For those environmentalists who still believe golf courses are nothing but a big waste of space, Peninsula Lakes is a case study in how the game can actually improve the surrounding landscape. Veteran Ontario course architect Rene Muylaert turned the site, a very large sand and gravel quarry, into a wonderful green treasure. The club originally opened in 1980 with 18 holes; in 2000 the Orchard nine was added. All of the nines are quite similar in look: rolling parkland peppered with ponds. The opening hole of the Quarry is the toughest first in all of Niagara, perhaps even the entire province. It’s a 430-yard par four that bends left around water, with bunkers on the right that gather the shots of players who elect to bail out off the tee. At least on the Hillside nine, players get a little more of a warm-up before facing the fourth, a 416-yard bear with water lining both sides of the fairway. The approach shot is even scarier—the green is guarded on the front right by a pond, and out of bounds is on the left. The newer Orchard nine has matured rather nicely; its signature hole is the sixth, a 131-yard par three that plays into a cross-breeze to a green surrounded by water. The combination of nines varies depending upon the day, so check availability if you want to play the original layout.