Golfing at Parks Canada places

On the green
Considered one of world’s top 100 golf courses, the Highlands Links course was planned out in 1937 just a year after the park was created. This ews along the way. Every hole has a Gaelic name and the fourth (oclassic 18-hole course flows through dense forest and along rocky cliffs with sensational sea vine of the most difficult) is appropriately named “Heich O’ Fash” which translates as Heap of Trouble!

Park life
After a round, be sure to explore the park’s forested trails and coastal hikes. Explore sandy beaches and secluded bays and watch minke and humpback whales breeching off shore.

On the green
Built in 1935, the historic Waskesiu Lobstick course is named after one of Western Canada’s most famous trees. Although the original no longer stands, you’ll find the Lobstick tree’s successor keeping the legacy alive. A unique local rules states that any tee shot (in flight) that strikes the Lobstick tree may be replayed without penalty. But best to try not to hit it! Make it a golf tour and visit nearby Elk Ridge Resort beside the east gate of the park for its 27-hole course.

Park life
A million acres of boreal forest and sparkling lakes are yours to explore once the golf day is done. Whether you want to head into the backcountry where the plains bison roam or stay in Waskesiu and enjoy the quaint lakeshore town, you can do it all in this Saskatchewan treasure.

On the green
Built during the depression in 1936, the Elk Island nine-hole course is in the Astotin Lake Recreation Area. It boasts views of a shimmering lake, black spruce bog and white trunks of the aspen forest. Due to the rolling hills of this course, three of the holes have a gong to strike to let the next group of golfers know that it’s safe to tee off!

Park life
A protected refuge for more than 250 species of birds, the park also boasts Canada’s most dense population of bison, moose, elk and deer. Learn how to safely watch the wildlife. Plan to stay late and bring a picnic; star gazing in this Dark Sky Preserve turns an ordinary evening into something magical.

On the green
Use all the clubs in your bag at the 18-hole Green Gables Championship Golf course. It stretches between the red sand dunes at Cavendish Beach to the former farm fields surrounding Green Gables Heritage Place. The course features big greens, well placed bunkers and three water hazards. A historic course with a modern touch, it opened for play in 1939. Thomas McBroom redeveloped the course in 2008. Broom is second only to Thompson in number of course designs in the Top 100 Golf Courses in Canada.

Park life
After a satisfying round of golf, take to the Gulf Shore Way to explore the coast on two wheels. Stay close to the course as you pedal past the red sandstone cliffs and sweeping ocean views of the western half. Or, take a short trip to the east half to marvel at the historic lighthouse and wind-sculpted dunes. The only question is, how many pictures is too many?

On the green
Look out for peregrine falcons soaring above your head as you play this nine-hole course. If you’re lucky you might even see a great blue heron. Hilly with shady trees dotted along the green, you may see deer nibbling the grass as you navigate the course’s water hazards and bunkers. Want to be wowed? Visit in fall when the colours of the foliage come alive.

Park life
Experience the awesome power of nature at the Bay of Fundy, where twice a day 160 billion tonnes of seawater flows in and out of the bay. That’s more than the total combined flow of the world’s freshwater rivers! Walk the ocean floor at low tide with a Parks Canada guide to discover barnacles, rock crabs, dog whelk sea snails, limpets, periwinkles and other crustaceans. Discover waterfalls, sandy beaches and forested river valleys exploring our 100km of trails.

On the green
Thanks to the efforts of now-retired golf course superintendent Greg Holden, Clear Lake Golf Course is one of Canada’s “greenest” golf courses. It uses recycled cooking oil to power their grass mowers and has waterless toilets. They have even reduced what goes into landfills each year by 80% thanks to a strict composting and recycling regimen. Built in two stages, the course’s first nine holes were designed by Stanley Thompson in 1928. The last nine holes were added by Vic Creed and Mr. Smart (then-Park Supervisor). The course opened in 1934.

Park life
Get out on the trails and hike or bike the Manitoba Escarpment, 1200 feet above Winnipeg. Take it easy on the Baldy Lake trail or push your limits on the rugged Reeve's Ravine trail. Visit the cabin of one of Canada’s earliest environmentalists, Grey Owl, or enjoy a picnic in a prairie meadow in the shade of the aspen forest. Be sure to listen for the distinctive sound of elks bugling.

On the green
One of Canada’s oldest, the Waterton Lakes Golf Course opened as a nine-hole golf course in 1922. Stanley Thompson came to visit in 1929 to expand the course, and his new 18 hole course opened for play in 1932. Prepare to be entranced by sweeping southern Rocky Mountain views. Look out for hummingbirds darting between the trees and the occasional bear strolling the green.

Park life
After your game get out into the wild to discover where endless prairies meet the Rocky Mountains. Take a walk along one of the scenic trails, and if you’re lucky, you may catch a glimpse of a white-tailed deer or an elk bounding across the path. In fall, see squadrons of Canada geese and the rare trumpeter swan joining thousands of other birds migrating thorough the park.