A trip to Northern
Ontario is well worth
the time, effort

By John Gordon,
Associate Editor

Many visitors to Ontario have never even considered going more than a couple of hours north of Toronto. More's the pity for, you see, a three- or four-day jaunt to Northern Ontario is well worth the time and effort, and will be repaid many times over in great golf, affordable accommodations, and expanses of unspoiled scenery.

We're not talking about north of Superior, or Hudson Bay. We're talking about the so-called "Near North," and it's much nearer than you ever imagined. For your edification, we've mapped out a sample excursion, a triangle from Toronto to Sudbury, east to North Bay and back home.

From Toronto, head north on Highway 400. Stop, if you must, at highly ranked National Pines, taking the Innisfil exit just south of Barrie, about 45 minutes from downtown Toronto. But don't tarry for long. The best is yet to come.

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The 400 extension leading to Parry Sound and Sudbury will carry you in four-lane comfort until it turns into Highway 69, snaking through the myriad lakes, dense forests and stone cliffs of the Canadian Shield. Just past Mactier, you will again be enticed to turn east on Hamer Bay Road to ClubLink's Rocky Crest Resort. Both the golf course and the accommodations are terrific, but the Cdn $150 guest fee is far too high for our purposes. Heck, that would cover a weekend of golf, accommodations and meals in places we're going, with enough left over to cover the gas.

Continue on a few more kilometres to Parry Sound Golf and Country Club (705-342-5262, $55) which Ron Gill calls "the consummate Northern Ontario golf course, with the pre-Cambrian shield sticking out everywhere, and lined with pine trees." Gill, who acts as both head pro and club manager, says most visitors don't realize that this well-conditioned, challenging 6,000-yarder just over two hours north of Toronto was designed by Thomas McBroom. With a Slope of 132, it's no pushover, despite its lack of length. Give the driver most of the day off, since missing fairways is severely punished here.

After a night spent at one of any number of hotels, motels and resorts in and around this scenic and growing town, cruise for 90 minutes or so to Sudbury and play "The Wolf" - Timberwolf, that is. This McBroom-designed masterpiece was named best new course in the country in 2000 by Golf Digest magazine and is the crown jewel of Northern Ontario golf.

More than 7,100 yards long, Timberwolf (timberwolfgolf.com, 877-689-8853) is bentgrass from tee to green, swooping around an expansive property that tested Canadian Tour players in past years. The sprawling layout is notably for its tough par-4s, as well as the ninth and 18th holes, both par-5s with environmentally protected wetlands traversing the fairways. McBroom, and understudy Chris Nelson, did a terrific job of bunkering this course, particularly around the enormous greens. The putting surfaces average 7,000 square feet, ranging from 5,500 on the par-5 opening hole to 9,000 on the par-3 15th.

Other possibilities Northern Ontario offers many fun courses, although the conditioning and amenities may not be first rate. Be advised, though, that the hospitality and value more than compensate. Eighteen-hole courses are increasingly rare as you head north, but two laps around a good nine-hole course can be just as satisfying in many cases. Here are some examples. Lively Golf and Country Club (705-692-1087): Once referred to as the golfing jewel of the North, Lively is typical of older courses in this area. Narrow, tree-lined fairways, crisscrossed by a meandering creek require more finesse than power. It runs $33 for 18 holes. New Liskeard Golf Club (705-647-6611): The only 18-hole course between Timmins and North Bay, New Liskeard GC is built on rolling terrain, but an easy walk. Deer, and even moose, are frequently seen on the 185-yard 13th hole. It runs $35 for 18 holes. Kirkland Lake Golf Club (705-642-3456): Many think this is best nine-holer in Northern Ontario. Fairways and greens are maintained with a modern irrigation system, and a creek wanders across just about every hole. It runs $30 for 18 holes. Haileybury Golf Club (705-672-3455): This Scottish links-style nine-holer is the oldest in Northern Ontario, dating back to 1921. Its short yardage is offset by small, sloping greens and uneven fairway lies. It runs $30 for 18 holes. Huron Pines Golf and Country Club (huronpines.com, 705-356-1663): Noted architect Graham Cooke has worked his magic on this former nine-hole layout in Blind River, transforming it into an excellent 18-holer. It runs $40 for 18 holes. Stay-and-play packages start at $119. Timmins offers Spruce Needles ($36 for 18 holes) and the recently expanded 27-hole Hollinger course ($39 for 18 holes). More details on these and other Northern Ontario courses are available On the Web at tee-off.ca/northernontario.htm.

Its astoundingly low $55 weekday rate is bolstered by stay-and-play packages that start at $89 and include 18 holes, power cart, complimentary practice facility, club cleaning and storage, accommodations at one of 10 partner hotels and a $20 "gaming package" from Sudbury Racetrack Slots.

"It's obviously a great golf course," says Timberwolf owner Sam Yawney, "but when you mention Sudbury to most Toronto people, they think you're talking about the Arctic Circle. They would think nothing of driving three and a half hours south to go somewhere like Cleveland, but going north? That's a whole different matter."

After one, or perhaps two, days in Sudbury, go east on Highway 17 to North Bay. You may be able to arrange a round through your pro at the historic and private North Bay Golf and Country Club, designed by Stanley Thompson, but all is not lost if you can't.

Links (ospreylinksgolf.com, 705-752-5225) hosted the Canadian Tour's 2000 Ontario Open when it was just a year old, and the ensuing years have enhanced its maturity. Still lacking a permanent clubhouse, the Rene Muylaert design is a par-71, 6,442-yard test. Sloped at 130 from the tips, the course has a split personality: links style on the front, heavily wooded and rugged on the back.

Head pro Jeff Rogerson says the $41 peak green fee illustrates the difference between this region and the overheated Muskoka market. "It's the nature of the market. If you compare this course to many in Muskoka or Southern Ontario, the price would be at least double that. Golf up here is the best buy you'll ever find." A deal with the nearby Clarion Resort Pinewood Park offers 18 holes at both Osprey Links and the executive-length Pinewood Park, overnight accommodation, dinner and breakfast for $170 per person.

Heading back south on Highway 11 through Huntsville, Bracebridge, Gravenhurst and Orillia, ever closer to crime, grime, and paying big time in the Big Smoke, you're more than welcome to stop at any number of moderately priced, enjoyable courses. By the beginning of the 2004 golf season, four-lane highways will be extended to both North Bay and Parry Sound, thus reducing the number of excuses made not to travel to Northern Ontario.