The Kelowna Golf & Country Club is one of the courses that is open for golfing in Kelowna as you read this.

I can almost hear the collective sigh of relief and anticipation by all you golfers out there: its spring, and that means hello golf clubs! Many of you have already found your way to a course we know this because of all the bragging that has been happening on the social media, with smiling local golfers asking their winter weary buddies in other destinations if they've been golfing yet.

With so many golf courses in the immediate Kelowna area, there certainly are many fantastic choices covering a wide array of difficulty. The sheer concentration of golf tracks in the Kelowna area means that this city has established itself as a prime Canadian golf destination, and has won the praise of well-known Canadian golfers, including golf personality Bob Weeks. After a visit to our golf courses last summer, he documented his impressions in a blog post, opening with I spent most of last week out in Kelowna, which has easily become one of Canadas best golf destinations. There are 20 courses in the general region ranging from championship layouts with jaw-dropping scenery to some really smart shorter courses.

The Harvest Golf Club is so pretty in the spring! While blossoms are not quite out yet, the golf club is very much open, carts and all!

At Tourism Kelowna we've already received many bookings through www.golfkelowna.com for spring and summer golf trips. GolfKelowna.com is the central reservations system developed by Tourism Kelowna in partnership with local courses, allowing out-of-town golfers to book their tee times, accommodations, and receive tourism information all in one spot. While our local courses do their own local marketing, the concept behind this central reservations service was that people who travel for golf will typically play more than one course, so the aim was to make it easy for them to book their tee times, while also showcasing the many courses in this relatively small hub.

Several notable golf writers have published articles on the amazing golf we have right here in our own backyard. Check out the stories here, and be sure to pass on the word about our gem of a golf destination when you're speaking with your out-of-town golf buddies. With our convenient air access (including non-stop flights from Toronto, Seattle, and of course our neighbours in Alberta and on the Coast), Kelownas five intriguing wine trails and fantastic dining and recreation now is definitely the time they should book their golf vacations to Kelowna and we know just the place for them to start!