Ontario, Canada
Designed by Robbie Robinson in the early 1960s, Upper Canada Golf Course is an 18-hole, 6,922-yard public course located in Eastern Ontario. The layout winds through a mix of evergreen and deciduous trees, often running alongside waterways that provide glimpses of local wildlife. An improved drainage system ensures the greens and fairways remain in excellent condition, allowing the course to open earlier in the season. The facility includes an on-site driving range, putting green, and a clubhouse featuring a restaurant, bar, locker rooms, and a pro shop. The course presents a challenge for both beginners and skilled golfers, with difficulty varying significantly across the 18 holes. The fourth hole, a 445-yard par 4, is cited as the most difficult, requiring accuracy over distance to navigate a dog-leg and a humped green. The front nine concludes with the ninth hole, a 410-yard par 4 that offers a large landing area but demands precision to avoid bunkers guarding the right side of the green. The back nine introduces the tenth hole, a 430-yard par 4 ranked second in difficulty, which plays into prevailing west winds and requires a long second shot to a two-tiered green. Signature holes define the character of the course, most notably the fourteenth hole, affectionately known as "The Monster." This 547-yard par 5 is considered the most picturesque hole on the property, with Aultsville Creek guarding the left side and trees lining the right. The hole requires careful strategy, often recommending a fairway wood or long iron to lay up short of the water inlet before a mid-iron approach to the smallest green on the course. The fifteenth hole, a 141-yard par 3, is similarly defined by the creek, which completely surrounds the green along with four bunkers. The eighteenth hole serves as a classic finishing test, measuring 353 yards and playing uphill to a back-to-front sloping green. It is framed by sand traps on either side and a pond to the right, with a large old willow tree standing just beyond the tee. The course is governed by the Rules of Golf as set out by the Royal Canadian Golf Association, and tournaments are welcome at the facility.
