Water defines eastern Canada’s Maritime Provinces, its lakes, ponds, rivers, canals and bays coursing in, on, through and around New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island and Nova Scotia. From the waters come the distinct table fare – a fresh catch of Malpeque oysters in Prince Edward or Digby scallops in Nova Scotia.
Water is no less defining at the region’s golf resorts. Whether framed by the rugged coast and the sea, set in an idyllic forest park, playing along rivers, lakes and the Bay of Fundy or the flat coastal plain at the ocean’s edge, all the courses offer interesting layouts, challenging golf, impeccable accommodations, luxurious spas and service, not to mention the distinct table fare. Here’s a sampling:
New Brunswick: Befitting a late-1800s Tudor-style hotel, the Fairmont Algonquin exudes gracious old world hospitality with all the modern amenities, including a first-rate spa. It’s also apt that a castle-like retreat in a seaside village named St. Andrews-by-the-Sea should have a golf course huggin the waterway, in this case the scenic Passamaquoddy Bay.
Jason Porter, director of golf at the Algonquin Golf Course, credits designer Thomas McBroom. “He’s created a seaside jewel. The ocean serves as a backdrop on eight holes. The majestic views and natural setting make it difficult to keep your eyes on the ball.” But a player would be well-advised to do just that, since the layout and routing require skillful shot-making to avoid troubles their drives go happily bouncing down nearby Route 9. The wind tends to deposit moderately misdirected shots into sand or deep rough.
Purists often decry the modern “bomb and gouge” game facilitated by juiced up balls, 460cc drivers and square-grooved wedges. That game won’t play here any better than it does at Donald Ross’ crowning achievement, Pinehurst No. 2. In the early part of the last century, Ross proved the best way to protect par was not to stretch yardage, but to test skill. The Bay Course rewards the golfer who can control trajectories, regulate spin and shape shots around hazards.
Among the Pines
South Jersey’s distinctive pinelands are home to a particular breed of parkland course characterized by narrow fairways lined by pines trees with sprinklings of oaks and maples for autumn accents. Elevation changes, while not always dramatic, can surprise visitors expecting mundane flatlands. Bunkering frames most holes.
Often overshadowed by its more renowned sister course, Seaview’s Pines Course is a track any serious player will enjoy. Length off the tee is significantly more important on this par-71, 6,731-yard layout, but not at the expense of accuracy.
In 1990, architect Al Janis paid nodding respect to Pine Valley while shaping three new holes on this course. The newer holes, in addition to No. 6, are particularly sandy.
Like the Bay Course, par 5s on the Pines are fairly tame, at least in length. No. 18, for example, is certainly a potential birdie hole. However, the par 4s here will make or break your round. While the Bay Course places a premium on shotmaking and creativity, the Pines Course is all about strategy and accuracy. If you play both courses during your stay, you will definitely feel all your golfing acumen being thoroughly tested.
Sharpening your game
A relatively new addition to Seaview is a 40-tee practice facility that is also home to the Faldo Institute and Swing Studio, a premier golf school that is a partnership between six-time major champion Nick Faldo and Marriott. In his prime, Faldo possessed the most technically proficient swing of any great player sine Ben Hogan. Beautifully framed color photos of Faldo swinging through key positions adorn the indoor swing studio where professionals analyze a student’s action with state-of-the-art video and computer equipment. Faldo certifies all his instructors personally. A variety of lesson packages are available for working on your entire game, specific areas or club-fitting.
All you can ask for
Seaview is more than just a place to stay and play. It features all the amenities you can ask for in a world-class resort. The 12,000- square-foot Elizabeth Arden Red Door Spa alone is worth the visit. It offers services for women and men in its 20 professionally staffed treatment rooms and a few hours or an entire day at the spa will leave you feeling and looking better than you have in years. The spa menu includes hair and makeover stylings, full massages and body treatments, facial and skin care, aqua and aroma therapies, waxes, manicures and pedicures. Fine dining is synonymous with the Seaview Resort. The Lobby Lounge is the perfect place to meet friends for cocktails before dinner. The English pub-style Grille Room is the choice for casual dining.and classic American cuisine. The Main Dining Room features a continental gourmet menu a d a stunning view of the golf course. The Sunday Country Club Champagne Brunch, which includes everything from waffles to sushi, has been a favorite for years. The elegant decor and antique furnishings in each room bestow the 297-room hotel with the quaint warmth of a small bed and breakfast. Rooms and suites include all the necessities to make the stay nothing less than a relaxing, top-notch experience.
Prince Edward Island: Rodd Hotel and Resorts manages three unique properties on PEI. The Rodd Mill River Resort is in the wooded rural setting of the Mill River Provincial Park, the rustic ambiance contrasting agreeably with the new state-of-the-art Rodd Spa Boutique. The Mill River Golf Course, a parkland-style design by Robbie Robinson, is player-friendly with wide and forgiving fairways winding through rolling terrain. The difficulty is on the tricky, subtly breaking greens. The course-side restaurant and lounge features local delicacies from the nearby waters.
The Rodd Crowbush Golf and Beach Resort is a AAA four-diamond resort on PEI’s North Shore, the raring surely aided by the staff’s homespun country charm. Golf is only one amenity on a bulging menu of outdoor activities, but it’s another appealing McBroom design. The Links at Crowbush Cove isn’t especially long, but the slope and rating tell the story. Only scratch players or masochists should play from the 6,903-yard tips (148 slope). Even moving up to the 6,475-yard tees leaves a daunting 144 slope. The 6,004-yard markers (134 slope) should make for an enjoyable day for mid-handicappers. The fairways are as lively as the frequent ocean breezes, with plenty of movement, water holes (including some along the ocean), pot bunkers, and potentially perplexing greens at the end of the journey. No. 15 tee affords a spectacular vista of the hotel, course and shoreline north and south.
The Rodd Brudenell River Resort features 36 holes. Robbie Robinson laid out six par 3s, six par 4s and six par 5s on the Brudenell River Course, with wide fairways and crisply rolling greens among many gardens, lakes and ponds. The Dundarave Course, a 1999 Michael Hurdzan/Dana Fry design, is a brawny 7,284 yards from the rips (138 slope). Distinctive red sandstone frames generous fairways, but miss them and it will be a long day with 140 bunkers and fescue rough to negotiate.
Nova Scotia: In lngonish Beach, within the Cape Breton Highlands National Park of Canada, a majestic structure is perched atop a ragged, rocky ridge, with commanding Atlantic views. Sighting offshore whales is a common seasonal occurrence at The Keltic Lodge, which combines a classic hotel, fine dining, state-of-the art Aveda spa facilities and an outdoor, heated pool.
The adjacent 1939 Highlands Links Course, which many call Stanley Thompson’s finest design, makes superb use of the terrain’s natural undulations, including strategically placed small greens and clever mimicry of topographical features, such as the 15th green, a mirror image of Whale Island behind it in the bay. It is a true gem, as is the winding switchback road heading south out of the park over Mt. Smokey, with its spectacular Atlantic views along the rocky coast and its many shops showcasing local artisan wares. There should be pretty good phone service in Baddeck, where Alexander Graham Bell had a summer estate, and where his influence extends to a Bell museum, the Bell Estate, and even Bell’s sailboat, Elsie. The boat is available to guests of the Inverary Resort, who, along with visitors to the Ceilidh Country Lodge, can access tee times at the Bell Bay Golf Club.
McBroom sweeps clean again at Bell Bay, his parklar1d design here named the best new course in Canada.when it opened in 1998. The course runs through natural woodlands and along the Bras d’Or lakes, offering panoramic views from virtually every hole. “Bell Bay is enjoyable for every golfer, as better players may wish to test their skills by playing the back tees,” said Ted Stonehouse, general manager and head pro.
The Digby Pines Resort, set on an evergreen hillside overlooking the Bay of Fundy in western Nova Scotia, is the definition of casual elegance with fine dining in the Annapolis room,.and a full–service Aveda·spa.
Recently named head pro Scott Nickerson takes his place in a line of Nickerson family members who have held this position for the past 55-years. Scott follows his father Bill and grandfather Charles “Nick” Nickerson to continue this great family tradition.
Digby Pines Golf Course, a parkland–style track, is also courtesy of Stanley Thompson.
The village of Digby is a charming seaside town, home to a large fleet bringing in the daily take of the succulent, world–renowned Digby Scallops. It’s not to be missed.
