Holes 2 & 3: A Formidable Start

Lora Bay Golf Club:

Over a Decade of Premier Golf on the Shores of Georgian Bay.

Posted by: Rick Parnham

The southern Georgian Bay shoreline is dotted with beautiful tourist towns, ski hills and vast acres of apple orchards. Located a short drive west of the charming town of Thornbury lies one of Ontario's true must-play golf experiences. The Lora Bay Club, a premier public play and members-based club, is built along the Iroquois Ridge; a massive limestone cliff providing stunning views of the Bay. Routed through beautiful birch and poplar forest as well as through former apple orchards, the course blends in seamlessly with the upscale residential community surrounding sections of the layout.

Since this scenic and devilishly challenging golf course opened in 2006 as a collaborative design by renowned Canadian Tom McBroom and PGA stalwart Tom Lehman, the course has received numerous awards and accolades. The design was carefully carved from the natural landscape. The layout has a high degree of playability with a great collection of greens, some with subtle slopes and others with more considerable contours. These are complemented by fairways featuring ruggedly natural-looking bunkers surrounded by thick, nasty fescue grass. Having played host to the Telus Skins game in 2007, the course then co-hosted the Nationwide tour players’ Wayne Gretzky Classic with nearby Georgian Bay Club in 2008-2010.

Location: Thornbury, Ontario

Editor's Shot Maker's Picks: Lora Bay

Feature Holes Descriptions:

Shot-making abounds at  Lora Bay as attested to by the demands placed on you while standing on the opening tee deck. This devious, exacting par 4 plays downhill off the edge of the Iroquois Ridge to a flat fairway gently bending right to left; however, the hole is well protected by a nasty bunker protecting the landing area. The fairway is lined with thick forest while a crossing creek separates the fairway from the target of your approach. The green is tucked behind two well-placed bunkers narrowing the opening to the putting surface. A driver may not be the correct play with your first swing of the day. The front nine ends with a demanding dogleg left that requires a tee shot shaped right to left to provide a realistic opportunity to reach the difficult green site with your approach. A forest and creek protect the left side of the landing area and the creek crosses in front of the green eliminating the bump and run to your target. Pay close attention to the pin location as the green slopes severely from back to front and anything hit long is a disaster to the scorecard. Graced with one of the best views of Georgian Bay on the golf course, you may find it difficult to concentrate on your difficult chance for par.

Beautiful Orchard Setting

The 13th hole plays to the longest distance on the card. This brute of a par 5 requires strategy, power and courage to navigate your way into the cup. Your drive must take on the bunker that pinches in on the right leaving you with a tough decision for your second. A cross bunker lies just inside the hundred yard marker and may be reachable to long hitters. The conservative play might see a layup to a wedge distance providing a clear shot to the large green pushed up and heavily guarded by bunkers left and right.  An aggressive tee shot on the final hole takes on the guarding bunkers on the right of the fairway to catch slope and shorten the approach shot. A trio of bunkers and slopes, along with the gorgeous view of the clubhouse and Georgian Bay frame the approach. A mid iron must be struck purely to the deep, heavily sloped green guarded by the signature fingered bunkers fringed with nasty fescue grass. A visually beautiful hole, number 18 is a stern test to finish the round.

Course Stats:

Lora Bay celebrated its 10th anniversary this past season and should be considered as a destination golf experience well worth the drive. Long considered one of the finer tests of golf in the province, the course meets and exceeds those expectations providing a fair, yet demanding design. Impeccably conditioned, the design is not only a strong test of skill; it also provides some of the most stunning views of Georgian Bay and the Niagara Escarpment. Designed so as to highlight both the natural and agricultural history of the property, this McBroom / Lehman compilation is certainly a course for any bucket list.

Drive Times: Pearson International Airport 2 hrs, Barrie 75 mins, Owen Sound 35 mins.

Contact:

Lora Bay Golf Club

109 E Ridge Dr,

Thornbury, ON

N0H 2P0

1 877-599-5515

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