MICHAEL GRANGE
Sports Reporter
Saturday, June 5, 1999

Nobleton, Ont. -- There's a modern-age castle at the 12th tee at Nobleton Lakes Golf Club.

It's made of grey stone, complete with turrets.

Legend has it that the home was built by a prominent Toronto-area deep-pocket type -- Frank Stronach, says one version; Ed Mirvish, says another -- as a wedding present for his daughter. A castle for a princess.

Problem was -- the story goes -- the huge home never caught the daughter's fancy. She never moved in, and the home has remained empty in the years since, a lonely structure looming over the golfers on the fairway below.

Sort of like the 18th green at Nobleton, one of the Toronto area's best public golf courses.

Like the castle, the green at the end of the 450-yard par-four (from the blues; it's 490 yards from the back tees) looms above the fairway, distant and foreboding. And like the castle, it generally remains empty and untouched -- at least in regulation.

No wonder. Getting to the green in two shots requires a PGA Tour quality offering from the tee -- but not too long -- as water centre and left are in play for the monster-mash types. Then you need to follow up with something in the range of 180 yards, uphill to a well-protected green with the narrowest of run-up areas. Needless to add, the prevailing winds, and the golf gods, are generally against you.

The amazing thing about Nobleton Lakes is that the 18th is only the end of a murderer's-row finish of five of the most demanding holes anywhere.

Individually they have double-bogey written all over them, and collectively they can turn a decent round into a nightmare. Greg Hickey, the head professional at Nobleton for the past 13 years, provided an indication of their difficulty. He set a course record with a superb six-under 66 last month and was thrilled to play the last five holes one under par.

It starts on the 14th, a shortish par-four that demands a delicate pitch over water; the 15th is another par-four, but this time a more demanding 389 yards. It doglegs to the right and hugs a lake. The fairway tilts toward the water, making your mid-iron approach to the long, shallow green that sits on the edge of the lake even more treacherous.

The 16th may be the most memorable hole at Nobleton. The tee is elevated and looks over a lake to a seemingly tiny island green. It was playing 183 yards when we were there (218 yards from the back), and yielded one of the most satisfying pars of the season.

The 566-yard 17th is considered the easiest of this closing stretch, but we're not sure why. It demands a solid tee shot to an elevated fairway with sand protecting the landing area on the left, and out of bounds in play all the way along the right side.

Even a strong second leaves longer hitters an approach from a downhill lie that has to flirt with two massive bunkers in front of a well-tiered green. Running the ball up requires pinpoint accuracy.

If you get through all of this, you then have the duty of playing the 18th. No wonder there's a sign on the clubhouse as you walk off the final green offering the reminder: "Smile, it's only a golf game. Visit our 19th hole."

Nobleton, owned by George Papadomou and brothers Nick and Tom Torkos, was designed by the ubiquitous Muylaert clan and opened in 1975. Brothers Charlie and Rene Muylaert worked together on the layout that gently winds and rolls through a smallish subdivision of biggish homes and features some tree-lined holes on the front, a generally open back nine and no shortage of water. Conditioning of greens and fairways is very good.

Those who like to save a few dollars by walking a course, or who simply prefer it, may be disappointed in that Nobleton is a carts-only track, but it would be a tough hike for all but the hardiest player. Those who like to ride will be delighted to know the cart is included in the $80 peak green fee.

Regardless, anyone who navigates Nobleton's signature closing holes with a couple of pars and no disasters will be more than delighted. They won't need a sign reminding them to smile.

They'll feel like royalty, fit for a castle.

Where: On Highway 27, two kilometres north of King Side Road, about 20 minutes from the junction of Highway 401 and Highway 400.
Statistics: 7,089 yards from the back with a rating of 75.3 and a slope of 145; 6,420 yards from the blues with a rating of 72.4 and a slope of 139.
Head professional: Greg Hickey.
Fees: $80 on Fridays, weekends and holidays; twilight rate is $60 after 3 p.m.; $50 after 4 p.m. Monday to Thursday it's $74 with a twilight rate of $55 after 3 p.m. and $45 after 4 p.m. All fees include carts.
Facilities: Warm-up range and putting green; fully equipped pro shop; club rentals; showers and lockers; restaurant; facilities for banquets and meetings.
The word: A topnotch track, Nobleton Lakes Golf Club is a risk-reward course: the risk is playing it at all, the reward is playing it well.
Contact: 905-859-4070.