Construction is complete on nine news holes for the reimagined Ocean course at Fox Harb’r Resort in Nova Scotia, Canada. Seeding was undertaken in June 2024 and the holes are on track to open in May 2025.

The reimagining of the Ocean course is part of a plan, developed by Doug Carrick and Tom McBroom, to create two distinct 18-hole layouts. Work on the Ocean course includes nine new holes and with nine existing holes reshaped. The second layout, Vineyard, will be made in a similar fashion.

“We are creating four brand new holes: twelve, thirteen, fifteen and eighteen,” said Carrick. “We are also moving the sixteenth green closer to the ocean and the seventeenth hole will be converted from a par four to a five, with the green and fairway moved closer to the ocean. We are excited about beginning work on the back nine where every hole will have a view to the ocean.”

The new par-three twelfth plays downhill from an elevated tee and on the par-three fifteenth, players will hit across a cove to a large green flanked by water on the left. The par-five seventeenth runs along an elevated bluff to a green backdropped by the coastline.

“Seeding on the front nine holes is beginning to mature nicely,” said Carrick. “In late October, work will begin on the rebuilding of the existing back nine for the Ocean course.”

The scope of work on the back nine will include reconstructing all greens, tees and bunkers, as well as some fairway realignment and regrading. New irrigation will also be installed. “The new greens, tees and bunkers on the renovated back nine will match the playing style and visual characteristics of the new holes created,” said Carrick.

Construction on the Vineyard course is also underway, with earthmoving and shaping of the new holes in progress.

“We expect to have a few of the Vineyard holes seeded this fall,” said Carrick. “While the Ocean course is designed to take full advantage of the oceanside setting, the Vineyard course will provide golfers with a classic heathland golf experience, where they can escape the strong winds that often blow at Fox Harb’r and play golf holes framed by trees, fescue and heather. The bunkers will be larger and more ragged than those on the Ocean, and the fairway undulations are also broader and softer. We believe this will give golfers a truly unique golf experience with two golf courses offering a completely different playing and visual experience on the same property.”

Carrick and McBroom originally submitted separate routing concepts for the Ocean and Vineyard courses. “Both of our submissions for an additional 18 holes at Fox Harb’r shared similarities,” said Carrick. “We were asked by Steven Joyce [owner of the resort and Kevin Toth [president of Fox Harb’r] if we would consider collaborating on the project. We reviewed each other’s routing and decided to combine the best holes from each concept. We have also refined each layout together as the project has progressed through the various phases of work.”