ADAM STANLEY: Golf Trip to Prince Edward Island

Written by Adam Stanley in partnership with Golf Prince Edward Island

 

The 11th tee at The Links at Crowbush Cove is the kind of setting that golfers think about when you formulate an idyllic place in the game.

 

It’s a long climb up to the elevated tee box – the stairway to heaven, it’s often called – then you look out to the ocean, a half-dozen other holes, and a long par 5 in front of you.

 

 

Golf on Prince Edward Island is full of vistas like that. Places to think, well, what more could you ask for?

 

We can start with Crowbush because that’s where those who know, already know, and those who don’t probably will soon enough. It’s the Island’s top-ranked course for a reason (many, actually) and for those who haven’t been in a while, you’ll see a more open linksy layout after Hurricane Fiona made landfall and ripped up hundreds of trees. What’s happened now, however, is a golf course – especially the first five holes – that plays clean and clear. The humps and bumps remain, but the course is more open than ever.

 

After the opening five, my personal favourite stretch remains Nos.6-8. The two par-3s play before-and-after the short par-4 7th heading towards the ocean. No. 9 brings you back towards the clubhouse before a solid dogleg par-4 10th and then the iconic and aforementioned par-5 11th.

 

The 16th remains an oceanside beauty, while the devilish par-3 17th now features a new-ish tee box but continues to be one of the shortest little tricksters on the island. Still, Crowbush is Crowbush – a windswept, love-letter to links golf that’s nothing short of a joy to play.

 

Speaking of joys – it was an absolute pleasure to tee it up alongside Lorie Kane at Mill River. The club, about 90 minutes from Charlottetown, is seeing Kane come on board as a consultant and her multi-decade career at the top of the golfing world will lend itself well to the 50-plus year-old club.

 

The parkland layout is a layered challenge for golfers of all skill levels with plenty of water hazards and risk-reward opportunities. The difficult double-dip of Nos. 13 and 14 are back-nine standouts, while the par-3 5th is a personal highlight. Remember those vistas we talked about? Take this shorty on from the back-back tees and enjoy watching your ball sail down to the green below. An immaculate green setting early in the round.

 

While there are more than a dozen options for great golf on PEI, a pleasant surprise that was less than 10 minutes from Charlottetown’s iconic downtown core is Fox Meadow Golf Course.

 

The course has embraced its natural PEI surroundings – driving in there’s no way to assume what spectacular topography awaits – and the expansive layout means it’s awfully forgiving off the tee. The downhill par-3 7th is a personal favourite while the closers – both Nos. 9 and 18 – offer special conclusions with their mix of second-shot challenges.

 

 

The most special of conclusions at Fox Meadow, however, is the 19th hole. Recently taken over by Lone Oak, a craft brewery on the island, the newly renovated spot (which now includes an upstairs patio overlooking the course) features more than a half-dozen of Lone Oak’s finest craft beers, cocktails, and idyllic post-round snacks.

 

Golf on PEI is unique enough for its red-sand bunkers, natural surrounds, and ease-of-access to so many courses all within a two-hour (at the very maximum) radius. But it’s the views and the vibes that will encourage you to want to keep coming back.