Set on 150 acres just outside Port Hope, Ash Brook Golf Club is pure 'country golf' - wide skies, roomy fairways, and not a house in sight. It's the kind of place where the stress drops a club length the moment you step on the first tee. The par-72 layout is friendly to newcomers but has enough movement and green-side nuance to keep single-digits interested.
Early holes let you settle the swing, then the routing starts to ask for shape and trajectory. Misses aren't automatic penalties, but premium angles absolutely pay off - especially into multi-tiered greens where a smart leave can turn a two-putt into a tap-in. Wind can be a quiet character here, too; on certain days you'll feel it tugging at club choice and ball flight just enough to make you think.
A differentiator is the setting itself: despite being minutes from Highway 401, the course feels removed from everything - no back-yard windows, no construction noise, just golf. Couple that with a genuinely welcoming staff and a pace-of-play culture that keeps things moving, and you've got the recipe for a repeatable, happy round.
If you're plotting a casual day trip east of the GTA or you live nearby and want a reliable 'go-to' that the whole foursome will enjoy, Ash Brook is a safe bet. Bring a putter that starts on line and you'll be grinning by the time you reach the car.
Pilgrim’s Oak • Peach Bottom, PA • pilgrimsoak.com • 717-548-3011
Hole No. 12 • Par 3 • 192 Yards
Oftentimes, the best golf courses are the ones hardest to find. Pilgrim’s Oak, tucked away in southern Lancaster County, PA, is a prime example. There are no major towns nearby and to get there you have to share the road with John Deere tractors and Amish horse-and-buggys. But despite the directional challenges and solid-lined, no-passing lanes, the layout has become a favorite destination for both locals and