Fox Harb’r Resort

Photos Kenesha Lewis

The Publishers Perspective

There are just some places that deserve to be on your bucket list. One of them is a stellar hotspot frequented by celebrities and household names, and for good reason — it has all of the finest amenities one could hope for.

That hotspot is Fox Harb’r.

 

 

Fox Harb’r began with golf as the main attraction, but there’s plenty more to keep you occupied.

Located in Wallace, on Nova Scotia’s North Shore, Fox Harb’r is a luxury resort and real estate community from where the likes of Bill Clinton, Tiger Woods, and hockey legend Bobby Orr have zoomed in on their private jets.

Since owner Ron Joyce opened Fox Harb’r in 2000, it has become one of North America’s most celebrated seaside retreats.

It wasn’t Joyce’s first entree into mega-success.

In 1965, the then-police officer from remote Tatamagouche, Nova Scotia, invested in a donut/coffee shop in Hamilton, Ontario, with Maple Leaf hockey legend Tim Horton. In the five decades since, the Tim Hortons franchise has become a roaring success with nearly 4,500 franchises all over Canada and the US.

In Fox Harb’r, Joyce’s vision began with the championship golf course, and just a year later earned the distinction from Golf Digest as “Best New Canadian Course.” Designed by Canadian architect Graham Cooke, the 7,253-yard links embody two distinctive experiences. The front nine plays around meticulously manicured parkland with sheltered forests, extensive wetlands and lakes. Tee time intervals fifteen minutes apart mean that there won’t be anyone holding you up or pushing you from behind. Head onto the back nine and you are transported to a Scottish links-like landscape with waving fescue and fairways hugging the rugged coast of the Northumberland Strait.

The grand finale begins on 14, a downhill dogleg right past the marina. The 18th green offers grand vistas of the coast and perhaps a few frolicking seals.

Tiger Woods, who holds the course record of 63, stayed in Edgewood, one of many homes and townhouses for sale at Fox Harb’r.

Should you need to hone your swing, head to the Academy where the pros can provide expert club fitting. The state-of-the-art FlightScope, using Doppler radar, has been dubbed the MRI of the golf swing. It will measure club head speed, angle of impact and much more.

Fox Harb’r began with golf as the main attraction, but there’s plenty more to keep you occupied.

“The recently renovated Dol-ás spa offers a full range of treatments, including a signature rejuvenating facial and Executive Men’s Menu.”

With everything from horseback riding, tennis, hiking, biking, clay shooting at the Sporting Lodge — and let’s not forget the private jetport and deep-water marina — excitement abounds in every direction.

The recently renovated Dol-ás spa offers a full range of treatments, including a signature rejuvenating facial and Executive Men’s Menu.

Fine cuisine is an important element of the Fox Harb’r experience. The Cape Cliff Dining Room is Atlantic Canada’s first sustainable seafood restaurant, with Chef Shane Robilliard sourcing the freshest catch of the day. You might even find trout on the menu that Robilliard has caught himself, from one of two stocked trout ponds on the property.

 

Not to rest on their laurels, other food is culled straight from the source. Under the direction of horticulturist Michael Steward, Fox Harb’r uses fresh herbs and produce from its own greenhouses. Harvested honey from the sustainable apiary tastes so sweet, too. And you can even clink glasses with a Fox Harb’r-made wine — perhaps a Riesling, Muscadet and Tidal Bay — as the resort has partnered with nearby Jost Winery to grow its own vines. Meanwhile, the resort’s extensive wine list has received the Wine Spectator Award of Excellence.

Besides being a world class destination resort featuring luxury accommodations, golfing, spa, and culinary experiences for resort guests, Fox Harb’r is also a much sought-after residential community, noted Kevin Toth, Fox Harb’r Resort President.

“Residences appeal to those who enjoy an active and highly socialized lifestyle, and range from executive townhomes, custom homes and home sites, all within a gated community.”

It’s a “luxurious lifestyle, with spectacular views and access to all the resort’s many amenities.”

As well, he added, the resort offers its members a number of exclusive events and activities, serviced by a team of hospitality professionals for turnkey living.

Summed up by founder Ron Joyce, it’s “luxury without pretension, in one of the most beautiful places on Earth.”

www.foxharbr.com

With files from Anita Draycott & Duncan McAllister