N. E./N. S. Trip (Part Two) CABOT GOLF

When you both read and hear repeatedly about a new golf course or resort being outstanding, you may build it up so much in your mind that when you actually arrive to play, you are a little let down.  I had followed the reviews of Cabot Links for five years but because of the distance from Ohio, I wanted to wait until a second course with equal or even better reviews was built before I made the journey.  This June was the grand opening of that second course, Cabot Cliffs, and many golf writers and media members were anointing it as the best course in Canada and one of the best in the world.  That is pretty heady praise so I thought that this New England trip was the perfect time to pay a visit.

Despite being in Maine to play, it was still another ten hour drive to get to the Cabot Resort which is located in Inverness, Nova Scotia.  Let me go on record as saying it was worth every hour.  Because of the coal mine closing in the 1950’s and a drop off in the fishing industry, Inverness is an economically depressed village.  The arrival of Cabot Links, and subsequently Cabot Cliffs, have added many new jobs to the area in addition to the arrival of hundreds of visiting golfers.  While the town still has a way to go, I will be very interested to see the changes over the next five to ten years.  One of the main problems the resort is experiencing at this time is the lack of lodging for the number of golfers that are flocking to this new golf destination and a shortage of caddies.  There has been talk of a third course but the owners feel that they need to address these two issues first.  The lodge that they have built is first class but the demand by the golfers is outweighing the number of rooms that are currently available.  Both courses are walking only, so your choices are a caddy, use of a pull cart or you can carry your own bag.  I would strongly recommend requesting a caddy for both courses to help you with sight lines and for reading greens.  It adds tremendously to the game when you have a good caddy, especially when playing a true links course.  With that being said, when my wife and I arrived for the first of our three scheduled rounds, our requested caddies were not available as there were more golfers than caddies.  We had to try to negotiate Cabot Cliffs with pull carts.  Not knowing the course or the greens made this round somewhat difficult and not nearly as enjoyable as I thought it would be.  Luckily, the next morning at Cabot Links, we had two veteran caddies assigned to us and it was pure joy playing this outstanding course.  Our caddies, Gerard and Alec, were to caddy the next morning as well and requested that they again work for us at Cabot Cliffs.  We were most fortunate that they were able to pull off this switch with the caddie master.  Even though the temperature dropped to the low 60’s and the wind was a stiff 25 to 30 mph with even higher gusts, Marilyn and I thought it was one of the most enjoyable rounds of golf we have ever played.  I know that sounds strange, even for golf nuts like us, but the combination of a great course, the views of the ocean and the cliffs, great caddies and a true links design made the challenge of this day one to remember for a lifetime.  There is something special about putting the ball when you are still 70 yards away from the green.

Cabot Links is set on reclaimed mining land between the village and the beach.  The holes flow seamlessly from one to the next and on each tee you see a  challenge in front of you that keeps you totally involved in the strategy at hand.  Rod Witman did an outstanding job of designing a course that both challenges the low handicap golfer and also allows a high handicapper to make the shots that can lead to a very enjoyable round.   If you happen to run into a few problems along the way,  you just have to look up to see terrific ocean views from every point on the course.  With tight fescue grass everywhere on the course, you will get a lot of roll and extra distance if your shots are placed properly in the fairways.  Of course, if the ball gets too close to the bunkers, many times they will continue to roll into these strategically placed hazards.  This is another reason to have a good caddy. Sometimes a course will beat you up and you are relieved to reach hole 18.  When I played Cabot Links, I found myself wishing that the round could continue.  Although most publications will rate Cabot Cliffs higher than Cabot Links, I overheard a golfer at breakfast one day telling his friend, “If I could play 10 rounds at this resort, I would play Links seven times and Cliffs three times”.  That tells you how good this course is.  If you would like to read more about how this course and the resort had its beginnings, go to www.golftripper.com.

The Coore and Crenshaw designed Cabot Cliffs is blessed with some links property that sits high above the Atlantic Ocean and has holes and views that are equivalent to any other in North America.  After playing this course twice, I feel that it rates as an equal to the two current giants of public access courses, Pebble Beach (#1 on Current List) and Pacific Dunes (#2 on Current List).  Gorgeous views, great variety in hole design, strategic shot values, interesting green complexes but very playable off the tees make this layout outstanding in every way.  The par three sixteenth over the water and rocks far below the cliffs make this as memorable as any par three you can play.  It was quite challenging playing to this tiny, well protected green on a calm day but when it turned into a four club headwind the next trip around, this 125 yard beauty was a real brute.  Despite the difficulty, I loved the opportunity as there are few other courses where you can experience this exhilaration.  Numbers 17 and 18 consist of a short but demanding par 4 and a challenging par 5 that run along the ocean to make this finish one that you will always remember.   By the way, you can probably leave your wedges home as the most effective way to maneuver around the greens is with low lofted bump and run shots or running the ball up to the green using your hybrids or putter.  Cabot Cliffs, you can read all about it, but you must experience it.

Currently the rate for playing these two courses is very reasonable for their stature, expecially with the currency exchange rate.  $185 Canadian translates to $164 US and when you replay a second round the same day (if you can handle walking 36 hilly holes in a day) it is an even better value at $107 Canadian/$95 US.  This rate will not last long as they have already announced rates for next year as $215 Canadian.  These rates are for resort guest so if you do not stay onsite by calling early, you will pay more.  There are many more outstanding courses in the United States that I want to play, but I certainly hope that I get the opportunity to return to Cabot.