Toronto golf courses to help you save on budget and par
Golf has a reputation for being an expensive game, but it doesn’t have to be costly. These great golf courses prove that all you need is a set of clubs and a willing spirit. Let everyone else overpay while you play for the sheer fun of the game.
Scarlett Woods Golf Course
1000 Jane St, Toronto, ON M6N 4E2You get quite the bang for your buck here, with 18 holes that are beautiful, challenging and most definitely playable. Your aim for the entire game is hitting a par of 62, which is tough but doable over the 3,749 yards. Built in 1970, Scarlett Woods is gorgeously designed and makes you feel like you’re golfing out of the city without leaving the 416 area code. As a bonus, there’s parking available for 107 cars and a licensed restaurant.
Tam Oshanter Golf Course
2481 Birchmount Rd, Scarborough, ON M1T 2M6Playing the full 18 holes here costs less than filling up your car with gas, even if you drive a fuel-efficient four-cylinder. It’s not an overly difficult course but if you want to hit the total par of 72, take the time to focus on lining up every tee shot beautifully. You’ll run into tough spots on the 10th, 12th and 15th holes, with two of them requiring blind shots to settle onto the green.
Flemingdon Park Golf Club
155 St Dennis Dr, North York, ON M3C 1H2It’s a nine-hole course that combines the picturesque Don Valley with the challenges of golfing around the Don River, with reasonable prices that’ll allow you to hit the greens every week. Par for the course is 35, but keep a careful eye out for the 2nd, 5th and 7th holes, all of which demand precision and accuracy. All you have to do is show up and they’ll provide the rest, renting out clubs, carts and bags.
Cardinal Golf Club
2740 Davis Dr W, King, ON L7B 0G7A bit on the pricier side of budget golf courses but what you pay in green fees, you get back in fair challenges and course quality. Also making up for higher costs is the choice of teeing off at one of their four golf courses – RedCrest, East Wing, West Wing, Kettle Creek – with Kettle Creek the most affordable of the bunch. You can choose between nine or 18 holes, and rent a power or pull cart and clubs for all.
TFP Golf Acquisitions Limited
3430 Seventh Concession Rd, Pickering, ON L1Y 1C6Don’t let the beautiful landscape lull you into a false sense of security: Once you tap the ball in on the first hole, you’re presented with an absolute monster of a task on the second, where you’ll have to draw on all your focus and skill. Sand traps are fairly plentiful, especially on the back nine, so play a conservative game until you’re familiar enough with the greens to test out a new trick shot.
Humber Valley Golf Course
40 Beattie Ave, Toronto, ON M9W 2M3When a course has won an award for best value, as this one did in 2014, you know you’re getting a good deal in terms of pricing and challenge. The 5,446 yards and par-70 are rated as moderately difficult, especially with the long water hazard on the 15th hole. But you’re not out of the woods yet, as there are three bunkers surrounding your final putt on the 18th. Once you're finished the course, compare scores with other golfers at the licensed restaurant.
