Rideau View "Old Style" Golf - Golf Course Review

 Rideau View Country Club

Last week I had the pleasure of finally getting to play golf  Rideau View Golf Course outside of Manotick. It was just recently rate #81 on Score Golf's Top 100 Canadian Golf Courses a huge leap considering it wasn't even on the list in 2011.

Rideau View is also known for being the home course for golf pro Brad Fritsch who is currently playing the Web.com Tour and trying to break into the Top 25 to get his PGA Tour for next year. He's currently 41st on that list.

Rideau View is just a few minutes away from where I live but I've never actually played it before not because it's a private course just because I'd never got around to asking. So with the power of Twitter and a few messages back and forth with Steve Ducat the GM at Rideau View. We were able to pencil in a date for my Father-In-Law and I to play the course. Boy was I finally happy I asked? Now I know why panelists from Score Golf rated Rideau View Golf Course one of the top courses in Canada.

Amazing Views - No Houses Yeah!
As you drive up the road to Rideau View you can see why the designer used the highest point of the land to place the Clubhouse. To not only enhance the beauty of the golf holes but to showcase the best views as well.

We chatted with Tim at the Pro Shop and checked in for our round. Finally meeting Steve Ducat after so many emails back and forth was great. He gave us a tour around and showed us Rideau View's State of the Art Trackman Club Fitting Center. Members and non-members can get fitted by a golf professional. Rideau View has the top 8 Golf Manufacturers to test out your swings.

 Fast Greens

The first hole at Rideau View is a great starting hole with lovely mature trees down both sides of the fairway. From the whites it's 491 yds so it's not overly long but the green is small and the greenside bunkers left and right will gobble up your ball if your not accurate. My Father-in-Law noticed right away after playing the hole that the greens at Rideau View are quite fast and we'd have to figure them out quick or we were in for a lot of three putts.

Classic Golf  

Rideau View is a classic "old style" golf course. From the tee box the course is laid out for you sight lines are fabulous. There are no blind tee shots and landing areas are visible and generous. Gordon MacMillan, the Course Superintendent and his staff have done a great job from the beautifully manicured fairways to the well crafted bunkers. You really have to like a course that you can distinguish the first cut from the second cut of rough. Hats off boys!

It's really hard to pick my favorite holes at Rideau View but these three made the cut. What are your favorite?

My Top 3 Holes At Rideau View

Rideau View #9

I just really loved the look of this hole. It really fit my eye from the elevated tee box. With beautiful trees up and down the fairway you can't stray to far off the fairway with your tee shot. After a shortish drive I managed a good second shot but couldn't get up and down from just off the green. Bogey is definitively not a bad score on this hole.

Rideau View #13

The sun was shining when we arrived on #13 and once again you have a great little par 4. With a generous landing area you can rip a drive on this hole avoiding the bunker on the right side. Had one of my better drives on this hole. Second shot came up a bit short and managed a two putt bogey. Like most of the holes at Rideau View the greenside bunkers are to be avoided.  Beautifully conditioned but damn hard to get out of sometimes.

Rideau View #15

Hole #15 is a fun little par 3 that plays about 153 yds from the whites but can be deceptively hard. You are playing from a elevated tee box as well as wind conditions can definitively effect your club choice. Didn't hit a real solid shot here but managed to get up and down for a par.

My Father-in-Law and I had a great time playing Rideau View. Jump at the chance if you get an invite. It's a top notch Private Golf Course with great staff and a friendly atmosphere.  I can see why it's been included in Score Golf's Top 100 Canadian Golf Courses. With its classic old school feel I can see why many members have chosen this course to be their course.

The Lakes Golf Club - Golf Course Review

Distinctive Holes You'll Remember

The Lakes Golf Club - Golf Course Review

My Cape Breton Golf Adventure started off at The Lakes Golf Club in Ben Eoin, a beautiful 18 hole course designed by Graham Cooke. I had a 10:30am tee time so luckily it was a short drive from the Sydney airport to the beautiful Birches Country Inn as we arrived kind of late after a long day of travel. Larry and Barb MacPherson, the owners of the Birches were there to great my wife and I upon arrival. If your staying in the area and playing some golf The Birches is the place to stay and be pampered by Larry and Barb.

July 1st, 2012
Morning of my Round
After loading my bag on my cart I headed over to The Lakes where I got introduced to the two members I'd be playing with as well as Eric Tobin the Service Manager at the Lakes. I hit a few balls on there driving range which was great after a long day of travel the day before.

The first thing you'll notice about the Lakes Golf Course is that it's built on a beautiful hilly piece of property adjacent to Bras d’Or Lakes. The second thing that took me off guard was the fact that this course just opened in 2010. From the first tee it was hard to believe the Lakes has matured so quickly.

After the first three holes two of which where par 5s I noticed a trend at The Lakes if you can keep it in the short grass the fairways are pretty generous and you can make some pretty good scores. I managed two bogeys and a par after the first three holes. Not bad for a lad from Ottawa.

The Lakes offers some great views especially of  Bras d’Or Lakes one of my favorites holes on the course is #6 a driveable par 4 at 339yds (single diamond tees) for the big hitters. I managed to land in the furthest bunker and had about 100 yds in hit a great shot out of the bunker and two putted for par. I can see why they put chairs up near the tee box a hole you can definitely soak in the vista.

 Hole #6 - The Lakes Golf Club

I think hole #5 at the Lakes epitomizes whats so great about The Lakes Golf Course. Distinctive holes you'll remember. It's a hole you can play many ways at 404 yds. you can pull out a driver and hit a drive nice draw or play a hybrid and have a longer second shot. It's intimidating with deep bunkers on the left and a brook that winds about 80 yds in front of the green and goes up the right side. Yet with all that it's still very playable. Very scenic hole as well.



 Hole #5 - The Lakes Golf Club

The greens at The Lakes Golf Club where in great conditions the day I played the course. There are some that have a few more undulations/contours to deal with but on the whole not to difficult. I managed a few bombs so I'm not complaining.

Bring your A game when it comes to bunkers at the Lakes while most are in and around the greens. The odd fairway one will gobble your ball leading to an extra stroke here and there. A few greenside bunkers are pretty deep so make sure you use a high lofted wedge to get it out.

The Lakes Golf Golf Course is a really fun golf course to play. With it's proximity to Sydney it is the most popular and busy course in the area. The Lakes has initiated 10 min. intervals for tee times and it seems to be avoiding any congestion on the course. I played July 1st and there were no problems with pace of play.

A daily green fee rate will cost you $79.00+hst (May 19th -September 3rd) at the Lakes which compared to similar courses here in Ottawa seems a bit high. The do have some great green fee deals like Gold Passes though. Where The Lakes has Ottawa beat is in their Full membership rate. A steal at $1475.00+hst for a person over 31. I can see why The Lakes has a healthy membership, makes me want to move to Cape Breton.

The Lakes Golf Course was a great way to start my Cape Breton Golf Adventure. A scenic course where every hole was distinct. I loved the more elevated holes as well as all the holes framed with rock outcrops and babbling brooks. The Lakes was challenging yet very playable. The staff and members I played with were great. I highly recommend playing The Lakes if your in the area. If you have any questions about the Lakes please feel free and email me.

 Hole #11 - The Lakes Golf Club

Hole #17 - The Lakes Golf Club

Whistler Golf - Signature Par 3's

I get many emails per day asking/inquiring about my blog. I got one last week from a guy named Feet that initially I figured was"spam" but upon further reading I discovered Feet Banks was the blog editor for Tourism Whistler and damn he posted a great video of some sweet par 3's in the Whistler area.

After watching the video a few times I really started to miss the West Coast as I lived there for 8 years got married and had our first child there. I also started to realized I'd never played any of the courses Feet mentions in his great video ( Whistler Golf Club, Nicklaus North Golf Course, Fairmont Chateau Whistler Golf Club, Big Sky Golf Club) Definitely adding a Whistler excursion to the golf bucket list. Thanks Feet for the video love the Heli Video Pros shots.