Canada Golf Course Renovations to Watch in 2026
Two stories define Canadian course work in 2026: a multi million dollar question hanging over the lodge at one of the country's most beloved courses, and a patient, year by year restoration of a classic on the doorstep of Toronto. Here is what is happening and what it means for a Canadian golf trip.
Cape Breton: the course plays on, the lodge waits
The biggest Canadian story of the cycle is at Cape Breton, home of the Cape Breton Highlands Links, the Stanley Thompson masterpiece long rated among the very best courses in the country. The resort's historic main lodge at Keltic Lodge has been closed since January 2024, and a 2026 estimate put the cost of a full restoration of the lodge at close to seventy million dollars, a sum that has kept the future of the on site accommodation an open question.
The crucial point for golfers is that the course itself is a separate matter. GolfNorth, which holds the management lease awarded by Parks Canada, confirmed that the golf course would remain open, so the Thompson links continues to take tee times even while the lodge question is resolved. The practical effect is on where you sleep rather than where you play: with the main lodge shut, visitors need to plan accommodation carefully on a peninsula where beds are limited.
St George's: restoration by the year
Outside Toronto, St George's Golf and Country Club, the Stanley Thompson design that has hosted multiple Canadian Opens, offers the opposite model: not one dramatic project but a slow, deliberate restoration carried out a little at a time. The architects Tom Doak and Ian Andrew rebuilt the greens and restored the bunkering in the 2010s, and a master plan they drew up has guided the club ever since.
The work continues quietly. The club restores a few more original bunkers each year and has run a substantial tree removal program to bring sunlight and air back to the turf, while elements of the plan, such as widening fairways so the bunkers bite more, were still to be completed as of late 2025. For the visiting golfer it means St George's keeps getting closer to Thompson's original intent season by season, a living example of how a great classic is best looked after.
What it means for your trip
Canada's renovation news in 2026 is really about planning rather than playability. The courses worth crossing an ocean for are open and in good order; the wrinkles are logistical. For Cape Breton, that means sorting accommodation before you commit, since the main lodge closure tightens an already limited bed base in a remote and spectacular corner of Nova Scotia. For the classics around Toronto, it means understanding that restoration is ongoing, and that what you play is steadily improving.
Canada divides neatly into golf regions, and a trip is usually built around one of them. The Maritime links of Nova Scotia pair the Highlands Links with the modern greats at Cabot Links and Cabot Cliffs, while the Rockies offer the Thompson grandeur of Banff Springs and Jasper Park Lodge.
Our take
The reassuring theme across Canada is that the golf is safe even where the surrounding infrastructure is in flux. A Stanley Thompson masterpiece like Highlands Links keeps its tee sheet open while the lodge question plays out, and the careful, unhurried restoration at St George's is exactly the kind of stewardship a hundred year old course deserves. Our advice for 2026 is to book the golf with confidence and put your planning energy into the beds, the drives and the timing. Sort those, and Canada delivers some of the most memorable golf trips anywhere.
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Questions
Is the Cape Breton Highlands Links course still open?
Yes. The golf course remains open and taking tee times. It is the historic main lodge at Keltic Lodge that has been closed since January 2024, so the change affects on site accommodation rather than play.
What restoration is happening at St George's in Toronto?
St George's follows a Tom Doak and Ian Andrew master plan, restoring a few original bunkers each year and running a tree removal program, with some fairway widening still to be completed as of late 2025.
When is the best time to play golf in Canada?
The main Canadian golf season runs roughly May to October, with summer the peak; the Maritime and Rockies courses are at their best from June through September.
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Researched and written by the GolfForKings editorial desk. Renovation and access details verified June 2026 from resort, club and news sources; projects and schedules change, so always confirm directly. Last reviewed June 2026.