Toronto is a city that has sports history embedded in its streets, as most boroughs in the city contain basketball courts, baseball diamonds and historical memorabilia. But some sports get more glory than others, and golf can often be relegated to the bottom of the list. However, within Toronto and the GTA lie some of the most prestigious, best kept golf courses that the world has to offer. Here’s a list of seven that you need to try, with a little twist at each turn.
1. The National Golf Course – Extreme difficulty
This members-only course is best known as Canada’s most prestigious golf course. TSN golf analyst Bob Weeks called The National “a tremendous course and almost always among the top picks of tour pros.” When the course was first conceived, their was only one mission in mind: to be Canada’s best.
The National is well-known for quick greens, its impeccably maintained natural environment and the brutal mental test that players go through each and every round. Every hole in unique, challenging and demanding, giving players the opportunity to play a distinctly new round each and every time out.
2. St. Georges Golf and Country Club – As seen on T.V.
Home to this years Canadian Open, St. Georges Golf and Country Club spent 2022 in the limelight as they hosted golf professionals on the PGA tour. The members-only club was designed by Stanley Thompson in 1929. Since then, the course has held up as a premier establishment, both on the course and in the clubhouse.
St. Georges is not only brutal to its members, but is a test for PGA members too. This years winner Rory McIlroy took home the championship shooting 8 below par. He said the course “had all the ingredients,” giving St. Georges its credit for having a high caliber course.
3. Oakdale Golf and Country Club- Good for those looking to play with some variety
Oakdale Golf and Country Club is located in Toronto and is well-known as a family-friendly golf course and club with amenities such as pools, gyms, tennis courts and clubhouse. The course itself, however, is known for having three distinct sets of nine-hole courses, each of which present their own challenges.
Set to host the Canadian Open in 2023 and 2026, Oakdale is loved and feared by golfers for its lack of forgiveness when it comes to shot selection. Each hole presents the opportunity to use a variety of shots which some lack the skill to perform. From long drives to difficult bunker shots, Oakdale has it all.
4. TPC Toronto at Osprey Valley – Best for beginners and seasoned veterans
One of the more forgiving golf courses on this list, TPC Toronto at Osprey Valley is known for having three different 18-hole courses with each presenting different challenges for different levels of experience. The one guarantee for all is that the scenery is going to be gorgeous regardless of what course you decide to play.
TPC offers a variety of tee boxes which allows players of different calibres to play the same hole at the same level. The course is open for both members and visitors, with tee time bookings available online for those not looking to call a single course home for the summer.
5. Eagles Nest – Not for the faint of heart
Eagles Nest isn’t located in the city. However, their signature hole 8, which is a par 3, overlooks the Toronto skyline due to its topographical hill. The course itself is made up of 18 grueling holes with the opportunity to play extremely far back. We’re talking up to 7,400 yards in total!
The course has a ton of elevation changes and rolling hills, demanding high levels of precision from its players. Golfers deem the greens fairly fast with plenty of opportunity to lose focus and put a few balls in the trees. As well, the course penalizes shots into the waste bunkers, make it just that much harder for beginning golfers.
6. Magna Golf Club – Best hospitality
Magna Golf Club proudly hosts 270 paying members alongside those who hold a social membership to the course. Throughout the year, the club is known to host events catering the guests and their desires.
The course itself provides golfers with a generously sized fairways and forgiving greens. However, be weary of the undulating green complexes which makes it very easy to three putt on holes. So if your putting work needs help, don’t worry! You’ll fit right in. Magna Golf Club is members-only with the option to bring in guests.
7. Royal Woodbine Golf Club – Best view
Laid out along the banks of an old, winding creek, Royal Woodbine Golf Club boasts on old-fashioned course with water that comes into play in most holes. Holes 5 and 17 are considered their feature holes, both sharing the characteristic of water hazards. The course itself offers golfers one 18-hole adventure.
At Royal Woodbine, all guests are welcome to play their course, which spans 6,447 yards from the back tees. Ball placement is important at this course, with many golfers punished for being too ambitious with shot distance. One wrong play and you’ll end up swimming with the fish.
