Dr. Dale's Accommodation Guide
- where to stay
- what to consider in the place you select
- choosing the right one
- secrets
First consider what else you might like to do beside play golf.
All us whacko golfers know, start to finish a game of golf takes up between five and six hours of the day you're playing. If you play early or late in the day, this can leave lots of time to do other things (this is of course after you've played 18, perhaps had refreshing shower and change of clothes and choose to quaff a pint of beer. On the subject of beer (I've been know to foam a few at the mouth), there are many great locally made brews that are products of micro breweries in the Greater Victoria area. Ales, lagers, bocks, darks ales - there are great choices. The 19th, for my money, rounds out the day when scores are gone over, bets are paid, missed putts are once more lamented and glory of the 20 footer made are relived. Did I say five or six hours?
Depending on your budgetary limits, choices of accommodation and proximity to the course, you have several options from which to choose.
A bed and breakfast is a great alternative if you are a socialable person. You in effect are staying in someone's home, meaning you're coming and going through a family home (which some people find a bit uncomfortable). Aside from very comfortable bedrooms ( with the usual bathroom amenities), you'll likely be served a superb breakfast that will make for a great start to the day. Also your hosts are great sources of other necessary information about the area.
There's little in the way of surprises with a hotel or motel. Most travelers know - you pay for what you get. One nice advantage of a downtown hotel is you're able to walk to many fine restaurants and shopping.
You already know what it takes to be ready for a campground if this is your choice of accommodation. The only down side to this option is that the campground is usually some distance from many of the other amenities but at the same time can be quite close to one of the many golf courses.
BED & BREAKFASTS HOTELS & MOTELS CAMPGROUNDS & R. V. PARKS Urban Core B&B's Urban Core hotels and motels Urban Core Campgrounds Downtown B&B's Downtown hotels and motels n/a Saanich Peninsula B&B's Saanich Peninsula hotels and motels Saanich Peninsula Campgrounds Western Communities B&B's Western Communities hotels and motels Western Communities Campgrounds Sooke B&B's Sooke hotels and motels Sooke Campgrounds
Victoria, British Columbia is situated at the southern end of Vancouver Island in the province of British Columbia. The Island can be reached by ferry from Tswassen, (near Vancouver). The ferry ride is approximately 26 kilometers and takes about 1 hour and 40 minutes. It travels through the scenic Gulf Islands on the way to Swartz Bay, just 30 km north of Downtown Victoria. You can also fly to Victoria. The flight is approximately 15 minutes from the Vancouver Airport. There is also Harbour-to-harbour service from downtown Vancouver to downtown Victoria. Ferries also service the Victoria from Port Angeles, Bellingham and from Anacortes, all in the State of Washington (USA). Swimming to the Island takes considerably longer.
AREA DESTINATIONSSOOKE-MAP AREA 5
Sooke is the gateway to the Wilderness of greater Victoria. This area contains logging roads with isolated campgrounds and some of the most beautiful and rugged beaches on the island. One end of the West Coast Trail begins at Port Renfrew and can be reached through Sooke on highway 14. A new hiking trail, the Juan de Fuca Trail also has one end starting at Port Renfrew and extends back along the rugged coast towards Victoria. Some of the finest Regional and Provincial Parks are in the Sooke area. The Sooke town centre is approximately 45 minutes from "downtown" Victoria .
THE WESTERN COMMUNITIES-MAP AREA 4
The Western Communities comprise Colwood, Langford, the Highlands and Metchosin. The City of Colwood is an urban area located midway between "downtown" and Sooke. Colwood borders some of the Canadian Forces military lands surrounding Esquimalt Harbour and contains Fort Rod Hill a National Historic Park. Metchosin is a rural community full of parks, beaches and golf courses. Langford is a mix of urban and rural properties and is the "gateway" to the Island Highway, starting with the famous Malahat Drive. The Highlands is a small rural area near the southern tip of Saanich Inlet.THE SAANICH PENINSULA-MAP AREA 2
The Saanich Peninsula is predominantly rural and is dotted with small urban centres and the town of Sidney (gateway to the Gulf Islands). This peninsula is rich in agricultural land and it has some great farm markets (fruits and vegetables). The peninsula contains the airport and the Ferry Terminal at Schwartz Bay and is home to the world famous Butchart Gardens . You can also access the San Juan Islands (USA) by Ferry from Sidney.THE DOWNTOWN AREA-MAP AREA 6
The Downtown Area contains Victoria's "old town" and Victoria's "China town". Next to the inner harbour is the B.C. Government Legislative Buildings, the Royal BC Museum and the world famous Empress Hotel. As well as being the shopping hub of Greater Victoria, downtown also is rich in accommodations, restaurants and activities.THE URBAN CORE-MAP AREA 3
The Urban Core surrounds "down town" and consists of four urban municipalities-the City of Victoria, Saanich, Oak Bay and Esquimalt. This is where the majority of the population reside (approximately 225,000 of the 325,000 people in the Greater Victoria region. Most of the regions shopping malls are in the Urban Core and there is an abundance of recreations facilities and services throughout this area. Numerous parks, beaches, scenic lookouts and fine homes are distributed in the urban core.THE GULF ISLANDS-MAP AREA 1
The Gulf Islands are the jewel of the Greater Victoria region. Everything you could ever want in a vacation is somewhere out in the Gulf Islands, except major shopping. There are craft persons galore, markets, beaches, hiking, water sports, and much much more. Getaways abound, throughout the Islands. The Islands are connected to the Mainland and to Vancouver Island by B.C. Ferries.
