A top draw in Mississauga: BraeBen Golf Course blends scenery and challenge
Once known as just a suburb of Toronto, the growing city of Mississauga has become a bustling center of its own.
The city is home to several major corporate headquarters for Canada, including Target, Microsoft and General Electric, but the attraction that draws Torontonians out here is BraeBen Golf Course. The Ted Baker design is one of the most reviewed courses in the Toronto area on GolfNow.com.
"This is my go-to course in the GTA," writes Grkgolf348, a Toronto native and regular on the course. "It's centrally located and is always in consistent, good shape."
Baker has called BraeBen his most challenging and unique design. He transformed a former landfill site into a sprawling links layout that is, as local golfer KPG puts it, "a masterpiece."
Situated atop one of the city's highest elevations, many reviewers remarked on the openness of the course, which places it at the mercy of the prevailing winds. One reviewer wrote it was "the windiest round of my life."
The lofty perch has its benefits, though. GolfGTA wrote that the course "has some of the best views of the area." Holes 9-11 sit at the highest point on the course, offering panoramic views of the city below.
Tzatz123, a high-handicapper from Toronto, advises that "if you can't keep it straight, you're in for a tough day," and even though he finds it "tough to score at Braeben," he comes back because "it's a great indicator of whether you are able to control your golf ball."
Golf enthusiasts like Andrewkh1, a low-handicapper from Thornhill who averages 40-50 rounds a year at various clubs, returns to Braeben often, citing it as one of his favorite courses. He enjoys it because it has the "right amount of sand traps and doglegs" and it's a course where you'll use every club in your bag.
This tough layout throws every kind of challenge at you from the blustery winds and dramatic elevation changes to the native high grasses and towering trees. There are a whopping 78 sand bunkers that can be found greenside and along the landing zones, but the course gives you a slight break with water coming into play on only one hole, the par-3 seventh.
As some reviewers remarked, the course can be somewhat pricy on the weekend for a municipal course, but it's also one of the most challenging rounds in the area so you definitely get your money's worth. In addition to the championship course, BraeBen also boasts a double-ended driving range and chipping green. There is also a teaching academy that includes a nine-hole, par-3 course.
July 9, 2013
My Nguyen, Contributor
My Nguyen has been writing for the Golf Channel's TravelGolf Network since 2008. She has written about hundreds of golf courses throughout the U.S., Canada, and Mexico, as well as many courses in Europe.