When someone asks what the best golf courses in Manitoba are, it’s a tough question to answer. Considering there are more than 75 courses across the province, how does one even begin to pick ‘the best’?
Golf is a game I fell in love with in my 30’s. Once a former golf columnist for Winnipeg Free Press and golf blogger Travel Manitoba it was my mission to play every course in the province. While I didn’t fully accomplish this ambitious goal, I was fortunate to get a round in on many of the best.
There are many that left an indelible impression on me for different reasons. So I suppose these would now be my favourites. Next time you’re looking for one of the great golf courses in Manitoba, here are three must-play recommendations. From my clubs to yours.
Minnewasta Golf & Country Club
Minnewasta Golf & Country Club in Morden utilizes the natural terrain of the Pembina escarpment. This results in twists and turns through hills and vales, and one heck of a view. Established in 1962 as a nine-hole course, it expanded to 18 in 1989. Internationally renowned golf course architect Les Furber redeveloped the site, staying true to its topography.
Golfing at Minnewasta feels a little like golfing in the mountains. Except there are no mountains. Add to this enough unpredictability to keep you wondering what’s coming next. And you’ll find a beautiful course with little room for error! Get sloppy on your shots, and your ball could bounce into bushes, or disappear near a dam. Maybe rebound off a headstone, or tangled up in brambles (ouch!). All of which make it an extra fun course to play.
Clear Lake Golf Course
The closest things to mountains we have in Manitoba are in Riding Mountain National Park. Here you’ll also find Clear Lake Golf Course. A step back in time, Clear Lake dates back to 1923. When large swaths of land were cleared to stop the spread of insect plagues. In 1928, the area was chosen for the site of a golf course and construction began. Relief camp workers during the Great Depression supplied labour for the back nine. The course opened in 1934 with fifty-cent green fees.
While fees cost substantially more than half-a-buck today, the log clubhouse – designated a heritage building – looks much the same as when it first opened. Here, enjoy great views of golfers humourously attempting to sink putts on the ferociously slanted ninth green. After a mercilessly blind approach shot from the fairway. This hole alone makes golf a four-letter word.
Granite Hills Golf Club
Granite Hills Golf Club may be one of the youngest courses in Manitoba. But you wouldn’t know it based on its pristine condition. Twenty minutes past Lac du Bonnet, Granite Hills boasts plushy fairways. The mature trees, groomed areas, and well-manicured greens juxtapose the rugged landscape inherent to Canadian Shield country. Resulting in one of the most stunning golfing locales Manitoba has to offer.
Elevated tee boxes on many of the holes provide breathtaking views. With five lakeside fairways, forests teeming with birch, poplar and pine, and towering granite outcroppings. When looking out from the tee boxes, it’s always an adventure just to see where you’re headed.
Where you’ve been is equally awesome, too. Take a moment to look back before you move on. There are plenty of sights to soak up along with the sunshine.
