Golf is best as a summer sport, but teeing off in October and November can offer advantages over the sunny season. As courses are less busy, tee times are easier to come by, rates are often lower and, as long as you don’t mind a bit of a chill in the air, autumn colours do wonders to further enhance an often-already picturesque landscape. There’s still plenty of time to get in a game or three before the season ends, so we’ve tracked down some of the best fall golf deals in the GTA and beyond.
Riverstone
Located in Brampton, Riverstone benefits from its location (if you don’t mind a bit of a commute): the West Humber River runs right through it. You benefit from its excellent fall rates. Starting October 1, the weekday special — $20, including golf or pull cart — becomes the all-the-time special. It’s only nine holes, but there’s nothing wrong with a leisurely day. 150 Don Minaker Dr., Brampton, 905-794-9918.
Cardinal Golf Club
To wax less eloquent for just a moment, the Cardinal Golf Club is freaking huge! This Newmarket club offers 72 holes of golf over four courses (each for varying skill levels), and each has a full list of fall specials. To go through them all would be long and tedious, but we can tell you the best bang for your buck is probably the intermediate East Wing weekday special: 18 holes for $42, including golf cart. 2470 Davis Dr. W., Newmarket, 905-841-7378.
Niagara Parks Golf
For many average (read: strictly recreational) golfers, a good game isn’t complete without a post-18th meal. Niagara Parks golf doesn’t even make you wait that long. On October 8, the 1st Annual Harvest Culinary Golf Classic offers 9 holes of golf (with cart) on the Whirlpool course, on-course food samplings (pre-tee hors d’oeuvres!) and wine tastings. It’s like everything good about the Niagara region crammed into one event, and at $85, we call it an opportunity not to be missed. 3351 Niagara River Parkway, Niagara Falls, 905-356-1140.
Dentonia Park
If you’d rather stay closer to home, you can’t go wrong with Dentonia Park, a par 3 accessible by TTC. The fall rates are the same as any other time of the year, a beyond-reasonable $30, but that’s because lowered rates usually come from shutting part of the course down and moving the tee blocks forward. Since Dentonia is a short-nine course at the best of times, everything stays the same in the fall. Us, we like a course that you can play with a nine-iron and a putter. 781 Victoria Park Ave, 416-392-2558.
Don Valley Golf Course
One of the most popular golf courses within Toronto city limits, Don Valley feels country enough to make you think you’re outside the city (until you hear the occasional car horn from the nearby highway). No matter: The Howard Watson-designed 18-hole course has a number of big fans; more, when you factor in the special fall rate, which transposes the twilight rate to all-the-time. That’s $37 on weekdays and $40 on weekends. 4200 Yonge St., 416-392-2465.
——————–
Image Courtesy of Tord Sollie.
