COURSE HISTORY
The Osprey Ridge Golf Course has its roots in the great North American golf boom of the “Roaring Twenties”
The Osprey Ridge Golf Course has its roots in the great North American golf boom of the “Roaring Twenties”. It was during that storied sports era of Bobby Jones, Jack Dempsey, and Babe Ruth that the Bridgewater Golf Club was created, and in 1927 opened a 9-hole course carved out of Bridgewater’s highest hill in the then undeveloped northern edge of town.
Later renamed the Bridgewater Golf and Country Club, it served the area well for 70 years until BGCC opened Osprey Ridge during the last great continental golf boom of the 1990’s. Though the dream of a high caliber championship course was finally realized in 1998, this goal was not easily achieved. There were many years of frustration and setbacks as various options were considered. Hopes of expanding the old course were deemed impractical.
With most of the financing in place, Coldwell engaged the services of internationally renowned golf course architect Graham Cooke to design the course and oversee the project. Whatever past frustrations and problems may have been, they seemed to dissolve in the sheer delight of members with Cooke’s impressive creation when, with a pair of Osprey soaring above, the course finally opened in May of 1998. It was evident from the beginning that Osprey Ridge was a unique and very special golf course that met or exceeded member expectations.
Yet many challenges lay ahead. The course was exceptional, but the beginnings otherwise humble. A trailer next to a port-a-potty above the first tee served as pro shop and restaurant/bar, and the office was in the cow barn. A pot-holed, often dusty entrance road led to an equally dusty parking lot that often left undesirable first and last impressions. Construction of the clubhouse and considerable paving, including the cart paths, in the first few years were welcome additions. In 2006 the Miriam Penney Room, which readily accommodates general meetings, wedding receptions, and other social events, was added.
Through all of those early years, Osprey Ridge gained growing recognition both in Nova Scotia and beyond as a high quality attraction that offers golfers a worthy challenge whatever one’s skills. Its prominence in the golfing community has been amply demonstrated by its selection to host two national tournaments and the Nova Scotia Amateur in the last several years.
Finally, an economic impact study in 2010 called Osprey “an economic engine of Lunenburg County” concluding that “Osprey Ridge provides an important economic impact that benefits the community at large, notably in terms of employment, expenditures by visiting golfers, generations of tax revenues, fund-raising for local charities, and the attraction of new residents who create substantial economic activity”.
Facing financial difficulties the Course turned the Golf Course over to the local Municipality Government who ran the Golf course for a few years. The Municipality searched for a buyer to take over the Golf Course. On April 2016 the Municipality of District of Lunenburg announced at an open special meeting that they sold the course to a new Company, Osprey Ridge GP Limited owned by Bill Sampson and Victor Kielbratowski. Osprey Ridge Golf Course became a privately owned course and open to the Public for Tournaments and green fees. The new owners wasted no time in renovating the club house and made many improvements and changes throughout the Golf Course. Osprey Ridge Golf Course is recognized as one of the best Golf Courses and Value in Nova Scotia. The new owners have also purchased an adjacent parcel of land with plans for a housing development in the near future.
Osprey Ridge has etched itself in community history and also the golf community as a whole, and will continue to do so for many years to come.
492 Harold Whynot Road,
Lunenburg County,
Nova Scotia
B4V 7Y8
ABOUT OSPREY RIDGE
A creation of internationally recognized golf course architect Graham Cooke, Osprey Ridge is an 18-hole championship course that provides a worthy challenge and a unique and pleasurable golfing experience for players of all skill levels. Four sets of tees play from 5,300 to 6,600 yards, and feature tree-lined fairways, with varying elevations, speckled with 54 sand traps, water in play on ten holes, and large undulating greens.
