Deerhurst Resort
Huntsville, Ontario Canada
By Roger Cox, Editor
Deerhurst is an 760-acre golf and tennis resort on Peninsula Lake in the Muskoka Lakes District north of Toronto. Started in 1896, it has 400 rooms and offers not only golf, tennis (on 4 outdoor hard courts), and watersports but nightly entertainment as well.
Ratings
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Tennis Overall
Instruction
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Game Matching
Tennis Complex
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Lodging
Spa & Fitness
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Dollar Value
Other Recreation
Setting
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Kids' Programs
Romance
Solo Travelers
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Rates and Reservations
Summer rates start at $129 Canadian, with specials as low as $99 Canadian.
Deerhurst Resort
1235 Deerhurst Dr.
Huntsville, Ont. P1H 2E8 Canada
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Here's what others have had to say about Deerhurst Resort.
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"Deerhusrt used to be a great place for a tennis/waterfront holiday. My family used to visit the Deerhurst Resort every year growing up. It used to be an amazing place for a vacation that featured tennis as a highlight. As the years progressed however, they seemed to care less and less about the tennis to the point where I cannot justify going anymore. They replaced the indoor court with a conference/multipurpose room to try to cater to more business oriented travellers. Now if it rains, you are out of luck. They also got rid of the pro shop which used to have the latest demos. Now, they offer racquets that one might find at grandmas house (grips worn or non existent, broken strings still in the racquet/warped heads/structural damage etc). Do not be enticed by their advertisement of free tennis balls at the activities desk as we were presented with tins of heavily used balls! After some prompting, they did find a few new tins in the back, but they were cheap regular duty balls, not fit for hard courts. The outdoor courts were in decent shape and there was plenty of courts available. When asked about game arranging, I was told that they did not offer that anymore. I did not set up any lessons on my last trip as it looked like their tennis philosophy is now an afterthought. I did not observe anyone else taking lessons either during my stay.
With regards to other activities in the resort, I have noticed that this too was going downhill. They sold off a lot of their equipment (windsurfs, sails, proper kayaks and even the paddle-boats!) and replaced them with a few stand-up paddle-boards and novice kayaks. They also now restrict the ability to explore on the water and are instead limited to a tiny circle of water. On the plus side, they have installed water trampolines and structures of the sort for kids.
There are a few redeeming qualities left at the resort. The golf courses are amazing if that is your thing. The show they put on is really well done, as is the views that can be seen from the hiking trails. Lodging in the sports villas were more than adequate and they did have board games that could be checked out on a rainy day.
I gave it one last shot right after getting married with my wife as it can be a romantic place to stay. I informed the staff upon booking that we were going to be staying the night after our wedding and they told me we would be greeted with chocolate covered strawberries from the kitchen. After a number of hours of them assuring us it would arrive multiple times, it never came. After waiting until nearly midnight, they called and did provide us with complementary bottle of wine as the kitchen was closed.
All in all however, Deerhurst is a shell of its former self. It is too bad, as this was once a fantastic resort. While I have had many amazing memories growing up here, I cannot justify returning here again."—M.B., Adv. Int., March 2018
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Deerhurst Resort