Cabot Cliffs golf course - 16th hole
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Cabot Cliffs golf course - 16th hole
Taking dead aim on the spectacular par-3 16th hole at Cabot Cliffs. Matt Ginella/Golf Advisor
Cabot Cliffs golf course - No. 12
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Cabot Cliffs golf course - No. 12
A view of Cabot Cliffs' 12th green and down the coastline towards Cabot Links. Matt Ginella/Golf Advisor
Cabot Cliffs golf course - No. 16
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Cabot Cliffs golf course - No. 16
The 16th green is a marvel from all sides. Matt Ginella/Golf Advisor
Cabot Cliffs golf course - Bill Coore
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Cabot Cliffs golf course - Bill Coore
Onlookers watch golf course architect Bill Coore take a swing on Cabot Cliffs. Matt Ginella/Golf Advisor
Cabot Cliffs golf course - 17th tee
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Cabot Cliffs golf course - 17th tee
The view from Cabot Cliffs' par-4 17th tee shows the dramatic coastline. Matt Ginella/Golf Advisor
Cabot Cliffs golf course - hole 16
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Cabot Cliffs golf course - hole 16
The 16th hole at Cabot Cliffs will become one of the most coveted photos in North American golf. Matt Ginella/Golf Advisor
Cabot Cliffs G.C.
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Cabot Cliffs G.C.
Cabot Cliffs is the second of two new links golf courses in Inverness, Cape Breton Island. Matt Ginella/Golf Advisor
Cabot Cliffs GC
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Cabot Cliffs GC
Green fees to play Cabot Links and Cabot Cliffs are $185 for resort guests and Nova Scotia residents ($210 non-resort guests in 2016). Matt Ginella/Golf Advisor
Coore, Crenshaw, Cowan-Dewer, Kesier
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Coore, Crenshaw, Cowan-Dewer, Kesier
Matt Ginella poses for a shot with some of Cabot Cliffs' notable figures: architects Bill Coore & Ben Crenshaw, co-owners Ben Cowan-Dewar and Mike Keiser. Matt Ginella/Golf Advisor
Cabot Cliffs golf course - 16th hole
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Cabot Cliffs golf course - 16th hole
A view of the raw 16th hole, under construction, prior to opening in 2014. Matt Ginella/Golf Advisor
10 Images

Matt Ginella's images from opening day 2016 at Cabot Cliffs on Cape Breton Island

After a soft opening in 2015, Cabot Cliffs debuted for the full summer season in 2016 with a grand opening in June that included the attendance of golf course architects Bill Coore & Ben Crenshaw and co-owner Mike Keiser among others.

It was smooth-swinging Crenshaw hitting the ceremonial opening tee shot:

Cabot Cliffs is the newest addition to the golf scene at Cabot Links, a one-two punch of authentic links golf on Canada's maritime island of Cape Breton, Nova Scotia. Golf Channel travel expert Matt Ginella was in attendance to see how the course is taking shape. You can view his images above, as well as see what he had to say about the course in his review for Golf Advisor:

The Inverness "town fathers" had always envisioned a golf course as the perfect transition and evolution of the land that once was productive and prosperous coal mines. And that's what they got when Ben Cowan-Dewar and Mike Keiser hired Rod Whitman, a Canadian architect, to build Cabot Links, which opened in 2012 and has been deemed a huge success. "If Rod hadn't created such a popular course, there would never have been a Cabot Cliffs," said Mike Keiser, to a small group of media, friends, staff and locals on the opening day of Cabot Cliffs. Whitman went on to help shape Cliffs for friends and mentors, Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw, who were also in attendance for the opening day ceremony. Coore explained to the crowd that it's his long-standing friendship with Whitman, and "Whit's" involvement in both Links and Cliffs, that makes the opening of Cliffs more special than the rest of their portfolio. Like a hat at a fundraiser, there was a passing of the credit and recognition amongst everyone involved in Cliffs, and that thoughtful humility and camaraderie comes through in the walk and the architecture of the course itself. Over a mile and a half of Nova Scotian coastline is among many of the highlights to a routing that includes six par 3s, six par 4s and six par 5s. There is variation in distances to all pars, there are infinity greens, there's room for error off most tees, and yet plenty of shots that require strategy and precision. There are cape holes, punchbowls, half pars, and a steady build to a climactic finish, which includes the 16th hole, one of the most fun, dramatic and spectacular par 3s in golf. This course might host events for the pros, such as a Canadian Open, but it was built for us, the avid amateurs. My only advice is to enjoy every step.

Video: How Cabot Links is revitalizing Inverness on Cape Breton Island


Matt Ginella is Golf Advisor's Editor-at-Large and host of Golf Advisor Round Trip travel series on Golf Channel. Matt serves as resident buddy trip expert and captains a collection of VIP trips called Golf Advisor Getaways.
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Matt Ginella's images from opening day 2016 at Cabot Cliffs on Cape Breton Island