Arriving at Holland Landing's Silver Lakes Golf and Country Club, one is immediately struck by how distant you feel from the hustle and bustle of Toronto, a 40-minute drive south.

It's not just that the pleasing championship layout winds in and out of a mature forest with nary a car, house or other sign of non-golfing real life in sight.

There's something else. Maybe it's the Aqua Range, where golfers can warm up and hit "floater" balls into the irrigation pond that doubles as a practice range (When else can you can get wet with a 7-iron and feel good about it?).

Maybe it's the stands of birch trees, or the gentle roll of the land or the white-sand bunkers. Whatever.

When Silver Lakes' director of golf, Ian Crebbin, says "90 per cent of the people who play here say it reminds them of the Carolinas," you can see why.

Even better, the green fees are in Canadian dollars and provide excellent value for a challenging track that prides itself on having some of the best-conditioned fairways in the greater Toronto area.

As well, you don't have to take a cart unless you want to, a rarity in Myrtle Beach, S.C. There's no need for one. Silver Lakes is perfectly routed for walkers. It rolls a little, but is generally flat, and the longest walk from one green to the next tee is no more than 100 metres.

But despite the Carolina comparisons, don't come here for a vacation, to cut loose. Golfing at Silver Lakes is a righteous experience that rewards those who stay on the straight and narrow.

Those who dare to stray are punished for their recklessness.

It's fun, if you're into that sort of thing.

Opened in 1994 on a 200-acre plot of land that owner and president Charles Penstone bought in 1959, Silver Lakes is a demanding, though fair, test of your skill. There are five tee decks to play from, so if you find it plays too long, you have only your ego to blame; forced carries are few and far between.

But no matter whether you're hitting from the back tees or the front -- a beefy 7,029 yards and a reasonable 5,092 yards, respectively -- if you have intentions of scoring well at Silver Lakes, you must be precise and of good golfing character.

Since the course was carved out of forest and because there is water on 14 of 18 holes (not all of which is in play, thankfully), long and crooked off the tee translates into a lots of orphaned golf balls. The low-lying woods also means that bugs can be a problem in the early part of the season, but they're the least of your worries.

From the get-go, it's clear that accuracy off the tee is going to be important. The opening holes -- two modest par-fours, and a short par-three -- are among the easiest on the course, as long as you don't bend it off the tee.

If your handicap is still within reach after making it through the fourth, fifth and sixth holes -- which rank individually as the fifth, third and seventh hardest stops and collectively as Silver Lakes' hardest stretch -- you've done very well.

And no matter how well you did there, the par-five eighth is lurking to make or break you again, with a tricky risk-reward tee shot over water.

The safe approach demands you stay left of the lake and land your drive in a narrow fairway that takes getting to the green in two shots out of the equation.

Carrying the water and giving yourself a chance of getting on in two requires a confident 240-yard poke.

This is kids' stuff compared with the monster par-five 14th, which measures 570 yards from the blue tees (595 from the back), has the Aqua Range on the left in play from the tee and is out-of-bounds all the way down the right side.

Did we mention it plays into the wind?

An added benefit to the emphasis on keeping the ball in the fairway -- besides scoring advantages -- is the conditions you find when you're there. With the soil of the Holland Marsh to work with, superintendent Dave Nicholls delivers lush, consistent carpets. For those who don't hit from the fairway often, they're still nice to walk on.

All in all, a morally upstanding golf experience: Take the straight and narrow and you shall be rewarded, in more ways than one.

Silver Lakes has one other similarity to the Carolinas -- it can be very busy. They were turning away 2,000 golfers a week during last summer's peak.

Too bad it doesn't open in March.

COURSE DESCRIPTION

Where: Silver Lakes Golf and Country Club is located north of Newmarket, at 2114 Yonge St., north of Davis Drive, east of Highway 11.

Director of golf: Ian Crebbin.

Statistics: 7,029 yards from the back tees, with a course rating of 73 and a slope rating of 131.

Fees: $65 on Fridays, weekends and holidays; $55 otherwise. Twilight rates (a $10 discount) are available after 3:30. Cart fees are $30, plus tax.

Facilities: Practice range; putting green; chipping area; club rentals; fully equipped pro shop and clubhouse; showers and lockers available.

The word: Good conditioning; good service; good value; hit it straight.

Contact: Bookings can be made five days in advance. Call 1-800-465-PUTT, or 905-836-8070.