Some of the finest courses in the world are in Atlantic Canada
by Darcy Rhyno
Somehow, my shot has to drop onto that postage stamp 14th green and not into the choppy Northumberland Strait beyond. I’m hitting into a buffeting westerly off the water. The dense mist blends sky and sea into a wall of grey, blanking out everything beyond the breakers. I’m having difficulty gripping the icy seven iron.
On the one hand, I might overcompensate for the conditions and end up in the drink. On the other, I could underestimate and lie in the gulley between the tee and the green. A sudden gust could push the ball into one of those notoriously deep Cabot Links bunkers. As I tee up, the surf along the ribbon of sand that borders the course pounds like a slow drum roll.
World class courses
Cabot Links in Inverness on Cape Breton Island is a relatively new course—it opened in 2011—but this 14th hole is already one of the world’s most notorious. It’s been compared to the unforgiving seventh at Pebble Beach. The course itself is consistently ranked among the world’s best, often placing in the top ten. Similarly, its sister course—Cabot Cliffs, opened in 2016—places among the very best.
One contributing factor to these high rankings is their postcard dramatic setting between the Atlantic Ocean and Cape Breton’s ancient mountains, framed on one side by a beach that rises into seaside cliffs and on the other by the village of Inverness. Designers intentionally created the Cabots to mimic the historic links courses at St. Andrews, Scotland where golf was born some 600 years ago on oceanfront pastures bordered by sand dunes.
The Cabots aren’t the only world class courses among the seven on Cape Breton. In 1939, legendary course architect Stanley Thompson created Highland Links in Ingonish to attract visitors to Cape Breton Highlands National Park and incorporate the best of its features into his “mountains and oceans course.” With his signature sense of humour, he nicknamed every hole—some in Gaelic—to honour the Scottish heritage of Nova Scotia. It’s easy to end up in a heich o’fash (heap of trouble) on the hole of the same name. On “Canny Slap,” golfers need to apply that strategy for a roll off a steep bank to the flag. At “Mucklemouth Meg,” named for the heroine of a Scottish folktale, the fairway undulates like the surrounding mountains.
Photo Credit: Adam Hill/DCBA
The green isle and The Rock
Like Cape Breton, many of Prince Edward Island’s 25 courses border the coast, incorporating dunes, seaside ponds and idyllic countryside into their best holes, ranking this green isle as one of the world’s great golfing destinations.
Often considered the island’s finest, Crowbush opened to rave reviews in 1994 when it was named Canada’s best new course. Pros like John Daly, Mike Weir and Fred Couples have played here. Together, Brudenell and Dundarave form the East Coast’s only 36-hole championship course. When they hosted the Legends of Golf tournament in 2006, golfing icons Jack Nicklaus and Tom Watson faced off here.
On the East Coast’s largest island—Newfoundland, aka The Rock—and even on the mainland in Labrador, visitors to that province can knock the ball around on more than 20 courses. The most scenic among them is The River Course, tucked into the west coast mountains at the Humber Valley Resort. Some holes follow the Humber River and others the shoreline of Deer Lake. It’s another East Coast beauty named best new course in Canada when it opened. Golf Magazine went further, naming it best new international course.
On the opposite coast in the city of St. John’s, Pippy Park is home to two courses. The 18-hole championship Admiral’s Green includes a fully appointed clubhouse. From the 9-hole Captain’s Hill, golfers often pause to admire the panoramic views of the city, Signal Hill and the open Atlantic Ocean.
Terra Nova Golf Resort is home to yet another pair of courses. As the name suggests, the 18-hole Twin Rivers inside Terra Nova National Park crisscrosses two salmon rivers that tumble and flow through the surrounding forest. The 9-hole Eagle Creek course has the distinction of being designed by native Newfoundlander, Robert Walsh.
The other St. Andrews
The Algonquin Resort’s course in St. Andrews is rated among the best in New Brunswick. Not only does the town share its name with the birthplace of golf in Scotland, its course shares a seaside setting with scenic vistas and at times the challenging weather that goes with it. Holes 12 and 13 in particular are renowned for their views of Passamaquoddy Bay. Golf has been played here since1894, but recent course renovations have moved it higher in rankings and brought it closer to Scotland’s original courses.
Among New Brunswick’s 48 courses, Gowan Brae of Bathurst—nicknamed the Pebble Beach of New Brunswick—is known for its tricky fairways and difficult greens. Kingswood Park in Fredericton offers yet another double course play: the 18-hole Signature Course—it incorporates a waterfall—and the 9-hole Executive Course. The Royal Oaks in Moncton, Fox Creek in Dieppe and Rockwood Park in Saint John are among the others that deserve mention.
Hidden gems and panoramic sunsets
Some East Coast courses are indeed ranked among the finest in Canada and the world, but one of the joys of golfing here is discovering the hidden gems. Take the course at Digby Pines Golf Resort and Spa. As another designed by Stanley Thompson, it takes full advantage of its location next to the Bay of Fundy overlooking the Annapolis Basin. The ferry from New Brunswick docks within a stone’s throw, so it makes a perfect stop on an East Coast golfing tour.
Back on Cabot Links’ 14th hole, I swing and follow the ball as it nearly disappears into the heavy mist, landing just beyond the green to snuggle into the beach grasses. I bogey the hole, complete the round and duck into the Panorama Restaurant overlooking the 18th green and order dinner. As I warm up with a drink, the mist clears and the clouds part enough for a signature Cape Breton sunset, punctuating a golfing experience on par with the world’s best.
