Golf on Prince Edward Island

[Brad Tufts]

I was looking over one of those colorful "golfpei.com" booklets, and put together a list of courses I would want to go see if I was to head out there for a week in the next few years.  There are some good options:

Links @ Crowbush Cove (McBroom)
Dundarave (Hurdzan/Fry)
Brudenell River (R. Robinson)
Andersons Creek (Cooke)
Eagles Glenn (Cooke)
Glasgow Hills (Furber)
Mill River (R. Robinson)
Belvedere GC (?, reno. by Cooke)
Fox Meadow (R. Heaslip)

There are also a few 9-holers that could be fun, such as Eagles View (J. Fuller) and Belfast Highland (Cooke).

Also, Green Gables GC is a Stanley Thompson course that seems worth taking a look at (unaffiliated with golfpei.com), but I assume that it's been modified.  Info on GGGC doesn't seem to be very forthcoming online.

Anybody have strong opinions on these?  Especially the contingent of the Maple Leaf?  PEI looks pretty affordable for some medium to high-quality golf....especially from Boston!

[Jeff_Mingay]

Brad,

I have Stanley Thompson's original routing plan for Green Gables here, in my office. Having visited the property and examined Thompson's sketch plan, I figure Green Gables might have been one of Canada's great courses when it opened for play around 1940.

Anyway, certain sections of the course have been rebuilt. A couple Thompson holes in the seaside dunes washed away, and were replaced. In general, the course is very worn out these days. However, Green Gables is a beautiful spot. It's definitely worth a visit if you're in the area. And, if I'm not mistaken, it's a relative bargain green fee.  

I enjoyed a tour of the course earlier this year with Tom McBroom, who was hired by the federal government to oversee an improvement project. I was recently told the project's been put on hold though.

[Dan Herrmann]

If you have time, I'd cross over to Cape Breton and see Highlands Links.  IMHO, it's better than anything on PEI.

[Jeff_Mingay]

Dan,

Highlands Links is better than anything in Canada!

Thompson and co. constructed Highlands Links and Green Gables simultaneously. I believe Mr. Cornish was looking after the Highlands Links job, and Robbie Robinson was at Green Gables.

[Brad Tufts]

That's interesting Jeff.  In reading about golf on PEI, I was curious why GGGC wasn't aligned with the rest of the higher-profile courses on the island, but maybe it's a result of their wishes to improve the course.  Is McBroom's commission a "with history in mind" semi-restoration or a renovation?

It seems like PEI only has two great courses according to the rankers and the raters (Links at Crowbush, Dundarave), but it seems like a pretty affordable vacation if one likes to play alot of golf (more than a round a day).  Most places cost an arm and a leg to play more golf than specified in a package, but here it looks do-able.

[Brad Tufts]

I plan on saving HL for a Cape Breton-specific trip with perhaps Bell Bay and Cabot Links someday.  It isn't exactly the most accessible place on earth by car.

[Jeff_Mingay]

Brad,

So much has changed at Green Gables. I think McBroom simply aims to invoke a "Thompson look and feel" throughout the course.

Charlottetown is a great little maritime city, too. The downtown is beautiful and vibrant during the summer: restaurants, bars, shopping, etc. And there's a lot of great history there. In fact, confederation was negotiated and agreed upon in Charlottetown!

Cabot Links?! Now that sounds like an interesting project    

[Brad Tufts]

Yeah, who says we on GCA aren't anxious over the pending courses.....at least a new interesting one is springing up in my quadrant of the continent....after going to Bandon, I think CL will be much closer to the known world....I'm assuming you guys will make it worth the wait.  

[Bob Jenkins]

Brad,

I have been to PEI a few times and you will not go wrong with Crowbush or Dundarave, which are the only 2 on that list I have played. Dundarave is part of the Brudenel River resort. My recollection of the latter is that it is really spead out, huge greens, very interesting. Crowbush is the jewel of the island, though and well worth it. Works it way into the dunes and links on the north side of the island, some of which are spectacular. In a town nearby called New Rustico (or was it North Rustico) there is a federal park filled with gorgeous dunes. It would be dreamland for any architect but it is parkland forever.
Green Gables looked interesting. I was not able to get on for some reason but also was a bit mistified why a Thompson design was not more prominent.
You mentioned a Les Furber course. He is a very good architect based in Canmore, Alberta and has done a lot of work in the west. Predator Ridge and many others.
Finally, if you have never been to PEI it is worth spending time there. The people are so down to earth you think you have gone back in time. Driving around the island it looks perfect. Every building freshly painted, beautiful fields of red earth, no piles of rubbish or old cars, just old fashioned farm country.  It is a deal financially as well.
Have fun.

Bob Jenkins

[Dan Herrmann]

Bob,
Agree on the culture of PEI.  DirecTV's feed of Hockey Night in Canada is from Charlottetown, and it makes me long to return.