L'Ile de Montreal (Ireland) - Quebec - Canada

The Club de Golf de l‘Ile de Montréal, at the northern tip of the city’s island, is full of surprises. The clubhouse is the first one: a modern structure complete with panoramic tower, the architectural style of which may please some people’s sense of aesthetics. Then the large terrace facing an artificial waterfall and huge synthetic, colorful logo built on the slope leading to the first tee of the Irlande course, one of two on the property. The third surprise was, in my view, the greatest one and the best one: the course itself.

At the top of the hill facing the clubhouse, we entered a different world. Instead of the very flat land we had driven across to reach the complex, we were looking at a terrain of rolling dunes, open to all winds and with few trees to shelter from them, a convincing reenactment of an Irish links locale.

Even though the course was far from its top condition at the time we played it (mid-May) due to a warm winter and late cold spat, the experience was exhilarating. It was probably colder than at most times of the year on the Emerald Isle, and the traffic noise from the major highway running along the course could be heard on a good half of the holes. But none of that mattered, because the illusion of a links was almost perfect, wind included. We had to deal with blind shots, bumps all over the narrow fairways, uneven lies pretty much throughout, large greens (some double on the back nine). The greens held their lines very nicely even though they were kind of slow (but this was no doubt a temporary condition).

Quite a few holes stood out: the par four 1st with its uphill tee shot, then a dogleg right and downhill approach; the par five 2nd, with its fairway studded with sort of pot bunkers and a narrow, long green; the long par four 4th, definitely the hardest hole on the course where the landing area for the drive is fraught with bunker hazards, especially on the right; the second par five of the first nine, the 5th hole with its surprising lone tree sticking out of the middle of the big bunker inside the dogleg turn at the top of the slope; the par four 7th and its huge bunker barring the fairway, complete with railroad links; and then the suite of par fours starting the back nine, three long and narrow holes sunk between dunes and bumps. The last par three, the 16th was also probably the nicest, slightly downhill with an elevated green defended by a trio of deep sand traps and a green bunker in the middle.

No wonder this golf club is so popular with golfers, both from Montreal (315 members, a very good number in these parts) and elsewhere (many thousands of green fees yearly despite the short season)! The course type “uniqueness” is excellent, the golf itself is seriously good, so the feeling of “come back” was strong when we reached the 18th green (serving double duty for the 9th hole as well).

Both courses at L'ile de Montréal are stunning but the Ireland (south) course is truly astounding. Pat Ruddy might be an upstart in the ranks of golf course architects but he is a true master and genius. I go every year to Montreal to visit family and to have this course to play is a real treat. I've played it a dozen times, and it just gets better every time. Each hole is not only visually beautiful but cleverly laid out with aggressive options and bail out areas, and bunkered accordingly. The dunes are a terrific threat (go in one and just take another ball from your bag). It is a severe test of your accuracy and mettle, rewarding but punitive if you stray. You won't appreciate the true greatness of this course and it's design unless you are a very good low-handicapper, but everyone will revel in the beauty of the lush fairways, the perfect but very undulating greens, the many options of tees, as well as the friendly staff and nice (but odd) clubhouse. French speakers have an advantage, but turn up alone and you'll always be put into a nice group of players who should be able to speak English. I cannot overstate what an absolute gem of a "links" course this is - and I am from Scotland! Hats off to Mr Pat Ruddy. One small thing detracts - you can sometimes hear the traffic noise form the nearby autoroute 40, but play weekday before 7am and for the $29 (2010 prices; or $35 from 7-9am) green fee you can forget anything. Unbelievable value for a top world class course.