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Few golf courses can be described in one word. But when the club and the course are among the best of the best, thoughts become more precise. Such is the case of Bigwin Island Golf Club, where a single word says it all: natural. Not only does it apply to the free-flowing golf course built on an island in beautiful Lake of Bays, but it also describes the club’s philosophy. Bigwin Island Golf Club isn’t a typical country club, our client asked us to create a place for families and friends to relax and unwind in a one-of-a-kind setting created by Mother Nature.

Back in the early 1920’s, Legendary Canadian golf course architect Stanley Thompson built a short 18-hole course on this land. We built upon those ruins and history to create a summer playground. Our client asked us to preserve the historic waterfront lots of the 800-acre island for development, leaving our design team to weave a classical old-time design through the inner forest. It runs through quintessential Canadian Shield country: spectacular views of lakes, wooded corridors and granite outcroppings featured at every turn. This project also had unique scheduling challenges throughout construction because everything had to be ferried by barges to the island.

We tried to capture the magnificence and drama of the setting with eye-popping glimpses of the lake for a couple of truly unforgettable tee shots on No. 6 and No. 18. Its wide fairways and large flashy bunkers are somewhat reminiscent of Thompson’s great courses in Banff and Jasper, Alberta creating a fun, playable golf experience on a grand scale. Simply put, we think Bigwin Island is as natural as they come.

• Best New Golf Course in Canada - 2002 - Golf Digest Magazine
• 21st on the top 100 golf courses in Canada - Scoregolf