The Club at Bond Head - South Course Review

 

Name: The Club at Bond Head - South Course
Location: Beeton, Ontario (~1 hour north of Toronto)
Type: Semi-Private
Holes: 18

Length and Par: 5291-7526 yards / 72
Tees: (Shortest to Longest): Red, White, Blue, Gold, Black
Website: https://bondhead.clublink.ca/

The Club at Bond Head offers the ultimate golf experience just minutes west of Highway 400, a few kilometres north of Aurora, Ontario. Two magnificent courses, designed by the renowned firm of Hurdzan-Fry, are presided over by a palatial clubhouse.

The South Course is links-style, with wide fairways, gaping bunkers and fescue roughs. The parkland-style North Course features dramatic elevation changes, spectacular vistas and small, contoured greens.

A member of the ClubLink family, The Club at Bond Head welcomes ClubLink Members and is open to the public as well, not just for golf, but for dining, charity and corporate golf tournaments, weddings and meetings, and other special events. We invite you to experience our hospitality, service, cuisine, elegant surroundings and attentive staff. Our clubhouse is available year-round for meetings, weddings and special events. 

Course Layout:
Pace of Play:
Staff:
Value:
Course Conditions:

Price:
Difficulty: (from Blue tees)

Overall Rating: 5 out of 5

 

Nestled on the outskirts of the small, quiet hamlet of Bond Head lies a true golf experience. The South Course at The Club at Bond Head first opened its doors in 2005 and was the work of architect Jason Straka of the prestigious Hurdzan Fry Design company. Despite being new, its quality is recognized. Currently, it ranks 73rd on the Top 100 list of best courses in Ontario and is headed by CPGA Professional is Kevin Hamill, formerly of National Pines Golf Club and Innisbrook Golf Course. It is part of the ClubLink family of courses but does offer daily golf for non-ClubLink members.

 

The quality of the club is present even before one sets foot on the course. Upon entering the facility, golfers are greeted by a magnificent clubhouse, which houses all the typical amenities of some of the best country clubs, with a well-stocked proshop, driving range, member locker-rooms, a remarkable patio overlooking the course, event spaces and much more. Friendly staff ensure that your experience is the most it can be and are especially welcoming to those who have never played the course before.

The South Course can be classified as a links course for the most part, with wide undulating fairways leading way to large sloped greens. But straying off of these fairways and greens will lead you into a world of trouble. Thick, unforgiving rough and fescue surround most of the holes and the many deep, well-placed bunkers that are always in play will make you think twice about shot selection; something that must always be on the mind of golfers. A common feature among many of the holes as well is to have significant drop off around the greens, whether into bunkers or rough. And in true links fashion, a windy day brings out the best (or worst for some) of what this course has to offer.

 

The layout of the course is excellent. Despite the lack of trees, spacing between the holes is impressive and something that was properly thought out. You rarely get the impression that an errant shot would land on an adjacent hole, something uncommon for links courses. Natural elevation changes have also been used to the fullest, providing both visually spectacular holes that are enjoyable to play. Bunker placement is spot on; most holes feature strategically placed bunkers that add to the difficulty of the hole. It should be noted that despite the difficulties of the course, the tee boxes do a great job of adding or removing said difficulties, allowing holes to be playable by all golfers. In addition, the course is cart mandatory, which helps out with pace of play.

 

 

The 3rd Hole at The Club at Bond Head (South Course)

 

 

A hole of note is the par 5 12th hole. Measuring a staggering 662 yards from the tips, shot selection is key here. Golfers tee off from a raised tee box to a lower fairway that steadily rises up and to the left. Bunkers are strategically placed on both sides of the fairway and around the green, affecting your shot whether you decide to lay up or go for it. The entire left side of the hole also features a steep drop off into unwelcoming fescue. Attacking the flag requires precise placement; too far left and you'll end up in the deep greenside bunker, too far right brings a thick patch of forest into play, too long and your ball is most likely lost in the fescue. A tough hole that will test even the most experienced golfers.

Something must also be said about course conditions, which are some of the best that I've seen. The course drains very well. I played this course after a rainfall and during drizzle. I made an effort to drive down to low points on fairways and rough and found no pooling of water. Fairways were never soggy and the entire course was in pristine condition, from tee box to green on every hole, in terms of growth and repair. Kudos must be given to the maintenance staff for this. 

 

Perhaps the best part about The Club at Bond Head is the pricing. Like many courses, flexible pricing is used, both on the North and South courses. Peak time spans from morning until 12PM, where prices are about $85 during the week for green fees and a cart. Prices dip to about $70 in the afternoon and $50 during twilight. This is comparable to many public courses in the GTA, but given the quality of course that you are getting, this is hands-down a steal. I would go out on a limb and claim both the North and South courses as two of the best-valued courses in the GTA at the moment.

Final Thoughts:

The South Course at The Club at Bond Head is great for any golfer looking to experience true links golf. Its undulating fairways and large greens are perfectly balanced by unforgiving rough and looming bunkers. This ensures that you will have a unique and unforgettable golfing experience. The pricing at the moment for this course cannot be beat. I would recommend this course mostly for mid to low handicappers, or any golfer who feels confident enough in their shot-making abilities. Book a round on a windy day if you want to challenge yourself a bit more.

 

I am also proud to say that, it is for these reasons that we are giving the South Course TGR's first ever 5/5 rating! Well deserved, without a doubt.

   

Have you played the South Course? If so, let me know in the comments below what you thought of it.

-Nick
Toronto Golf Reviews