On a personal note, Whirlpool is the host of the annual "Rob & Bob" (or the Toronto Sun Tournament - makes us sound more official), a tournament of sorts that started in 1993 when 8 of us went there for a round and ended up coming back every year. 
Now boasting over 40 players, the "Rob and Bob" tournament record is 74 and the winner has the honour of taking home the infamous "Blue Velour Jacket."   One of my better rounds there was an 85 (36 on the front, and then...uh...well...a few over par on back - help me I'm choking).  When the tournament was in it's infancy and before the renovations, we would climb back to the Gold tips on number 3 and see who could pull out the knife (1-iron) and fade it onto the green.  This course plays long in real life.   It is an old-fashioned, straight ahead golf course, which means it will probably be fairly easy for the average clicker.  All I know is that, in real life, I can stand on the tee, look at  the hole and figure "no problem" - but somehow, a problem always seems to happen.  I hope I captured that in my rendition of the course and you can experience Whirlpool's "charm" the way I do.  

Whirlpool was designed by Stanley Thompson who was known for his par 3's that required a long carry, oversized bunkers and a general "carved from the land" look and approach to his designs.  I tried to re-create that "look" of his courses and the "feel" of my memory of playing Whirlpool.  The elevations and slopes may not be exact but my goal was to give you the sense of what the course is like for me.

Whirlpool is available from the Links Corner - http://www.sportplanet.com/links/ -  or at BJ's Online Golf Connections - http://bjsogc.0golf.com/ - the file is WhirlpoolGC.zip.

You can click here to see screenshots of every hole.  There are many large pictures so it will be quite a download. 

     The official opening of The Niagara Parks Whirlpool Golf Course took place on July 2nd, 1951 with an international tournament between four well known professionals. The two Americans, Dr. Gary Middlecoff and Jimmy Demaret, defeated the Canadians, Stan Leonard and Bob Gray, while ten thousand spectators looked on. By 1980, mid season one millionth player had driven the fairway. The Niagara Parks Whirlpool Golf Course has become yet another highly rated courses designed by Stanley Thompson.   Banff Springs (Linksters should be familiar with that one), Jasper Park, Highland Links, St. George's and Green Gables are a few of the other courses designed by Mr. Thompson.

     Home of the CPGA event, the Niagara Classic, this 18 hole Championship Course, par 72, comprises of one hundred and fifty acres including a full pro shop, cart rental, and "Whirlpool Restaurant" a newly renovated first class restaurant. The long 7,000-yard course is challenging, but unlike most courses, the Whirlpool offers pleasure instead of punishment. It has long sloping fairways and the troubled spots mainly consist of trees and bunkers. At the end of the silk carpeted fairways are carefully manicured greens with strategically placed sand traps. The Whirlpool Golf Course recently underwent a face lift of sorts, included in this renovation was the removal of the old sand in the traps and replacing it with Ohio sand; the same sand used by major Professional Golf Association courses.

This public golf course has received many awards:
  - Canada's Golf Course Ranking Magazine has ranked Whirlpool Public Golf Course as one of the top 100 public golf courses in Canada.
  - The readers of Niagara Falls Review voted Whirlpool Public Golf Course as number 1.
  - The Buffalo News Sports rated Whirlpool Public Golf Course as number 1 public course.
  - Golf Digest Magazine gave the Whirlpool Public Golf Course a 4 Star rating and stated that the Whirlpool Golf Course is "A must play Course".

Reservations required, please call (905) 356-1140
 

Year Built: 1951
Designer: Stanley Thompson 
Greens:  Bent Grass 
Fairways: Poa Annua Grass 
Sand Bunkers: 91-100