Predator Ridge has 36 holes of championship golf. The Predator Course is the original, opened in 1991, and the Ridge Course opened in 2010. Both sit on the same hillside south-west of downtown Vernon at roughly 640 to 700 metres (about 2,100 to 2,300 ft) above sea level, according to a terrain model. The resort doesn't publish an official elevation. That height, plus warm, dry summer air, is why many visitors notice the ball carrying a little farther. Our altitude carry calculator estimates by how much.
Side-by-side
| Predator Course | Ridge Course | |
|---|---|---|
| Opened | 1991 (reworked into today's 18 in 2010) | July 2010 |
| Architect | Les Furber (with holes by Dick Munn, 1997) | Doug Carrick |
| Par | 71 | 72 |
| Back-tee yardage* | 7,034 yd | 7,128 yd |
| Rating / slope (tips)** | 74.4 / 134 | 73.8 / 133 |
| Character | Rolling, links-style, native fescue, multi-tiered greens | Big vistas, granite outcrops, long scenic fairways, lake views |
| Signature hole | #14, dogleg-right par 5 with pond | #6, tee shot over natural brush |
| SCOREGolf Top 100 Canada 2026 | #86 | #24 |
* Per the resort, 2026 (Predator, Ridge). Other sources list slightly different figures, such as 7,090 and 7,123 yards on Wikipedia. ** Ratings per Golf Canada-sourced app data (Golf Handicapp) and Golf in British Columbia. Check the scorecard at the course.
The Predator Course
This is where it all started. Construction began in October 1989 under architect Les Furber, and the course opened in 1991. The resort describes it as "rolling hills, native grasses and multi-tiered greens." Tourism Vernon calls it a "links-style layout with rolling fairways, fescue-lined boundaries, and fast, undulating greens." Both descriptions hold up: your score here depends more on where you leave approach shots on those greens than on raw distance.
Today's Predator Course is a blend. The original 1991 nines were called Osprey and Red Tail, after the resident birds of prey. When the Ridge Course opened in 2010, Osprey and Red Tail were combined into today's Predator Course. Several holes were designed by former PGA member Dick Munn in 1997: Predator holes 5 to 8, 15 and 16. In 2018 a renovation of about $3.5 million, led by Doug Carrick with Furber consulting, updated Predator holes 3, 4 and 9.
Holes to know
- 14The signature hole. A sweeping dogleg-right par 5 with a pond running toward the green, which has the course's most severe back-to-front slope. Being above the hole here is a real problem.
- 6The toughest par 3. A vast multi-tiered green guarded by punishing bunkers. Golf Handicapp data lists it as stroke index 1.
- 10The toughest par 5. Fescue on both sides and a small landing area put a premium on the tee shot.
- 16Downhill dogleg-right par 4, which the resort calls "arguably the toughest on the course."
Source: Predator Ridge, Predator Course page; Golf course evolution; Tourism Vernon.
Accolades the resort lists for the Predator Course: Golf Digest 4.5 stars, a place in the Rolex World's Top 1000, "Best BC Golf Course" in a 2012 Vancouver Sun readers' vote, and two-time host of a World Skins Game (2000 and 2008; see History).
The Ridge Course
Doug Carrick's Ridge Course opened in July 2010 and did well from the start. SCOREGolf and Travel Golf Network both named it the Best New Course in Canada in 2010. The resort's description is "incredible vistas, long, scenic fairways and beautiful granite rock outcroppings," and a SCOREGolf blurb places it "between two major lakes."
The Ridge wasn't built entirely from scratch. Ridge holes 1 to 4, 13 and 15 to 18 reuse the former Peregrine nine, which was added by 1999–2000. Holes 5 to 12 and 14 are new, and they're the ones with the lake views. In 2018 Carrick came back to update Ridge hole 1.
Holes to know
- 6The signature hole. The tee shot carries natural brush to a deceptive green. The resort calls it "arguably one of the most difficult" on the course.
- Fairway homes. The resort markets the Vale at Ellison Landing, which runs along Ridge Course fairways, as the "last opportunity to live directly on the fairways." See Golf Homes.
- 15Turtle Cove. Six rancher-style homes in the Birdie Lake area line up with Ridge hole 15, per the resort.
Awards and ratings the resort lists for the Ridge: SCOREGolf Best New Course in Canada (2010), a ScoreGolf "Masterpiece" rating of 9.5, Georgia Straight Readers' Choice Best BC Golf Resort, and PGA of BC Platinum Medalist. In 2024 a Vancouver Sun panel named it the #1 public or resort course in B.C. It received three first-place votes, and BC Golf's Kris Jonasson called it "the must-play course in B.C."
Sources: Ridge Course page; Awards; Predator Ridge tops best BC golf.
The architects
Les Furber (Predator Course)
Furber is based in Canmore, Alberta, and founded Golf Design Services. He worked under Robert Trent Jones Sr. from 1969 to 1980 and has designed more than 50 courses, including Silvertip in Alberta, Redstone in B.C. and Varadero in Cuba, often called Cuba's first 18-hole course. He has also renovated Banff Springs, Kananaskis and Capilano. In the Okanagan, Furber also designed the Quail course at the Okanagan Golf Club in Kelowna, so you can play two of his layouts on one trip. (where2golf; Golf in BC)
Doug Carrick (Ridge Course, 2018 renovation, practice facility)
Carrick runs Carrick Design in the Toronto area. He has a BSLA from the University of Toronto and served as president of the American Society of Golf Course Architects in 2009/10. His 50+ projects include Greywolf at Panorama in B.C., Bigwin Island, TPC Toronto at Osprey Valley, Fox Harb'r in Nova Scotia and The Carrick on Loch Lomond in Scotland. He also designed Predator Ridge's practice facility. (ASGCA)
Dick Munn
Munn led the late-1990s expansion to 27 holes and designed the 1997 holes that are now Predator 5 to 8 and 15 to 16. The PGA of BC's club pro championship trophy is named the Dick Munn Memorial Trophy. (Williams Lake Tribune)
Rankings & awards at a glance
| List | Ridge | Predator |
|---|---|---|
| SCOREGolf Top 100 Canada 2026 | #24 | #86 |
| SCOREGolf Top 100 Canada 2024 | #33 | #92 |
| SCOREGolf Top 59 Public (recent list) | #8 | — |
| SCOREGolf Best Public 2023 | #10 | #23 |
| SCOREGolf Best Public 2021 | #10 | #35 |
| Vancouver Sun panel, best public/resort in BC (2024) | #1 | — |
Sources: Golf in BC: SCOREGolf Top 100; SCOREGolf Top 59; resort awards page.
Both courses moved up the 2026 list. Only a handful of B.C. courses rank higher than the Ridge nationally, including Sagebrush at Quilchena (#15) and Tobiano in Kamloops (#23). We pair them in our Okanagan golf-trip guide.
Local tips for your round
- Play the Predator for the greens and the Ridge for the views. If you only have one round, most visitors pick the Ridge. If you're here for a week, play the Predator twice. It rewards local knowledge.
- Book directly with the resort. The golf shop is on 1-888-578-6688 and golf direct is on 250-542-3436, per the resort's site. This site can't book tee times.
- Check the weather for wind, not just rain. Afternoon breezes on an exposed hillside change club selection a lot. Use our tee-time forecast.
- Warm up on Toptracer. The Carrick-designed practice facility has grass tees, Toptracer technology, target greens, a short-game area and two putting greens. More on the practice page.
- Fall is great value. Golftoberfest fall rounds were advertised from $99 in 2026, and October mornings can start cool. See Season & conditions.
Course details on this page come from public sources and can change. For official scorecards, rates and bookings, go to predatorridge.com. This site isn't affiliated with the resort.
Thinking about a home that looks out onto one of these fairways? Start with our golf homes overview or browse current Predator Ridge listings and resort real estate.