Toronto -- With all the fuss last month about the U.S. Open finally being played at Pinehurst No. 2, the historic Donald Ross course that many consider the United States's answer to the Old Course at St. Andrews, perhaps it's appropriate to consider a piece of Canada's golf history.

Lakeview Golf Course is one of the busiest tracks in Southern Ontario, a workhorse owned by the City of Mississauga that offers some great golf at a reasonable price in a convenient location. As a result, it probably will see about 50,000 rounds of golf this year, a staggering total.

The course has thoroughbred genes. When you tee off at Lakeview you're walking in the footsteps of the legendary Gene Sarazen, one of the top golfers of the century and a participant in the Canadian Open here in 1934.

He didn't win it -- that honour belonged to Tommy Armour, who still has a popular brand of clubs carrying his name.

In 1923 Lakeview hosted the Open for the first time, and C. W. Hackney won that event -- there's no truth to the rumour that he beat W. C. Duffney in a playoff. Lakeview also hosted the first Ontario Open and the first Ontario Amateur.

The once private club was taken over by the City of Mississauga in 1965, and in the years since, generations of local golfers have been able to enjoy the Herbert Strong-designed layout that was once a test for the best golfers in the world.

Lakeview is still a testing layout and it has recently had a facelift. There's a new clubhouse, you can now take a power cart, and the tee boxes have been rebuilt.

But the cosmetic changes do little to change the fact that Lakeview's charm is the interesting shot-making it demands.

The course is generally tight, with fairways lined with mature trees, which -- along with a creek that meanders through the property -- provide most of the natural hazards on a layout that has enough quirks to give first-time players more than their share of surprises.

The teeth of the front nine are in two holes: The fifth, a 591-yard par five that features a narrow chute to navigate off the tee and a creek that runs along the left side, and the sixth, a long par four that generally plays into the wind, and is a hard-earned par for anyone.

The other par five on the front, the seventh, is much gentler at 476 yards, and offers even medium-length hitters the rare chance at an eagle putt or chip. But the memorable aspects of the seventh are the chickens a neighbour raises in his backyard adjoining the fairway -- a sight you don't see every day -- and the busy railway tracks that run about 10 yards behind the green. A train roaring by can add another test to putting the sloped green.

The pace of play is often an issue at Lakeview. Typically things come to a head on the long par-three ninth hole. At well over 200 yards, with a large bunker guarding most of the green, it's just a tough hole that can take a while to play. It's rare not to get a bottleneck of two to three foursomes here, so keep your cool.

The back nine is probably most memorable for the bell hole, the par-four 12th. The sharp dogleg requires a careful tee shot (right of centre works) into a valley. You can't see the landing area, so players are required to ring a bell once they clear.

But clearing can be a problem, as your second shot is to a small, sloped green that sits on a shelf 50 feet above the fairway, and makes it play at least two clubs longer. Target golf at its finest, Lakeview devotees say. Strange hole, say first timers.

Any championship course, even one whose heyday is long past, has to have a strong finish, and Lakeview is no exception.

The par-five 16th is divided by the creek, which can come into play for longer hitters off the tee, and is a factor for shorter hitters on their second shots.

The long, narrow green is protected by steep mounds on the right and the creek and messy underbrush on the left, and yields par only to the precise.

The par-three 17th plays to two different greens on alternate weeks to give each of them time to heal from the heavy traffic. If it's playing north-to-south, water is in play right and long; if it's east-west, missing the tiny green means chipping from deep rough.

The best hole on the course may be the 18th. A soft dogleg to a steeply crowned green, tee shots must carry the creek about 180 yards out, but must not run through the fairway if you hope to hold the green and have a chance at par. It's a very rewarding finish, and features one other bonus for those who know the course: Veterans who hit to the left half of the fairway will often take their bags right to their cars, as the parking lot adjoins the fairway. Why haul them up to the green and back?

That's the thing about Lakeview: experience pays.

Where: Dixie Road, south of the QEW.

Statistics: 6,356 yards at the tips, with a 70 rating.

Head professional: Ted Pease.

Fees: $33 Monday to Thursday; $36 weekends and holidays. Bookings can be made one week in advance, but can't be made over the phone. One member of a foursome must purchase a green fee ticket in person. Book early. Twilight rate is $19 after 5:30 but is available on a first-come, first-serve basis only.

Facilities: Club rentals, lockers, showers, putting green, pro-shop, licenced lounge.

The word: An excellent value with some great golf; can be a slow round at peak periods.

Contact: 905-278-4411.