Many Individuals have heard of Prince Edward Island, Canada, however do not know the place it’s. Most Canadians know the place this tiny province is situated, however have by no means been there. Canadian golfers, then again, consider PEI, situated off the east coast of New Brunswick alongside the Northumberland Strait, as an excellent golf vacation spot that rivals the perfect within the nation. The island’s terrain has at all times supplied the right land for golf: seaside sandy soil and rolling hills reaching elevations over 400 toes and the whole lot in between. The temperate maritime local weather permits for good golf climate 9 months a yr.
I first got here to PEI, in 1972 as a younger man, when the one entry to the island was by ferry (now a bridge). I introduced my sticks, having heard in regards to the advantageous golf to be discovered at the Brudenell River Golf Course, which had just lately opened. Since then, not a lot has modified in PEI’s bucolic peacefulness, however from a golfer’s perspective, there was an explosion of {golfing} assets. There at the moment are an incredible 28 programs on the island! Why? As a result of as one younger native protagonist of the sport identified, “In winter, now we have hockey and curling. In summer season, we want one thing to hit.” For off-islanders, that interprets into 15 wonderful 18-hole programs plus a smattering of excellent full-sized 9-holers.
All through the island, there may be an abundance of lodging, starting from high-end resort motels, stylish boutiques, each form of motel you’ll be able to think about and charming B&Bs. Now we have a small motorhome, so we took benefit of PEI’s array of fantastic Provincial Parks, scattered across the island, to camp alongside the seashore and be open air more often than not. Irrespective of your selection of lodging, the island is so small that should you keep within the center, anywhere on PEI is an hour or much less away.
Well-known for potatoes (McDonald’s buys a lot of the crop as a result of they develop large potatoes yielding these lengthy fries within the little purple containers), the world-renowned seafood available on PEI is drop lifeless scrumptious. I don’t know what number of kilos of littleneck steamer clams, mussels and uncooked oysters I consumed or lobsters I cracked, however each was higher than the final. I can nonetheless really feel the melted butter dripping down my chin!
However let’s get again to golf. We labored our manner from the northwest finish of the island to the east. Since there are programs nearly in every single place, a customer has to do some planning to get probably the most out of the PEI expertise. Most golfers, particularly these right here for the primary time, choose “the large three” as should performs. Underneath the banner of “PEI’s Best”, peisfinestgolf.com, and operated by the PEI Provincial authorities, The Hyperlinks at Crowbush Cove, and side-by-side Brudenell River GC and Dundarave programs get probably the most consideration.
Crowbush, set on the north shore alongside the open Atlantic Ocean, is nothing wanting spectacular. After Hurricane Fiona of 2022 raged throughout the island and took out most of its timber, the drought of 2025 baked the fairways, leaving the course taking part in like a real hyperlinks, exhausting and quick. Designed by Canadian Thomas McBroom, Crowbush affords one nice gap after one other, typically crossing recent and saltwater ponds and marshes. The craziest gap is the tiny seventeenth, maxing out at 135 yards however taking part in from 97 for many of us. Simple, proper? Set into and atop a seaside dune, the shot from an elevated tee should traverse a ravine and attain the elevated top of a hidden “postage stamp” inexperienced, often whereas the wind is blowing sideways. Discovering and holding the inexperienced is a feat in itself.
Dundarave, with its PEI trademark purple sand bunkers, and Brudenell River, with contrasting white sand, are extra forgiving and are a part of the large Rodd Resort, providing each amenity a customer may want. My favourite holes have been Dundarave’s eighth, a brief par 4 providing as a lot reward as you wish to threat, requiring a drive throughout a deep ravine and over a number of purple bunkers lining the golf green, leading to a protracted or quick strategy to a inexperienced overlooking the Brudenell River. Quantity 5 on Brudenell, named “Ink Pot”, is a brief however tough par 3 over a pond to a inexperienced nestled into a decent hillside. It’s typically finest to make use of the greenside slopes and play a carom shot onto the placing floor.
However should you play solely these three, you’d be lacking out on a few of the most interesting programs Canada has to supply. Graham Cooke, one other superb Canadian designer, created the Andersons Creek and Eagles Glenn programs, each within the central inside of the island and that includes great elevation adjustments, broad forest lined fairways and very good bunkering from native purple sand. Avondale GC is among the oldest programs on PEI, with the primary 9 accomplished in 1968, adopted by the second in 1971. Additionally set in inside central PEI, Avondale’s first gap, a brief par 4, instantly grabs your consideration with a zig-zag fairway that attracts you in to the outbound 9. Glasgow Hills GC affords a rollicking experience amongst the very best elevations on the island, whereas Inexperienced Gables GC (subsequent to the Anne of Inexperienced Gables home) takes you on a gentler lush experience by means of the vales of northern coastal PEI. Mill River GC, on the northwestern finish of the island, is one other advantageous monitor, initially designed by Robbie Robinson in 1970, with many renovations by Graham Cooke 1 / 4 century later.
You probably have one thing shorter in thoughts, particularly catering to household or junior teams, PEI doesn’t miss a beat. We began our journey at St. Felix GC within the northwest, a advantageous full size 9-hole monitor that Graham Cooke designed whereas he was engaged on Mill River. Purple Sands GC, designed by Alan Whitehead in 2000, is a enjoyable experience that’s even shorter, pared right down to par 32, however with full size holes that go both up or down, and performs longer than its 2400 yards. You possibly can think about the brilliant purple sand in its many strategically positioned bunkers.
There are a number of different 18 and 9 gap programs scattered across the island that I’ve but to get pleasure from. Prince Edward Island is already calling me again for spherical after spherical of nice golf and the perfect seafood wherever.
