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Top 100 Resort of the Week: Cabot Links

March 20, 2020

Kick up your feet and indulge in GOLF.com’s Top 100 Resort of the Week, where we’re celebrating the best places in golf to stay and play. Heavenly accommodations. Delectable food. Stunning scenery. Oh, and, of course … world-class golf. These luxurious golf getaways are the best of the best. To browse our complete Top 100 Resorts list, click here.

Resort of the Week: Cabot Links (Inverness, Nova Scotia)

Sure, you could pack your car, drive up the highway and play golf at any old course you can tee it up at any day of the week, or you could go to the golf oasis that is Cabot Links. Now, that’s a golf trip. One you and your buddies would never forget.

Cabot Links can be a bit of a trek for those in the States, but then again it’s not so bad when considering you can still catch an early flight to Halifax, rent a car — or use the resort’s transportation service — and make a scenic three-hour drive to Inverness and still fit in nine holes before enjoying a hearty meal at The Public House. And once you get there, it’s pure golf. Cabot Links was designed by Rod Whitman and opened in 2012, and Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw unveiled Cabot Cliffs in 2015, which earned GOLF’s honor of Best New Course of the year.

Both courses overlook the Gulf of St. Lawrence where the views are almost as good as the golf holes. Almost. Cabot’s packed with dynamite shot values and dramatic views, although none may be better than the closing stretch at Cabot Cliffs. The par-5 15th has an infinity-green feel that leads you toward the water, which gives way to the resort’s signature hole, the diabolical par-3 16th over — yep, you guessed it — a cliff. The 17th is a par 4 that calls for a carry off the tee, and if struck just right you can play the terrain and have an easy pitch to one of the most fun-filled holes on the property. Your round at the Cliffs closes with the par-5 18th. You’ll be sad when it’s over, but you can still soak it all in from the outdoor couches as the sun sets.

As for your much-needed 19th hole, you’ll find that at the aforementioned Public House, which has great food and drink with live music. There are two other restaurants on site as well, not to mention opportunities for fly fishing, whiskey-tasting tours and more. Oh, and one more thing. The lodging? Not one detail is missed. So, why not Cabot Links? That’s the only question we don’t have an answer to.

MORE RESORTS: 25 best for families | 25 best for luxury | 25 best for buddies | 25 best for general excellence

For more on Cabot Links, click here, and check out the photos below. For more on our Top 100 Resorts, check out our handy Resort Finder.

Cabot Links might be the more overlooked course, but it is the elder statesmen compared to Cabot Cliffs.
Cabot Links might be the more overlooked course, but it is the elder statesmen compared to Cabot Cliffs.
Courtesy of Cabot Links

The magical Canadian links-style resort of Cabot Links towers over the Gulf of St. Lawrence and takes golfers on a wild ride through dunes and along cliffs.
The magical Canadian links-style resort of Cabot Links towers over the Gulf of St. Lawrence and takes golfers on a wild ride through dunes and along cliffs.
Courtesy of Cabot Links

A look at the rolling fairways at Cabot Links.
A look at the rolling fairways at Cabot Links.
Josh Berhow

The views at Cabot are second to none.
The views at Cabot are second to none.
Courtesy of Cabot Links

A view from Cabot Cliffs at Cabot Links in Nova Scotia.
A view from Cabot Cliffs at Cabot Links in Nova Scotia.
Ashley Mayo

The mussels at Cabot Links? Yes, please.
The mussels at Cabot Links? Yes, please.
Chelsea Kyle