Royal Niagara has been generating big buzz of late, especially since hosting the 2003 Skins Game. Marking another collaboration between course architect Ted Baker and owner Iggy Kaneff, the three nines are laid out over rolling parkland that Baker has quite cleverly punctuated with holes keyed to the local history. The Old Canal course runs along the edges of the old Welland Canal, with water coming into play on seven of the nine holes. Iron Bridge—easily the tightest of the three nines, with a couple of long carries over the marsh—cuts in and out of the shadow of the historic railroad bridge. The Escarpment course runs up and down the region’s high ground; from the tee of the sixth hole, a 413-yard par four that sweeps down the hillside, you can catch a glimpse of the ships sailing through the Welland Canal. All three nines are strong and well conditioned, with elevated greens and more than enough sand, but the toughest combination is definitely Iron Bridge–Old Canal, with a slope of 143 from the tips; the prettiest twosome is without a doubt Escarpment–Old Canal.