Pining in North Vancouver Island Canada

Pine for Cedars on North Vancouver Island

Jane Finn slows down to the pace of life on North Vancouver Island and follows her wild heart in pursuit of grizzlies and orcas

As published in the April 2025 Issue 30 of Planet Golf Review Magazine

Within minutes of leaving the Victoria airport, I find myself on Malahat Drive. Tall standing cedars line the road. Wise, old sentinels that part now and then to offer glimpses of Saanich Inlet and the surrounding mountains. Cedar has been considered a sacred tree associated with protection and purification for centuries. Stepping out of the car to breathe in their heady perfume, I feel the healing power of nature and know I’m blessed to be back on Vancouver Island.

Saanich Inlet viewed from the Malahat Skywalk

Now it’s time to head north to explore new territory; the Comox Valley.

Northward Bound

As I reach Nanaimo, I’m on ‘island time’ and pull off the TransCanada Highway in favour of the scenic Ocean Route. I have no idea what I would discover along the way, so I ignore the clock and find myself stopping more frequently than I had planned.

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Golf in Bogota Colombia

Bueno Golf in Bogotá Colombia

As published in the February 2025 issue of Golf Central Magazine

By Dave Finn

Colombia may be the most underrated country in South America. After years of uncertainty, challenge and change, Columbia has emerged as the newest travel destination for curious travellers and naturalists. According to World Wildlife Magazine, Colombia is the second most biodiverse country in the world, with ecosystems that range from the Andes mountains to Amazonian rainforests and oceans that border the country. These elements are part of what makes golfing here so exciting.

Bogota Street Art

Bogotá is the capital, with over 10 million inhabitants. It is the third-highest capital city in South America, at 8.600 feet above sea level. With average temperatures ranging from 45°F – 60°F, it’s cool in more ways than one, so make sure you bring extra layers of clothes. There are 20 courses within a 45-minute radius, but regrettably, I only had the opportunity to play four. Continue reading

Golf Costa Rica – Pura Vida

Golf the Pura Vida in Costa Rica

By Dave Finn as published on pages 36 and 37 of  the January Issue of  Golf Central Magazine

Costa Rica is one of the most environmentally conscious countries in the world.  In fact, 25% of the land mass is dedicated to parks, marine reserves and wildlife refuges.  It’s no wonder they have adopted the motto “Pura Vida” which translates to “Good Life”.

Costa Rica offers temperatures that hover between 70 and 80 degrees all year round. Perfect weather for golf.  There are two main seasons – the ‘dry season’ and the ‘green season’ which starts in mid May and lasts until mid November.  Either way you can always get you round in during the mornings as it only rains like clockwork in the afternoon.  There are 11 golf courses to be tested and below are my favourite 4 courses in descending order.

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Top 3 Golf Courses on the Silver Coast of Portugal

Golf with a Silver Lining (Surf & Turf Portugal)

Top 3 Golf Courses on the Silver Coast of Portugal

By Dave Finn as published in the December issue of Golf Central Magazine

World Renowned Surfing in Peniche at Baleal Beach

If you are looking for perfect year round weather, delicious food, incredible wines, and an inexpensive winter getaway, look no further than Centro Portugal. Also known as the ‘Silver Coast of Portugal’, it is most famous for having some of the best surfing beaches in the world and more than a few excellent courses to test your game. Here are my favourite three:

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Riviera Maya Golf

Monumental Memories of Riviera Maya Golf, Mexico

By Dave Finn as published in the October 2024 issue of Golf Central Magazine

What’s your pleasure?  Is it wading into the Caribbean Sea or plunging into the crystal-clear freshwater cenotes?  It is exploring the many archeological sites or simply chilling around the pool with a cool beverage.  Either way the Riviera Maya Golf in Mexico is the perfect winter getaway – me included, on more than one occasion.  It stretches over 140kms along the eastern Yucatan Peninsula from Tulum to just south of Cancun and is home to several world-class golf courses just waiting to be played.  Here is a quick rundown of the courses I’ve recently played just to ‘whet your whistle’.

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Sailing the Greek Isles

Bird on a Wire – Sailing the Greek Isles

Join Jane Finn as she sails the Greek Isles and develops a new circle of friends.

by Jane Finn as published in Issue 28 of Planet Golf Review Magazine

The instructions read like a scavenger hunt: Find your way to Dia Noche Café in Piraeus, where you’ll meet fellow travellers and your skipper. So here I am, scanning the bar, with both excitement and a tinge of trepidation, wondering how will I recognise the people we are destined to meet, and will we be compatible?

Dave and I are about to embark on a weeklong sailing journey with seven people we’ve never met. This trip has been postponed and rescheduled many times for several reasons, so I understand why I’m thrilled to be here and at the same time, anxious to connect with our group so we can get under way. Suddenly, a peal of laughter ripples across the room and I’m drawn to six folks tucked away at the back of the restaurant. Their gear bags are piled high in the corner, but the conversation seems too animated, too easy, too natural for strangers who have just met.

That’s when I lock eyes with a vivacious redhead whose voice rings out loud and clear. “Are you guys looking for G Adventures?” I nod, and she promptly responds, “Well then, get over here; we’ve been waiting for you!” – not in the sense that we are late, but in the sense that they’re waiting to welcome us.

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