BOND HEAD (The Club at) - South Course (877-472-6348)
Ontario Golf Course Review 7/26/05
The South Course at the Club at Bond Head is a rugged, rough-hewn traditional Irish-style links layout that was
designed by course architects Hurdzan-Fry, and was opened for play in May of 2005. This course features an
extremely rolling terrain with few trees but with plenty of massive sand bunkers that are not only framed with tall
fescue, but also have patches of the knarly high grasses inside their boundaries. Visually stunning and
technically challenging, Bond Head provides 5 sets of tees that afford all levels of golfers an opportunity to
choose a set that will allow them to enjoy a fair yet attention grabbing golf experience.
From the tips, brave golfers will have all they can handle as the black tees play from 7496 yards with a slope of
146 - one of the highest in the region. Grip it and rip it and stay out of the tall grasses! Alternate sets play to
distances and slopes measuring 6997 yards/140 slope, 6433 yards/132 slope, 6012 yards/123 slope for men
and 136 for women, and 4970 with a slope of 121 from the forward tees. On property is a spectacular clubhouse
with fully stocked pro shop, fine dining restaurant/lounge/patio open for breakfast, lunch and dinner with Sunday
brunch, plus wonderfully appointed locker rooms with showers, towels and toiletries that are complimentary for
visiting guests and members. The banquet/outing facility is a gorgeous piece of work providing comfortable
seating arrangements for up to 300 people, with fine amenities and outstanding views of the property.
Practice facilities include an elevated, targeted range with mat and grass hitting stations stocked with
complimentary Maxfli range balls, plus a putting and chipping green. On course golfers will find sprinkler heads
measured to the center of the green, and each player is supplied with a yardage guide. Sculpted tees also have
yardage blocks. The new compartmentalized golf carts are stocked with towels and tees, and weather coves & ball and club washers are also standard equipment.
On our late July 2005 review round, we found the oversized putting surfaces to be in fine condition - especially for
a course that had just opened two months prior. Some of the greens are large enough to warrant a two club
difference, with ridges and undulations that will challenge the abilities of golfers to lag it close to the hole. The
bunkers look intimidating, but the consistent, high quality sand provides a reasonable playing surface from which
to escape. The trick to scoring well here is to keep it on the fairway and out of the tall fescue, which can be especially tough to hit out of, if one can find their ball.
Elevation changes from tee to green are common, with many elevated tees and raised putting complexes. The
fairways, which need some time to settle, are open and rolling, and are generally bordered by mounding and
fescue, with strategically placed bunkers helping to define the landing areas. Water only marginally comes into
play near the tees or on the perimeters of fairways, but over 130 bunkers are situated greenside or along the
fairways. Players will be challenged on approaches to hit the short grass as the greens are often protected by sand traps and mounding with slopes and ridges along the way.
Bond Head is a first class links golf experience, and one that can be enjoyed by all levels of players if they
choose the correct tee areas. The whites and blues can certainly be handled by the average golfer, and women
will find the forward tees to be a fair challenge. The clubhouse provides amenities worthy of private club status -
making this facility a perfect setting for weddings, special events, meetings and corporate outings. For golfers, a
variety of memberships are available. Bond Head is linked with Taboo and Angus Glen in the Prestige Players
Club Program. Accommodations are available at the Bed & Breakfast. For more info on the course and programs/amenities, visit our page for The Club at Bond Head, with direct link to their website by clicking here.
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