By Keith and Heather Nicol
We recently returned from Whistler, B.C. where too much snow can sometimes be a bad thing. We have been heading to Whistler for many springs now and the main reason for going is for its great late season skiing. Often we get sunny skies where we have to ski by the clock—east facing slopes in the morning switching to west facing slopes in the afternoon as the sun gradually softens the snow on different aspects. This year was a banner snow year for Whistler which meant that the upper slopes still held a 3 meter snow pack in mid May when we were there but it also meant that golf in the valley was being delayed due to lingering snow patches. This year we had wanted to complete a classic Whistler Trifecta by skiing on one day and golfing and mountain biking on the next day. But the winter’s deep winter snowpack which made for great skiing meant that the “down mountain” bike trails were also still covered in snow. So with some assistance from the folks at Tourism Whistler we modified our plans for this year. 
“Why not try golfing in Pemberton at the Big Sky Golf and Country Club. This is a top notch course and it usually opens before the courses at Whistler. Also I suggest heading to the Scandinave Spa which has a nice mix of hot and cool pools with areas for relaxation. It is in a very scenic setting as well” Claire told us. So after a sunny Saturday on the slopes of Blackcomb we checked into the centrally located Blackcomb Lodge. That evening we got into “Canuck fever” but watched them lose against the Nashville Predators 4-3. The next morning we headed to the Big Sky Golf course. This course is a scenic 25 minute drive from Whistler and must have one of the more pictureque settings for golf in Canada. Mt. Currie dominates the view from many holes and at times we could hear avalanches roaring down its steep flanks. This course is also known for its service and we have never had people help take your clubs from the car, give you a practice bucket of balls for the driving range and clean your clubs afterwards. Kudos to Big Sky Golf and Country Club for its fine service. We were very impressed with the quality of the course at this early date in May and the fairways and greens were in good condition. 
After golf it was back down to Whistler to visit the Scandinave Spa. It was a perfect way to spend a sunny afternoon alternating between the hot and cool pools and relaxing in deck chairs facing the sun. We particularly liked the eucalyptus steam room and overall setting surrounded by tall trees is adds to the “tranquil spa” ambiance. One problem is that you get so relaxed that you don’t feel like getting into the car and heading back down to Vancouver. And that still leaves the downhill mountain biking portion of the “Trifecta” to do another year and it would be great to play some of Whistler's fine golf courses.
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