Course Profile: Muskoka Bay Golf Course - Gravenhurst, Muskoka, Ontario

Full name: The Muskoka Bay Club
Location: Gravenhurst, Muskoka, Ontario, Canada
Year Opened: 2006
Course Designer: Doug Carrick
Distance: 7,367 yards (men); 4,981 yards (ladies)
Distance from St. Marys and London, Ontario: approx. 325 km (directions)

The second course profile in our list of 'Must Play' local Ontario golf courses is the spectacular Muskoka Bay Club located in the "Gateway to Muskoka" area. The golf course first opened in 2006 and became the Best New Course in Canada by 2007. The Doug Carrick Design Course is one of the best, if not the best golf course that Muskoka has to offer. This course is quite the possibly the best course in all of Ontario.

The Muskoka Bay Golf Course started out as a 300-acre landscape full of rock and trees, something that you would expect from a Muskoka property. After approximately $20-28 million worth of renovations by the Freed Development Group, the property became the beautiful golf course that it is today. Doug Carrick and his team designed one of the most player-friendly, exclusive, scenic golf courses in all of North America. There are only one or two holes on the entire golf course that you will see another group of players. Many of the holes are cut into rock and through wetlands to make this one of the best golf experiences offered anywhere.

The uniqueness of each of the 18 holes are what separate this golf course from many of its counterparts in Ontario and across the country. A few of the holes that make this place so special and so memorable once you play it are #4, #9, and #17. These three holes you will not see anywhere else and especially not anywhere near Southwestern Ontario. The #9 hole, in particular, is cut into rock that runs about five yards to each side of the fairway all the way to the green where the rock closes in front of the green to create a small gap that equals the most intimidating golf shot that I have ever encountered, times ten. The #9 hole might be the neatest hole I have ever played (and may ever play in my lifetime).

The length may be intimidating, but remember, the 7,367 yard Championship golf course is measured from the 'tips' and the course offers five different tee blocks to make this playable for any handicap. An even better feature of this golf course is the playability of the course that offers large, rolling greens, coupled with wide fairways. Though the trees and bunkers are still very much in play, the wideness of the fairways is something not seen at other Muskoka golf courses like Taboo and The Rock, which makes The Muskoka Bay Club even more fun to play.

I had the honour to work at the Muskoka Bay Club in 2006 and one of the benefits for working at the course was the free golf. It was amazing to bring both friends and family to the course in its first year and many lasting memories were created there. And now with the beautiful $10 million plus clubhouse overlooking the first and second holes from the top of an approx 75-foot cliff, this place is something special. The staff will treat you with great service from the time you enter parking lot until the time you get back into your car to go back to a cottage or head back on Highway 11. If you're thinking of playing this The Muskoka Bay Club, now is the time as soon this will be an exclusively private golf course in the very near future. To check out more, visit their website or call. And when you're there, be sure to mention the St. Marys Golf and Country Club to the course Pro Kevin, he'll know who you are talking about. Who knows, he may even reduce the green fee from the $230+ fee that exists today. But I'd say it's worth every penny either way. The Muskoka Bay Club is one golf course that should definitely be on your bucket list.

Have you ever played the Muskoka Bay Club? Please comment on your experience below: