Help Me Plan My Nova Scotia Trip For 2025

[wrigley]

If you are in the area, I would definitley play Highland Links, when I played, I was a bit disappointed by the conditions.  If you had to choose one, I would pick the Cliffs.  

[EmperorPenguin]

I read in another thread that a good idea is to select rooms that are close to the pro shop because from there the walk to all services are only a minute or two away.  Does anyone have a picture of the map of the facility?

[ND2005]

23 hours ago, EmperorPenguin said:

I read in another thread that a good idea is to select rooms that are close to the pro shop because from there the walk to all services are only a minute or two away.  Does anyone have a picture of the map of the facility?

the lodge is not big. Our rooms were toward the far end away from the pro shop and it was like a couple minutes walk 

[Drwoods2017]

Has anyone used the Cabot shuttle service? We just booked our trip and I'm trying to figure out if its worth it.

[EmperorPenguin]

On 8/28/2024 at 10:07 AM, Drwoods2017 said:

Has anyone used the Cabot shuttle service? We just booked our trip and I'm trying to figure out if its worth it.

I did not know they had one.  One of my guests will book the rental car and he will drive us to and from the airport.

[ND2005]

On 8/28/2024 at 12:07 PM, Drwoods2017 said:

Has anyone used the Cabot shuttle service? We just booked our trip and I'm trying to figure out if its worth it.

 

For us, the shuttle was more expensive than just renting cars so we didn't bother. I guess some advantage to not having to drive but we didn't pursue it. 

[ValleyMills]

“I have travelled around the globe. I have seen the Canadian and American Rockies, the Andes, the Alps and the Highlands of Scotland, but for simple beauty, Cape Breton outrivals them all!"

 

Alexander Graham Bell

[Drwoods2017]

On 9/5/2024 at 9:05 PM, ND2005 said:

 

For us, the shuttle was more expensive than just renting cars so we didn't bother. I guess some advantage to not having to drive but we didn't pursue it. 

I was quoted about 1200 dollars one way but the van only holds 9 and we have 12 so cars are probably easier. Just didn't wanna have to drive 3 hours.

[XHoop24]

4 hours ago, Drwoods2017 said:

I was quoted about 1200 dollars one way but the van only holds 9 and we have 12 so cars are probably easier. Just didn't wanna have to drive 3 hours.

I completed a trip to Cabot in July and we drove. I was a bit worried about the drive but it was super easy. There is very little traffic and the roads are very easy miles. 
 

Hope you have a great trip. 

[ND2005]

8 hours ago, Drwoods2017 said:

I was quoted about 1200 dollars one way but the van only holds 9 and we have 12 so cars are probably easier. Just didn't wanna have to drive 3 hours.

Yeah that sounds about right from what I remember. We had 8 so technically could have done it but 300 bucks a head versus just splitting two rental cars didn’t make much sense to us. 

[Bandy1080]

Anyone stay at the hillside homes at Cabot?  Looking at booking for Labor day 2025 (once reservations open up) and there are three of us but we want our own bedrooms, a kitchen and lounging area.  3 Bedroom Hillside homes seems like the best plan.  Or is it worth the extra $250 CAD a night for the cottages?   We will have a rental car.  

 

Looking for any recommendations as we are first timers. 

 

 

[Naptime]

Just played 3 rounds in Nova Scotia:

 

Le Portage in Cheticamp.  Gorgeous scenery.  Challenging especially in 20-30 MPH winds.  The bunkers are all GUR and you drop outside - they are in rough shape.  Friendly folks and was not crowded.  Rough is thick woodlands so expect to lose a lot of balls if you can't stay in the short grass.  Good greens.

 

Bell Bay Golf Club in Baddeck.  Beautiful scenic place.  Had high winds that day too.  Good greens.  Was an unplanned round but so close to town we just drove up same day before breakfast.  They got us on at 11:15.  Friendly crew.  There was a ladies league match that morning.  They played at a good pace but we asked the starter if we could play the front twice as 10 looked like things would get slow.  They said OK.

 

Osprey Ridge near Lunenberg.  Another scenic place but flatter overall geography and a little more open.  Friendly staff.  Little wind. 9 and 18 are very uphill to high greens.

 

I'd gladly play all 3 again if not for the time and distance to get here from the mid-Atlantic US.  We were all commenting on the great overall health of the turf, smooth cart paths, etc.

Edited September 13, 2024 by Naptime

[EmperorPenguin]

Here is an update to this thread.

 

I just booked the hotels, golf and caddies, and I paid the 50% deposit for the accommodations, with the remainder due upon arrival.  We will not go until mid-August 2025, so we have plenty of time to make plans.

 

I read in this thread that the city of Halifax is west of the airport, so going to Halifax means going in the opposite direction to Inverness.  I found that it takes only about a half hour to get to Halifax, so I do not think it is that much of an issue for us.  I think we will do some sightseeing the evening we will arrive.  Maybe a quick dinner, maybe hang out in the downtown area, then go to bed and head over to Inverness the following morning from the hotel.  I estimate that the drive to Inverness will be four hours?  For now it makes sense to check out Halifax, but if there will be other pretty sights to see on the way to Inverness from the airport, maybe we can stay overnight to one of the coastal cities on the way over instead?  Maybe New Glasgow?  Maybe Antigonish?  For now, my intention is to check out Halifax.

 

What about Sydney?  I see it is much closer to Inverness, but did I hear that the drive from Sydney to Inverness is two and a half hours?  On my atlas it looks like only about sixty miles away versus over two hundred from Halifax.  As I stated earlier, I will consider Sydney if the cost of the plane tickets there will not be so expensive.  Anything worth seeing near Sydney?

[Chanceman]

On 9/7/2024 at 11:05 PM, ValleyMills said:

“I have travelled around the globe. I have seen the Canadian and American Rockies, the Andes, the Alps and the Highlands of Scotland, but for simple beauty, Cape Breton outrivals them all!"

 

Alexander Graham Bell

What courses did he play? Ha ha.

Seriously that is quite a rap!

[EmperorPenguin]

Update.  I have booked the starting times and hotel at the resort.  I am dubious about staying our first day in downtown Halifax.  For the first day at the resort I have Cabot Cliffs at about noon, then at 530P we will play the nest before having dinner to watch the sunset.  I read that the Halifax airport is about a half hour drive east of Halifax, and because Cabot Cape Breton is well east of the airport, staying the first day at Halifax will mean first driving west for a half hour.  I hear that the drive from downtown Halifax is four hours to Inverness, and given our first day at the resort will involve 28 holes, it may be a very long day for all of us.  I am thinking of first flying into the airport and after picking up our rental car we travel east on the way to the resort and perhaps spending our first night in Nova Scotia in a pretty town on the way to Inverness.  For those of you who knows Nova Scotia, is there a pretty town on the way between the airport and Inverness where we can just stay overnight, have breakfast and take a short drive to Inverness to begin our golfing day?

 

I am looking at my atlas and I see a few towns on the way to Inverness: Truro, Stellarton, New Glasgow, Antigonish, Monastery.  Any of those towns good and worth stopping for a look?

[jvincent]

What time does your flight get in? Assuming it's not late, I'd drive straight to the resort that day.

 

If you really need to break it up, Antigonish is probably your best bet unless you want a really small town. Antigonish is a university town, and it's the last decent sized town before the resort.

[XHoop24]

We did a similar trip in July and stopped in New Glasgow. It was perfect for what we needed. We arrived in Halifax around 2 PM, drove to New Glasgow, played 9 holes at a local course, got a good meal in town, stayed a night at a Holiday Inn, and drove to Cabot in the morning. If you flight arrives any time before 2/3 PM, I do think that driving all the way to Cabot is worth considering. The drive is pretty easy and more time at/around the resort is a good thing. That place is special. 

[EmperorPenguin]

I have not bought plane tickets yet.  One thing for certain: we definitely want to spend a day in Halifax, so maybe we can stop by at the end of our trip for a day and do some sightseeing.  One of my guests is always on the hunt for pretty girls, so maybe Antigonish will be worth considering, though I would assume the girls at a Halifax pub will be prettier.  Too bad there are no strip clubs there.

[MileHighGuye]

On 10/29/2024 at 6:51 PM, EmperorPenguin said:

I have not bought plane tickets yet.  One thing for certain: we definitely want to spend a day in Halifax, so maybe we can stop by at the end of our trip for a day and do some sightseeing.  One of my guests is always on the hunt for pretty girls, so maybe Antigonish will be worth considering, though I would assume the girls at a Halifax pub will be prettier.  Too bad there are no strip clubs there.

Just giving my two cents on what we did..

 

We flew into Halifax and stayed downtown. The bar scenes were great, especially in summertime. So many options for whatever you want to do. Was glad we did this. We then drove up and played Fox Harb'r resort. Fun property and beautiful back 9 along the ocean. Was also very glad we did this as it was a fun practice round for Cabot. We drove to Cabot from there which was fine and plenty of options for a quick bite on the way. Easy drive, no traffic, no problems.

 

Once we arrived at Cabot it was perfect. We preferred twilight rounds for the cost discount and also the ability to see sunset on both courses. So glad we did. So worth it. We found Whit's to be a great spot for beers and I was impressed with the food. It's not going to be your Michelin five star but for what you need after a round on the course it was perfect. They had dart boards and billiards with an outdoor seating spot as well. Both were good. The other restaurants on property were good. The best spot on all of property is the deck right off 18 at Links where you can watch all the golfers come in or on the couches at cliffs. Both are exceptional. We were so glad we went and wouldn't hesitate to return and actually planning our return trip. 

 

Don't be saddened by any of the comments on boards. I actually believe both courses at Cabot are better than any bandon course. 

 

The nights are incredible. The lights in the sky are an out of body experience.

 

Do not miss your chance to go.

[EmperorPenguin]

3 hours ago, MileHighGuye said:

Just giving my two cents on what we did..

 

We flew into Halifax and stayed downtown. The bar scenes were great, especially in summertime. So many options for whatever you want to do. Was glad we did this. We then drove up and played Fox Harb'r resort. Fun property and beautiful back 9 along the ocean. Was also very glad we did this as it was a fun practice round for Cabot. We drove to Cabot from there which was fine and plenty of options for a quick bite on the way. Easy drive, no traffic, no problems.

 

Once we arrived at Cabot it was perfect. We preferred twilight rounds for the cost discount and also the ability to see sunset on both courses. So glad we did. So worth it. We found Whit's to be a great spot for beers and I was impressed with the food. It's not going to be your Michelin five star but for what you need after a round on the course it was perfect. They had dart boards and billiards with an outdoor seating spot as well. Both were good. The other restaurants on property were good. The best spot on all of property is the deck right off 18 at Links where you can watch all the golfers come in or on the couches at cliffs. Both are exceptional. We were so glad we went and wouldn't hesitate to return and actually planning our return trip. 

 

Don't be saddened by any of the comments on boards. I actually believe both courses at Cabot are better than any bandon course. 

 

The nights are incredible. The lights in the sky are an out of body experience.

 

Do not miss your chance to go.

 

Thanks for your input.  I have never heard of Fox Harb'r until you mentioned it.  It seems that it is somewhat on the way to Inverness from the airport, though a slight diversion north and west.  I may consider stopping there.  Do you remember how long the distance and time it took to drive from Halifax Airport to Fox Harb'r, and then from there to Cabot Cape Breton?

Edited November 2, 2024 by EmperorPenguin

[MileHighGuye]

19 hours ago, EmperorPenguin said:

 

Thanks for your input.  I have never heard of Fox Harb'r until you mentioned it.  It seems that it is somewhat on the way to Inverness from the airport, though a slight diversion north and west.  I may consider stopping there.  Do you remember how long the distance and time it took to drive from Halifax Airport to Fox Harb'r, and then from there to Cabot Cape Breton?

 It was all county roads for the 2nd half of the drive. Wasn't bad at all. Google maps says 1.5 hrs.. We made it in 1:15 from the airport to the resort (Fox Harbr). From Fox Harbr to Cabot it took just over 3 hours. They also have accomodations at Fox Harbr that are on the resort and are nice. They also just added 9 holes with a plan to add 9 more. 

 

When we go back we plan to stop again.

 

Hope this helps.

 

 

[st1800e]

On 10/29/2024 at 8:51 AM, EmperorPenguin said:

I read that the Halifax airport is about a half hour drive east of Halifax,

No, it’s north of Halifax, once you get out of Halifax Harbour, all that is east is the Atlantic Ocean, and then Europe.  

On 10/29/2024 at 8:51 AM, EmperorPenguin said:

because Cabot Cape Breton is well east of the airport,

No it’s north.  

On 10/29/2024 at 8:51 AM, EmperorPenguin said:

I am thinking of first flying into the airport and after picking up our rental car we travel east on the way to the resort

 

23 hours ago, EmperorPenguin said:

Do you remember how long the distance and time it took to drive from Halifax Airport to Fox Harb'r, and then from there to Cabot Cape Breton?

Suggest you ditch your atlas, and use Google maps.  Faster and more accurate, than what you’ve read or heard, or asking questions.  
 I don’t think they show strip clubs on the map though.  
 

[EmperorPenguin]

I just booked two nights at Fox Harb'r Resort and one round of golf for us.  I took a package deal which includes two double rooms for two nights, two breakfasts and one round of golf including carts, all for about $4600 Canadian, so that equals to about $3300 US.  I can cancel any time within four days.  For Cabot Cape Breton we will have two double rooms for two nights also; I paid my 50% deposit of $1500 Canadian, so the accommodations at Cabot Cape Breton are slightly cheaper, but with greens fees and caddie fees the Cabot part of the trip will of course be much more expensive.  Google Maps indicate that there is not much of a difference in time between driving from downtown Halifax to Inverness, versus Fox Harbour to Inverness, so the idea of saving time to get to Cabot resort would not work if staying at Fox Harbour.  Breakfast at Fox Harb'r resort starts at 0700, so we would have to eat a quick breakfast and leave the resort by about 0730-45 to arrive at Cabot Cape Breton by 1100, one hour before our starting time at Cabot Links.  Looks like a tight schedule.

[BallerNate]

On 11/4/2024 at 6:35 PM, EmperorPenguin said:

I just booked two nights at Fox Harb'r Resort and one round of golf for us.  I took a package deal which includes two double rooms for two nights, two breakfasts and one round of golf including carts, all for about $4600 Canadian, so that equals to about $3300 US.  I can cancel any time within four days.  For Cabot Cape Breton we will have two double rooms for two nights also; I paid my 50% deposit of $1500 Canadian, so the accommodations at Cabot Cape Breton are slightly cheaper, but with greens fees and caddie fees the Cabot part of the trip will of course be much more expensive.  Google Maps indicate that there is not much of a difference in time between driving from downtown Halifax to Inverness, versus Fox Harbour to Inverness, so the idea of saving time to get to Cabot resort would not work if staying at Fox Harbour.  Breakfast at Fox Harb'r resort starts at 0700, so we would have to eat a quick breakfast and leave the resort by about 0730-45 to arrive at Cabot Cape Breton by 1100, one hour before our starting time at Cabot Links.  Looks like a tight schedule.

Just seeing your last post.

 

Keep in mind that Fox Harb'r is 1hr and 35 mins from the Halifax Airport, and that the drive to Cabot is a difficult one with a lot of winding small rural roads.

 

I personally wouldn't schedule any "tight schedules" around your drive to Cabot...it's not a drive that you want to be rushing by any means.

[EmperorPenguin]

15 hours ago, BallerNate said:

Just seeing your last post.

 

Keep in mind that Fox Harb'r is 1hr and 35 mins from the Halifax Airport, and that the drive to Cabot is a difficult one with a lot of winding small rural roads.

 

I personally wouldn't schedule any "tight schedules" around your drive to Cabot...it's not a drive that you want to be rushing by any means.

I realized that, so I called Cabot Cape Breton to back up our starting time at Cabot Links one hour, so assuming we finish breakfast by 0745 and leave Fox Harbor at 0800, we will have over five hours to our starting time at Cabot Links.  Four hours should be ample time to go from Fox Harbor to Cabot Cape Breton, and I a reckon we should have enough time to check in to our rooms before teeing it up at Links.

Edited December 23, 2024 by EmperorPenguin

[BallerNate]

9 hours ago, EmperorPenguin said:

I realized that, so I called Cabot Cape Breton to back up our starting time at Cabot Links one hour, so assuming we finish breakfast by 0745 and leave Fox Harbor at 0800, we will have over five hours to our starting time at Cabot Links.  Four hours should be ample time to go from Fox Harbor to CaboT Cape Breton, and I a reckon we should have enough time to check in to our rooms before teeing it up at Links.

Perfect…you guys will be golden then!

 

Sounds like it’ll be an awesome trip…look forward to hearing about it!

[EmperorPenguin]

I am looking at flights and hotels, which I am surprised I can buy already since we will not be going until August.  I see that from San Francisco (SF) we can connect in Calgary (YYC) to Halifax.  However, my concern is that the connection time is 90 minutes.  I wonder if this is sufficient time to connect since we will have to go through immigration and customs?  This is through WestJet Airlines, which we have taken before coming home from our Scotland II trip last year and we had no problems.  We like that airline.

[st1800e]

19 hours ago, EmperorPenguin said:

I am looking at flights and hotels, which I am surprised I can buy already since we will not be going until August.  I see that from San Francisco (SF) we can connect in Calgary (YYC) to Halifax.  However, my concern is that the connection time is 90 minutes.  I wonder if this is sufficient time to connect since we will have to go through immigration and customs?  This is through WestJet Airlines, which we have taken before coming home from our Scotland II trip last year and we had no problems.  We like that airline.

Typically next year’s flights,  in Canada at least, go live about 11 months in advance.  
 

Sounds a bit slim, but best to check with Westjet directly, not sure of the customs arrangements for connecting passengers.  

[EmperorPenguin]

I am talking to the people at WestJet now, and they themselves are not sure if there will be enough time to connect to Halifax.  I am asking the forum here to see if anyone has first-hand experience of connecting in Calgary or any other Canadian airport, enough to know if ninety minutes will be enough time to pass through Immigration and Customs.  I am assuming that because we will be landing in Calgary first, we must first go through Immigration and Customs there before connecting to Halifax.

[st1800e]

1 hour ago, EmperorPenguin said:

I am talking to the people at WestJet now, and they themselves are not sure if there will be enough time to connect to Halifax.  I am asking the forum here to see if anyone has first-hand experience of connecting in Calgary or any other Canadian airport, enough to know if ninety minutes will be enough time to pass through Immigration and Customs.  I am assuming that because we will be landing in Calgary first, we must first go through Immigration and Customs there before connecting to Halifax.

One key factor is if you have to collect your luggage at/after customs and then take it to Westjet baggage drop off . Or is it checked right through?  
 

Other factors, what if your inbound flight is late? Also how many international flights are arriving at the same time which can create lineups at customs. 

While you might make it, your baggage might not.  Given Westjet is “not sure” there is a risk. 
 

 Hopefully others who have connected through Calgary will chime in.  

 

Also,  check this out, can save time.

 

https://www.canada.ca/en/border-services-agency/services/arrivecan.html