Ontario Golf Travel, by Jeffrey Reed
As Published By Golf Ontario Style 2006 (Ontario Ministry of Tourism)

Renowned golf course architect Pete Dye once quipped, "The ardent golfer would play Mount Everest if somebody put a flagstick on top." Thankfully, Ontario golfers and the millions of annual visitors to our great province don’t have to tackle such treacherous heights in order to enjoy a round of golf. But truth be told, many of Ontario’s 12 million-plus residents love the game of golf so much, they would probably climb Mount Everest if it meant carding a birdie or an eagle.

Here in Ontario, there are more than 700 great golf courses. That number is staggering. In fact, many are boosting amenities with renovations, while still more are under construction or in the planning stages. Just last year, 20 new golf courses dotted the Ontario landscape. Suffice to say, Ontario is arguably the golfing capital of North America. The greater Toronto area alone boasts more than 200 superb courses. And just across Lake Ontario, the Niagara region has become a golf destination as well as honeymoon capital of the world, with more than 40 golf clubs offering a day in the sun. Southwestern Ontario alone boasts more than 100 courses, anchored by more than 40 London-based links. And in Ontario’s lake country and northern regions, 90 resorts beckon golfers looking for fun and adventure.

In fact, the eyes of the entire golf world will focus on Ontario this summer. From August 7 to 13, the historic London Hunt & Country Club hosts the CN Canadian Women’s Open, featuring Canada’s Lorie Kane and stars of the LPGA Tour. And from September 4 to 11, the fabled Hamilton Golf & Country Club in Ancaster once again hosts the Bell Canadian Open, featuring Canada’s Mike Weir and competitors from the PGA Tour.

From Weir’s home course of Taboo Resort, Golf and Spa in Gravenhurst, to great new courses including Thundering Waters, a John Daly design in Niagara Falls, Ontario is proud if its golf.

Whether you’re a low handicapper or a casual golfer, you’ll be glad you visited Ontario and its hundreds of world-class golf facilities.

Western Ontario

From cottage country to casinos, Western Ontario is a unique blend of rural serenity and urban vitality. Resting in the heart of the region, London is a golfer’s paradise with 65 courses surrounding this city of 350,000. World-class hospitals, the sprawling University of Western Ontario, and 81 holes of municipal golf await visitors to this friendly community. The LPGA Tour comes to London August 7 to 13, when London Hunt & Country Club hosts the CN Canadian Women’s Open. 

When the heat is on, travel a half hour south to Lake Erie, and popular Port Stanley Beach. North of London, along Lake Huron, some of Ontario’s finest beaches and golf courses make up Bluewater country. Huron County has world-famous sunsets, and the enormously popular beach at Grand Bend. The sandy white beaches of Georgian Bay also draw thousands of vacationers each summer.

To London’s northeast, Perth County awaits visitors with the Stratford Festival, North America’s largest repertory theatre, and the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame in St. Marys. An hour west of London, Sarnia is a boater’s dream and a golfer’s delight, and is home to the Point Edward Charity Casino. Windsor, known as the Rose City, borders the city of Detroit and boasts its own casino and quality golf courses. Nearby Pelee Island, known as "Canada’s southern jewel," offers world-class birding and wineries.

Western Ontario: where city meets country, and where golfers meet their match.

Festival Country

A historic region bordered by Kitchener, Hamilton and Niagara, Ontario’s "Festival Country" attracts a worldwide audience with its seasonal events, and its challenging golf courses. Located between Toronto and numerous U.S. border cities, this geographic gem is also a golf mecca, offering everything from municipal links to championship courses.

Off the course, party at Kitchener’s annual nine-day Oktoberfest, North America’s largest Bavarian festival, and shop at the Farmer’s Market in nearby St. Jacob’s. Visit the majestic mountainous community of Hamilton, home to the Royal Botanical Gardens, and this year’s Bell Canadian Open, September 4 to 11 at Hamilton Golf and Country Club.

Niagara Falls needs no introduction, but you may be surprised by its more than 40 outstanding golf courses, including the new Thundering Waters, designed by PGA Tour star John Daly. Royal Niagara, Whirlpool, and Legends on the Niagara will also test your game. While in Niagara, board the Maid of the Mist and cruise to the base of the American and Horseshoe Falls. Visit Old Fort Erie and Queenston Heights, profound reminders of the War of 1812. Northeast of the falls, Niagara-On-The-Lake presents antique shops, charming bed and breakfast inns, and the Shaw Festival.

Natural wonders, famous festivals, and outstanding golf courses: this is Kitchener-Hamilton-Niagara.

GTA

Toronto is Canada’s largest city with more than 4 million residents, endless attractions, and 200 golf courses within an hour’s drive of the CN Tower, the world’s tallest freestanding structure at 553.33 metres. From its modest beginnings in 1793 as a military garrison, the town was named York in honour of the Duke of York, and 41 years later incorporated and renamed Toronto after the Huron Indian word for "meeting place."

The Guinness World Book of Records recognizes Toronto as home of the "biggest underground shopping complex," called PATH, where golfers can relax while discovering the latest fairway fashions. Resting in the CN Tower’s shadow, Rogers Centre is home to baseball’s Toronto Blue Jays and football’s Toronto Argonauts. At the vibrant harbourfront, Ontario Place features fun for everyone. Fine dining, live theatre, world-class museums and quality accommodations round out Toronto’s offerings.

Escape the city and tee off at any one of the exquisite golf courses in Toronto and area. Of course, there’s the Jack Nicklaus-designed Glen Abbey Golf Club in Oakville, also site of the Canadian Golf Hall of Fame. Wooden Sticks is a masterpiece from tee to green, as is the new Black Diamond Golf Club.

And when it’s time to return to the city, rest assured, Canada’s largest urban area still boasts small-town charm. Toronto: it’s the best of both worlds.

Eastern Ontario

Rich Ontario farmland, northern white rapids of the Ottawa River, and the nation’s capital all rest in Eastern Ontario, home also to more than 120 golf courses. Stretching from Peterborough, north to Pembroke, and east to Ottawa – one of the most beautiful cities in the world – Eastern Ontario is a paradise of picture-perfect golf and natural wonders.

From the days of the Loyalists, Ottawa’s history is fascinating. Visit today and discover an area of 4,662 square kilometres where golfers can actually bicycle, hop on the bus or grab a train to many of the area’s great golf courses. The upscale, challenging Royal Ottawa Golf & Country Club, founded in 1891, combines beauty, brawn and history. Travel west to Kingston and discover the Stanley Thompson-designed Cataraqui Golf & Country Club, founded in 1917 and considered one of Canada’s top links.

Built by the British between 1826 and 1832, the scenic Rideau Heritage Route involves a 202-kilometre canal, connected to lakes and rivers that shape surrounding communities. Kingston rests at the southernmost end of the Rideau Canal where waters cross into Lake Ontario, the St. Lawrence River, and the western gateway to the 1,000 Islands. Southwest, Belleville and Trenton are favourite haunts of local fishermen. Peterborough and the Kawarthas, named by the First Nations people as "bright waters and happy land," offer year-round activities.

Eastern Ontario: come for the golf and enjoy its history and beauty.

North Region & Lake Country

Ontario’s lake country and northern region is a painting come alive, with 7,725 square metres of beauty at Algonquin Provincial Park, and some of the most beautiful golf courses in the world. Running through Huntsville, Bracebridge, Gravenhurst and Orillia, Highway 11 provides the main route to all golf courses throughout lake country. There’s the Muskoka Golf Trail’s fabulous courses and first-class resorts – in total, Ontario offers 85 resorts. Rocky Crest Golf Club, The Mark O’Meara Course at Grandview, Taboo Golf Club, The Lake Joseph Club, Deerhurst Highlands and The Rock Golf Club must be played during a golfer’s lifetime.

A short drive from the hustle and bustle of Toronto, Barrie – North America’s fastest growing city – offers its own great nightly entertainment, and is close to fabulous resort areas. Travel further to Georgian Bay, and discover 30,000 islands, the world’s largest concentration along the eastern shore. Northern Ontario is a sportsman’s paradise, with a myriad of fishing, hiking and canoeing opportunities unequaled in North America. And of course, everywhere you turn in Ontario’s lake country and northern region, natural wonders backdropped by Mother Nature’s colour palate await your enjoyment.

Your getaway to this gorgeous region of Ontario isn’t without modern amenities, as shopping and fine dining offer you a delightful mix to your golf excursion. Visit soon, and see why the stunning lake country and northern region truly is the work of Mother Nature’s brush strokes, with a little help from world-class golf courses.

Jeffrey Reed is a leading Canadian golf journalist, and editor of LondonOntarioGolf.com, celebrating golf in London and southwestern Ontario.