Course Review: Caradoc Sands Golf Club, by Jeffrey Reed (September 2005)

Copyright 2005 London Ontario Golf

Twenty minutes west of London, resting idyllically on 100 acres once occupied by a tobacco farm, Caradoc Sands Golf Club is one of the most beautiful golf courses in all of southwestern Ontario. And in today’s age of four-piece balls and graphite, titanium and nano technology, it’s good to know innovative design can successfully substitute for a 7,000-yard-plus golf course.

Measuring from 5,084 yards to a short championship length of 6,204 yards, and boasting four tee blocks, Caradoc Sands GC still provides an extremely challenging round for even the most seasoned of golfers. Designed by Bill Fox Jr., this track is a true testament to the importance of old-school architecture on the links. Sharp doglegs, numerous blind shots, rolling hills, strategically placed bunkers, minimal safe landing areas, nasty rough and surprisingly quick greens all make Caradoc Sands GC a picturesque yet difficult links-style golf course.

I scored well during my round, but I was truly tested both mentally and physically. Score one for Caradoc Sands GC: it provided a great challenge, yet left me wanting more after my round. That’s another plus for this new course, which saw construction start in June 2001 and saw its opening in Spring 2003: with more than 500 trees planted, 25 sand bunkers created, and frequent windy conditions at this former farmland, Caradoc Sands GC will play like a different golf course almost every round.

Constructed by Gary Nethercott, Caradoc Sands GC is aided by a fully-computerized, state-of-the-art irrigation system. Natural soil with very high sand content provides a challenge for the grounds crew, headed by course manager and superintendent Denton Hackney, but they pass the test with flying colours: the course is immaculate, and the greens roll quick and true – some of the best greens I’ve played this season. There are six par-3s, eight par-4s and four par-5s, and I failed to find a weakness amongst the lot. In fact, I go as far as to say, in just its third season, Caradoc Sands is one of the most enjoyable courses in the London area.

Where to start when providing a hole-by-hole description of this gem? Don’t expect an easy opening hole. No. 1 is a 501-yard par-5, uphill, with a green sloping towards you, fairway bunkers left and out-of-bounds right. No rest for the weary, as Caradoc Sands’s Amen Corner – holes 4, 5 and 6 – features a trio of tight fairways carved through a wooded area. The greens are slick at the 180-yard par-3 No. 4, 316-yard par-4 No. 5, and at No. 6, a 305-yard par-4 where par is a good number, thanks to overhanging trees and an extremely narrow opening from the tee.

The back nine – 3,173 yards – is slightly longer than the 3,031-yard front, but it plays much tougher. At No. 10, danger is everywhere, despite the illusion of wide-open spaces. Mounds create a blind shot into a green sloping right to left and towards the edge of a 3-acre man-made pond. This was my most rewarding birdie of the day. Caradoc Sands GC boasts an island green at No. 11, a 170-yard par-3 with three bunkers guarding the back of the green. From the tee you can view almost the entire course, which ends with an extremely tough par-5 measuring 553 yards, the course’s longest hole. A dogleg left, No. 18 tempts you to cut the corner, but beware of more mounds, blind shots and bunkers.

As beautiful and challenging as the golf course is, the real secret of success at Caradoc Sands is customer service. Few courses offer as friendly a staff as does this club. I was impressed with the professionalism displayed from the first tee to the last beverage at the 19th hole. The starter, course marshals, and beverage cart staff were all helpful, and the pro shop staff headed by golf teaching professional Pete Willems were equally as friendly. I was greeted like a member of the family in the club’s fully-licensed clubhouse, which offers a great menu. A tip: try the Sands burger, downed with your favourite beverage. 

When Old Man Winter rears his ugly head, Caradoc Sands opens its pro shop doors to an indoor golf simulator, featuring some of the world’s best courses.

Do yourself a favour when you’re visiting the London area: take the trip to Strathroy and play Caradoc Sands GC. Like a three-year-old wine, this course will only get better with age. 

Caradoc Sands GC
Strathroy, Ont.
519-246-4653
Green Fees:
$27 weekdays, $30 weekends, cart $26
www.caradocsands.ca