↑ Pulpit Club – Paintbrush is as authentic a links experience a golfer will find in North America
From the moment you step onto the tee at Paintbrush (formerly known as Devil’s Paintbrush), you sense that it is not an ordinary, North American inland golf course. It channels the spirit of an Irish coastal links despite its location in the Caledon Hills of Ontario. With few trees and dramatic, rolling dunes, the exposed site means wind and terrain become key playing partners. The fairways are carved through rolling fescue grasses, rising and falling across hummocks and hollows, creating a rich tapestry of texture that shifts with the changing light. The routing feels rugged and adventurous. You will find blind shots, quirky landforms, and many holes that demand feel and instinct. The designers embraced the land here, and it shows in the organic way the holes unfold.
Bold Greens, Bunkers, and Quirks
One of Paintbrush’s greatest delights is its wild, bold green complexes. They are far from gentle putting surfaces and rather expansive, contoured, and dramatic. Some holes share double greens (2/9 and 11/14), and the slopes are often large with ridges or steep transitions that can punish less precise approach shots. The bunkering is unrestrained in its variety and placement. You will see pot bunkers, revetted walls, wooden banks, and others tucked in places you might least expect. On the 8th fairway, a stone ruin remains as a visual and strategic reminder that the land itself is part of the challenge. The combination of great greens and bunkers gives you a course that doesn’t yield its secrets easily; miss a ridge, misread a slope, or misjudge a bunker, and even seemingly safe shots can be trouble.
Conditioning, Playability & Character
True to form, Paintbrush features firm, fescue fairways, which contribute to its like-style of play. Playability is balanced; for the avid player looking for drama, there is plenty to challenge. But for those seeking fun and variety, the wide corridors and strategic options allow you to navigate trouble or flirt with risk. The course is designed to be walked, which enhances your connection to the land and helps preserve its links feel.
Final Verdict
Paintbrush is a golf course with soul, character, challenge, and visual drama. It provides a links experience as authentic as anything this side of the Atlantic Ocean. It rewards players who are willing to engage, explore, and accept that the land is co-designer. Its bold greens, unpredictable bunkers, and varying strategies make every round memorable, and while it may humble you, it also delights in doing so. Whether you are a serious student of golf design or just a player who loves variety and adventure, Paintbrush pushes you to think. For my tastes, it’s one of Canada’s finest modern courses and the kind you want to return to time and time again.
