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By
Anita Draycott
When
it comes to golf, Canada's tiniest province
is (pardon the pun) no small potato. The
island boasts more than 20 courses including
ten of the top 100 in Canada, plus the
Canadian Golf Academy headed by Lorie
Kane's swing coach, Anne Chouinard. At
the rate new fairways and bargain packages
are sprouting up, golf might well become
a greater draw for visitors than Anne
of Green Gables and those postcard-perfect
beaches.
Now
here's the latest…PEI will make golf
history this April as the first Canadian
destination to host the Golf Channel's
reality show, Big Break. Be sure to tune
in for the first episode on April 20 at
9pm EST. The venue is Mill River Golf
Course, an 18-hole gem in the northwest
end of the island. Designed by Robbie
Robinson, it plays through a mature forest
with numerous lakes and streams. Golf
Digest's Places to Play gave Mill River
a four-star rating.
No
doubt the Big Break antics will have you
and your partner fantasizing about taking
a swing in PEI yourselves, so the folks
at Golf PEI have created a new International
Couples Golf Festival from July 9 to 13.
My spouse and I have already signed up
for what should be a blast: three rounds
of golf, heaping platters of seafood and
a closing banquet in the form of a traditional
maritime Kitchen Party, complete with
fiddle music.
What's
especially nice about PEI is that nothing
is too far away and the traffic jam has
yet to be discovered. All of the courses
are within 90 minutes driving time from
the centre of the island so you're never
far from an 18-hole championship challenge
or family-friendly nine-hole tract.
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The
north coast of PEI, known as Green
Gables Shore, defines the word bucolic:
contented cows graze on rolling emerald
pastures, houses are few and far between,
pristine white churches with black
steeples dot the countryside and the
ocean is seldom out of sight. In July,
the roadsides are blooming with masses
of purple, pink and blue lupins. At
Cavendish, beside the feisty orphan's
famous Green Gables house, one of
the island's oldest and most scenic
courses is receiving rave reviews.
Green Gables Golf Course, designed
and built in 1939 by the late Stanley
Thompson, one of the world' most renowned
architects, re-opened last August
after an expenditure of five million
dollars in renovations. Canada's contemporary
and legendary architect Thomas McBroom
has blended his unique perspective
with Thompson's original concept by
expanding the ocean views, reinstating
original bunker designs and stretching
the course from 6,459 to 7,000 yards.
Just
east of Cavendish, the Rustico
Resort Golf and Tennis Club is
a little gem run by affable owners,
John and Martha Langdale. The 18-hole
golf course, laid out over gentle
terrain, is easily walkable with ocean
views on every hole. John Langdale
pioneered the concept of golf packaging
in PEI and the deals here are outstanding.
At
the Brudenell Resort, Dundarave,
designed by the award-winning team
of Dr. Michael Hurzdan and Dana Fry,
is the ideal course to hone your target
skills or practice your sand wedge
in its one hundred plus bunkers. The
neighbouring Brudenell River Course
is the locals' favourite. Broad fairways
play around a series of picturesque
lakes and ponds and lovely gardens.
Golf
Digest Places to Play awarded The
Links at Crowbush Cove four and
a half stars and raved that the Thomas
McBroom design is "golf at its
absolute best." Routed through
1000-year-old sand dunes on the Island's
north shore, each fairway presents
its own unique series of challenges.
There are nine water holes, plenty
of pot bunkers and sudden gusts from
Crowbush Cove. If you're having an
"A" day, a good round at
Crowbush is an ego thrill; even if
it's more of a "D" day,
you'll still enjoy the spectacular
links layout and seaside views, especially
at the eleventh tee.
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The
famous Green Gables house
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Dundarave
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Links
at Crowbush Cove
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Andersons
Creek
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Andersons
Creek, designed by Graham Cooke, has
the only GPS system and purportedly the
best greens on the island. The number four
signature hole was modeled after number
twelve at Augusta National in Georgia. To
put you in an island mood, Andersons dishes
out complimentary mussels.
Just
up the hill from the New Glasgow Lobster
Supper barn, the Glasgow Hills Resort
& Golf Club offers sensational views
of the River Clyde and the Gulf of St. Lawrence.
This Les Furber design is a thrilling roller
coaster from the top-of-the-world opening
dogleg downhill left to challenging uphill
eighteenth.
1-800-866-GOLF-PEI;
www.golfpei.ca
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Good
Eats: Whether you've got
a craving for a cup of chowder or
candlelight and wine, the island is
chock-full of tasty options.
*Get
your licks at Cows ice cream
shops all over the island and named
Canada's best by Reader's Digest.
www.cows.ca
*New
Glasgow Lobster Suppers is a no-frills,
family-run institution in PEI since
1958. All-you-can-eat hot bread, brimming
bowls of chunky chowder, steaming
mounds of mussels, beef/vegetable
soup and crisp salads precede the
queen of the crustaceans—you
choose the size. Finish off with a
generous wedge of lemon meringue pie.
902-964-2870; www.peilobstersuppers.com
*At
Dayboat, chef Francois de Melogue's
signature dishes include scallop and
corn chowder, lobster and seafood
stew and blueberry/honey cobbler with
vanilla ice cream. 902-963-3833; www.dayboat.ca
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*After
your round at Crowbush, tuck into the blue
mussels steamed in Chardonnay and shallots
and black sesame-crusted halibut at the
Rodd Crowbush Golf & Beach Resort's
restaurant called David's 902-961-5600;
www.roddcrowbush.com
*Take
time to stroll through the gardens at the
Inn at St. Peters, overlooking St.
Peters Bay. Then enjoy a spectacular a sunset,
followed by just-shucked Colville Bay oysters,
grilled halibut with pineapple/mango salsa
and molten chocolate cake. 1-800-818-0925;
www.innatstpeters.com
*Flex
Mussels on Charlottetown's waterfront
serves up fabulous hand-cut fries and 23
flavours of mussels. Try the Dubliner mussels
with Guinness and caramelized onions or
the Classic with white wine herbs and garlic.
Yum! 902-569-0200; www.flexmussels.com
For
complete details for all to see and do while
visiting Prince Edward Island, please visit
www.golfpei.ca.
04/09
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