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Located on the outskirts of Pemberton, BC, just a few minutes beyond downtown Whistler, Big Sky’s location far from the urban sprawl of the mountain village offers a combination of serenity and seclusion that only serves to accentuate the spectacular scenery within the shadow of Mt. Currie. The gates at the entrance to the course, in fact, feel very much like the arches leading into a provincial park, and the sense of relaxation that can only be felt in the true wilderness. That Big Sky is a high-end golf property site is a testament to the commitment to preserve the environment that gives the course and its guests such an eminent energy. 

One of the most unique attributes of the Big Sky Golf and Country Club is its flatness, which makes it a very playable layout for the less accomplished golfer. Situated in a valley basin, with mountains enclosing the layout from all sides, much of Big Sky’s difficulty is derived from the abundance of options players are presented with on each shot. Bogeys can be played for everywhere, as there is always a safe option, while a single bold swing might result in birdie or double bogey. This Cupp philosophy is first noticeable at the long par-five fourth hole. Measuring 600 yards from the championship tee, it can play even longer with a stream that twice bisects the fairway. The decision to lay-up on either the tee shot or the second can make the green unreachable in regulation, while the decision to force a fairway wood shot over a stream can create less enviable scenario than a fourth shot from the fairway short of the green. 

At the very next hole, conservatism and ambition can once again clash, especially if the pin is cut on the left side of the green. The only defense at this 161-yard par three is a deep bunker short and left, so the wise play is a middle iron to the right portion of the green, which will in turn feed toward the middle. Better players, and impatient ones as well, might discard the percentages and play for the flag, which can leave them a difficult bunker shot or worse—a bank long and left will kick balls into a copse of trees. 

The 380-yard seventh features some risk/reward shot values similar to those found at the fourth. A driver off the tee brings a small pond on the right edge of the fairway into play, while laying back leaves a longer approach, which can put undue pressure on the shot into this small, slopy green. Another water hazard short of the green may force some players to lay-up to the left, forcing them to save par with a clever chip.

This Cupp tendency, of tempting players into the bolder play, can be seen again on the outward half’s closing hole, a par five that bends to the left around a pond. A great drive that hugs the edge of the hazard makes reaching the green in two a distinct possibility; a slight miss to the left makes double bogey just as likely. A bid for an eagle chance might end up in the deep bunker that slinks between the green and the water, or a bailout to the right will leave an open pitch. Three shots down the right side should result in a par. 

The back side mirrors the front side, in that water hazards tend to be the determining factor in a player’s strategy. The par-three 11th and the long par-four 14th feature hazards cut dangerously close to the left edge of the green, making the play to a tucked pin a bold one indeed. At the short hole, plenty of room to the right offers a fair bailout, while the long 14th demands a great tee shot to even create the chance at playing toward the flag; a large pond must be carried here on the drive. Heavy mounding behind the green will force players considering the longer club to second-guess themselves; getting up and down from these knolls is a dubious task. 

Finishing your round at Big Sky demands that you save some of your best swings for the end of the day. 17 is the course’s most difficult par three, a 216-yard hole where the green slopes off gently on all sides. Misses short and left will find the lone bunker, while shots straying to the right will leave a tough pitch from thick grass up to the elevated green. The 18th is a tremendous finisher with a large pond snaking its way all down the right side from tee box to green. The green itself is well protected by a thin bunker the starts directly in front and wraps around the right side of the green. A rivulet of the pond will swallow bold lay-ups, so play safely to the 100-yard mark, strike a wedge to the middle of the green, and give the birdie putt a chance.