“There are very few golf courses out
— Michael Coyle
there that fit into what I would call
the must-play category. I believe
Sagebrush is on that list.”
There has never been much debate about how good the golf is at Sagebrush, the magnificent links-style layout that overlooks Nicola Lake in British Columbia’s ranch country.
Sagebrush has consistently ranked high on SCOREGolf’s Top 100 list and is universally loved by golfers who have experienced its firm and fast fairways, large greens and stunning views that have a way of easing the pain of an occasional double-bogey. Originally opened in 2009 as an exclusive invite-only destination, Sagebrush garnered feedback as one of the best new courses in North America. It maintains that status with one significant change: it is now open and accessible to everyone.
But Michael Coyle knows better than most that it takes more than a great golf course to make a must-play golf resort. Coyle was a longtime executive with Intrawest who then co-founded Replay Resorts, a company that focused much of its efforts on repositioning, reinventing and reorganizing must-visit destination resorts.
Now, Coyle is the “orchestra leader” at Sagebrush, where he has put the band back together. His team includes former colleagues Kirk Kokoska and Ben Keilholtz (both of Arizona), as well as general manager Chris Hood, a seasoned veteran of the B.C. golf industry. Kokoska’s strength is on the operations side of the business. While at Intrawest Golf, he led the Raven brand team to achieve best service in the industry as noted by Golf Digest. Keilholtz will lead Sagebrush’s marketing initiatives — with assistance from Colby Johannson at Par Six Golf — while two more former colleagues, Russ Friesen and Warren McLeod, will lead the real estate program.
“I’ve focused our early Sagebrush efforts on getting to the essence of the place and then facilitating the writing of its idea blueprint or future story,” says Coyle. “Sagebrush will become a same-time-next-year kind of place. An annual drive-to destination golf trip for serious golfers.”
The first and most important task was getting the golf course to live up to its reputation. That has been achieved through the work of Kokoska’s team as well as Neil Pilon, Sagebrush’s superintendent, and Armen Suny, one of the original designers. Suny, who’s based in Colorado, spent time at Sagebrush last year getting the course ready for this spring.
Next was realizing that Sagebrush had to up its food and beverage offerings in a big way. In that regard, Sagebrush is thrilled to unveil a new menu for 2025, with many more items to choose from after a day on the course. The all-new Ranch House restaurant and patio offers breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Guests can unwind by the fire pits on the patio while taking in the sunset, and indulge in a handcrafted cocktail or a fine glass of wine.
The Hideout, now completed, stands as a true gem — perhaps the finest “house at the turn” in Canadian golf. Pause for a quick bite as you journey through the 13th hole, or return later to cast a line for evening fishing and cocktails. Both venues blend modern dining with the property’s ranch heritage.
Still, the star of the show at Sagebrush is the golf, and upon arrival, visitors will be in awe of the property’s expanse. Once on the golf course, they will be treated to exceptional hole after exceptional hole, with lake views offered from every tee box and the architectural style making good use of the property’s natural contours to promote creative shot-making.
“There are very few golf courses out there that fit into what I would call the must-play category,” says Coyle, an advisor to Richard Zokol on Sagebrush when the past PGA Tour winner founded the club in 2004. “I believe Sagebrush is on that list, and I wouldn’t have come out of retirement if I didn’t believe we could deliver that vision.” As Dick Zokol once said, “Sagebrush is best experienced by those with the highest reverence for the great game of golf.”
For its 2025 season, the team took customer feedback to heart, the pricing has been simplified and defined for the entire season with generous tee time intervals giving that wide-open feeling on the course. “We want to give our guests some elbow room,” says Hood, who was the GM at Whistler Golf Club and Nicklaus North before working under Kokoska at Intrawest.
Stay-and-play packages are available at Sagebrush, which has eight two-bedroom suites on site and has partnered with the Premium Best Western hotel 10 minutes up the road in Merritt for additional lodging.
