Golf in St. Thomas

Trying to refine your golf game at the driving range alone is often difficult, especially for those who can't resist the urge to blast through an entire bucket of balls with nothing but their driver. At Kitchener Golf Academy/Ryall Golf's Doon Valley location, golfers encounter a variety of training venues to address all elements of the game.

The facility encompasses an 18-hole, championship-length course and a full-length 9-hole course, where golfers can test their mettle against a variety of holes sculpted through wetlands and along the banks of the Grand River. Doon Valley also features a 9-hole, pitch-and-putt course, where a series of short holes helps players zero in on the most critical aspect of golf—the short game—and ignore the sweet siren song crooned by their driver. However, when it is time to test their power off the tee, Doon Valley offers a full-size driving range—the main feature of a practice facility that also includes a putting green and a practice bunker. The grounds at Kitchener Golf also host the 18-hole Rockway course. Built in 1935, the par-70 course measures 5,520 yards from the farthest tees and challenges golfers with trees that line the fairways like spectators at a golf cart drag racing event.

Kitchener Golf Academy/Ryall Golf's staff of PGA of Canada pros make use of all of Doon Valley's facilities in lessons and clinics offered to golfers of all ages and abilities.

Widder Station Golf & Country Club

Widder Station Golf & Country Club's hilltop clubhouse cuts an impressive form on its perch between the first tee and the 18th green. With a deck bordered by white railings and a towering spire that adds a gothic detail to the bucolic space, the building offers a scenic locale from which guests can look out onto the winding streams, dense tree lines, and golf-cart flash mobs that populate the 18-hole, 6,272-yard golf course. The relatively open, par 72 layout challenges golfers with two ponds and a stream that runs from one end of the course to the other, features that come into play on nine holes. The course concludes with dramatic flair at the 18th hole, which has earned a reputation as the hardest hole due to its 502-yard length, a tricky, dogleg-left fairway, and the green's giant airbag that opens erratically as golfers attempt putts.

Inside the clubhouse, a deli and pro shop cater to the needs of guests' depleted stomachs and golf bags. In the winter, Widder Station transforms the course's open terrain into a haven for snowmobiling events, during which guests can glide down the tree-lined trails while doing their best impression of the Ice Age mastodon gangs that once cruised over ancient glaciers.

Course at a Glance:

• 18-hole, par 72 course
• Length of 6,272 yards from the farthest tees
• Course rating of 69.3 from the farthest tees
• Slope rating of 120 from the farthest tees
• Three tee options
• Scorecard

Widder Station Golf & Country Club's rates fluctuate during the day and week.

The high-definition simulators at Jarzie’s Indoor Simulated Golf virtually transport players to such legendary loops as Bethpage Black, Pebble Beach, and Banff Springs without the hassles of international travel and exorbitant greens fees. In addition to producing accurate three-dimensional renditions of nearly two dozen courses, the computerized system captures critical swing parameters such as ball speed and launch angle, allowing players to better their game as they pummel shots down fairways, shoot for the flagsticks, and try to outrun each hole’s computer-generated yeti. When combined, the clear video playback and swing analysis also highlight areas of weakness that can later be addressed during private lessons with the resident CPGA professionals.

Canadian course architect Rene Muylaert designed Echo Valley Golf Club's 18-hole course, which rolls across 6,343 yards of rolling terrain. The natural topography divides the course into two stylistically discrete sections, dubbed "the upper" and "the valley," letting clubbers enjoy diverse scenery as they trace power-draws across the sky and shush chatty 9-irons at each tee box. CPGA Master Professional Bruce Atkins roams the verdant expanse, conducting lessons and imparting advice culled from a career that includes a stint as the President of the Ontario PGA. An on-site driving range helps players nurture relationships with their drivers, irons, wedges, and oversized soup ladles.