Canada's Toughest Holes

[peter_p]

I just came onto this eighteen hole revelation on a link through Jeff Mingay's site. Only two holes are left. What are they?
http://www2.sportsnet.ca/golf_18holes.html

[peter_p]

John Gordon of Sportsnet has already picked
18) Georgian Bay #3
17) Links at Crowbrush Cove #8
16) Greywolf #6
15) Le Geant #18
14) Rocky Crest #7
13) Blackhawk #15
12) Wolf CReek #9
11) The Nursery #11
10) Taboo #16 (what a great name!)
9) Royal Montreal #18
Deerhurst Highlands #2
7) Bear Mountain #14
6) Shaughnessy #11
5) Highland Links #7
4) Devils Painstbrush #8
3) The Marshes #2

[Tom_Doak]

Amazing list ... he hasn't used anything yet from Hamilton, St. George's, Glen Abbey, Banff, Jasper, or Capilano.

I guess it is a list of the "toughest" and not the "best" holes, but you'd think he would try to include a few more from what are considered to be Canada's best courses, unless he's restricted the list to best public courses.

[Dan Herrmann]

Ok - How about Glen Abbey #11?  It isn't a classic, but what a cool tee shot and a nice 2nd shot into a green fronted by the creek.

[Steve Lang]

 

I thought #4 at Banff was challenging

[peter_p]

I like the course, but for toughest I'd go with another par three there, #10 Little Bow at 225 across a large lake.
My "x" on 10, versus a near ace on #4 may colour my judgment.

[Adam_F_Collins]

How 'bout the par 5 seventh at Thompson's Digby Pines? The 12th is pretty damned tough too...

The finishing three at St. George's are tough.

In terms of difficulty - 18 at Devil's Pulpit is a pretty tough par 4 - 488 yards...

[Don Herdrich]

none from the National Golf Club .......wow.....must not have been allowed to play there

[Andrew Cunningham]

Definetly the toughest public or private as four of the courses named are private: Georgian Bay, Royal Montreal, Shaughnessy, and the Devil's Paintbrush.  Rocky Crest is a true semi-private course as resort guests can play there but you just can't show up to play.

I've played all but a few on this list and I can't argue against their selection or current ranking.  Just played Georgian Bay two weeks ago and absolutely loved it!  Definetly the best Hurdzan/Fry I have ever played.  Here's a few pics:



Same with Blackhawk.  A must play if you're in Alberta.  It is up there if not better than the other Alberta greats - Banff, Jasper, Silver Tip, Stewart Creek, and Wolf Creek.

I do disagree with the statement (even if it was from the late George Knudson) that Highlands Links is the Cypress Point of Canada.  Yes they're both on the ocean, and yes they're are both designed by two of the greatest GCA's of all-time, but as much as I liked Highlands Links, how can any course match the asthetics, memorability, and conditioning (to steal GD's rankings criteria) of Cypress Point.  Compare the following pictures: vs.



Enough said.

[Gerry B]

the list is a joke

As a member of the National I am guessing his #1 and #2 holes to be revealed later this week has to include at least 1 of our holes - ie the par 5 -4th  and #7  -which was voted  the toughest par 4 in Canada by Score Magazine in their last year end poll. Fellow Canadian gca members Thompson / Dewar / Mackay will attest to this fact as they have all played the course recently.

St. George's has to have at least 1 hole included.

I will nominate #16 at Beacon Hall - uphill 226 yd par 3 with severe penalties if one misses the green - when the hole plays into the wind it is a brute - the uphill carry adds at least 20 yds to the shot plus the wind.

Eagles Nest -a new course in Toronto has some brutal holes as well.

[Adam_F_Collins]

I was wondering when Gerry would speak up here.  

[Adam_F_Collins]

Nice looking bunkering at Georgian Bay...

[Matthew MacKay]

An "18 Toughest Holes" compilation is even more dubious than any "Best Golf Courses" list.  There are countless difficult holes all over this country...I assume they are generally highlighting well known courses.  8 at Uplands is the hardest par 3 you'll ever play but I doubt it makes the list.

I'll back Gerry up and proclaim 4,7,17,18 (and all the par 3's) at The National to be some of the toughest around, and you could add a few more from there quite comfortably.

I don't think there any round killers at St. George's (which speaks to its brilliance IMO) although I've always found 15 very tough.

Haven't played Georgian Bay but from photos the bunkers look really starnge...almost like they weren't sure whether they wanted the scruffy look or the refined look.  The blinding white sand doesn't help either.

[Robert Thompson]

It is just another list -- no better or worse than the last one. John has surely played everything -- so it is just his opinion. He's a marginal player, so lots of holes will be tough for him. Of course about 16 holes from the National should be one the list, along with the 11th at Eagles Nest.

Matt: You never found the second at St. George's tough?

R

[Matthew MacKay]

Rob,

I think most of the holes at St. George's are difficult to some degree, but no real round wreckers.  #2 is definately one of the tougher holes, along with 5,7,12,14,15,16,17.

[Robert Thompson]

Oh, and Andrew, posting a photo of one of the most famous par threes in the world next to a shot of Highlands links is almost as ridiculous as saying HL is the "the Cypress Point of Canada." I like to think of Highlands as more akin to Dornoch of Canada -- picturesque, amazing golf that is out of the way, but well worth the drive.  

[Allan Hutton]

Devils Paintbrush #13 is a brutal par 3.

http://www.devilspulpit.com/html/paintbrush01.html

226 yards, mostly carry, often into  the wind.  Harder than #8 in my opinion.  You are given 1 nice bailout though, a 3 wood or driver over the tree on the left and hope for a pitch and putt par.  Although if the pin is back right, even that play is dubious.

[Andrew Cunningham]

Robert, I agree about Highlands Links being a lot closer to Royal Dornoch than CPC.  In fact that is the best comparison with Highlands Links I have ever heard.  The CPC picture is actually a panorama of the 13th with the fairway of the 14th in the upper left.

But the 11th at Eagles Nest?  I think you mean the 10th.  The 11th is (IMO) one of the easiest holes on the course.  Try 10 or 18.  Especially #18 - what a friggin brute from the tips!

[Matthew MacKay]

Any hole from the back tees at Eagle's Nest is difficult...11 generally plays into the wind.

[Mick]

I've only played three of the holes on this list - Wolf #9, Blackhawk #15, and Highlands #7 - so I cannot speak to the quality of the overall list.  I agree with #7 been the most difficult at Highlands but #9 at the Wolf pales in comparison to #12 (#3 East), which has death on both the tee shot and long second.  #9 garners much of it's reputation from the 14 taken by a touring pro there during a Canadian Tour Event back in the early nineties.  I'm not sure of the toughest hole at Blackhawk but I'm sure it's not 15.  Off the top of my head I'd say the par 5 7th, short par 4 10th, great long par 3 12th, as well as 13, 17, 18 are tougher holes.

[THuckaby2]

My experience in Canada is EXTREMELY limited, but I just returned from a trip to the Banff/Kootenay/Yoho area and played the courses at Fairmont Hot Springs resort + Banff Springs, so I feel like adding my $.02 Cdn.

And I am here to tell you the toughest hole I played was NOT at Stanley Thompson's incredible, wonderful, magnificent Banff Springs, but rather at the relatively unsung (at least I think it's unsung) Riverside course at Fairmont Hot Springs.

#14.  570 yard par 5, around the Columbia river, making a "C" shape, with trees along the river bank giving some gaps in which to cut through, but not many... man this hole is penal, strategic, heroic all in one... has to be seen to be believed.  Has anyone else here played it?

I failed to make a par in my three tries... dammit.. three-jacked the one time I managed to reach the green in three...

TH

[Andrew Cunningham]

Tom,

Can't say I've ever played either course at the Hot Springs because in my never ending quest to play all the new courses I can find, I have blown right by the Hot Springs on my way down Hwy. 93.  I hope you had the time to play Greywolf, Trickle Creek, Bootleg Gap, or the St. Eugene Mission?

On another note, which green did you get to play at the "Cauldren" #4 at Banff?  Hopefully the original on the left.  What did you think of Stanley's bunkers???  I hope you had a chance to sample some of Calgary's new courses as well?

[THuckaby2]

Andrew:

This was a family/hiking/fishing/sightseeing trip, so the only reason I got to play any golf at all was:

a. we were staying in a timeshare right on the Riverside course at Fairmont Hot Springs, so early morning rounds were doable... man I played 18 by myself in a cart in 55 minutes one morning... and

b.  Wife and daughter shopped in Banff whilst my son and I played Banff Springs.  Costly trade-off in many ways.

So yes, I played the Devil's Cauldron on that course... but I got to none of the others.  I sure saw where they were, though.. we rafted right past Greywolf....

 

[Andrew Cunningham]

Darn,

Well I'm sure you still had a great time.  Next time give me a call and we'll show the best golf Western Canada has to offer.

Andrew

[THuckaby2]

Sounds good to me, Andrew.  Let's just say that while I did have a great time on this family trip, well.... I saw SO many cool-looking golf courses I want to go back for golf and golf alone without a doubt!

TH