Mill Run Golf Club - Championship Course Review #1

Name: Mill Run Golf Club - Championship Course
Location: Uxbridge, Ontario (~50 minutes northeast of Toronto)
Type: Public with membership options
Holes: 27 (3x9)
Length and Par: 5,000-6,711 yards / 71-72
Tees: (Shortest to Longest):  Red, White, Blue, Black
Website: http://www.golfmillrun.com/index.htm

Mill Run's Championship Toronto Golf Course, in Uxbridge, now boasts 27 holes with The Grind, the newest 9 holes opened in the spring of 2007. With 3 distinct 18-hole layouts the Championship Course is a great opportunity to test all of your golfing skills and abilities, with its mature setting and lengths of up to 6,800 yards. It also incorporates numerous sets of tees for players of all different levels. -www.golfmillrun.com


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Difficulty: << Based on play from Black Tees

Overall Rating: 4.5 out of 5

The Championship Course at Mill Run Golf Club is a course that I've played many times over the years and one that's ideal for golfers of all skill level looking for a scenic and challenging course to play. Mill Run offers 27 Championship golf holes, as well as an easier 18-hole executive par 59 "Highland" Course, and excellent off-course amenities. These include a large elegant clubhouse, banquet facilities, a driving range, dining/patio areas, and a sports bar/restaurant, among other things; all which offer you the full country club experience. It's worth noting that their restaurant is a proper restaurant with very good food, in fact, some of the best food I've had at a golf course. The course on a whole also has a nice/relaxed atmosphere and friendly staff, which I think makes it an ideal place to buy a membership to, if one is interested.

The Championship Course is made up of three sets of nines, the Wheel, the Grind, and the Grist. The Wheel takes water into play on many of it's holes and is typically considered the toughest nine. The Grind features distinct and long dogleg holes that offer up beautiful scenery (see below) at the price of precise shot-making; I personally prefer this nine to the others. The Grist is a more open nine with holes that are more forgiving that the others. These very different nines have the ability to offer you three different courses depending on which nines you play, so the course has depth to it and I don't think it's one you'll get bored of playing time after time. A hole that best describes the Championship Course and what it has to offer is Grind #6, a par 5 410-484 yard uphill dogleg left hole. The entire hole cuts through a dense pine forest and starts out level for about 200 yards, then turns sharply left and starts to go uphill, leaving you with a blind second shot. As you approach the hill, the fairway begins to slope down hill to a bunker-protected green. The hole demands both accuracy and confidence and is a good test of a golfers skill. While some holes may appear challenging, four sets of tee boxes ensure that golfers of all skill level are accommodated.

The layout of each of the nines has also been done well. Each nine remains separate from the other, however some holes, such as those on the Grist, are close to one another. On some, you get the feeling that a bad or pulled tee shot might end up on the adjacent hole's fairway, which I guess is really the only downside to having forgiving and open holes that the Grist offers. Course conditions are also very good and the course is always kept in top condition. During my last outing to the course, there had been a large heat spell beforehand, but the fairways and greens weren't dried out or patchy. What I also like is that at every tee box, there is a large bucket of dirt/seeds so you can refill your divots after you hit (It's little things like this that make the course nicer). Pace of play is usually not an issue, unless you are playing at high peak times/weekends, as with most courses.

The prices are a little higher than what you might expect though. 18 hole green fees range from $56 to $66 depending on the day of the week and $39 any day after 4PM (tax excluded). Power cart fees are about $18 for 18 holes, so when it's all said and done, a weekday round with a cart will cost you just over $80. Lower prices are offered for seniors and juniors too. Despite this, I wouldn't go as far as saying that it's overpriced, since the scenery and variety of holes makes up for it.

Overall, the Championship Course at Mill Run Golf Club is a unique course that offers golfers of all skill levels scenic holes to play and a great golfing atmosphere overall, despite it's slightly higher prices. I'd recommend it to any golfer who wants to give their golf game a little test and to those who want to experience a scenic course.

Have you played here? Comment and let us know what you thought about it,

-Nick
Toronto Golf Reviews