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Challenging, picturesque course (amazing when compared to area municipal tracks including Toronto). Pace of play was great (finished in 4). Great to see a proper set-up from the Whites at over 6000...enough long par 4 holes (+350-420 yd) to keep your scorecard honest. Greens looked like they were punched within the week, but still ran true. Hope to return soon.

As a life-long Toronto resident and golf enthusiast, Glen Abbey has always held a special place in my heart. Until yesterday the course was one that I knew intimately only as a golf fan. I grew up watching golfing legends compete for Canada's Championship both on television and as a live patron. I have always wanted to play the famous track but for some reason never did until I booked on a whim 24 hours before. I called a buddy and nabbed a 12 noon Friday tee time ($99.99 special promotion).

Arriving early on a late fall blustery day, I expected the course to not be bustling but rather attended by die-hard golf enthusiasts like me (it was a cool 10 degrees, but felt colder because the wind was up). Players were obviously on the course, but the scene was eerily quiet as soon as I pulled into the drive...not a soul anywhere! The drive into the course was confusing; signage directing you past Golf Canada offices and the Hall of Fame were not especially clear and I parked in a lot I assumed was the right one but unsure of where to go next. I walked toward the Clubhouse, recognizing it only from my many trips to the Canadian Open and checked in. I was told to go back to the lot I came from, grab an unattended cart from the fleet. The whole operation was very self serve, there seemed to be no staff anywhere!

Many I assume come to Glen Abbey as a special, almost bucket-list type experience.
One would assume that such a course would necessarily be over-staffed if anything...but it was quite the opposite. The one attendant in the opulent proshop was nice enough, but so alone. Same with a young lady in the lounge who I purchased a cup of tea from.

Nobody directed or invited me to use the practice facility. I luckily knew where it was, so after driving back to the parking lot to pick up my golfing partner (who I wanted to spare the experience of my confusing arrival) we went to hit some warm-up balls. Keeping up with the abandoned theme, the practice area was staff free and looked rather deshevelled. The practice green was in surprisingly very average condition...again feeling and looking almost let go.

Your Starters were great!

The starters provided us our first real human contact and the first feeling that someone was happy to see us. We knew our time and made our way to them. Again, if I wasn't familiar with the course, it would have been easy to get lost. Apparently the other two booked for 12 noon were no shows (probably thet did get lost) so we teed off as a twosome.

Course Conditions:

Given the late season round, average condition. I had played 4 rounds in area courses the same week that were in as good a shape or better. What stood out as especially poor was the unconditioned look of all the courses huge sand traps. You would imagine that Glen Abbey should always look its best. Traps had plenty of good sand in them and it was frustrating and sad to see them so unattended. It really took away from the feeling that you were playing a special course.

Pace of Play was poor.

We expected to wait given that we were a twosome, but the course was not properly marshalled. It was such a stark juxtaposition to be playing a course marshalled by hundreds of volunteers on Open Day, seemingly not marshalled at all! We finally saw what appeared to be a single lonely marshall on hole 14. It took over 4 1/2 hours to play.

Help with Tee Box selection a good idea:

Course should advise more actively. I expected and hoped the course to be challenging, but not because I inadvertently selected the wrong tees. With a 15 index handicap I usually play tee boxes between 5800-6200 yds. Glen Abbey's Blue Tees at slightly over 6200 yards played much longer. I would advise the staff to be more active in helping golfers select appropriate tees so they can enjoy the experience more.

The round ended the way it started...I brought the cart back to where I picked it up. No attendants there still...hopefully it was the right spot.

Glen Abbey should not be run like an ordinary course. ClubLink should see it as a special trust to care for. I know that Clublink wanted to develop the property and the Town of Oakville was able to keep it from doing so. I was taken aback by how much it seemed abandoned. I realize it's late in the season, but so long as the flag sticks are in and the course is accepting green fees Glen Abbey should present itself as a special, historic course. If Jack Nicklaus dropped by yesterday, he would have not been very pleased.

Having not played Cherry Downs in years I was pleasantly surprised to find little change. Great traditional challenging layout and as always (especially given our dry season) playing hard and fast...Still among the most challenging and speedy greens in the GTA.

Two significant areas of concern. First , the tee blocks are rock hard (as in give me a hammer so I can use a tee) and they are also very unkept (long grass and/ or bare spots). Secondly, the Sand traps are great in terms of having plenty of good quality sand in them, but nobody seems to raking or attending to them...maybe this second concern is more on the players, but we were out in the early morning and all of them seemed disheveled with days of unattended play.

All in all, especially, given that our group scored a reduced rate on a GolfNow Hot Deal, a great day on a great old course

An amazing day. Fortunate to be on a course at all...exceeded expectations. Course was in great shape- we really enjoyed the day. Thanks to the starter. A true gentleman who welcomed first time visitors as if we were respected members

Realize it is late in the year and was happy to get a time...but 3.5 hours for a par 56 mostly par 3 layout is a bit much. Waited at least 5 minutes on every hole.

Group ahead of us was waiting, so not sure exactly where the bottleneck was, or whether this is just typical at the course.

Too bad ..exciting layout, great shape, but could never get in a rhythm because of the slow play.

Course recovered amazingly well after a significant snow dump just 5 days ago.

Great shape, great fun...so glad we made it out!

Remigton Parkview is still a great deal.

Played it earlier in the year when it was in perfect shape.

Greens are still great however traps and fairways are disappointing. Plenty of sand in the traps, but onviously noy being conditioned/ maintained properly.

Fairways were most disappointing. Seemingly burnt out in many areas (dry summer and I guess little water access).

All in all, great staff, fun day.

Would recommend.

Shawneeki greens keeping staff should be commended on the job they do. A lush green course with excellent greens, fairways and vistas. Play it off the Whites for a fun yet challenging walk in the park. Tried the Blues today. Especially the holes against the wind took a bite out of us. Higly recommend this old but rejuvinated course.

Enjoy Dragon's Fire course...great layout and usually great early season conditions. Greens were disappointingly very slow today...price should be reduced until greens are running at usual Dragon's Fire standard.

I booked a threesome for a round at Target Golf & Fitness hoping to escape winter for awhile. GolfNow took $16+ in booking fees, the remainder of the total $89+ would be due at facility. After driving 45 minutes to get to the facility for our 7 PM time I was greeted by the owner/manager who seeing my left handed clubs expressed that there would be a problem. Apparently the simulator facility only has 1 bay equipped to handle left handed players and it was booked for the evening!

This would have have been good to know at time of booking. I spent the evening on a couch watching my friends play (given I had booked and invited them, I didn't want to ruin their evening too. I'm expecting a full refund from GolfNow and hoping that this key information about this facility be made plain to see for all customers.

Very disappointing!

Like seeing an old friend. Last played Shawneeki 15 years ago. Great to find it better than ever. Greens were spectacular, fairways and bunkers well sculpted and maintained. Only wish I played better. Won't wait another 15 years!

Great course to get in a quick round. Great walking course...although their GolfNow promotion that makes it more expensive to walk rather than ride is kind of silly. Took the lower rate and left the cart behind. Our threesome finished our round in 3.5 hours. Got home before my family knew I was out .

GTA courses have apparently suffered much over our past harsh winter, but Dragon's Fire has weathered the storm. The only obvious sign of significant tree damage was in the treed boundaries of fairways which I unfortunately experienced far too often...the rough was rough...but that was my fault...nobody forced me to hit it there:) Greens, fairways and tee boxes were in good shape as we're the traps.