Rainbow Ridge Golf Course Review

Manitoulin Island's only full-length eighteen, and it would be worth the ferry even if it had competition. Rainbow Ridge runs 6,424 yards to a par of 72 off six tee sets, and the routing uses the limestone shelf and mixed bush intelligently. Water is in play on nine holes, and it is almost always set on a diagonal, so the tee shot becomes a genuine risk and reward negotiation rather than a hazard you sidestep by aiming away.

The greens are large, gently contoured and consistently the best putting surfaces on the island, and the sand is maintained hole after hole rather than in patches. Scenery does a great deal of the work here, with the ridge holes opening out onto Manitowaning Bay and almost no development anywhere in the frame. It walks comfortably on rolling ground. What lifts it to the top grade is the ratio: championship length, resort-quality turf and views like that for the price of a twilight nine down south.