paying public, there are a couple of gems. And the price is right. Eagle
Creek, which has been purchased by ClubLink but is still semi-public for
the remainder of the year, is at the top of the list, along with The
Marshes. Loch March, just outside Kanata, and Le Sorcier, on the
Quebec side, are also local hotspots for great golf.

Or you may opt for one of the private courses, maybe
Hunt Club, Royal Ottawa or Camelot.

"For golfers who live more than 100 miles
outside of Ottawa, they can usually have their
club pro call a club here in town and get on
the course," says Kevin Haime, the 2000
PGA Teacher of the Year for Canada who
operates the Kevin Haime Golf Centre. "A
lot of golfers don't know they can do that.”
"If you don't have access to a private
course, there aren't a lot of terrific high-
end courses to play here. I wouldn't call
it a golf destination, but there are some
terrific values to be had. You're not going to
be paying a couple of hundred bucks to golf."

Haime says Eagle Creek is "the best shotmakers' course in Ottawa." "You use a lot of clubs in your bag when you play Eagle Creek," he said. "Some holes are designed left to right and some are right to left. You get a lot of different looks from different distances." Eagle Creek is tight and extremely well conditioned and was one of the first courses to have bent-grass greens in Ottawa.

The Marshes is a must-play course if you're in town. And it offers a world-class hotel so stay and play is a great option. With triple 6's - six par threes, six par fours and six par fives - The Marshes can be both punishing and exhilarating. The GPS system can sure come in handy.

"The fact that it's a
collaboration between
Robert Trent Jones Jr.
and Sr. and Senior died
in the process makes it
unique," said The
Marshes VP Tony Dunn.
"This was their last
collaboration. Senior was
the Michelangelo of golf
architects.”

The Marshes and the
accompanying
Brookstreet Hotel are
the five-star visions of
high-tech billionaire Sir
Terry Matthews.

The course has hosted the CPGA Seniors championship for the past three seasons and includes an absolutely evil, yet tasty, par 5 second hole which winds its way left to right around a lake. Water threatens each shot, perhaps even your putt if you put a little too much roll on it.

"You're forever playing into a headwind on No. 2," said Dunn. "And as long as the hole is, it's even longer with Mother Nature." Dunn said the course is tough, but fair.
"If you play from the appropriate tees, it can be a very pleasant experience," he said. "A lot of our guests play from the blues and golds... you've got to be a single-handicap golfer (to pull that off)." With a late tee time, you can play for as little as $65 CDN, plus tax. One awesome package option, if your partner is not a golfer, is Beauty and Balls. For $179 CDN per person, you can get in a round of golf while your partner gets an $80 CDN credit at Au Naturel Spa. There's also a breakfast for two thrown in.

The Brookstreet Hotel has 276 rooms. And it has award-winning chef Michael Blackie. Brookstreet and Perspectives restaurant have been awarded the CAA/AAA Four-Diamond rating. Check out brookstreethotel.com for more info on golf packages. There are also Stay and Play and Gourmet Golf Getaway packages available.

If staying close to the golf course is
a must, you could also check out the
Chateau Cartier Golf Resort and Spa,
in Gatineau, 10 minutes from
downtown Ottawa. The course is nice
enough. And there are package deals
available. For $119 per person, you
can get unlimited golf and a
wonderful room in the resort. Check
out chateaucartier.com for details.

Another Ottawa-area option is Le
Sorcier, which is cut through the
woods. A well-kept secret, it's 30
minutes away from the downtown
core. It's a risk-reward course with
each hole presenting options and
obstacles. Almost every hole is
self-contained so you get the feeling you're alone on the course, not bothered by the hustle and bustle or the cuss words ringing out following bad drives.

Loch March, which makes the list at least partially due to its renowned hospitality, is a tight course that provides an immediate eye-opener on No.1 with its elevated tee, rough on the left and water on the right.

Less than an hour away, to the south, is Upper Canada in Morrisburg. If a bit of a car ride is no problem, this course should be on your list.

Outaouais, in nearby Rockland, is another option, with mature treelines and a great finishing hole that can be eyeballed from the 19th hole balcony.

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