Hole 15: A Beautiful Lakeside Par 3

Stone Ridge Golf Club:

Ted Baker’s Terrific Design in Uranium Country.

Posted by: Rick Parnham

Elliott Lake came to be a burgeoning Northern Ontario city back in the 1950’s with mineral discoveries and the influx of mining companies looking to reap the treasures of the Canadian Shield. Now a city rebranded as a retirement community with plenty of affordable homes, the city is also home to a wonderful golf experience.

After the closing of the mines in the 1960’s with a moratorium on the uranium trade, Elliott Lake struggled to find an identity. It has grown into a highly regarded retirement community which is affordable, and filled with plenty of outdoor activities. One of the jewels in the city’s collection of terrific connections with nature is found at Stone Ridge Golf Club. The course opened in 2005 after Canadian architect Ted Baker was brought in to update an existing course on the property now occupied by one of Northern Ontario’s premiere facilities.

The course is situated adjacent to Ryan Lake a few kilometers south of town. It opens with a risk / reward par 5 that provides gorgeous glimpses of the lake. The first of the quartet of quality short holes is found at the 3rd tee. This one is a demanding and challenging adventure with the target being a green well below the tee that cants heavily from right to left. The redesign saw a former trailer park across the road converted into the next three holes and a stretch with the most dramatic elevation changes on the layout. The uphill 6th is a beast of a par 3, with the green being almost completely blind. The 8th hole is a brute. The lengthy par 4 will require a hybrid or fairway wood to reach the perched green featuring a false front.

The back side opens with another lengthy beast of a par 4. The green is tucked into a hillside while being guarded in front by deep bunkers and on the left by a cavernous grassy hollow. Hole 13 is another of the splendid short holes. The green is situated behind a wide wetland and long bunker requiring a well struck shot to clear both. A pair of reachable par 5’s are found at the 14th and 17th respectively. Both have enough tricks to get your attention, but each are welcome birdie chances. Two of the most visual holes are found along the shore of the lake. The mid iron par 3 15th has a green that slopes hard to the back requiring a deft touch. The finale is a short dogleg par 4 wrapping tightly around the lake. The generous fairway allows you to be aggressive, but the multi-tiered green makes for a solid final challenge.

A Solid Finish

Many will be familiar with Baker’s southern Ontario designs at Loyalist in Kingston and Lionhead along with the other Kaneff golf courses. One knock on his designs is that he forces a course on the landscape. This certainly is not the case with Stone Ridge. Many of the bigger than average greens are sloped, but not outrageously and are placed in locations which maximize both the visuals of the surroundings. The generous fairway corridors make this a fun course off the tee. The charming clubhouse and patio have beautiful views of the finishing hole and the shimmering lake backdrop, making for the perfect location to culminate a round of golf that will feel both like a fair test of skill and time well spent.

Drive Times: Sault Ste. Marie 2hr 15mins, Sudbury 2hr, Barrie 4hr 30 mins

Related Editorial: Highway 17, Timberwolf, Loyalist.

Contact:

Stone Ridge Golf Course

71 Nordic Mine Road

Elliot Lake, ON

P5A 2S9    

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