When you’re planning your next vacation to beautiful Canada and want to know about Ontario’s top public golf courses, you’re in the right place.
While the country is known mainly for hockey, golf is among the most popular things to do in Ontario and throughout Canada when it comes to recreational activities. According to the National Golf Foundation, Canada is fourth on the list of countries with the most golf courses.
Especially if you’re visiting from Spring through Fall, when the Bruce Peninsula weather is agreeable (with temperatures ranging from the 50’s to the mid-70’s), you’ll find you can hit these Ontario golf courses as often as you’d like.
And the good news is, whether you’re choosing from among Sauble Beach cottage rentals or Wiarton cottage rentals, you won’t have far to travel to visit your favorite golf course. Between the best golf courses in Bruce County and the best cottage rentals in Ontario, you’ll be off to a great start when you come to explore Canada.
Sauble Golf & Country Club
Drive or catch a free shuttle to Sauble Golf & Country Club, just three minutes from Sauble Beach. You’ll enjoy worlds both old and new when you golf at Sauble: the front 9 is the older part, with sloping greens surrounded by old-growth trees, while the newer back 9 has you maneuver around sandtraps and even twist around an apple tree, all the while as you enjoy the breezes that drift down the pine tree-lined fairway. Stop and enjoy the view of the Sauble River running past the 3rd and 4th holes! You’ll also enjoy this wonderfully maintained course in the fall, with the surrounding poplars, cedars, and willows bursting with seasonal foliage.
There’s a full-service golf shop and Bogey’s Pub & Eatery with wraps, wings, burgers, and sandwiches (or “sammies” if you will). Rates vary from season to season and power carts are available. The most recent summer rates are $37.95 for 9-holes and $54.95 for 18-holes between 7 a.m. and 12 p.m., falling to $27.95 and $39.95 afternoon. A flat rate of $24.95 applies after 5 p.m. Power carts are $12 and $20, respectively. Walking and cart packages range from $500 – $1,200.
Black Horse Golf Course
Among the best value and best public Ontario golf courses is the 72-par Black Horse Golf Course, located on Bruce Road between the towns of Kincardine and Walkerton. In 2008, ScoreGolf called Black Horse “one of the top new courses in Ontario.” This course is maintained to a pristine condition!
You’re sure to enjoy the quiet, idyllic setting Black Horse offers; in fact, some reviewers have stated that it’s “in the middle of nowhere.”
“Stunning” has been used to describe the layout of this 6,836-yard track covering 200 acres and surrounded by over 20,000 trees; you’ll golf around six ponds and a five-acre spring-fed lake and enjoy well-cared-for fairways with 50 bunkers. Two of the holes are built in a former quarry and are noted for their spectacular views.
Need to practice? There’s a state-of-the-art practice range (with all turf tees) totaling 30 acres! Walk and ride rates range from $54 – $74; specials for 9 holes and 18 holes are run daily—juniors 12 and under with a paying adult play free.
Saugeen Golf Club
You’re likely a great course if you get to host a Next Gen Championship, and that’s just what Saugeen is and will be doing in 2021.
Saugeen is 27 holes of pure enjoyment, designed by a well-known and revered golf course architect named Stanley Thompson. The original 9-hole course, Legacy, was established in 1925. The next 9-hole course, Sunset, opened in 1956, and Sunrise’s 9-holes became available in 1995. The fully irrigated courses offer challenging golf for all levels and feature white sand bunkers and several water hazards.
The pro-Golf Shop carries all the best names in golfing equipment and apparel. From custom fitting lofts and lengths to the most updated technological equipment, the shop is dedicated to helping you play your best game. The Club also offers lessons for adults and juniors as well as private lessons. Stop at Gimmie’s on the Green Restaurant for a quick sandwich or wrap or a full entrée and enjoy wine, beer, or cocktails. The restaurant has patio dining overlooking the course and offers take-out.
Saugeen rates between May and October 5th (Prime Season) are $40 for 9-holes anytime, $45 for 18-holes after 3 p.m., and $65 for 18-holes before 3 p.m. Before Prime Season, rates change to $25, $40, and $50.
Plan Your Next Ontario Trip
Three-night Ontario cottage rentals from Friday to Sunday are available if you’re simply looking for a long weekend; these offer the same amenities as you find in other rentals. When you get the perfect cottage rental and are close to the courses to play the game you love, you’ll surely feel like you hit a stroke of good luck on your next Canadian vacation!
The Club at Westlinks
Opened in 2003, the well-groomed course of rolling hills and awesome views at The Club at Westlinks has the flexibility you won’t find at most other courses. While not the traditional nine or 18 holes, the 12-hole course at The Club at Westlinks in Port Elgin, ON, is a unique golfing experience. You can still choose to play 9- and 18-hole rounds, in addition to 6-hole or 12-hole rounds. Jack Nicklaus himself loves the concept of this course!
Suppose you need to put in some practice time. In that case, Westlinks’ practice facility has a full-length driving range as well as a practice area where you can play a short game on putting green that’s just as manicured as that found on the main course (note that the range is closed for maintenance every Tuesday at 5 p.m. until Wednesday 10 a.m. The facility is open year-round, for personal and corporate use.
Rates change per season; summer weekday and weekend rates for 9-, 12-, and 18-holes range from $27 – $48, and fall and spring rates are any time, $22, $26, and $32, respectively. Walking and power cart round packages range from $255 – $415, depending on the number of holes being played.
Book Your Cottage Rental in Ontario
You can choose from one- to five-bedroom cottage rentals in Ontario, many of which are beachfront or waterfront while others offer breathtaking views of the Canadian wilderness. Some of these rentals are found in Sauble Beach and Kincardine, two locations especially close to the golf courses discussed here, with others in Parry Sound, Tobermory, Miller Lake, and Dyers Bay.
Some of the great amenities you’ll enjoy at these cottage rentals (which could vary depending on the rental type) include fire pits, fireplace, hot tubs, washer/dryer, furnished patios, outdoor BBQ areas with propane grill, kayaks, canoes, and/or paddleboards with life jackets, fully stocked kitchens (pots, pans, utensils, dinnerware, top-of-the-line appliances), large screen TVs with cable or satellite (some with Netflix), and game rooms with foosball, table tennis, and air hockey. Other activities you’ll be close to from these cottage rentals are hiking, fishing, horseback riding, and swimming; you can enjoy the outdoors in so many ways.
