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Just Around the Upper Corner
by John Lund
Get your swing on in Semiahmoo and Point Roberts, Washington
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One of my most memorable evenings in the Northwest took place in the early 1990s. I was moored in Semiahmoo Marina on a warm still August evening. Drink in hand, feet up in the cockpit, I lazily watched the setting sun paint Resort Semiahmoo warm pink. To the east, snow-capped Mt. Baker glowed in the distance. I was blissfully tired from breaking 80 on one of Arnold Palmer’s masterpiece courses, Semiahmoo Golf & Country Club. The best news of all: I was going to do it again tomorrow.
Boating golfers, take note: Today you get double your pleasure at this fabulous resort and spa, because Resort Semiahmoo has added a second extraordinary golf course to its roster. Loomis Trail Golf Course is the number-one public golf course in Washington, as rated by Golf Digest this year, and Semiahmoo is rated number three for 2005. How good is that? Two of Washington’s best public courses are a boat dock and a short shuttle bus ride away. But wait, we’re not done yet.
Across Boundary Bay, 10 miles away, another exceptional golf venue has been added to this area known as the Upper Left-Hand Corner, situated as it is in the northwestern corner of the contiguous United States. Next stop ... Canada.
Point Roberts is a 5-mile square patch of the United States located on a Canadian peninsula. In 1846, when they decided to draw a straight line along the 49th parallel to define the U.S.-Canadian border, they lopped off a chunk of Canada. Some argued to have the line adjusted around Point Roberts but it never happened. So, today, we have this isolated bit of United States 23 miles and two border crossings away, by land, from the rest of Whatcom County. But traveling by boat allows you to play Point Roberts Golf & Country Club with no border crossings on the way to Point Roberts Marina.
Is it worth the short cruise to a new marina to play another course? In 2004, Golf Digest voted Point Roberts Golf & Country Club one of the Best New Affordable Public Courses in the country. In my book, this transforms the area into Golfers’ Corner -- at least for this article.
Point Roberts Marina Resort
Point Roberts Marina is an ideal jump-off point to the San Juan Islands (13 miles) and the Canadian Gulf Islands (10 miles). Point Roberts is located 30 miles north of Bellingham, Washington and 22 miles south of Vancouver, British Columbia.
Chart 18421 will get you to Point Roberts Marina with no problem. The 900-slip, man-made marina lies inside the rip-rap entrance on the peninsula’s south end. The 250-foot visitor’s dock is on the right side before the fuel dock as you enter. If there is no room on the visitor’s dock, the marina staff will find you a slip using vacated moorage.
At the dock you will find 30 and 50 amp power and water, and Broadband Xpress is available within the marina. Nearby are restrooms, showers, laundry and two pumpouts. Customs clearance is available. At the fuel dock there is gas, diesel, propane, ice, bait, fishing tackle, some groceries, beer, wine and ice cream. For a full provisioning, it’s a short walk to the International Marketplace at 480 Tyee Drive, where you will find everything you need.
Point Roberts Marina Club has reciprocal agreements with 80 yachts clubs. Check www.pointrobertsmarina.com to see if your club is one of them.
At the head of the guest dock is Westwind Marine, a well-stocked marine store and boat yard whose mechanics can handle most repairs. There is a 35-ton Travelift and a small boat sling-lift nearby.
When in Point Roberts
Point Roberts’ recently adopted motto says a lot about its location and relaxed attitude. It states, “Drive time to tee-time to island time, in no time it’s playtime!”
Except for two fun taverns (The Breakers and Kiniski’s Reef Tavern), Point Roberts will appeal mostly to those who appreciate the quiet pursuits of walking, beachcombing and bird-watching. Lighthouse Marine Park features a lovely stretch of beach where you might spot transient orcas passing by and learn about them at the Orca Interpretive Center along the boardwalk.
Point Roberts Golf & Country Club is a 2-mile taxi ride from the marina. Opened August 31, 2001, the course quickly earned its reputation as one of the finest on the Lower Mainland. Cut from the forest with ocean views from several holes, the course measures between 5,144 and 6,868 yards, depending on which of four tees you choose. Designers Graham Cooke and Wayne Carleton have created a course in tune with nature. On our tour we spotted bald eagles, herons and ravens. The signature hole is number four, a 584-yard par five, which runs slightly uphill. A tall fir tree in the center of the fairway makes an excellent target.
If you shoot anywhere near par on this track, buy a round for the house in the log chalet clubhouse; you have had a good day.
Point Roberts’ golf professional Kyle German said you probably can appear at the club and walk on Monday through Thursday. But you still should book a tee time by calling, especially on busy weekends when Vancouver golfers arrive.
Semiahmoo Marina
Ten miles east across Boundary Bay, a peninsula -- more of a spit -- awaits the boating golfer. This one houses a world-class resort and a 300-slip marina with two very classy golf courses close by. The protected waters of Drayton Harbor formed by the mile-and-a-half-long Semiahmoo Spit are the home of Resort Semiahmoo and Semiahmoo Marina.
The resort is fashioned from a collection of modern and renovated buildings left over from the turn-of-the-century fish plant, Alaska Packers cannery. Guests of the marina are welcome at the hotel and grounds, and for a drop-in fee they can use the pool, spa and fitness center.
At the marina, boaters will find full services including 30 and 50 amp power and water, and nearby there’s a chandlery, a convenience store, a laundry and shower facilities. The marina has a fuel dock, a 35-ton Travelift and a full-service shipyard.
Seeing and Doing
At the resort there is excellent dining and a spectacular seaside bar called Packers, built from original cannery timbers. Across the bay, the lights of White Rock, British Columbia, fill the view. Nearby, Lighthouse Square, a seaside shopping village, features a variety of boutiques.
If you would like to spend some time tempting Lady Luck, Resort Semiahmoo is affiliated with Skagit Valley Casino Resort. Ask at the resort desk how to get to this Las Vegas-style casino with 650 slot machines and table games. Visit www.theskagit.com. If you wish to cruise aboard some floating history, take MV Plover to Blaine Harbor. This historic 32-foot passenger ferry makes the roundtrip for a donation. Plover, built in 1944 for the Alaska Packers Association salmon cannery at Semiahmoo, ferried cannery workers and townsfolk during World War II fuel rationing and continued her duties until 1964.
Fore!
From the beginning, Semiahmoo Golf & Country Club was a winner. Upon opening, the Arnold Palmer-designed, 7,000-yard championship course was voted Best New Resort Course in America by Golf Digest, and continues to be one of the top-rated resort courses in the state.
Arnie’s masterpiece wanders over the forested hillside and allows you to enjoy nature and golf at its best. Water comes into play on five holes, and 67 sand traps test the golfer’s shot-making skills. The fairways are rolling and generous, with fast and challenging greens. Our favorite hole is the par 3 number 12 with its green set in a lake and surrounded by a rock wall.
At 7,005 yards from the tips, this course challenges the best of players, but lesser lights (me included) can choose a tee to suit their ability. Semiahmoo is open to the public on the odd days of the month.
Playing the Graham Cooke-designed Loomis Trail is an honor and a challenge at the same time. An extensive canal and lake system brings water into play on all 18 holes, which makes this scenic track one of the tougher courses in the state.
We found it difficult but fair -- and one of the best golf values we’ve discovered in the Northwest. Beautifully manicured fairways are smooth, and the greens are fast and true. The spacious Tudor-style clubhouse offers a full range of services. Loomis Trail Golf & Country Club is open to the public on the even days of the month.
It may be slightly off the regular cruising trail, but the Upper Left-Hand Corner is an excellent escape for boaters of all types. For boating golfers, this corner of the country was made for you.
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This article first appeared in the October 1, 2005 issue of Sea Magazine. All or parts of the information contained in this article might be outdated. |
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