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When
Thomas McBroom completed
the The
Links at Crowbush Cove in the summer of 1993, it
quickly became a landmark in the Atlantic Canadian
golf scene, namely because it was the first golf
course on Prince Edward Island to take advantage of
the dramatic coastal setting, and also the first of a
series of world-class golf complexes to spring up in
reaction to the game's boon. Set along the north coast
of the island to the north and east of capital city
Charlottetown, the Links at Crowbush Cove is true to
its name, playing among the dunes and coastal bluffs
as the game's first courses do in the British Isles.
The
course was meant to put PEI
on the golfing radar and it certainly did that, through
the able talents of Thomas McBroom. McBroom, a Canadian
architect who had worked mainly in Ontario
alongside Bob Cupp, while also establishing himself
as a solo architect, was given the property designers
must dream of, and the result has been a flourish of
new golf developments on the island that have made PEI
a desirable, viable golf destination.
To be given oceanfront property to build a world-class
golf course is a rare opportunity for the golf
architect, but McBroom's success at Crowbush Cove is
found in his ability to capitalize on the varied
inland terrain. With no impressive credentials on his
resume, McBroom was green, and the property a
testament not to his achievements but perhaps to his
potential. The oceanfront holes are particularly
stunning, but the great shot values found throughout
the course -- even on those holes that do not benefit
from fine vistas -- is the measure of Crowbush's true
success. His affection for wild greens notwithstanding
(no one will ever mistake a McBroom for the more
understated work of a Stanley Thompson), McBroom
employed his own
talents in running two loops of nine that would
balance the oceanside
holes throughout the course and thus create a string
of interior holes. To put off the ocean until the
seventh hole on the front nine meant that the golfer,
who had been greeted by the spectacular view out to
sea from the stately clubhouse, would be turned
around.
To
soften the blow, McBroom came up with two interesting
risk-reward holes early on. The second hole – a
366-yard par
four – requires a great deal of thought, whether one
pulls an iron or a driver from the tee. The direct
route to the green must fly over a series of daunting
bunkers that are 170 yards from the tee. However, the
fairway left of the bunkers is quite wide, offering
the chance to avoid the prospect all together. The
problem from the left is realized on the approach when
the golfer must navigate a difficult shot over the
greenside bunkers which protect the front side. The
green is a tiny surface that cants from front to back,
which only adds to the plight of the golfer if they
are forced to play anything more than a short iron in.
This line of thought is indicative of Crowbush’s
character, where the plentiful options reveal
themselves to the golfer, who can be forgiven for not
choosing the proper option each time.
The
third hole is a diabolical par five, measuring 500
yards from the tips, yet presenting a myriad of
choices again. The drive is a relatively
straightforward one, though it sets up the drama to
come on the approach. Not only the Tigers need to pay
attention here as the decision of where to position
the second shot. The centre of the fairway of is
protected by a grouping of bunkers, which begin at the
100-yard mark. Therefore, the golfer must decide
whether to position the ball short of the bunkers, or
try to carry them and leaving a short pitch into the
green. The better golfer may be forced to decide
whether they wish to challenge the green with the
second shot. Though the golfer may not be faced with
an overly long approach, the front-to-back cant of the
hole does cause some reason to debate. Regardless of
the number of strokes the golfer approaches the green
with; a well-protected, undulating putting surface
awaits the golfer.
When
John Daly teed it up on the 603-yard, par-five fifth
hole, in the Skins Game played shortly after the
course opened in 1994, many fans delighted in the
idea that he may challenge the green in two. Even Daly
could not manage the feat, as his daring second shot came up short of the green.
With a prevailing breeze coming into the player off
the ocean, the average player will need three great
shots to find the fifth. The first two shots
merely set the stage for the approach, but they must
be taken with some degree of thought, otherwise the
third will be a lengthy affair that still must
navigate over the pond. The best place to lay the
second shot up to is the right side of the fairway
that hugs the trio of bunkers protecting against this
play. Regardless of the length of approach, there are two
key factors on the approach: wind and pin
position. The green is shallow and wide and thus
requires a delicate approach, but that final thought has meant
a watery grave for many a golf ball. The
bluff behind the green (on which the clubhouse
resides) provides a natural wind block for the golfers
standing in the fairway and misleads golfers. The
national flag, which stands left of the clubhouse, is
the best indicator of the effect the wind will have on
the golfer’s ball once it rises above the bluff.
The
seventh hole is one of the most delightful at
Crowbush, a modest but challenging 392-yard par four
that plays out towards the surf. The tee shot must
battle the wind to reach the incredibly exposed
fairway that is bordered by water on the right side. A
large bunker short and right of the surface provides
ample protection for the hole, which is on a rather
interesting green. Still, the marvel of this hole for
the first-time golfer is the large sand spit running
perpendicular to the hole and guarding the majesty of
the ocean from the perched green.
Having
turned back from the ocean to finish the front nine,
McBroom opens the back nine with a stern number.
Playing parallel (and well away) from the ocean, the
golfer faces perhaps the hardest hole on the course, a
463-yard par four. A hillock of bunkers divides the
fairway in two, however the left side remains almost
exclusively to save those who hit a hook, rather than
as a strategic place to place the ball. Right of the
bunkers is the more direct line to the green and given
the uphill nature of the hole and the distance, it
must prove the smartest line. Assuming the golfer has
placed a perfect drive, the second shot is an uphill
affair to a shallow green, which is one of the widest
on the course. The putting surface boasts a rather
huge hump in the middle of it and creates almost two
separate greens. This clearly emphasizes the need to
be on the proper side of the green to secure any
chance at par. After putting out, all golfers should
take the opportunity to go the back tee on 11, which
offers one of the most scenic outlooks on any golf
course, with a 360 degree view of the entire course,
the ocean and nearby port town.
Upon
arriving on the tee at the 15th, the golfer is
afforded the same rush of adrenaline that washed over
them on the seventh hole. The downhill par four plays
out to the ocean again and the texture of the dunes
behind adds a special flavour to the hole. From the
tee, the golfer must choose to either play to the left
of fairway waste bunker, or try to take a more direct
line over it. From the generous fairway, the approach
needs only to be on line as the green is completely
open in front, though is flanked by a bunker right and
swale on the left. Getting down in two putts is a
realistic hope and provides a good chance to snag a
par in the closing stretch.
After
climbing the dune to reach the 16th green, the golfer
is faced with one more climb that of the 17th
hole. While 17 is shortest one the course, measuring
113 yards, it is certainly the most controversial as
well. Playing uphill to a blind green, many golfers
bemoan the fact they cannot see the putting surface
from the tee. It is this fact however, that surely
would have had the old masters of links architecture
smiling down. The green is a wild two-tiered hole that
forces the golfer to stick to the yardage they select
and hit the shot. Aside from the blind nature and the
short carry, a bunker short left and the sometimes
howling wind provides most of the protection here.
Surely any golfer with a sense of adventure will love
the 17th hole, but those that don’t need
only be reminded of Tommy Armour’s famous quote that
even a blind hole is only blind once.
The
closing hole at Crowbush is the epitome of big
architecture, measuring 464 yards from the back tees
and playing uphill towards the clubhouse. Bunkers
flank the fairway on either side the entire length of
the hole and almost beg the golfer to tack safely
through them. The final approach of the day is a long
one, combining both the slope and distance to require
the golfer to hit one last mighty blow. From the
perched green, the golfer can for one minute take in
the entire scene, with the ocean out to the left and
first tee to the right; it would only be natural to
want to challenge the course to a second duel.
The
Links at Crowbush Cove surely did more than just put
PEI
on the golfing map; it also enabled a golf boon on the
island. As the main attraction in a collection of PEI
courses that seem to improve with new openings every
couple of years, Crowbush belongs in elite company. Few courses built along the
Atlantic Ocean in the last seventy years can rival
Crowbush for scenery or playability and surely that is
a mark of the great things that await the golfer who
has not yet found Atlantic Canada – the golf
destination.
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