Mont Tremblant Golf
- Intrawest's
Le Diable and Le Geant
Mont Tremblant, Quebec, Canada
Pan back to August ‘99. A promising, but
as of yet unheralded Canadian golfer named Mike
Weir arrived at a new golf club named Le Diable
in Mont Tremblant, Quebec for Canada’s entry
in the skins series – the Telus Skins Game.
He was looking to prove himself against three
of golf’s biggest names: David Duval –
at the time the world’s #1 golfer, John
Daly – the ’95 British Open winner
and reigning long drive champ and the venerable
Freddie Couples – golf’s most popular
player, fresh off his first Masters win. A tall
order indeed, but Weir was intent on proving he
belonged among golf’s elite.
Weir answered
the bell that day and served notice that he was
one of golf’s best new talents. He played
well all day and then on the 16th hole he sank a
clutch putt for birdie and 6 skins that led him
to a win over these three talented opponents. The
victory was just what Weir needed. It propelled
him on to his first PGA Tour event later that year
and then in 2003 he solidified his standing as one
of golf’s best when he won his first major
title at the Masters.
But Weir
wasn’t the only star that day.
Destination
Info
Le Diable Golf Club
Mont Tremblant, Quebec
Opened July 1998
(888)
857-8253
Par 71
Back Tees 7056 yds
Front Tees 4651 yds
Designers: Michael Hurdzan & Dana Fry
Le Geant Golf Club
Mont Tremblant, Quebec
Opened June 1995
(888) 857-8253
Par 71
Back Tees 6836 yds
Front Tees 5115 yds
Designer: Thomas McBroom
Tremblant’s
impressive new Le Diable Golf Club really turned
heads as well. Players and spectators alike raved
about the course and its spectacular, yet tough
layout. The popularity of its design proved not
only that it was one of Canada’s best new
golf courses, but it also served to put Mont Tremblant
on the map as one of North America’s best
new golf destinations. Indeed, a surprising turn
of events for a place famous for its skiing and
not necessarily for a summer sport like golf.
Tremblant’s
golfing history began in the early nineties. Not
long after resort conglomerate Intrawest purchased
Tremblant in 1992, they started to make plans to
include golf at the resort in a really big way.
They tabbed top Canadian golf architect Thomas McBroom
to build a resort course on a wonderful, hilly piece
of land opposite the ski hill and the newly constructed
Tremblant village. Le Geant opened in 1995 and served
notice that Tremblant wasn’t going to be just
a winter resort any more.
It opened
to stellar reviews and impressed golfers with a
combination of wide, sweeping fairways, strategically
placed fairway bunkers and large undulating greens.
But most
of all, it is distinctive as it makes wonderful
use of the area’s changes in elevation. Le
Geant boasts beautiful elevated tees (many with
views of the Tremblant village and ski area) and
dramatic plunging fairways. Two par-4s on Le Geant’s
back nine are shining examples of this.
The short par-4
11th is a great risk-reward hole with a
90-degree dogleg left-to-right that tempts
players to hit driver around the corner
for a possible birdie try. It has players
teeing off on a high tee box with the ski
hill in full view making for a beautiful
scenic vista.
The par-4 18th
is a dynamite hole and fun way to end your
round. Named top par-4 in Canada in 2003
by readers of ScoreGolf magazine, this hole
features a fairway that plunges downhill
more than 150 feet. Players that hit a good
tee shot on this hole can expect some serious
hang time, and if your lucky, a good roll
all the way down the slope to the front
edge of the green.
Then in
1998, Intrawest completed its second world-class
championship golf course – Le Diable. But,
this course was destined to be just a little different
than what you would come to expect. Carved out a
towering, red pine forest (part of an old local
plantation), architects Michael Hurdzan and Dana
Fry decided to use some of the unique characteristics
of the area to create a course that would not only
be visually appealing, but also to make it challenging
for golfers of all levels.
Le Diable (the
devil) has a look that is true to its devilish
name, primarily because of its massive red
waste bunkers. An ‘Arizone-style’
golf course transplanted into Tremblant’s
hilly countryside, Hurdzan and Fry used the
area’s distinctive red earth to give
the course a desert feel with fairways and
greens that are lined with deep, nicely-groomed
waste bunkers. The native red pines provide
a tall, towering backdrop on many of the holes,
including the beautiful finishing hole, the
par-5 18th.
The signature
hole at Le Diable would have to be the par-4 15th,
dubbed the ‘Gray Rocks’ hole in tribute
to the legendary local ski resort that can be seen
from the tee. The drops more than 150 feet down
to a multi-level green protected by some deep green-side
bunkers.
Not only
did Le Diable star during Skins Game week, but it
also played host to a high-profile golf match of
a different type when Prime Minister Jean Chretien
invited U.S. President Bill Clinton to play a round
in 1999. The two world leaders were treated to a
lovely afternoon on the closed-door course talking
golf, politics and much more while they were flanked
by more than 250 of Clinton’s secret service
agents. Rumor has it that Chretien came out on top
that day, but this event certainly seemed to solidify
Le Diable’s position alongside some of Canada’s
best new golf courses.
Another nice thing
to note about both Tremblant golf courses
is last year’s addition of portable,
hand-held GPS units. Golfers can carry the
cell-phone sized units with them to get
laser-accurate yardages for all shots on
the golf course. A great feature and when
golfers are done with the GolfLogix GPS
unit they just have to pop it back into
its holder in the golf cart for use on the
next hole.
The accolades
for these courses continued with the recent ScoreGolf
Top 100 Canadian Golf Courses list. It included
both courses, with Le Geant scoring the #38 spot
and Le Diable making the list at #67. If you are
planning a trip to the area, they are definitely
worth checking out.
Green fees
are a little steep at around $100, but your fee
does include use of a cart and the portable GPS
yardage guides.
Reservations
can be made at 888-857-8253
or access additional information on Le Geant or
Le Diable Golf Clubs at www.tremblant.ca.
