Golf in the GTA is tough for newbies: almost every new course seems designed to humble. The cost for five hours of total humiliation (and a bucket’s worth of lost balls) can cost well over $100, and that’s before seeking solace at the beer cart. Here are the best options for newcomers testing the waters and those looking for a carefree round.

Dentonia Park
Perfect for youngsters and car-free urbanites, this par three course (conveniently located at Victoria Park station) is a great spot to work on swing fundamentals and the short game. You’re not even allowed to bring a driver onto the course, so you’ll be less likely to succumb to golf’s sweetest but most destructive temptation: the desire to swing as hard as you possibly can. Clinics and camps for juniors run throughout the summer.

Hornby Glen
This is an especially good course for beginners who can hit it reasonably far but still don’t have a clue how to hit it straight. Hornby has started making some overall changes to the course, in an attempt to add a greater level of difficulty, but in the meantime, the wide fairways, few hazards and little in the way of out of bounds make it very difficult to lose a ball—allowing rookies to maintain some semblance of their dignity.

Pebblestone
There are several reasons for a beginner to love this friendly nine-holer in Courtice. It’s never crowded and the fairways are wide. As an added bonus, there’s only a handful of bunkers, all of them virtually sand free. Best of all, the course is far enough into the countryside that if you still can’t hit that little white ball, no one will hear you scream. 1550 Pebblestone Rd., Courtice, 905-725-7452.

Rolling Hills
Both the Classic and Challenge courses here are perfect for beginners, although the so-called Championship course isn’t all that difficult either. All of the holes are relatively short and the hazards far less ferocious than at a standard GTA course. To balance this out, there’s a nicely rolling terrain and just enough trees so you won’t feel as if you’re stick-handling around a well-mown farmer’s field. Lessons are available.

Scarlett Woods Golf Course
This parkland executive-length gem along the Humber River offers a fairly easy challenge. Walking among the old oaks, maples and cherry trees will provide just enough serenity to compensate for a series of hooks, slices, duffs, shanks and outright whiffs.