What makes Canada's smallest province, Prince Edward Island, a special destination isn't any particular championship golf course. Rather, the beauty of a PEI golf vacation is the ambiance throughout this little maritime island, where everything feels stuck in time in all the right places.
With more than two-dozen courses to choose from, there are countless ways to draft up an itinerary. You'll find casual courses, bargain plays and top-rated options like the Links at Crowbush Cove and Dundarave. Canadian architect Stanley Thompson built one of his nationally treasured Parks Canada courses at Green Gables.
And green the whole island is. Beyond the more nationally recognized courses, lesser knowns such as Glasgow Hills and Andersons Creek are exceptional bargains and offer a similar standard of island charm and exciting golf. And let it be known that every PEI golf course can be played under $100, and many have on-site accommodations to allow for an all-day golf binge.
Video: Ginella's Journeys visits Prince Edward Island
This is a place that's as stuck in time as any storybook (and yes, PEI has its own in the Anne of Green Gables books). Country roads -- there are no freeways -- are lined with farms, forests, cottages and seaside ports teeming with fishing and lobster boats. PEI mussels are so abundant here that at some courses, they are offered for free after golf, and are mainstays at any buffet.
Nature certainly plays through on PEI's golf courses; perhaps the fastest golfers on the island are the foxes at Fox Meadow Golf Club, who have been known to snatch golf balls in the fairway and run off with them. You've been warned.
While this is mostly a rural getaway, the capital city of Charlottetown is just big enough to have some fine pubs, restaurants and accommodations, all pleasantly walkable within a few blocks.
Getting to Prince Edward Island
Flying into Charlottetown Airport (YYG) is your best bet. The city is served by Air Canada, part of Star Alliance. Delta also operates service out of New York's JFK airport.
If you plan on driving, you can access the island via the 8-mile Confederation Bridge. Opened in 1997, it connects the Trans-Canada Highway. By car, PEI is 624 miles from Boston and 846 miles from New York City.
More information on golf in Prince Edward Island: GolfPEI.ca
