Nicklaus North Golf Course

Few resort courses carry their designer's name with quite as much justification as this one. Jack Nicklaus, who shaped the layout in 1996, didn't simply lend his brand to a pretty mountain backdrop — he produced one of the most strategically satisfying resort designs in Canada, a course that rewards thoughtful play over raw power and holds up to serious scrutiny long after the scenery stops distracting you.

Set along the shores of Green Lake at the northern edge of Whistler, the course moves through stands of pine and over glacially carved terrain, with the peaks of Whistler and Blackcomb mountains providing an almost unfair visual backdrop. The routing takes full advantage of the lakeshore, and several holes play directly alongside Green Lake's edge, where mist off the water in the morning is as much a part of the round as the rough.

Whistler draws visitors year-round for its world-class ski resort, but the golf season here is genuinely excellent — the Pemberton Valley's dry summers keep the course in fine shape through the fall, and Nicklaus North consistently ranks among British Columbia's top public courses.