Hidden gem

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This article was published 20/08/2022 (1194 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

New Brunswick has not yet gained the reputation of a major Canadian golf destination — but after a week of experiencing the tracks along the coast from Moncton to Miramichi, I concluded that the quality courses are there, but the awareness of them may not be.

Wherever you might choose to stay along the Acadian Coast, you are not far from any of the courses that dot the trail along the way.

Because we were staying right on a bay in Richibucto — about halfway between the two cities — travelling to each course was especially convenient.

My wife was born in the Richibucto region, so all of my games were with her family members, mostly Yvon Guimond. Neither of us is a really good golfer so it made it easy to gauge the degree of challenge each course offered.

The Miramichi Golf and Country Club is a long-established course that opened in 1925 as a nine-hole track, then expanded and improved in the following decades. It features a number of narrow fairways, making club selection important from hole to hole.

While the game itself is the primary attraction , its unique clubhouse has been listed as one of Canada’s Historical Places. It was constructed in 1825 for Thomas H. Peters, a United Empire Loyalist who was believed to be the wealthiest man on the Miramichi River at that time. Today the stone mansion stands unchanged since its construction.

Golfers tend not to be shy in expressing their love or lack of same about the St. Ignace golf course. I like it a lot. It is the course closest to Richibucto, so Yvon and I played it twice.

While there are some wide-open flat fairways, its slope rating from the blues is 131 — most likely because many of the holes are on or along fairly steep up or down inclines. After a couple of frustratingly bad side hill shots, I said mountain goats might have a challenge on this terrain. Still, it truly is a pleasure to play, even for the scenic value alone.

Two holes that stand out are signature Hole 11 — the toughest on the course — a par three across a creek where the green is both elevated and surrounded tightly by trees. The other is the par five Hole 17 — which drops down over a valley before its sharp dog leg left — and goes back uphill again.

The Bouctouche golf course may be the flattest course in the region, but that doesn’t mean it is easy. The front nine is tree lined and the wide fairways on the back nine can often face strong winds.

It is the lesser-known of courses but worth playing — and easily walkable.

The newer courses are situated in and around Moncton.

Mountain Woods Golf Course is situated very close to Moncton’s famous Magnetic Hill, so it is easy to understand why taking a cart may be preferable to walking. Its rolling terrain fairways are often tree-lined, with plenty of water hazards along them as well, forcing golfers to think before slamming away on each tee box.

There are a number of other good tracks around Moncton but the pièce de resistance may be the at the Royal Oaks Golf Club. Running along a severe bend of the Petitcodiac River, the course is in excellent condition and, as we could surmise, continually maintained.

Opened in 2000, it is the first Canadian course designed by US Open architect Rees Jones — and built to US Open Standards. Only 10 minutes from the Moncton airport, at over 7,000 yards from the championship tees, this links style design can be a challenge for all golfers from the forward or back tee boxes.

Strategic bunkering and interesting approach shots keep golfers sharp — and the usual water holes make sure you don’t take any shot for granted.

While sometimes challenging, Jones made Royal Oaks playable for golfers of levels.

Its clubhouse is magnificent, and the practice facilities are first class.

This experience has shown me that New Brunswick as a golf destination need not take a back seat to anyone. I only was able to play the golf courses on the east side of the province, but my research suggests there are many more excellent courses throughout the rest of the province as well.

pradinukr@shaw.ca

Ron Pradinuk
Travel writer

A writer and a podcaster, Ron's travel column appears in the Winnipeg Free Press every Saturday in the Destinations and Diversions section.

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