A true "members' club", Capilano pulsates with a daily rhythm as unchanging as its stunning natural setting.

The typical day's events start in the Golfers' Grill, a steady hum of chatter and silverware filling the room, as does the anticipation of an early morning round.

Along with bacon and eggs, cereal and fresh fruit juice, the morning crowd chews the daily news while waiting for a game, or in the case of questionable weather, for the Scotch mist to clear.

Ladies and men share Tuesdays at the club with the early bird ladies claiming the upper parking lot, leaving the lower lot for the men, producing some inter-gender ribbing. By 1 p.m., the Ladies' Lounge fills as post-golf chatter and laughter precedes lunch and prize presentations, followed by the retreat, for some, to the ladies' card room for a rubber or two.

For the men, the golf shop competition is the starting point for Mens' Tuesday Night, with the afternoon formatted for all comers. The 'full contract', a 'Nassau' or who knows what else is resolved at 'whipout time' in the 19th, over a cool one punctuated by the familiar 'if only's'. Then, on to the 'Grill' for a lively dinner and the customary negotiation for the honour of buying the wine. All accompanied by good-natured rapport and friendship.

With appetites satisfied, games resume in the card room – bridge, rap rummy, poker, and for others a comfortable, hearth-side armchair watching golf, hockey or football on the big screen.

From early morning until twilight, men and women golfers of all ages flow in and through the clubhouse halls, passing each other asking "How's your game/I was a basket case!" or "Are you made up? We need one." The very young to the octogenarian always find common ground in the 'Grill' on light menus in casual golf attire during the day; in the evening, service staff greet you by name and show you to your favourite table and bring your 'McKinnon Special' as you watch the executive chef and his tall, white-hatted team sizzle a steak at the grill or outdoor barbeque. The room is alive with laughter, as stories are recounted and, like the fine wine, always improved with age.

Through the large grillroom windows and the patio beyond, the 1st fairway and the city shimmer below. On occasion the magnificent view is interrupted by a bevy of stunning bridesmaids and handsome groomsmen, surrounding a radiant bride in full bloom being photographed under the Catalpa tree. The murmur and tinkling glasses of guests drift down from the deck above.

Pasta Night and Market Night always bring out an overflow grillroom crowd as members welcome their guests to their preferred table for a memorable dining experience. The attire is upmarket casual. Upstairs, the Stanley Thompson Room is often the venue for one of Capilano's legendary Winemaker's Dinners, a guaranteed evening featuring an unrivalled menu and accompanying wines to satisfy the most demanding epicurean. Other evenings, the quiet and elegant Capilano Room offers the finest in à la carte dining for members and guests wishing a more formal evening and a quiet drink on its 'away from the crowd' shaded terrace.

On occasion when the clubhouse is in 'full array', the Guinness Room, with its grand floor-to-ceiling copper hearth may be the setting for a member's corporate function, sprawling out onto its east-side deck overlooking Burrard Inlet and the city below.

And when the last soul turns out the lights in the stately clubhouse to mark the end of another day in the life of Capilano, they do so with the comforting knowledge that within just a few hours a new day will dawn.