Glen Abbey
Jack Nicklaus carved Glen Abbey out of the Sixteen Mile Creek valley west of Toronto in 1976, his first solo design and for decades the home of the Canadian Open. A public par 73 of about 7,253 yards, it is the stage for one of the most famous shots in the game, Tiger Woods at the 18th in 2000.
Photo: Glen Abbey Golf Club via Google.
The verdict
Jack Nicklaus designed Glen Abbey in 1976 as his first solo architectural project, and the result is one of the most recognisable courses in Canada. The front and back nines work across high parkland tableland, while the heart of the round drops into the wooded valley of Sixteen Mile Creek, a run of holes that has decided countless national championships.
Glen Abbey is best understood as a tournament course you can actually play. It hosted the RBC Canadian Open more often than any other venue, around 30 times, and remains a public daily fee course owned by ClubLink. Anyone can book a tee time, walk the same fairways the best in the world have walked, and stand in the fairway bunker on the 18th where Tiger Woods played his shot in the dark to win in 2000.
Glen Abbey at a glance
- Opened
- 1976
- Designer
- Jack Nicklaus
- Type
- Parkland valley
- Par
- 73
- Yardage
- About 7,253 yds
- Green fee
- Public daily fee
Designer, opening year, par and yardage verified June 2026 from Nicklaus Design, ClubLink and leading course databases. Glen Abbey opened in 1976 as Jack Nicklaus first solo design, a par 73 of about 7,253 yards. It is a public course with demand based daily fee pricing and a mandatory cart, so rates move with season and tee time. Always confirm the current rate directly before booking.
The holes worth the trip
The opening holes set out across breezy upland parkland, generous off the tee but firmly defended at the green, easing you into the round before the land tilts away. Then comes the famous descent into the Sixteen Mile Creek valley, where holes 11 through 15 wind along the creek under mature trees, the most photographed stretch on the property and the place the Canadian Open was so often won and lost.
The closing par 5 18th is the signature. A long two shotter for the professionals, it asks for a carry over water to a green tucked behind the hazard, and it is here that Tiger Woods hit a 6 iron some 200 yards from a fairway bunker, all carry over the water, to seal the 2000 title. For the visiting golfer it is a thrilling, reachable finish with real history under your feet.
Glen Abbey rewards a player who can shape the ball and respect the valley. It is not a quirky links puzzle but a clean, strategic championship test that holds up beautifully for a public course, which is exactly why so many golfers make the short trip from Toronto to tick it off.
How to get on
| What to know | Detail |
|---|---|
| Access | Public daily fee, owned by ClubLink; anyone can book online, subject to seasonal closures and member priority times |
| Green fee | Demand based pricing; indicative peak season rates run from roughly CAD 200 including the mandatory cart (2026); always confirm directly |
| Booking | Reserve online through ClubLink or by phone; weekday mornings are easiest to secure |
| On the day | Riding cart is mandatory; range and full clubhouse on site; tournament conditions in summer |
| Getting there | Oakville, about 35 minutes west of downtown Toronto and Toronto Pearson Airport |
| Best months | May to October; the valley holes are at their finest in early autumn |
Access and pricing verified June 2026; Glen Abbey uses dynamic daily fee pricing and a mandatory cart, and ClubLink has at times proposed redeveloping the site, though the course remains open to public play. Always confirm current rates, the cart policy and availability directly before booking.
Where to stay nearby
Most visiting golfers base themselves in Oakville or central Toronto, both an easy drive from the first tee and full of hotels, dining and the wider draw of one of North America great cities. Oakville itself is a comfortable lakeside town with plenty of rooms close to the course.
Glen Abbey pairs naturally with a wider Ontario or cross border golf run, and it is an ideal warm up or finale to a longer Canadian trip that might stretch to the celebrated links of Cape Breton. Tell us when you want to play and we will build the rest around it.
Looking for a base? See our recommended hotels and resorts near Glen Abbey.
Build a Toronto golf trip
We book the Glen Abbey tee times, pair them with the best of Ontario and Atlantic Canada, and sort the lodging around your round. Tell us roughly when and who is travelling and one concierge costs it to the head, with no obligation.
Glen Abbey questions
Who designed Glen Abbey and when did it open?
Glen Abbey was designed by Jack Nicklaus and opened in 1976. It was the first course Nicklaus designed on his own, and it sits in the Sixteen Mile Creek valley in Oakville, Ontario.
What is the par and length of Glen Abbey?
Glen Abbey is a par 73 of about 7,253 yards from the back tees, a parkland course that drops into a wooded creek valley for its most famous holes.
Can the public play Glen Abbey?
Yes. Glen Abbey is a public daily fee course owned by ClubLink. Anyone can book a tee time online, subject to seasonal closures, member priority times and a mandatory riding cart.
Why is Glen Abbey famous?
Glen Abbey hosted the Canadian Open more often than any other venue, around 30 times, and is the course where Tiger Woods hit his celebrated bunker shot on the 18th to win in 2000.
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Researched and written by the GolfForKings editorial desk. Designer, opening year, par and yardage verified June 2026; daily fee pricing is dynamic and was verified indicative for 2026. Last reviewed June 2026.