Bear Mountain Golf & Country Club (Valley Course)

Overview: The Valley Course is the more gently contoured half of Bear Mountain’s 36-hole Nicklaus Design resort near Victoria. It is an 18-hole, par-71 layout set among mature forest and natural green space, with a lower elevation and a calmer rhythm than the resort’s Mountain Course. The routing still carries the visual drama of Vancouver Island, but its fairways and tree-lined corridors give golfers a more measured way to experience the Bear Mountain landscape.

History: The site reached a nine-hole milestone in August 2008; the complete 18-hole Valley Course was established in April 2009. It was developed as part of the wider Bear Mountain resort and community, creating a second full course alongside the demanding Mountain Course. Jack Nicklaus Design is credited in the resort’s course material, and the two layouts together are described as Canada’s only 36-hole Nicklaus Design golf offering.

Did You Know? The Valley Course sits in roughly 102 acres of mature forest and plays at a lower elevation than its mountain-side partner. The published championship reference is just under 7,000 yards, but the course’s key distinction is not simply length: the flatter land and wooded corridors change the way golfers manage angles, recovery shots and visual pressure from hole to hole.