The wait is finally over! SCOREGolf’s Top 100 Canadian Golf Courses is the most authoritative ranking in Canada and has been igniting debates every two years since 1988.
Three times a week (every Monday, Thursday and Saturday), we will be releasing 10 courses at a time on our blog, social media channels, and to our Leaderboard members all the way to July 25th (10-1).
This year especially, there is no better time to #ComeOutAndPlay and test yourself against SCOREGolf’s Top 100 Golf Courses. In celebration of this year’s ranking, we will be hosting Canada’s Top 100 Golf Giveaway, where we give away a prize pack which includes select foursomes plus a #ComeOutAndPlay prize pack that includes four (4) Golf Town Come Out And Play YETIs, four (4) Golf Town Come Out And Play Towels four (4) dozen Golf Town Come Out And Play Golf Balls! Keep an eye on our social channels (Facebook, Instagram and Twitter) to enter for your chance to go on a new adventure.
Now without any further ado, here is the 2022 Top Canadian Golf Courses, #10-1.
Check out our previous post in the countdown:
100-91 | 90-81 | 80-71 | 70-61 | 60-51 | 50-41 | 40-31 | 30-21 | 20-11
10-1 OF SCOREGOLF‘S TOP 100 CANADIAN COURSES
10. Toronto Golf Club – Private
Toronto Golf Club moves into the top 10 on the SCOREGolf Top 100 for the first time and deservedly so. The Harry Colt masterpiece, restored in recent years by Martin Hawtree, exudes elegance at every turn and challenges golfers with fantastic holes adorned by brilliant bunkering. Continued tree removal has opened up terrific sightlines, making the course as good as it’s ever been.
9. The Paintbrush –Private
At number nine, The Paintbrush is pure adventure from start to finish — a whimsical design created by Michael Hurdzan and Dana Fry in homage to the links of Scotland. The course is largely void of trees and marked by pot bunkers, blind shots, double-greens, tall fescue and charming accents like stone walls and ruins. All upon a rollicking piece of land.
8. Cape Breton Highlands Links – Public
Stanley Thompson’s mountains and ocean course, Highlands Links is the most unique golf course in Canada. The routing takes you from the Atlantic Ocean into the mountains, into a valley alongside the Clyburn River, and back to the ocean again. With humps and bumps all the way around. Get past some occasionally spotty conditions and appreciate Thompson’s genius at this eighth-ranked course in Canada.
7. Fairmont Banff Springs – Public
The Fairmont Banff Springs Golf Course is one of the most well-known Canadian tracks outside of Canada. The Stanley Thompson masterpiece at the base of the famed castle hotel is a bucket-list course for sure. Distinctive bunkering, holes in the shadows of Sulpher Mountain and Mount Rundle, holes along or over the Bow River, and the par-3 fourth, The Devil’s Cauldron, are its hallmarks. Banff Springs comes in at number seven.
6. Capilano Golf and Country Club – Private
It would be tough to choose the best routing among Stanley Thompson-designed courses, but Vancouver’s Capilano could certainly stake a claim to it. Situated high above the city, the gorgeous course contains tremendous elevation changes but few holes present significant climbs or drops. It’s a masterclass in design. Rising to number six, Capilano is one of four courses to have never been outside SCOREGolf’s top 10 since we began this ranking in 1988.
5. Cabot Links – Public
Cabot Links, the first course built at Cabot Cape Breton, is as pure of a golf experience as there is in this country. A true links course situated between the town of Inverness and the Northumberland Strait, Rod Whitman’s design presents ocean views at every turn, with its inland holes in no way inferior to those on the water. Like any Whitman design, the shaping of the bunkers and greens here is sublime. Cabot Links holds strong at number five.
4. Hamilton Golf and Country Club – West, South – Private
Despite showing incredibly well during Rory McIlroy’s first RBC Canadian Open victory in 2019, Hamilton Golf and Country Club went back to the drawing board with a full course restoration and renovation at the hands of Martin Ebert. The end result is a terrific course becoming even better. New greens and green surrounds, new tee decks, Harry Colt-style bunkering and thousands of trees removed to open terrific long views has the West and South nines at Hamilton shining. It jumps up three spots to number four.
3. Fairmont Jasper Park – Public
Fun factor carries the biggest percentage of any SCOREGolf ranking criteria and there may not be a course that is more fun to play than Stanley Thompson’s Fairmont Jasper Park in the Alberta Rockies. Not only is the golf course extremely beautiful given its greens and tee decks are framed by mountain peaks, but the design itself is terrific. Jasper’s par 3s could be the best in the country while the three-hole stretch of holes 14 to 16 around Lac Beauvert is positively dreamy. Jasper maintains its spot at number three.
2. St. George’s Golf and Country Club – Private
Toronto, Ontario Giveaway Date: July 26
This year’s RBC Canadian Open host course jumps two spots to number two on this year’s Top 100. In the west end of Toronto, this Stanley Thompson design is notable for its holes running through valleys to terrific green sites surrounded by beautiful bunkering. Renovated greens and the removal of trees continue to make the historic St. George’s the best in-city course in Canada. PGA Tour players positively loved it in June.
1. Cabot Cliffs – Public
Was there ever any doubt? Number one on this ranking since it debuted on the list in 2016, Cabot Cliffs reigns supreme again this year. This spectacular ocean-side course, highlighted by holes on bluffs high above the water, is thrilling from start to finish. Designed by Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw, Cabot Cliffs overwhelms the senses but counters that by giving golfers room off the tee. Along with its ocean holes, Cabot Cliffs provides great variety with holes into dunes, holes into wetlands, and holes climbing into highlands. The number one course in Canada has absolutely everything.
Bravo! Well done it was an enjoyable read from number 100 to number 1. I wish I could play all of these courses.
Over 50% are private or semiprivate courses.
Not sure was worth me reading the past few weeks as an average golfer
Maybe focus in more of the accessible tracks can do more to grow the game
It’s a shame that most of the top Ontario courses are private. Most will only be played by a select few. Eastern and Western Canadian course seem more interested in actually allowing you to play and experience their courses.