Summary:  Value Rating = A+

Loyalist Golf and Country Club offers exceptional value – one of the best values you will find for golf in Ontario.  I was impressed from the moment I first arrived at the course.  A great course in a slightly out of the way spot in Eastern Ontario – but easily accessed as you travel down highway 401 between Belleville and Kingston.  It is well worth the stop – make time to play Loyalist.

This course is a gem – very well maintained and in excellent condition.  From a layout perspective, Loyalist is 2 courses in one – the front 9 is more contoured and rolling and is in a woodland setting while the back 9 is less contoured, flatter and runs through a local neighbourhood.  I prefer the front 9 over the back 9 because it is more enjoyable to play given the country setting.

The green fees offer tremendous value.  Fees are around $55, less when you play after 2 pm (excluding cart).   A great golf deal …… if only Loyalist was closer to Ottawa where I live. I do try and play Loyalist whenever I stay in that region of Ontario.  Great bang for your buck.

Check out www.loyalistcc.com for details and some great photo’s of the course.

Play and Value Evaluation Rating Table

Refer to my evaluation criteria to see how I judge and rate the courses I’ve played.

Some Details:

Loyalist Country Club is located in Bath, Ontario – a bit south of Kingston for those familiar with Ontario.  It is located near the 401 but you will have to travel on some country roads to get to the course.

There are tee blocks for all skill levels and abilities.  A great golf challenge for all abilities.

The course offers a combination of parkland and open holes that meander through forested and grassland settings.  On the back 9, located in a Bath neighbourhood, you can hit houses with a bad stray shot so you need to control your ball flight.  A couple of holes on the back 9 are a little close to the houses so you do need to be careful.

My average score at Loyalist is 88.   I have played the course from both the white and the blue tees.

Holes 6, 7 and 18 require good shot control and are great holes to play.  Good tee shots will set you up for best chance at par.  The par 5 7th will most likely force you to play 3 shots to the green, except for long hitters, with water on the left side near the green.  The par 5 18th is much the same.

Loyalist doesn’t offer wide open views of the surrounding area or Lake Ontario.  Despite the lack of great views, the scenery is nice because of the parkland setting.

You do need to keep your ball in play because errant shots can end up in long grass in the open sections of the course or in the forest.  In most of these cases you won’t have much of a chance to recover.

The bunkers and water are well placed around the course.  The bunkers are well maintained so you shouldn’t have a problem getting out of the sand.

The greens offer some undulations and ridges.  The times I’ve played the course the greens were immaculate and you get a very consistent roll.  The speed was quick and putting is consistent across the whole course.  Your putting will be tested here.

You will use all the clubs in your bag – a nice mix of holes.

My Evaluation Details:

Scenery – Typical views of this part of Eastern Ontario.

Mix of holes – offers an enjoyable and challenging mix of long and short holes.

Consistency and condition – the course was in great shape for each round I played with very consistent tee boxes, greens, fairways, rough and bunkers.

Character – Front 9 has more character because of its country setting with the back nine located in a community – in great shape and a good golf challenge.

Golf Challenge – the course offers a challenge in my books……

• tee shots – You have a good view of all the fairways from the tees. You can spray the ball around a bit but you do need to control your tee shots.  Back 9 required more control due to the houses.
• fairway shots – The fairways were in great shape across the whole course – obviously well taken care of.  More undulations on the front 9 than the back 9.
• pin placements – The pin placements are fair.  The greens are large enough that they have many choices and options for where the pins are.  The times I have played the course there was a good mix of front, back, middle and side pin placements.
• putting – Putting was fast and consistent across all 18 holes.  You will like putting on these greens
• greens – Like the fairways, the greens were in great shape.
• a chance to recover – If you landed on the edges of the course, just slightly into the wooded areas or grassy areas, you can recover.  Shots deep into the woods or long grass are real trouble.  The rough is very playable and fair.

Other Observations:

The practice facilities are good and located right beside the first hole. Staff was very friendly.  A nice clubhouse to sit and enjoy the 19th hole.

A very pleasant walk – no need to take a cart.

Like some other courses in this area of Ontario, I wish Loyalist was located closer to Ottawa.  I would like the play the course more often.

If you want an enjoyable set of courses to play in the Kingston, Belleville area I would highly recommend you play Loyalist as well as Timber Ridge (Brighton, Ontario) and Black Bear Ridge (Belleville, Ontario).  You won’t find 3 better courses to play for an enjoyable golf vacation.  I would also recommend staying in Prince Edward County and playing the 3 noted courses – you will have a great time with lots to do in that area…….I’ve stayed in the County many times and enjoyed each stay.

Sorry no pictures yet but visit their website for some great shots of the course.

Lane Smith – Lane@lifepast50.ca