Bigwin Island Golf Club
In 2003, Bigwin Island was voted the best new course in Canada by Golf Digest. The closing hole, lined on the right side by the Lake of Bays, is spectacular. And the sixth, a mighty 462-yard par four, is equally sublime. Doug Carrick placed the tee on the island’s highest point; the blue vista against the green fairway offers the most picturesque shot (club or camera) in cottage country.

Nobleton Lakes Golf Club
Nobleton Lakes introduced Canadian golfers to the dubious thrill of island greens (players aim at a four-inch cup in the middle of a lake). Its infamous signature hole is a 184-yard par three that plays from an elevated tee, over the water, to a slippery, boomerang-shaped green. As if that weren’t enough, the hole is the first shot of the day. And it sits directly below the clubhouse windows—so an audience can witness your shot sink into the drink.

Silver Lakes Golf & Country Club
Located on the fertile edge of Holland Marsh in Newmarket, Silver Lakes features a dozen holes with water running through them. In fact, with so many shimmering surfaces, the course is reminiscent of Florida, right down to the plastic alligator lurking in the pond. The headliner is the eighth, a 531-yard par five that requires an ungodly 265-yard carry over a lake. Silver Lakes is also home to one of the game’s few aqua ranges, where players warm up by whacking buckets of balls at floating targets.

Woodington Lake Golf Club
At Woodington Lake, the glory shot is the final drive of the day. The 18th is a 410-yard par four that begins through a chute of trees, then makes a sharp left turn around the lake. Water bites into the neck of the fairway and laps against the green. More good news for water babies: the club is opening a second 18, featuring 13 water-bound holes.