Eagle Creek

Ken Venturi, the US Open Champion of 1964, designed Eagle Creek on a wonderful, heavily wooded, tract of land at Dunrobin, Ontario, not far from the Canadian capital of Ottawa. It took three years to build the 18 holes on a 230-acre site at a cost of over $10m before it opened in 1990.

The original plan for a private course failed and Andre and Jeanette Lacasse acquired the property in 1996. “The Creek”, as the locals call the course, is now one of the country’s best pay-and-play golfing facilities, having been upgraded with a new clubhouse, irrigation system and various landscaping projects.

Eagle Creek catches the eye but does not suffer like some newly constructed courses from having a somewhat artificial look. Although it is still a very young layout, the routing gives it a very mature look. There are 18 holes of variety at Eagle Creek with elevated holes, left and right doglegs, and many risk/reward opportunities which result in a very interesting round every time the course is played.

The final hole is a monster 577-yard par five, which bends left with an enormous bunker running down the left of the fairway, separating it from a pond. The 18th can be played a number of ways. You can opt to play safe to the right side or take a chance by going for the peninsula fairway for a shorter approach to the green – this really is a hole that can throw up any number on your card!