Owned by Peter Atkinson and his spouse, Cindy, Batteaux Creek has a hands-on feel. The course was designed by Collingwood native Stephen Young, who worked as a shaper for Tom McBroom before hanging out his own shingle. The Atkinsons opened nine holes in 2002, lifting the veil on the full 18 in August 2003. It’s a largely flat piece of property, bisected by marshland and creeks, and dotted with clumps of hardwoods. Young added definition with a smart series of fairway and green-side mounds that create depth and offer real bite. Holes 12 to 14 are monsters that run across the wetlands and waste bunkers—they will make or break your round. The nastiest number is the fourth, a 448-yard par four with water on the sides of the fairway and a beach bunker that sweeps around the left side of the green. The prevailing wind is in your face off the tee, so take your lumps and play it as a par five.