Golf La Bete

Great view of the ski mountain from
the first fairway

We drove by Golf La Bete many times as we raced up the Montee Ryan towards Mont Tremblant.  It always looked like a picturesque course from the road, bisected by the Diable river with dramatic mountains as a backdrop.  We also cycled through it, catching a glimpse of the occasional green or fairway from the Petit Train du Nord, which runs right through La Bete.  We have now played La Bete a few times and it has become one of our favourites.  Of the higher-end courses like Le Geant and La Diable, La Bete is the least expensive but offers just as much challenge.  It is also well manicured and offers great vistas and facilities.  At current prices, peak times at La Bete run about $100 for 18 holes versus $150 for Geant and Diable.

One word of caution...if you book this online, it's very easy to accidentally book yourself onto their sister course, La Belle, because the tee times are shown side by side.  Be sure you are reserving a tee time for La Bete.  Not that there's anything wrong with La Belle, but it's not the same calibre and often quite busy and slow.

Great view of Mont Leonard from an elevated tee.  If you
squint you can see our house!

Anyway, back to our commentary on La Bete.  As mentioned before, it really has become our favourite course when we are looking for something a bit more challenging in the region.  Overall the layout is good, although there are a couple of wacky holes where you know the course architect had to try his best to do something with an awkward piece of land.  One par four demands a soft iron to a landing area, and then takes are hard right with a wedge in to the green.  Another gives you a completely blind tee shot from an elevated tee box where you aim for post, and hopefully your ball lads safely on one of several terraced areas with the green about a mile below.  Even the eighteenth is a bit odd as a finishing hole, running up to an elevated green right outside a couple condo buildings and then it's a 2 minute drive back to the parking lot.  But still an awesome course to play.

When your round is finished, the clubhouse bar has a great view over a steep cliff and so is worth a stop.  The other redeeming feature...they have a beer and sandwich cart!  This course is a short drive from the Tremblant resort and definitely worth a visit!

Golf de la Maskinonge

The cutest golf sign ever

In the interest of trying new things, one day on our recent vacation we scoured Google Maps for golf courses in the Laurentians, within reasonable driving distance.  I was certain I has seen something around La Conception, but no luck.  However, just a bit further afield was Golf de la Maskinonge, a nine hole course located beside Lac Cameron.  We decided to give it a shot!

Turns out the drive was a bit longer than we thought, as there is just a single road that lead there and it alternates between rough pavement and stints of gravel.  The drive is pretty however, winding through farms at first and then lake country as you progress further along Route des Erables.  We arrived in about 35 minutes or so from St. Jovite, ready for nine new holes.

Karen tees off on the par-3 ninth hole

The pro shop was located in a charming club house with a great patio that we vowed to have a beer on when we finished.  They were cooking something delicious when we came in, apparently in preparation for an upcoming end-of-season" celebration.  The tee sheet was virtually empty so we knew we had the course to ourselves, or so we thought.  We let a single play through who was speeding along in a cart, and then a foursome (locals, perhaps members) decided to drive around us and start their round on the hole ahead of us where we waited for 10 minutes.  I wasn't about to start an argument in French but I think they realized it was a bad move on their part.  This is what you get sometimes in country golf I guess.

The first tee is a bit odd in that the rear tees hit directly over the ninth green, so be careful when approaching the last hole.  The rest of the course was quite lovely, narrow and in decent shape.  Some of the tees were elevated and afforded great views of the valleys below.  When we finished our nine, they had closed up the pro shop so alas, no beer on the patio.  Overall we enjoyed our time at Maskinonge, not a trip we'd make again but if you're in the area and itching for golf, this is likely your only local answer.

Golf Arundel

Mountains in the distance behind the club house

We had long heard about a pretty 18-hole course in Arundel from our neighbours, and this week finally had the opportunity to play a full round.  Last year, we got out for nine holes and enjoyed it thoroughly, but some of the best scenery is on the back nine so this is definitely a course to play eighteen.  For hockey fans, you might be interested to know that this course is owned by Dickie Moore.  If you're not a hockey fan, then just know that this is a darn pretty place to play.

First impression is of the fluently bilingual woman that runs the pro shop - a surprise out in the Quebec countryside and she is a real charmer.  No need for tee times during the week...both of our visits were unannounced and we walked right on.  This is definitely a locals spot and for a country course, it is very well maintained.  Don't expect PGA tour grooming, but the course obviously well loved.  It is a fairly forgiving course with few narrow fairways and welcoming open greens, but still challenging and over 6,500 yards from the tips. 

Karen tees off into the valley

As I mentioned above, the back nine is the most picturesque and begins with the elevated tee on the 12th hole (or might be the 13th) where you hit down into the valley for the remainder of the round.  Fountains adorn a few of the greens and tees down here, and several of the holes offer beautiful views of the winding Riviere Rouge.  Naturally, what goes down must the go up, so the 18th hole is a short par four that runs steeply up to an elevated green beside the pro shop. When your round is done, make sure to look inside the vintage club house complete with an historic fireplace.

Golf Le Geant

Mont Tremblant looms behind the 8th fairway

Score Golf ranks Le Geant #62 among the top 100 courses in Canada and I can see why.  Inasmuch as I've read some online reviews complaining of bad conditions, rocks in the traps etc, I found Le Geant to be an excellent golf experience.  No, the course wasn't immaculately groomed throughout like the few TPC courses I've played.  But the course was in great shape and provided plenty of challenge for us both.  At over 6,800 yards from the tips (double black in the ski slope themed tees), I chose the blue tees so as to have a nicer day.  Even the green tees for Karen were 5,100 yds so no walk in the park for her (although it was so beautiful that it was like a walk in the park).

Lac Tremblant as seen from the 18th tee

The entrance is off the Montee Ryan, just south of the roundabout by Lac Tremblant.  Bag drop and the cutest pro shop ever are conveniently nearby...this course does not have a practice range (unlike its sister course, La Diable) so arrive ready to hit.  The starter was very courteous and allowed us to go off as a pair considering it was a quiet Monday afternoon.  The first two holes are on the west side of the Montee Ryan, and thereafter the remaining holes are all built on the mountain.  Therefore, you really do need a cart to get from hole to hole as they are carved out from wherever the landscape allowed. And, the mountainside location means many elevated greens and tees, and very few flat lies on the fairways.

While we enjoyed the entire course, our favourite hole was #18 which is built to impress, pointed northwest to afford beautiful views of Lac Tremblant from the elevated tees.  Highly recommended!

Golf Les Ruisseaux

Putting green near first hole tee

Les Ruisseaux has become our go-to course for a relaxed nine on a whim.  Located just off Hightway 117, east of St. Jovite and south of St-Faustin-Lac-Carre, it's about 15 minutes from our chalet.  A locals course to be sure, there has never been a need to reserve a tee time as the course is fairly quiet.  For my wife, this course was our logical next step because my wife's shot making had improved and she was ready for something bigger than a par three course.  Les Ruisseaux is perfect because for me, it's about 3,400 yards from the tips (9 holes), and the red tees are advanced considerably for Karen.

The second green on a lengthy par four

Green fees are just $26 for 9 holes as I recall, and while there are the occasional rough spots in the fairway and on the greens, it's a very playable course with beautiful views.  It also features a pro shop, dining room and patio, even a Cobra club demo going on the days we were there.  In conclusion, there are some great golf spots to be had beyond the marquee courses in the heart of Tremblant and not too far away!

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.

Golf

Many people I speak to in Toronto about Mont Tremblant are surprised that we come up in the summer.  "But ski season is over!" they say.  The reality is, there's more to do in Tremblant in the summer and fall than in winter, and golf is one of the major activities.  Karen and I didn't golf at all during our first two years, but now that she's taking the game up in earnest, we are getting to more and more of the local courses.  So for now, this post is an overview and will likely be phased out as I write up each course.

There's tons of golf in the area, and judging by the number of golf bags I see loaded on the summer Porter flights, Tremblant is increasingly seen as a weekend getaway for golf enthusiasts. Here's my summary of the courses within ten minutes of the resort area:

• Although the Gray Rocks resort has been shuttered for some time, they did keep their beautiful golf courses operating.   La Belle (the Beauty) is 80 yeas old, and reminds me of some of the Stanley Thompson courses I've played throughout Canada.  It's probably the cheapest golf in the area too with green fees ranging from $20-55.  About a dozen years ago, Gray Rocks constructed a companion course, La Bete (the Beast).  Definitely a more modern course with beautiful mountain views.
• The two courses that are officially promoted by the Intrawest folks are Le Diable and Le Geant.  Both are pricier and (appear to be) a bit more challenging than their Gray Rocks counterparts.  They're also closer to the resort, and for those interested in real estate, you can buy on-course houses and condos.
• Le Manitou is a par-58 executive golf course.  Sweet looking course, cheap at $44, and very close to the resort.
• Le Maitre is a ClubLink course, located about a ten minute drive from the resorts along Rue La Belle.  Again, I haven't golfed it but I have jogged the paths and this is a beautiful course with a stunning club house. 

Further afield:

• Royal Laurentian is located near St. Faustin, about 20-25 minutes from the resorts.  Sure looks pretty from the highway, situated in a valley between the mountains.  And reasonably priced.
• The Old Farm, or La Vielle Ferme, is a quaint, family-oriented par three course located near St. Agathe.  They have mini putt, a driving range, a Casse Croute, and 18 holes at prime time is $21.  You get the picture.
• Les Ruisseaux is just east of St. Jovite off hwy 117, and is a par-36 9-hole course which plays about 3,400 yards from the tips.  Also cheaper than the fancy courses closer to the resort, with green fees at a max of $35.  This course has become our "local"...read our account of Les Ruisseaux,