From our luxury ocean view room and world-class spa, to the greens on the golf course, we played, laughed and reconnected on a Vancouver Island Golf getaway.

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I think it’s a good idea to try something new every now and then.

Skydiving, learning to play the ukulele, oysters (though I think I’ll need to be paid a hefty sum to let one of those slimy things slide down my throat). Anyway, what I’m getting at is I think it’s good to stretch yourself occasionally.  I’m a fairly active person, but not what you would call athletic.

My coordination leaves something to be desired and don’t even get me started on my dancing abilities.

You know how you hear about something and watch it on TV and think

“yeah, I think I’d like to try that sometime”?

Well, I do, and for me, golfing fits into that category.  Jay has been golfing several times, but he always goes with another guy and for the past several years, I’ve needed to stay home with the kids anyway. So it has never quite worked out for me to go with him.

So when Jay scheduled a Vancouver Island Golf romantic getaway I was a bit leery as to how it would all turn out.

I decided the best plan of action was to maintain exceptionally low expectations and just focus on enjoying time with my husband, without children, and trying something new.

Boy was I in for a BIG surprise.

We started our time off with a gorgeous stay at Tigh-Na-Mara Resort in Parksville.

All the wonderful things you’ve ever heard about Tigh-Na-Mara are true. It’s like rustic wooded camping meets luxury beach resort.

We stayed in an oceanview deluxe studio with absolutely exquisite views. There’s practically no better way to wake up than with a view of the sunrise on the water. This place was simply wonderful.

Tigh-Na-Mara sits on one of Canada’s premier beaches called Rathtrevor Beach and boasts over 15 different accommodation options.  With many beautiful amenities like a tennis court, indoor pool, scrumptious restaurant and lounge, and world class spa, it’s a place everyone will enjoy.

And speaking of Tigh-Na-Mara’s on-site Grotto Spa, it’s nothing short of amazing!

Jay and I chose to indulge in the luxurious mineral pool and let me just say it’s worth it.  As you can see, it’s so much more than just a pool. As you swim, you feel as though you’ve been transported to a tropical paradise.

Somehow Jay and I lucked out and had the whole pool to ourselves (Hint: Visit over the dinner hour!). I think I relaxed so much that I almost fell asleep as I floated around the pool, and with underwater relaxation music playing, you really can’t blame me.

After a fantastic night’s sleep and gorgeous sunrise wake up, we headed over to Fairwinds Golf Club. The drive itself is so beautiful… countryside farms and fields help to make this island gorgeous.

Now remember….I don’t golf and though Jay is quite a bit better than me, he is still closer to the beginner golfer than the old pro.

We started at the driving range with a couple of buckets of balls to warm up a bit before our tee time .  As Jay hit ball after ball off into the distance, mine bounced on the ground in front of me like I was skipping rocks instead of teeing off. I concluded that this indeed would just be a day to spend with my husband, not keep score, and perhaps lose 20 or so balls on the course.

(Why is the grass a little yellow? Drought conditions on the island unfortunately…)

I laughed with almost each attempt, until my dear husband asked a Fairwinds Golf Club instructor to watch me and see if she could help me hit better.  She told me two things to try differently and the very next ball I hit actually flew in the air and soared straight ahead.

Oh. my. word. people! I couldn’t stop giggling.

There just may be hope for me yet!

With a kick in my step, we hopped back into our cart and set off for our 10:38 tee time.

We were greeted warmly at the first hole by Jarvis, our starter, and I assured him I had no idea what I was doing but that I was just out to enjoy the day with my husband.  He sweetly encouraged me, showed me where to place my ball and told me to try my best and to keep up with the group ahead of us.  With that, he stepped aside to quietly watch me attempt my first ever drive.

What happened next surprised us all!

I lined up, wiggled my bum back a forth a bit to centre myself and took a swing, praying to just hit the ball.  To my utter shock and amazement, the ball took flight and soared straight down the middle of the fairway.

I think I may have given poor 70+ year old Jarvis a heart attack.

He literally said the words,

“You’re putting me on.  This isn’t really your first time golfing is it?  There is some sandbagging going on here, I don’t believe it. That’s the best ladies hit I’ve seen all day!”

Well, there was nowhere else for my golfing abilities to go at that point except downhill. I didn’t want to disappoint Jarvis, so I just smiled and got back in our cart, fully loaded with extra balls, tees and cold water.

And truthfully, downhill is exactly what happened to the rest of my shots. But it didn’t bother me. This course is so beautiful, I’d have to be a fool to not enjoy the time with my husband while out in such gorgeous nature.

I was also having fun driving the cart, walking to my golfball and doing my best to not take out too much of the grass with each swing.  The time on this gorgeous course with my husband was well worth it.  We laughed, we enjoyed the sun, we laughed some more and made great memories.

Golfing was good for us because we didn’t take ourselves too seriously and our goal was to enjoy, not to get the best score.

After playing all 18 holes on the beautiful Fairwinds golf course, we enjoyed a filling fresh and healthy lunch at Benz Lounge, Patio & Bistro and there ended our day of golf.

I learned a few things that day: golfing is great fun, golfing keeps me humble, and a day on the golf course brings us closer together as a couple.

See? trying something new is a good idea. If I can do it, there is no question in my mind you can do it!

I ended the day on ball #3 while Jay worked his way through all of his balls but one… he lost count of how many after 10.

So I guess I did keep score after all, and after 4 hours on the golf course, I think I won. Hmm…beginner’s luck.

Want to follow in our footsteps and book your very own Parksville Luxury Golf Getaway? Here’s all the info you need on this Vancouver Island Golf package and more. 

 

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While our experience with Golf Vancouver Island, Fairwinds Golf Club and Tigh-Na-Mara Resort was complimentary, you can rest assured that my thoughts, opinions, and findings are my own as always.