CAMBRIDGE, N.S. — Lucas Wilson often dreamed about owning a golf course — in particular, one that’s situated on the picturesque banks of the Minas Basin.
The Burlington man had spent his formative years on the greens at Minas View Golf Links, learning how to golf and staying out of trouble.
His dream came true this year.
“The course was never actually put up for sale,” said Wilson.
With his wife, Tiffany, the couple approached the owners of Minas View Golf Links in June of 2020 to make an offer.
“We noticed that golf had taken a bit of a surge due to the pandemic,” he said.
While people were staying close to home, they were looking for outdoor activities where they could social distance. People started getting back into golf. It was the perfect time to have a golf course.
Wilson said it took several months to negotiate a fair price for both parties, but in March 2021, the agreement went through and with it, Cambridge Cliffs Golf Club was born.
“I’ve dreamed about buying it since I was a kid,” said Wilson. “I always said, ‘if I owed it, I’d do this;’ or ‘if I had the opportunity, this is what I would do.’ Finally, I was thinking there’s no better time than the present.”
Historic ties to site
Wilson has ties to the property that date back decades, even though he’s only in his 30s.
His father, Graham Wilson, golfed there and often took him along, starting him out when he was around five years old. His uncle, Barry Wilson, managed the course for more than 20 years.
“It opened in 1968 and a friend of my father’s built the course. It used to be an apple orchard,” said Wilson.
“He built it and opened it in the '60s. My dad’s been playing there ever since. I learned how to golf there; my son learned how to golf there,” he added. “I spent countless hours on the course as a teenager. It’s just been home for me for a long time.”
Now, he hopes countless other youths will get the swing of the sport in the coming years.
The couple has decided to offer free golf to youth aged 12 and under when they’re accompanied by a paying adult. Discounted fees will also be provided to youth aged 13 to 17 years.
“We want to try to get the next generation of golfers into it,” said Wilson.
“I know when I was a kid, there were 15 to 20 kids that golfed at that course,” he said, noting membership numbers have dwindled in recent years, with very few youth involved.
Renovations abound
Wilson is hard at work renovating the club in time for an early spring opening.
Wilson said they’re renovating both bathrooms — with new vanities, toilets, paint, and lights.
They’re drywalling the clubhouse area and giving the site a full cleaning. They’re updating the patio area and getting a liquor license. They’ve purchased new flags and pins, and new hole signs are being made by East Coast Custom Woodworking.
The greens are going to be resurfaced and reseeded as soon as the weather allows.
“I’m sure most golfers have played this course in the past and I want people, when they get here, to see that we care,” said Wilson.
He’s giving up his Valley sales job to manage the golf course full time. His wife, who works at Sobeys in Windsor, will be helping with the operation when she can.
Wilson said they'll welcome the public as soon as the ground is dry enough.
“We’re hoping mid-April, but if the weather would turn, I would do it earlier,” he said, clearly excited to show the public the new and improved golf course.
A year-end appreciation day for members is being planned, with a trophy already on order.
“More and more people are staying closer to home, looking for something for the whole family, looking for something a little more active, safe,” said Wilson.
Golfing fits that bill. And with a beach located within a five-minute walk from the golf course, it’s the perfect way to spend a day with the family, he said.
“We’re hoping that everyone feels like they can come. It’s a course for seasoned golfers; it’s a course for beginners,” he said.
“I know a lot of people who are first starting, you don’t want to go to that busy course with 400 golfers that play every day. You might feel a little self-conscious or you might feel rushed. We want people to be able to come down here, bring the whole family.”
The course is located at 330 Hiltz Rd. in Cambridge, about an eight-minute drive from Walton, about 40 minutes from Windsor, and an hour and 20 minutes from Halifax.
The course overlooks the Minas Basin, with clear views of Blomidon from the eighth hole tee-off and the sixth hole fairway.
He said people have always thought the scenery was beautiful — now, with the renovations, and their plans for the future, Wilson hopes visitors will agree that the clubhouse matches the site better.
“We wanted to make sure that people knew that this was a new vision, new owners and we’re going to put new life into this course,” he said.
As for the future, Wilson has big plans. Next year he’s hoping to have a food truck on-site, available to club members and the general public. Down the road, he wants to be able to offer the site as a corporate retreat or wedding venue while still keeping it an affordable, family-friendly option.
“This place, with the backdrop and the scenery, with the love that we’re going to put into it and the atmosphere that we’re going to create, we hope that it grows and grows.”
If you go
- What: Cambridge Cliffs Golf Club
- Where: 330 Hiltz Rd., Cambridge, Hants County
- Contact: 1-902-528-2385
- Social media: @cambridgecliffs on Instagram; Cambridge Cliffs on Facebook
