It was a sunny Saturday, and the great crew at the Silver Dart Lodge had things under control, so I decided to take in a round of golf. We are blessed in Cape Breton with many beautiful golf courses, and hopefully by the end of this summer I will have had time to golf them all and report back to my loyal fans (yup – that’s you!) about my experiences, good or bad. We had decided this time around to check out Le Portage Golf Course in Cheticamp, Cape Breton, Nova Scotia.
The drive from Baddeck through Margaree to Cheticamp was stunning. As we rolled into Cheticamp, we found the golf course on the right hand side, up in behind of the local rink. I thought this might be a convenient setup for the Toronto Maple Leafs as they seem to go from the rink to the golf course early every spring anyways….
The staff at the pro shop were quite nice and explained the lay of the land. For about 80 bucks we were ready for 18 holes with a power cart and a bucket of warm up balls. We smacked a few practice balls and were ready for the real deal, so we thought!
Hole 1 – Par 5
Hole 1 - Par 5
Fairways were in great shape, greens were fast – real fast! 20 strokes and three holes later things started to heat up. A par, a bogey, and another bogey. The temperature was rising. I looked West and saw the beautiful highlands of the Cape Breton Highlands National Park cutting into the blue sky. I looked East and saw a few fishing boats out on the Atlantic. But then I looked North and saw something I will never forget.
Highlands in the distance
As we were exiting hole 6 with sweat dripping from the brow I heard a noise. The cart path that ran alongside the green straightened ahead for about 50 feet and then turned to the right into the woods. A branch snapped. ”Did you hear that?’ I whispered. Another snap, then a roar. I felt my heart skip in my chest. With a cautious anticipation we stood with arms dropped to our sides as it came around the cart path with no fear. We stood firmly in place. Neither of us moved. It approached quickly at first and then its pace slowed. We were no more than 10 feet away when it came to a stop.
I did not break eye contact. There was a moment of complete silence. and then….
“Can I get you anything?” said a deep and thick acadian accent. Yes, it was as we thought it was.
The Beer Cart.
It sat there in the late June sun with warm lays potato chips, melting aero bars, sandwiches, juices, bottled water, but most of all it boasted a fine selection of ice cold lagers, pilsners, and ales. Oh yes my friends – BEER. They glistened in the sun, crushed ice right up to the neck. Cold certified indeed. I tipped up the bottle and watched the cart slowly creep down the path and find it’s next unsuspecting prey, another hot human exasperated from a poor game of golf. The perfect target for Le Portage’s natural predator – the beer cart….
My putting was poor. Driving wasn’t much better. Irons were at times absolutely depressing. My score was over 100 by the end, but, by God, the beer was cold. I can only pray that I can experience a similar Cape Breton outdoor experience in my next golf outing! Stay tuned 
What a great day for golf!
Le Portage Golf - Est ce que "Fore" est "Quatre" chez Cheticamp?
April
Amanda
Debbie
Wes Surrett
silverdartwillena
Hilda
sdlchad
Philippa
silverdartwilly
