by Mary E. Porter, Editor of Tee Time

Coastal Atlantic Provinces in eastern Canada provide unspoiled and picturesque golf destinations at very reasonable prices. Prince Edward Island, Nova Scotia, and New Brunswick, Canada, are just a brief airplane jaunt from New England. These remote locations, all rich in history, feature many golf courses capable of rating among the very best in the American hemisphere.
Catch a morning flight to any of the three Atlantic Provinces from anywhere in New England and you can tee off before noon. On our trip to the Coastal Provinces last October, a friend and I flew the one-hour flight from Boston to Halifax, Nova Scotia. Leaving Halifax in our rental car, we drove south into the quaint little town of Digby for our early afternoon tee time at Digby Pines Golf Course. The par-71 golf course, designed by Sir Stanley Thompson, a famous Canadian architect, provided a great beginning to our first round of play in Canada.

After golfing, we met our host Rene LeBlanc and then checked into the beautiful Digby Pines Resort, which has spectacular views overlooking the Annapolis Basin. The hotel, built in 1928, features over 80 rooms and suites, plus guests can rent one, two or three-bedroom cottages that are nestled around the spacious grounds. Besides golfing, amenities include a heated pool, marked walking trails, tennis courts, croquet, shuffleboard, and an impressive spa and fitness facility. After all the great exercise, a vacationer can sample the award winning cuisine in the elegant Annapolis Dining Room.
Don’t forget to sample some of the native, mouth-watering scallops, as Digby is home to one of the largest scallop fleets in the world. This narrow stretch of land juts out into the Bay of Fundy, offering excellent overlooks for whale-watching or viewing the tremendous fluctuations in the tide. Some of the highest ocean tides in the world creep up the rocky shores of Digby, with the seawater rising over 30 feet above the muddy flats—all within just a six-hour span.
The following day, we boarded the Princess of Acadia ferry for the relaxing three-hour cruise across the Bay of Fundy to Saint John, New Brunswick. After a quick lunch on board the Acadia and a short nap on deck, we arrived safely in Saint John. Exiting the bowels of the ship in our rental car, we continued our golf adventure to Saint Andrews By-The-Sea and the Fairmont Algonquin Resort. This century-old hotel loomed impressively as we rounded the corner to the main entrance.

Colorful flower gardens surround the entrance to the hotel. A magnificent building with over 230 elegant rooms and suites, the Fairmont Algonquin blends old world charm with modern luxury. Within walking distance from the hotel is St. Andrews By-The-Sea, a serene, charming little town sprinkled with shops and art studios.
Later we took the short drive to the Algonquin Golf Course and Golf Academy, where we met Steve Young, Director of Golf. Steve decided to play a few holes with us and give us a little history of the course as we played. During our round we learned that the Algonquin Golf Course had been rated as one of the top courses in Canada. Steve took us inside the oldest club house in Canada, which is under restoration. The small building was amazingly simple-divided down the middle by a wall, one side for the ladies and the other side for the men.

The front nine of this course is wooded, and the back nine opens to amazing panoramic views of the Bay of Fundy. From one hole, we could see the Maine coastline across the basin. The course flowed effortlessly among beautifully manicured fairways and greens, and with so many other pleasing scenic distractions, it was difficult to stay focused on golfing. Designed by Thomas McBroom, another famous Canadian golf course architect, the 18-hole, par-72 course measures 6909 yards and is a great play for golfers of all skill levels.
After golf we were off and driving again, heading north towards Prince Edward Island, an estimated five-hour drive. As darkness fell, we arrived at the Confederation Bridge, an eight-mile engineering wonder spanning across the Northumberland Strait to Prince Edward Island. Our first destination on PEI:

Rodd Mill River Resort, located in a rural setting and known as Canada’s “fun” resort. Our room overlooked the golf course and practice facility. After breakfast we toured the Mill River Golf Course, a mature forest course where the fairways are open with bunkers protecting the greens from imperfect shots. Elevation changes between holes, streams and brooks cutting across fairways, and petite lakes make for interesting and challenging play. Mill River offers guests a huge variety of activities, including tennis, canoeing, kayaking, biking, windsurfing, waterslides, bumper boating, mini-golfing, walking trails, fishing, or just lazing by the pool. After our golf tour, we opted to be pampered in the spa with a full body massage. Our masseuse boasted that Mill River is one of Prince Edward Island’s most popular and affordable playgrounds for families.
Our adventure continued the next morning as we drove through Ann of Green Gables countryside and through several beautiful small and charming coastal towns on Prince Edward Island. An hour later, we arrived at another Rodd Signature Resort, the Rodd Crowbush Golf and Beach Resort. This tranquil resort, built overlooking Prince Edward Island’s Atlantic North Shore offers superior five-star accommodations and services.

Thirty-two beautifully furnished and decorated one and two-bedroom cottages contain a Jacuzzi, kitchen, living room with fireplace, a screened porch, and a barbeque grill outside the back door. The cottages are equally ideal for larger groups or for an intimate stay with a loved one. Our host and General Manager Tim Arnold took us on a tour of the main hotel which consists of 50 rooms and suites with gorgeous balcony views of the golf course and the ocean. Later Tim and his wife Lori met us in the restaurant and lounge area for a superb dining experience.
Crowbush Golf Course proved to be one of the most dramatic layouts in recent memory. The undulating, carpet-like fairways, the pure white sand dunes strategically positioned at reachable yardages, the erratic winds playing with our balls in flight, the water hazards and inlets combined to create a wonderful combination of the designer’s imagination in tune with the environment. Crowbush lived up to its name-during our round, a dozen large crows swooped down to steal anything unattended in our golf cart.
The last stop on Prince Edward Island took us to a third Rodd signature resort, the Brudenell River Resort, located in Brudenell River Provincial Park. Like Crowbush, Brudenell River offers guests one or two-bedroom cabins for families traveling together or a guestroom in the main hotel. Rodd Brudenell River is home to two golf courses, Dundarave Golf Course and Brudenell River Golf Course. The Canadian Golf Academy and a large assortment of resort activities are also on site.
Departing Prince Edward Island via the Wood Island Ferry for Caribou, Nova Scotia, our next stop brought us to Baddeck and the Inverary Inn and Marina.

After spending the night at the Inn, we drove three miles to the Bell Bay Golf Club, another Thomas McBroom design, which is ranked #44 in all of Canada. CPGA Head Professional Ted Stonehouse met us in the parking lot and directed us to follow him to our awaiting golf carts. Ted joined us for the round and not only enlightened us about the area but also helped us with our games. The course winds back and forth bring us high in the hills above the Bras d’Or Lakes and provides incredible and spectacular views of the beautiful wilderness and impressive lakes. ‘God’s Country’ certainly fits this site. Ted proudly mentioned that Bell Bay Golf Club hosted the 2005 Canadian Amateur and several other national and provincial championships.

He pointed to a peninsula several miles away and told us that Alexander Graham Bell and his wife lived there and were also buried there, hence the name Bell Bay.
We headed to our last destination, the Keltic Lodge on the Cabot Trail, set within the magnificent Cape Breton Highlands National Park.

Again we found our accommodations marvelous indeed—a beautifully furnished three-bedroom log cabin on the side of a cliff, perched a hundred feet above the Atlantic Ocean. It was now dark-really dark. I stood outside on the deck and gazed at the Milky Way splattered across the heavens. Shooting stars punctuated the darkness.

Later, we met our gracious host Walther at the beautiful Keltic Lodge for a cocktail before enjoying a candlelit dinner in the Purple Thistle Dining room. Our out-of-the-ordinary dining experiences during our Canada trip had been delectable so far, and the Purple Thistle was no exception. Our host briefly explained the history of the Keltic Lodge and a bit about the area of Ingonish. Again we heard about Alexander Graham Bell, as he, his wife, and their daughter were frequent visitors, and they eventually built a home nearby.

The entire area was magnificent, clean, and peaceful; however, in the early 1900’s visitors to the area had to travel mostly by boat, as the roads were no more than narrow buggy trails and treacherous horse paths alongside plummeting cliffs. Today, the roads are paved, smooth and wide providing a scenic and safe drive high above the ocean below. Bring your camera!

The next morning, we were first to tee off at the Keltic Lodges Highland Links. This 1939 Stanley Thompson design was rated the #1 public golf course in Canada. The starter stated how lucky we were to be first off the tee, because we would surely see several buck moose. The Highland Links presented their obvious windy and uneven challenge, with hardly any level lies in the tree-lined fairways and greens that appeared easy but played tough. Each hole had its own testy personality. Restored to its original design in 1997, Highland Links has earned the respect of golfers who play there and is recognized as an Audubon Sanctuary, the first in Atlantic Canada. The beauty of the rugged, rocky landscape stayed with us long after we left Canada.

As our trip came to an end, we didn’t see a moose but were thrilled to see bald eagles, an owl, a couple of blue herons, and many crows. The golfing and accommodations at each location were superb. Our neighbors to the north provide impeccable maritime hospitality to vacationers who come to their beautiful Atlantic Provinces. When you play golf at any of the fantastic golf courses mentioned here, you will discover courses that intrigue your senses and challenge your golf game. Remember, with so many scenic distractions, it may be difficult to keep your mind on the game.