Cardinal Golf Club - East Wing Course Review #1

Name: Cardinal Golf Club - East Wing Course
Location: Newmarket, Ontario (~45 minutes north of Toronto)
Type: Public with membership options
Holes: 18 (72 including all Cardinal courses)
Length and Par: 3187-6300 yards / 71
Tees: (Shortest to Longest): Tee Forward, Red, White, Blue
Website: https://cardinalgolfclub.com/rates-season-passes/

"The East Wing course is part of Cardinal’s original 9 holes, although the course has since been redesigned throughout the late 90’s by Kevin Homes. The East Wing is a par 71 and is suitable for all levels of play, providing golfers with an enjoyable variety of terrain changes on the front 9 and mature tree lined fairways where accuracy is a must on the back 9." -www.cardinalgolfclub.com/ 

Course Layout:  
Pace of Play:
Staff:  
Value:
Course Conditions:

Price:
Difficulty: << Based on play from Blue Tees

Overall Rating: 4.9 out of 5

The East Wing Course at Cardinal Golf Club is one of the best all-around courses I've ever played at, accommodating golfers of all skill level, no matter how good or bad. As part of Canada's largest golf facility, you receive access to Cardinal's large clubhouse filled with great dining facilities, a large proshop, as well as a large driving range and mini-putt course. I also found that a low-key relaxed country-club atmosphere is present all over the clubhouse and courses as well as funny/friendly staff, which I find makes my round much more enjoyable.

Before talking about the course, it's worth mentioning how much the course can change depending on which tees you play from. You'll notice that on most holes, the easier tees are placed much further ahead and placed in a  way such that some of the difficulty of the hole is removed. For example, on some of the dogleg holes part of the dogleg will be removed depending the the tee you're playing on, thus making the hole easier as you play easier tees. This is what makes the East Wing course playable for all skill levels.

The East Wing course itself is made up of two distinct set of nines. The front nine primarily focuses on elevation changes, drastic in some cases, and is generally more open and not as grassy around the edges. Simply put, it's easier to find a lost ball on the front nine. The back nine is the complete opposite with most holes featuring tree-lined fairways, large water hazards, and tough rough/grassy areas. This difference between the two nines allows golfers to experience a variety of features of a golf course and hit a variety of shots, all while playing the same golf course. You won't find yourself hitting that same shots over and over; each shot requires thinking and is a good test of your skills, especially from the longer tees. This is not a course that you'll get bored playing time after time.

All of the holes are very scenic as well and laid out very nicely. However, due to the close proximity of some holes, you do get the feeling that a bad shot could end up in another hole's fairway. One hole of note and perhaps the best hole of the course is the 8th hole, a par 5 250-538 yards, that plays as the toughest hole of the course. The hole starts out wide and downhill with a small river at the bottom, then goes uphill, narrowing to a small opening in the trees which gives you a nice target to aim for on your tee shot. Your second shot is a blind shot through this opening; beyond it is a steep downhill, with about 70 yards of unplayable brush and another river running across the brush. At the bottom is a small fairway with a green that is protected by a large lake on the right side. This is one of the hardest holes I've played, but also one of the most fun, at the same time.

Course conditions were generally great most of the time. However I played my last round there before a rainstorm and noticed that some of the fairways on the back nine were flooded. The greens and white bunkers (which were renovated last year) however were dry; the greens actually played fast despite the rain. Pace of play is not usually an issue except probably for peak times such as weekends, as with any other course.

The best part of all is the value and pricing of the course. Prices vary anywhere from $50-$80 for a round and a power cart, depending on the time and day, walking green fees as low as $34. However, Cardinal constantly offers specials so at times the price can be even lower. Considering the quality and course you get to play, this is probably one of the best "bang for you buck" or best valued courses in the GTA.

Overall, I'd go out and say that The East Wing course is probably the best-valued 18-hole course in the GTA at the moment and the perfect course for any golfer of any skill level. I'd recommend it to everyone who swings the sticks.

Have you played East Wing? Comment below and let us know what you thought of it.


-Nick
Toronto Golf Reviews