Members of the Golf Historical Society of Canada (GHSC) played the first ‘unofficial’ round of the Northern Hickory Tour at the Couchiching Golf Club last Thursday. for the first time I was able to make the 3 hour trek to join them at this fun nine hole golf course. The nine hole course was laid out by Mr. George Cummings and opened on June 3, 1915. Couchiching is one of the older courses in Canada and was wonderful to play there for my first time. The round was fun and the course provided some unique challenges while playing my hickory sticks.

Was I looped around this fun track, I found that I was not going to have a flat lie anywhere on the course. The undulating fairways and rough posed a unique challenge to every golfer. The ball took some different bounces and overall it was interesting to see where my ball would finished after each shot. The greens were in fantastic shape as the ball rolled out true. Overall, this is a fun track and if you looking to play a course that offers something different, then this is the course for you.

Playing hickory sticks on any course is a fun challenge. At Couchiching Golf Club it is even more so because the rough around the greens was thicker than I normally play and the greens were not flat. This does not mean they were unfair by any means, it just means that we had to think a fair bit before making a shot. My traditional bump and run approach to greens worked most of the time, however this course did identify that I need more work on my higher approach shots. I am grateful to learn anything new and this was the most apparent area that needs fixing.

The staff (shout out to Brent in the Pro Shop) were fantastic. Very upbeat, professional, and customer orientated. We had the wings special before hitting the links and everyone was extremely happy with the food. Overall, I would give a big thumbs up to the staff.

Unfortunately, I forgot to take any pictures, but here are a couple from the internet.

If you are looking for a fun course to play, Couchiching Golf Club might be the course for you. My experience playing this course for the first time was very positive. It was a great way to start the 2026 Northern Hickory Tour!

I am a grateful golfer! See you on the links!