Northern courses rival U.S. destination golf resorts (07/04)

Set in the craggy Canadian Shield, Timberwolf Golf Club in Greater Sudbury is surrounded by the beautiful hills, forests and marshlands that define the Northern Ontario landscape.

This par 72, 7,126-yard giant sprawls over 325 acres, challenging the most experienced golfer from its back tees, while offering a fascinating and playable experience from the middle and forward tees, according to the course's creator, Thomas McBroom. Timberwolf was the winner of Golf Digest's Best New Canadian Golf Course for the year 2000.

Whitewater Golf Club, nestled in the Kaministiquia River Valley, is one of the newest Thomas McBroom courses, and predicted to become one of Canada's great destination golf courses.

Play on the river nine offers panoramic views of distant mountains and nearby rapids as the course winds along the shoreline of the Kaministiquia River.

Tree-lined fairways meander through a network of rolling fairways, making The Forest a natural golfing paradise. The site also includes a 20-acre practice facility. McBroom has chosen bent grass for the tees, greens and fairways, with imported Ohio sand for bunkers, making this the first bent grass course in this part of the world. The course is due to open on July 15, 2004.

MBTW Golf Design has been involved in the phased master planning, design, development and construction of the Island Springs Golf Resort over the last several years. Located on St. Joseph Island, the ultimate vision for this project is a four-season destination resort development. The

components of this resort will include an 18-hole championship golf course, driving range and practice facilities, clubhouse and on-course condominiums that overlook the golf course.

In 2001, the well-conditioned bent grass tees, fairways and greens of the front 9-holes were open for play. The course has generous landing areas, small and well-bunkered greens and strategically placed water hazards. Preliminary clearing for the remainder of the golf course is currently underway and construction will commence in the near future. Routed to include existing streams and ponds in the course layout, the back nine will unveil two fantastic signature holes. Hole 10 is par three, requiring a long carry over an existing pond to a well-protected green. Surrounded by water, hole 18 is a tough par four, requiring a well-placed tee shot onto a peninsula fairway. From the fairway the approach to the green is over an existing pond.

Named for the striking fall colours of the surrounding forested areas, Crimson Ridge was built with one goal in mind - to create a public golf course that would rival the destination golf resorts located in Northern Michigan.

MBTW Golf Design was charged with the responsibility of bringing this goal to fruition. The result, an award-winning, semi-private, par 72, 6,800-yard championship golf course that is routing twists and plunges through the rugged and challenging terrain of Northern Ontario.

Granite outcrops typical to the Canadian Shield, steep valley corridors, mature hardwood forests, picturesque natural waterfalls, winding cold-water creeks and magnificent vistas are all integrated into a design that emphasizes playability while maintaining environmental sensitivity.

Highlights during a round at Crimson Ridge include hole 8, a hole that exemplifies the course's risk and reward design philosophy. The shallow green of this short, downhill par five is guarded by a rock wall and meandering creek that challenge golfers daring enough to attempt reaching it on their second shot. Hole 17 is Crimson Ridge's signature hole. This spectacular par three plays across an 80-foot deep gorge and dramatic waterfall to a green framed by natural stone outcrops.

Phase 2 of the golf course includes a third regulation 9-hole course.