The name promises a hidden gem, and Diamond in the Ruff Golf & Vacation Resort — “The Diamond” to its regulars — delivers exactly that: a small, characterful resort tucked into the Canadian Shield woods at Utterson, in the Township of Muskoka Lakes. Its 9-hole executive course (par 34, 2,754 yards) is carved through mature forest with bent-grass fairways and greens, a Shield-country layout of granite, pine and tight, pretty shot-making — with a driving range, putting green and a teaching pro on hand. LPGA legend Sandra Post thought enough of it to choose the Diamond for her golf school.
For staying over, ten 3-bedroom post-and-beam cottages sleep six apiece and sit on peaceful Nutt Lake with a private beach; cottages are available for weekly rental or shared fractional ownership, and golf is included for two guests with a rental. Canoes and paddleboards wait at the lake, and the clubhouse restaurant anchors the day — its Sunday breakfast buffet is a local habit.
About 25 minutes from Bracebridge, Huntsville and Port Carling, the Diamond is Muskoka golf at human scale: serious enough for a golf school, small enough to feel like your own secret.