Golf in Canada is the easiest international golf trip for Americans: a short flight, no visa or eTA, and a Canadian dollar worth about 73 US cents, so Cabot Cape Breton’s CA$450 peak green fee costs about $330. Cabot is the headline trip; Banff and Jasper in the Rockies, British Columbia and Ontario’s Muskoka lakes fill a season that runs from May to October.
For a long time, American golfers treated Canada as somewhere you drove through on the way to somewhere else. That changed in 2011, when Cabot Links opened on the coast of Cape Breton Island in Nova Scotia, followed in 2015 by Cabot Cliffs, which has sat at the top of Canadian rankings ever since. Suddenly there was a reason to fly to a former coal-mining town most Americans couldn’t find on a map, and the Cabot brand has since spread to Saint Lucia, Florida, Scotland, France and a mountain resort in British Columbia that opens in stages from late 2026.
Canada had great golf long before Cabot, of course. Golf Canada’s figures put the number of Canadian golfers at about 5.6 million, playing at more than 2,300 facilities, about 90% of them open to the public, against roughly 75% in the US. Royal Montreal, founded in 1873, is the oldest golf club in North America. Stanley Thompson, the greatest Canadian architect, built mountain courses at Banff and Jasper in the 1920s that are still among the most dramatic resort golf anywhere.
This page is the hub for our Canada golf guides. It covers where to go, what the courses cost in US dollars, when the season runs, how to get there, and how a Canadian golf trip compares with Scotland, Ireland and Bandon Dunes. Each section points to a deeper guide when you need one.
A note on money. We convert at $0.73 per Canadian dollar, the x-rates.com rate for January 1, 2026 (1 CAD = $0.7288). Canadian green fees are quoted before sales tax, which varies by province and adds 5% to 15% to the bill.
At a glance
- Best trip: Cabot Cape Breton, Nova Scotia. Cabot Links and Cabot Cliffs, plus The Nest short course.
- Cabot Cape Breton (2026, resort guests): CA$450 (about $330) in peak season, June 26 to September 13; CA$220 to $270 (about $160 to $195) in the early and late season. Add 14% sales tax.
- Season: roughly May to October. Cabot’s 2026 season ran from May 8 to October 25.
- Mountain golf: Fairmont Banff Springs and Jasper Park Lodge, both by Stanley Thompson, about 90 minutes and 4½ hours from Calgary.
- New for 2026–27: Cabot Revelstoke in British Columbia, with limited preview play in fall 2026 and its lodge due in early 2027.
- Paperwork: US citizens need a passport to fly in. No visa or eTA.
- Getting around: rent a car. There are no taxis or ride-shares from the airports to Cabot.
Where is the best golf in Canada?
The best golf in Canada is at Cabot Cape Breton in Nova Scotia, where Cabot Cliffs and Cabot Links top national rankings. The Rockies have the most dramatic resort golf at Banff and Jasper, British Columbia has Whistler, the Okanagan and the new Cabot Revelstoke, and Ontario’s Muskoka is the lake-country summer trip.
Here’s how the main regions compare for an American group:
| Region | Fly into | Headline courses | 2026 green fees | Season | Our take |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cape Breton, Nova Scotia | Halifax (about 3½ hr drive) or Sydney (about 2 hr) | Cabot Cliffs, Cabot Links, Highlands Links | Cabot: CA$220–$450 resort guests (about $160–$330) | May–Oct | The bucket-list trip |
| Canadian Rockies, Alberta | Calgary | Fairmont Banff Springs, Jasper Park Lodge, Kananaskis | Check each resort | Mid-May–early Oct | Mountain golf, wildlife and big scenery |
| British Columbia | Vancouver or Kelowna | Cabot Revelstoke (from late 2026), Whistler, Predator Ridge, Bear Mountain | Check each course | May–Oct (longer on the coast) | Golf with wine country and mountains |
| Muskoka, Ontario | Toronto (about 2 hr drive) | Muskoka Bay, Taboo, Rocky Crest, The Rock | Check each course | June–Sept | Lake-country summer golf |
| Prince Edward Island | Charlottetown | The Links at Crowbush Cove, Dundarave | Check each course | June–Sept | Easy value add-on to Nova Scotia |
| Quebec | Montreal or Quebec City | Mont-Tremblant, Le Manoir Richelieu | Check each course | June–Sept | Golf with French-Canadian food and culture |
Our picks, in plain terms:
- For a bucket-list trip, go to Cabot Cape Breton, and add Highlands Links and a drive around the Cabot Trail.
- For scenery, go to Banff and Jasper. The golf is good; the setting is better than almost anywhere.
- For a mixed group, go to British Columbia, where Whistler, Vancouver and the Okanagan’s wineries give non-golfers plenty to do.
- For a summer weekend from the Great Lakes, go to Muskoka.
If you’ve already done Bandon Dunes and wondered whether Cabot is the same trip, the short answer is no, and our Bandon Dunes golf resort guide makes a useful comparison. Cabot is links golf with a village attached; Bandon is golf with nothing attached at all.
Cabot Cape Breton: Canada’s bucket-list golf
Cabot Cape Breton is on the west coast of Cape Breton Island, in the small town of Inverness, Nova Scotia, which used to be a coal-mining town and is now a golf town. It has two 18-hole courses and a short course:
- Cabot Links (Rod Whitman, 2011) runs through the town along the beach, a true links on firm, sandy ground, with several holes playing beside the Gulf of St. Lawrence.
- Cabot Cliffs (Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw, 2015) climbs over dunes and through woods to clifftops high above the water. It has topped Canadian rankings since it opened and ranks among the world’s best courses on the major global lists. The par-3 16th, across a chasm to a green perched on the cliff, is one of the most photographed holes in golf.
- The Nest, a short par-3 course on a headland, is the end-of-day course for groups and families. Sources disagree on its exact hole count, so check the current layout.
What it costs in 2026. Here are Cabot’s official 2026 resort-guest rates for Cabot Links or Cabot Cliffs, in Canadian dollars, with US-dollar conversions at $0.73:
| Season | Monday–Thursday | Friday–Sunday | Same-day replay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Early (May 8–21) and late (Sept 28–Oct 25) | CA$220 (about $160) | CA$270 (about $197) | CA$110–$135 |
| Spring (May 22–June 4) | CA$335 (about $245) | CA$395 (about $288) | CA$167.50–$197.50 |
| Mid (June 5–25 and Sept 14–27) | CA$395 (about $288) | CA$450 (about $328) | CA$197.50–$225 |
| Peak (June 26–Sept 13) | CA$450 (about $328) | CA$450 (about $328) | CA$225 |
Twilight rounds run from CA$155 to CA$295 depending on the season, nine holes cost the same as a replay, and The Nest costs CA$80 (about $58) all season. Nova Scotia’s 14% sales tax (HST) is added on top, so a CA$450 peak round costs about CA$513, or $374, at the counter.
Booking. Resort guests get first access to tee times. Non-guests can book within 14 days of play, according to two independent guides, and in peak season that window doesn’t leave much. If you want the Cliffs in July, stay at the resort.
Caddies. The same guides list caddies at about CA$90 per bag for an experienced A caddie, CA$60 for a B caddie, and CA$120 per group for a forecaddie, plus tip. A caddie on your first round at the Cliffs is worth it for the views they’ll point out alone.
Getting there. Halifax (YHZ) is about 3½ hours away by car and has the most flights from the US. Sydney (YQY), on the other side of Cape Breton Island, is about two hours away but usually needs a connection. There are no taxis or ride-shares to Inverness, so rent a car. The drive from Halifax is easy, and the last hour across Cape Breton is beautiful.
Our verdict. Cabot is the best golf trip in Canada and one of the best in North America, in our view. The Cliffs is worth the trip on its own. The Links is a more modest course but a real links, the best in Canada, and the town and the resort’s restaurants give it a warmth that remote resorts often lack. Go in the shoulder season if you can: late May and late September cost half the peak rate.
Our Cabot Cape Breton guide covers the courses, lodging and restaurants, and the Cabot Cape Breton golf rates guide tracks every rate, replay and twilight price for 2026 and 2027.
The rest of Nova Scotia and Atlantic Canada
Cabot is the reason most Americans fly to Nova Scotia, but you’d be missing a lot if you played only there.
Highlands Links, at Ingonish on the far side of Cape Breton Island, is a Stanley Thompson masterpiece from 1939 inside Cape Breton Highlands National Park. It’s a mountain-and-river walk more than a links, with holes running down to the ocean and back up through the forest, and it’s on most lists of the best courses in Canada. It’s about two hours from Cabot along the Cabot Trail, one of the great coastal drives in North America. Plan a day for it, with the drive.
Elsewhere in Nova Scotia, Fox Harb’r on the Northumberland Strait is a luxury resort with its own airstrip, Glen Arbour is the best course near Halifax, and Digby Pines is another Stanley Thompson course on the Bay of Fundy. Bell Bay, at Baddeck on the Bras d’Or Lake, is a good stop on the way to Highlands Links.
Prince Edward Island, a ferry ride from Nova Scotia or a drive across the Confederation Bridge from New Brunswick, has some of the best-value golf in Canada. The Links at Crowbush Cove, among the dunes on the island’s north shore, is the pick, with Dundarave at Brudenell close behind.
Newfoundland and New Brunswick have good golf too, including the Algonquin at St. Andrews by-the-Sea in New Brunswick. They’re best as add-ons for golfers who are already in Atlantic Canada.
Our Nova Scotia golf trip guide routes a week around Cabot, Highlands Links and the rest of the province.
The Canadian Rockies: Banff and Jasper
The Rockies have the most dramatic resort golf in Canada, and possibly in the world. Both of the great courses here were built by Stanley Thompson for Canada’s railway hotels in the 1920s, when the idea was to give wealthy travelers a reason to ride the train west.
Fairmont Banff Springs (1928) runs along the Bow River below the castle-like hotel, with mountains on every side. Its most famous hole is the Devil’s Cauldron, a par 3 over a glacial lake to a green set against a cliff, and elk wander the fairways, which means the local rules include advice on keeping your distance. At about 4,500 feet above sea level, the ball flies a little farther than you’re used to.
Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge (1925), about four hours north of Banff along the Icefields Parkway, is quieter and many golfers think it’s the better course. Thompson famously lined up holes with the mountain peaks behind them. Jasper is still rebuilding after the 2024 wildfire that burned part of the town, so check what’s open in town and on the course before you book.
Between Banff and Calgary, Kananaskis Country Golf Course has two Robert Trent Jones Sr. courses, Mount Kidd and Mount Lorette, in a valley about an hour from Calgary, and Stewart Creek and Silvertip in Canmore add more mountain golf near Banff.
Calgary’s airport has nonstops from many US hubs, and Banff is about 90 minutes away by car. The season runs from about mid-May to early October, and snow isn’t unusual at either end. In June, it stays light until almost 10 p.m., so 36 holes with a stop for the view on every tee is easy.
Our golf in Banff guide covers Banff Springs, Jasper, Kananaskis and Canmore, with the best order to play them.
British Columbia: Revelstoke, Whistler and the Okanagan
British Columbia is Canada’s most varied golf province, with mountain golf, wine-country golf and ocean golf within a few hours of each other, and a longer season on the coast than anywhere else in the country.
Cabot Revelstoke. Cabot’s mountain resort at Revelstoke, in the mountains of BC’s interior, is the most anticipated Canadian golf opening in years. Its 18-hole course is by Rod Whitman, who designed Cabot Links. Limited preview play was planned for fall 2026, with a 155-room Mountain Lodge due in early 2027 and a par-3 course, the Railyard, under construction from 2026. Revelstoke is about 2½ hours by car from Kelowna’s airport. If you’re planning a 2027 trip, watch Cabot’s announcements for when full public play and the lodge open, because the first summer will book up fast.
Whistler, about two hours north of Vancouver on the Sea-to-Sky Highway, has three resort courses: Nicklaus North, the Fairmont Chateau Whistler course by Robert Trent Jones Jr., and Whistler Golf Club, an Arnold Palmer design. Combine them with a few days in Vancouver, and a mixed group has plenty to do.
The Okanagan, around Kelowna, is BC’s wine country and its sunniest golf region, with hot, dry summers, lakes and dozens of wineries. Predator Ridge near Vernon is its best-known golf resort.
Vancouver Island has the mildest climate in Canada, and golf runs most of the year. Bear Mountain, outside Victoria, has two courses, the Mountain and the Valley, with views of the mountains and the Pacific.
Our Cabot Revelstoke guide tracks the opening and what visitors can book, and our British Columbia golf trip guide routes Whistler, the Okanagan, Vancouver Island and Revelstoke.
Ontario’s Muskoka and eastern Canada
Muskoka, about two hours north of Toronto, is Ontario’s lake country: pink granite outcrops of the Canadian Shield, pine forests and hundreds of lakes lined with summer cottages. The best golf is carved into that rock, and the scenery on most holes is lake, granite and pine. Muskoka Bay Club (Doug Carrick), Taboo (Ron Garl), Rocky Crest (Thomas McBroom) and The Rock (Nick Faldo) are the names to know, and Deerhurst Resort’s Highlands course is a long-time favorite.
The Muskoka season is short and sweet, from about June to September. Black flies are out in late May and June, so pack repellent early in the season, and the lakes are warm enough to swim in by July. For golfers in the Great Lakes states, it’s a natural alternative to the summer trips in our Midwest golf trips guide.
Toronto has great private golf, including St. George’s and Hamilton, that visitors rarely get to play. TPC Toronto at Osprey Valley, a public facility northwest of the city, hosted the 2025 RBC Canadian Open and is the best way for a visitor to play tournament golf near the city.
Quebec suits a summer trip with a French-Canadian accent. Mont-Tremblant’s two big resort courses, Le Géant and Le Diable, sit below the ski hill, and the Fairmont Le Manoir Richelieu course in Charlevoix plays high above the St. Lawrence River.
Our Muskoka golf guide covers the region’s courses, resorts and the best weeks to go.
What are the best golf courses in Canada?
Cabot Cliffs in Nova Scotia tops most rankings, with private classics such as St. George’s in Toronto and Hamilton close behind, along with public favorites Cabot Links, Highlands Links, Banff Springs and Jasper Park Lodge. Visitors can play all of Canada’s best public courses; the top private clubs need a member.
The best courses an American visitor can actually book:
- Cabot Cliffs, Nova Scotia (Coore and Crenshaw, 2015). Canada’s top-ranked course, on clifftops above the Gulf of St. Lawrence.
- Cabot Links, Nova Scotia (Rod Whitman, 2011). The country’s best true links, running through the town of Inverness.
- Highlands Links, Nova Scotia (Stanley Thompson, 1939). A national-park masterpiece and Thompson’s finest public course.
- Fairmont Banff Springs, Alberta (Stanley Thompson, 1928). Mountain golf along the Bow River, with the Devil’s Cauldron par 3.
- Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge, Alberta (Stanley Thompson, 1925). Quieter than Banff, with holes aimed at the peaks.
- The Links at Crowbush Cove, Prince Edward Island. Dunes golf at good-value prices.
- Muskoka Bay Club, Ontario. Granite, lakes and pine, with Doug Carrick’s design woven through the rock.
- Cabot Revelstoke, British Columbia. Too new to rank, but likely to join this list once it opens fully.
The private clubs at the top of Canadian rankings, including St. George’s, Hamilton, the National Golf Club of Canada, Capilano in West Vancouver and Royal Montreal, which hosted the 2024 Presidents Cup, need a member’s invitation.
Our best golf courses in Canada guide ranks the public and private courses with notes on how visitors get on.
How much does a golf trip to Canada cost?
Less than you’d expect, thanks to the exchange rate. At $0.73 per Canadian dollar, Cabot Cape Breton’s CA$450 peak resort-guest rate is about $330, or $374 with tax. A four-night Cabot trip with six rounds runs about $1,870 in peak-season golf, or about $915 in the late season.
Those two numbers show how much timing matters in Canada. Four full-rate rounds and two replays at Cabot in peak season cost CA$2,250 before tax and CA$2,565 with Nova Scotia’s 14% HST, which is about $1,870. The same six rounds midweek in late September or October cost CA$1,254 with tax, or about $915, for golf that’s often just as good, with fall color thrown in.
A few things to know about money in Canada:
- Prices are in Canadian dollars, and they’re quoted before tax. Sales tax ranges from 5% in Alberta to 14% or 15% in the Atlantic provinces, so check the province.
- Use a card with no foreign transaction fee. Cards are accepted almost everywhere, and you’ll get a better rate than exchanging cash.
- Tipping works the way it does at home: 15% to 20% in restaurants, and a tip on top of caddie fees.
- Flights are short, so airfare from the Northeast and Midwest is usually much lower than to Europe. The bigger costs are lodging at the resorts and the rental car.
For a fuller budget, our Cabot Cape Breton golf rates guide covers every 2026 and 2027 tier, and our golf trip cost guide breaks down any trip line by line.
When is golf season in Canada?
Roughly May to October across most of the country, with the best weather from late June to mid-September. Cabot Cape Breton’s 2026 season ran from May 8 to October 25; the Rockies open in mid-May and can see snow by October. Vancouver Island and the Okanagan have longer seasons.
Month by month:
- May. Courses open, the weather is cool and changeable, and prices are at their lowest. Cabot’s early-season rate of CA$220 midweek (about $160) runs to May 21. Black flies appear in the woods of Ontario and Atlantic Canada late in the month.
- June. Long days everywhere, with daylight in the Rockies until almost 10 p.m. Cabot’s mid-season rates start June 5. Bring bug spray.
- July and August. Peak season and the warmest weather, with highs mostly in the 70s °F in Cape Breton, Banff and Muskoka. Book well ahead.
- September. The sweet spot, in our view. Warm days, cool nights, quieter courses, and Cabot’s late-season rates from September 28. The larches in the Rockies turn gold late in the month.
- October. Fall color peaks across Cape Breton in early to mid-October, when the island also hosts the Celtic Colours music festival. It’s a beautiful time to play, but days are shorter and some courses close mid-month. Cabot’s 2026 season ended on October 25.
Do Americans need a passport to golf in Canada?
To fly, yes. US citizens need a passport, or a NEXUS card, to fly into Canada. By land or sea, a passport card or an enhanced driver’s license also works. Americans don’t need a visa or Canada’s electronic travel authorization (eTA), and US driver’s licenses are valid for visitors.
The rest of the logistics are easy, which is a big part of Canada’s appeal:
- Flights. Halifax has nonstops from several Northeast hubs and is about 90 minutes from Boston. Calgary and Vancouver have nonstops from many US cities, and Toronto from almost all of them. Atlantic Canada is just an hour ahead of Eastern time, so there’s no jet lag to speak of.
- US Customs preclearance. At Canada’s big airports, including Halifax, Toronto, Calgary and Vancouver, you clear US customs and immigration before you board your flight home, so you land in the US as a domestic passenger.
- Driving. Canadians drive on the right, but distances are in kilometers, speed limits are in kilometers per hour, and gas is sold by the liter. Watch for moose in Cape Breton and for elk and bighorn sheep in the Rockies, especially at dawn and dusk.
- Clubs. The big US airlines treat a golf bag as a standard checked bag, and the flights are short. Our flying with golf clubs guide has the 2026 rules.
- Phones. Check your plan’s Canada roaming before you go; many US plans include it.
Four Canada golf itineraries
1. Cabot and the Cabot Trail (five nights). The trip we’d book first.
- Day 1: Fly into Halifax, pick up a car and drive about 3½ hours to Inverness. Walk the beach at sunset.
- Day 2: Cabot Links in the morning, The Nest in the afternoon.
- Day 3: Cabot Cliffs, with a caddie, then a replay of whichever course you liked best.
- Day 4: Drive the Cabot Trail to Ingonish and play Highlands Links, then drive back by evening, or stay the night near Ingonish.
- Day 5: Cabot Cliffs again, because you’ll want to.
- Day 6: Drive back to Halifax for flights home, with a stop at Glen Arbour if your flight is late.
2. Banff and Jasper (five nights). Fly into Calgary and drive 90 minutes to Banff. Play Banff Springs twice and add Stewart Creek or Silvertip in Canmore, then drive the Icefields Parkway, one of the most beautiful roads in the world, to Jasper for two nights and two rounds at Jasper Park Lodge. Drive back to Calgary or fly home from Edmonton, about four hours east of Jasper.
3. British Columbia (five to seven nights). Fly into Vancouver for two nights and Whistler for two, or into Kelowna for the Okanagan’s golf and wineries, adding Cabot Revelstoke once it’s fully open in 2027.
4. A Muskoka long weekend (three nights). Fly into Toronto and drive about two hours north. Play Muskoka Bay, Taboo and Rocky Crest, and spend the evenings on a dock.
Canada vs Scotland, Ireland and Bandon Dunes
Against Scotland and Ireland, Canada wins on ease. Halifax is a short flight from the Northeast, with no overnight flight and almost no jet lag, and Cabot’s peak rate of about $330 compares well with fees of €450 to €550 at Ireland’s famous links. What Canada can’t match is depth: Scotland and Ireland have dozens of great links, and Cape Breton has two great courses and a third, Highlands Links, two hours away. Our guides to a golf trip to Scotland and a golf trip to Ireland cover those trips.
Against Bandon Dunes, it’s closer. Bandon has five 18-hole courses to Cabot’s two. Cabot has a town, a beach, restaurants beyond the resort’s own, and a short flight from the East Coast. Both are built for walking, and both are at their best in the shoulder season. Golfers in the East will usually find Cabot easier; golfers in the West, Bandon.
For a global view, our best international golf destinations guide ranks Canada against Mexico, the Caribbean, Europe and beyond.
Where to stay on a Canada golf trip
Where you sleep changes a Canadian golf trip more than it does most trips, because distances are long and some of the best golf comes with booking priority for guests.
- Cabot Cape Breton. Stay on the resort if you can. Resort guests get the published rates in the table above and first access to tee times, and you can walk from your room to the first tee of Cabot Links and to the town’s pubs. If the resort is full, look for rentals in Inverness or along the coast toward Mabou and the Margaree Valley, and accept that you’ll be booking as a non-guest inside the 14-day window.
- Highlands Links. If you play it, consider a night near Ingonish rather than driving there and back from Cabot in a day. The Keltic Lodge, above the course, is the classic choice.
- Banff and Jasper. The Fairmont Banff Springs and Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge are the grand old railway hotels the courses were built for, and staying at them is part of the experience. Canmore, 20 minutes from Banff, has more affordable hotels and condos, and it’s handy for Stewart Creek and Silvertip.
- British Columbia. In Whistler, stay in the village and use the free buses. In the Okanagan, base yourself in Kelowna for the wineries and restaurants, or at Predator Ridge for golf on the doorstep.
- Muskoka. Lakeside resorts, many with their own courses, and rented cottages. Book early for July and August, when Toronto empties north every weekend.
Off the course: food, drink and things to do
Canada’s golf regions are also some of its best vacation regions, which makes it an easy sell to non-golfers.
Cape Breton is the home of Celtic music in North America. Look for a ceilidh, a traditional evening of fiddle music and dancing, in the villages around Inverness and Mabou, especially in October during the Celtic Colours festival. Glenora Distillery, near Mabou, makes single malt whisky, and the coast has excellent seafood. The Cabot Trail around the island’s northern tip is one of the best drives on the continent, with whale-watching boats from the harbors along the way.
Banff has the Upper Hot Springs for tired legs, and Lake Louise and Moraine Lake are within an hour. Moraine Lake’s road is closed to private cars, so book the shuttle in advance. In Jasper, the drive along the Icefields Parkway is the main event, with glaciers, waterfalls and wildlife beside the road.
British Columbia has the most for a mixed group: Vancouver’s restaurants and Stanley Park, Whistler’s mountain village and gondolas, and more than enough Okanagan wineries for a non-golfer’s week.
Muskoka is about the water. Rent a boat, take a cruise on one of the old steamships, or drive an hour east to Algonquin Provincial Park for canoeing and moose.
Canada golf trip mistakes to avoid
Most Canadian golf trips that go wrong go wrong for one of these reasons:
- Not renting a car. There are no taxis or ride-shares to Cabot, and the Rockies and Muskoka are spread out. You’ll need one.
- Underestimating the distances. Halifax to Cabot is about 3½ hours, and Banff to Jasper about four. Look at a map before you plan two courses in a day.
- Forgetting the tax. Prices are quoted before sales tax, which adds 14% at Cabot and up to 15% elsewhere in Atlantic Canada.
- Booking only peak season. Cabot’s late-season midweek rate is less than half its peak rate, and late September is often the best golf of the year.
- Missing the 14-day window. If you aren’t staying at Cabot, set a reminder for the day your booking window opens.
- Packing for summer only. Cape Breton mornings can start in the 50s °F with fog and wind, and Banff can see snow in May or October. Pack layers and rain gear.
- Ignoring the black flies. In Ontario and Atlantic Canada, late May and June bring biting flies. Pack repellent.
- Letting your passport lapse. You’ll need a valid passport, or a NEXUS card, to fly into Canada.
- Mixing up kilometers and miles. A sign reading 100 means 62 mph, not 100.
Every guide to golf in Canada
This page is the hub. Each guide below goes deeper on one part of a Canadian golf trip.
Cape Breton and Atlantic Canada
- Cabot Cape Breton: Cabot Links, Cabot Cliffs, The Nest and the resort
- Cabot Cape Breton golf rates: every 2026–27 rate, in Canadian and US dollars
- Nova Scotia golf trip: Cabot, Highlands Links and the rest of the province
Western Canada
- Cabot Revelstoke: Cabot’s new mountain resort in British Columbia
- Golf in Banff: Banff Springs, Jasper, Kananaskis and Canmore
- British Columbia golf trip: Whistler, the Okanagan and Vancouver Island
Ontario
- Muskoka golf: lake-country golf two hours north of Toronto
Rankings
- Best golf courses in Canada: the public and private lists, and how visitors get on
Frequently asked questions
Is golf in Canada cheaper than in the US?
Often, for Americans, because of the exchange rate. At $0.73 per Canadian dollar, Cabot Cape Breton’s CA$450 peak resort-guest rate is about $330, less than the top US resort courses. Remember that Canadian prices are quoted before sales tax of 5% to 15%, depending on the province.
How much does it cost to play Cabot Cliffs?
In 2026, resort guests paid CA$450 (about $330) in peak season, from June 26 to September 13, and as little as CA$220 (about $160) midweek early and late in the season. Same-day replays cost half the rate, and Nova Scotia’s 14% sales tax is added on top.
Can you play Cabot Cape Breton without staying there?
Yes, but resort guests get priority. Non-guests can book within 14 days of play, according to independent guides, which means peak-season times at Cabot Cliffs are hard to get without a room. Stay on site for a summer trip.
What is the best golf course in Canada?
Cabot Cliffs in Nova Scotia, a Coore and Crenshaw course from 2015, has topped Canadian rankings since it opened. Cabot Links, Highlands Links, Banff Springs and Jasper Park Lodge are the best public alternatives, and St. George’s and Hamilton lead the private clubs.
When is golf season in Canada?
Roughly May to October, with the best weather from late June to mid-September. Cabot Cape Breton’s 2026 season ran from May 8 to October 25, and the Rockies’ season runs from about mid-May to early October. Vancouver Island has the longest season in the country.
Do Americans need a passport to golf in Canada?
To fly, yes: a passport or a NEXUS card. By land or sea, a passport card or enhanced driver’s license also works. US citizens don’t need a visa or an eTA, and US driver’s licenses are valid for visitors.
What is the closest airport to Cabot Cape Breton?
Sydney (YQY) is about two hours away but usually needs a connection. Halifax (YHZ), about 3½ hours away, has far more flights from the US. Either way, rent a car: there are no taxis or ride-shares to Inverness.
When does Cabot Revelstoke open?
Limited preview play on its Rod Whitman course was planned for fall 2026, with the 155-room Mountain Lodge due in early 2027 and a par-3 course, the Railyard, under construction from 2026. Watch Cabot’s announcements for full public play.
Can you play Banff Springs if you aren’t staying at the hotel?
Yes. The Fairmont Banff Springs course takes public tee times as well as hotel guests, though guests may get earlier access in peak season. Book well ahead for July and August.
Is Cabot or Bandon Dunes better?
Bandon has more golf, with five 18-hole courses to Cabot’s two. Cabot has a town, a beach and a shorter trip for East Coast golfers. Cabot Cliffs is as good as anything at Bandon, in our view, so for golfers in the East, Cabot is usually the better first trip.
Do you need a rental car for a Canada golf trip?
Almost always. There are no taxis or ride-shares to Cabot, the Rockies are best explored by car, and Muskoka’s courses are spread out. Remember that Canadian distances and speed limits are in kilometers.
Sources
Primary sources and official pages, checked September and October 2026.
- Cabot Cape Breton, 2026 golf rates: cabot.com
- US Department of State, Canada travel information: travel.state.gov
- X-Rates, historical rates for January 1, 2026: x-rates.com
- Also consulted: Breaking Eighty and Golf For Kings on Cabot Cape Breton’s season, booking window, caddies and access; OFTMW on Cabot Revelstoke’s expansion; PGA.com and Golf Canada participation figures; The Canadian Encyclopedia on the history of golf in Canada.
Image credits
| Image | Credit and license |
|---|---|
| Banff golf course and the Bow River – panoramio (featured) | Photo by Jack Borno, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons. |
| Canada – Alberta, Banff Golf Course – panoramio | Photo by randreu, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons. |
| Ingonish Beach (35744232522) | Photo by Dennis G. Jarvis, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons. |
| Golfing with a veiw, Jasper Park Lodge Golf Course, Jasper House National | Photo by Suwannee.payne, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons. |
| EXP 4713 (9295723442) | Photo by Explorers’ Edge from Canada, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons. |
| Humber Valley resort | Photo by HJKeats, public domain, via Wikimedia Commons. |