Glen Abbey is considered by many to be the spiritual home of
Canadian
golf, having hosted the country's Canadian Open for a
quarter century as well as being the site of the Royal Canadian
Golf Museum. When it opened in the mid-'70s, it was the first Jack
Nicklaus solo design, and it's still one of the most manicured and
expensive courses in the country. A recent addition is the ClubLink
golf academy, featuring both indoor and outdoor practice
facilities. Canadian golf guru Tom Jackson heads up the academy's
staff, teaching on a modern double-ended practice range with a
computer simulator that can match any amateur's swing with the best
professionals to give a reading of what improvements can be
made.
While Glen Abbey will always be considered the crown jewel of
Canadian golf for its rich history and tradition, the three
Muskoka-area courses certainly aren't far behind. Lake Joseph, the
oldest of the threesome, having opened in 1997, and Rocky Crest,
which debuted in 2000, were designed by Canadian golf architect
Thomas McBroom and were named by two golf publications as the best
new public courses in the country in their respective years. "I
grew up just outside of Toronto," says McBroom, "and I never
thought I'd hear the words 'Canada' and 'golf destination' in the
same sentence, but I'm happy to do my part."
At Rocky Crest, McBroom exposed tons of rock and granite from the
natural Canadian Shield, a huge rock formation formed from glaciers
millions of years ago, to offer some of the most dramatic non-ocean
landscape anywhere in
North America. Lake Joseph's wide fairways
and large greens sit amid dense, deciduous forest and offer more
challenges. The third area course, Grandview, which opened last
year, is the toughest of the three. The first design by American
PGA Tour star Mark O'Meara, the spectacular setting with 100-foot
hardwoods, natural lakes, and rock outcroppings was the site of the
2002 Canadian Skins Game. "I was able to take a great piece of
natural property and craft a very interesting and entertaining
course," says O'Meara proudly.