Cabot Links, Inverness, Nova Scotia, Canada

 https://cabotcapebreton.com/golf/cabot-links

Men's black 6860 yards, par 70, slope 132

Ladies' orange, 4942 yards, slope 116

Lying between the town of Inverness on Cape Breton and the Gulf of St Lawrence is Cabot Links, the only Canadian true links course.  The course was first opened as a ten hole course in 2011 but soon became an 18 hole course, designed by Canadian golf designer Rod Whitman.  The course was the brainchild of Ben Cowan-Dewar assisted financially by Mike Keiser who developed Bandon Dunes in Oregon.  Cabot have also recently purchased Castle Stuart, fittingly in Inverness, Scotland.

We played Cabot Links on a day of high winds and squally showers and were accompanied by Marc and Beth Swiontkowski who braved the elements with us.  This is a stunning location in proper linksland with most of the holes overlooking or right beside the ocean.  The fairways were crumpled, the greens sufficiently sloping and the weather was certainly the course's defence!  Five par 3s and three par 5s gives the course a par of 70.  In general it runs north - south and with the prevailing wind being westerly there is usually a cross wind, like the Old Course in St Andrews.

The sixth hole has the Inverness
 harbour as a backdrop

The par 3 7th plays toward the ocean

The first hole is a straight par 5 with a wide fairway which eases the player into the round.  A long par 3 follows which has a green with a large swale running across the middle.  An accurate shot is required if the pin is on the back level.  Two par 4s follow, the third being a short hole which is driveable by the longest players in good conditions.  The fourth is a long uphill, well bunkered hole with a green which is narrowest from front to back with swales awaiting a clumsy shot.  The fifth is a par 3 from an elevated tee.  One of the most memorable holes is the par 4 sixth which doglegs from right to left
around an inlet.  Behind the green is Inverness harbour where lobster and blue fin tuna are landed. 

The infinity green at
the par 3 14th

There is a large carry over native grass from the eighth tee with a further two strategic shots required to reach the green which is shared with the thirteenth.  The 11th is a long par five which plays from and elevated tee and then climbs a steep hill with  pot bunker in the middle.  The choice is to take the longer but safer approach to the left or an approach to the green across a ravine to the right.  There are panoramic views of the course from the elevated green.  The 14th is a short par three with an infinity green which we had to play into the teeth of the wind.  There is little margin for error and no future in being long!  The 15th and 16th holes are very picturesque running along the magnificent beach.  The course finishes with a par three and then a par 4 which ends in front of the clubhouse windows. 

The view from behind the 15th tee

Worth playing?  Definitely.  An excellent course, lovely accommodation on site and a beautiful area.