Set within the shadow of Fort Mississauga National Historic Site, just a cannon shot away from Fort Niagara across the Niagara River, and a few hundred meters from the charming downtown of its namesake, the Niagara-on-the-Lake Golf Club (“NOTL”) is a charming semi-private club with a long and storied history of golf. So long, in fact, that NOTL is known as the longest serving original golf course in North America, opening in 1875. Built on the battlegrounds of the War of 1812, this historic golf course is a great place for a game.
As part of a project Beyond The Contour published for 2023 I made an effort to see a variety of courses that fly under the radar within Canada. The end result was 4/10 seen or played, and I was very happy to have made sure NOTL was one of them, even if it was on a cold and rainy October day.
Brief History
John Geale Dickson is credited with bringing golf here in the 1870’s, though it is unknown who laid the plans, if there are any, for the golf course named the Mississauga Links. The first international tournament in North America played across these fairways in 1895, with Charles Blair (C.B.) Macdonald winning the men’s division. Macdonald would later go on to be one of the most influential people in North American golf course architecture, building National Golf Links of America, Piping Rock, and more.
In the early 1900s, parts of the golf course were incorporated within the Fort, including the 2nd green, a blind par 3, that was situated within the “moat”. As the years went on, more changes were made, including the removal of that green. At one point, the club was asked to abandon the property in favour of the National Historic Site. Luckily, this never occurred, and we are still able to play golf here today.
Today, Niagara-on-the-Lake Golf Club is among the best nine hole courses in Canada. And one that golf enthusiasts should play at least once, not just for its history, but also for its simple but interesting architecture.
Why you should see it
You don’t have to be a member at Burlington or Toronto Hunt to tee off from the banks of Lake Ontario. With sweeping views from start to finish, golfers are treated to a lovely setting that helps accentuate the course’s architecture.
The 1st hole has Fort Mississauga looming as the backdrop. Golfers who are long of the green may find the “moat”—a steep artificial embankment guarding what remains of the historic Fort—an unmistakably unique hazard. The noticeable micro contouring throughout the 1st’s fairway and green make this a pleasant opening test.
The best features at NOTL are its greens. The set itself features strong variety throughout, utilizing both micro and macro contours to different extents, coupled with some tasteful run off areas and unique surroundings—a surprising touch that for some reason I didn’t think one would find here. At the par 5 3rd, the green is pushed up and has fall offs on all sides…
…while holes like 6th and 7th use larger sloping contours to varying degrees, creating tiers and putting emphasis on dialing in your approach shots.
The largest green on the golf course comes on the long par 3, 9th to finish the round, a green that you likely won’t reach from the tee as it plays deceptively longer than the scorecard says. No two greens are alike, and at just over 3100 yards at a par 36, this feature has a significant impact on creating a challenging test for the modern game and the overall enjoyment of the players.
With Lake Ontario as its backdrop, the unforgettable short par 3 4th has a challenging two-tiered green that is partially obstructed from the tee by the central lion’s mouth bunker.
Following the charming hole playing towards the shore, the golfer tees off from the shoreline and heads back inland at the par 5, 5th with its tricky, narrow fairway up the entirety of the hole. Further increasing the complexity of this hole is another lion’s mouth bunker fronting the elongated green with tight runoffs on either side.
Taking one look at the scorecard, one might assume the short par 4, 7th, is driveable, but the tall trees that guard the straight shot, combined with the out-of-bounds left, creates a big risk. It also has the craziest green on property—with a severely sloping bowl like contour that separates the upper and lower portions.
While the course may have undergone many changes over the last 148 years, the 8th green remains largely as original today as it did in 1875. A pretty astonishing feat considering the club was closed during the World Wars, and many changes have been made in other places.
One criticism of the golf course is that the large trees encroach too much on the playing lines. This is evident at the second and the fifth through eighth holes. While getting permits to remove or significantly cut back trees from a National Historic Site may well be nigh impossible, it would improve the overall product.
In a world of nine-hole courses that more-often-than-not are obscure or far-too-tame, Niagara-on-the-Lake Golf Club is a shining example of simple, yet effective architecture. You’ll come for the history, but you’ll return for the pure enjoyment.
