Cabot Links/Cliffs Update

[Wayne_Kozun]

I am just back from a trip to Cabot and thought I would post about a few changes on the course.  Golfwise the biggest changes are some tree clearing that was done on #8 at Cabot Cliffs and the construction of the short course (see below).  There were a stand of trees to the right of the fairway on #8 about 100-200 yards back from the green.  These are now all gone.


Here is the 8th hole as it looked in 2016 - the trees in the centre of this photo are now gone(Photo is from Joe Bausch's thread on Cabot):



Here is the hole today:




You certainly have a much nicer view of the ocean from the tee and fairway.


Cabot Cliffs is still in pretty rough shape as spring has been slow to come to Cape Breton.  The 16 and 17 greens are in the worst shape.  The 16th green has a fairly large depression/sinkhole on the right side and this part of the green was completely redone a year or two ago.  Here is that part of the green:



There is a fair bit of construction going on at Cabot Cliffs as they are constructing a new pro shop and clubhouse.  There are a few small buildings completed with more to go.  Don't worry, the couches will remain by the 18th green.


The new short course is now also under construction.  See: http://www.golfcoursearchitecture.net/content/whitman-and-axland-collaborate-for-new-short-course-at-cabot-links#


Here is the course layout:



This course is to the east (or right) of the 12th fairway and 13th green.  See this Google Maps aerial - you can use the pond to orient where the new holes will go.





As always Cabot remains a great golf resort that is getting better every year.  I brought three friends who hadn't been there before and they were all blown away and all the golfers that I spoke to loved the place, despite the chilly weather for a few days.

[Guy Nicholson]

A bad spring, though not entirely unheard of for Cape Breton at this time of year. I may make it out later in the year, so will be interesting to see how the summer unfolds.


I can't see your "after" image of the trees on 8, Wayne ... am I the only one?

[Erik Mosley]

Great update - thanks Wayne.


I wonder what the end-game is for #16.  Is that portion of green salvageable in the long term?  If not, I wonder what adjustments can be made to make the hole better (while still a spectacular setting, the shot to the top tier is pretty awkward).

[Wayne_Kozun]

I can't see your "after" image of the trees on 8, Wayne ... am I the only one?

I think I fixed it - can you see it now?

[Wayne_Kozun]

I wonder what the end-game is for #16.  Is that portion of green salvageable in the long term?  If not, I wonder what adjustments can be made to make the hole better (while still a spectacular setting, the shot to the top tier is pretty awkward).

Good question.  I also wonder why they haven't filled in the hole with gravel, sand, dirt, etc and put some sod on top.


To be honest - the flag is almost always on the top tier - I am guessing that I have played about 25 rounds at Cliffs and have only seen the flag on the lower tee about 3-4 times.  No matter where the flag is the caddies tell you to aim far left and let your ball take the slope in front of the left bunker - often the ball will go all the way down to the lower tier.  On Sunday my shot landed about 15" from the cup so I got very lucky!

[Tom_Doak]

Spring is typically a tough time of year in Cape Breton, isn't it?  The one time I visited Cape Breton Highlands, it opened June 1 and there were still several temporary greens after a rough winter.  All the water surrounding the island keeps it very cool in summer but then contributes to long and beautiful autumn seasons for golf.

[Wayne_Kozun]

Yes Tom, spring is late on Cape Breton and this year has been worse than most.  Cabot Links is in much better shape than Cabot Links but that is likely because the turf is several years more mature.  But the more concerning issue is the problems with the right side of the 16th green.

[James Brown]

Love that tree removal.  Really changes that vista for the better.  Would change #1 as well I imagine. 


I was there last year over July 4th weekend and the greens on Cliffs were very, very slow and sandy and course.  As in hard to hit downhill putts hard enough to get to the hole slow.  The overall experience was really awesome, but if I knew the greens were like that on a regular basis until August or September, it would be a bummer.


Also, the 16th green was hanging on by a thread.  They will have to remodel that hole if they can’t use the portion on the cliff anymore. 

[Guy Nicholson]

I can't see your "after" image of the trees on 8, Wayne ... am I the only one?

I think I fixed it - can you see it now?

Yes, thanks Wayne!

[Jim Nugent]

Here we are on the eve of the Canadian Open, and I was wondering how the course(s) might handle play from the top pros.  Setting aside logistics, would Cliffs and/or Links be a good test of golf for the world's best? 

[Tom_Doak]

Here we are on the eve of the Canadian Open, and I was wondering how the course(s) might handle play from the top pros.  Setting aside logistics, would Cliffs and/or Links be a good test of golf for the world's best?

They would shoot very low scores at Cabot Cliffs, though tgey would hit some difficult shots invtge process.  Having more par-5's is a birdie fest for long hitters. 

[Wayne_Kozun]

I agree with Tom.  I rarely hit par 5s in 2 on most courses, but at Cliffs I find holes 8 and 15 to be very reachable.  And 5 and 17 would be drivable par 4s for the pros.


Given that there are 6 par 5s on the course it would be playing to a par of 66 or so, unless the wind was howling.

[Joe Bausch]

It was about 3 years ago that I visited Cabot.  Perhaps the new people to the site will enjoy the photo albums.


Cabot Links:


http://www80.homepage.villanova.edu/joseph.bausch/images/albums/CabotLinks/index.html


Two albums for Cabot Cliffs, one under sunny conditions and one overcast:


http://www80.homepage.villanova.edu/joseph.bausch/images/albums/CabotCliffs/index.html


http://www80.homepage.villanova.edu/joseph.bausch/images/albums/CabotCliffs2/index.html