usually have the course to yourself.

I was talking to an older guy who volunteers to marshall there and he mentioned that they needed to build that road to the "future clubhouse" before their building permits get taken away or something like that, but I can't really see them building that much more houses or whatever out there as you are kind of in the middle of nowhere.

But living in Vancouver, twilight doesnt start until 5pm now at Fraserview/Mcleery etc. and they still want $50 then, where I would easily drive to Pt Roberts or Kings Links at 4pm for $30 ish ...

[quote name='bb123' timestamp='1404852684' post='9661675']
Point Roberts is very nice, but does have a couple minor flaws as you guys have mentioned which is probably due to not having too much extra $$. The ladies in the proshop/kitchen are great, they have free coffee in the morning, etc. I just don't think they have the resources to have a starter/marshall all the time as when after you pay, you can just sort of head on over to #1 and go as you like. I've never really seen them enforce joining up singles with 2-3 somes just to keep up the pace of play as I think they are just trying to be nice. Usually pace of play is good on the front nine, but can grind to a halt on the back. But the prices are right, great drainage in the winter, and during the summer I think they have a 4-5pm $25 rate, and Monday-Friday if you can make it out around then you will usually have the course to yourself.

I was talking to an older guy who volunteers to marshall there and he mentioned that they needed to build that road to the "future clubhouse" before their building permits get taken away or something like that, but I can't really see them building that much more houses or whatever out there as you are kind of in the middle of nowhere.

But living in Vancouver, twilight doesnt start until 5pm now at Fraserview/Mcleery etc. and they still want $50 then, where I would easily drive to Pt Roberts or Kings Links at 4pm for $30 ish ...
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I don't know if it's just me but the times I've gone to kings links the course has been in awful shape and the guys in the clubhouse (mobile trailer) have been less then friendly. Sure I'm a 16 year old kid but doesn't mean you got to treat me like garbage. I've never had a bad experience with the staff at Point Roberts.

I don't think I have ever waited long at all at Point Roberts. I usually get out first thing in the morning, but I hear their evening rates are excellent and I know of a couple of unofficial men's leagues that are quite friendly.

I have only played Kings Links once and I had a great time but the course killed me. The atmosphere is much stiffer than Point Roberts, it doesnt surprise me that qfore did not receive a warm welcome.

[quote name='Miller79' timestamp='1404996417' post='9672209']
I don't think I have ever waited long at all at Point Roberts. I usually get out first thing in the morning, but I hear their evening rates are excellent and I know of a couple of unofficial men's leagues that are quite friendly.

I have only played Kings Links once and I had a great time but the course killed me. The atmosphere is much stiffer than Point Roberts, it doesnt surprise me that qfore did not receive a warm welcome.
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Odd. I have played at King's Links at least a dozen times in the last 3 years and have never found the atmosphere to be stiff. I've had a few rounds with members as well and I don't think they could have been any nicer.

As for Point Roberts, the last few times I have played there it hasn't been in great shape. I usually only play it now in the winter when the other courses in the area are closed due to frost. The food in the PR clubhouse is usually pretty good.

Thx for the all the updates.

PR is a wonderful track

BUT

I hadn't played it for years....had a friend from NYC visit last year in July and he had heard about PR.
The course was dried out and in pathetic shape....IMO....goat track conditions.
The girl working the restaurant was also working the pro shop....it took forever to pay our green fees.
Another friend also told me they went last July too and said they'd never return.

Obviously PR is in bad financial shape without the money to put it back to it's past conditions.
Seems like conditions haven't improved much.

[quote name='ryu123' timestamp='1404849548' post='9661323']
1) He said the course owner had just inserted himself and three buddies on #10. We were not impressed and my three friends haven't been back.

2) Each group said they didn't want a single. So after an hour of waiting I ended up playing by myself and naturally it was very slow.
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1) Brutal

2) It is a shame that so many groups refused a single....the majority of marshals are useless.

[quote name='cdnrockies' timestamp='1404808378' post='9658001']
It is a decent course but the conditions have gone dramatically downhill, as compared to the first time I played it about 8 years ago. Played it last fall and it was a shadow of what it was when it first opened. I was told that it has gone through some major financial issues and that is why it has not been able to maintain itself. Disappointing as the layout is fun and it was in excellent shape when it first opened.
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Pretty much sums up what occurred there and my thoughts on the course.

really like this course. nice and not very crowded, esp. compared to vancouver courses.

fairways a bit dead and patchy is the only minor complaint i have.

i would say it would be nicest (and most crowded) public course in lower mainland if it was in canada.