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Alex_Hunter

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Re: Your Last Ten
« Reply #2025 on: November 06, 2024, 02:27:23 PM »
Bit of a hop around provinces and even a trip to Montana on the last ten for me. I've provided a short description of each golf course - happy to contribute more if anyone is keen to hear it.


Most recent: Maple Downs
Ian Andrew redesign in 2011 - rolling terrain with modern but classic architectural features. Its signature hole is a short par 4 with a reverse redan green


Whirlpool Golf Club
Stanley Thompson designed course - one of the last he worked on. Municipal golf course which is just starting on a revitalization project courtesy of Ian Andrew. It had been a few years since I played here and I wanted to relive it before more significant work has begun. Looking forward to the finished product.


Craigowan Golf Club
An original Robbie Robinson design golf course - originally named Oxford Golf Club. Nice set of greens with some very clear Stanley Thompson influence (Robbie was Stanley's protege) - poor tree management.


Mount Bruno Country Club
European charm emanates from this club just outside Montreal. One of Canada's least talked about upper echelon golf clubs. A strong variety of green complexes keeps players on their toes while the other parts of the course are more minimalist in nature.


Club de golf Grand Mere
An original Walter Travis/C.H. Alison design course which is undergoing significant restoration at the hands of Andy Staples.  Historical consulting work by Andrew Harvie and Zachary Car of Beyond The Contour have brought this magnificent golf course to light in the last few years in Canada. A must see.


Waterton Lakes Golf Course
Canada's first official national parks built golf course (Banff and Jasper, while in the parks were railroad driven golf courses). Built by William Thomson (no relation to Stanley Thompson) with modifications by Stanley in the 1950's. Low key golf course in one of the most beautiful settings.


Old Works
Jack Nicklaus design playing upwards of 7700 yards. Even at elevation it is long. Best Jack course I have played so far.


Rock Creek Cattle Company
Tom Doak's Rock Creek needs little introduction. My first Doak design course and what a magical experience that was. Exceptional greens, wonderful settings, tons of variety. Hard to believe there is much better modern golf out there than this.


Stock Farm Club
A Tom Fazio located on the south-western edge of Montana. Great setting, golf course is good but nothing mind blowing. Not too dissimilar to another Tom Fazio I played in Canada - Coppinwood (obviously the setting is quite different)


Kawartha Golf Club
My favourite of Stanley's non big-5 (Banff, Jasper, Capilano, St. George's, Highland Links). Kawartha has some of Canada's best bunkering. The rolling terrain presents good grounds for golf and the composition of holes is strong with just one of two that leave a little to be desired. A top 50 golf course in Canada for me.
@agolfhunter

Jason_Bernardon

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Your Last Ten
« Reply #2026 on: November 06, 2024, 06:21:39 PM »
Here is my list from most recent to least.

Norfolk Golf & Country Club (Simcoe, ON)
My home club.  Norfolk is s 9 hole par 34 established in 1895 that has remained at the same location since its founding.  There is some Stanley Thompson influence as well, based on the “eye-test” and the legendary mid-1930s photo in the clubhouse where Stanley, Nicol and Frank are hanging out with club membership.  I might be biased, but I would call this one of the best 9 hole courses In Canada.

Mount Bruno Country Club
This is the one course on the list that I’d like to play again, excluding those that I have already played multiple times on this list. (Norfolk, Grand-Mère, Brantford and Lookout if you are wondering).  The pacing is wonderful with a gentle start, a slow building crescendo through the middle of the routing, a change of pace with the short detour into the woods that eventually returns to the main field of play for the finish.  Will they proceed with the Andy Staples restoration? Only time will tell.   

Club de Golf Grand-Mère
Be sure to brush up on your French if you plan to make a visit.  While it’s easy enough to get by as an anglophone in Montreal, this course is about 2 hours away deep into the francophone part of Quebec.  Trees continue to come down and conditioning continues to improve (if that’s important to you). C'est un excellent parcours de golf.

Brantford Golf & Country Club
Recent work from Whitman, Axland & Cutten is unlocking the potential of this course.  Hopefully a few more trees come down and the renovation reaches its completion soon.

London Hunt Club
Self proclaimed to be the Augusta of the North (I’ll wait for the chuckling to subside).  London Hunt exemplifies just about everything I don’t like about a golf course.

Winter Park Golf Course
If you’re close by you shoujld definitely visit this gem of a 9 hole course.  The setting and patrons create a very unique experience.  Where else do you leave the golf course proper mid-round, walk down a municipal sidewalk, only to return to the course that doglegs around a cemetery?

Cabot Citrus Farm (Karoo / Roost / Squeeze / Wedge)
Stretching the rules a wee bit by grouping them all together.  The only reason for me to return would be to see the rest of Roost that was still under construction when I played with a few of the lads from Beyond the Contour (dirt golf!).

Redtail Golf Club
A great course to name drop (from a Canadian perspective at least).  I enjoyed the experience more than the golf course if that makes sense.

Lakeview Golf Club
A municipal course just on the edge of Toronto.  Let’s hope the City of Mississauga continues the Cam Tyers’ renovation plan beyond the few completed holes. to date.

Lookout Point Country Club
Another Walter Travis that makes my list.  As someone that enjoys being creative around the greens, I could imagine a scenario where I would be a very happy member enjoying the unique challenges these green sites present round after round.  The epic 1st and 10th tee shots are a lot of fun as well.

MCirba

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Your Last Ten
« Reply #2027 on: November 07, 2024, 11:47:02 AM »
Alex & Jason,


Great calls on Mount Bruno and Grande Mere.   


The latter, in particular, has underpinnings of bold, rugged greatness, while Bruno I suspect grows better with repeat plays due to understated subtlety.
"Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent" - Calvin Coolidge

https://cobbscreek.org/

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