Predator Ridge Turning 25
Predator Ridge is celebrating 25 years of Amazing Moments and you’re invited!
A quarter of a century. It sounds like a long time, but where Predator Ridge is concerned, it is simply the beginning.
“Predator Ridge is evolving,” says Brad Pelletier, Vice President, Okanagan for Wesbild Holdings (the company that owns Predator Ridge Resort). “What we have now is a community that is, in my opinion, richer in amenities than any other resort not only in the Okanagan, but all of Canada.”
Predator Ridge is continually improving and looking to engage with its guests and homeowners, Pelletier points out, which is why the resort is looking forward-and to its past-in preparing for the celebrations around its 25th anniversary.
“We are looking at celebrating the most important and significant moments in Predator Ridge’s history,” Pelletier says. “This is a resort that was focused on golf and has grown into so much more. We’re going to celebrate all of that.”
Each month of 2016 (between May and September) will have its own focus, which will be unveiled in the upcoming months.
Predator Ridge’s history dates back to 1979, when the Neigel Ranch was sold to a group led by Rudy Marelli. A golf course was planned, but it didn’t move forward until 1989 when Barrie Wheeler, along with Herb and Dave Paterson acquired the ranch.
The new owners moved forward with the first 18 hole golf course, designed by Canmore, Alberta’s Les Furber. A third nine was developed and the resort began to flourish, winning accolades with its golf course being considered among the best in Canada.
Predator Ridge was sold to Wesbild Holdings in 2007, with the new owners making significant investments to help the resort realize its potential.
“When we celebrate the history of Predator Ridge, we’re really recognizing the great people that helped develop this over more than two decades, ” Pelletier says. “There’s a lot that went into making this the top resort in Canada, but it was really the inspiration and determined nature of some real visionaries that has made Predator Ridge what it has become.”
Along the way, Predator Ridge’s two golf courses have captured the imagination of the media in Canada and abroad, roaring up SCOREGolf’s Top 100 in the country, becoming part of Rolex’s Top 1000 Golf Courses in the world list and being voted the best course in British Columbia. The best players in the world-legends like Mike Weir, Fred Couples, Greg Norman and Sergio Garcia-have tackled Predator Ridge’s tricky fairways and devilish greens.
The resort hired award-winning golf designer Doug Carrick to rework its third nine and add nine of the best holes in Canada.
But Pelletier points out there’s more to Predator Ridge than just golf. With pet-friendly amenities & policies, extensive biking paths, incredible food & wine served in a stunning Okanagan setting, as well as a state-of-the-art fitness centre, the only outdoor yoga platform in the Okanagan, over 14kms of hiking trails & more, Predator Ridge’s 25th anniversary is a celebration of the diverse resort it has become.
“We’re going to celebrate the anniversary of Predator Ridge in interesting and imaginative ways that I know are going to really engage our residents and our guests,” says Pelletier. “It is going to be a lot of fun, while setting Predator Ridge apart, which is always our goal.”
