Copper Creek

Water comes into play at half a dozen holes, including the 508-yard 1st, where it features down the left hand side of a fairway that leads to a green protected in front by a sentry maple tree. The short par three 8th is a real beauty, played across water to a multi-tiered green that throws off tee shots that are anything less than accurate.

The back nine begins with the toughest par four on the inward half and this 459 yards of golfing intimidation starts from a severely elevated tee position toward a thin sliver of fairway framed by water to the left and forest to the right. The home hole is the longest par five on the card at 565 yards, played to a green surrounded by plenty of penal bunkers.

Interestingly, the club has a policy of rewarding both slow and fast play. If golfers complete a round in under four hours, they receive a discount on their next round. Conversely – by way of compensating players caught up by slow play – money off a future round is also given to those whose round takes more than four and a half hours – and the slower golfers are, the greater the discount!

Carrick Design provided the following article:

While it challenged us to be creative during the permitting stages, the Humber River Valley proved to be the heart and soul of Copper Creek Golf Club. Our design team went through a detailed planning process with the local conservation authority to create a course that is truly sensitive to its surrounding environment. The project included very detailed mitigation plans, a comprehensive storm water management plan and an extensive drainage network to collect all surface water for irrigation usage. This was all done to ensure the protection of fish habitat and to ensure efficient water use from the Humber River.

Copper Creek’s natural beauty lies in the Humber River Valley as it drops into a forest setting for holes 4 through 11. But beauty is in the eye of the beholder. In this sympathetic design, we devised a series of ponds mainly on the tablelands for water storage. Water hazards are strategically incorporated into a series of thought provoking holes that are fun to play with huge risk/reward options. Overall, the immaculate course is eminently playable for golfers of all abilities and that, along with its dramatic clubhouse and exceptional service, explains why it’s the most popular 18-hole corporate tournament course in the GTA and an unparalleled success story.