Our tee off time was 12:08 and as Rustico Resort is easily reached in a half-hour drive, it's very accessible from Charlottetown. It's located near the tip of Grand Pere Point and from many holes, there are beautiful views of Rustico Bay - one of our favourite places in PEI. When you pick up your score card, you will note that there is no map of the layout of the course on it; nor is there any map anywhere in the clubhouse. The pro shop is the third door along on the front of the building - the cottage registration desk is first, the lounge (unmarked is second; also has the washrooms) and the third door (also unmarked) is the pro shop. For some reason, the Resort is not all that strong on signage, so a little bit of fumbling goes on as you find your way around. There is a lovely practice green in front of the building and good looking rickshas (although at $5.25 incl. tax also the most expensive that we have so far encountered). There is a range, but it is down the road far enough that you should think about driving to it, rather than walking to it. The entire course is across the road from the Resort itself, which includes tennis courts and cottages right on the bay.
The wind only was problematic on a couple of holes on each nine, as they are the ones exposed to the bay and its winds. The views from those holes easily make up for the wind effects. By hole No. 3, we were both warmed up and out of the wind and our game was much more enjoyable. Each hole has a sign which shows a map of the hole, but the course is set out in such a way that it is sometimes really confusing finding your way to the next hole and that sign. For example, from the green on hole No. 6, you note the small "next tee" sign with arrow and head off in that direction - to find yourself on a clay lane which winds around for a while and when you notice a tee box, it's hole No. 12! Asking the fellows on that tee where hole No. 7 is, they chuckle and send us back out on to the lane, which we follow along for another while until we eventually find ourselves at tee box No. 7 - it's a good 5 minute walk from the green on No. 6. That's the longest stretch between holes and did not deter us from walking the whole course! However, there are a number of holes which form intersections with other holes and which don't seem to have enough of a buffer between holes to avoid some quite dangerous spots of the course. If your game is not a "straight down the middle" one, you could easily put others at risk, without really knowing it. We were surprised at least twice with balls dropping out of the sky quite close to us, without a "fore" being shouted, because the players couldn't see us from where they were hitting. It was a little unnerving, to say the least.
Nearly every hole has a beautiful array of seasonal flowers and long-lasting plantings which certainly enhance the look of the course. There are some holes that are more forgiving than others (broad fairways vs. narrow fairways) and some surprising water hazards (made more surprising by the lack of a layout map on the card!) which can gobble up even the "good" shots.
The sunshine was in strong display on the opening nine, faded a little on the back nine, but made a valiant return at the end. No one-putt greens for me today, but hubby had two pars, so we declared it a success and headed home to watch Vancouver put San Jose on ice at 4-2. Go Canucks Go!
See you next week! Jane
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