First Look: Cabot Revelstoke
In Canada, new golf courses are a rare occurrence. Even more-so in the west, with Mickelson National being the only golf course of note to open since the Great Recession at the end of the 2000s. That all changes with Cabot Pacific, a Rod Whitman design in Revelstoke, British Columbia. Whitman’s second introduction to the BC landscape—following Sagebrush—will be more of a true mountain experience, similar to that of Banff Springs and Jasper Park Lodge, while Sagebrush is a more desert/mountain experience. For more analysis on the golf course and its site, click here.
Renderings for the new golf course, announced in late 2020, dropped on August 3, and as usual, Harris Kalinka’s stunning visuals provide a beautiful illustration of what the golf course will look like. The site is downright gorgeous, with views of the Columbia River and the surrounding mountains, which the town has become famous for (specifically its skiing).
1st hole — 368 yards, par 4
A striking beginning to a round of golf in the majestic mountains of British Columbia, for some, with mountain air, the opening hole might be drivable. For most, this drive and pitch hole is a welcoming introduction to the golf course in a similar manner to the original opening par 4 at Banff Springs, which tumbled down the hillside with a beautiful mountain backdrop. Like other greens at Whitman designs, such as the 3rd at Wolf Creek (Old), 4th at Sagebrush and 8th at Blackhawk, the perched green is open in the front, but long is absolute death. A tester out of the gate if you hit it to the wrong side of the fairway, or the wrong yardage.
8th hole — 259 yards, par 3
In the announcement article on Golf Digest, Rod Whitman compared this hole to Cypress Point, set against a massive chasm on the right and in front of the green similar to the famed 16th hole at Cypress Point. This is one of the more dramatic holes on the golf course, and will rightfully be celebrated once it opens.
14th hole — 471 yards, par 4
The 14th hole is a long par 4 ever-so-slightly climbing up the terrain, with some beautiful rock outcroppings to navigate. While it won’t be one of the more dramatic holes in terms of views and scenery, very few—if any—do long par 4’s like Rod Whitman. The green in the rendering is rather intense.
17th hole — 166 yards, par 3
If the 8th hole over the valley isn’t the (for lack of a better term) “signature hole,” then the drop shot par 3, 17th, with the Columbia River valley in the background, is. A stunning one-shot hole, and the last of the downhill shots before the final climb on 18.
The full video can be viewed here, as well as an “Early Thoughts” article on Cabot Revelstoke’s property here. The golf course is expected to be open for play sometime in 2025, joining Cape Breton, Citrus Farms, Highlands, and Saint Lucia in the Cabot portfolio.
