A Hidden Gem Discovered

Jul 6, 2017 | 12:00 PM

Bigger is not always better. Take the case of Chinook Cove Golf and R.V. this family-run operation is about as beautiful as you can get.

Located only minutes North of Barriere off Highway 5 in B.C.’s beautiful North Thompson valley, this championship length 9 hole golf course and immaculate full service RV Park can rival any recreational stay in the Valley.

It all started years ago when the Mitchell family were brainstorming about ways to diversify their family cattle ranch. “Golfing was not part of our family,” said Mitchell, “but anything was on the table, and we decided this was something that was developable with the land, water rights and earth moving equipment that we already had.”

Two of the Mitchell sons were surveyors by trade, another owned the earth moving equipment and the youngest son, Ian Mitchell, used the topography of their land to lay out the basic design. They got help from professional course designer Warren Rodomsky, who brought in his team of professionals to provide the shape and surface for the tee boxes and to add the undulations on the greens and surrounds. The lumber removed from the property was milled to build the clubhouse. Mitchell says their first steps were pretty simple ones. “We had a small 12 foot ATCO trailer, no phone, no power and our cash box was an old fishing tackle box. Our first major acquisition was a rubber stamp with our name on it.” But it didn’t take long for the word to get out. And now people come from all over the continent to play the course and stay in the 18-site full-service RV Park, which was added in 2011.

She adds “we’re flattered by the huge number of compliments we still receive every week and we credit our staff for contributing to the detail”. We think of ourselves as ‘the little course that could’. And they’ve certainly done that. From a cattle ranch operation that’s been in the family for 75 years, diversifying with a beautiful golf course and RV Park, hard work has paid off. She says they’re proud of how far they’ve come “Customer service is second to none because we are passionate about what we do”.

The course has numerous specials, from a Monday special of $25 for 9 holes and a seat on a cart, to a Stay and Play package which includes three consecutive days of staying at the RV park between Monday and Thursday, and 6 nine hole rounds with a seat on a cart for $230.

The menu at Chinook Cove features Mitchell’s Mount Beef, alpine raised, no hormones or antibiotics. Try the 6oz homemade One Mile Beef Burger or the Mitchell’s Mountain Beef Dip. The kitchen hours are from 11:00 AM- 3:00 PM only. Check out our website for both the clubhouse menu and their tournament menu and bring your appetite.

So if you want to enjoy just a day, or several days, at one of the prettiest golf courses in the Interior, consider a visit to Chinook Cove Golf and RV. Easy to get to, beautiful scenery, a challenging and stimulating course, and immaculate facilities, it’s a place you’ll be proud to recommend to your friends

Check it out online at www.chinookcovegolf.com or give them a call toll-free at 1-888-607-4653. 

–              Written by CFJC Today staff with files and information supplied by Chinook Cove Golf and RV.