Greywolf Golf Course, mountain fairway in the Purcell Mountains of British Columbia

Ranked · 10 courses · updated 2026

The Best Golf Courses in British Columbia

No province in Canada offers golf this scenic. British Columbia runs from Stanley Thompson's masterpiece above Vancouver to the mountain courses of the Kootenays, Whistler and the sun baked Okanagan, all framed by peaks, lakes and forest. Here are the ten we rate most highly, ranked, with our verdict on each.

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By the GolfForKings editorial desk · How we rank · Last reviewed June 2026

Photograph: Greywolf Golf Course, via Google, by Dylan Hendricks

How we chose them

British Columbia has two distinct golf worlds, and a complete top ten honours both. The coast and the Lower Mainland hold the great classical clubs, led by Stanley Thompson's Capilano and the championship parkland of Shaughnessy, while the interior is mountain golf country, where modern architects have draped courses over the granite, ravines and lakes of the Kootenays, the Sea to Sky and the Okanagan. Few places combine inland scenery and shotmaking like this.

Every fact here, from designers and opening years to host events and rankings, was checked at the time of writing against the clubs and recognized Canadian panels. The verdicts are ours, and the order reflects our editors' view rather than any single published list, so reasonable people will reorder the top five, particularly between the classical Vancouver clubs and the best of the mountain resorts. Several of these are private. If you want any of them built into a costed trip, that is exactly what our concierge does.

The ranking

Capilano Golf and Country Club

Stanley Thompson, 1937 · West Vancouver · private

The best course in British Columbia and one of the finest in Canada. Stanley Thompson routed Capilano down the forested slopes of Hollyburn Mountain above West Vancouver, the holes falling gently toward the city, the harbour and the ocean beyond. The towering firs, the serene downhill walk and the immaculate conditioning make it a sublime experience, consistently ranked inside the top five in the country. A private club, so plan access carefully, but a Golden Age masterpiece.

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Tobiano

Thomas McBroom, 2007 · Kamloops

The best course in the province that anyone can play. Thomas McBroom routed Tobiano 200 metres above the turquoise expanse of Kamloops Lake, through golden grasslands, sagebrush and rugged canyons in the dry interior. Big, bold and spectacular, with the lake in view from almost every hole, it is regularly rated the number one public course in British Columbia and a genuine bucket list round in the Canadian west.

Plan an interior BC trip

Greywolf

Doug Carrick, 1999 · Panorama

Doug Carrick's mountain epic at Panorama Resort, high in the Purcell Mountains of the Kootenays. Dramatic elevation changes, bentgrass fairways and a backdrop of peaks make it one of the most photographed courses in Canada, crowned by the famous par 3 sixth, the Cliffhanger, which plays from a tee perched on a rocky outcrop above a canyon. Public, remote and unforgettable, and worth the drive into the mountains.

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Predator Ridge, Ridge Course

Doug Carrick, 2010 · Vernon

The newer of two courses at Predator Ridge in the Okanagan, another Doug Carrick design that winds through granite outcroppings, ravines and stands of ponderosa pine above the valley near Vernon. Bold, scenic and strategic, it pairs with the original Les Furber Predator Course to make the resort the premier golf destination in the Okanagan and a fixture inside the Canadian top 30.

Predator Ridge profile

Shaughnessy Golf and Country Club

A.V. Macan · Vancouver · private

The great championship parkland of Vancouver, an A.V. Macan layout that hosted the RBC Canadian Open in 2011, when Sean O'Hair won on a course that drew rave reviews from the tour. Tree lined, strategic and beautifully conditioned on the banks of the Fraser, it is one of the finest tests in the country and a regular in the national top 15. A private club with genuine tournament pedigree.

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Nicklaus North

Jack Nicklaus, 1996 · Whistler

One of only a handful of courses to carry Jack Nicklaus's own name, opened in 1996 on the valley floor at Whistler beside Green Lake and the Coast Mountains. Walkable, scenic and beautifully framed by the peaks and the lake, with water and wetland in play, it is the standout round of the Sea to Sky corridor and an easy add to a Whistler stay. Public and a tour favourite.

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Fairmont Chateau Whistler Golf Club

Robert Trent Jones Jr, 1993 · Whistler

Robert Trent Jones Jr carved this dramatic course into the lower slopes of Blackcomb Mountain, climbing through granite outcrops, forest and waterfalls with the village below. Steep, scenic and full of elevation, it is a thrilling mountain round and the perfect companion to Nicklaus North on a Whistler golf trip. Public, attached to the grand Fairmont resort, and a great walk in the high country.

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Royal Colwood Golf Club

A.V. Macan, 1913 · Victoria · private

One of the oldest and most distinguished clubs on Vancouver Island, an A.V. Macan design from 1913 set among towering Douglas firs and Garry oaks near Victoria. Mature, parkland and quietly revered, it carries a royal title granted in the 1930s and remains a connoisseur's course. A private club, beautifully kept, and the classic foil to the modern resort golf of nearby Bear Mountain.

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Bear Mountain, Mountain Course

Jack and Steve Nicklaus, 2003 · Victoria

The Mountain Course at Bear Mountain near Victoria is the only 36 hole Nicklaus Design facility in Canada, the Mountain a bold, elevated layout cut into the hillside with sweeping views over the Island and the Olympic peaks. Modern, well conditioned resort golf paired with the Valley Course and the Westin hotel, it anchors a golf focused stay on southern Vancouver Island. Public and a comfortable resort base.

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Furry Creek Golf and Country Club

Sea to Sky · Howe Sound

Perhaps the most scenic course in the province, clinging to the cliffs above the deep blue of Howe Sound on the Sea to Sky highway between Vancouver and Whistler. Short and quirky rather than long, with holes tumbling to the water's edge and views across the fjord to the Coast Mountains, it is golf as pure spectacle and a memorable stop on the drive north. Public and unmistakably British Columbia.

Plan a Sea to Sky golf trip

Designers, opening years, host events and rankings verified June 2026. Capilano, Shaughnessy and Royal Colwood are private clubs where visitor access depends on a member introduction; Tobiano, Greywolf, Predator Ridge, Nicklaus North, Fairmont Chateau Whistler, Bear Mountain and Furry Creek welcome public or resort play. Always confirm access and fees directly before booking. Check tee time availability.

Play the best of British Columbia

Tell us which of these are on your list, the great clubs of Vancouver, the Sea to Sky and Whistler, or the mountain resorts of the Okanagan and the Kootenays, and roughly when. One concierge arranges the access, tee times and base and costs the trip to the head, with no obligation.

British Columbia golf questions

What is the best golf course in British Columbia?

Capilano Golf and Country Club in West Vancouver, Stanley Thompson's 1937 masterpiece falling down the forested slopes above the city, is our pick and is regularly ranked the best in the province and inside the top five in Canada. Among courses the public can play, Tobiano near Kamloops is the standout. Reasonable people reorder the top five.

When is the best time to play golf in British Columbia?

The season runs broadly from May to October. The Okanagan and the interior, around Kamloops, Vernon and the Kootenays, are warm and dry from June to September and the best months for the mountain courses. Vancouver Island and the coast play longer, often into November, though they are wetter through spring and autumn.

Can visitors play the best courses in British Columbia?

Many of them, yes. Tobiano, Greywolf, Predator Ridge, Nicklaus North, Fairmont Chateau Whistler, Bear Mountain and Furry Creek all welcome public and resort play. The top ranked private clubs, Capilano, Shaughnessy and Royal Colwood, generally require a member introduction. Always confirm access before booking.

Where is the best golf in British Columbia?

Three regions stand out: greater Vancouver, home to Capilano and Shaughnessy, the Sea to Sky and Whistler corridor with Nicklaus North and Chateau Whistler, and the interior, where the Okanagan and Kootenay mountain courses such as Predator Ridge, Greywolf and Tobiano sit. Vancouver Island around Victoria adds Bear Mountain and Royal Colwood.

The Tee Sheet

Mountain golf seasons, course access changes and the trips worth taking. Every other week.

Researched and written by the GolfForKings editorial desk. Course designers, opening years, host events and rankings verified June 2026. Last reviewed June 2026.