L'Ile de Montreal (Island)

The Irish golf course architect and writer Pat Ruddy (whose masterpieces include The European Club and Druids Glen on his home turf) created two golf courses at the northern tip of the Montreal Island. The first one was a links-style course called the Irlande or Ireland. The second one, inaugurated in 2002 on the other side of the main highway linking Montreal with the cities along the northern shores of the St. Lawrence River, is the Ile or Island course, a parkland design where perhaps the only common trait with its sister course is the winding shaping of most fairways around hillocks and knobs. Otherwise, this course has lots of trees, water obstacles on half of the holes, marsh flora and fauna, and a totally different atmosphere. It is also a bit shorter at 6,432 yards from the back tees, but it is a par 70, so there is still plenty of length on individual holes.

Old golf design tradition is still alive, as the 9th green is at the farthest spot from the first tee, but this does not really create a problem as the halfway house is definitely there by the 10th tee, while the clubhouse is located far away from the course, on the other side of the highway.

This course is not as unique as the Irlande or Ireland course, but it is by no means a more common playground. It has been praised as one of the most beautiful public courses in Quebec very soon after it opened. It has also been the locale for several professional tournaments, and proof that it should not be discounted versus its neighbouring links can be found in the fact that members appear to favour playing the Island course when they want to post a game for their handicap. Indeed, as beautiful a setting as it is, this Ile course has many defences and features, which create psychological pressure.