Cabot golf courses end season with national, international acclaim

The Cabot Links and Cabot Cliffs golf courses in Inverness, N.S., are declaring the season a record success.

The courses closed Sunday after hosting about 40,000 rounds of golf in 2019 and employing nearly 60 students from Cape Breton University and Nova Scotia Community College.

They are also featured on the cover of three renowned industry publications: ScoreGolf, Golf Magazine and Golfweek.

Ted Stonehouse, director of golf at the Cabot courses, said in seven short years, the courses have gained national and international acclaim.

He said the owners must have been a little nervous when they first built on top of a reclaimed coal mine bordering the Gulf of St. Lawrence.

"In 2012, those guys were seeing a few thousand people come by the door and play, and you kind of wonder, 'Here we are building it, is anyone going to come?'" Stonehouse said.

"And we're at a point now where, wow, everybody from absolutely everywhere is starting to come and it's pretty exciting."

The Cabot Links Golf Resort was on the cover of a recent issue of Golf Magazine, having been named to the publication's top 100 resorts in North America.

More than 90 per cent of golfers at the Cabot courses this year came from outside the Maritime provinces, according to Cabot officials.

Co-owner Ben Cowan-Dewar was embroiled in controversy earlier this year after it was revealed he had asked the federal government to fully fund a proposed $18-million airport to be built near the courses.

Booking now for 2021

The government eventually rejected the application, saying more information was needed on the possible benefits to the community and the region.

Stonehouse said the season has been unbelievable.

"You hear the stories of facilities getting busy and starting to book out a year in advance — you know, Pebble Beach a couple of years out — you hear those stories, but we're tickled.

"We're actually at a point where we opened our 2021 tee sheets because the demand is starting to be there, so almost two years out we're getting these bookings in place."

Cabot Links is located just below the community of Inverness, with the Cabot Cliffs course to the north.

This year, the owners built a 10-hole, par-3 course carved out of the woods just inland from Cabot Cliffs.

It is expected to open next summer.

Stonehouse said the new holes range from 70 to 230 yards and involve a variety of features not found on the other courses.

Construction ongoing

"I wouldn't necessarily say it's any different in ... difficulty," he said.

"It is great for a junior, it's great for a new golfer."

A wellness centre is also under construction — expected to house a plunge pool and massage and exercise facilities — and a new clubhouse and villas for Cabot Cliffs are being built.

A putting course is also in the planning stages.

MORE TOP STORIES