[John Kavanaugh]

As my brother mentioned we split our six rounds 4-2 Cliffs, and over 10 rounds I would likely go 8-2 Cliffs. I didn't dislike Links, but Cliffs to me was just a more fun course to play. That said it's too bad there is just no bail out on 16. It's all or nothing. When we played it the wind was in our face each time. You obviously can't miss short, long, or right, and to the left there is vegetation there so there is nowhere to go but right at it, and if you miss you're re-teeing. I liked 5 and 17 more each time I played them.

Now that we have been Tang Teamed the question remains...What would Colton do?

[Wayne_Kozun]

I think 16 is a better hole than 17 as there is lots of room on the left on 16 and with no wind it is about an 8 iron from the Green tees. 17 is a crapshoot. I have played about a dozen rounds at Cliffs and I am guessing that far fewer than 50% of drives on 17 were alive. It would be a much better hole if the brush on the left and long was cleared. It is hard to know even where to lay up on 17 and what club to hit. Do you hit a 3 iron to the top of the hill, just left of the right side fairway bunker?


I agree that 12 is a very hard hole but I am guessing that 17 may have the highest average score if everyone took their proper score according to the rules as so many people will be (or should be) three off the tee.

[Jeff Tang]

As my brother mentioned we split our six rounds 4-2 Cliffs, and over 10 rounds I would likely go 8-2 Cliffs. I didn't dislike Links, but Cliffs to me was just a more fun course to play. That said it's too bad there is just no bail out on 16. It's all or nothing. When we played it the wind was in our face each time. You obviously can't miss short, long, or right, and to the left there is vegetation there so there is nowhere to go but right at it, and if you miss you're re-teeing. I liked 5 and 17 more each time I played them.

Now that we have been Tang Teamed the question remains...What would Colton do?

He hasn't played Cliffs yet so it will need to remain a mystery for now.

[Rob Hallford]

Couple of memories from last summer's trip.  1) Links on one very windy day was the most fun I've ever had on a golf course.  There is a ground-game alternative on nearly every hole--slopes and backboards to funnel the ball without having to hit it high and land it soft (one notable exception, though!).  I told my caddie that I wanted to hear about every one of the back/side boards.  He obliged.


2) On 17 at the Cliffs, I hit my drive through the fairway on the left, and with the pin on the front right (from my vantage, directly behind the Principal's Nose) I was stymied with less than 100 yards to the stick.  After a brief inspection of fairway contours, I chipped the ball nearly perpendicular to the direct line, and was rewarded with watching my ball bounce, take the Indy turn contour and roll down onto the green leaving me 8 feet for bird.  That is the most fun shot I've ever hit.


I'm straight-up 5/5 on my split.  12 on Cliffs is a brutal hole (my cut is a 10 yard draw), but I think 15-18 is the best close in golf, mixing strategic, heroic, penal and just plain thrilling.  Any news on the greens on the Cliffs?  They were really, really slow last August.  A little faster and that bird on 17 would've dropped...

[MCirba]

5-5 but if pressed, I'd go 6-4 Links.

[Wayne_Kozun]

Any news on the greens on the Cliffs?  They were really, really slow last August.  A little faster and that bird on 17 would've dropped...

I posted on this on a different thread - when I was there from July 13-22 the greens were still slower than Links but were getting more comparable. If I had to guess I would say that Links was 9 and Cliffs was 7, but that's just a wild guess. They were far better than last May or July 2015 which were my previous visits.

[Jeff_Lewis]

6 on Links.

[Ash Towe]

I only played 1 round on each. So a superficial view really.


I would go 6-4 Cliffs. However, I really enjoyed the second nine on The Links.

[David Davis]

Ok just returned from my first visit.


7-3 cliffs, maybe if I stretch it 6-4.


I did enjoy both courses. Maybe we had opposite wind. It was pretty solid in our face on 16 links both days we played there, Which putts it almost behind from the back tees of 17 cliffs. Just for perspective .


The cliffs course has an excellent and spectacular routing completely full of eye candy and wow moments. With varying wind conditions I would not get tired of the course. 16 and 17 are a touch on the gimmicky side but one thing is for sure they will give every single group that visits something cool to talk about whether you love it or hate. What the 17th needs more than anything is a aiming stone. That small bush they point out is not defined enough. Given the difficulty of the shot, which I should of also played once from the medal tees where I suspect it was a bit easier though not easy. I think the stone would be very helpful. It's probably bordering too quirky for North American standards.


They had received a fair bit of rain leading up to our visit so while the courses weren't soft they weren't fast and firm either, i.e.. on the links you didn't necessarily need to use the ground game to stop the ball.


While I did like the routing I would also say that for people who play a lot of links golf it's less novel than for North Americans on average as most will not have had as much exposure to true links golf.


The resort however is of course an awesome place and it would be hard to not have a great time there, regardless of weather or course condition. The greens on the cliffs course were too slow for my liking I suppose running about 6. I think 8 or 9 would be ideal. 6 threatens taking the fun out of putting for me even when you have wild greens.

[John Cowden]

Just booked my first visit for next Spring.  Splitting the courses 3/3 and very excited to do so.  Will then head north to HL which I played before Cabot Cliffs was created.  HL is easily one of the best courses I've ever played, for a variety of excellent reasons.  We actually altered our itinerary after two rounds there last trip in order to play another two.  It's damn special and any golfer visiting Cape Breton does themselves a disservice to miss it.

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