You may never meet a group of golfers happier to stumble through the trees, remove their shoes, and wade into the water before taking their next shots than you will at Seguin Valley Golf Club.

“The first time we did the stay-and-play package there, five years ago, I remember us pulling up to the cabin, the guys getting out and seeing the view over the water, and going, ‘This is awesome!’” recalls Corey Asadoorian.

The Burlington resident, an engineer at a chrome plating facility, is gushing over Cottage 2, one of Seguin Valley’s four rustic stay-and-play settings on the sprawling 800-acre wilderness property just outside Parry Sound. In total, the club can now comfortably accommodate 56 guests with the addition of the Sugar Shack this season, a former maple syrup finishing shack that has been converted to a common room replete with a big-screen satellite TV and screened porch, and accompanied by a dozen two-bedroom bunkies just steps away.

All four of Seguin’s cottages feature fully equipped kitchens and are situated on a private lake. So, it’s a little like camping, except a lot more comfortable, with an award-winning golf course within walking distance, no families around, and some clubhouse restaurant meals included.

While the extensive overnight accommodations at what is arguably Ontario’s most photogenic course is a revelation to many, Asadoorian admits he didn’t even know Seguin’s golf course existed as recent as six years ago. “My father-in-law purchased a foursome at a live auction at the Toronto Golf & Travel Show. He had no idea where the place was—it just seemed like a great price,” Asadoorian recalls.

“We weren’t aware of the cabins on our first visit. But once we found out, it was a no-brainer to stay there. Two trips ago, we had a pair of cabins—across the water from each other—and we went to the cottage with the dock and would swim, while some of the other guys fished. We’ve always got music going and a bonfire at night.”

WILD TIMES FOR OLD FRIENDS

“Here’s a brief history of how our love affair with Seguin Valley began,” regales Ken Brown, a client executive at Able One Solutions in Kitchener. “A friend of mine has a cottage in Parry Sound. For many years, a group of 12 guys would spend a few days at his cottage. We’d play two or three rounds before heading up to MacGregor Bay to fish.

“We played every golf course within 50 kilometres of Parry Sound—until Seguin Valley opened. There was only one course we were interested in after that, even before the clubhouse was built. The course is spectacular and there’s nothing better than never seeing another golf hole other than the one you’re playing. And every hole is memorable. We find ourselves standing behind the green and looking back towards the tee blocks on every hole to really appreciate its beauty.

“I’ve purchased a minimum of two stay-and-plays every year since they’ve been offered,” Brown says. “One for customers and work colleagues; the other with my Grey Silo golfing buddies from Waterloo. We typically go in June and September. But if the sun is shining, it really doesn’t matter when we go.”

There’s no mistaking that you’re a long, long way off the beaten path when negotiating the heaving, treelined fairways and lakes at Seguin Valley, Brown observes. “The very first time I played there, a moose with her calf walked directly up the 9th fairway towards us. All these years later, I can still picture them. And I’ve yet to be there without seeing bears. A few times I’ve seen the mom with three small cubs. It’s breathtaking stuff!”

For Brown’s group, the ritual commences with brunch at the clubhouse. “We play 18 holes, then have dinner in the clubhouse around 5 p.m. in order to get back to Cottage 2 in plenty of time to fish. While a couple guys build the fire, the others prepare the lines. We catch countless bass that probably average a pound or two, and about as many perch. Some of them are in the giant category!

“I’m 65 and one of the youngest, but it’s honestly like being kids again,” Brown enthuses. “When it’s too dark to fish, we sit around the campfire and talk about the bears, deer, moose and the incredible course. We’ve watched the Toronto Raptors win the NBA Championship and the St. Louis Blues hoist the Stanley Cup in Cottage 2!”

As for those accommodations, “it’s rustic outside with all the amenities on the inside—four separate bedrooms and two completely renovated washrooms/showers. A kitchen with fridge, stove and microwave,” Brown relates. “There’s a big table for playing cards and a nice area to watch TV. We thought we hit the lottery when we arrived. And the staff are incredible, from Gail, Dawn and Mike to every person on the grounds crew and restaurant staff. They really complete the entire experience.

“The next morning, we’ll have breakfast in the clubhouse and tee it up again. It seriously never gets boring. During the drive home we always start talking about booking the following year.”

GIRLS NIGHT OUT

Lori Friesen was getting organized for a ladies’ winter golf excursion to Palm Springs, California in three days when she picked up the phone. Now retired, the Guelph resident nonetheless had little issue pivoting to discuss another trip she has planned for the same group of 10 women in six months’ time.

“It was one night and two days last year,” she says. “This summer we’re doubling it to two nights and three days.”

Transitioning from a five-star Palm Springs hotel to the humble charm of Seguin Valley’s cabins might sound like a bit of a culture shock, but Friesen says you don’t require luxury to be in your element there. “There was everything we needed at Seguin—two showers in the small cabin, four bedrooms and a place to sit and relax. It was basic, but it was the perfect spot—looking over the lake and the dock. And the golf course is gorgeous.

“Four of us brought fishing rods and caught right off the dock,” Friesen notes. “It felt like whole spot was just for us. But when I think of what really stood out last year, it was the value. When you look at that golf course, you’d expect to pay easily $100 a round. Then you get your dinner package, your breakfast, accommodations. It was exactly as we’d expected, and then the service went beyond that. They asked if we’d like a bonfire and then supplied all the wood, and we sat out there for hours. You’d think some staff member can be having a bad day, but everyone was so accommodating. ‘When would you like to play? How long afterward would you like to eat?’ And the food in the clubhouse was quite good.”

Buried under the weight of a pandemic, it’s been more important than ever to find opportunities to get away with friends, Friesen suggests. “This group of 10 has all been very careful and made a pact to be safe during the pandemic, so there was no problem being under the same roof together.”