Whether you're an amateur, a pro or simply enjoy a walk in the park with the sticks, Nova Scotia has over 70 golf courses to experience. It is also home to 4,600 miles of majestic sea-carved coastline that takes one on a journey deep into the roots of its culture, traditions, music and cuisine. That shoreline tour is highlighted by one of the most spectacular drives in the country through Cape Breton Highlands National Park along the Cabot Trail. It's along this route where one will find everything from North America's only single malt whisky distillery to the Alexander Graham Bell National Historic Site and of course the world-renowned Highlands Links golf course.

It's a six-eight hour hike by car from the provincial capital of Halifax, but you will find that Cape Breton Island rocks with the "Fab Four" - Highlands Links, Bell Bay Golf Club, Dundee Resort & Golf Club and Le Portage Golf Club. You'll soon learn that Cape Breton is a larger island than PEI and a little more challenging to get from point A to point B, but the peaceful serenity of the Gaelic culture on the Ceilidh Trail and the ocean cliffs are what dreams are made of.

Highlands Links is a Stanley Thompson masterpiece that dates back to 1939. Its magnificent routing, rolling fairways, artfully crafted bunkers and deceptive greens, make it truly an unforgettable golf experience and a must play – something like playing the Old Course at St. Andrew's when visiting Scotland. As a walker's paradise, it remains on the edge of the Atlantic Ocean as a testament to the pureness of what golf should be at a price that most can afford to pay. Trust me, book a second tee time here - you won't want to drive away without having played it a second time!

While the other three courses are a notch below Highland Links, Bell Bay GC is a spectacular contemporary design by Tom McBroom, that was selected Best New Course in Canada by Golf Digest in 1998. The layout sits high above the Brad d'Or Lakes and plays along the sloping ridge for an easy walk.

Dundee is nestled in richly forested hills also overlooking Bras d'Or Lakes. This championship course ascends the side of South Mountain with dramatic elevation changes and tight fairways that call for controlled shot-making.

Le Portage GC is located in one of the island's French speaking, but very friendly regions. The course is the lesser of the four, but at 6,777 yards from the tips this walkable parkland layout isn't to be taken lightly.

Over time, most of Canada's finest golf course architects, Bob Moote, Robbie Robinson, Les Furber, McBroom, Cooke and Thompson, have walked this land and etched a lasting imprint on Nova Scotia's landscape. If you know where to look, you'll even find a delightful and testy nine-holer designed by American Donald Ross that is surrounded by the sights and sounds of the ocean at White Point Beach Resort near Liverpool that is a must play.

As the provincial capital, Halifax is the most accessible city to fly into and centrally located as a starting point for any holiday. It is home to a vibrant and historic downtown core, a wonderful waterfront, great nightlife, many festivals, and of course Alexander Keith's Brewery and Museum, which one soon learns is the beer of choice in local pubs. On the outskirts of the city in Hammond Plains is the residential community that is home to Glen Arbour Golf Club. This is another solid championship Cooke design, which is ranked among the country's top 100 courses.

Much less expensive rounds in the Halifax area can be played for under $60 at Granite Springs Golf Club, The Links at Montague, Fox Hollow and Chester Golf Club.

Nova Scotia is also accessible by high-speed catamaran ferry from both Bar Harbor and Portland, Maine to Yarmouth. Vacationers arriving by ferry should seriously look at The Pines Resort, in the quaint hamlet of Digby along the Bay of Fundy coast. This high-end retreat has been welcoming guests to its Norman- Style Chateau overlooking the beautiful Annapolis Basin since 1929. Its Thompson golf course holds true to its original design and is easily among the top-five in the province. The area is also renowned for its delectable world-famous Digby scallops.

Two courses along the Northumberland Strait, which separates PEI from Nova Scotia, make waves for entirely different reasons. Northumberland Links is one of those traditional designs that isn't long for the tee, but is both fun and challenging to play. With views of the sea from 16 holes and a green fee under $60 you won't go wrong. Just down the road, golf aficionados will also find the exclusive and wonderful world of Fox Harb'r. Within this gated retreat guests are treated like royalty and many land on its airstrip in private jets. There's a world-class spa, a skeet sport shooting range, five-star dining in the main clubhouse and much more. The catch is you need to stay at Fox Harb'r in order to play the Graham Cooke layout. A night's stay and golf for two is about $1,000.

Brent Long is a contributing writer to The Traveling Golfer and owner of Longshot Communications. He can be reached at brentlong@cogeco.ca