Today we’re going to take a tour through Predator Ridge Golf Resort and look at all the cool things there are to do there and we’re starting now!

I’m Lisa Salt with RE/MAX Vernon Salt Fowler and today we’re going to look at the Predator Ridge community and all it has to offer, but before we do, please make sure you subscribe to our YouTube channel and like this video as were posting new videos every single week and we would love to have you as a subscriber. On this channel, we give you the straight goods on Vernon and the Okanagan, our ultimate four seasons paradise. Whether you’re moving at nine days or 90 days, or you’re just curious about the area we call home be sure to call text or email us and just add salt. Stick around and at the end of this video, I will tell you how to download our FREE Vernon Relocation Package.

We are going to take a tour through Predator Ridge today, a spectacular resort in our fair city, and look at all the cool things there. As Predator advertises, it’s not just a resort, it’s a lifestyle and in fact, it really is. We will start by looking at the location, then the two golf courses, the main amenities of the area, and then a brief look at the real estate in the area.

1. Location

Sometimes Kelowna tries to lay claim to Predator Ridge, however, it is firmly located in Vernon, British Columbia. Predator is 14 minutes from downtown Vernon, 24 from the Kelowna International Airport and if you want to take a day at the ski hill, it’s 39n minutes to Silver Star Mountain Resort. It’s more on the remote side, relatively, however, you have pretty much everything you need right at Predator, almost everything, and we will talk about that shortly. Many people who live there don’t leave the resort all that often. You can access Predator in two directions, from Commonage Road from Bench Row coming up from Okanagan Landing, or from Highway 97 on the Vernon end between Vernon and Kelowna. The elevation is 927 meters whereas Vernon downtown is 380 meters, so you have to know you’re going to get snow a bit sooner and it’s going to stay a bit later at Predator, which is why Predator is one of the last golf courses to open in season.

2. Golf Courses

Predator’s major claim to fame is it has hosted not one but two skins games, and there were celebrity sightings at the course in 2000 after which Sergio Garcia bought real estate up at Predator – that was a big deal – and then again in 2008 there was another skins game.

There are two full 18-hole courses, the Predator Course and the Ridge course. The Predator course was designed by Les Furber and is a links-style course set in rolling mounds and hills with extensive use of fescue, I found that out as well first hand, it ate some of my balls, and then the Ridge Course is the newer of the two courses, was designed by Canadian architect Doug Carrick and has some beautiful views of Okanagan Lake and has some big elevation changes. It was in fact ranked as a top Canadian golf course on ScoreGolf’s top 100 Golf courses. Don’t act like you’re not impressed! Little old Vernon – big-time golf course!

The practice facility is also excellent and includes a full range of practice options and golf simulators also for the off-season to keep your swing in good form.

3. Amenities

The amenities I think is where Predator really shines. Yes, everything is centered around the golf course, however, lots of people live up at Predator who do not golf at all because there is so much else to do.

Predator has an extensive 35-kilometer Trail system for walking, hiking, and mountain biking, and don’t forget the snowshoeing in the winter as well and if you don’t have snowshoes, no worries, Predator will rent them to you.

Continuing along the lines of activities and fitness, Predator owners have access to the fitness center which includes an indoor lap pool, steam rooms, hot tub, group fitness classes, studio, cardio equipment and weights. It’s not a huge gym area, however, it does the trick. It’s just like having a gym membership but free-er, well not free, included I should say, there are classes in the gym and the whole bit.

There are numerous yoga platforms as well with classes and events too plus – you may even have guessed it – they have pickleball. The fastest growing sport I think in the universe, everyone wants to play pickleball. The Commons Racquet Club opened up a state-of-the-art facility in 2018 and already there are limited memberships available because everyone and their dog wants to play pickleball. It’s actually not just pickleball, there are 4 dedicated tennis courts, 4 dedicated pickleball courts, a clubhouse, and a bubble allowing for year-round play.

In the winter if you feel like strapping on some ice skates, Predator now has a custom skating rink that uses state-of-the-art portable refrigerated technology to keep a consistent ice surface, so that’s kind of fun too in case you’re wondering what to do in the winter at Predator.

And that’s not all! There are tons of other events too, there are cooking classes, wine tastings, music on the patio, a bocce league, and tons of other community-oriented events.

Now that we’ve talked about outdoor activities and keeping fit, let’s talk about the reward for doing that, let’s talk about everyone’s favorite subject, well, mine at least, and that’s eating, Predator has some excellent restaurants, the Range Lounge and Grill is a high-end restaurant with a huge patio that has theme nights during the off-season, then there’s Pallino’s which has excellent pizzas, sandwiches and gelato! And then for something casual, there is the Commonage Market, serving Starbucks coffee, and has a great wine wall plus quite a nice assortment of not only fresh foods but frozen and grocery items as well to take back to your place and chow down. Plus it has Puplet parking so that’s a big deal too.

Safety-wise you even have your own neighbourhood fire department. This is nice because part of the charm here is all the trees and part of the concern of course is fire. So nice to have that there for safety reasons.

There is no spa at Predator anymore, however as an owner, you are able to access the spa at none other than…. Sparkling Hill Resort! Which is just up the road. Sparkling Hill is home to the KurSpa, a 40,000-square-foot European-inspired spa, clinic, and wellness center which is the largest spa in Canada! Lucky Predator owners get access to the spa with 2 guests, which is a big deal because the only other way I know of to get into that spa is to stay at Sparkling Hill.

Shopping wise it’s a bit lacking, however, the pro shop really does have some beautiful golf gear, so there’s that. Sparking Hill has a nice Svarovski gift shop as well.

Oh and I didn’t mention, as a homeowner you get discounts at the pro shop and at the restaurants at Predator Ridge.

4. Real Estate

Real estate wise, there is something for everyone and for every budget and every size from XS to XL, from full strata properties to freehold homes.

Here are a few examples of the types of properties  you can purchase around Predator:

Around the main area with the clubhouse and Predator course and practice range is the Lodge, which was built in 2005.  The Lodge itself is an apartment condo style built around 2005 consisting of a number of different sizes of units from bachelor suites to one bedroom to two bedrooms for a total of 75 units on 4 floors. It has a pool, open parking, and is managed by Predator Ridge Management. There are some units in here that can be lived in full time, however, the majority have to be available at least 6 months of the year for rentals.

Another strata option with a larger footprint would be something like 333 Longspoon, These units are attached and all in the around 1280 up to 1800 sf range for size, they were built in and around 2009-2011 and are a nice way of getting into the Predator area in a decent sized place without dropping a fortune.

If you don’t want to be attached to your neighbour, Turtle Cove is a good option. It’s a small enclave of 6 homes aligning with the 15th hole of the Ridge Course. and these are nice 2-bed and 2.5 bath craftsman style rancher homes that offer walk-out basements and deep single-car garages. And as you can see, the big bonus if you’re right on Birdie Lake.

There are hybrid areas too, for example, across the road from the golf courses and the initial stage of the development is the Commonage and as you can see, these homes look quite different than what we have spoken about so far. The development here began in 2016 with single family and duplexes, however mostly single family. It’s over in this area that you will find the racquet club and yoga platforms, a dog park, etc.

Then in the single-family housing department, there are so many options I don’t even know where to start. If you just drive around the neighbourhood you can see Medium, Large AND Extra Large homes all over the place, from the more established area of the development, to the brand new or near brand new construction as well, you have a huge range of options at Predator. It’s just up to you to decide on your budget, the size of your home, and what type of view you want, and there is definitely something at Predator Ridge for you.

If you’re interested in living at Predator Ridge, please let me know and I can hook you up! If you’re unsure of which area you’re interested in and just want more info on Vernon in general, be sure to download our Relocation package at VernonrRelocation.com.

If you want to talk to us about Vernon real estate feel free to call us at 250-549-SALT (7258), text us at 250-309-9586 or email us at webinfo@saltfowler.com.