Either way, par will be hard-earned, as is the case for much of the layout. Despite Cranberry's watery character and flat parkland setting, many ski resort courses are known for their dense trees and hilly routing, which brings us to the Valley Course at Horseshoe Resort. Many players, upon seeing the Valley's yardage of 6,167 yards from the tips, will head directly for Horseshoe's back tees in hopes of having a confidence-boosting score. Instead, a vast majority leave with bruised psyches. On some of the doglegs, massive oaks and pines can block you from a shot to the green if your drive doesn't end up in the correct position.
Several fairways slope the opposite way of the hole, resulting in unfavorable bounces.
Horseshoe is a course that even regulars find hard to master. The southernmost stop on this whirlwind is National Pines Golf Club in Barrie, about 45 minutes north of Toronto. National Pines started out as a private club in 1992, but soon found the local market wasn't quite big enough to support it. The 7,013-yard layout has a roomy, windy front nine and more difficult, protected back nine, combining for set of holes that are not lacking for drama. A perfect example is the 325-yard 15th, a par four with wetlands splitting the fairway in two.