Renovated gem in SW Ontario

Innerkip Highlands, Innerkip, Ontario

Golf lovers everywhere like to tell stories about a course they played that was "off the beaten path," yet surprised them in every way. One of those courses is Innerkip Highlands Golf Club, situated just off busy Highway 401 near the village of Innerkip, Ontario. For those not familiar with Ontario geography, Innerkip is about a half hour to 40 minutes northeast of London, or about an hour and a half southwest of Toronto.

The general area is typical southwestern Ontario farmland – all rolling hills, woodlots and acres upon acres of corn and other cash crops. The course designer McLean Peister played to those strengths, taking a non-descript nine-hole pasture of a golf course (opened originally in 1980) and turning it into an outstanding track that gets better-known year to year.

Finding the entrance wasn’t too difficult, but once we got there the ultra-modern yet tastefully designed clubhouse let us know that we had uncovered an unlikely gem – literally in the middle of nowhere. Once my two partners and I had unpacked our bags and put our shoes on, a quick visit to the pro shop was all that was needed to pay for the bargain green fees, grab a snack or beverage and get started on our round. Eighteen holes and a power cart on a holiday Monday only set us back $57!

No fuss, no muss is the order of the day and the staff took measures to ensure that getting to the first tee was not a trial in itself. (Note: If you need extensive warm up, there is no range at the course, but there is a decent putting green.) Power carts are plentiful for those who prefer to get to their lie a little quicker – or avoid lugging their bags up the many and challenging sloped fairways. We drove, but it must be said that the walk is not that harsh, but could be quite demanding on one of the many muggy days common to an Ontario summer.

You can’t miss the marshal, whose kiosk guards the entrance to the first tee block. He is quick to get you and your foursome in line and efficient at getting the pace going. On-course marshals were not that prevalent, which either meant they weren’t concerned about pace on that particular day, or they were so efficient as not to be noticed. In any case, the pace was great for a holiday, and we averaged about 12-15 minutes a hole without a whole lot of backlog.

Since none of my threesome are scratch golfers, we preferred that day to play Innerkip’s modest yet quietly difficult yardage from the white tees. The distance from the tips or blue tee blocks is 6,333, while the whites come in at 5,883 and the reds or Ladies’ tees total of 4,898. There are only four par-5 holes at Innerkip, so there is not that much advantage to playing the whites over the blues.

In any case, the first hole sets the tone for, and is typical of, all holes at Innerkip. At 339 from the whites, this par-4 is an evergreen-lined, downward sloping hole with a slight left dogleg and a creek guarding a well-tucked green. Long hitters (those who can tag it 300 yards on average) would be well advised to lay up, as the water hazard is mere feet from the green.

From there, it was a quick drive uphill to a very short (105 yards) second hole. We got a good look at the pin and expansive green as the hole is wide open, but protected by fairly big green-side bunkers. A well-placed easy wedge shot does the trick for birdie or par on this hole, but a miss right or left and you may be looking at scraping for a par.

The par-4 three hole starts out of a woodlot (where the halfway house is located) and climbs uphill to another well protected green, while the fourth runs parallel and was our first par-5 test. Chipping accuracy is a must at four, with the green surrounded by tall old-growth trees and fescue and tight-to-the-green bunkers.

If three and four played a little too easily, the fifth hole is by far the most challenging and a rival to the island green at Sawgrass. Only partially surrounded by water from the time Innerkip opened in 1980, five underwent an extensive re-design during the last renovation in 2005. From the tee block set back 348 yards (tips) in the course’s central wood lot, the beautiful island green is a stunning sight – but quite imposing. Hit it too long and you are in the water; too short and you have to roll the dice on high wedge. Thank the stars for our group that we all hit it well and came out with a par and two bogeys. Caution: the downward slope of the fairway is deceiving and could lead you to believe you can reach it with your driver.

If five is a nightmare, six could end up costing you as well, despite its short length of 140 yards. Like 5, six got remodeled, with a pond guarding the approach up the right side and a high berm protecting the left. Roll it off at six and you are in trouble.

After six we let out a sigh of relief, as seven, eight and nine are all fairly long and are forgiving for an avid slicer like myself (nine being the second par 5 on the front). In fact, seven plays almost the same as one, while eight and nine feature boomerang-shaped left doglegs running a gauntlet of evergreen stands.

The first nine over, we hit the clubhouse for a quick bite and headed to the 10th tee, which is a mirror reflection of #1 but 150 yards longer. The stream that runs perpendicular to six holes on the course comes into play near another elevated green, which like six other holes is tucked into the woods. Accuracy is key to parring the second-last par 5 (507 yards from the tips) at Innerkip and getting the back nine off to a roaring start.

Things didn’t get an easier at 11 and 12, a par-4 (392 yards) and the last par-5 (506 yards), but trouble was only found out of bounds to the right and in fairway-side and green-side bunkers. Thirteen was a very playable hole with 395 yards of undulating fairway leading to a large green.

One of the tougher holes to play was 14, which is a short par-3 with all kinds of hazards waiting. Trees line the left side of the fairway and the bunker-guarded green backs into the thickest part of the woodlot. The right side is an out-of-bounds field. A par here and we were laughing, though only one of us managed the feat.

After surviving 14, the course heads back through the newest part of the course, where a par-4 15 and a nicely re-designed 16 awaited. We were tempted at the 358-yard 15 to really hammer our drives and get it close, but an upward slope denied us a good look at the green, so we all aimed at getting our shots to where we could see it with a short chip. That was a wise move for all of us, with two pars and a bogey to show for it.

Sixteen was the last – and nicest – par 3 on the course, before 17 and 18 take us in. Beware 16 though, as thick fescue runs the along the left side and a deep and imposing right-side bunker awaits a wayward tee shot. The green at the par-4 17th was the final tough test, it being wedged into the woodlot, with a massive but shallow bunker placed front right.

The view from 18 is quite beautiful, with the tee blocks set above the creek and the wide fairway winding its way 363 yards to the clubhouse. Our approach was watched by several golfers enjoying a post-round beverage on the clubhouse patio, providing incentive to make good putts. We were quite successful in that regard, but the green is a true challenge, with a shelf running through the middle and the day’s pin placement just below it.

Unwinding from a good round on a gorgeous day, we all agreed that Innerkip is a great place for golfers of all caliber to test their skill—or lack of it. Though fairly short in length, the layout offers every kind of test and hazard to shot-making and presents surprises literally at every turn. Innerkip Highlands is definitely worth the money and I will play it again, anytime.

Favourite hole: Number 5. The island green is daunting for any player, but not one any golfer would pass up attempting.