Photo courtesy of Clay Dolan

Highland Glen Golf Club:

Rural Shot Making.

Posted by: Aistair Orr

Highland Glen Golf Club, set atop the tablelands of Grey County, was born in 1999 and is the creation of local golf course designer Jason Miller. Miller, whose stable of designs also includes Mill Run, Black Diamond, North Granite Ridge and a collaboration on OslerBrook with Graham Cooke, laid out the course over 220 acres of naturally undulating land. He created a nice mix of holes that are open and windswept while also featuring a handful of holes where large stands of trees influence the shot making decision process greatly. Although much of the course is fairly open strategically placed sentinel trees dot the landscape and the odd pond here and there will keep you on your toes as you navigate the routing. The course is as equally enjoyable for the low handicapper as it is for players who possess an intermediate or beginning skill set.

The yardage at Highland Glen is not lengthy, raging from 5044 to 6035, but don't get fooled into thinking this par 70 course is a push over. The mostly generous fairways make the design friendly off the tee, however, the approaches are considerably more demanding and care must be taken with club selection to the undulating green sites. The deceptive green complexes are on the smaller side and are the prime defense of the course . The wise player will take a conservative approach and play to the center of the greens and putt towards the edges while attacking only when the pin positions are favourable.

Editor's Shot Maker's Picks at Highland Glen Golf Club

Feature Holes Descriptions:

All the par 3's at the Glen are pretty solid but hole number 3 stands out as a cut above the rest and is a glaring omission from our Outstanding Par 3 list. Playing uphill and generally into the prevailing wind it can play up to two clubs longer than the yardage on the card would indicate. The elevated green surface can't be seen from the tee and is built into the side of a rise with a lone small pot bunker guarding the front of this tiny target. Long grass will gobble up anything missed long, left or right making an up and down very challenging. A three marked on the card is a triumph.

Grip it and rip it on #7

Short drivable par 4's are always fun to play and the gentle dogleg right hole #7 is as fun as it gets. The green site is on the crest of a hill with a valley between the tee and putting surface. Whether trying to rip it to the green, or laying up short to a comfortable distance for the approach shot, the key to success at number seven is avoiding four well situated very large hardwoods. The gambler must carry a lone right side tree some 100 yards or so off the tee and then tangle with two more trees short right of the green in order to reach the putting surface. A miss right will find gnarly growth in a hazard and a miss left will be stymied by a large tree blocking the pitch to the green. The conservative player will play the tee ball out to the left centre of the fairway towards the 100 yard mark leaving an unobstructed uphill pitch to the green. The green slopes severely from back to front and also from left to right so keeping the approach below the cup is imperative. There is likely more 5's posted here than 3's. It's an outstanding hole and was the recipient of an honorable mention in our Grip it at Rip it feature.

The dogleg left par 5 14th hole is marked as the longest hole on the property and it plays even longer when the winds are up. The tee shot tends to be directly into the teeth of the wind while the second and approach shots must deal with cross winds. The long hitters must be wary of a large right side wetland off the tee and another large right side pond that protects the green complex. The main defense of this hole is its length, but the green site is well protected by the aforementioned pond right and a nasty bunker left.

The final nomination to our hall of fame shot makers collection is the demanding closing hole. The 18th is a gentle dogleg left the plays slightly up hill that requires two demanding shots in order to close out your round with a par. The tee shot need to be long and straight to find the landing area which is pinched by stands of trees on either side. A pure mid to long iron approach needs to be flighted right to left to find the dance floor which is protected by overhanging trees left and a fronting bunker.

Although Highland Glen is located a little off the beaten path near Priceville it is well worth the detour if you find yourself traveling along Highways 4 or 10 heading to the cottage or to the shores of Georgian Bay. A recent ownership change has seen the club invest in a new modern clubhouse and into the upgrading the playing conditions on the course. Highland Glen certainly is worth the visit and will most likely add a few memorable experiences to share with your golfing buddies.

Course Stats:

Drive Times:

East of Hwy 10, south of Hwy 4. 5 mins from Flesherton. 30 mins north of Shelburne, Collingwood 45 mins, Owen Sound 45 mins, Orangeville 55 mins

Contact:

Highland Glen Golf Club
305455 Southline A.,

Priceville, ON

N0C 1K0
519-924-4653

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