There aren’t enough traditional cottage courses left—places where players can still get away with running shoes, cut-off jeans and Grandpa’s wooden-headed drivers. The recently renamed Ridge North (née Haliburton Highlands) is one of the best of the old-timers. Not afflicted with Muskoka’s sometimes snooty attitude, it has a laid-back vibe and is still a tough enough test to keep serious players interested; built on the edge of Lake Kashagawigamog in 1932 by a local family, the course was cut through the forest that still covers the ridge overlooking the water. Veering up and down the high ground, the course is bounded by big trees and dotted with small, elevated greens. The highlight hole is the eighth, a 209-yard par three that peeks out over the lake and drops dramatically from the hilltop tee to a tiny green near the edge of the road below. The final hole is a risk-reward treat, a 235-yard par four that plays to a green tucked in a bowl beside the clubhouse. Hit it straight and you’re in the trees or on the clubhouse balcony; play a little draw and you could be putting for eagle.