St. George's Golf and Country Club
Canada's number one course, and the high water mark of Stanley Thompson's parkland work. Opened in 1929 in west Toronto, St. George's is a study in crowned greens, fierce bunkering and rolling glacial ground, a six-time Canadian Open host that has tested the very best, McIlroy included.
Photo: St. George's Golf Club via Google.
The verdict
St. George's is the course Canadian golfers measure all others against. Stanley Thompson, the country's greatest architect and a co-founder of the American Society of Golf Course Architects, laid it out on superb rolling land in Etobicoke, and it opened in 1929 as the Royal York Golf Club, the partner course to the grand Royal York hotel downtown. It took the name St. George's in 1946, but Thompson's design has carried it across nearly a century largely intact.
A par 71 of about 7,025 yards, it does not rely on length. The defence is Thompson at his most artful: greens crowned and tilted so that anything short of perfect rolls away, bunkers cut deep into the natural hollows, and fairways that ripple over the glacial terrain so that a flat lie is a small reward in itself. It is regularly ranked the finest course in Canada and a fixture inside the world top 100, and it remains one of the great strategic parkland tests anywhere.
St. George's at a glance
- Opened
- 1929
- Designer
- Stanley Thompson
- Type
- Parkland
- Par
- 71
- Yardage
- 7,025 yds
- Access
- Private members
The 1929 opening as the Royal York Golf Club, the 1946 renaming, the Stanley Thompson design, the par 71 and the championship length of about 7,025 yards verified June 2026 from club and course records. St. George's is a private members club with no public green fee. Always confirm access and any event arrangements directly before planning a visit.
The holes worth the trip
The genius of St. George's is in the greens. Thompson perched and tilted them so that approach play has to be both bold and precise, since a ball that finishes on the wrong tier or trickles off a crown leaves a recovery that can quietly wreck a card. Around them sit some of the most demanding bunkers in North American golf, deep and steep faced, set into the natural folds of the land rather than sprinkled for decoration.
The routing makes the most of the rolling, ravine cut terrain of west Toronto. Holes climb and tumble with the ground, doglegs bend around the high points, and the player is constantly asked to favour one side of a fairway to open the only sensible angle in. When the Canadian Open returned in 2010 and again in 2022, the course needed almost no artificial lengthening to defend par against the modern game, a testament to how well Thompson's strategy has aged.
It was at the 2022 RBC Canadian Open that Rory McIlroy successfully defended his title here, and the leaderboard that week underlined the point that St. George's is a thinking player's course. For students of golf architecture, a round at St. George's is a master class in how movement in the ground, not yardage, makes a great course, which is exactly why it tops Canada's rankings year after year.
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 charity or corporate event. Not open to public play and there is no public green fee |
| Tournaments | Six-time Canadian Open host, in 1933 as the Royal York, then 1949, 1960, 1968, 2010 and 2022; access is tightly limited around championship years |
| Etiquette | A traditional members club with a classic dress code; a strong field of caddies and a fine walking experience for those who do get on |
| Getting there | In Etobicoke, west Toronto, a short drive from Toronto Pearson international airport |
| Best months | The Ontario season runs roughly May to October, with June, September and early October the most settled and colourful for golf |
Access verified June 2026 from club information; private club arrangements change without notice, so always confirm directly before planning a visit. If a 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
St. George's sits in the western suburbs of Toronto, so the natural base is the city itself, with everything from the grand downtown hotels, including the historic Royal York that gave the club its first name, to quieter boutique stays closer to Etobicoke. Toronto Pearson airport is only a short drive away, which makes the club an easy add on at the start or end of a wider Ontario trip.
Because access here is so restricted, most visiting golfers build a Toronto and Ontario itinerary around the more accessible big names, then treat a round at St. George's, if a member connection or event allows, as the jewel in the week. The region has plenty to pair it with, from Glen Abbey on the western edge of the city to the celebrated courses of cottage country a couple of hours north.
Looking for a base? See our recommended hotels across Toronto and Ontario.
Build a Toronto golf trip
St. George's is a private club, so we are honest about access. Where a connection or an event allows, we build the round into a wider Toronto and Ontario 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.
St. George's questions
Who designed St. George's Golf and Country Club?
St. George's was designed by Stanley Thompson, Canada's greatest golf architect, and opened in 1929 as the Royal York Golf Club. It was renamed St. George's Golf and Country Club in 1946 and is regarded as one of Thompson's finest parkland courses.
What is the par and length of St. George's?
St. George's plays as a par 71 of about 7,025 yards from the back tees. Its defence is not raw length but Thompson's crowned greens, severe bunkering and the natural movement of the rolling glacial land it sits on in west Toronto.
Has St. George's hosted the Canadian Open?
Yes. St. George's has hosted the Canadian Open six times, in 1933 under the Royal York name, then in 1949, 1960, 1968, 2010 and 2022, when Rory McIlroy won the RBC Canadian Open there. It is one of the championship's most decorated venues.
Can visitors play St. George's?
St. George's 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 charity or corporate event. There is no public green fee.
Where is St. George's and how good is it?
St. George's is in Etobicoke in west Toronto, Ontario, a short drive from Pearson airport. It is consistently ranked the number one golf course in Canada and sits comfortably inside most world top 100 rankings.
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Researched and written by the GolfForKings editorial desk. Opening year, designer, par, yardage and Canadian Open history verified June 2026. Last reviewed June 2026.