Fun and affordable: 6 courses in the North to play this summer
If you find yourself in cottage country this summer or are looking for a reason to get out of the GTA, golf north of the City offers a fun and challenging way to while away some time and experience play in a unique setting.
The Canadian Shield is highly regarded for its rugged spectacular beauty and home to pristine lakes, dense forest and dramatic elevation changes. Those same attributes that make the region such a draw for cottagers, hikers and skiers are also well reflected in inspiring golf course designs that dot the landscape.
Following are six courses ranging from Collingwood to Muskoka that are fun, affordable and perfect for a summer escape.
Batteaux Creek Golf Club
Back in the last heyday of golf course design, around the turn of the century (2002), Stephen Young fashioned this pretty layout on 250 acres near Nottawa, using the Niagara Escarpment as a backdrop and the natural wetlands adjacent to Batteaux Creek to craft a very playable routing. There is water on just about every hole here, but the fairways are quite generous, and the greens are large and accessible. Wetlands, creeks and ponds are on your mind but rarely in play. The course is quite flat and perfect for walking with no long treks to the next hole and play moves along at a brisk pace. Walking Rate: M-T $70 / FSS $78. Batteaux Creek Golf Club
Duntroon Highlands
Just down the road from Batteaux Creek, which uses the Niagara Escarpment as a backdrop, Duntroon Highlands is actually built on the side of the Escarpment and is as hilly as they come. The starter looked a bit puzzled when we said we were walking but he assured us he had oxygen and a defibrillator ready if we needed them. Funny guy! And so began a journey that took us up and down again and again and rarely yielded a flat approach. On some holes you could see forever and felt like you could hit that far too. On others, uphill approaches to plateau greens required tremendous skill and calculations you may have learned (and forgot) in high school. The course is less than 6,000 yards from the tips. Stunning views of Georgian Bay and Wasaga Beach. You’ll want a second crack at Duntroon. Maybe the calculations will be easier the second time around. And walking it is just fine. Walking Rate: M-T $62 / FSS $69. Duntroon Highlands
Lake St. George Golf Club
Lake St. George, just a few minutes north of Orillia, is one of those courses that make you relax the minute you turn into the driveway. Tall pines frame the entranceway and project a serene Northern vibe. No signs of the city here. There are three nines at Lake St. George, each designed by a different architect at different times and each with a distinctive look. The primary course comprises the West (Bob Moote, 2002) and the South (Robbie Robinson, 1972) and tops out around 6,200 yards. The West is tighter and framed by trees while the South is mostly fescue lined and has more dramatic elevation. Both have large sloping greens and are a delight to putt. Walking Rate: M-T $50 / FSS $62. Lake St. George Golf Club
Muskoka Highlands
Minutes outside Bracebridge, Muskoka Highlands lists seven Rules on the back of the scorecard. The first Rule is: Have fun. The seventh Rule is: Have fun. In between are some friendly reminders about ready golf, fixing ball marks, ordering food and cleaning up after your pet. What?! That’s right, dogs are allowed at Muskoka Highlands. It’s part of what makes this lovely cottage country layout a unique outing. Established in 1993, the course tops out at just over 6,000 yards. That may seem short but as owner Don MacKay says, “We’re not hosting the Canadian Open anytime soon. We’re all about having fun.” Elevation is the key at Muskoka Highlands. The course traverses some rollicking terrain, constantly rising and falling, presenting a new and distinctive look at every turn, each hole different. The large, sloping greens are slick and in fantastic shape. Plenty of challenge here, which to me, makes putting fun. Walking Rate: $66.37 Muskoka Highlands
Parry Sound Golf Club
I’ve been a fan of McBroom’s work in Muskoka since I first saw it and now sorry that I didn’t visit Parry Sound sooner. The date makes this one of Tom’s earlier designs and it definitely defines the themes that you see at his other Muskoka projects like Deerhurst, Ridge at Manitou and Rocky Crest – lots of exposed rock, dramatic elevation changes and excellent use of ponds and wetlands to guide or amplify the routing which takes you into and out of dense woods where narrow corridors require all the accuracy you can muster. On other holes the course opens into what at one time was farmland where you skirt water hazards (sorry, I can’t call them penalty areas) and waste bunkers and rock. There are several blind shots too. Parry Sound tops out at 6,000 yards. If you enjoy a beverage after your round, the patio overlooking the finishing holes on each nine is a wonderful place to relax and swap lies. You couldn’t ask for a nicer setting. Walking Rate: $65.49 Parry Sound Golf Club
South Muskoka Curling & Golf Club
Long before the high-profile Muskoka courses started grabbing headlines, a local Bracebridge course featured all of the same grandeur that is emblematic of its better known neighbours: spectacular granite outcroppings, tall pines, dense forest, dramatic elevation and ball-gobbling wetlands. This year South Muskoka is celebrating the 50th Anniversary of opening its first nine in 1974. A second nine was added five years later. Both were designed by Canadian Golf Hall of Famer Robbie Robinson, who used the rugged landscape to shape a scenic and varied challenge over the 6,300-yard layout. While the fairways are reasonably generous, you’ll need a solid short game here to negotiate the deep bunkers and tricky, sloping greens. Walking Rate: $69.95 M-T morning; $84.95 FSS morning. Rates are $10 less in the afternoon. South Muskoka Curling & Golf Club
