Canada’s Prince Edward Island presents world-class golf and eating. We discovered a number of the high locations to play, eat and calm down.
Ryan Barath
As an island province on the East Coast of Canada, Prince Edward Island presents an unimaginable quantity of golf in a small geographical location. There are greater than 25 golf amenities, and past that the seaside — or an excellent restaurant — is rarely too distant.
My most up-to-date journey to PEI comes on the heels of a 48-hour go to I made with my spouse within the fall of 2023. After that have, we knew we needed to get again through the summer time months. That is how we spent simply over 4 days in Prince Edward Island.
The Keep
Slightly than make our approach from location to location as we did within the fall, we determined to discover a central spot near all of our scheduled golf, and we discovered that at Fairways Cottages. It provided the proper location for all the golf programs on our itinerary within the Cavendish space and gave us the chance to unwind after every spherical with out having to fret about packing up within the morning earlier than golf.
Ryan Barath
The comfy cottages provide full facilities together with kitchens, a heated pool, sauna, fireplace pits, kids’s play areas and different out of doors actions (choose cottages additionally provide non-public sizzling tubs).
Ryan Barath
It’s solely a 15-minute stroll to the Cavendish Seaside Nationwide Park, Oceanview Lookoff, in addition to different points of interest past golf together with the Inexperienced Gables historic web site, Avonlea Village and Cavendish Boardwalk, which is residence to numerous outlets and eating places.
The Golf
After we settled into the cottage that might be our residence for the subsequent 4 days, our reintroduction to golf in PEI began at Purple Sands. The course is a stunning 9-holer that’s as difficult for low handicaps as it’s enjoyable and accessible for junior and senior golfers.
Ryan Barath
What makes Purple Sands stand out is the routing, which begins in the midst of the property and shortly works its approach all the way down to the bottom nook with a gap quick par-4. From there it’s a brief par-3, after which a mixture of par-3s and 4s that work their approach as much as the best a part of the property. You shut out the spherical with an thrilling downhill tee shot on the eighth after which {a partially} blind strategy to the ultimate gap again to the clubhouse. At beneath 2,500 yards from the again tees, it’s a course that may nonetheless make you utilize a lot of the golf equipment in your bag.
With restricted bunkers and huge greens scaled for yardage, the true check lies within the ever-changing wind that blows over the hilly property and the undulating greens. As soon as we completed our spherical we headed for an early dinner at Sou’West, simply a few minutes from the course.
The subsequent morning we headed for Inexperienced Gables Golf Membership, aptly named as a result of it presents views of the Anne of Inexperienced Gables Home — the precise farmhouse that impressed the well-known books by writer L.M. Montgomery. The course is an authentic 1939 Stanley Thompson that was renovated in 2008 by Thomas McBroom and options rolling hills and views of the Gulf of St. Lawrence.
Ryan Barath
After golf, we loved a fast stroll on the seaside and ready ourselves for a meal at The Desk (extra on that in a bit).
Our most formidable day of golf was 36 holes and began early the subsequent day at Glasgow Hills, a sprawling design that winds up and down the rolling hills of Cavendish. With elevation modifications on most holes, the course creates a wide range of shot choices off the tee and into greens.
Ryan Barath
The course’s conditioning was nice, however so was the service and the oysters.
Subsequent up after our fast turnaround was a seven-minute drive up the highway to Andersons Creek, a course with loads of risk-reward choices off the tee and extra elevation modifications by the property.
Ryan Barath
With correctly spread-out tee choices, Andersons Creek is playable for any talent degree and a blast for all. The mix of shorter par-5s and fascinating par-3s make it well-suited for match play.
Andersons Creek
I ought to notice, that my solely remorse of the journey came about on the eighth gap of Andersons Creek the place, after getting caught up in dialog with our pleasant taking part in companions, I by no means hit document on my spouse’s tee shot on the par-3. A solidly struck iron had the entire group eagerly anticipating a spherical of drinks, however the ball stopped at least two inches from the cup for a simple birdie (let that be a lesson for all you golfers on the market).
After a enjoyable 36-hole day, we retreated to our residence away from residence at Fairways Cottages to wash up earlier than discovering a filling meal and chilly drinks. On the suggestion of our native taking part in companions, we made the stress-free and trafficless 30-minute drive into downtown Charlottetown to Slaymaker and Nichols Gastro Home, the place we weren’t upset.
Due to a later morning tee time on our remaining full day, we began our morning at Avonlea Village the place we grabbed a light-weight breakfast at Samuel’s Espresso Home. We then made the lengthy trek — Narrator: “It was the truth is one other five-minute drive” — to Eagles Glenn, which sits simply previous Avonlea Village and proper subsequent to Inexperienced Gables.
Eagles Glenn Golf
Relating to Eagles Glenn, the golf course and amenities are top-notch and as soon as once more present ample teeing choices for golfers of all talents and driving distances. And sure, I understand I’ve identified course teeing choices a number of occasions, however I consider it’s an vital think about enjoyable and playability, particularly contemplating my spouse and I play a whole lot of golf collectively and he or she desires to be given simply as a lot alternative to benefit from the course from the ahead tees.
Sadly for our golf, Eagles Glenn is the place our luck ran out. After having fun with the gorgeous climate the weird June warmth wave dropped at the East Coast, the heavens opened up as we began the again 9 and it was then that our {golfing} journey got here to an finish. However it did give us time for yet one more cease to get ice cream after we grabbed an absolute A+ hotdog on the Eagles Glenn clubhouse.
The meals
As talked about, our first meal on the island was at Sou’West after our spherical at Purple Sands, and the meals was simply as pleasant because the inlet views of the ocean. The informal spot supplied all the pieces from burgers to fish tacos and contemporary oysters.
Though I hate to name it the principle occasion, it’s tough to not spotlight the eating expertise at The Desk. Located in a renovated historic church, The Desk goes past being a restaurant and feels extra like a show-and-tell showcasing native culinary expertise and elements. Completely no ingredient comes from past the borders of Canada, with most coming straight from the island itself.
Ryan Barath
The creativity of Chef Hunter Guindon shines if you understand even one thing so simple as black pepper is eradicated from the elements listing and changed with regionally harvested elder pepper as an alternative.
Though afternoon rain washed out our golf at Eagles Glenn, it gave strategy to a lovely night that supplied us a possibility to seize dinner on the in style Blue Mussel Cafe. This seasonal restaurant in North Rustico Harbour presents a big patio and ethereal indoor eating. After all, it wouldn’t have been an acceptable meal in PEI if it didn’t embrace a tray of oysters to fulfill our hungry bellies.
Remaining notes for would-be vacationers
The principle airport out and in of PEI is Charlottetown, and to be blunt — it’s superior. Certain, it’s not filled with meals choices or lounges but it surely doesn’t must be. It’s quarter-hour from the downtown core and the small dimension makes check-in and safety a breeze. It flies on to Toronto, Montreal and Calgary, making it a simple place to get to with solely a single connection from most American cities.
