First Impressions
One of my favorite weeks of the year is my annual pilgrimage up to Canada to visit Shayne for the RBC Canadian Open. The week starts with attending the Pro-Am at the tournament, followed by a round at The Oaks (Shayne’s home course) and wherever else we can find. With the news that the recently renovated North course at TPC Toronto would play host to the 2025 rendition of the Canadian Open, it was an easy choice to come check the course out.
Osprey Valley is home to 3 courses, and is currently undergoing vast amounts of construction. We’re under the impression that the plan is to build a resort in hopes of turning Osprey Valley into a weekend stay and play option, and there’s plenty of real estate to do so.
Located about an hour and a half north of Toronto, the commute is treacherous and only doable by car, making it easy to envision the resort prospering more as a weekend destination than a daily choice.
The surrounding area is overwhelmingly rural, with the highly acclaimed Pulpit Club just a few minutes away.
Pulling into the property reveals the newly built clubhouse, and an extremely impressive one at that.
Upon entering the clubhouse, you’re met with a well equipped modern bar and restaurant area that overlooks the 18th green. I can imagine this premium vantage point will be in high demand come next summer for the Canadian Open as you couldn’t ask for a better setup for viewing.
By far the coolest part of the clubhouse experience was the Canadian Golf Hall of Fame display, containing memorabilia from some of Canadian golf’s most notable moments including Nick Taylor’s epic victory at the 2023 Canadian Open, becoming the first Canadian to do so since 1954.
We checked in at the pro shop after walking through the display, and headed over to the range. The staff was professional and friendly.
Amidst the ongoing construction there hasn’t been a short game or putting area completed yet, but the grass range is well appointed with TaylorMade practice balls and plenty of targets. We were the only people on the range and surprised at how quiet the course was.
The Course
Design: Doug Carrick (Ian Andrew renovation)
Year Built: 2001, Renovated in 2023
Yardage: 7445 (Championship), 6804 (Black), 6402 (Blue), 5914 (White), 5372 (Red)
Rating: 72 (Championship), 71 (Black & Blue), 70 (White), 70.5 (Red)
Accessibility: Public
Cost: $200 (June Weekday Afternoon) *Canadian Dollars*
The Front 9
The round kicks off with a dogleg left par 5 playing at 542 yards from the tips. The wind was howling right in our face for our first tee shot of the day, but it’s a fairly friendly tee shot to start the round. The bunkers at the back of the fairway will only come into play for longer players.
The approach into the green features significant bunkering on the right side of the green, with misses left bouncing off a slope into a penalty area. A fair but demanding opening hole that can be scored on. There isn’t much undulation to speak of on the first green.
Next up is a unique par 4 and the #1 handicap hole, offering a blend of difficulty and strategy along with the most demanding approach shot on the course.
It is another dogleg left, with well placed bunkering on the left hillside challenging those who look to cut off yardage. There is vast fairway to the right of these bunkers setting the stage for a highly difficult approach.
Almost always 200+ yards in, the approach is wide open but to a green perched on a small hill with severe bunkering in front and on the right. There’s a falloff area to the right as well making left the preferred miss. A great par 4 that we were thrilled to walk away with pars on.
The 3rd is yet another long dogleg left par 4, checking in at 440 yards. There are no bunkers on the left side of the like the previous hole, and the upslope to the green is gentle in comparison as well. The fairway becomes narrow leading up to the green, and bunkering protects the right side of the green once more.
The first par 3 on the front is the 4th hole and it’s a good one at 158 yards. The green is wide allowing for multiple pin placements to vary the dynamic of the hole, and two large bunkers are eager to swallow up anything short. The green slopes to the right side and made my downhill putt to the right front pin placement extremely quick and difficult.
The 5th is a beast of a par 4 playing a hair under 500 yards and is another example of lengthening holes for tournament play in the recent renovation. Previously 444 yards, the hole packed on over 50 yards and has teeth to it. Bunkers flanking the fairway on both sides tighten up the landing area off the tee. Additional bunkering protects the left side of the green.
One of the stand out features of the renovation is the fescue lining the fairway bunkers. This is prevalent throughout the course and is particularly dense. However, we found it to be unique and visually appealing, adding a touch of class to the course.
Hole #6 is a visually compelling, fun par 4 on the shorter side at 350 yards. Complex bunkering protects the left side of the fairway, and an additional trap was added down the right side that comes into play for most that play their tee shot aggressively. We found this to be one among the better par 4s on the course.
The 7th is a solid, long par 3 playing 237 yards from the back tees. There’s plenty of visual intimidation with the bunker complexes surrounding the green along with a forced carry over a water hazard. The front left pin placement is toughest, and this is a strong par 3 overall.
A rather pedestrian 530 yard par 5 is the penultimate hole on the front. A bunker guards the left side of the fairway, but there isn’t much trouble you can get into on this hole. Unfortunately there isn’t much that stood out to us on this hole as we worked back towards the turn. It’s worth mentioning that this hole will be a par 4 for tournaments, making it a long albeit straightforward challenge.
The front 9 concludes with another lengthened par 4, this one now measuring 500 yards. This hole has no shortage of scenery, offering a visually appealing downhill tee shot with the clubhouse in your sightline. The bunker on the right dissuades longer hitters from looking to cut the corner. From there, the hole bends to the right and has a challenging uphill approach shot. An awesome conclusion to the front.
The Back 9
The 10th is a 416 yard par 4, with an understated charm to the visual from the tee box. The tee shot is downhill and the hole doesn’t have bunkering (a rarity!). A pond is dangerous for long hitters on the right side, and the green slopes from left to right.
Another picturesque par 3 is next for #11, at 225 yards there’s a forced carry over a pond but plenty of room to the left of the green to funnel balls back towards it.
The 12th is a mid length par 4 measuring 375 yards. There’s trouble all the way up to the green on the left, and I did a great job of finding it by badly hooking my 3 wood tee shot. I imagine the elevated perch on the hill down the left side will make for a popular viewing perspective and amongst the best on the course for the Canadian Open. The hole then slightly bends to the left and the bunkers surround both sides.
Hole #13 is another par 5 that will be configured as a par 4 in tournament play. At 536 yards, it’s a very long and winding par 4. The fairway bends to the right then to the left halfway to the hole, and gets thinner and thinner leading to the green. The defining feature of the hole is a large mound that blocks the left side of the green, leading to a blind approach unless you’re on the right side of the fairway. The hole is reasonable as a par 5 but we were left wondering how pros are going to attack it as a par 4, it’s a beast of a hole.
The 14th is the final par 3 on the course and likely the most picturesque. The Pac-Man style bunkers are on full display as they surround the hole, and it would be nice if there were a bit of variety on the styling of them. Nonetheless, they look great on this 190 yard par 3. All of the bunker sand throughout the course is of exceptional quality and very playable.
The 15th is an awkward par 4, with the tee shot playing across a railway and the severe dogleg right cut off by a large tree. The green is a small symmetrical circle , with a singular bunker on the right side. The weakest of the holes on the back 9 in our opinion.
One of the only blind tee shots on the course, the 16th is a 513 yard par 4 that plays up and over a ridge that leads downhill to the hole. Despite being long, tee shots are helped out by running down the ridge for quite some distance. The right side of the fairway is the better option as a fairway bunker cuts into the left side. There’s a bunker on the left side of the green that’s perched on a small plateau.
The 17th is the final par 4 of the round, with a short carry over waste area followed by a mostly straight fairway with a slight bend to the right. There are 3 bunkers down the right side but are a safe distance from the fairway. The green slopes to the left and is surrounded by bunkers yet again. There were opportunities to provide some variety to the bunker shaping in the renovation, and we’re unsure why Ian Andrew stuck with the same shape on nearly every trap on the course.
While 15-17 are a bit of a lull, the round closes in great fashion as he closing hole is the best on the course in our opinion. This par 5 has everything we’d want in design and playability, along with a tremendous final green.
While Andrew couldn’t resist the urge to line 3 more Pac-Man bunkers down the right side of the fairway, they’re done tastefully in this case and add a real risk reward component to challenging the right side of the fairway. This comes into play as more conservative tee shots to the left of the fairway have trees jutting out from the left side to contend with, making it nearly impossible to go for the green in 2 from the left.
We really loved seeing great design going into this hole, rewarding the gutsier player who successfully clears the bunkers down the right with a chance to go for it in 2, but severely punishing mistakes with the deep hillside bunkers.
The finishing approach shot is nervy, with water pressed up to the front and left side of the green, while bunkers flank the back and the right. The outstanding clubhouse provides a top tier backdrop, and it’ll be a blast to see future tournaments decided at this memorable closing hole.
Final Thoughts
It would’ve been interesting to play the North course pre-renovation to compare to now, but the always excellent Beyond The Contour team did a thorough overview, suggesting that Ian Andrew may have been handcuffed in his decision making by PGA affiliates. The decision making in this case would be made coddling professionals in gearing the course solely through a tournament lens at the expense of architectural features enthusiasts like us and you would geek out over.
While not being able to change the green complexes, lengthening holes and strategically planting trees were about all Andrew could do to beefen up the course for professional play. Unfortunately, the result of that planting is aesthetically and practically frustrating, where we’d rather defense be integrated in the greens. The monotonous bunkering is a shame, as Carrick’s original bunkers had far more character by the looks of the photos prior to renovation.
However, the clubhouse and surrounding facilities are outstanding, and we have no doubt the venue is logistically prepared to host prominent tournaments in Canada. We left the North course with the impression that the pros will have no difficulty shooting excellent scores, but the average player like ourselves would yearn for more character and charm.
Nonetheless, this is an impressive publicly accessible golf course. It has become increasingly rare to have the opportunity to play Tour championship venues, and you won’t leave TPC Toronto at Osprey Valley thinking you’ve just played a poor set of 18 holes. We look forward to returning to the property to play the Heathlands and Hoot courses, and watching the 2025 Canadian Open at the North course.
Pros
-Outstanding conditioning, amongst the best conditioned public courses we’ve played
-Top class clubhouse and amenities, Canadian Golf Hall of Fame is well worth some time to check out
– Accessible PGA Tour venue, designed for high level tournament play and achieved this goal
Cons
-Monotonous bunker complexes remove life from the course
-Green complexes lack variety and difficulty
-Location is a bit difficult to get to, especially from downtown Toronto
Favorite Holes
Mike: #18
Shayne:#11
What Would We Pay?
$175 CAD
Final Score
5.75
See how we score here
What do you think of the North course at TPC Toronto? Let us know in the comments below!