Golf Deer Haven

My wife is a beginner golfer.  Naturally, her increased uptake of golf means a commensurate increase of golfing for me, so it's in my best interests to encourage her.  The reality for any new golfer is that you have to duff your way through the first year or so...not a state of being that you're keen to put on wide display.  I found a couple of jewel golf courses in the Tremblant area that cater wonderfully to beginners, so if you or someone you know is just starting out, these courses are for you.

Today's is Deer Haven, located near Arundel, Quebec.  Just take highway 327 south from St. Jovite and drive about 20 minutes.  You'll pass the actual Arundel Golf Course, and look for the Deer Haven sign on your left. Drive down the gravel road and you'll see the club house immediately on the left, which is a trailer.  Odds are the parking lot will be mostly empty, and you'll find a note on the door with a walkie-talkie, instructing you to call for service.  You'll get a bilingual reply, and the course owner will appear in a couple minutes, puttering along on his tractor.  Green fees are $13 or sixteen with a pull cart.

Beautiful view from the 8th tee at Deer Haven

Deer Haven is a nine-hole par-three course, so nothing is too daunting for the beginner.  For more experienced golfers, they will enjoy the many elevated tees and greens.  It's also a very pretty course, with the Bark Creek winding through many of the holes.  True to form for a ""pasture" course, the greens are tiny and are the same grass as the fairway, just cut shorter.  But Deer Haven was an instant favourite...basically deserted, cheap, great layout, and a nice place for my wife to play without pressure.