|
Seaside Maritime links
hit hole in one
Rugged
settings, moody ocean, rural charm, red-sand bunkers
By Ian Cruickshank
Friendly? You bet. But lately, the Maritimes
has been earning a reputation as an all-encompassing golf haven.
There’s a neat mix of new five-star resorts and little-known, low-key
golfing gems, as well as plenty to do before and after a round. Angle
for trophy salmon, golf nine holes, hike through misty fjords, tee off
on a mountain top buffeted by salt air, slurp fresh lobster with locals
at a church supper. It’s a winning combo.
Humber Valley Resort, Deer Lake, NL
Humber Valley is tucked into the
ancient folds of the Appalachian Mountains in western Newfoundland.
Perched above Deer Lake and the Humber Valley, the Doug
Carrick-designed course rises and falls above the water and the
mountains.
It feels like the land that time forgot, a
primal stretch of rugged nature that just happens to be dotted with a
world-class golf course. Besides golf, the resort offers primo fly
fishing for salmon on the Humber while hiking in Gros Morne National
Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is only 40 minutes away. Already a
hit with the Brit and Euro set, Deer Lake is now connected to the rest
of the world through direct flights from London, England and Toronto,
ON. www.humbervalley.com
Northumberland Links Golf Club,
Pugwash, NS
In the 1950s, Cyrus Eaton, a former
Nova Scotia farmboy who would go on to become one of America’s most
successful industrialists, returned to his hometown of Pugwash, NS to
host the world’s top scientists at a conference aimed at ending nuclear
proliferation. The town’s slogan went from the “village of great
thinkers” to “world famous for peace.” However, you don’t need an Ivy
League IQ to realize that the adjacent Northumberland Links is one of
the golfing kingdom’s little-known princes. With a greens fee starting
at just CAD $40, the course’s first five holes run along the edge of
the moody Atlantic, known for its towering tides, before climbing
through a dense grove of unforgiving pines to the high ground above the
clubhouse. Sixteen holes boast views of the sea, and on a clear day,
you can see three provinces. www.northumberlandlinks.com
Dundarave Golf Course, Cardigan, PEI
Tiny Prince Edward Island still has a small-town look and feel—soaring,
white-washed churches and war memorials in every village square,
tractors towing potato wagons toddling down the highways. There is,
however, nothing old-fashioned about Dundarave Golf Course. Measuring
more than 7,000 yards, it’s the island giant, zigzagging along the
edges of the Brudenell River, with forced carries across water and
marshland, not to mention nearly 100 red-sand bunkers. Attached to a
second 18-hole course and the Rodd Brundenell River Resort, Dundarave
packs a heavyweight, one-two combination, the ideal location for golf
nuts looking to play two a day. Last summer the course attracted
international headlines when golfing legends Jack Nicklaus and Tom
Watson squared off at Dundarave for a televised rematch of the game’s
greats. www.golflinkspei.com
Ian Cruickshank is a
Toronto, ON-based golf and travel writer who returns each year to the
east coast to get his golfing fix of Maritime magic. icruick@aol.com
|
|
