With two completely separate tee boxes, coming from wildly different angles, lengths and elevations, Calerin plays like an 18 hole course. Anyone who is a fan of Doug Carrick’s work, will recognize the spacious bentgrass fairways (which narrow in all right places), greens which aren’t for the faint of heart, and bunkers… more than 50 of them on nine holes.

It takes a good drive off the tee to clear the sand, and the more cautious path will save you a few headaches, but add a few strokes. Calerin is a textbook of risk/reward design. The hillside location and rolling terrain give the course both uphill and downhill fairways, making for a good, all-around challenge for any golfer. Don’t be distracted by the views. This is highland golf, on the great divide between Lake Ontario and Lake Erie watersheds.

The sixth hole is the greatest challenge at Calerin, and a longtime favourite of “The Bogeyman”. A long par four at 360 yards, it doglegs right to an elevated green. If you shave too much off the tee shot, the gain achieved in yardage will have you in a difficult position for your approach. The most direct route over bunkers is a lot to bite off. The green is well guarded on the right hand side by trees and sand. The greens at Calerin are exceptionally well maintained, with varying degrees of undulation and speeds preventing gimmies for even the best putters.

Calerin Golf Club offers exceptional banquet facilities (fully renovated in 2020) and is a perfect location for weddings, private parties, company functions, and golf tournaments. A short drive from the GTA, if you’ve been avoiding this one because it’s only 9 holes—don’t. It’s one of Ontario Golf’s best kept secrets.