Rocky Mountain Golf

Retired broadcaster and history enthusiast Jeff Hutcheson begins his journey in Invermere, British Columbia, using golf as a lens to examine community, land use, and regional change. At Spur Valley Golf Course, once a Christmas tree farm, we explore how vision and persistence turned a patch of rural land into a beloved 9-hole course. In Radium Hot Springs, renowned Canadian architect Les Furber reflects on the process and philosophy behind designing Radium Springs Golf Course. Through personal accounts and visual documentation, the episode uncovers how these courses reflect local culture, resilience, and a deep connection to landscape.

The Columbia Valley’s past is alive in its geography, infrastructure, and institutions. From the tale of a stolen church to the Windermere Valley Museum, this episode uncovers the histories of settlers, Indigenous displacement, and railway expansion that shaped the region. We then visit Fairmont Hot Springs Resort, where three distinct courses—Riverside, Creekside, and Mountainside—highlight the area’s varied topography and evolving relationship with recreation and tourism.

At Copper Point, a championship course that opened in 2004, PGA professional Brian Schaal guides us through the design, challenges, and role the course plays in community identity. Traveling south, we follow the Columbia River to its headwaters near Canal Flats, tracing its ecological and cultural significance. The episode concludes in Kimberley, BC, at Trickle Creek Golf Resort—set in a high-alpine environment and designed once again by Les Furber—showcasing how geography and ambition intersect in course development.

Kimberley’s mining history shaped its economic foundation, and the long-closed Sullivan Mine remains central to understanding the region’s industrial legacy. Through interviews and archival exploration, we uncover how resource extraction and environmental impact intersected. Nearby, we visit Wildstone Golf Course—the first in Canada designed by Gary Player’s design group—where sustainability efforts, including advanced irrigation systems, hint at new priorities. We end at Shadow Mountain, a dramatic alpine course with bold elevation changes and a feature known as "The Monster", pushing both golfers and the land to their limits.

The Columbia Valley’s past is alive in its geography, infrastructure, and institutions. From the tale of a stolen church to the Windermere Valley Museum, this episode uncovers the histories of settlers, Indigenous displacement, and railway expansion that shaped the region. We then visit Fairmont Hot Springs Resort, where three distinct courses—Riverside, Creekside, and Mountainside—highlight the area’s varied topography and evolving relationship with recreation and tourism.