Capilano Golf and Country Club
Stanley Thompson blasted from a fir clad mountainside, and barely touched since. Opened in 1937 above Burrard Inlet, Capilano is one of the purest surviving Thompson designs, a par 72 that flows down and back up the slope with Vancouver and the sea spread out below.
Photo: Capilano Golf and Country Club via Google.
The verdict
Capilano is one of the great achievements of Canadian golf architecture, and a study in what Stanley Thompson could do with a difficult site. In the 1930s the course was literally carved from a steep hillside of fir and rock on the slopes above West Vancouver, a gargantuan engineering effort that opened for play in 1937. It was developed by the family behind the Guinness brewing fortune as the centrepiece of the British Properties residential scheme, and the result is a mountainside layout with few peers anywhere.
What makes Capilano special today is how little it has changed. Where many Thompson courses were remodelled over the decades, his 1937 routing here remains largely intact, which makes it one of the best places in the world to see his work as he intended it. It plays as a par 72 of about 6,700 yards, and the defence is not length but the mountain itself: the tumbling, tree lined corridors, the constant elevation change, and the bold, contoured greens that have defined Capilano's place near the very top of Canada's course rankings for generations.
Capilano at a glance
- Opened
- 1937
- Designer
- Stanley Thompson
- Type
- Mountain parkland
- Par
- 72
- Yardage
- 6,700 yds
- Access
- Private members
The 1937 opening, the Stanley Thompson design, the Guinness family and British Properties development history, the par 72 and the length of about 6,700 yards verified June 2026 from club, course and Stanley Thompson Society records; sources vary slightly on the exact back tee yardage. Capilano is a private members club with no public green fee. Always confirm access directly before planning a visit.
The holes worth the trip
The genius of Capilano is in how Thompson used the gradient. The front nine plays largely downhill toward Burrard Inlet, opening with one of golf's grand reveals as the course drops away beneath the player with the city and the sea beyond, and the back nine climbs steadily home. That up and back routing on a steep site is a masterclass in flow, with the elevation feeding into almost every club selection so that judging the drop or the rise is as important as the swing itself.
The corridors are tight, cut through towering firs, so accuracy off the tee is rewarded and the wayward shot is swallowed by forest rather than punished by length. Around the greens, Thompson's contouring is the lasting test: the putting surfaces are bold and full of movement, asking the approach to find the correct portion of the green and leaving subtle, breaking putts for those who do not. Because the design has survived so intact, a round here is a chance to read Thompson's strategic intent almost exactly as he set it down.
Add the setting, a mature mountainside above one of the world's most scenic cities, and Capilano becomes more than a great test; it is an experience. It is consistently ranked among the finest courses in Canada and a fixture in continental top tens, which is exactly why golfers who care about classic architecture covet a round here.
How to get on
| What to know | Detail |
|---|---|
| Access | A private members club; play is generally only as the guest of a member, or occasionally through a member hosted event. Not open to public play and there is no public green fee |
| Etiquette | A traditional members club with a classic dress code; caddies and a fine walking experience for those who get on, on a properly hilly course |
| Architecture | One of the most intact Stanley Thompson designs anywhere, a draw in its own right for students of classic course design |
| Getting there | In West Vancouver, in the British Properties above the city, a short drive over the Lions Gate Bridge from downtown Vancouver and roughly 30 to 40 minutes from Vancouver international airport |
| Best months | The Vancouver season runs roughly April to October, with summer the driest and most reliable; the hilly walk is most comfortable in the cooler shoulder months |
Access verified June 2026 from club information; private club arrangements change without notice, so always confirm directly before planning a visit. If a member connection or an event can open the door, we can build the rest of the trip around it. Ask about access and tee times.
Where to stay nearby
Capilano sits in the British Properties above West Vancouver, so the natural base is the city itself, only a short drive over the Lions Gate Bridge. Downtown Vancouver offers everything from grand waterfront hotels to boutique stays, with the North Shore mountains, Stanley Park and the seawall all close at hand for the non golf hours, and Vancouver international airport an easy run away.
Because access here is so restricted, most visiting golfers build a wider British Columbia trip around the courses they can play and treat a round at Capilano, if a member connection allows, as the prize. The region rewards that approach, pairing the city courses with the celebrated resort golf of Whistler a couple of hours north and the Okanagan further inland for a varied west coast week.
Looking for a base? See our recommended hotels across Vancouver and British Columbia.
Build a British Columbia golf trip
Capilano is a private club, so we are honest about access. Where a connection or an event allows, we build the round into a wider Vancouver and British Columbia itinerary; where it does not, we point you to the best courses you can play. Tell us your dates and group and one concierge will map it out, costed to the head.
Capilano questions
Who designed Capilano Golf and Country Club?
Capilano was designed by Stanley Thompson, Canada's greatest golf architect, and opened in 1937. It was developed by the Guinness family as part of the British Properties residential scheme in West Vancouver and remains one of Thompson's most intact designs.
What is the par and length of Capilano?
Capilano plays as a par 72 of about 6,700 yards, with some tee sets nearer 6,600. Built into a forested mountainside above Burrard Inlet, its challenge comes from elevation change, tight tree lined corridors and Thompson's contoured greens rather than raw length.
Can visitors play Capilano?
Capilano is a private members club and is not open to public play. Access for visitors is generally only as the guest of a member, or occasionally through a member hosted event. There is no public green fee.
Why is Capilano considered one of Canada's best courses?
Capilano is prized as one of the purest surviving Stanley Thompson designs, blasted from the fir clad mountainside in the 1930s and barely altered since. Its routing down and back up the slope, its setting above Vancouver and its classic greens keep it near the top of Canada's rankings.
When is the best time to play golf in Vancouver?
The Vancouver golf season runs roughly April to October, with the summer months the driest and most reliable. Late spring and early autumn are quieter and often the most comfortable for walking a hilly course like Capilano.
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Researched and written by the GolfForKings editorial desk. Opening year, designer, development history, par and yardage verified June 2026. Last reviewed June 2026.