Carved out of birch, maple and pine forest, these nine holes northwest of Alliston opened for play in spring 2005 and are an enjoyable walk in the park. The opener looks as if it’s an easy par five on the scorecard (just 461 yards from the back tees), but staring down this narrow fairway, you quickly realize you are in for a tough start. With a trap 225 yards out on the right and out of bounds on the left, a surefire strike is needed; it’s a perfect risk-reward hole for golfers who want to go for the green in two. The easiest hole is the par four fifth, which, at a mere 250 yards from the tips, baits big hitters to let it rip and go for the green; but with a narrow fairway, bunkers on the left and a large water hazard on the right, a mid-iron is sufficient and also the smarter play. The fairways are still maturing and extra bunkers could be added to make things more demanding, but tight fairways and loads of environmentally sensitive areas that eat errant golf balls mean the course does offer its fair share of difficulty. Narrow ponds throughout provide further challenges. Toronto-based architect Kevin Holmes (Crimson Ridge Golf Club) has already designed a second nine, scheduled to open in spring 2009, which should add to Silver Brooke’s reputation.