I’ve only recently lived in Vancouver for two years, and just this year did I start my golf quest to explore the best courses Vancouver and the Lower Mainland has to offer. I kept on hearing about a course out in Pitt Meadows called Swan-e-set from friends. They told me it was a beautiful course that was challenging and worth the drive.

So, what’s a golfer to do when you hear about these “must-play” courses? You round up the buddies and make your way out there! Swan-e-set is located in Pitt Meadows and will take you just over an hour to drive there from Vancouver.

Swan-e-Set Bay Golf Course: Designed by the Famous Lee Trevino

So what do you need to know about Swan-e-set? Here are the quick facts:
– two championship golf courses, designed by the legendary Lee Trevino and spread across some awe-inspiring terrain in the Pitt River Valley
– a 65,000 square foot clubhouse, complete with every amenity you can imagine.
– views of streams, lakes, mountains, wildlife
– located in Pitt Meadows
– part of the West Coast Golf Group

So there’s no doubt about it, Swan-e-set is a very nice course indeed. Once you pull up to the clubhouse that resembles a castle from the ages. Upon your arrival there is a courtesy club drop off, which is a very nice touch.

Our foursome decided to play the Links course, which is a bit more challenging than the other Resort course. Our tee time was an early 6:06am (yes, you read that correctly), which, if you take into consideration our drive from Vancouver, that equaled a 4AM wake up time. It was still dark out when I woke up–gee, the things people do for golf.

Follow Swan-e-set on Twitter for Some Amazing Deals

Part of the West Coast Golf Group (WCGG: Swan-e-set, Belmont, Hazelmere), you will find weekly online coupons. One of the specials included the weekday early bird (before 7am tee off) of $29/$35 for the Resort/Links courses respectively. Now, this is where the deal gets even better.

By following Swan-e-Set on Twitter, we found out they were having a 2 for 1 special–which applied to their early bird rate! So when we showed up for the $35 rate, I mentioned their twitter special so we each paid $17.50 to play the Links course! Amazing! Throw in the cart fee and our round came to $35! That is the cheapest round of golf you’ll ever see–$17.50 for a Lee Trevino designed championship course (he’s probably rolling his eyes right now!).

How Did the Swan-e-set Links Course Play?

Let me get something straight. I’ve been golfing seasonally for the past few years and this year my handicap has been hovering in the low 20’s. So how did I find the Swan-e-set links course? One word: HARD. The course is littered with precision-placed bunkers that will keep you going bonkers. Also, with the bushes/shrubs to your left/right on some holes, be prepared to lose some balls if you’re not hitting straight.

The greens were very fast on this early morning. Also, a 6:06am tee off may sound great, but we had to deal with morning fog/dew. We could barely see where we were hitting for the first 3 holes! Just hilarious! As the weather came around the true beauty of the course really sank in. It’s so serene and peaceful, you’ll really enjoy yourself (that is unless your driver is off and you’re just shooting all over the place).

I would go back to Swan-e-set again, but definitely if I could get another 2 for 1 deal. So make sure you follow Swan-e-set on twitter to get some exclusive deals!

Here are some pictures of Swan-e-set:

Scenic view; the first hole at 6:06am (in late August)

A hole on the back nine; the 18th hole with the clubhouse in the background

Here’s a video shot by my iPhone 3GS–enjoy:

So, have you played at Swan-e-set before? Links or Resort course? What did you think?

Posted under: Golf Courses, Pitt Meadows