Borden Golf Club

Tactical Strikes and Heavy Artillery

Posted by Alistair Orr

Golf has been an integral part of life on Canadian Forces Base Borden since the beginning years when the base first opened as The Borden Military Camp in 1916 to prepare units of the Canadian Expeditionary Force for overseas battle in WWI.  In 1917 Borden became home to Canada's first military aerodrome and became the first flying station of the Royal Flying Corps. That same year golf was introduced to the base with the building of Anderson Park Golf Course.

The base commander at the time, Major Stanley Scott, was an avid golfer and the driving force behind the inception of the course. However, the designing and building of the course fell into the hands of a Lieutenant named Davidson, who was a well known amateur from New York, and Corporal Frank Roberts. Roberts was an accomplished English golf pro attached to the West Kent Golf Club in Bickley Kent, England before the war. Surviving photographs from the course's opening day reveal that renowned Canadian golf course architect George Cumming may also have been involved in the design of the course.

An article written in a 1918 edition of Canadian Golfer described the routing as .."While laid in a green-brown, unfecund terrain, of rugged, austere contour, yet the natural suitability of its sandy dunes to the requirements renders it more than desirable, and it can be vary favourably compared to the famous type of courses seen in Scotland...", and the course remained true to that description until the sad day when the Military decided to shutter the course a mere 10 months shy of its 100th birthday. Rest in Peace Anderson Park

Circled Pine is CFB Borden's championship 18 hole course and was founded in 1954. Measuring 6488 yards, this 18 hole layout is wonderfully playable featuring tree lined rolling fairways, small fast greens, strategically placed bunkers and the occasional water hazard for golfers to negotiate. 

At Circled Pine both tactical strikes and the big bomber are needed to defeat the course. Two holes of different character illustrate the need for both talents and are dueling candidates for our nod as  signature hole. While the short hole number 7 requires precision, number 15, on the other hand, requires the deployment of the heavy artillery.

The 7th is a pretty little hole measure 100 yards from the front tees and 160 from the back but don't let the beauty distract you for the sloping green is fronted by a bunker and the "beaver pond" awaits the misshit short. The prevailing wind is in your face so proper club selection is at a premium. The wise play is a shot to the middle of the green (preferable below the hole), do your best to two putt and tip toe to the 8th tee unscathed.

The 15th hole is a long sweeping dogleg par 4 measuring a beastly 448 from the back tees and forces you to contend with a crossing creek some 60 yards short of the green. A bombed tee shot down the right side is needed setting up for a lengthy approach over the creek to a green complex that slopes severely to the front and is protected by a bunker front left and behind. A par on this hole will likely result in a shot gained on the field.

Available for public daily fee play and if you find yourself at Borden on a Friday be sure to don a red shirt in support of the troops and you will receive the military rate.

Circled Pine Golf Course             
PAR 72 5490/6488
Course Rating: Men (Blue tees): 71.2 / 127; Women (Red tees): 72.8 / 128
Contact: Circled Pine: 705-424-1460 www.bordangolf.com