Golf Ontario Style 2009
by Jeffrey Reed

Note: the following intro, plus Ontario golf destination descriptions, were written by London Ontario Golf editor Jeffrey Reed. This is the fifth consecutive year Tourism Ontario has welcomed Reed as the official greeter to Ontario golf via the Golf Ontario Style annual. Enjoy.

Introduction

Ontario’s population of 12 million-plus residents embrace hockey sticks and curling brushes during winter, but from spring through fall no other Canadian pastime is beloved more than golf. Want proof? In total, there are now more than 1,900 Canadian courses.

In Ontario – arguably the golf capital of North America – there are close to 800 golf courses. It’s an astounding number. As a life-long London, Ontario resident whose foremost passion is golf, I consider myself privileged to live within an hour’s drive of more than 100 beautiful golf courses in the heart of Southwestern Ontario.

In fact, for Ontario’s residents and its millions of annual visitors from around the world, golf is much more than a game: it’s a lifestyle. Whether you play like a pro, or simply enjoy the great outdoors, Ontario golf courses are yours to discover.

In 2008 alone, seven new Ontario courses opened their fairways and greens. The prestigious Golf Digest Best New Courses list named Cobble Beach Golf Links in Owen Sound one of the very best new Canadian offerings. This Doug Carrick-designed course boasts 7,134 yards of pristine terrain, and is joined by a luxurious retreat.

Southeast of Owen Sound, in tiny Avon, Tarandowah Golfers Club has received the nod from Ontario golf insiders as the best new course of 2008. Designed by renown English golf course architect, Dr. Martin Hawtree, Tarandowah offers a trip to true links-style golf – visit Ireland, Scotland and England right here in Ontario!

And that’s the beauty of Ontario golf: it takes you wherever you want to go. All you need is your golf clubs, an adventurous spirit and your imagination to make memories which will last a lifetime.

Many memorable moments will be made at this year’s RBC Canadian Open, the only Canadian stop for the PGA Tour in 2009. Glen Abbey Golf Club in Oakville hosts this prestigious event July 20-26.

Arnold Palmer once quipped, “What other people may find in poetry or art museums, if find in the flight of a good golf drive.”

No matter where you travel in Ontario this summer, you are sure to fall in love with golf.

Jeffrey Reed is a leading Canadian golf journalist, and editor of LondonOntarioGolf.com, celebrating golf in London and Southwestern Ontario.

Southwestern Ontario

Per capita, there are more golf courses in Southwestern Ontario – close to 150 – than anywhere in North America. Bordered by Georgian Bay to the north, Lake Huron to the west and Lake Erie to the south, Southwestern Ontario offers an unmatched mix of sandy beaches, tranquil bays and endless water activities, thanks to the Great Lakes and its tributaries.

Visit Western Ontario, and come face to face with Blue Mountain and Collingwood, where beautiful beaches await you after a round of golf. The Georgian Bay shoreline provides a spectacular backdrop for terrific golf courses, including The Raven at Lora Bay, one of the world’s best new golf amenities designed by Thomas McBroom. Monterra Golf at Blue Mountain boasts both outstanding golf, plus a five-star hotel, the Westin Trillium House.

Make the trek south to London, and two outstanding public golf courses await you: FireRock, another McBroom masterpiece; and Forest City National Golf Club, ranked at 4 ½ stars by Golf Digest. Southeast of London, you’ll discover the new Tarandowah Golfers Club, a links course with a UK flavour. When you’re in Western Ontario, be sure to visit Stratford, home of the Stratford Festival, North America’s largest repertory theatre. London, too, has plenty to offer, including a full schedule of downtown summer festivals at Victoria Park, plus the Grand Theatre.

Travel south to Windsor, the Rose City, and you’re right across the border from Detroit, Michigan. Casino Windsor, too, provides plenty of excitement. And when it’s time for golf, tackle McBroom’s Ambassador Golf Club, one of Ontario’s best new offerings.

Jeffrey Reed is a leading Canadian golf journalist, and editor of LondonOntarioGolf.com, celebrating golf in London and Southwestern Ontario.

Niagara Falls and Region

When Canadian golf icon Mike Weir decided to grow his winery, he looked no further than Niagara. In fact, with more than 100 public golf courses, Niagara Falls and Region – including Kitchener and Hamilton – rests only an hour drive from Toronto.

The Honeymoon Capital of the World, and boasting some of the world’s most spectacular natural wonders – including the Horseshoe and American Falls – Niagara is Ontario’s Festival Country. It’s where Weir is establishing a larger Mike Weir Wines, complete with a new Mike Weir gallery, in Niagara-on-the-Lake, adjacent to Whirlpool Golf Course.

In fact, Niagara is now a world-class golf destination, thanks to the Niagara Golf Trail. The Stanley Thompson-designed Whirlpool course is spectacular, while Grand Niagara Resort from architect Rees Jones is both beautiful and challenging. Thundering Waters from John Daly will inspire you with its gorgeous aesthetics and top-notch amenities. Royal Niagara, and Legends on the Niagara also provide plenty of memory-making fairways and greens. And Niagara-on-the-Lake Golf Club (est. 1875) is the oldest golf course on its existing site in North America.

Ride the Maid of the Mist beneath the Falls, test your luck at Casino Niagara, or visit the Shaw Festival and Old Fort Erie while in Niagara. And when it’s time to travel, the Guelph-Cambridge-Kitchener-Waterloo area welcomes you to its many golf courses, as well as the Kitchener-Waterloo Oktoberfest, North America’s largest annual Bavarian festival.

From Oktoberfest in fall, to Niagara Falls, Niagara and Region is Ontario’s Festival Country.

Jeffrey Reed is a leading Canadian golf journalist, and editor of LondonOntarioGolf.com, celebrating golf in London and Southwestern Ontario.

Greater Toronto Area

The Greater Toronto Area is home to many of Canada’s top tourist attractions. The city of Toronto is one of the world’s most ethnically varied communities, with more than 100 languages spoken amongst 2.5 million residents. The GTA’s 4 million population are privy to 200-plus golf courses all within an hour’s drive of the CN Tower, the world’s tallest freestanding structure.

Harbourfront Centre in Toronto is a 10-acre waterfront site which draws 12 million visitors annually to its shops, restaurants, greenspace, art performances, ice skating rink and boardwalk. Toronto is a sports fan’s dream come true, with Blue Jays baseball, Argonauts football, Maple Leafs hockey and Raptors basketball. Shopping at Kensington Market, exploring the Ontario Science Centre and enjoying live theatre – it’s all here.

A trip to Toronto Highlands Golf is a must. North of Toronto, rolling hills, green valleys and the Oak Ridges Moraine provide championship golf backed by Mother Nature. Impeccable golf courses provide an idyllic escape from urban adventures. And a visit to the GTA is not complete without a round of golf at Oakville’s Glen Abbey Golf Club, home of the Canadian Golf Hall of Fame and Museum, and hosting the PGA Tour’s 2009 RBC Canadian Open, July 20-26.

The Headwaters Golf Trail, set in the lovely landscapes of the Niagara Escarpment, is only minutes from Pearson International Airport. Sitting at the highest elevation in Southern Ontario, it sits at the headwaters of four major river systems which have created wondrous hills and valleys throughout the golf layouts.

Jeffrey Reed is a leading Canadian golf journalist, and editor of LondonOntarioGolf.com, celebrating golf in London and Southwestern Ontario.

Central Ontario

Central Ontario must be explored during your lifetime. Muskoka, the Kawarthas, Haliburton Highlands, southern Georgian Bay and Lake Simcoe combine to make this region a four-season outdoor wonderland. Of course, there are plenty of scenic golf courses, and endless beach, biking, hiking, ice fishing and snowmobiling adventures.

The Muskoka Golf Trail is world famous for its beauty and pristine golf. In fact, Muskoka Golf presents Canada’s most concentrated area of top-level golf facilities. Deerhurst Highlands, Grandview Resort, The Inn at Manitou, and the Doug Carrick-designed Muskoka Bay Club, voted “Best New Golf Course in Canada 2007” by Golf Digest, are yours to discover.

If it’s a golf resort vacation you’re looking for, Muskoka opens its doors to 80 resorts, including Rocky Crest Golf Club in Mactier, and Taboo Golf Resort and Spa in Gravenhurst, home course of Mike Weir. Both Rocky Crest and Taboo made Canada’s Best Resort courses list for 2008. The Lake Joseph Club, too, also provides some of the best golf and attached amenities anywhere in the world.

When in Muskoka, visit The Ridge at Manitou, The Rock Golf Club and Seguin Valley Golf and Country Club for first-class public golf. Muskoka golf Airways can also transport you to and from your golf hideaway in Central Ontario.

The Kawarthas are also home to the world’s largest hydraulic lift lock. You can kayak or canoe in Minden or Madawaska at Haliburton Highlands. Central Ontario truly is a unique gem where life is to be enjoyed. 

Jeffrey Reed is a leading Canadian golf journalist, and editor of LondonOntarioGolf.com, celebrating golf in London and Southwestern Ontario.

Eastern Ontario

An array of adventures on and off the golf course awaits you and your crew in Eastern Ontario. Bordered by the Ottawa River in the north, and the St. Lawrence River to the east, Eastern Ontario includes spectacular heritage in Canada’s capital city of Ottawa. In total, there are 130 golf courses in Eastern Ontario, where big-city life, rich Ontario farmland and northern white rapids all make their home.

Eastern Ontario is known for its picture-perfect country setting, and its golf courses are no exception. Every level of golfer will find a course to their liking. Belleville offers Bay of Quinte Country Club, Trillium Wood Golf Club and Black Bear Ridge Golf Course. Make the trek east, and Kingston presents Amherstview Golf Club, Belle Park Fairways, Glen Lawrence Golf Club and The Landings Golf Course and Teaching Centre. Travel east even further to Cornwall, and visit Archie’s Golf, Sandy Mountain and Summerheights Golf Links’ 36 holes at the South and West courses.

Kingston sits at the southernmost end of the Rideau Canal where waters cross into Lake Ontario, the St. Lawrence River and the western gateway to the 1,000 Islands. Historically a fur-trading post and military ground, Kingston served as Canada’s capital from 1841 to 1844. Here you’ll find ancient forts and other historic landmarks. Pembroke sits at the northern border of Eastern Ontario, where Indian River and Pembroke Shores provide golf enjoyment.

Belleville, Trenton and Peterborough add plenty out outdoor flavour to Eastern Ontario, where fishermen and golfers will both discover the ultimate getaway.

Jeffrey Reed is a leading Canadian golf journalist, and editor of LondonOntarioGolf.com, celebrating golf in London and Southwestern Ontario.

Ottawa

Canada’s capital city is as much about golf as it is political power, with no fewer than 80 golf courses within city limits and the Capital Region. But of course, Ottawa is steeped in Canadiana. It also ranks among the most beautiful cities in the world.

The Changing of the Guard is North America’s offering of the famous London, England tradition, and it’s held at the Parliament buildings in July and August. And did you know, the Ottawa Tulip Festival is the world’s largest festival of its kind? Created from flower bulbs donated from Holland, this celebration recognizes Canada’s assistance during the Second World War.

When it’s time to golf, check out Anderson Links Golf and Country Club, one of Ontario’s best new layouts designed by Graham Cooke and just minutes from downtown Ottawa. The Marshes Golf Club at Brookstreet Resort in Kanata is one of Ontario’s toughest tracks. A Robert Trent Jones Sr. and Jr. design, The Marshes is joined by Brookstreet’s spectacular hotel and fine dining. And Eagle Creek Golf Club, a half hour from downtown Ottawa, offers 18 scenic holes.

From the days of the Loyalists, historic Ottawa has fascinated all whom have been touched by her beauty. Public Galleries of both the Senate and the House of Commons are open to visitors. The Ottawa area consists of 4,662 square kilometres of fascinating discoveries where golfers can bike, hop a bus or grab a train to many of the region’s courses.

Ottawa: the nation’s capital, and a golfer’s paradise.

Jeffrey Reed is a leading Canadian golf journalist, and editor of LondonOntarioGolf.com, celebrating golf in London and Southwestern Ontario.

Northern Ontario

Over 80 golf courses rest within the natural beauty of scenic Northern Ontario. Ontario has more than 400,000 lakes and rivers – more than any other region in the world – and many of them are in Northern Ontario, where avid golfers play side-by-side with fishing, canoeing and waterskiing enthusiasts. In fact, Ontario has more canoe routes than anywhere else in the world, thanks in part to Northern Ontario’s pristine setting.

Northern Ontario has been described as “a Monet painting come alive, a region where Mother Nature’s brush strokes have defined the terrain.” The gorgeous golf courses in Northern Ontario are part of this beauty. Thunder Bay’s Whitewater Golf Club, and Sault Ste. Marie’s Crimson Ridge golf course both boast many natural features of the Northern Ontario landscape. Waterfalls, creeks, numerous elevation changes, mature hardwoods and spectacular views and vistas await you at Crimson Ridge.

In Sudbury, Timberwolf Golf Course covers an area roughly three times the size of any other golf course in the Sudbury region. Here you’ll discover a sense of solitude – the perfect venue for a golf getaway. After all, it was here in Northern Ontario where French Canadian voyageurs explored in the early 1800s.

Northern Ontario truly is an outdoor enthusiast’s paradise. Whether you’re hunting, hiking along stunning trails or enjoying water sports, you will agree, Northern Ontario is one of the most beautiful places on earth. Majestic tree lines, a wide array of getaway resorts and a solid variety of magnificent golf courses make this area of Ontario an unforgettable destination.

Jeffrey Reed is a leading Canadian golf journalist, and editor of LondonOntarioGolf.com, celebrating golf in London and Southwestern Ontario.