A stream meanders among tree-lined fairways whose gentle doglegs guide club choice as bay breezes wash over the course
Saulnierville
C$135.63 C$59
Nearly half a century ago, a group of 80 golf lovers decided to transform a farm into a course where the salty breezes off of St. Mary’s Bay would blow in and grassy fairways would flourish. Their vision was realized in the founding of Clare Golf & Country Club, whose original front nine were joined by a back nine in the '80s, filling out a championship 18-hole layout. The course embraces beginners, but still challenges golfers who have earned their black belts in putting, inviting all players to exercise their long game at three par 5s while avoiding the stream wending its way among the fairways. After hiring a math-bowl champ to tally up their scorecards, players can unwind on the wraparound porch of the newly built clubhouse that replaced the course’s original farmhouse, refuel at the restaurant and bar, or drop by the pro shop for a new set of golf balls.
Course at a Glance:
With picturesque views of the Annapolis Basin, Annapolis Royal Golf Club and Restaurant's course is sure to provide a memorable round. Tree-lined fairways bend to create tricky approach shots, and water hazards require strategic ball placement on several holes. After their round, players can head to the 19th Hole restaurant for homestyle English cuisine.
The aestheticians at The Spa at Digby Pines use Annapolis Valley apples and Aveda techniques to paint a relaxed glow onto patrons' faces. A one-hour apple-blossom facial harnesses the exfoliative alpha-hydroxy acids hiding in apples to whisk away dead skin cells, leaving skin as glowing, toned, and smooth as a health-conscious firefly. The fruitful facial, which is recommended for dry skin, lures toxins from their subepidermal lairs by boosting circulation. Once complexions have been soothed, spa-goers can treat stressed-out shoulders to a 30-minute massage. The Elemental Nature massage employs Aveda aromas and massage techniques tailored to suit personal olfactory inclinations and target an individual’s unique internal-tension bull's eyes. Alternatively, unknot looped latissimi with an invigorating stone fusion massage, during which warm and cool stones combat back cricks as an aromatic bouquet of sage, cedar, and sweetgrass tickles noses like a feather from a freshly washed angel wing. For an additional cost, massage time can be upgraded to a one-hour session ($32 plus tax for the Elemental Nature massage; $29 plus tax for the fusion stone massage) or a 90-minute session ($63 plus tax for the Elemental Nature massage; $57 plus tax for the fusion stone massage).
