Le Ricochet

Le Ricochet sits in Chicoutimi, the urban heart of the Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean region, a part of Quebec that most traveling golfers never reach — which is part of its appeal. The Saguenay River carves through this landscape with real drama, and the surrounding boreal forest gives courses up here a character you won't find anywhere near Montreal or Quebec City. Summers are short and vivid, the light lasts long into the evening, and the air carries a coolness even in July that keeps the turf firm and fast.

I don't have detailed records on Le Ricochet's architectural history or specific holes, but the name — "the ricochet" — hints at a layout with some bounce and unpredictability to it, the kind of course where the land dictates the design rather than the other way around. That tends to produce golf with genuine personality.

The Saguenay golf scene is regional and community-rooted, drawing a loyal local membership rather than destination crowds. That typically means an honest, unpretentious experience — real golf, played for the love of it, in a landscape that earns your attention on its own terms.