Greater Victoria home to 3 of Canada’s top-ranked golf courses

Victoria Golf Club, James Island and Royal Colwood named among the country’s finest layouts

Whether you swing a club or not, it is hard to miss how rich Greater Victoria is when it comes to golf.

From Langford through to Sidney, the region is home to 16 courses, and this year three of them landed on a national spotlight list.

According to top100golfcourses.com, Victoria Golf Club, James Island and Royal Colwood are all among the Top-36 courses in Canada. For a region of this size, that is no small feat.

Leading the way at number 18 is Victoria Golf Club, a course steeped in history. Established in 1893 by British expats, it is the oldest club in Canada still playing on its original site.

Designed by A.V. Macan, the course is often called the Pebble Beach of Canada, and it’s not hard to see why. With eight seaside holes and 13 offering ocean views, the Par-70 layout may only stretch to 6,157 yards, but the elements make sure it plays every bit as tough as longer courses.

Wind off the Strait of Juan de Fuca can shift a shot by two or three clubs, particularly on the back-to-back par threes that close the front nine, where tee boxes sit on the edge of the ocean and demand both nerve and precision.

Not far behind on the list, though far less accessible to the average golfer, is James Island at number 28.

Visible only from a distance when looking east from Island View Beach, the private course sits on a 780-acre island in the Cordova Channel.

The 18 holes are lush and lined by water, and much like Victoria Golf Club, the setting offers sweeping seaside views.

Few, however, ever get the chance to play it. Access is strictly private, making it one of the most exclusive rounds of golf in the country and a bucket-list course for those lucky enough to receive an invitation.

Rounding out the Greater Victoria trio is Royal Colwood, which checked in at number 36.

Another A.V. Macan design, it first opened in 1913 and has a heritage few clubs can match.

In 1931, King George V granted the course its “Royal” designation, one of only five in Canada to receive that honour. The course winds through stands of Garry oak and Douglas fir, with a scenic driveway that runs through the property.

At 6,721 yards, it plays as a Par-70, with just one par five on each side. From the opening tee shot, the course demands accuracy and strategy, rewarding those who can keep their ball between the towering trees.

Other B.C. courses to make the Top-100 included Capilano Golf & Country Club (8), Sagebrush Golf Club (10), Shaughnessy Golf & Country Club (27), Greywolf Golf Course (30), Predator Ridge’s Ridge Course (35), Tobiano Golf Course (45), Big Sky Golf Club (76), Talking Rock Golf Course (79), Vancouver Golf Club (87), Marine Drive Golf Club (90), Predator Ridge’s Predator Course (94) and Kelowna Golf & Country Club (96).

The number one course in Canada this year was St. George’s Golf and Country Club in Toronto, which also stood as the only Canadian course ranked among the world’s Top 100.