Golf Nova Scotia: Powerful, Pristine, Perfect.

Posted @ Nov. 14 2011 11:02AM by Len Boccassini - travel

I recently discovered some of the best golf in North America can be found in the Great White North in Nova Scotia in the Canadian Maritime Provinces. Uncrowded and unspoiled, it has about 5,000 square-miles of seacoast, some of it lined with spectacular golf courses.

Traversing the province’s 21,000 square-miles from the centrally located capital of Halifax, to Digby on the Fundy Shore in the southwest, to the Cabot Trail on Cape Breton Island in the north, I spent five days staying and playing (or touring) six distinctly different golf courses. The courses included Glen Arbour Golf Course, Digby Pines Golf Resort & Spa, Bell Bay Golf Club, Highlands Links, Le Portage Golf Club and Cabot Links.

Glen Arbour Golf Course

Hewn from some of Nova Scotia’s most pristine landscape, this track offers an exceptional golf experience just a chip shot from Halifax in nearby Hammonds Plains. Designed for public play, the course will challenge the best and promises to reward all. It also includes a 9-hole executive course. The Georgian-style clubhouse offers panoramic views of the 9th and the 18th greens as well as beautiful Sandy Lake, which stamps its unique Canadian imprint on guests upon their arrival.

The Championship course was home to the BMO Canadians Women’s Open in 2005. It also hosted the first Wayne Gretzky & Friends Tournament in 1999 and the Mike Weir Miracle Golf Drive for Kids in 2009. The clubhouse has a golf shop, lounge and Great Room, which accommodates groups of up to 100. The lower level features locker rooms and two smaller rooms perfect for business meetings of 30 or less. Adjacent to the building is their corporate tent for golf outings, which hosts up to 250 people for seated receptions.

Course Profile: Par 72, 6,800 yards, Designer: Graham Cooke, Greens Fees: + $100, Visit glenarbour.com

Digby Pines Golf Resort & Spa

The significantly upgraded Stanley Thompson-designed layout allows the 80-year-old golf resort to keep pace with newer courses while maintaining the golf course experience he intended. Don’t be fooled by the 6,284 yards from the back tees. With tree-lined fairways, narrow landing areas, mounded bunkers, small greens and the prevailing winds, this track plays much longer. Two additional tee boxes on each hole allow for friendlier play for the shorter hitters. My personal favorites were the par 3s especially their No. 2 signature hole, which is characterized by a meandering brook that widens into ponds on this hole and No. 16. The par 5, 7th hole is a winding, dipping adventure, rated as one of the most difficult in Canada. Three generations of Nickersons have served as their head golf pro.

Digby Pines Golf Resort & Spa is an elegant property dating back to the late 1920s. With a four-star rating, it’s one of Atlantic Canada’s premier destinations. It’s reminiscent of the old-style hostelries found in the Poconos or the Catskills. The 2,500-square-foot spa adds to the facility’s ambience.

Course Profile: Par 71, 6.284 yards, Designer: Stanley Thompson, Greens Fees: $56 to $67, Visit digbypines.ca

Bell Bay Golf Club

This beautiful Thomas McBroom masterpiece has incredible views from nearly every hole. The perched clubhouse provides panoramic views of Alexander Graham Bell’s Estate, Baddeck Bay, the opening and closing holes and the first-class practice facility. All skill levels will enjoy this challenging and enjoyable layout. It features bentgrass tees, greens, fairways, bluegrass roughs, white silica sand bunkers and four distinct tee areas on each hole. Bell Bay is distinguished by the final four holes, which have been called one of the best finishing sequences anywhere. The golf holes are named after world-famous ships that sailed into this saltwater port many years ago.

Among its many achievements, Bell Bay was named the “Best New Course in Canada” in 1998 by Golf Digest. It is a Certified Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary and hosted the 2005 Canadian Amateur Championship. Their PGA staff offers private lessons, clinics and golf school on one of the largest practice facilities in Atlantic Canada. The well-stocked pro shop carries a large selection of golf equipment and clothing. The well-appointed clubhouse offers great dining before or after play in Alexander’s Restaurant.

Course Profile: Par 72, 7,037 yards, Designer: Thomas McBroom, Greens Fees: $65 to $79, Visit bellbay.ca

Highlands Links

Highlands Links represents the essence and purity of golf as it was meant to be played. Between the majesty of the Cape Breton Highlands and the roar of the Atlantic Ocean, you’ll soon discover that this Stanley Thompson gem has grown into a national treasure. Located in Jingoish Beach, in the heart of the Cape Breton Highlands National Park, this 18-hole, links-style course showcases breathtaking mountain views and ocean vistas. Thompson’s famous bunkering and magnificent routing is readily apparent, snaking its way seamlessly through rocky highlands and wooden glens. This course welcomes each golfer with its inspiring natural beauty. Eagles soar above the challenging par 5 No. 7 hole called “Killiecrankie.”

While this “Canadian Classic” (Globe Golf, May, 2005), has been included among golf’s elite courses for several years, the Parks Canada operation is equally proud of its distinction of being designated the first course in Atlantic Canada as a Certified Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary. The final result of Thompson’s brilliant design, combined with a spectacular natural setting, is one of the world’s most unforgettable courses (No. 38 Golf Digest “Top 100 Courses Outside the U.S.”).

Course Profile: Par 72 (Blue Tees), 6,592 yards, Designer: Stanley Thompson, Green Fees: $65 to $90, Visit highlandslinksgolf.com

Le Portage Golf Club

Playing in the shadow of some of the other courses on our whirlwind golf tour, Le Portage Golf Club is a little jewel in the culturally rich French Acadian community of Cheticamp. Amid scenic surroundings, this testy track features Cape Breton at its best. Set on a plateau overlooking the Gulf of St. Lawrence, the 6,777-yard layout (Blue Tees) provides majestic views of the world-famous Cabot Trail and surrounding mountains. You will want to play this challenging course again and again. After your round, mingle with local club members and enjoy a cold libation on their wrap-around deck. Le Portage is located in the only francophone region on the Cabot Trail, making this Golf Cape Breton course a unique cultural experience for golfers and non-golfers alike.

Course Profile: Par 72, 6,777 yards, Designer: Robert & David Moote, Greens Fees: $44 to $51, Visit leportagegolfclub.com

Cabot Links

If you’ve never played the Old Course in St. Andrews, Scotland, this is as close to the Royal & Ancient track that you’ll ever experience this side of the big pond. Set in a rugged, oceanfront landscape, on links land running firm and fast, Cabot Links is Canada’s only authentic links. Just to add more Scots links lore into the mix, Cabot Links is located next to the village of Inverness. Designed by Rod Whitman, 10 holes opened in July while the full 18 will be available for play in 2012. While still under construction, every hole offers an ocean-view and five of the holes play directly adjacent to the coastline. This is golf as it was meant to be in New Scotland and as it has been for centuries at the birthplace of golf (Scotland). The contours of the fairways and greens invite creativity. Cabot Links is a course designed for all golfers who appreciate the heart and soul of the royal game. Canada’s first links has come to Nova Scotia. It’s golf’s version of the Field of Dreams. If you build it, they will come to play. Course Profile: Par 70, 6942 yards (Black Tees), Designer: Rod Whitman, Greens Fees: 10 holes: $27 to $54, 20 holes: $1 to $81, visit cabotlinks.ca