Looking for recommendations $100 +/- $20

[intherough]

Hey gang,
The days are getting shorter, and I just put down my deposit with my beer league hockey team, so it's getting close to that time... I like to end the season with one last round at a nicer course than the $50-$75 tracks I usually play on.

Any recommendations in the hundred dollar price range, give or take 20 bucks? I prefer to walk, but will ride (I find that most $100 courses almost require you to take a cart).

[pudubny]

Copper Creek, weekend afternoons is about $120.00. Don't know if they will let you walk, you can ask.
Beautiful, challenging.
For pure golf, no amenities try Osprey Valley. All three courses are walkable. Both the Heath and the Hoot are highly recommended.

You have alot of options. But I would go with one of those three.
I hear Eagles Nest is going to have a long weekend special, I would look at that if it was available as well.
Good luck.
Pud.

[iyell4]

St.Andrew's Valley
368 St. Johns Sideroad East
Aurora
905.727.7888
check it out @ ... http://www.standrewsvalley.com

http://www.standrewsvalley.com/images/aerial-photo.jpg

[Bellyhungry]

I recommend taking the drive to Niagara Falls to play Grand Niagara. The course just opened mid July. It is a Rees Jones (Open Doctor) design with his signature two-tier greens and bunkering.

Closer to home, just for the the wow-appeal, Bond Head and Eagle's Nest are two that I would recommend.

[Big Shooter]

Here are 5 courses in 5 different areas I would HIGHLY recommend:

Grey Silo (Kitchener/Waterloo)
Legends of the Niagara "Battlefield" (Niagara)
Forest City National (London)
Black Bear Ridge (Belleville)
Ballantrae (northeast of Newmarket)

...some of these tracks don't even cost $100, but ALL are Very Nice tracks, and YOU WILL NOT BE DISAPPOINTED! ;)

[Faemow]

What no Wooden Sticks? I've been told they take a famous hole from around the world and duplicate it. But those are rumors and I have $$ to play at these places. Yes I take donations as well.

[Big Shooter]

What no Wooden Sticks? I've been told they take a famous hole from around the world and duplicate it. But those are rumors and I have $$ to play at these places. Yes I take donations as well.
Just say NO to Wooden Gimmicks! :D

[pudubny]

Big Shooter,
Interesting take on the sticks. I must admit I enjoy the course overall but it has a different feel to it knowing it's not an original design. I cannot understand how course raters treat it highly. It has at least 4 different styles of golf holes and I personally think it's gimmicky as well. I think year after year it will go down in reviewers estimation as has Lionhead.
The original designs at Woodensticks are very good holes but overall I think the experience is just strange. Ron Garl who "designed" Woodensticks did a great job at Taboo, a far superior course and experience, but with the Mike Weir gimmick.
Pud.

[TpBoomer]

Given some of the folks that post here, I'm surprised nobody has said Angus Glen yet. I have not yet played the north course, but I love the south course.

[Rocknronny]

Given some of the folks that post here, I'm surprised nobody has said Angus Glen yet. I have not yet played the north course, but I love the south course.Well then Angus after 1:00 is $120..:cool:

[TehFlakes]

all ive played is the north coarse.
Thanks Jeff:) love your rates.

and ronny for the ride:)

[snafu]

Without a doubt...


EAGLES NEST

I love CopperCreek but Eagles Nest is just that much nicer and tougher.

[Big Shooter]

Without a doubt...


EAGLES NEST

I love CopperCreek but Eagles Nest is just that much nicer and tougher.
...agree with your assessment of these two fine tracks...

...but NEITHER meet the $100 +/- criteria!:nono:

[intherough]

Copper Creek might fit the bill... weekends after 12:00 is "only" $110 including a cart.

However, that Angus Glen long weekend deal is looking pretty tasty... any high handicappers interested in getting a foursome together to take advantage of that one?

[mikejb]

The Club at Bond Head. $80 + tax after 12. I will be there this weekend. That fits your price range dead on. ($92 I think tax in with range).

[Golftool]

Without a doubt...


EAGLES NEST

I love CopperCreek but Eagles Nest is just that much nicer and tougher.

STAY AWAY FROM EAGLES DUMP! NOT WORTH THE $$$$$$!
If you want a challenging course - go to BOND HEAD! Can be very long (depending on tee decks) and for the $$$ its a good deal and its out in the country where its quiet and NOT BUILT NEXT TO A DUMP!

[snafu]

STAY AWAY FROM EAGLES DUMP! NOT WORTH THE $$$$$$!
If you want a challenging course - go to BOND HEAD! Can be very long (depending on tee decks) and for the $$$ its a good deal and its out in the country where its quiet and NOT BUILT NEXT TO A DUMP!:rolleyes:

What part of Eagles Nest is it you didn't care for?
For your information, that dump was closed down a few years ago..
Perhaps you might want to keep up on current events mmkay?
The air there is not even an issue.

Or have you even bothered to play it... before running it down?

If it's the price that bothers people, weekends after 12pm, you can play it for $125 which includes, cart, and range.
Which compared to the prices shown on Bond Head's site, $145 makes Eagles Nest all that much more attractive if you don't feel like spending another $20 in gas to drive 3/4 of the way up to Barrie and back.

[mikejb]

Otis, do note that I played Bond Head this weekend for $86 with tax and a cart.

I would drive halfway to Barrie to pay that again, and I plan on it. I am just suggesting, don't beleive everything you read.

[Golftool]

:rolleyes:

What part of Eagles Nest is it you didn't care for?
For your information, that dump was closed down a few years ago..
Perhaps you might want to keep up on current events mmkay?
The air there is not even an issue.

Or have you even bothered to play it... before running it down?

If it's the price that bothers people, weekends after 12pm, you can play it for $125 which includes, cart, and range.
Which compared to the prices shown on Bond Head's site, $145 makes Eagles Nest all that much more attractive if you don't feel like spending another $20 in gas to drive 3/4 of the way up to Barrie and back.
Ahem* - i know the dump is closed - but you can still smell it! (see other posts on this site about it)
I have played it and althought it is a nice course - it is not worth the $$$$$ (especially since its built next to a dump!)
I did find it challenging and in fairly good condition but still not worth the $$$$. As said before - golf is meant to be played with NATURE in mind. I have found that Bond Head is fairly secluded and when you look around all you see is fairways/fescue and fields. Not a mound of dirt covering garbage (with the occasional wiff) trucks & dirt etc.
It should be $100 course not what they are charging.
And Bond Head will have a second 18 ready for next year (more to choose)
If given the chance to play both - i would choose Bond Head - just my 2c! Thats all - we're ALL intilted to opinions hear aren't we?

[snafu]

Ahem* - i know the dump is closed - but you can still smell it! (see other posts on this site about it)Actually no... there is no smell and you too can see other posts on this very site about that, tool.

I have played it and althought it is a nice course - it is not worth the $$$$$ (especially since its built next to a dump!) Again.. your argument is based on it being built on property that was once located next to what was a dump.
Well hell, if that were the case, nobody should ever dare play Rattlesnake because it was built right across the street from a dump.

I did find it challenging and in fairly good condition but still not worth the $$$$. As said before - golf is meant to be played with NATURE in mind. I have found that Bond Head is fairly secluded and when you look around all you see is fairways/fescue and fields. Not a mound of dirt covering garbage (with the occasional wiff) trucks & dirt etc. :rolleyes:

Still hung up on that dump that closed down over 3 years ago eh?
Gee tool, if you had really played like you say you have then you must have slept through all of the front nine and the majority of the back nine because it's fairly secluded and all you see (other than Dufferin Street on the first two holes) is fairways, fescue and forest.
Not a single truck or mound of dirt covering any garbage...

It should be $100 course not what they are charging. Well by all means... and Angus Glen should be a $100 course, Wooden Sticks should be a $80 course, Osprey should be a $70 course...Lionhead should be a $90 course for both 18's...

But the fact is, none of them are..
They all charge far more than what any of us would really want to pay.
That's just the fact of GTA golf.
And Bond Head will have a second 18 ready for next year (more to choose)
If given the chance to play both - i would choose Bond Head - just my 2c! Thats all - we're ALL intilted to opinions hear aren't we?Well good for them..
I'm sure Bond Head already is and is going to be an excellent choice for GTA golfers for years to come.
However, I think it's unfair for someone to constantly and inaccurately slight Eagles Nest based on what is not present.

But since we're all entitled to our opinions I think it would be appropriate for me to post this quote from golfdigest's review of the two:

Eagles Nest is far more diverse, in several ways. The holes are lined by huge dunes, some created during course construction, others created long ago as spoil piles during mining operations. As a result, holes are far more isolated from one another than they are at Bond Head. It's more akin to Ballybunion, while Bond Head is more like Portmarnock.Link (http://www.golfdigest.com/courses/critic/index.ssf?/courses/critic/eaglesnest.html)

[snafu]

Otis, do note that I played Bond Head this weekend for $86 with tax and a cart.

I would drive halfway to Barrie to pay that again, and I plan on it. I am just suggesting, don't beleive everything you read.Sure, for that price anyone in their right mind should make the trip to play what I'm sure is a fantastic course.

My point was based on what both sites listed their normal green fees as though.

Of course, both are by far, superior deals and if Bond Head is even half the course that Eagles Nest is, much better options than blowing $200 plus on a round at the Abbey.

[neltron3030]

Without a doubt...


EAGLES NEST

I love CopperCreek but Eagles Nest is just that much nicer and tougher.

Tougher does not necessarily mean nicer. In a lot of cases, playing a stupidly difficult course could ruin your view on it. No one wants to go to a sweet course and end up shooting 120.

Neil

[snafu]

Tougher does not necessarily mean nicer. In a lot of cases, playing a stupidly difficult course could ruin your view on it. No one wants to go to a sweet course and end up shooting 120.

NeilThat's why I said "nicer AND tougher"

Contrarily, you can have the nicest, sweetest course and shoot a 70 on it but if it's not a truely tough test of your ability...
You're only fooling yourself....

Maybe it's just me but... I prefer to play courses that are well manicured and going to kick my *** if I make a mistake out there.

[mikemakeitso]

Silver Lakes... approx $95 /w out a cart.
Osprey Valley... $85+

[RobertThompson]

From a design perspective, Eagles Nest is probably the most impressive course to be built in Canada since the National opened in 1976. The variety of holes, the greens and the fairway contours make EN quite spectacular. I don't know what this discussion of a "smell" is, since I've played the course a couple of dozen times and have never encoutered this. Besides, there is no "dump" nearby; it is a capped landfill, not all that different from Braeban. Except, Eagles Nest was built next to the capped landfill and not on it.

Oh, and historically golf has little to do with so-called "nature." Most of the great courses upon which the game was founded (Carnoustie and the Old Course, for example) are set right in or near towns. At Carnoustie the train roars right by several of the holes. This notion that a golf course should be secluded is a modern notion with little basis in history. Sure a course in Muskoka is nice and quiet, but that doesn't make it a better course from Toronto Golf, or Rosedale or St. George's or Eagles Nest, all of which are set in urban locations. The quality of the golf has little to do with its boundaries and everything to do with the land it is built on. Given the land Eagles Nest was built upon and the land Doug Carrick was able to move, the course is exceptional.

Is it worth $175? Probably once a year. Surely Bond Head is a good value at $90, or whatever afternoon rate they are currently charging, but has anyone asked themselves why the price has fallen so quickly at Bond Head? I think the course is a fine design, with a couple of notable exceptions, but it is also a half hour north of EN. That drive is too far for the corporate market they are trying to attract.

If you are looking for "value" these days, one has to drive a long way from Toronto. Ballantrae still seems fairly priced, and a number of the courses around Hamilton come in well under $100.

That said, has anyone played the Mystic Golf Club that just opened near Hamilton? I have an invite and have to decide whether it is worth the drive.

[Bellyhungry]

If you are looking for a good round of golf and appreciate well-designed golf course, try Grand Niagara Resort.

Designed by Rees Jones and opened in July of this year.

[iyah]

That said, has anyone played the Mystic Golf Club that just opened near Hamilton? I have an invite and have to decide whether it is worth the drive.

I didn't think this course was opening until next year. Do you know what the greens fees are?

I heard the were planning on +$150.

I drove by in the spring, it was far from finished. Some of the holes looked nice, but it was hard to get a sense of the full course.

[westbeach]

Actually no... there is no smell and you too can see other posts on this very site about that, tool.

Again.. your argument is based on it being built on property that was once located next to what was a dump.
Well hell, if that were the case, nobody should ever dare play Rattlesnake because it was built right across the street from a dump.

:rolleyes:

Still hung up on that dump that closed down over 3 years ago eh?
Gee tool, if you had really played like you say you have then you must have slept through all of the front nine and the majority of the back nine because it's fairly secluded and all you see (other than Dufferin Street on the first two holes) is fairways, fescue and forest.
Not a single truck or mound of dirt covering any garbage...

Well by all means... and Angus Glen should be a $100 course, Wooden Sticks should be a $80 course, Osprey should be a $70 course...Lionhead should be a $90 course for both 18's...

But the fact is, none of them are..
They all charge far more than what any of us would really want to pay.
That's just the fact of GTA golf.
Well good for them..
I'm sure Bond Head already is and is going to be an excellent choice for GTA golfers for years to come.
However, I think it's unfair for someone to constantly and inaccurately slight Eagles Nest based on what is not present.

But since we're all entitled to our opinions I think it would be appropriate for me to post this quote from golfdigest's review of the two:

Link (http://www.golfdigest.com/courses/critic/index.ssf?/courses/critic/eaglesnest.html)
Wow, this reminds me of the time a Ferrari owner argued with a Lamborghini owner over which car was better.

Point is they're both great and pick the course that attracts you most. Don't base it on what detracts you most.

[duffer_devon]

That said, has anyone played the Mystic Golf Club that just opened near Hamilton? I have an invite and have to decide whether it is worth the drive.


I had the opportunity to take a tour of the course in early July and unless you are a single digit handicap don't pay to play this course.

At least 9 of the 14 tee shots are forced carries of about 220-230 yards (and that's not from the tips) over a ravine (covered in fescue so you will not be able to find your ball)to fairways that are 20-25 yards wide.

I don't know what the designer was thinking but this is not a playable course for 90% of golfers.

[Big Shooter]

I had the opportunity to take a tour of the course in early July and unless you are a single digit handicap don't pay to play this course.

At least 9 of the 14 tee shots are forced carries of about 220-230 yards (and that's not from the tips) over a ravine (covered in fescue so you will not be able to find your ball)to fairways that are 20-25 yards wide.

I don't know what the designer was thinking but this is not a playable course for 90% of golfers.Sounds right up my groups alley
"...they got our money, let's Play it from the Tips Boys!!!";)

[ilovegolf]

Why not play Coral Creek, it is a HIDDEN GEM after all. and the sandwiches are world famous. Plus it is only 39$ to walk on the weekend. Plus when you get sick of the dump after the second hole. Copetown Woods is only 35 minutes North.

[ilovegolf]

I agree with shooter, it is like buying a house when you pay your money and they offer you any amount of real estate with the property, which one of us would settle for less than the maximum. Anyone who breaks 90 should always play the back tees.

[garygolf]

I loved the Rock if u want to drive to Muskokas, not sure if u would want to walk it though. And make sure you hit it straight!
I thought that course was just amazing, and a deal for the price, ($90ish i think)