Prospect Lake Golf Course

Prospect Lake Golf Course

We've been wanting to play this one for a while now, so when we had a few dry days in a row, we decided to make the trek to Prospect Lake. It's a little out of the way, and unfortunately we didn't think it was worth the commute. We had a rain check to use from our first visit to Prospect Lake where the intense fog made the course unseeable, let alone unplayable.

The course is nestled right on the shore of beautiful Prospect Lake with the clubhouse looking out over it. The licensed bar and kitchen make the restaurant and patio area exceedingly enjoyable, however this is the highlight of the facility.

The course was in decent shape and relatively dry, so there was no reason not to have trimmed the fairways. The greens were at a decent length which made the putting aspect of the round the only noteworthy experience. You'll notice there was no mention of the tee box conditions, and well that's because there weren't any. Astroturf mats were placed for players to hit off of.

The first hole is a slight downhill, dog leg left. Nothing more than a mid iron off the tee is required here followed by a wedge into flat green. It is difficult to decipher the rough from the fairway so the only advice here is to avoid the trees on the left. A wedge to the middle of the green followed by a two putt will get you your par out of the gates.

The second hole was a little bit interesting. It's an 150 yard par three with no sign of the green anywhere. We didn't even think we were in the right place, the only indication we were still on the golf course's property was the "hole 2" sign. So we walked on up across rock and long grass and it wasn't until the 149th yard did we come across a green. This hole had no business being here. Nonetheless, we ventured back to the tee box and prepared to hit our shots. It's a blind shot, so your best bet is to take the club you hit 150 yards and knock one out there. The green is tiny so don't expect a GIR here but it also makes it rather difficult to 3-putt.

The third hole is the first time to get the driver out, be mindful of the lake on the left and the forest on the right, but there is enough fairway in-between to grip it and rip it. Your next shot will be no more than wedge into another a decent sized, flat green. Best bet here is to aim for the middle of the green and hope you make your birdie putt. Worst case scenario you can escape with a par.

Next hole is a short par 4 dogleg with forest protecting the green. A mid iron to the centre of the fairway will set you up for another easy wedge shot into the green. Again, a relatively flat green provides a birdie opportunity, if not it's an easy par.

The fifth hole is the last par four before a stretch of par threes. It's of relatively short distance with minimal risk. The play here is to get the big stick out and swing away. Much like the previous holes, all that separates you from a birdie is a wedge shot into the middle of the green. Make the putt for a birdie, miss it for a par.

The next three holes are par threes that begin with the course's signature hole. It's a short par three over water, so the littlest of mishits will cause you to re-tee. The green is slightly downhill but don't make the adjustment because if you're short you're wet. The green is rather large, but because of the lake protecting it your best bet is to aim for the middle and stay dry.

The seventh is an 170 yard uphill par 3 to a relatively small green. There is forest if you go long so aim for the front and hope for some roll. It is best to wait for the next hole to attack the flagstick. The eighth is a hole that seems to have been forced in to make up the nine. It's less than 100 yards with no hazards and minimal forest. Get a wedge out and go pin seeking because you won't face an easier par 3 than this one.

The final hole is a short par 4 downhill equipped with signs pleading golfers not to go for the green. So of course we went for the green. There's a wide open fairway with a barn on the right hand side that probably won't ever come into play. We ended up within 20 yards are so and faced an uphill wedge to the green. Perhaps the easiest hole on the course, the 9th is one that should be no worse than a par.

Prospect Lake Golf Course is in a beautiful location and has the potential to be one of the best public courses on the island. Yet what's being offered is far from stellar. Along with the inability to recognize rough from fairway, it seemed that the architect designed and built seven holes before running out of space and cramming in two holes that have no business being on any golf course. It's a short, unimpressive, and easy course that isn't worth the trip out there. Surrounded with the natural beauty of Prospect Lake and the surrounding landscape, the only redeeming factor here is the view from the clubhouse's patio.