He Says: Golf Courses of Canada (and the USA)

Warning - VERY long golf post ahead

I’ve had a few people ask me to summarise the golf courses I played throughout our trip… I tried to play as much good golf as I could fit in with the time and budget we had available. As we enter the last few days of our time here in Canada I’ve collated the notes and photos of the courses I’ve seen over the course of our travels, and am sharing it for those who are interested.

A few overarching thoughts before diving in:

Compiling these posts has given me a new-found appreciation for the diversity of landscapes that Canada has to offer - from deserts, to rugged coastlines, windswept dunes to lush forests…you can build a golf course anywhere!
Quality company makes golf so much more fun - I played a lot of golf alone on this trip, but the rounds I have the fondest memories of were those with friends or strangers…oil pipeline workers from Edmonton, retired NFL players from Michigan, guys on family holidays in Wisconsin, fellow cross-Canada travelers from Toronto…
My only gripe in general about American golf courses is the obsession with soft, green, lush grass. Even in the middle of the desert I found heavily watered and manicured conditions…this means way more water is used than necessary, and way more people required to maintain the course to that standard. If its hot and dry, let the course go hot and dry! If it’s soft and wet, let the grass grow a bit!

By the numbers:

27 new courses, all new to me.
477 total holes played
Roughly 2100 shots hit (didn’t count score for every round but this is my guess)
God knows how many balls lost - at least 50 by my guess
1 club snapped (not my fault I swear), 3 more broken and needing repair

Before getting into each course, here are my top 5 experiences. My primary criteria for determining a good course is whether I would want to go back and play it every day.

Lawsonia Links - Wisconsin
Cabot Cliffs - Nova Scotia
Jasper Park - Alberta
Tobiano - British Columbia
Kananaskis Mt Lorette - Alberta

In playing order, I visited the following golf clubs since we hit the road in mid-May.

Westport Country Club, Westport New York

First day of the trip we (Will, Sherman, and I) stumbled upon this gem looking for a course to play before sunset on our drive from Ottawa to NYC to start the trip
Original 9 holes more than 100 years old, with second 9 added in the 1930s.
Really fun old school course with blind shots, fun green complexes.
Price paid: $20 USD walking afternoon rate.

Hotchkiss Golf Club, Connecticut

Perfect stop to stop halfway between Saratoga and NYC.
9 hole course by famous architect Seth Raynor – one of the very few public Raynor courses out there. Course winds through a prepatory (fancy rich kids) school for Yale University
Fascinating course to play, even just 9 holes gave a fantastic insight into the mind of a genius architect.
Clear to see how many of the greens have shrunk from their original shape over the last 60 years. Course would be amazing with a light restoration to bring the greens back to their original condition.
Price paid: $15 USD to walk 9 holes. Could easily have gone around 2-3 times without getting bored.

Captains Golf Club, Cape Cod, Massachusetts

Recently remodelled Municipal course in Cape Cod. Played during our 3 days there.
Course was in stunning condition for early season, greens were firm and the fairways were perfect.
Really solid layout making great use of undulating land. Game was in rough shape this day and was put to the test here!
Price paid: $31 USD walking afternoon rate

Looking down the fairway at Captains Golf Club…still can’t belive how good the conditioning was for May!

Nippo Lake Golf Club, Barrington, New Hampshire

Golf course backs on to my cousin Tim’s house, had an afternoon spare so headed out for 9.
It quickly became apparent that the back 9 was the original 9 hole course, and an additional 9 holes were jammed into a tiny field across the street from the original 9.
Unfortunately for me I ended up playing the new 9 which was certainly nothing to write home about. Would love to go back and play the original 9, my fault for not checking first!
Price paid: $22 USD to walk 9 holes…worst golf money spent on the trip for sure.

Algonquin Golf Club, St Andrews, New Brunswick

Planned a visit to St Andrews NB specifically to play this course, multiple recommendations to make this stop!
Originally designed in the 1920s by famous architect Donald Ross, and has gone multiple remodels in the last 20 years to try get it back to that state.
Front 9 is inland, and the back 9 hugs the coast for 4-5 holes before heading back inland. The start of the back 9 is among the best stretch of holes I’ve ever played, especially the par 3 12th and then the par 5 13th which follows the Atlantic coast.
The course was soaking wet and shrouded in mist when I was there, I would love to see it playing firm and fast.
Price paid: $55 twilight walking rate.

My view of the famous 12th vs what it looks like on a nice day

Fundy National Park Golf Course, Fundy, New Brunswick

9 hole course carved into Fundy National Park. The last golf course designed by famous Canadian architect Stanley Thompson (more on him later)
I purchased an all day pass so I got to see this one three times over. A really fun course carved into the forest.
Dramatic elevation changes, fantastic use of the natural topography and a couple of really dramatic tee shots. A perfect exemplar of why Thompson courses are so well regarded.
Course was a bit rough around the edges – early season and part of the national park, no doubt it gets a ton of play throughout the year.
Price paid $27 (!) for an all day pass

Links at Brunello, Halifax, Nova Scotia

Suggestion from our friends in Halifax, a new course that winds around a housing development. Played 18 with Mike on a brisk afternoon.
A perfect example of how I would describe the distinctive style of Canadian golf courses – decent size fairway, a bit of rough and then junk…rocks, trees, bush. Any time you miss a fairway by more than 10 yards you’re in your pocket for another ball. Lots of fun if you’re in control off the tee!
Brunello was a stern test, the greens had dramatic sloping and the par 3s in particular were stunning. My favourite hole was the “cape” style 4th hole.
Price paid: $95 full price including a cart

North Rustico Resort, Rustico, Prince Edward Island

Joined by the in-laws for a few days on PEI, was recommended to play North Rustico Resort.
Really fun little course with lots of funky challenging holes. A course guide or caddie would definitely have come in handy here, a few times we were left scratching our head after seeing where our tee shots ended up!
If you stay at the resort you get to play the course for free – definitely on the list to do that next time!
Price paid: $0, Thanks Tim!

Anderson Links Golf Club, Cavendish, Prince Edward Island

Met up with a “golf tinder date” I met on a golf website while looking for recommendations, who also happens to be one of the best golfers in the province. Tim brought along his two mates who were also amazing golfers and we set off on a wet morning.
Really fun course, dramatic elevation changes and sweeping views from some of the elevated tees. Will definitely play again if we’re back on the island.
Price paid: $0, thanks again Tim!

Indian Lake Golf Club, Halifax, Nova Scotia

Executive style course we booked on accident looking for a cheap round when Amanda’s family was in town.
18 hole course with a handful of par 4s, but a par of 60. Not much to write home about but good entertainment for an afternoon. Lesson learned, if the price seems to good to be true, there is probably a reason!
Price paid: $35 to walk 18…not the best value if I’m being honest

Cabot Cliffs Golf Club, Inverness, Nova Scotia

Full post HERE
Hard to imagine a more beautiful piece of land for a golf course than this one. Every single hole is amazing and would stand out on the average course.
My game fell apart on the back 9 at Cabot, and I found the frustration of playing bad was compounded knowing I was at a special golf course. Learned a few lessons about how to separate enjoying golf and score, as well as experiencing the (sometimes literally) breathtaking views

Famous Par 3 16th at Cabot…see if you can spot my ball on the rocks

Grand Falls Golf Club, Grand Falls-Windsor, Newfoundland

Had a 10 day gap (crazy I know) between rounds as we explored the western part of Newfoundland. Had an afternoon to spare after a long drive so went out for a quick 9.
Fairly standard small town golf course with a few dramatic holes alongside some back-and-forth in the middle of the property.
I read after that the 18th hole is regarded as “the best 18th hole in Newfoundland”, shame I played the front 9…oops.
Price paid: $20 for 9 holes

Terra Nova Golf Resort, Terra Nova National Park, Newfoundland

Had a long drive from Fogo Island to St. Johns, and wanted to squeeze in some golf on the way down. Weather was very iffy this day, so a game time decision to play 9 was made.
I could only get out on the 9 hole “Eagle Creek” course, which was a pleasant surprise compared to most 9 hole courses tacked onto an existing 18 hole course. Good challenging course with a few really interesting holes.
Perhaps my favourite thing was the “practice hole” before the 9 hole course started, which was a 170m carry over water to green that was surrounded by thick forest. Into a stiff breeze, this practice hole turned out to be a good way to lose some weight from golf bag rather than any form of a warm up!
Price paid $15 to walk 9

Kingsway Park Golf Club, Fredericton, New Brunswick

We had a night in Fredericton and after 7 hours driving from the Newfoundland Ferry we both needed to stretch our legs out.
Kingsway park is regarded as one of the best courses in the province and luckily it was 10 minutes drive from our AirBNB
We paid for a full 18 twilight round, but thanks to the group in front taking 2.5 hours to play 9 and not let me through, we ended up only playing 9 and heading to the restaurant.
I could see why the course was so well regarded - the front 9 had a really interesting mix of holes, especially the two par-5s
Price paid $40 twilight rate (only played 9…)

Edelweiss Golf Club, Wakefield, Quebec

Back in Ottawa, headed on a steamy Friday afternoon with friends Will and Luca to a new course none of us had seen before. After waiting out what in hindsight seemed like a very ominous thunderstorm, we had the course to ourselves for most of the afternoon.
Lots of fun holes here, didn’t have many expectations going in. A good example of a course that would be much easier the second time around knowing where to go.
Found some form here, which always makes the walk that much more enjoyable!
Price paid, $30 twilight rate to walk

Hautes Plaines Golf Club – Gatineau, Quebec

Friend Will had some passes for a normally private club which we were saving up to use when back in Ottawa. A nice last round with Sherman, Will, Marc. Great company on a really fun course.
Hautes Plaines is a super tight, short golf course. Certainly not the type of place I would dream up if I was designing a course to fit my game! I still have recurring flashbacks to standing on the tee on the 2nd hole with no idea how my drive is going to fit down the chute of trees (it didn’t)
Conditioning was superb, contrary to many other courses in Ottawa at the time which was nice
Price paid: $40 cost of voucher

Montebello Golf Club, Montebello, Quebec

Friend Marc took the afternoon off to drive out to Montebello for one last game before we hit the road west. A real scorcher of a day, at 35* we were thankful for the cart and any shade we could find. Montebello had been on my to-play list the whole time we were in Ottawa, and I was glad to make it out on the very last day before we left Ottawa.
Montebello is a Stanley Thompson design, with a very similar feel to Fundy, that of the course being carved into the forest. It must take some real genius to take a large piece of heavily forested land and identify the best spots for holes, all without modern imaging technology.
Typical of Thompson, Montebello makes heavy use of elevated tees and greens, making the course accessible for first time visitors. A few of the greens had dramatic tiers and sloping, and you found out quick if you were in the wrong spot.
One of my favourite courses in Canada, a shame I only made it out once!
Price paid: $0, thanks Marc!

Long par 3 9th hole at Montebello - 180 yards direct to the flag, or take the long way to the right.

Homestead at Wolf Ridge – Killaloe, Ontario

Picked this one out on the way from Ottawa west to Algonquin Park. Played it by myself on the way out on a 36* afternoon, and then again the next day (10 degrees cooler) with friend Luca as I enjoyed it so much.
A relatively new course. For such a small town I was surprised at the scale of the course. The clubhouse was a converted barn and the vibe was great.
The course was super firm and fast, which made the sweeping slopes in the fairways even more challenging. The evening light peeking through the trees on the par 3 16th was special. Made my only eagle on the trip on the par-5 10th hole, before giving them all back on the 240 yard par 3 11th!
Price paid: $25 twilight walking rate…among the best value on the trip for sure

The Club at Westlinks – Port Elgin, Ontario

Booked this one on GolfNow (think grabone for golf) on a whim when were staying with friends on Lake Huron
Westlinks is a 12 hole course – I enjoyed how the course marketed this a novel approach to make golf more enjoyable, when in reality the owners decided to sell off a chunk of the land for houses, so they re-routed the holes that were left to make 12.
A reasonably open forgiving course (a nice change!)…a few holes I had no idea where to go which made things a touch challenging. Course was in great shape, always a nice bonus too.
Price paid: $17 via GolfNow

Pilgrims Run Golf Club – Grand Rapids, Michigan

We were staying in Grand Rapids, and I managed to snag a deal using GolfNow to play this one for free. A bit of a hike from our AirBNB but free golf was hard to turn up.
I was paired up with high school teacher and a guy who took up golf after being forced to retire from American football because of an injury…guy had been playing golf for 6 months and was already an 18 handicap!
Despite being very much in the “carved into the woods” style, Pilgrims Run was one of my favourite courses on the trip. Amazing variety of holes that tested all facets of the game – on most holes there was room to miss on one side, but doing so made the rest of the hole that much harder.
One of my favourite courses (of the few) I’ve played in the States, and one I would definitely play again if in the area.
Price paid: $0, thanks GolfNow!

Michigan City Golf Club – Michigan City, Indiana

Had an afternoon to spare on our way from Grand Rapids to Chicago, so stopped into this course for a quick afternoon walk. It was a total steamer of an afternoon, in hindsight I might have been better off staying in the lake!
A fairly standard Municipal course on a flat piece of land. After an uninspiring back-and-forth first few holes the course opens up with some fun holes on the back 9.
Wouldn’t go back, but hard to complain for less than a dollar a hole!
Price paid: $15 USD afternoon rate

Lawsonia Links – Green Lake, Wisconsin

Full post HERE
Perhaps the most fun I have ever had on a golf course. On multiple occasions the slopes on the green had me laughing trying to figure out how to get the ball anywhere near the hole!
Best part about my Lawsonia experience was finding out after 18 that the afternoon rate meant you could play as much as you wanted…I quickly buckled up and went out and ran around another 9 in just over an hour!

Price paid: $35 USD walking afternoon rate

Deer Park Golf Club – Yorkton, Saskatchewan

We needed a stop between Winnipeg and Prince Albert, and it just so happened that the town of Yorkton had a golf course rated as one of the best in the province.
By far the windiest day for golf on the trip, blowing 20-30 fairly steadily most of the time…a good warm up for life back in Wellington!
Deer Park was a really good challenge – a mix of short and long holes. A couple par fours under 300 yards that goaded you into taking a driver out, with a few others where even hitting an iron in the fairway was a struggle.
Perhaps my best golf on the trip with a +5 round in the blowing wind.
Price paid: $27 afternoon rate

Waskesiu Golf Club – Prince Albert National Park, Saskatchewan

Another Stanley Thompson golf course in a national park – turns out this guy was the go-to for Parks Canada in the 20s and 30s when they were setting up the national park system…right place and the right time!
Very similar feel to Montebello and Fundy, dramatic elevation changes, lots of elevated tees and greens which are the trademark of a Stanley Thompson design
Despite not being the longest course – I think I used my driver less than 5 times – Waskesiu was a demanding course requiring precision off every tee. Any lapse in concentration and you’re straight in your pocket for another ball…and with signs indicating bears were in the area, don’t even think about wandering in to try and find it!
I love the idea of having a golf course as part of the national park – they provide a great source of revenue for the park, and make sure that Canadian golfers don’t have to miss out on any of the precious summer months for getting their fix!
Price paid: $40 evening rate after 5pm

Dakota Dunes Golf Links – Saskatoon, Saskatchewan

One of the more highly anticipated courses when we laid our original plans for the trip, Dakota Dunes ranks highly on most lists of the best value golf courses in Canada, which is right up my alley!
The course named after the Whitecap Dakota First Nation land where it sits, and the clubhouse building and branding of the course reflect the land where it sits.
Dakota Dunes was definitely the hardest course I’ve come across so far (until Tobiano)– I played the second from back tees, and at 6900 yards the top part of my bag faced a stern test! It seemed like all the hard holes were playing straight into the wind, and the exposed greens were hard to approach with anything longer than an 8 iron.
While calling itself a “links” style of course, it felt far narrower than other links courses I’ve played. Combined with a soft grass I imagine it plays more like the courses in the Arizona desert than those in Scotland.
A very different golf experience than the round at Waskesiu from two days earlier…hard to imagine two more different courses being a couple hours apart from each other.
I checked the scores from when the Canadian PGA tour went there 2 years ago…23 under par for 72 holes!!!
Price paid: $50 twilight rate

Dinosaur Park Golf Course – Drumheller, Alberta

What a wild golf course! The front 9 is relatively straightforward back and forth while the back nine is a crazy adventure into the Canadian Badlands
The back 9 was a stunning backdrop, although if I’m being honest the holes weren’t the most strategic…just hit and hope it stays on the grass!
Lots of blind quirky tee shots, conditions were rock hard so I barely needed more than a 7 iron off a few par 4s.
Would definitely recommend to anyone travelling to Calgary, less than an hour out of town.
Price paid: $20 (!) all you can play after 6pm. We finished 13 holes (starting on the back) before packing it in.

The 11th hole at Dinosaur Trail - 270 yard par 4 - the widest part of the hole is by the green!

River Spirits Golf Club – Calgary, Alberta

Used another one of my GolfNow coupons to play this course. Knew nothing about it heading in.
Course has 27 holes, comprised on 3 very distinct nines. My first 9, the Cattails 9 was tight and shorter. The second 9, the Spirit 9 was a little more open and friendly off the tee.
The back 9 was probably the best golf I played all trip with a -1 9 holes. Take out the two doubles to start and it might have been a decent round!
Price paid: $0…thanks GolfNow!

Hardest hole at River Spirits - the par 4 3rd on the Spirit 9.

Kananaskis Mt Lorette Course – Kananaskis, Alberta

Full post HERE
My first taste of golf in the mountains. Breathtaking views and an amazing property.
Would never have believed that it was destroyed by a flood five years ago – they have done an amazing job getting it back in shape.
Thoroughly enjoyable course, making great use of the rivers that wind through the property.
Completely oblivious to playing at altitude and proceeded to airmail six greens! Also had no clue what was going on with reading the greens…must be something to do with the mountains…
Price paid: $68 twilight rate after 5…just managed to get in before dark. Exceptional value especially given other courses in the area.

Jasper Park Lodge – Jasper, Alberta

Full post HERE
Wow, what an amazing location for a golf course. There is a reason why all the golf courses in the National Parks are 80+ years old, because no way would they let anyone bulldoze and blast a course out of the forest now!
A perfect resort course in my opinion – any golfer could have had a great time out there.
I found the course to play surprisingly easy, in my head it was a lot more “in the woods”, especially given the other Thompson courses I played earlier. With the elevation I might have used my driver 4-5 times all round.
Learned my lesson with altitude this time, but still couldn’t get my head around the greens.
Price paid: $170 twilight rate…finished 15 minutes before the sunset

Dunes at Kamloops – Kamloops, British Columbia

Had a few GolfNow passes left over so managed to squeeze this one in during our two days in Kamloops
A really nice links-style course, although it looked like they had watered the heck out of it which diminished the links aspect a little bit. Would be amazing if they let it crisp up a bit!
Played some of my best golf of the trip until the last few holes...it was 35* out and I don’t think I was drinking enough fluids.
Price paid: $0…thanks GolfNow coupon!

Tobiano – Kamloops, British Columbia

This one was on my list from the start, and for good reason!
What an amazing piece of land…courses like this give me a newfound appreciation for golf architecture.
By far the hardest course I’ve played on the trip…I played one tee box up from the back at 6700 yards, which is made even harder when every tee shot is framed by desert and shrub.
I think I took more photos here than any other course, everywhere you turn is an amazing vista.
I got paired up with a couple other guys who were 3-4x a year golfers, and they struggled mightily with the forced carries and narrow fairways. A golf course where average golfers are going to lose 10+ balls every round goes against my ideal that a great course should be playable by everyone.
The Par 5s at Tobiano were something else. I hit good drives on all five, and never once did I even think about trying to take on the green.
Tobiano might be the ultimate “cart only” course. I suspect I might have driven at least 12km to get around the hole course including the drives between holes.
An amazing challenge in a totally unique setting…I had to pinch myself a few times that there was golf to be played!
Price paid: $80 twilight rate with cart

Squamish Valley Golf Club - Squamish, British Columbia

Took an afternoon to drive up an hour from Vancouver to Squamish, a smallish town not far from Whistler. The golf course was packed full even at 3pm on a Wednesday!
Really fun course, despite being on the narrower side. Really enjoyed the shorter par-4s which tempt you into to taking driver, only to realise that you have to hit a near-perfect shot for it to pay off.
I think this round was the best I have struck the ball all trip, shame I couldn’t get the putter working!
Price paid: $0, thanks GolfNow!