Cabot Cliffs
It is a real talent to discover a piece of land in this day and age that isn’t already developed and turn it into one of the greatest golf destinations on the planet. Ben Cowan-Dewar, through his vision and a perfectly formed partnership with Mike Keiser (the famed owner and innovator who brought us Bandon Dunes), has managed to do just that — creating Cabot Cape Breton, one of the game’s best resorts in the modern era.
The success at Cabot Cape Breton has since blossomed into the formation of one of the world’s most renowned brands in the world of golf travel, the Cabot Collection, which now includes Cabot Citrus Farms in Florida, Cabot Saint Lucia in the Caribbean, Cabot Highlands in Scotland, Cabot Revelstoke in British Columbia, Cabot Bordeaux in France, and Lofoten Links in Norway.
Located in Inverness, Nova Scotia, this oceanside gem of a property was first discovered by Cowan-Dewar around 20 years ago in a former mining town that had fallen on hard times. He first approached Mike Keiser in 2004 about getting involved in the project, but at the time Keiser was too busy with growing Bandon Dunes to commit to anything with the project.
Over the following years, Cowan-Dewar continued to invest his time and money fully into this project continuing to acquire more land and the necessary permitting to create this golf mecca, and when he convinced Keiser to tour the site with him in 2007 they were able to create a partnership that kicked off the growth of Cabot Cape Breton.
Cabot Links launches the Resort
With the brilliant partnership of Cowan-Dewar and Keiser formed, the next part of the equation was to start the development of the first golf course onsite known as Cabot Links. From a timing perspective, 2008 was a rough year around the world that was marked by the financial crisis. Worldwide, golf course construction slowed to a virtual halt. The Cabot team persevered through these tough times and employed Rod Whitman, a Canadian architect who had developed a solid portfolio of courses, to be the lead developer for the first course at Cabot. Located on a spectacular piece of land that runs between the town of Inverness and the Atlantic Ocean, Cabot Links was the first pure links-style designed course in Canada. The result of these efforts is the creation of one of the best tests of golf in the country, let alone the world.
In addition to incredible ocean views throughout your round including 6 holes that play alongside the ocean, including one the par-4 6th hole that wraps around the Harbour, with bobbing fishing boats completing the scene. The holes on Cabot Links feature ample bunkering, lush fescue rough, and undulating greens. If you play this course first on your trip, you’ll likely wonder how another course on property could possibly compete with the level of beauty and challenge that Cabot Links provides…until you see Cabot Cliffs.
Cabot Links
The astonishing accomplishment known as Cabot Cliffs
A five-minute drive down the road from Cabot Links was one of the truly special stretches of land in the world to showcase a golf course. Selecting the iconic duo of Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw to design a routing as rare as the land itself, Cabot Cliffs was born.
Without a doubt, the par-3 16th hole is among the most photographed in golf, featuring a peninsula green that sits on a small sliver of land on a cliff above the Atlantic Ocean. It is one of the most jaw-dropping holes that we have ever seen.
And while this hole in and of itself is worth the price of admission, the one thing golfers will quickly find during their round at Cabot Cliffs is how exceptional the golf is from start to finish. The round continues to build as you play and the finishing stretch from your second shot on the par-5 15th hole through your final putt on 18 is without a doubt among the best in the world. While the 16th hole rightfully gets a ton of attention, we also really love the short par-4 17th hole that features a blustery slightly uphill tee shot over top of a cliff that leaves a downhill second shot that can be hit with a putter or a wedge, and the better play all depends on where the pin is.
As you finish your round, do yourself a favor and take a seat on one of the couches off the backside of the 18th green and just soak up as much of that vista as you possibly can.
Cabot Cliffs
The Nest to cap off your golf experience
There’s nothing like a great short course to extend your golf enjoyment after a day on these two 18-hole world top 100 championship layouts. At Cabot Cape Breton, you can take in that experience at The Nest, which is an 11-hole par-3 course designed by Rod Whitman and Dave Axland. With holes that range from 91 to 146 yards from the back tees or 50 to 82 yards from the front tees, you’ll only need to bring a few clubs and your short game prowess to enjoy your stroll around this fun layout that is perched atop the highest point of Cabot Cliffs providing you with some of the best vistas onsite. As a bonus, their team has set up stadium lights here starting in late August through the end of the season, so you can play this course at night and take full advantage of every golfing minute available on your trip.
The Nest
Enjoying all that Cabot Cape Breton has to offer
One of our favorite facets of a trip to Cabot Cape Breton is how you can enjoy a boutique feel at such a well-developed property. Whether it’s enjoying some fresh Atlantic seafood or local produce at one of the three restaurants onsite or enjoying more of the outdoors through an ATV tour, fishing, hiking, biking, or getting on the water via a kayak or a boat, you will want to take advantage of the splendor of this setting as much as possible.
In addition to the world-class golf and activities, varied accommodations are sure to round out your stay with a home-away-from-home feel. The options vary from King and Double bedrooms available at the Cabot Links Lodge, spacious two- and four-bedroom Golf Villas, four- and five-bedroom Cliffs Residences for groups looking for a luxurious home experience, two- and three-bedroom Hillside Homes, and the multi-bedroom Dunes Cottages and Hillside Home Suites to give your group a plethora of options at various price points.
For visitors coming from the United States, the exchange rate is extremely favorable currently for you to enjoy a bucket list experience at two of the world’s top 100 golf courses at an incredible value. It’s one of the best golf resorts in the world, and we know your group will love all that Cabot Cape Breton has to offer.
Cliffs Residences