Cabot Cliffs at Inverness, clifftop links hole above the Gulf of St Lawrence in Nova Scotia

Ranked · 8 courses · updated 2026

The Best Golf Courses in Nova Scotia

In barely a decade Nova Scotia has become one of the most talked about golf destinations on earth, on the strength of two modern links at Inverness and a Stanley Thompson masterpiece that has stood since 1941. Add a five star resort on the Northumberland Strait and a clutch of fine Cape Breton and Halifax courses, and the province rewards a proper tour. Here are the eight we rate most highly, ranked, with our verdict on each and how to play it.

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

Photograph: Cabot Cliffs Golf Course, via Google

How we chose them

Nova Scotia is a links destination first. The arrival of Cabot at Inverness, where Rod Whitman built Canada's first true links and Coore and Crenshaw followed with a clifftop course that vaulted straight into the world rankings, turned a quiet Maritime province into a bucket list trip. But the foundation was laid eight decades earlier, when Stanley Thompson routed Cape Breton Highlands Links through a national park and created what many still call the finest public course in Canada. Those three rounds are the reason golfers fly in from around the world.

We weighed the quality and originality of the golf, the setting, the conditioning and the strength of the wider trip each course anchors, because Nova Scotia is a touring destination where the drives between courses are part of the experience. The Cape Breton trio leads, with the Northumberland Strait resort of Fox Harb'r and the best of the island and Halifax courses behind. The order and the verdicts are our editors' view, so reasonable people will reorder the list. If you want any of these built into a costed trip with the tee times secured, that is exactly what our concierge does.

The ranking

Cabot Cliffs

Inverness · Coore and Crenshaw · 2015

The course that put Nova Scotia on the world map, a Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw clifftop links at Inverness on Cape Breton that opened in 2015 and rocketed into the global top tier. A par 72 of about 6,800 yards routed along the bluffs above the Gulf of St Lawrence, it has three par 3s, three par 4s and three par 5s on each nine, the famous short 16th hanging over the sea, and views that stop you on every tee. The best course in Canada and the headline round of any Maritime trip.

Read the Cabot Cliffs profile

Cabot Links

Inverness · Rod Whitman · 2012

Canada's first true links and the course that started the Cabot story, a Rod Whitman design laid out on a reclaimed coal town site where holes run hard along the beach and the harbour. Firm turf, sea breezes and several greens almost on the sand give it a genuine British links feel, and it is the more strategic, walkable companion to the spectacular Cliffs next door. Together the two make one of the great modern golf pairings anywhere.

Read the Cabot Links profile

Cape Breton Highlands Links

Ingonish · Stanley Thompson · 1941

Stanley Thompson's mountains and ocean masterpiece, routed through Cape Breton Highlands National Park at Ingonish and opened in 1941. A par 72 that climbs from the sea into the forest and back, every hole framed by a different backdrop, it has been rated Canada's number one public course for decades and is a pilgrimage for lovers of golden age design. The drive up the Cabot Trail to reach it is one of the world's great golf approaches.

Add Highlands Links to a trip

Fox Harb'r Resort

Wallace · Graham Cooke · 2000

The province's premier five star golf resort, on the Northumberland Strait near Wallace, with a Graham Cooke championship course that opened in 2000 and runs out to dramatic seaside holes along the shore. Polished, immaculately kept and paired with luxury lodging, a marina and a private airstrip, it is the most resort style experience in Nova Scotia and a natural base for a softer, more comfortable trip away from the Cape Breton links.

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Bell Bay Golf Club

Baddeck · Thomas McBroom

A Thomas McBroom design above the village of Baddeck, with sweeping views over the Bras d'Or Lake from a hillside parkland routing. One of the most acclaimed public courses on Cape Breton outside the Cabot and Highlands names, it is a generous, beautifully presented round and an easy, central addition to an island itinerary, sitting near the start of the Cabot Trail.

Add Bell Bay to a trip

The Lakes Golf Club

Ben Eoin · Cape Breton

A modern championship course at Ben Eoin on the shore of the Bras d'Or Lake, south of Sydney, with mountain and water views and a strong, well conditioned layout. Less travelled than the marquee names, it is a quality round that rewards golfers exploring the eastern side of Cape Breton, and a good value complement to the bigger ticket courses.

Add The Lakes to a trip

Chester Golf Club

Mahone Bay · South Shore

One of Nova Scotia's oldest and most scenic clubs, on a peninsula reaching into Mahone Bay on the pretty South Shore southwest of Halifax. Holes play out toward the islands and the sea, the views are everywhere, and the welcome is classic small town Maritime. Not the longest test, but a charming, memorable round that captures the coastal character of the province.

Add Chester to a trip

Ashburn Golf Club

Halifax · the city classic

The leading club in the Halifax area, with a mature, tree lined New Course that is the pick of golf around the provincial capital. Well kept and traditional, it is the natural round for a group basing in the city at the start or end of a tour, before the drive out to Cape Breton or the Northumberland Strait. A solid, enjoyable test close to the airport and the city's hotels.

Add a Halifax round to a trip

Designers, opening years and rankings verified June 2026 from the clubs and recognized course databases; access, conditioning and green fees vary by season and year. Always confirm visitor access and fees directly before booking. Check tee time availability.

Plan your Nova Scotia golf trip

Tell us the group, the rough dates and whether you want the Cape Breton links, the wider provincial tour or a Fox Harb'r resort base, and we will build it. One concierge secures the tee times at Cabot and beyond, sorts the lodging and the drives, and costs the whole trip to the head, with no obligation.

Nova Scotia golf questions

What is the best golf course in Nova Scotia?

Cabot Cliffs, the Coore and Crenshaw clifftop links at Inverness on Cape Breton, is widely rated the best course in Nova Scotia and one of the finest in Canada, regularly inside the world top 20 public courses. Its sister course Cabot Links, by Rod Whitman, and Stanley Thompson's Cape Breton Highlands Links are the other essential rounds.

When is the best time to play golf in Nova Scotia?

The Nova Scotia golf season runs roughly May to October. Summer, from June to early September, is the prime window with the warmest weather and the courses in peak condition, while late September and early October bring fine autumn colour and quieter tee sheets. The links courses can be breezy and cool by the water even in summer, so pack layers. Always confirm conditions before booking.

How do you plan a golf trip to Nova Scotia?

Most golf trips centre on Cape Breton Island, pairing Cabot Cliffs and Cabot Links at Inverness with the drive up to Highlands Links at Ingonish along the Cabot Trail. Fox Harb'r on the Northumberland Strait and the courses around Halifax round out a longer tour. Distances are significant, so allow driving time and book the Cabot tee times well ahead, as they fill fast in summer.

The Tee Sheet

Maritime golf, the Cabot tee time windows and the trips worth taking. Every other week.

Researched and written by the GolfForKings editorial desk. Designers, opening years and rankings verified June 2026. Last reviewed June 2026.