Welcome to Smugglers Glen Golf Course
Course Profile
Smuggler’s Glen Golf Course is a championship 18-hole facility that opened on July 21, 2005 for public and member play. The developers of Smuggler’s Glen, the Seal family, have owned and operated the Glen House Resort since 1962. The owners have over 50 years of experience in the hospitality industry and have invested a considerable amount of capital to create the area’s newest attraction, Smuggler’s Glen Golf Course. The Glen House is proud to offer yet another reason to visit the world-famous 1000 Islands, a region renowned for boating, fishing and vacationing amidst the St. Lawrence River’s natural beauty.
The course is an inspiring blend of nature and design. The generous fairways and gently contoured greens set in a pristine forest environment are inviting and enjoyable. Brilliant white sand bunkers, refreshing river breezes and dramatic elevation changes add excitement to every round.
18-hole championship design, semi-private golf course
Well-balanced design. 9 holes leading to club house and 9 holes leading out with a BBQ Express lunch stop at the Club House for take-out food and beverages on your way to the 10th hole
Par 72: 5 par threes, 5 par fives, 8 par fours
Five sets of tees allow golfers of various experience levels to enjoy the course
Slope and Rating – please see our scorecard section on the website
Course designed and built by Mr. Boyd Barr of Barr Designs
Bent grass greens and fairways
The course features a “target style” design, with dramatic elevation changes and a layout cut through timeless Canadian Shield rock outcroppings
Our 7,000 square-foot Club House facility features an expansive covered porch with a panoramic view of the St. Lawrence River and overlooks the 1st tee
Shuttle service from the Glen House dock is available for golfers arriving by boat
A Natural Setting
The designer, Boyd Barr of Barr Designs, has come up with an outstanding and unique golf course design, incorporating many natural features of our rugged Canadian Shield topography within the parameters of golf architecture. The golf course features fabulous vistas and interesting tee shots from several highly elevated tees. The course design takes full advantage of the natural terrain of mature mixed forests – including tall white pines, high granite cliffs, rolling hills and valleys and unique flora, including wild fescue grasses, mosses and ferns. It is common to see deer, wild turkeys, hawks, foxes, turtles and other animals living in and around the property. The five-lined skink, the only lizard native to Ontario, is a remarkable resident listed as a species of “Special Concern” under the province’s Endangered Species Act. Naturalists consider the skink significant and unique – we’re committed to work within, and to exceed modern environmental practices!
The course was indeed a challenge to build; extra funds were required to blast and carve the course through the rugged Canadian Shield’s pink Precambrian granite outcroppings. The course has a special feel and distinction defined by its natural park setting. In fact, three holes (#4, #5, and #6) were carefully built to preserve natural wetlands habitat that are located within the UNESCO-designated Frontenac Arch Biosphere (FAB) reserve. These three holes are located in what the Provincial Government has considered an A.N.S.I. (Designated Area of Natural and Scientific Interest). These environmental features have been included within our outstanding golf design that is in keeping with the natural beauty of the Thousand Islands. After all, this is our special home, and we’d love to share it with you!
Outstanding Test of Golf
Smuggler’s Glen has an exciting balance of scenic beauty, challenge and playability for golfers of all abilities to enjoy. The course features a layout that requires a great deal of accuracy off the tee and risk/reward shot-making ability. With five sets of tees on each hole, the course will accommodate and challenge both the new golfer and the seasoned pro. Smuggler’s Glen has generous landing areas off the tee and sizeable greens, but when played from its full length, with longer rough and fast greens, the course will provide a true challenge. Recently, Smuggler’s Glen has been voted “Favourite Public Golf Course” by Flagstick Magazine’s Readers Choice Awards. We hope it’s a must-play course for your next visit to the 1000 Islands!
Scorecard
Hole by Hole
Tips and tricks for navigating each of the course’s 18 holes.
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Hole 1, The Gorge
Par 5 for all tees. Keep driver in the bag – not needed. Don’t miss right, everything slopes that way. -
Hole 2, Upper Ridge
Usually into wind, so take extra club. Short in bunker okay, but don’t miss long or right. Beware the slope off the back and the cliff’s edge on right side of green. -
Hole 3 - Settlers Field
Aim either short of centre bunker or right side. Beware the tree on right side of the green, comes into play. Smallest green on course, be below the hole. -
Hole 4 - Bio Challenge
Toughest hole on the course for most golfers, par is outstanding. Lay up and stay out of the environmental areas (creeks). Extra club to green (uphill), long won’t hurt you on approach shot to green. -
Hole 5 - Coyote
Longest & toughest par 3, be happy with par. Beware of the hazard left side. Centre of the green is target, short won’t hurt you. -
Hole 6 - Wild Creek
Beware the “Wild Creek” on right side, stay left. Aim at fairway bunker left side, fairway slopes toward creek. Big rolling green so take note of pin position and choose correct club. -
Hole 7 - Rolling Meadows
Beware out-of-bounds left side of fairway. Position your second shot to left side of fairway bunkers. Take extra club to green (uphill). -
Hole 8 - Lower Ridge
Long narrow green, club selection is vital. Keep out of right side bunker, left is easier up and down. Usually into wind, take extra club. -
9 - River View
Another hole driver best kept in bag. Try to lay up to 125-150 mark in. Take extra club (uphill) but don’t be long. -
Hole 10 - Bullseye
Huge elevated tee off, take one less club. Small round green, centre of green target – the bullseye. -
11 - Hawks Valley
Position your drive just up to the fairway bunker or right side of it. Narrow green, tough to hold approach shot in. Green side front bunker is easy up & down. -
12 - The Gambler
A great risk/reward hole! If going for the green, beware right side rocks. Don’t be short, everything rolls down the slope of the hill. -
13
Can’t miss left or right (creeks). Target is right-centre of fairway, short of bunker. Aim right side for lay up, everything kicks left. -
14 - Serenity Valley
Big wide fairway, aim at left trap. Raised green requires extra club. -
15 - Rugged
Long par 4 requires drive down left side. Don’t miss right on second shot. Big long green, select club according to pin position. -
16 - Shorty
Everything kicks right onto the green. Try to stay below the hole. -
17 - Cliffs Edge
Another risk/reward hole, but only for the long hitters. Beware OB right edge and behind green. Try to position your drive to 100-125 yards in. -
18 - Green Monster
600 yard par 5 requires 3 good shots. Aim drive right side of fairway bunker. To stay out of water, aim second shot at far right bunker.
