While most of Muskoka golf these days is monumental, Highlands is definitely a back-in-the-day kind of place—and that’s a good thing. Making its debut in 1993, the course was designed by the local duo of Ted George and Bruce Evans (Evans’ golf construction company has been involved in dozens of courses) and is a smart layout. Using swaths of fescue and the occasional pond to squeeze the edges of the fairways, and nasty deep bunkers to guard the greens, the course forces golfers to play brainy, not brawny. The 18th is the perfect example. Although it’s only 369 yards from the tips, you have to keep it straight off the tee. Pull it left and you’re into water, slice it right and it’s tangled in the tall grass; the approach is over bunkers on the right to a deceptively long, two-tiered green. While most cottage country clubs lock the doors after Thanksgiving, the Highlands now stays open year-round. They’ve also invested in a high-definition golf simulator in the clubhouse, so players can tee it up in such places as Pebble Beach, Banff, and even Muskoka in a snowstorm.