A visiting golfer will first notice that Royal Ontario, for being such a new course, does not appear young. When construction started in 2001, the property featured many gentle hillsides and rolling terrain. But what really drew in the designers were the mature trees that adorned the landscape.

The land was originally a stable and equestrian center, with large meadows and dense woods covering the acreage. Placing the holes within these spaces allowed for the woods to frame the fairways and greens. After experiencing Royal Ontario, the enticing shape of many holes will easily become ingrained in the golfers memory.

Our visitors will also remember the quality of the design. One gets the feeling that great care has gone into the placement of each hole. For accomplished Architect Boris Danoff, this course represents a tremendous amount of time and effort. "Royal Ontario exemplifies the best in target golf layouts. Generous fairways allow for aggressive play off the tees, and wide openings to the greens make front pin placements accessible by low running shots."

The course has five sets of tee blocks to provide a different experience with each visit. "From the tips the course is a monster", Danoff explains. "With pins at the back and tucked behind bunkers, only carefully placed tee shots, and high, soft approaches to the contoured greens will avoid trouble long, or on the short side of the flags".

Visitors playing Royal Ontario will be reminded of the Masters course at Lionhead. "When you couple just the right amount of elevation change with generous greens and interesting approaches, you have a layout that will keep a golfer's interest peaked." Both courses share those attributes, making them equally enjoyable.

Despite its hazards of fescue and water, it is the variety of tee blocks that allow for golfers of all calibers to find the desired amount of challenge to suit their game. The tees stretch from from 5225 back to 7074 yards making a different course possible with each visit. When you add the scenery and vistas visible around the links, enjoyment is easy to find. This course will be a favourite for all golf enthusiasts.