Golf Courses

With at least 6 months of the year sacrificed to a blanket of snow and sub-zero temperatures, golfers in Montreal have to go to great lengths to make sure that they get as many tee times in as possible during that thin wedge of warmth that Canadians refer to as summer. While Montreal might have not have a large enough landmass to support many golf courses, there are an abundance of courses located within easy driving distance of the city, including a few situated on the island itself.

Royal Montreal Golf Course

Located on Ile-Bizard, a cozy western suburb of Montreal, the Royal Montreal Golf Course is in fact the oldest golf club in North America. Originally established in Mount Royal Park in 1873, the club has moved twice, including a brief layover in Dorval before arriving at its current home. With 45 holes, the Royal Montreal Golf Course is a world class playing field. It has been host to the PGA Tour’s Canadian Open 9 times, most recently in 2001. The course is open to members only, but allows guests to play at the invitation of members – as good a reason as any to make some golfing buddies.

Atlantide

A bit farther west, on Ile Perrot (notice a trend here?), is the spectacular Atlantide golf course. Along with its sister course, Don Quichotte, Atlantide is a modern, challenging course set against the natural beauty of the St. Lawrence river and the St. Louis lake. A bit less than an hour’s driver from downtown, Atlantide’s bent grass course offers 18 holes of play, as does Don Quichotte. Both courses are open to the public for single round and week-long membership rates.

Montreal Island Golf Course

Riviere des Prairies is home to the Montreal Island Golf Club, on Damien-Gauthier street. Unique in the region, one of the Montreal Island Golf Club’s two courses was designed by Pat Ruddy to be a replica of the style of course found in Ireland. 7180 yards of sweeping dunes and pot bunkers will make you think you’ve woken up on the wrong side of the Atlantic. Large greens and an almost total absence of water hazards further add to the Irish flavor. The second course, Le Parcours de L’Ile offers a more modern interpretation of golf architecture. The course is open to the public.

Other Courses near the Island

The Town Of Two Mountains offers a 6500 plus yard course which is open to the public and is near St-Eustache, a quick 30 minute hop north of the island. Golf Hemmingford, a half-hour drive in the other direction is a 36 hole course, of which 18 holes are open to the public. Longeuil, on the south shore of the St. Lawrence maintains a municipal golf course since 1990 and all 36 holes can be played by non-members. Cote St. Luc and Anjou are two other locations on the fringes of the island which host public golf courses.

Exploring outside the area

If you are willing to take a day trip and hunt down a few of the more distantly located golf courses in Quebec, there are two regions you should target. The first is the Laurentians, which can be accessed by driving north on Autoroute 15 past Laval. Many splendid courses can be found here nestled against the backdrop of the mountains. Your next best bet is a little farther away. The Eastern Townships of Quebec, representing an hour’s drive east along Autoroute 10 is home to quite a few courses. Most notably are those found in Magog, Lennoxville and Milby. Don’t let the distance discourage you – these two areas are some of the most scenic in the entire province, and the journey will be as memorable as your round of golf.