After years of eyeing a trip to "Canada's #1 Golf Destination" I finally had the chance to get out east last summer. Although I have had great fortune on many of my trips in terms of weather and course conditions, I was not as fortuitous on Prince Edward Island. Record setting snow storms hit the island the winter before my trip, and most of the golf courses were hit extremely hard. Dundarave may have been hit the hardest (further trip details under my Crowbush Cove post). The Hurdzan/Fry course has been highly acclaimed since opening in 1999, and was one of my must-plays while on PEI.
Following a red-eye flight from Edmonton to Toronto, I arrived in Charlottetown late morning, and drove directly from the airport to Brudenell/Dundarave. While the cold and windy conditions were nothing out of the ordinary, temporary greens were a letdown (to say the least). The treacherous winter had killed much of the grass on the course, including 2/3 of the greens. The staff had done everything in their power to get the course playable, but it was still some of the worst conditions I've ever played in. I could tell that it was a pretty good course... but that course was hidden under dead grass and temporary greens. As such, I will comment very minimally.
The first few holes are characterized by wide landing areas from the tee, and small greens (although I didn't get to putt on most of the original greens). The par 3 5th was in the best condition of the holes on the front side, and it is probably the best short hole on the course.
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| The well-bunkered par 3 5th. |
As you can see, this was one of the original greens which was in play. The Brudenell river is just out of view here, but is very visible when playing the hole. The 6th was in rough shape, but the par 3 7th was on the original green. The shapes and contours of this hole are very interesting and challenging, but a bit awkward and unnatural in my opinion.
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| From left of the green on the par 3 7th |
The 8th hole is possibly the most photographed hole on PEI, and certainly the signature hole on Dundarave. Yes, it is a pretty interesting short par 4, daring you to cut off more than you can chew. No, it is not the best hole on PEI. The elevated pictures you see if you google-search 'Dundarave' make the 8th look much more impressive than it is. If you're planning on playing Dundarave, don't google search images of the 8th... it will only disappoint you when you see the real thing. It is a good hole, just not as breathtaking as I expected. Expect to see this:
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| Dundarave's signature 8th |
Holes 10-15 were in such poor condition that I will not comment until I can return.
The 16th and 17 were also pretty rough, but on original greens. In my humble opinion, #16 is the best hole on the course. The drive-able par 4 is littered with bunkers, but is very tempting. If you have the self-restraint to hit a 6 iron on the tee, you'll need only to hit a wedge over a row of bunkers to set yourself up for birdie. Even in poor condition it was a beautiful hole.
#17 is a big downhill par 3, with a huge green, fronted by a huge bunker. Everything on a big scale. Its not the best hole on the course, but its a good strong 17th.
The closing hole is a relatively short par 5, but with a steep climb from the fairway to the green. A huge bunker complex on the right must be avoided on the lay-up, as well as a deep bunker short of the green on the approach.
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| Uphill approach to the par 5 18th |
This bunker on 18 was the only of its kind, and understandably, it stood out. I wish every bunker on the course looked like this one, its a real stunner! The original 18th green was also in play, and its a really tricky one. I can only imagine how tough this hole plays when its fast-and-firm, in peak condition.
While I didn't get a really accurate perspective of the course as a whole, I definitely saw a number of its features. The par 3s are quite difficult when the wind is up (as when I played), and all are quite beautiful. The strength of the course is, without doubt, the closing stretch. I really enjoyed the sequence from 16-18 with a drive-able par 4, a long but forgiving par 3, and a reachable but dangerous par 5. These holes can be played -3 or -4 if you're hitting all of the shots, but can just as easily be played +4 or higher (if you find the grassy pit pictured above!). Despite the conditions, I could certainly appreciate the last few holes.
Dundarave has a number of really cool holes, and the routing is quite good. I plan on returning to get a real taste of how the course plays. I'll amend this post and provide further insight at that time.
'Til next time, keep your stick on the ice!
The Golfing Canuck
