Pinegrove

Members of the Jewish community formed Pinegrove Country Club in 1957, commissioning Howard Watson to lay out a championship course. Such is the quality of this layout, it twice hosted the Canadian Open within its first decade of operation. Kel Nagle won by two strokes from Arnold Palmer in 1964, then Tommy Aaron beat Sam Snead in a playoff five years later.

Located half an hour’s drive from downtown Montreal, the course at Pinegrove extends to just over 7,000 yards from the back tees, playing to a par of 72, with five par threes and five par fives on the card. Several holes cross the meandering Acadie River which flows through this beautiful 160-acre property, adding quite a bit of aquatic challenge to proceedings on the course.

Highlight holes include the 548-yard 7th, the third par five on the front nine, where the approach shot has to carry the river to a raised green on the other side. Similarly, the long par four 18th starts from an elevated tee position, with the river to the left of the fairway before it cuts across 150 yards in front of the home green – a nett par finish is a great achievement here.