Full Breakdown of Rankings: 100-91 | 90 – 81 | 80 – 71 | 70 – 61 | 60 – 51 | 50 – 41 | 40 – 31 | 30 – 21 | 20 – 11 | 10 – 1 |
40. Bigwin Island
PRIVATE
Lake of Bays, Ont.
Doug Carrick, 2001
SG Rating: 7.8638
2022 Rank: 33
Accessible only by ferry or float plane, Doug Carrick’s Bigwin Island is big and beautiful and never too demanding. Wide fairways and large greens keep the round enjoyable, with the stunning sixth and 18th holes the most memorable thanks to their Lake of Bays backdrop.
39. Mad River
PRIVATE
Creemore, Ont.
Bob Cupp, 1991
SG Rating: 7.8727
2022 Rank: 38
The late Bob Cupp is known in Canadian golf course architecture circles mostly for his work at Beacon Hall. However, his creation farther north near Collinwood, Ont., is also excellent. Demanding but fair, Mad River is a walkable course on excellent land with 18 solid holes.
38. Royal Montreal – Blue
PRIVATE
Ile Bizard, Que.
Dick Wilson, 1958 (Rees Jones)
SG Rating: 7.8733
2022 Rank: 35
Hosting the Presidents Cup this year for a second time, the Blue Course at Royal Montreal is an original Dick Wilson design renovated by Rees Jones ahead of the 2007 matches. Multi-tiered greens defend par while the five-hole finishing stretch is full of risk-reward shots.
37. Cherry Hill
PRIVATE
Ridgeway, Ont.
Walter J. Travis, 1922 (Ian Andrew)
SG Rating: 7.8738
2022 Rank: 44
If there were a Top 100 subcategory for best flat golf course, Walter Travis’ Cherry Hill would be a frontrunner. Brilliant greens, surrounding run-off areas and elegant bunkering take your attention away from the property’s lack of elevation. Cherry Hill is a pure course one would never tire of playing.
36. Weston
PRIVATE
Toronto, Ont.
Willie Park, Jr., 1920 (Doug Carrick)
SG Rating: 7.8862
2022 Rank: 31
Weston’s strongest quality is the variety in its holes. The yardage and direction of every par 3 is different, the 4s require smart decisions off the tee, and the 5s play both uphill and down. The drop-shot second, with a rail trestle in the distance, is the Toronto course’s signature.
35. St. Thomas
PRIVATE
Union, Ont.
Stanley Thompson, 1922 (Robbie Robinson)
SG Rating: 7.8900
2022 Rank: 43
Known to locals as Union, the Stanley Thompson designed St. Thomas is a gorgeous course that smartly utilizes the property’s many valleys. The front-nine par 4s are excellent while the course’s many sloped greens keep golfers on their toes. The ninth is a classic Thompson long par 3.
34. Royal Colwood
PRIVATE
Victoria, B.C.
A.V. Macan, 1913
SG Rating: 7.9035
2022 Rank: 49
The narrowness of Vancouver Island’s Royal Colwood thanks to the towering, 500-year-old Douglas Fir trees lining its fairways is perhaps the course’s calling card, but that shouldn’t outweigh the excellent ridge-filled terrain on which A.V. Macan’s design sits. Great greens add to its quality.
33. Predator Ridge – Ridge
PUBLIC
Vernon, B.C.
Doug Carrick, 2009
SG Rating: 7.9377
2022 Rank: 32
Doug Carrick’s Ridge Course at Predator Ridge exudes beauty with its wooded hillside setting and holes carved through exposed rock outcroppings and tall pines near the waters of Lake Okanagan. In true Carrick fashion, there is more margin for error off tees than into greens.
32. Calgary CC
PRIVATE
Calgary, Alta.
Willie Park, Jr., 1911 (Ron Forse)
SG Rating: 7.9378
2022 Rank: 27
In the heart of the city, Calgary Country Club is a Willie Park, Jr., design largely defined by its undulating property that yields massive climbs on the first and 10th holes and huge drops, such as the awesome 18th along the Elbow River, one Canada’s best closers.
31. Stewart Creek
PUBLIC
Canmore, Alta.
Gary Browning, 2001
SG Rating: 7.9406
2022 Rank: 30
Stewart Creek possesses one of the best settings for golf in Canada, but credit goes to designer Gary Browning for showing restraint when building on a rollicking piece of property in Alberta’s Rocky Mountains. The opening hole is a stunner and among the best first frames in Canada.