North America

Canada

Nova Scotia

It didn’t take long for Cabot Links to make a startling impact on the Canadian Top 100 rankings, soaring almost to the top of this prestigious national chart within months of its opening. Indeed, such was the impression made by Rod Whitman’s celebrated new course, it also entered the World Top 100 in a very respectably high position. No pressure then on Bill Coore & Ben Crenshaw to deliver when their much awaited Cliffs layout debuted three years later.

Situated half a mile away from Cabot Links, the Cliffs course occupies a more diverse landscape than its predecessor, sitting atop the bluffs that overlook the Gulf of St Lawrence, with fairways transitioning seamlessly between woodland, wetland and meadowland areas. Somewhat unusually, the layout is configured with three par threes, three par fours and three par fives on each of the nines.

The signature hole here is easily identified as the par three 16th, playing across the edge of the cliffs above the shoreline, but the favourite hole of the designers is said to be the 13th, a par four that sweeps right and uphill, away from the cliffs, with a sizeable hump positioned short of the green. As Bill Coore says, “Most people will gravitate toward the holes that face the ocean but boy, we really like that one.”

Rod Whitman, who designed the other course at Cabot, had a hand in shaping some of the fairways, particularly on the par fives at holes 1 and 10, where he introduced the humps and hollows onto fairways that were previously as flat as a pancake. Integrative Golf was also involved in the building process, with Riley Johns (who had just finished on a project with Tom Doak in Michigan) and Trevor Dormer (fresh from completing a Dubai course with Gil Hanse) providing more shaping expertise. Keith Cutten should also be mentioned for completing the construction of the bunkers.

In 2019, Rod Whitman and Dave Axland collaborated on a 10-hole par three course which is located inland and uphill from Cabot Cliffs, with the holes overlooking the final eight holes on the 18-hole layout.

Whitman said: “The natural ground contour and the angle of the holes allows for interesting, fun and varied golf. The ground has rolls, dips and ridges. It has a Scottish feel and look to it with spectacular views of the Gulf of Saint Lawrence.”

Cabot Cliffs

Situated half a mile away from Cabot Links, the Cliffs golf course occupies a more diverse landscape than its predecessor, sitting atop the bluffs that overlook the Gulf of St Lawrence...

In 2012, less than five years after Rod Whitman’s critically acclaimed Sagebrush course made its debut in British Columbia, another of his formidable designs was unveiled on the other side of the country in the remote province of Nova Scotia.

Cabot Links is partly located on an old coal mine just outside the small town of Inverness on the rugged west coast of Cape Breton Island and the generously proportioned fairways that now nestle amongst the sand hills overlooking the Gulf of St. Lawrence comprise Canada’s first genuine links layout.

The front nine plays considerably longer than the back nine, largely because the inward half contains four of the five short holes on the scorecard. The tiny 14th is perhaps the most thrilling of these par threes – measuring no more than 102 yards from the back markers – and it plays downhill to an infinity green that’s totally exposed to the elements.

A second course, Cabot Cliffs, was unveiled to the golfing public in 2015 so maybe, in the years to come, Inverness will become the iconic Canadian golfing destination that matches Bandon in the United States. That wouldn’t be too much of a surprise, of course, when you consider that one of the developers here is none other than Mike Keiser.

Cabot Links

Cabot Links is located just outside the small town of Inverness on the rugged west coast of Cape Breton Island and these fairways, overlooking the Gulf of St Lawrence, comprise Canada’s first genuine links layout.

George Knudson called Cape Breton Highlands "The Cypress Point of Canada for sheer beauty" and Highlands Links golf course is located on the very tip of the Cape Breton Highlands National Park in Nova Scotia. The course was laid out in 1939 under the watchful guard of Mount Franey. Stanley Thompson designed it and is lovingly known as his “mountains and ocean course.”

The rugged Highlands Links is set in one of Canada’s most gorgeous spots and this is where golf and Mother Nature join together in sweet harmony and the club is quite rightly proud of its Audubon certification.

The Highlands Links layout pitches and rolls across wonderful terrain and the out-and-back routing is very traditional and a perfect accompaniment for a classical course. Thompson named each hole in true Scottish tradition and we must smile at his sense of humour. He gave immortality to Mucklemouth Meg by naming the par five 6th after the lass who could allegedly swallow a whole turkey egg in one uncomfortable gulp.

If you are looking for a thrilling and traditional course, which fits the land like a silk glove, look no further and there’s no doubt in our mind that Mr S. Thompson practiced what he preached here at Highlands Links.

“Nature must always be the architect’s model.”

Following severe weather conditions in September 2010 (when Hurricanes Earl and Igor made landfall within three weeks of one another), Ian Andrew was called in to help repair the damage caused by flash flooding in the Clyburn Valley. This then turned into a 2-year project to reconstruct most of the original bunkers on the course, along with a considerable amount of tree clearing.


Highlands Links

Highlands Links golf course is set in one of Canada’s most gorgeous spots and this is where golf and Mother Nature join together in sweet harmony...

Fox Harb’r is one of the most exclusive resort destinations in North America. It may lack a couple of vowels in its name, but nothing else - this gated getaway boasts hunting lodges, tennis courts, sumptuous dining facilities, fully equipped spa, junior Olympic swimming pool and a championship golf course – plus, if you prefer not to drive here, there’s a deepwater marina and 5,000 foot airstrip should you choose to arrive by boat or plane!

Situated on a peninsula between Pugwash and Tatamagouche in the north of Nova Scotia, Fox Harb’r was created by Ron Joyce, co-founder of the Tim Hortons coffee and baked foods chain.He sold his stake in the company for mega millions some time ago so money was no object when it came to developing Fox Harb’r. Joyce commissioned former top amateur golfer turned golf architect Graham Cooke to design the golf course which opened for play in 2001 to immediate acclaim.

The Fox Harb’r course is essentially two loops of nine holes. The outward nine is parkland in nature, played away from the shore to sheltered woodland, wetland and lakes. The back nine is more links like, with many holes played above the steep rocky shore of the Northumberland Strait which separates Nova Scotia from Prince Edward Island – and yes, as you might imagine, the views are absolutely spectacular.

Two holes are worthy of special consideration, one on the front nine and one on the inward half: The par four 5th, which is 370 yards from the regular tees, doglegs to the right. The drive has to avoid not only a bunker on the right but a solitary oak tree in the middle of the fairway! At the short, 325-yard par four 16th, the drive from an elevated tee has to carry more than 100 yards of open water to the generous landing area on the fairway – and when the wind’s up, do you feel lucky, punk?

You might care to warm up for your round by playing the more recently opened nine hole par three course which will get your short game in order before tackling its big brother next door.

Fox Harb'r

Fox Harb’r is one of the most exclusive golf resort destinations in North America. It may lack a couple of vowels in its name, but nothing else...

The Links at Brunello course is part of a master development spread across five hundred and thirty acres and the layout is built to scale inside this large property, with some long distances between holes – it’s just as well carts are mandatory when playing here or there would be golfers with some very tired legs when walking off the home green.

Set out by Tom McBroom and opened for play in 2015, the layout is carpeted in bent grass from tee to green, with large, “bull nose” bunkers – a recent McBroom design trait – arranged sparingly around the course. Forty acres of wetland have also been incorporated into the design, boosting the course’s eco-credentials.

Many of the holes are played from elevated tee positions into fairways which then require an approach to a raised green (such as at the par four 7th) but such design devices can become repetitive if used too often and around half the holes on the course are fashioned in this manner, which some golfers might find irritating.

Highlight holes include the par three 2nd, played downhill across a canyon to a shallow, offset green and the long par four 4th, where water flanks the left side of the narrow fairway as it gently bends toward the green. On the back nine, the par four 11th is by far the best hole on the inward half, rising gently to a green that tilts markedly from back to front.

Links at Brunello 

The Links at Brunello was set out by Tom McBroom and opened for play in 2015, the layout is carpeted in bent grass from tee to green, with large, “bull nose” bunkers – a recent McBroom design trait ...

First opened for play in 2010, the Lakes course overlooks the beautiful Bras d’Or Lakes in Cape Breton, with holes cut into the side of a hill that doubles up as a ski slope in the winter. The fairways have been set out in two distinct loops of nine, with many dramatic elevation changes factored into the design by architect Graham Cooke.

Golfers are recommended to use a cart when playing here, as the terrain verges on the severe side in some spots where walking can be problematic. Spectacular vistas over the lake to the north are plentiful and views from the 6th tee in particular are rated by many to be amongst the best in Canadian golf.

The architect had this to say about the Lakes: “Each hole has its own special look. Consequently, the golfer will play with an expectation of what lies ahead or around the next bend. This diversity is a product of both the design and the setting: rock outcrops, long mystical views, crashing streams and grassy meadows all combine to make golf at The Lakes both exciting and rewarding.”

Lakes - Cape Breton

The course at the Lakes Golf Club overlooks the beautiful Bras d’Or Lakes in Cape Breton where Graham Cooke set out the fairways in two distinct loops of nine.

In 1923, Governor General Lord Byng officially opened the Old course at Ashburn when he struck the inaugural tee shot on the club’s newly constructed course though it would take another three years before all eighteen holes were fully operational.

Designed by the legendary figure of Stanley Thompson, the par-67 Old course is a short, tight layout that has largely managed to preserve much of its original charm and, as such, it’s still the same pleasant green oasis that Halifax golfers have known and loved down the years.

With a total yardage measuring a measly 5,158 yards, it’s no surprise to discover only one of the par fours on the card (the 421-yard 17th) plays in excess of 400 yards. Back to back par threes feature at the 7th and 8th holes with delightful short par fours concluding both the front and back nine.

Ashburn (Old)

Designed by Stanley Thompson, the 18 holes of Ashburn Golf Club’s Old course were fully operational by the end of 1925, three years after the club was formed.

The Annapolis property development company operates the Glen Arbour golf course on a site close to the city of Halifax that was once owned by the Jodrey family of Hantsport, Nova Scotia. The fairways now lie within a substantial residential project that sprung up in the late 1990s.

The title Glen Arbour comes from the Scottish term for "vale of trees" and the 18 holes are laid out on heavily wooded terrain that features lakes, streams and several significant elevation changes during the course of a round.

Canadian architect Graham Cooke designed this most pleasing of parkland layouts with an eye to making it as playable as possible for average golfers so it only extends to a comfortable 6,800 yards in length.

Don’t expect an easy walk in the park though, as most of the par four and par five holes dogleg one way or other and water – in the shape of Bottle Lake and Sandy Lake – comes into play at regular intervals.

The signature hole is kept until last and the 565-yard 18th plays downhill all the way from tee to green, allowing golfers one last panoramic view of the valley as they head towards a green that sits by the edge of Sandy Lake.

Graham Cooke, the course architect, wrote the following article:

Glen Arbour was built just outside of Halifax on a very impressive property and the course is set amid a gently rolling land, forested in deep firs and majestic maple trees, an ideal setting for any architect.

However, this site goes further because three beautiful large pristine lakes are tucked into the property. Sandy Lake, the largest body of water, was the perfect location for the finishing hole. A rugged rocky island rests some 150 yards off shore, adding interest and accent to both the clubhouse and the dramatic downhill par five eighteenth.

Glen Arbour takes the golfer on a mystical walk as the course searches out each lake and
spectacular views await around every bend. The deep woodlots isolate each and every hole and the golf course is yours alone when playing. Though the course has a wonderful collection of scenic and challenging golf holes it is this marvelous setting that brings people from afar to experience Glen Arbour.

On any given day you can see bald eagles soaring above the course or osprey diving into Sandy Lake in search of speckled trout - watching this show from the clubhouse balcony or enjoying the last deflecting rays of sun dance off the many lakes, Glen Arbour puts everyone in a good place.

The course has so many looks and vistas that the 18 holes have to be played many times to drink in all the special features and charms. This was a remarkable property and the golf course was the perfect fit. Glen Arbour captures your heart and makes you want to enjoy this distinctive, charming, maritime course on every visit.

Glen Arbour

The Annapolis property development company operates the Glen Arbour golf course on a site close to the city of Halifax that was once owned by the Jodrey family...

Overlooking the Annapolis Basin, the modern day 18-hole layout at Digby Pines Golf Resort & Spa started out as the New Pines Hotel Golf Course, designed by Stanley Thompson in the late 1920s for the Canadian Pacific Railway.

The following edited extract is taken from 

“Edward Beatty [CPR President] announced to the press on July 25, 1929 that the CPR had purchased 250 acres of land adjacent to its new Pines Hotel at Digby NS. He further said a golf course would be built there and that he expected play would begin in 1930.

The Digby Pines GC is another example where Stanley built a large number of bunkers and mound complexes that are wonderful earth sculptures. The golf course continues to be modern in every way but it has the distinction of being one of the very few of Stanley’s golf courses that remains virtually untouched and unaltered since it opened in 1930.

There are plenty of memorable holes at Digby Pines GC and among them is the par three second which Stanley used in advertisements well into the 1940s.”

Digby Pines

Cape Breton Island has grown in recent times from relative obscurity in the golf world to one of the most up-and-coming golf destinations in the world with courses like Highlands Links in Ingonish, Bell Bay at Baddeck, The Lakes in Ben Eion, Le Portage at Cheticamp and Dundee Resort offering a variety of spectacular and challenging holes.

One of that quintet, the scenic Thomas McBroom-designed course at Bell Bay Golf Club, sits outside the lovely village of Baddeck in Cape Breton, offering golfers spectacular views across the shimmering Bras d'Or Lake to the surrounding hills and mountains.

Bell Bay began as a pipedream in the mid 1980s for two local golfers, Sandy Campbell and Scott MacAulay and their vision of a golf course was soon shared with three others (Bruce Anderson, Carlyle Chow and John Temple) who – after much hard work – helped turn their collective dream into reality in 1997.

The course has a fine collection of par threes: Hole 6 is a long one-shotter, the downhill 8th (“Paragon”) plays through a tree-lined bowl, the green to hole 14 is protected by water to the front left of the putting surface and the 182-yard 17th (“Banshee”) has a forested ravine and creek between tee and green.

As testing as the Bell Bay course is from start to finish, it really picks up the pace on the inward half. Endorsing this view, professional Ted Stonehouse says, “the back nine is what we're known for, especially the last four holes. That's what people talk about. Some golf writers say it's the best closing sequence in Canada.”

In recent years, Bell Bay has hosted both the Canadian Club Champions Championship (2006) and the Canadian Amateur Championship (2005).

Bell Bay

The scenic Thomas McBroom-designed course at Bell Bay Golf Club sits outside the lovely village of Baddeck in Cape Breton, offering golfers spectacular views across the shimmering Bras d'Or Lake...

The town of Antigonish is proud of its Scottish roots – hosting an annual Highland Games since 1863 – so it should be no surprise to learn that Antigonish Golf and Country Club runs a kilted golf event as part of these Caledonian festivities.

The club was founded in the early 1920s, when a 6-hole layout was brought into play on the northern outskirts of town. By 1926, a 9-hole track was in use and this course served local golfers for more than sixty years, until Bob Moote was called in to expand the layout to eighteen holes in the late 1980s.

Now, the course extends to 6,640 yards from the back markers, playing to a par of 72, with holes arranged as two returning nines. Water comes into play at the par four 14th and par three 15th, where a small pond lies next to both greens and there’s another water hazard located short and right of the home green.

Highlight holes include the 510-yard par five 5th (rated stoke index 2) which was a new hole added in 1990; the shortest of the par threes at the 142-yard 15th (named “Wee Scunner”) with a back to font sloping green; and the 391-yard 18th, where a centreline bunker is positioned in the fairway before it bends right to the green.

Antigonish

The seaside fairways at Chester Golf Club overlook Mahone Bay, which opens directly south into the Atlantic. The course isn’t long (measuring 6,078 yards from the back tees) but it can be an absolute beast when the wind gets up.

It’s not known who laid out the club’s original 9-hole course or when this was extended to eighteen holes but Les Furber is credited with the design of the modern day course.

Holes are arranged as two returning nines, each of which plays to a par of 35. Despite the course being located on a peninsula, water only ever comes into play at the 7th and 9th holes on the front half, where the fairways run along either side of a long irrigation lake.

Highlight holes include the shortest of the three par threes on the front nine at the 125-yard 8th, which features a wickedly sloping green. The narrow, double doglegging 15th is the only three-shot hole on the back nine, played to a heavily bunkered plateau green.

Chester

Due to a dramatic increase in the number of golfers that became members during the 1960s, Ashburn Golf Club realised it had to expand in order to satisfy this growing demand and so, rather than build a second 18-hole layout on its existing property, a decision was made to acquire a suitable site elsewhere and construct a modern course on that piece of land.

Thus, the New course at Ashburn is located 17 miles to the north of Stanley Thompson’s Old course in Fall River and it was here in 1970 that Geoff Cornish set out the fairways on a generous 600-acre rolling property beside the shimmering waters of Kinsac Lake.

Ashburn (New)

The New course at Ashburn Golf Club is located 17 miles north of Stanley Thompson’s Old course and it’s here in 1970 that Geoff Cornish set out the fairways on a generous 600-acre rolling property next to Kinsac Lake.

In 1964, a 9-hole course was established at Pugwash by a few committed local golfers. The provincial government then took on the responsibility of refurbishing the layout and expanding it into a full 18-hole track in the late 1980s, before returning ownership of Northumberland Links to the members in 2001.

Today’s picturesque course offers a rich mix of links-like fairways that sit directly on the Northumberland Strait and tree-lined inland holes which allow occasional glimpses of the sparkling waters nearby.

The 195-yard 4th is regarded as the signature hole on the scorecard, set out along the coastline of the strait. It calls for an heroic tee shot to hit and hold the green as the Atlantic Ocean sits ominously at the foot of a steep slope to the left, awaiting all careless golf ball sacrifices to Neptune.

Northumberland Links

Overlooking the Northumberland Strait, the course at Northumberland Links Golf Club was extended to a full 18-hole layout by the provincial government in the late 1980s.

Golf has been played at Truro Golf Club for over a century. In 1903, a 9-hole course was established when the golf club was founded and it was this elementary layout that was substantially upgraded by Stanley Thompson in 1930.

A further thirty-seven years passed until the remodelled course was expanded to a full 18-hole track then another couple of decades went by before the layout was renovated to its modern day championship standard in 1987.

As fairways were largely constructed around substantial areas of marshland, it’s no surprise to learn that water comes into play at more than half the holes on this 6,317-yard track.

Truro has hosted many provincial championships down the years, whilst it gained national recognition in 1997 when the Canadian Senior Championship was contested over the course, followed six years later by the Canadian Senior Matchplay Championship.

Truro

Golf has been played at Truro Golf Club for over a century. In 1930, Stanley Thompson upgraded the club’s original 9-hole course but it took until 1987 until the layout was extended to eighteen holes.

One of three maritime provinces in Canada, Nova Scotia lies to the east of the country where it’s surrounded by three major bodies of water; the Gulf of St Lawrence to the north, the Bay of Funday to the west and the Atlantic Ocean to the south and east. Although named “New Scotland,” the province was actually first colonised by the French in 1605 when they formed one of the first European settlements in North America at Port Royal.

Competitive amateur golf events have been played at provincial level in Nova Scotia since the late 1920s (early 1930s for women) and the modern day 

 organises more than a dozen annual competitions for members who play at sixty-four golf clubs, from Highlands Links in the north east to River Hills in the south west.

Architect Graham Cooke is responsible for a couple of top class contemporary layouts in Nova Scotia; the first of these can be found at 

, near Halifax and the second lies within the 

 golf resort and spa on the Northumberland coast.

“Best in Province” billing was once reserved for the classic old 

 layout at Ingonish Beach, a Stanley Thompson track which Ian Andrew restored in 2012. However, the new golfing kids on the Nova Scotia block, 

 (unveiled in 2015) have now pushed the Old Lady into third spot.