Tobiano Golf Hole By Hole

 #10 Par 5, 556 yards
This hole plays uphill from the clubhouse over the irrigation pond, which doesn’t really come into play. It’s a fairly wide open tee shot, but I put a little nest of bunkers out on the right side. The premium here is probably for length to get in position to attempt to hit the green in two. The green is very tightly bunkered, though, making it difficult to reach. Getting there would involve two high shots and the second shot would have to stop up pretty quick. The smart play is to lay something up with a long iron or hybrid club, and then come in with a wedge and try and attack for birdie that way.

#11 Par 4, 419 yards
The 11th is terrific mid-length par four involving some great risk-reward on the tee shot. The high risk shot is down the right side just whisking past a little nest of bunkers on the right side. If that shot is carried off successfully, the good player is going to find the ball is going to scoot on the landing where there is a little bit of a down slope out there about 275 to 280 yards. The good player will try and find that and pick up a little extra length on his tee shot. It is a marvellous second shot coming in to the green over a little gully. You can run it up through the left side of the gully. The shot demand is really for a high shot and stop it up on the green.

At least the green is fairly large and can receive most kinds of shots. There is quite a bit of slope from back-tofront and also from left-to-right. It requires a little bit more of a right-to-left shot coming in to hold the green. I say that and know that most people can’t dial up that kind of shot on demand. That’s what makes Tobiano great is that once they get to know the course, the highly-skilled players are going to understand the kind of shots that are needed. I think that will be the fun for highly-skilled players; figuring out how to play Tobiano.

#12 Par 3, 240 yards
stay and play This is a special hole and it may be my favourite par three. It’s a wonderful long par three. I always like to have one long three. It’s one that you are going to have to bring out a three wood or hybrid or maybe two iron. Definitely, it’s got some length to it. Coming out of a tight chute, it is one of the tighter tee boxes on the golf course, a little intimidating even for good players. It’s virtually all carry with a little bit of a bailout at the front for shots that come up short.

That carry is over a fissured gully where there is an intersection of about two or three gullies in front of the green. It’s very unique topographically, and it just sets up the golf hole. There is probably 20 yards of landing area between the top of the gully and the green. The green is well bunkered left, right and back. In keeping with the shot demand, the green is large and receptive and not a lot of slope on it. Really, the shot demand is, well, accuracy.

#13 Par 5, 576 yards
A very unique par five, the 13th involves a long carry over yet another gully, the longest carry on a tee shot on the golf course. From the back tees you need to crack it about 230 to 240 uphill. Each of the other tees involves far less carry, making the golf hole quite playable. The Sage tee is on the other side of the gulley. At Tobiano, the players need to be on the right tee boxes so that they are able to pull off the shots as needed. With a great drive, the hole opens up the chance for hitting the green in two. An uphill par five with a gully all the way up the left side that then cuts in front of the green, has a ton of bailout on the right side.

The conservative player will get their drive out to the landing area. Throw something up the middle to the right side of the fairway and then come in with a lofted club. There are a lot of risk-reward scenarios out there. Calculation of risk is required, followed by execution. The green is reachable, but only by two really well-hit shots.

#14 Par 4, 450 yards
tobiano golf Fourteen turns back to the water and plays perpendicular to Kamloops Lake. We call this the ‘Hoo Doo’ hole for the dramatic windswept, sculpted formations in the rocks all the way up the left side from tee-to-green. This is a hole where you have to drive the ball well. There is a very high risk-reward here. The veryskilled player is going to try to bomb it down the left side and will be rewarded with plenty of roll on that shot.

On the right side, there is a ton of bailout area but you can’t see that from the tee shot. This is a hole that you are going to have to get to know a little bit and know that there probably is a little bit more room than you think there is. It’s a golf shot that makes you freeze up a little. The smart players will know they just have to relax a little bit, swing easy, and they’ll be just fine.

#15 Par 3, 155 yards
This is the shortest par three at Tobiano. Against the wind, that comes up from the Lake, this hole can be very difficult. Sometimes the wind can make a two or three-club difference. If the wind is with you, it is simply nine iron or wedge. Windy or not, the 15th is a very pretty hole, very well-guarded with bunkering left, right, and back. The trouble is clearly on the left side on the water where a slightly mis-hit shot to the left will, unfortunately, go over the bluff and down into Kamloops Lake. It’s just a very pretty little hole, and well-positioned in the round.

#16 Par 5, 563 yards
The last par five on the golf course, it’s sharply downhill, not long, very reachable. If some of the earlier par fives are unreachable for you, then number 16 is your reachable par five. There’s lots of risk-reward off the tee. The skilled player who is going to go at the green in two is going to have to whisk it down the left side, carrying a nest of bunkers.

The more conservative player will take a line off the tee more to the right. The hole is downhill all the way from the landing area to the green. There is a gully on the right side all the way up to the green and the lay up area is tightly guarded. This is a very pretty hole and it is scoreable. If there are some birdie holes at Tobiano sixteen is one of them.

#17 Par 3, 178 yards
This is a dramatic par three hole, a real fun hole that sets up beautifully. It’s virtually all carry over a mammoth gully in front. Good players on the Iron tee are hitting five or six iron depending on how the wind is swirling around. The 17th green is fairly large, so it is hittable but it’s tightly bunkered on all sides. The Sage tee is across the gully in keeping with the concept of playability for all players. It is fairly short for the very high handicap players, but has a lot of teeth in it from the back tee.

#18 Par 4, 469 yards
Eighteen is a wonderful driving hole in that it really rewards a good drive. It is probably tighter than some of the holes where the shot demand on the tee shot is high. You need to hit a good straight ball or a wee draw. There is trouble on both sides all the way down. Number 18 fairway is crowned and falls to the gully on the left side while a sharp hill on the right side runs all the way up and into the green. A very beautiful hole, it sits in there really nicely. With the clubhouse up on the rise in the background, you know you are home.