EMILY HSUEH
PONTIAC April 28, 2021
The landscape is turning green, which means it’s par for the course to be hitting the greens this time of year. Golfers from all over the region are finally breaking out their clubs and making the drive to tee off in the Pontiac.
While the newest wave of the pandemic washes over the country and different restrictions are being enforced in different places, Quebecers can rest easy knowing the golf courses on this side of the border are open for business. Listed below are the Pontiac’s three golf courses that are sure to leave visitors with un-fore-gettable experiences.
Island Brae Golf Course
7380 Route 148 West, Morrison’s Island, Chapeau
(613) 732-9022
On île Morrison, right at the edge of the Quebec-Ontario border, sits the scenic Island Brae Golf Club. Stretching over 3,000 yards, this course is surrounded by the Ottawa River and luscious greenery.
Island Brae was established as a four-hole course in the 1950s by Dean Rogers, whose family still owns the land. He was assisted by professional golfer Al Hancock, who designed the course and helped run it for several years. Not long after, it was acquired by Regine and Doug Oakley — and later Regine on her own — who ran it for 25 years.
It now belongs to Dan Shields, a member of the Professional Golfers’ Association of Canada who has been with Island Brae for the last 21 years. Shields has been playing golf for over 40 years, but never thought he’d be working in the golf business, let alone managing two different courses.
“It started as a summer job as a kid in Pembroke. Then I went off to university and ended up getting a job at the Royal Ottawa Golf Club as an assistant golf pro and that’s when I thought I would take golf as a career,” he recalled. “I went to Toronto and ended up getting a job back in the valley in Arnprior, and then Regine Oakley approached me about buying the Island Brae Golf club. It’s been great, I came full circle. Then five years later I was able to purchase the Pembroke golf course, and it’s been fantastic.”
Along with the nine-hole golf course, Island Brae is equipped with a full driving range, golf cart rentals, a full shop of golf equipment to be rented. In normal circumstances, the club would offer food and beverages, but that isn’t possible now with the health regulations.
“Obviously the pandemic has altered how we do business, so we don’t really have extensive food and beverage now. Hopefully in the summer it’ll be back to normal, but otherwise, it’s pretty well a full-service golf course,” Shields said.
As a PGA professional, Shields also teaches junior golfers, while another professional, Drew Calver, teaches other lessons. Sessions are available for individuals or groups. According to Shields, in a good season they can see 20,000 golfers come through to play.
“I think at Island Brae, what sets it apart is the friendly atmosphere. I really think people play Island Brae for the right reasons,” Shields said. “It’s not a real difficult golf course, it’s user friendly, but it’s also not easy to shoot a good score. We’ve got a lot of seniors, we’ve got a lot of families, we’ve got a lot of juniors who play, and they play for the right reasons. They play because they have fun, they enjoy the exercise and they enjoy the great views that are here. I think it’s very unique that way.”
Shields encouraged golfers of all age and skill level to visit Island Brae and stay for the views and the encouraging environment.
“The golf course, we take pride in keeping it in good condition. It’s user friendly where everyone is welcome regardless of ability, age, anything,” he said. “We like to see everybody and we take pride in being a friendly operation.”
Mickey Creek Golf Course
45 Chemin McCoshen, Vinton
(819) 648-2900
Tucked away in the hills in Vinton, Mickey Creek is a hidden gem of the Pontiac. Spanning 40 acres, this course has been operating for the last eight years.
Once, Mickey Creek was all farmland until the previous owners turned it into a golf course. Jeff Presley, who is the current owner of the course, previously ran a construction company for 32 years, and was a member for three years at the golf course and would purchase memberships for his company’s employees as Christmas gifts.
When Presley purchased the course, he added a restaurant and dart boards inside the main building. He passed the construction company off to his two sons, and now works full time maintaining the greens.
“I didn’t have any experience in the beginning with running a golf course or a restaurant,” he said. “But now I’ve gathered a lot of experience in both areas that I feel very, very comfortable with right now. The potential in the future looks bright with this golf course.”
Speaking of the future, Presley is in it for the long haul and has many ideas on how to improve the area.
“When I first bought this, it wasn’t just a five-year plan or a 10-year plan. I bought it for a 20-year plan. And I’m eight years in now. And very happy with it, I’m not one bit sad that I bought this place for sure. And I look forward to many years. And see what happens,” he said.
Large wooded hills can be seen surrounding Mickey Creek, and in fact Presley owns much of the land between the golf course and the mountains. He has considered expanding the golf course into that area. He also owns land on the opposite sides, next to the highway, where he would like to develop housing for himself and his wife and for future Pontiacers.
In a normal year, Mickey Creek is home to several local leagues and tournaments; ladies night, skins league on Wednesdays, men’s league on Thursdays, and couples’ night on Fridays. They have also hosted Heart and Stroke tournaments among many other weekend events. They can also be more than just a golf course and restaurant, and that’s what Presley believes sets his facility apart from others in the region.
“We entertained to weddings as well as parties, birthday parties and stuff. We have great staff who are friendly and knowledgeable. We have a huge nine-hole golf course here that has improved over the last few years. And people really enjoy coming here to play golf,” he said.
“I believe we’re the only ones that offer kids 16 and under free golf,” he added. “We tried to encourage younger people to get involved in golf. I come from a family of 10. And when I was a child, I never got an opportunity to play golf because there was always this stigma of it being a rich man’s sport. So I wanted to change that for all the kids of the Pontiac. So I think that’s an attraction as well.”
One of the greatest things Presley likes about running Mickey Creek is the friendly faces who always turn up to play. He noted that he knows nearly everyone who visits Mickey Creek, and without them his course wouldn’t be here today.
“We’re just a small area, a small community, but to be able to survive here in business, it’s because of the people of the Pontiac, and I want to say thank you for that.”
Pine Lodge
6 Pine Lodge Road, Bristol
(819) 647-2805
Pine Lodge is a popular establishment in the Bristol area, noted for many things: its expansive campgrounds, full restaurant and scenic trails. But one of the main services it’s known for is the golf course. Spanning 3,000 yards, the site features a historical golf resort, patio space and golf carts.
Pine Lodge was founded in the 1930s, and they had cut out the golf course for the lumber to build the old building, owner Adam Thompson said. Thompson’s grandparents Chris and Lois, had spent time as guests in one of the cabins in 1968, and when they learned Pine Lodge was up for sale they purchased it.
Now, Thompson runs the lodge with his wife Jodi and their young children. The lodge offers the aforementioned facilities, but also includes a game room, conference rooms, a library, a bar and free parking. Thompson described Pine Lodge’s golf course as “short but not difficult” and thus it is very easy for newcomers to try the sport out, which Thompson encourages.
“It’s the whole experience. It’s about two an a half hours to play nine holes. You can get food, and just as a package we have the campgrounds, the hotel, the weddings, a little bit to offer to everybody,” Thompson explained. “It’s also easy to get on the course, it’s quiet most of the time, you can almost have a private golf course which is kind of nice. It’s very scenic, it’s a great golf course to start.”
Thompson said the golf course is in a good place right now, and they have no plans for any big expansions. However, in the near future, the fairways will be getting water added to them.
Now in times of restrictions and closures, it’s difficult to find something to get you outdoors and keep busy. Golf provides the perfect opportunity to play outside and stay safe distances from other. Thompson emphasized this and hopes more people will come out to experience the Pine Lodge golf experience.
“Right now I think it’s a great way to get outside, probably one of the only ways to get outside and enjoy [yourself],” he said. “We’re short so it’s not a hard course to play, you’re not going to spend five or six hours out there so it’ll be enjoyable.”
