The days of summer are dwindling. Have you gotten enough golf?
Golf travel writer Brian Kendall was online earlier to take your questions on the best golf travel destination in Canada.
Your questions and Mr. Kendall's answers will appear at the bottom of this page once the discussion has begun.
Toronto-based writer Brian Kendall does most of the golf travel writing for The Globe and Mail and contributes to golf and lifestyle magazines around the world. Mr. Kendall is also the author of six books, including Northern Links: Canada From Tee to Tee (RandomHouse), which describes his adventures in Canadian golf.
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Mike Reddick, Kingston: Hi Brian, If you had to suggest one hidden gem in Southern Ontario, somewhere really worthy of a weekend getaway, where would it be?
Brian Kendall: Hi Mike: Actually, I have two suggestions, both located in the popular Muskoka Lakes district, about a two-hour drive north of Toronto. The first is the South Muskoka Golf and Curling Club course, a Robbie Robinson valley design in the town of Bracebridge. Robinson began his career in 1929 as an assistant to the legendary Stanley Thompson, the greatest of all Canadian golf architects. He injected drama and challenge into South Muskoka with a series of sharp doglegs through mature forests. Distance off the tee is secondary to pinpoint accuracy throughout the 6,427-yard layout. My second suggestion is Windermere Golf and Country Club, about a half-hour drive from South Muskoka in the village of Windermere. This course also has a Stanley Thompson connection. The designer, George Cumming, a Canadian Open champion, was an early mentor to Thompson. Cumming's 6,443-yard layout features water hazards, snug, tree-lined fairways and postage stamp-sized greens. Both South Muskoka and Windermere are very reasonably priced. But if you want to splurge while you're in the area, book a tee time at Muskoka Bay, a gorgeous Doug Carrick design near the town of Gravenhurst that opened to considerable fanfare last summer.
Dave Rigby, Toronto: Hi Brian. My fiancee and I travel regularly each winter to the Caribbean and enjoy our golf while away. Could you advise on your favourite warm weather winter golf destinations and secondly, where a couple of your favourite European (mainland) golf destinations might be? Thanks kindly! Dave
Brian Kendall: Hi Dave: Jamaica has long been considered the jewel of the Caribbean among knowledgeable golf travellers. Base yourself in the Montego Bay area, on the dramatic northwestern coast, and then treat yourself to rounds at White Witch Golf Club, Cinnamon Hill Golf Course, Half Moon Golf Club, and Tryall Golf Club. White Witch is especially memorable. It's a murderously difficult Robert von Hagge-Rick Baril design affording spectacular views of the Caribbean from almost every hole. White Witch, Half Moon and Cinnamon Hill are all attached to luxury resorts less than five minutes apart by car in rolling countryside east of the city. Tryall, the former home of the Johnnie Walker World Championship, is located about 20 kilometres west of Montego Bay, but is well worth the drive.
How big is your budget for a European golf vacation? For a real splurge, visit the French Riviera, where more than 30 courses are tucked between the Cote d'Azur and the hills of Provence. One standout: St. Donat Golf and Country Club, near Cannes, a Robert Trent Jones Jr. design where the hazards include a Roman bridge.
