Deer Creek North - Diamond & Ruby (905) 427-7737
Ontario Golf Course Review - June 16, 2006
Located just off Taunton Road in Ajax, Ontario, Deer Creek Golf & Banquet Facility is comprised of 45 holes of
championship golf and a state-of-the-art clubhouse that features expansive banquet facilities with over 50,000 sq
ft of pristine space with rooms to suit from 12 to 1,200 guests, a well-stocked pro shop, shower and locker facilities for both men and women, a snack shop with a pub, and a first class restaurant.
On property (a short drive away) is the Deer Creek Academy that features CPGA professional trainers, an
expansive practice area that contains a driving range with five laser-measured target greens, four greenside
bunkers, a fairway bunker and more. A 9-hole executive course is also part of the Academy. Toronto Sun
readers have voted The Academy as the "Best Teaching Facility" and "Best Practice Facility" for 5 years running - 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005 and 2006, in the Toronto Sun Golf Guide.
The Deer Creek property is immaculately maintained and beautifully landscaped making the golfing experience
here a visual pleasure. Bent grass greens, tees and fairways are well-manicured. The staff at Deer Creek are
friendly and helpful in every respect - they offer everything from water and directions to suggestions on method of
play for each 9. Scorecards as well as very informative yardage guides are provided before each round. Red,
white and blue stakes and plates in the middle of the fairway designate 100, 150 and 200 yard measurements and front, middle and back pin placements are indicated by red, white and blue flags.
The North Course - Diamond & Ruby
Deer Creek North opened 18 holes for play in 1988. Its designer and owner, Jerry Coughlan, enlisted the aid of
Rene Muylaert in designing an additional 9 holes which opened in 1999. Since then Deer Creek North has been
ranked as one of the "Top 10 Public Golf Courses in Ontario"(Toronto Star Golf Guide, 2000) and is noted as
being the Top Holes in the Durham Region (Toronto Star Bogey Man, 1999). They were also winners of the
Reader's Choice Award in Durham as well as the Toronto Sun Readers Choice. This course comes with great credentials.
The Diamond and the Ruby combine to make the "classic" North course. This par 72 layout features 3 sets of
tees that measure 6300 yards from the tips 5797 yards from the middle and 4774 yards from the forward tees.
The course has a rating of 70.1 from the tips with a slope of 133. Eight water hazards and over 64 strategically
placed sand bunkers dot the course and a creek winds its way along and through many of the fairways.
The Diamond nine sets the pace for this course - offering long, narrow fairways, hazard carries, interesting
doglegs and small targets. The beautiful #1 handicap 4th is one of the most interesting par 5's we've seen. An
elevated tee shot to a long narrow fairway with bunkers on the left and water on the right of the landing area. The
fairway doglegs left at about 150 yards and the very narrow approach is to a beautiful green with water on the
right. The #2 handicap ninth is also memorable as bunkering beckons off the tee and the approach to the picture postcard green is over a beautiful pond.
The Ruby nine offers golfers a roller coaster ride with elevation changes, narrow tee shots and sand and water
hazards. Although every hole offers a challenge, especially the very difficult par 4 #7 with winding narrow
landing areas and bunkers and water beckoning the ball, the three par threes dominate this tract. The second
hole (#2 handicap) is a tough little par 3 that plays downhill through heavy forest to a long, narrow green. The 4th
hole is an expansive green protected by the creek in the front and a bunker behind that is played from some very
elevated tees and can be difficult depending on wind direction. The finishing hole on the Ruby is a gorgeous and
very difficult par three that plays over water to a green with two strategically placed bunkers and offers a beautiful view of the clubhouse.
Deer Creek North is a real pleasure to play and tests the shotmaking abilities of even the most experienced
golfer. It is one of the prettiest courses in the GTA, and the services provided for the reasonable green fees make it great value. Highly recommended!
For more detailed information on Deer Creek North and link to its website - click here.
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