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Put to the task of building a world-class
golf course to complement a resort town that had already
garnered such a lofty reputation in the winter months, noted
golf architect Robert Trent Jones Jr. came to Whistler under
the burden of heavy expectations. Over a limited,
unaccommodating stretch of land that crept around the mountain
village’s surrounding mountainside, the architect was
charged with building 18 world-class holes on a canvas that
seemed to reject such development at every turn. What
resulted, as many discovered with the opening of the Chateau
Whistler Golf Course in 1993, is the city’s most difficult
test of golf, and one that clearly emphasizes great shot
values rather than the ubiquitous mountain vistas; the latter
seem to just happen, at the whim of nature instead of the
architect’s.
The opening hole, a 505-yard par five,
plays straight out toward one of the mountain shelves, and the
tee shot must negotiate a creek that bisects the fairway; the
longest hitters may be forced to pull 3-wood or a long iron to
start their round. Lay-ups should be played as close as
possible to the left-hand bunker, which opens up the small,
elevated green to a wedge play. This is a common refrain at
Chateau Whistler, as tiny, sloped greens are best approached
from an angle offering the larger margin for error.
The par-four
second hole offers an early round challenge as well, where a
long and accurate drive is necessary to offer easy access to
an incredibly troublesome green. At just 326 yards, the hole
appears benign, but even the wedge shot is effectively to an
island green; a mountain stream borders its front edge, while
a bank of gnarled, unkempt rough looms just off the back
fringe. There is no substitute for distance control and
execution here.
The fourth hole,
at 411 yards, is in style and strategy much like the older
brother of the second hole. Drives need to be played long down
the right side, not only to reach the corner of the dogleg but
to compensate for a sharply sloped fairway that will kick
balls to the left. A well-placed drive leaves a middle iron
across a creek and gully to a green set up from the fairway.
While the
190-yard fifth offers one of the best views of Whistler
Mountain, it is the other short hole on the front side, the
212-yard eighth, that is widely touted as the Chateau Whistler
signature hole. After a couple of photographs, though, the
player’s attention is best refocused on the difficulty of
the shot. The green and a small chipping area short run
adjacent to a creek that protects the front and left edge,
while a jagged outcropping of rock right of the green can
scatter the conservative play in any direction. The best play
is to take one less club and play at the green’s right
corner, but par or bogey is no guarantee from there.
The inward nine
epitomizes mountain golf as no other course in the area can.
With a stunning sequence of elevation chances, plateau greens,
and fairways cut on crowned ridges, intelligent tee shots and
a keen attention for the slope of the land is imperative to
playing good golf down the stretch at the Chateau Whistler, as
the course winds down from its highest point.
The par-three
10th
is cut from a familiar cloth of mountain golf design strategy.
At 131 yards, and playing at least two clubs shorter because
of the elevation and thin air, the 10th should just
be target practice, and a good chance at birdie. But the green
is tiny and crudely sloped, so shots carrying the spin of a
good strike can easily be backed up into a front bunker, while
the slightest error in distance control will leave a bunker
shot demanding a deft touch.
12 and 13 share
some common characteristics which seem to indicate the style
of defense that Trent Jones Jr. envisioned for a mountain
course that is not particularly long. Both offer elevated
tees, but are well-protected in the landing areas, so the
better play is a shorter club for more accuracy. The
approaches to either par four will be a relatively short iron,
but these greens seem to have a little more undulating and
very well protected to help offset the shortened yardage. 15
at 389 yards, bares a considerable likeness to 12 and 13 as
well, as the course makes no secret of the onus placed on the
golfer.
The finishing
hole at Chateau Whistler is a typically heroic and challenging
finale. Drives from a subtle perch take off toward the
clubhouse in the distance, with a fence of Douglas firs
framing the desired target line. The water hazard is not
reachable from the tee, but must be carried on the lay-up to
set up an approach into the final green.
A day at the
Chateau Whistler can be a demanding and tiring endeavour, as
the drastic elevation changes and subtle challenges of the
greens tend to swallow up players who are struggling. All can
certainly agree that the Chateau course is as visually
stunning and as any mountain course in Canada. The staff at
the golf shop reflects the service that the Fairmont hotel
chain is renowned for, as everyone is more than willing to
take care of any needs.
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