The Cabot Collection of luxury resorts has become synonymous with striking seaside golf destinations that include locations along the eastern coast of Canada, St. Lucia in the Caribbean and the world’s northernmost links course in Norway.
The Cabot portfolio is now starting to make its mark inland while producing similar picturesque settings and upholding its motto of “creating magical places” for the golf traveler.
The follow up to the opening of award-winning Cabot Citrus Farms in central-west Florida in January 2025 will be the much anticipated Cabot Revelstoke. The all-season destination in the rugged mountains of British Columbia in western Canada will mark the first time Cabot is bundling golf and skiing into its boutique experiences.
“When I saw the site, I had high expectations because I knew how beautiful the Revelstoke area was,” says Cabot co-founder and CEO Ben Cowan-Dewar. “One of the challenges we’ve always faced with mountain sites is the severity of the land. But the site exceeded all my wildest expectations. Being on the edge of a rainforest, yet almost in a high-desert climate, you have beautiful mountain ranges, the Columbia River Valley, and most importantly, a great site for golf. It immediately made me think of (world renowned architect) Stanley Thompson’s two great courses at Banff and Jasper in the Canadian Rockies.”
For the Revelstoke design, Cowan-Dewar turned to another Canadian-based architect and familiar face — Rod Whitman. It was Whitman who designed the first course in the Cabot Collection in 2012 — Cabot Links on Breton Island in Nova Scotia, Canada. The course was instrumental in launching the luxury golf resort firm’s stellar reputation.
“Within about 15 minutes of being on site (at Revelstoke) I called Rod, who had grown up in Alberta long admiring Thompson and said, ‘I think I found the site for your mountain masterpiece,”’ says Cowan-Dewar. “Rod took that challenge to heart.”
Whitman also designed the Cabot Bordeaux Vignes course in France.
“I think the Cabot ownership has a lot of confidence in what I do,” Whitman says. “I had a pretty free hand to do what I wanted with this course.”
“Rod’s one of my favorite architects in the game,” adds Cowan-Dewar. “I didn’t have to think long about who I would use when I was on this site. I literally called Rod from the property and asked him to drive over and see it immediately, and he did. I always wanted to give him a canvas in the mountains to showcase why he really is the best Canadian golf architect, and I think with this one, we found it.”
“We always talk about different projects and I always try to observe the right to go there and see for myself and then make up my own mind whether it’s something that appeals to me,” says the 72-year-old Whitman, who has been around the world several times over during his 50-year golf architecture career.
Open for preview play this fall, golfers traveling to Cabot Revelstoke should expect quite a visual golfing treat, Whitman says.
“There are certainly some elevation changes, which on a couple of holes are quite spectacular,” Whitman says. “And some holes cross some pretty deep ravines and others overlook the Columbia River Valley. You’re surrounded by the mountains so it’s a pretty cool spot. When you hit golf balls they just fly out there with all the green trees in the background; it can really be a pretty special experience.”
Revelstoke is off the beaten path deep in Canadian mountain country, which adds to the “getaway” allure.
It is a 4 ½ hour drive from Calgary (the largest city nearby) and 2 hours north of Kelowna International Airport. Beyond the extensive slopes and trails — including a new suspension bridge and cliff walk hiking trail with incredible views — the small town of Revelstoke (with a population of less than 10,000) is celebrated for its natural hot springs, vibrant arts scene and local distilleries.
Revelstoke, with an average of 34 feet of annual snow, is also home to North America’s largest vertical ski drop at 5,620 feet, while its longest ski trail is 9.5 miles.
With that much snow around, the area may seem like an unlikely location for world-class golf. But nothing could be further from the truth with two-sport crossover — golfing and skiing — presenting a massive audience since both are “high-end” sports.
Industry surveys indicate a significant overlap between the sports. In the United States alone, about 20 percent of winter sports participants also play golf. With roughly 10.6 million skiers and snowboarders, and more than 25 million golfers nationwide, an estimated 2 million or more golfers also hit the ski slopes, according to Golf Property Analysis.
“It’s a little bit remote, but the area is pretty famous for its downhill skiing and it’s a pretty popular place,” Whitman says. “From a Cabot point of view, they’re trying to expand their operations to include more activities.”
The Cabot Revelstoke Mountain Lodge, scheduled to open in early 2027, will serve as the central hub of the resort. The 155-room lodge will feature a refined, modern steakhouse and bar, spa and wellness facilities complete with hot tubs and sauna, a fully equipped fitness center; retail and convenient check-in for golf and heli-skiing.
“Revelstoke was an amazing destination before I ever stepped foot there,” Cowan-Dewar says. “It has long been known as the heli-ski capital of the world with an amazing ski mountain. Millions of people drive the Trans-Canada Highway past it in the summer. What most people are surprised to learn is that it’s the classic example of ‘come for the winter, stay for the summer.’ With its high-desert climate, sunny weather and warm temperatures, combined with the cool Columbia River and mountain air, there are very few places more idyllic to spend the summer months.
Cabot Revelstoke will also be unveiling The Railyard, a par-three short course named in honor of Revelstoke’s rich railway heritage.
“The reputation Revelstoke has garnered as an international ski destination will quickly be matched by how amazingly popular it is as a place to find respite in the mountains during the summer for world-class golf,” Cowan-Dewar says. “It’s one of the world’s most breathtaking settings.”
