For fun, value and challenge try Mulligans Golf Course in Courtenay

 by Keith and Heather Nicol

 Golf is popular in the Comox Valley with many courses to test your skills but if you want to try a fine little course that allows you to still play 9 holes for less than $20 then check out Mulligans Golf Course. Depending on when play you could pay as little as $16 (from 7 to 8:30 am and from 3:00 pm to closing) and it rises abit to $18 from 8:30 am to 3:00 pm. We recently played at round 2:00 pm on Tuesday , May 19 and found the in and out cloudiness the perfect temperature for golf.  

                       Heather teeing off on the first hole...the Beaufort Range makes a nice backdrop

 

 They offer an executive course which means there are mostly par 3’s with some par 4’s and the longest hole is 337 yards. Total length from the blue tees is 1763 yards which is about a mile so it is also easy to walk for many people from younger children to older adults. But just because it is short doesn’t mean it is easy. There is water on 7 of the 9 holes and many strategically placed sand traps so depending on where the pin is placed,  making par can be a real challenge. The course also gives scenic views of the Beaufort Range of Mountains and has been landscaped to create undulations and mounds which add to the layout of the course. Even with the dry spring weather we have been having the course was green. Note that they have just punched the greens recently so they are abit rough and sandy but that should settle down.I actually found I liked the slower greens and it didn't hurt my game. 

                                                         I actually liked the slow greens

 

In addition to a small clubhouse with an outdoor patio , there is a driving range, a putting green and a sand trap practice area where I need to spend more time. The driving range is another bargain since a bucket of balls is just $3.75 ! One of the friendly staff, told us that it is usually busiest between 9 and 11 am through the week and it is easiest to get on between 3 and 4 pm. Mulligans is located right outside of Courtenay and it took us about 1 hour and 45 minutes to play 9 holes on our recent game. For more information see: http://mulligansgolfcourse.com/  or phone 250-338-2440. This course is ideal for families or friends wanting to meet for a couple of hours of enjoyable golf. Also a real bonus is that for the next few days-until Monday , May 25 you can get a second bucket of balls free when you buy a token. You can't beat that. See you on the course. 

 

The “Pub to Pub” trail is a scenic ocean view walk

 by Keith and Heather Nicol

We always love doing the so called “Pub to Pub” trail which is roughly half way between Campbell River and Courtenay since is a scenic trail with both river and ocean/beach views. We hadn’t done the trail for a few months since last fall and so we decided to walk on May 14, 2026  with our daughter who was visiting from Vancouver.  The trail gets its name from the fact that 2 pubs were located close to the start and end point of the trail but now these “pubs” are no longer there. Since the trail is just 3.5 km (1 way) it is suited to a variety of options. If you have young children or walkers that would find 7 km too long a hike, you could park a car at each end and just make the 1 way trip. You can see from the photo below that the trail surface is well maintained and is generally flat so is walkable for just about all ages. Just beware of some rooty sections!

The first part of the trail winds along the Oyster River 

 

To get there from Courtenay drive north on Highway 19A and keep an eye out for the Oyster River bridge since you want to turn right on the next road (Glenmore Road).  Then travel one roughly 1 block and then turn left on Regent and look for a parking lot with a sign Oyster River Nature Park. The parking lot coordinates are 49. 52.232 N and 125 07.616 W.  There is parking for several cars but this area is popular so we try to go mid week to be able to get a spot. There are a few forks in the trail but bear to the left and you should be fine.  After about 1 km you reach the ocean and from there you follow the Jack Hames Trail to Salmon Point. You can walk the trail in either direction although we tend to walk it south to north most of the time. On this day we were treated to sunny skies and light winds and we had  lunch on driftwood logs part along where we had a fabulous view of ocean and mountains of the BC mainland in the distance. Check this trail out of you haven't done it before. See you on the trail. 

                                                  Daughter Kristie and Heather walking along the trail 

"Lupin Way" is well worth a visit in Comox

 by Keith and Heather Nicol

We are not sure who planted all the purple lupins along Lazo Road but they are in their prime now and well worth a visit. A paved path winds through the lupins paralleling Lazo Road and it can be easily walked or included in a bike ride for those people planning to cycle to see it. The paved path runs for several blocks but the key area for seeing the lupins is between Barber Ave and the Balmoral Rd intersection of Lazo Road. It would be nice to see more of this sort of landscaping along pathways like this in the Comox Valley since it is most appreciated. Check it out for you next walk or bike ride. These pictures were taken on May 13, 2026. See you on the trail. 

 

 

 

 

A mid May hike to the Comox Bluffs

 

By Keith and Heather Nicol

 The Comox Bluffs are along the north side of Comox Lake and there is an ecological reserve there to protect the unusual plant life that exists in this dry rocky sun drenched area. Trees like Arbutus and shrubs like hairy Manzanita are common along this area where as they are pretty rare in the rain forest environment of the Comox Valley. We usually go to this lookout in Mid April since many wildflowers are out at that time of year but this year we did not get there until several weeks later on May 11, 2026. There were still a few wildflowers out but clearly we had missed the main flower season this year but this views are still spectacular and it is well worth the trip. This year we had several friends with us including a couple from Canmore who are interested in all sorts of plant and flower life. 

                                                          The viewpoint overlooking Comox Lake is only a 20-25 minute walk from the trailhead
 

                This trail starts at a small parking lot at 49 38.477 N 125 06.256 W on the left hand side of the road a few hundred meters past the bridge the crosses the Puntledge River where it empties out of Comox Lake.  This route is called the Tomato Creek trail and it leads to a lookout which gives fine views of Comox Lake and is surrounded by the rare plants of the Ecological Reserve. It can be reached in just over 1.2 km (20-25minute walk one way ).

                 The first part of the trail winds through second growth forest and the trail is quite easy to follow
 

 A longer trail continues from the lookout and it traverses the entire Ecological Reserve and ends up at the main logging road which you can then follow back to your car. Be aware that logging trucks may be using this road and it can be dusty so you also can return back via the same trail rather that do a loop.  This longer route is about 5.5 km and takes about 2 hours. But the shorter hike to the lookout would suit people families with smaller children or others that want a shorter hike.  Just be aware that the trail is hard to find in some places and it does have forks which makes route finding abit challenging. The full route can be found on AllTrails and is under the name “Tony’s and Tomato Creek Loop”. If you use this app route finding should be easier. For more info see: https://www.alltrails.com/