Canada’s capital region is a premier golfing destination with dozens of public golf courses perfect for a guys’ trip, girls’ getaway or the whole family! Most courses are open from roughly early May to late October, and some are conveniently located just outside the downtown core! Whether you’re a casual or serious golfer, you’re visiting for fun or for business, or you’re a local seeking variety, you’ll find the right fit for your game and your budget. Here are a few notable Ottawa-area golf courses that are open to the public.
West Ottawa
If you’re looking for a stay-and-play hotel package, consider the Marshes Golf Club at the Brookstreet Hotel, in the suburb of Kanata. Robert Trent Jones, Jr. and Sr., collaborated to design the 18-hole main course and nine-hole short course, which both wind through a wildlife sanctuary. Relax after your game at the on-site Au Naturel spa or at the Ironstone Grill, or challenge your kids to a game on the Blackbird Falls mini-putt course.
Nearby, the forested Loch March Golf and Country Club features club rentals, a golf academy, pro shop, and indoor and outdoor restaurants. With four sets of tee blocks at each of its 18 holes, it caters to golfers of all abilities.
For nighthawks, the Thunderbird Sports Centre has Ottawa’s only illuminated nine-hole course; it’s lit up until 10 p.m. on selected evenings.
Elevate your game at Greensmere Golf & Country Club. Located on nearly 400 acres of land, Greensmere is a 36-hole championship golf course that will challenge golfers of all levels.
Perfect for all skill levels, Richmond Centennial Golf Club is an 18-hole course that offers training programs for both adults and children.
Head to Irish Hills Golf & Country Club for a full-service experience. With indoor golf, league nights, a restaurant and event management, you can expect a top-notch golf experience here.
In the suburb of Stittsville, the nine-hole Amberwood Village Golf and Country Club offers fun for golfers and non-golfers alike. The neighbourhood course includes a heated saltwater pool, tennis and pickleball courts, and the ALE restaurant.
Seeking something more rural in the west end? Try the Stittsville Golf Course or the Canadian Golf and Country Club, both near the historic village of Ashton. And west of the community of Richmond, there’s an 18-hole parkland course at the RiverBend Golf and Country Club.
South Ottawa
On Ottawa’s southern edge, you’ll find multiple courses. Near the community of North Gower, Manderley on the Green offers 27 holes of golf, on three nine-hole courses, and five sets of tee blocks on each hole.
Adjacent to Ottawa International Airport, Hylands Golf Club gives preference to current and former members of the military and the RCMP, but civilians are welcome, too.
Falcon Ridge Golf Club near the Findlay Creek suburb and Emerald Links outside the village of Greely are both home to 18-hole and nine-hole courses, and offer club rentals.
East Ottawa
Perhaps the easiest golf course to access from downtown Ottawa is Pine View Golf Course in the inner suburb of Pineview. It’s a 10-minute walk from Blair Station on the O-Train’s Confederation Line (a direct trip from downtown), and you can rent clubs at the course!
Just off Highway 174 on the outskirts of suburban Orleans, you can drop into the par-three White Sands Golf Course and Practice Centre to play a quick nine holes or to hit the driving range, which has the city’s largest grass deck.
Rural public golf courses in the east end include Anderson Links, just south of Highway 417 near Carlsbad Springs, and Bearbrook Golf Club, south of the village of Navan.
Mini-putts and driving ranges
In the west end at The 19th Tee, duffers can play the mini-golf course while keeners hone their skills on one of the city’s largest driving ranges. At Mini Golf Gardens in a southwest Ottawa neighbourhood, night owls can play until midnight in summer. In the east, you can try your luck on the 18-hole mini-putt course before or after playing the nine-hole golf course at Mer Bleue Golf near Navan.
Indoor golf and entertainment
To make sure you can play no matter what the weather, head to Par-Tee Putt in downtown’s Little Italy, where you can enjoy snacks and drinks (alcoholic or non) as you golf your way around an indoor mini-putt course.
Two blocks from Parliament Hill, nosh on pub food and drinks as you play virtual versions of some of the world’s most famous courses on the golf simulators at Mulligans Golf Bar. You can rent clubs if you didn’t bring your own, and the O-Train stops right outside the door at the Parliament Station on the Confederation Line.
At Golfomax Indoor Golf Club, each of the 11 simulators features a huge 10 foot by 12 foot screen. And several of the Ottawa courses mentioned above—including Pine View and Falcon Ridge—have indoor simulators, too.
