Golf courses are kind of known for being sticklers. It’s one of the (many) reasons that golf and I never got along very well. So imagine our surprise when we learned that a golf course right here in Halifax becomes a gloriously dog-friendly playground in the winter. We had to see it to believe it.

Guess what? It’s true. And it’s awesome. Every year from December 15 until March 15 Ashburn Golf Club does an about-face from members-only golf course to all-are-welcome nature park. They don’t even mind if you let your dog roam off-leash.

I still can’t get over how amazing this is. Golf courses are naturally wide-open, large and beautiful. Ashburn Golf Club is the epitome of that. It was the perfect place for a winter walk on a Saturday afternoon.

We strolled up and down the rolling hills and snapped some photos while Dallas sprinted after the tennis ball.

We even got a hole in one.

As always, it just comes down to being respectful. Keep off of the greens and tee boxes. Leave no trace (turds). It’s easy.

I don’t know why we’re so lucky as to have a place like Ashburn to hang out with our dogs in the wintertime. But I’ll take it. Why not kick off your long weekend right with a #fetchfriday visit to Ashburn Golf Club? Your pooch will thank you.

One last thing to mention… I’ve created a new feature for the Parks Directory. It’s a map!

I hope this will make it even easier to find dog-friendly parks and trails in Halifax. You can select different options (like off-leash, on-leash or fenced-in) so you can find what you need at a glance. You should check it out and let me know what you think. Is there is any place or feature that you think should be added?