Dreamscapes Travel & Lifestyle Magazine
Issue link: http://read.dreamscapes.ca/i/753864
DREAMSCAPES WINTER 2016/2017 52 L ocated in a less conventional corner of the resort world, Fox Harb'r is one of only five five-star resorts in Canada, and a veritable gem of an escape for a day, a week or even the best part of the summer months. Your first clue is the whimsical sculpture garden featuring foxes playing among the rocks. Once you pass through the gates, the most impressive thing that hits you is a beautiful silence that seems to lift the weight of the world from your shoulders. Don't let the quietness deceive you though. Hidden among the many enclaves are world-class sporting and recreational activities, ranging from swimming and tennis to clay shooting and fly fishing. But the penultimate attraction that has drawn visitors from around the world is the award- winning golf course that sits on the peninsula high above the Northumberland Strait waters. ONE MAN'S VISION Fox Harb'r Resort has become a regional point of pride for the province's North Shore region. Located in Wallace (eight kilometres from Fox Harbour Provincial Park), it was founded by Ron Joyce of Tim Horton's fran- chise fame to help stimulate the local economy and provide a private haven for golf enthusiasts. Joyce, who was born in nearby Tatamagouche, acquired the 4.6 square kilometres of land in 1994. Joyce originally developed the property so he could fly in friends and colleagues to play golf. He built guest suites to accommo- date them, but some were so enamoured with the experience, they wanted to build their own homes on the property. As the community grew, it wasn't long before this labour-of-love project expanded to include spa facilities, a fine-dining restaurant and a sporting lodge. By 2000, Fox Harb'r Resort was officially launched. The challenging Graham Cooke-designed golf course, which is a blend of Scottish links and traditional parkland golf, garnered Best New Course kudos from Golf Digest in 2001. It has also seen its fair share of celebrities since opening, including Tiger Woods, Charles Barkley, Bill Clinton and Bobby Orr. Not to mention countless day trippers from Montréal and New York who fly into the property's private airstrip to play a few rounds. Less seasoned golfers need not fear how- ever. There's the 18-hole championship course plus a nine-hole short course along the waterfront. And the on-site Golf Academy instructors are at the ready, using the latest radar technology advancements that can capture exact spin rates and dis- tance to help guests improve their swing BY DENISE J. DEVEAU SERENITY WHEN YOU PULL UP TO THE GATES AT FOX HARB'R RESORT, YOU IMMEDIATELY SENSE THERE'S SOMETHING VERY SPECIAL ABOUT THIS OUT-OF-THE-WAY RESORT. on Nova Scotia's North Shore