In Atlantic Canada they come in all shapes and sizes. Some are hilly, some are flat. Some are by the ocean and its refreshing salty air and others are routed through valleys and built around lakes and ponds and streams.
Enjoy great golf throughout Atlantic Canada
In Atlantic Canada they come in all shapes and sizes. Some are hilly, some are flat. Some are by the ocean and its refreshing salty air and others are routed through valleys and built around lakes and ponds and streams. Some are heavily treed and glow with high colour in the fall, while others are wide open. Some are lined with apple trees, some are in vast wilderness—a playground for moose and other wildlife. In Labrador you can play late into the evening because of the long hours of daylight in mid-summer and if you’re playing near the ocean in the St. John’s area, you may even catch a glimpse of an iceberg drifting lazily by.
Playing golf at any of Atlantic Canada’s more than 150 golf courses is not just about hitting a golf ball. It’s about being treated to amazing vistas and enjoying a variety of regional cuisine, side trips to historical sites and cultural experiences—all in a unique part of Canada.
Golf has become an important part of Atlantic Canada’s landscape from both a recreational and tourism perspective. Many say we are spoiled with the number, and quality, of golf courses the region has to offer, especially when you consider the region’s small population base. Imagine, if you can, courses like Digby Pines, the Highlands Links and Cabot Links in Cape Breton, Algonquin and Kingswood in New Brunswick, The Links at Crowbush Cove and Dundarave on Prince Edward Island and Humber Valley Resort’s River Course and Twin Rivers in Newfoundland and Labrador. These are some of the best courses in Atlantic Canada, and arguably among the best in Canada.
It wasn’t always this way. Greg Hillier, director of the Atlantic Golf Organization, a golf consortium that represents golf in the four provinces, said the number of courses in the Atlantic region started to change in the mid-to late 1980s and into the late 90s.
“There was a major boom in golf especially here in Atlantic Canada and there was a realization it had good tourism value. There was a lot of demand for a limited supply of courses at the time,” he says. The golf industry stepped up, built several courses and exceeded that demand. All four provinces saw their golf course inventories increase.
In Newfoundland and Labrador alone six courses were built and three expanded from 9 to 18 holes in that boom era. Two years ago, Nova Scotia saw the opening of the internationally acclaimed Cabot Links in Inverness and in 2015, a second course, Cabot Cliffs, will open in that same Cape Breton community. Also in 2015, The Links at Brunello Estates is slated to open in Timberlea, NS.
The golf course transformation has created an abundance of affordable and accessible golf. So, where do you start if you want to test your skills and enjoy some of these fine layouts? First, determine the number of days you have, and your budget. Next, pick a province or a particular region of a province where you would like to stay and play. And consider whether you want to combine your golf with other vacation activities.
Green fees, on average, in prime time in Atlantic Canada run about $70. Some courses may include a power cart in the green fee price. If $70 or more is not in your budget, most courses have discounted rates after certain times of the day.
And what about accommodations? Golf Coastal Canada offers a toll free number (1-877-894-3982) and an informative website (golfcoastalcanada.com) with detailed information on golfing packages, courses and accommodations for each of the four Atlantic provinces.
You can even customize your own golf vacation. Prince Edward Island, for example, has a reservations centre, says Golf PEI executive director Mark McLane.
“We can arrange tee times for up to 16 courses and we have accommodations partners so you can do it all in one call,” McLane said.
In 2012, Golf PEI launched an online booking engine so golfers can search for tee times at the various courses and book them well in advance.
The Atlantic Provinces are constantly working to make golf affordable and enjoyable for golfers of all skill levels. There is a course here for you.