Atlantic Golf and other places

When it comes to golf, Canada’s ‘far east’ often gets overlooked on a national scale. Aside from Prince Edward Island and possibly Cape Breton, two destinations that have put some consistent effort into getting their golf message out, there doesn’t seem to be a major awareness of the great golf in this part of the country.

The four Atlantic Provinces have close to 200 golf courses of various shapes and sizes, many designed by some of North America’s top architects: Stanley Thompson, Rees Jones, Robbie Robinson, Tom McBroom, Graham Cooke, Doug Carrick, Les Furber, Michael Hurdzan, Dana Fry and the list goes on.

I have had the benefit of playing golf in a number of countries and for my dollar some of the best golf is here in Atlantic Canada. You may say I’m a bit bias but I try to look at things objectively. But in reality it is hard to match the setting of The Highlands Links in Ingonish, Cape Breton; the challenge and seascapes of Northumberland Links on the North Shore of Nova Scotia; the rugged landscape of Terra Nova and its Twin Rivers course in Newfoundland and Labrador; or the seaside venues of Algonquin, in St. Andrew’s, New Brunswick or The Links at Crowbush Cove on Prince Edward Island. And these are just examples for there are many other seaside courses and layouts that track through valleys, along rivers and through the hills, that provide an excellent golf experience.

And the great thing about it is there is more to come. Cabot Links, a Rod Whitman design on Cape Breton’s west coast, is under construction on an absolutely great site. Some think it will be the purest links course in North America.

This year The Lakes course (Graham Cooke) opened in Cape Breton and in Newfoundland, Robert Heaslip’s course at Gros Morne Resort is now a full 18.

So there is a lot to talk about when it comes to golf and golf courses in Atlantic Canada. We’ll try and fill you in on a regular basis on golf happenings on the Atlantic Coast, make the product more familiar which may provide some encouragement to visit the region at some point and play some of the great courses of the region. And maybe while you are here have a scoff of Nova Scotia lobster or PEI mussels.

And occasionally I get a chance to travel to golf destinations outside the Atlantic region so I will have an opportunity to pass along my thoughts on those destinations as well. So stay tuned and hope you enjoy. Contact email: (tomapeters@eastlink.ca).