St. Andrew's Valley Golf Club: Demanding, Yet Rewarding
St. Andrew’s Valley Golf Club is not an easy course by any means, but it’s a fun challenge, and a short drive from Toronto!
Located roughly 30 minutes north of Toronto, in Aurora, Ontario, St. Andrew’s Valley is a golf course that is as challenging as it is enjoyable. It just depends on the hole, and in some cases, what part of the hole you’re on.
A visit to St. Andrew’s Valley Golf Club is ideal for the golfer who has been working on his or her game, and wants a serious test to see how far they’ve come. In my opinion, scoring well at St. Andrew’s requires a certain amount of strategy and consistency that can only come with experience.
That’s not to take away from the beauty or enjoyment that the course offers, though. You could easily just come out for a round and appreciate your surroundings, and not worry about the score whatsoever.
Sadly, that’s not how I’m wired, and I have a tendency to make even the most benign task or relaxing affair a competition in some form.
Not unlike Royal Ashburn Golf Club, St. Andrew’s Valley Golf Club has to be talked about in the top echelon of ontario golf courses that are accessible to the public. Last I checked, it’s actually one of the highest-rated public golf courses in Canada.
A Brief History of this Aurora, Ontario Gem
For the golf buffs out there, I wanted to take a moment to talk about the founding of the course, as well as the architect himself.
This expansive and ambitious layout was built by Rene Muylaert. When people talk about the architects that designed some of the most famous golf courses in Ontario, you won’t necessarily hear Rene’s name, but he’s revered by many a Ontario golf aficionado.
This course was finished in 1992, and it would certainly have to be in the running for his most famous design. Rene Muylaert has been the architect on many, many courses, but almost exclusively in Ontario, which I appreciate because it means he has a grasp on the landscapes and nature that define this province.
Other well known Ontario golf courses that he’s designed include Glen Eagle in Caledon, Granite Ridge in Milton, Peninsula Lakes Golf Club in Fenwick, Victoria Park East Golf Club in Guelph, Pheasant Run Golf Club in Sharon, and Greens at Renton in Simcoe. The list goes on and on though.
The St. Andrew’s Valley Golf Course
As I mentioned before, this is a pretty unforgiving course, but that’s part of what makes it fun to play.
The course measures a whopping 7315 yards from the longest tees, and to go along with that has a slope rating of 138, and a 74.8 USGA rating. For reference, a slope rating of something like 110-115 would be around average, so it’s not just my subjective opinion that this course is difficult, those are the facts.
It has, in the past, been in the conversation for “Canada’s toughest golf course,” though I think that’s a touch overblown. It’s difficult, sure, but I think it’s a difficult course in that every shot requires a certain amount of thought and intention, but it’s not as if you are getting skewered at every turn.
If you’re a golfer who doesn’t love the water though, you should be a little weary, my friend. Fourteen of the eighteen holes on this Ontario golf course have water coming into play. The other factor is the greens, which are anything but flat, so bring your putting A game.
The course was immaculately maintained, so hats off to the grounds crew. Colour me very impressed in that regard.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Below, I’ll quickly address some of the most frequent questions that I saw people asking about St. Andrew’s valley Golf Club, and answer them all in one place.
Season: The season typically runs from April 1st to November 1st.
Fees for the round: Their primetime rate (everyday until noon) is $89, but past noon it’ll cost you $69. A twilight round (5 hours before sunset) will cost you $59, and a evening round (3 hours before sunset) will cost you $39. Juniors pay $59, and Seniors pay $69 (Mon-Fri before 10am, excluding holidays).
Power carts: They cost $25 per rider, or $19 per rider if you’re sharing (though you must be from the same residence). Pull carts are $6.
Club rental: Renting clubs is currently not available due to Ontario public health guidelines, though I know St. Andrew’s will begin renting again once they’re able to do so.
Driving range: It costs about $10 for a bucket of balls, and you have access to the range if you have a tee time on the same day, or are a cardholding member.
Memberships: The memberships at St. Andrew’s Valley aren’t as much about exclusivity, as just offering the chance for golfers to pay for a cheaper price to bundle rounds. They offer packs that are for golfers keen to play during primetime, on weekdays, or twilight. You can find out more about this here.
Leagues: Men’s League runs on Wednesday and Thursday after 2pm, and Ladies League runs on Tuesdays.
Notable Holes at St. Andrew’s Valley
Bri and I enjoying an early autumn round at St. Andrew’s Valley Golf Club. That applies to beer and golf!
The following are some holes on St. Andrew’s Valley golf course that I particularly appreciated, or that I felt showcased something unique or worth noting. Generally speaking, each hole did really present different challenges and opportunities, and I’m not sure I came across a hole on the course that a golfer would call “easy,” necessarily.
I should be clear that the difficult of the course shouldn’t dissuade you from playing. Bri, my partner, is a relatively new golfer, and she had fun overall. She was just aware that it was a good round to not necessarily keep score on every hole, and to maybe be a little forgiving when it came to penalties etc.
Hole 1: “First Crossing”
As I mentioned in my review of FireRock Golf Club near London, Ontario, I appreciate an opening hole that has a little pressure attached to it. This wasn’t as much pressure, but the fact that you have to cross a ravine with your opening shot does have a certain effect on your nerves.
My opening drive was a behemoth, but then I got my first taste of the elevated greens of St. Andrews that are so often guarded by bunkers. Once I eventually stuck the green, I also was quickly acquainted with the fact that the greens are well maintained, and, rather intentionally, as quick as can be.
In my opinion, this is a hole that, if it’s your first time playing it, you should be more than pleased to walk away with a par.
Hole 4: “River’s End”
The reason I’m including this hole is because, on paper, a par 3 that’s less than 200 yards shouldn’t be all that difficult, and it doesn’t look like it will be at first. However, they’ve created a heck of a challenge here with three bunkers to the left of the green and one to the right. There just isn’t a big margin for error.
Since it’s a par 3, you’re more or less forced to go for it, and I like that attitude. It’s easy to be accurate within 100 yards, but the question is whether you can be accurate from 150 or 200.
Hole 5: “Looking Back”
This would be the hole where you want to ensure that you don’t flub the tee shot. It’s easier said than done, but a long drive in the centre of the fairway is going to pay serious dividends on this reasonably lengthy par 4.
I’m including this hole because the shot from the edge of the fairway onto the green takes place over a beautiful little pond. It’s a sizeable green, so you should be okay, but I’d also encourage you just to take a breath and enjoy the view for a second. It’s one of the prettier sections of the course, if you ask me.
Hole 6: “Arizona”
There’s a reason this hole is called, "Arizona,” and that’s because it’s a reference to its desert like appearance. Pretty much everything but the tee box and the green is sand or a “waste bunker,” and, thankfully, it’s well groomed and taken care of.
It’s a hole that I didn’t expect to find on the course, but I was impressed with how inventive it was.
Hole 9: “Twisted”
The names for these holes could hardly be more accurate, and that’s particularly true in this case.
At first it looks and plays kind of like a dogleg left, and you think that’s the end of it until you realize that, with the approach, it snakes back to the right. Of course, since it’s St. Andrews Valley, they’ve got a myriad of bunkers throughout the hole, and a creek as well!
This is a very fun par 5. I’m a big believer in a course design which makes sure that the opening (1/10) holes and closing (9/18) holes are decidedly memorable. It wouldn’t be an overstatement to suggest that this hole is the most fascinating on the front 9.
Hole 12: “Surrounded”
Accuracy is the name of the game on this dogleg right par 4. My assumption is that they titled this hole “surrounded,” because there isn’t a single shot to be made on this hole where you don’t have to be weary of hazards.
You’ve got the creek on the tee shot, and then sand and water to content with on the approach, plus the classic St. Andrew’s arrangement of sand traps near the green. This course certainly can be unforgiving but, at the same time, I appreciate a hole like this is candidly showing you where your game is at.
If you can dominate a hole that’s titled “surrounded,” it’s safe to say you should be generously patting yourself on the back for that accomplishment.
Hole 14: “Snake Bite”
This is a notable hole at St. Andrew’s Valley largely because it’s the longest hole on the course. It’s picturesque as well to be sure, but what you’ll note first when you’re playing it is that it’s a whopping 624 yards from the green tees, and is still 445 from the silvers!
Hole 18: “Too Much”
The 18th hole here is what you like to see from an 18th hole. It features many of the elements that made the round memorable, is undeniably one of the most beautiful holes on the course, and it’s lengthy, but not too lengthy (despite the title of the hole).
The large body of water beside the 18th green means that it’s probably one of the best places on the course to snap a photo, and that holds true if you’re looking from the green back down the fairway, or at the edge of the green looking towards the clubhouse.
Final Thoughts on This Challenging Ontario Golf Course
I’ve played a lot of golf in this province and, as such, my primary motivator these days is to play a course that offers something different, and, in my humble opinion, that’s accomplished at St. Andew’s Valley Golf Course. As I’ve mentioned throughout, I feel this is a uniquely difficult course when it comes to Ontario golf.
I’m not suggesting it is the most difficult golf course in the province or country, but I also don’t think you’d be kicked out of the dinner party for mentioning St. Andrew’s as a contender.
It’s the ideal golf course to use as a barometer. It’s a course that I’ll look to play at the start of next season, and then play again for my last round of the season so I can actually assess how far (or not far) I’ve come. If you’re looking for an easygoing round, something like Mayfield Golf Club or The Fox Golf Club could be a better fit, but St. Andrew’s Valley is the spot to go if you want something a bit more intense and engaging.
Golf, to me, is a special game since each and every shot matters, and I think St. Andrew’s Valley gets that. The course is designed to ensure that you need to focus to make every shot count, but you also get the sense that the architect wanted to make sure that no shot felt like it didn’t actually matter. I’d like to think it’s a bit of mutual respect between golfer and architect. Personally, it’s something that I feel will entice me to come back to this course over and over again - regardless of my score.
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