To the discerning golf traveller, “five-star” offers re-assurance. It stakes claim to a standard of luxury and hospitality that is on par with the world’s great destinations, and to have such an offering on the isolated north shore of Prince Edward Island is a special perk indeed. The Links at Crowbush Cove, a Thomas McBroom design that opened to great fanfare about a decade ago, signalled the golf boon in this, Canada’s smallest province. Nodding to the game’s traditions across the Atlantic, and the exquisite linksland on which Crowbush Cove was built, McBroom crafted a seaside gem that drew the otherwise disinterested to these remote parts. Today, Crowbush Cove is more than just a signpost on a rural road, and Prince Edward Island is a highly coveted destination for those who want luxury and prime value in a golf vacation.

The golf met with acclaim from the beginning: in 1994, honours as the Top New Course in Canada from Golf Digest, and as of 2004, the #8 ranking in Score’s Top 100 in Canada. But in the course’s early years, a problem bearing an easy solution arose. With such a wonderful golf course in the remote dunes of the island’s north coast, overlooking the Gulf of St. Lawrence, visitors were aplenty, and accommodations scarce. The Rodd chain promptly resolved this, building Atlantic Canada’s first five-star resort in the dunes atop the North Shore Beach. When the Crowbush Golf And Beach Resort opened in 2001, golfers were now blessed with first-class accommodation and service to complement the exceptional golf. Inspired by the basic architectural traditions of the Maritimes, the hotel stands blond and handsome on the hillside, sturdy and effective without any flash or pomp whatsoever. Like the golf course, it blends into the land, as if in its own way an ode to the simple coastal beauty.

Guests enjoy the area from one of 25 deluxe guest rooms or one of two dozen King suites, many of which feature private balconies that offer picturesque views of either the links or the waves lapping up against the North Shore. Rooms are understated and sophisticated here, offering all of the basic amenities in a refined, elegant space. Furnishings and décor are paired well in rich, clean colours, and the suites offer an expanded living room area along with a Jacuzzi tub in the master bathroom. For those desiring a little more privacy, Crowbush also features 32 one- and two-bedroom cottages, perfect for couples, families, or small groups who wish to create their own experience in the company of resort amenities. With a kitchenette, and separate living and dining rooms, it is like renting a private oceanfront cottage for the week, but with access to a host of great amenities and restaurants.

In the Maritimes, seafood and shellfish are prevalent on the menu, and at Crowbush, only the freshest catches make their way to the plate. The cuisine here is simple, authentic, and maritime. In the main dining room, which offers great view of the 5^th fairway on the links, such fare is complemented by the freshest produce and innovative maritime flavours. Along with the Resort Lounge and the clubhouse restaurant at the Links at Crowbush Cove, guests have a troika of popular options for meals and evening drinks.

The undercurrent at Crowbush Cove is luxury in the most unvarnished of natural settings, and the theme runs through all the other facets of the resort. The Boutique Spa, a Rodd exclusive, offers all the standard treatments of a world-class spa, augmented by the Aveda line of products they carry. On-site, golf is the obvious leisure choice, but great canoeing, hiking, sea kayaking, and horseback riding gives guests the opportunity to explore some of the gentle surrounding countryside. 25 minutes to the east, and the wonders of the island come into full view. Greenwich Dunes, a 900-acre national park on the northeastern coast of PEI, is a wonder of nature, providing the habitat to hundreds of rare plant and bird species, as well as the archaeological remains of Aborigine and Acadian cultures of centuries past. Crowbush is a gateway to the island’s past, an icon of its tourist-driven present and future, and simply one of the premier golf experiences that the Maritime Provinces have to offer.