Windswept Georgian Bay Setting

Oak Bay Golf and Country Club:

The Gateway to Muskoka Golf

The Severn River is typically thought of as the southern edge of the Canadian Shield. Crossing the bridges that traverse the river as it empties into Georgian Bay, one gets a feel for the ruggedness and wild beauty at the transition into the ancient granite playground of the north. A short par five from the bridges and Hwy 400 interchange in Port Severn leads to one of cottage country's burgeoning golf communities at Oak Bay Golf and Country Club.

Those having visited prior to 2016 will see tremendous change to the complex from the early days of the staff working out of a trailer. The waterfront residential / golf community is still early in its existence, and with their financial woes behind them,  the development is moving full steam ahead with the building of the master-planned golf and marina community. The centrepiece of the development is a Shawn Watters designed course routed through thickly forested corridors, over and around shoreline wetlands and traversing the archetypal granite outcroppings you would expect from a Muskoka golf experience. Yardages ranging from 4825 to 6500 may have many wondering about the challenge without the 7000 number floating around, but rest assured this course has plenty of teeth to it. Any course that forces shot placement and club selection, like this one, will take its toll on the handicap.

The parkland design places a premium on shot shaping and distance control throughout the round, featuring a  terrific mix of tight, tree-lined holes to compliment the holes gracing the wetlands and Georgian Bay shoreline. You are welcome to pull the driver on the tees, but may find yourself cracking open a sleeve or two of replacements to complete your round, as the room for error is small and punishing should you find the rough or underbrush. The relatively small greens give you a chance to score well, but beware as they firm up with age, speedy will be a common descriptor. Incorporating much of what defines Muskoka, white pines, hardwood forests, wetlands, shorelines and granite faces, Oak Bay provides a terrific cottage country golf experience.

The original routing has been reversed starting your Oak Bay experience with one of the toughest holes on the course. The daunting, lengthy par 4 plays over water off the tee and uphill to a well protected green. The second plays as a difficult par 4 where options abound off the tee. The green complex is "Redan" in style, perched atop a rock faced rise and fronted by wetlands. Hole 14 is a drivable par 4 filled with subtleties to protect par. Many will consider the par 3 holes, 6 and 8 as the signatures of the front. Number 6 plays across Oak Bay to a green set high on a rock face, while number 8 is a mid-long iron shot to a green jutting out into Georgian Bay. Both are nerve wracking, and exacting short holes. 

An inviting risk-reward par 5 opens the back nine, with an early chance for birdie or better with well struck shots. Perhaps the best short hole on the routing is found at the 11th tee. This fantastic mean son-of-gun plays well over 200 yards and slightly uphill. Hole 12 is a superbly designed par 4 featuring a dogleg left, sentinel tree and blind landing area off the tee. It can be a challenge to make your 4 on this beauty. Another terrific dogleg left hole greets you at the 15th tee. Pinched by a fairway bunker, the safe play is to favour the right side with the drive leaving a semi-blind shot into the green framed by a massive rock formation to the back and right.

Course Stats:

The few years since the opening of Oak Bay has seen substantive change. The addition of a new contemporary clubhouse, complete with a fantastic vantage point overlooking Georgian Bay, offers a substantive lunch and dinner menu and is quickly becoming famous with the locals for their wood-fired gourmet pizzas. The one constant here since the beginning has been a pretty solid golf course offering some breathtaking view along a routing of very challenging holes highlighted by a collection of outstanding par 3's. The Port Severn exit off the 400, leads to a terrific a fine test of golf for the daily play player or a terrific Stay & Play package available at the luxurious Christie's Mill Inn and Spa, combining a challenging Muskoka golf outing with fine dining and pampering at the historic inn. Whichever option you prefer, you will create a memorable experience not soon forgotten.

Oak Bay Golf and Country Club

67 Links Trail 

Port Severn, ON

L0K 1S0

1-800-339-4987

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