Golf In Canada

[ewaldbeukes]

Hi all, 

 

We are in the process of applying for PR for Canada and hope to be emigrating in the next 8-12 months or so. I was hoping some locals had some insight on golf in Canada? The season, the courses, the temperature? Also, in winter are there indoor golf facilities that you can play sim golf at or practice? We currently live in South Africa so in Winter you still wear a pair of shorts! 

[MtlJeff]

3 hours ago, ewaldbeukes said:

Hi all, 

 

We are in the process of applying for PR for Canada and hope to be emigrating in the next 8-12 months or so. I was hoping some locals had some insight on golf in Canada? The season, the courses, the temperature? Also, in winter are there indoor golf facilities that you can play sim golf at or practice? We currently live in South Africa so in Winter you still wear a pair of shorts! 

 

Hey! Hope things go smoothly for you and you make it over here. We need more people LOL, we are dangerously under-dense

 

That being said, i am sure you are aware but ummmm, Canada is really big! If you plan on living in Vancouver the story and climate will be quite different than Montreal for example. 

 

Where are you planning to move?

 

I can tell you that in the far east (Montreal) the seasons are typically ~ May 1st to November 1st. You can play a bit before or after some seasons but it's usually silly golf at that point anyway. There are a few golf domes in the Montreal area and various simulator places where you can play virtual golf in the Winter. Golf is VERY cheap in Montreal, you can join very nice private clubs for ~5000$ a year or less, often with no initiation. 

 

As you move west, the seasons become a bit longer for the most part, provided you stay close to the US border (Calgary and Edmonton for example are exceptions to this). Toronto's season is a tad longer than ours and Vancouver you can play borderline year round though it's not always going to be comfortable. 

 

As you go West everything becomes more expensive too, real estate, golf etc....

[jvincent]

3 hours ago, ewaldbeukes said:

Hi all, 

 

We are in the process of applying for PR for Canada and hope to be emigrating in the next 8-12 months or so. I was hoping some locals had some insight on golf in Canada? The season, the courses, the temperature? Also, in winter are there indoor golf facilities that you can play sim golf at or practice? We currently live in South Africa so in Winter you still wear a pair of shorts! 

 

Like @MtlJeff points out you'll need to be a little more specific about the location you're looking at for better information.

 

I'm in Ottawa, about 2h due west of Montreal and we have the same season as they do. If I were looking to move to a more golf friendly location in Canada I would look at Victoria (basically all year round if you can tolerate golfing in 5-8* weather, or the interior of BC (Kelowna). IIRC their season is pretty much March thru end of Nov.

[Bad9]

C'mon guys, Canada is not that big. Don't we all know each other? How many times have you been asked(after you identify yourself as Canadian) "Do you know Joe Blow from Vancouver?" "Yes by' he's right close in Iqaluit". We're only the second largest country on the globe, weather can't be that different from place to place.

Edited December 29, 2020 by Bad9

[ewaldbeukes]

Sorry guys, coming from South African where people have asked me if lions roam the high streets I should have known better.

 

Nothing confirmed at this stage but we are aiming for the southern half of Canada and preference to the East coast. We will likely skip Quebec (language) and BC (weather)

[Ray Ray Got Game]

Canada is great for golf, it caters the full spectrum. From decent municipal golf courses to some of the top private courses in the world (and everything in between).

 

Lots of simulators around for winter practice. 

[MtlJeff]

1 hour ago, ewaldbeukes said:

Sorry guys, coming from South African where people have asked me if lions roam the high streets I should have known better.

 

Nothing confirmed at this stage but we are aiming for the southern half of Canada and preference to the East coast. We will likely skip Quebec (language) and BC (weather)

 

La language en Quebec c'est pas si gros d'un probleme. La plupart des companies travail avec les autres region en Canada ou des Etats Unis alors c'est pas tros difficil de trouver un emploi an anglais. Moi je travail en anglais 100% du temps pour les dernier 15 ans, je parle francais seulement en occasion, c'est aussi facile de trouver le service an anglais dans tous les magazins

 

Well, that mostly leaves Ontario. Ottawa and anything in the Toronto region. Really nice places but the Toronto GTA is huge, Top 5 in the Americas, so it's a big place. 

 

I really like MTL , nice sized city with a lot of culture. But the weather sucks and the best part of Montreal (cheap housing) is changing drastically the last year

[jvincent]

2 hours ago, ewaldbeukes said:

Sorry guys, coming from South African where people have asked me if lions roam the high streets I should have known better.

 

Nothing confirmed at this stage but we are aiming for the southern half of Canada and preference to the East coast. We will likely skip Quebec (language) and BC (weather)

 

Strictly speaking if you are talking about the "southern" part of Canada it's really the bottom 5 or 10%. Most people live in the southern most strip of the country.

 

If you are looking for an extended golf season you really need to be south east of Toronto, think London area. Nova Scotia and PEI have really good golf but their seasons are still May through Oct for the most part.

 

The interior of BC (Kelowna and south down the Okanagan valley) is actually an interior desert so the weather is actually pretty nice. Good wineries there too. Victoria isn't nearly as wet as Vancouver because of where it is wrt to the mountains. My wife and I have talked about retiring to the Okanagan area.

 

Either way, good luck with your decision and feel free to ask more questions.

[2bGood]

Curous what you don't like about the BC weather?

 

I live in the Vancouver area most of the time. There are several courses you can golf 365 days most years as long as you are at sea level (the higher elevations see a few days of snow each year).

 

If you are worried about rain out here you need to study the micro climates of the Vancouver area as the closer you get to the mountains the more rain you will get. One suburb furthest from the mountains gets 900mm rain per year and closest gets 2,341mm. For reference Joe-burg gets on average 723mm of rain. 

 

The great thing about Vancouver is you golf and ski in the same day if you want. But it does not get very hot in the summer or very cold in the winter, so if you do like more extreme weather it not a great place to be. 

[Jwin323]

Reporter to Chico Resch, “Where exactly is Moose Jaw?”

Resch to reporter, “ About 4feet from the Moose’s butt.”

Edited December 30, 2020 by Jwin323

[MtlJeff]

People from Edmonton and Calgary are waiting for their computers to thaw so they can chime in.

 

Its not so bad here guys, honestly once you get used to it (thermostat hits absolute zero) oh crap all of my matter froze again

[blitzgolf]

Cabot in Nova Scotia is resort like but definitely some of the best Canada golf. 

 

BC West coast id say is best for all seasons... everything in the middle I find relatively similar. 

[Bad9]

Ok time for some serious input. I live much further north than you will be going and golf season is from mid May to mid October. I do have a retirement home(which my son currently lives in) in the Annapolis Valley in Nova Scotia where winters are much shorter and much less severe. I visit 5-6 times per year, mostly in golf season. Yesterday it was 10°C there and what snow they get generally is gone by March. From what I can tell most courses in the area open mid-late March and are open through November most years. One or two try to stay open as long as there is no snow down. I have been told by locals that the Annapolis Valley has 60 more days of sunlight compared to other parts of Nova Scotia. From my house in New Minas there are 5 courses within a half an hour drive and Halifax and all its courses are just an hour away. Cape Breton Island is a 4hr drive and there are several other nice courses there in addition to Cabot Links/Cliffs including Highland Links which used to be rated in the top 100 in the world. Courses run the gamut from cheap to expensive with conditions also running the gamut. Of the closest 5 courses the hihest membership rate is about $1600 per year and lowest around $800 if I recall correctly.

 

Edit to add that the AV is a very rich agricultural area and there at least a half dozen local vineyards producing some very nice wines. Apples are also one of the main crops grown.

Edited December 30, 2020 by Bad9

[Phireside]

Vancouver here. I played a couple days ago. Cold and wet, but very much playable conditions. 

[BallerNate]

Yeah, definitely have to be more specific about where you’ll be moving to because we have a wide range of weather and the provinces are very spread out. Not sure what you heard about the weather in BC, but that’s actually a part of Canada that many people retire to because it’s got the most moderate winters (least snow). I live North of Toronto, which is the biggest city in Canada, but have lived in Ottawa, Quebec, and the Maritimes as well. Canada is an incredible place to live...best country in the World in my opinion (also lived in the U.S.)!!

[ewaldbeukes]

4 hours ago, BallerNate said:

Yeah, definitely have to be more specific about where you’ll be moving to because we have a wide range of weather and the provinces are very spread out. Not sure what you heard about the weather in BC, but that’s actually a part of Canada that many people retire to because it’s got the most moderate winters (least snow). I live North of Toronto, which is the biggest city in Canada, but have lived in Ottawa, Quebec, and the Maritimes as well. Canada is an incredible place to live...best country in the World in my opinion (also lived in the U.S.)!!

Some awesome feedback so far - thank you all! At this stage we have “narrowed” down the order of places we would like to settle in when we move but sadly it will be driven by job opportunities eventually. 
 

BC the issue was the consistent rain. Dont mind snowey season but need some sunshine even if its cold. Looked at rain days per year and it looked worse than Cape Town and the UK (have lived in both). Beautiful place, but wet! 
 

• Halifax, Nova Scotia 
• Toronto, Ontario
• Vancouver, BC 
• Saskatoon, Saskatchewan 
• Winnipeg, Manitoba 

That was the list so to say. Edmonton and Calgary dropped off because our research (and friends in Canada) have indicated employmebt is a bit rough at the moment. But with Covid this all might change! 
 

[BallerNate]

24 minutes ago, ewaldbeukes said:

Some awesome feedback so far - thank you all! At this stage we have “narrowed” down the order of places we would like to settle in when we move but sadly it will be driven by job opportunities eventually. 
 

BC the issue was the consistent rain. Dont mind snowey season but need some sunshine even if its cold. Looked at rain days per year and it looked worse than Cape Town and the UK (have lived in both). Beautiful place, but wet! 
 

• Halifax, Nova Scotia 
• Toronto, Ontario
• Vancouver, BC 
• Saskatoon, Saskatchewan 
• Winnipeg, Manitoba 

That was the list so to say. Edmonton and Calgary dropped off because our research (and friends in Canada) have indicated employmebt is a bit rough at the moment. But with Covid this all might change! 
 

Makes sense! Well, I live just outside of Toronto, lived in Halifax, and have family in Vancouver, so know those the best. The winters tend to be harsher in Winnipeg and Saskatoon than what you would see in Toronto, Vancouver, or Halifax.

 

Toronto and Vancouver are the 2 biggest cities in Canada (along with Montreal), so they have the most entertainment options (golf etc) and job opportunities. Golf however is very expensive in Toronto and is extremely high demand right now during COVID. I live 45 minutes north of Toronto (in a city called Barrie) and you can play really nice courses here for $45-65 per round. Once you get closer to Toronto though, those rates will jump more to the $75-110 range per round. Cost of living in general is the highest in Canada in Toronto and Vancouver.
 

Haven’t golfed in Halifax yet, but from the research I did there it looks like there are 3-4 courses within 30-45 minutes of the city and the courses look pretty good. Lots of rain in Halifax too though, although the cost of living is much lower than Toronto and Vancouver. Really depends on what size city you want to live in, and obviously the job opportunities you will have will determine what you’d be able to afford.

Edited December 31, 2020 by BallerNate

[2bGood]

32 minutes ago, ewaldbeukes said:

Some awesome feedback so far - thank you all! At this stage we have “narrowed” down the order of places we would like to settle in when we move but sadly it will be driven by job opportunities eventually. 
 

BC the issue was the consistent rain. Dont mind snowey season but need some sunshine even if its cold. Looked at rain days per year and it looked worse than Cape Town and the UK (have lived in both). Beautiful place, but wet! 
 

• Halifax, Nova Scotia 
• Toronto, Ontario
• Vancouver, BC 
• Saskatoon, Saskatchewan 
• Winnipeg, Manitoba 

That was the list so to say. Edmonton and Calgary dropped off because our research (and friends in Canada) have indicated employmebt is a bit rough at the moment. But with Covid this all might change! 
 

Like I mentioned above it makes a HUGE difference where you live in the Lower mainland (Vancouver area) for rain. White Rock or Tsawwassen (35KM south of downtown) has 30% of the rain the North Shore (15KM south of downtown) has.  

 

I have lived in every city on your list, if I had to put them in order:

Vancouver, Halifax, Saskatoon, Toronto,Winnipeg

 

Saskatoon is beautiful little city and a university town, but the winters are crazy harsh, Winnipeg is not the nicest city, but really nice people and crazy harsh weather. Halifax is super nice people, a big university town. Toronto is the centre of the universe (just ask them) it is the real deal big metropolitan city - not my thing for a long term place to live - but if that is what you like it does deliver. Vancouver is constantly rated one of the best place to live in the world. Expensive though and much more about lifestyle than making money.

[BallerNate]

15 hours ago, 2bGood said:

Toronto is the centre of the universe (just ask them)

Haha...love that the shots at Toronto carry over to the golf community too, Lol! 🙄🙄

[2bGood]

2 hours ago, BallerNate said:

Haha...love that the shots at Toronto carry over to the golf community too, Lol! 🙄🙄

Come on - I like Toronto, I think it is defiantly  one of the Top Ten cities in Ontario. 😉 I kid, I kid. 

 

You do have to read my comment in context though, as I paid it a great compliment in the next sentence. 😀

 

I have lived in London (England), New York, and Toronto and I do believe Toronto holds it own as a world class metropolitan city and if that is what you are looking for it is a great place to live. 

Edited December 31, 2020 by 2bGood

[BallerNate]

31 minutes ago, 2bGood said:

Come on - I like Toronto, I think it is defiantly  one of the Top Ten Cities in Ontario. 😉 I kid, I kid. 

 

You do have to read my comment in context though, as I paid it a great compliment in the next sentence. 😀

 

I have lived in London (England), New York, and Toronto and I do believe Toronto holds it own as a world class metropolitan city and if that is what you are looking for it is a great place to live. 

Fair enough...just seemed like saying people from Toronto think it’s “the center of the universe” was an unnecessary shot, but everyone has a different sense of humour. I’ve experienced/seen a strong Anti-Toronto bias in Vancouver/BC, so I thought that’s where you were coming from.

[2bGood]

16 minutes ago, BallerNate said:

Fair enough...just seemed like saying people from Toronto think it’s “the center of the universe” was an unnecessary shot, but everyone has a different sense of humour. I’ve experienced/seen a strong Anti-Toronto bias in Vancouver/BC, so I thought that’s where you were coming from.

Friendly banter, with no ill will meant. 

 

To be honest I can't say I have seen strong anti-TO bias amongst my social group. Yes we make the same lame jokes about TO as I just did, but we make the same sort of lame jokes about Vancouver. We just like lame jokes. 

 

[BallerNate]

38 minutes ago, 2bGood said:

Friendly banter, with no ill will meant. 

 

To be honest I can't say I have seen strong anti-TO bias amongst my social group. Yes we make the same lame jokes about TO as I just did, but we make the same sort of lame jokes about Vancouver. We just like lame jokes. 

 

Ok, fair enough. Ive just seen that Anti-Toronto sentiment and rhetoric in BC and don’t know where it comes from. No harm done, don’t like arguing...just seems like Toronto is misunderstood out that way by some people.

[uitar9]

18 hours ago, ewaldbeukes said:

Some awesome feedback so far - thank you all! At this stage we have “narrowed” down the order of places we would like to settle in when we move but sadly it will be driven by job opportunities eventually. 
 

BC the issue was the consistent rain. Dont mind snowey season but need some sunshine even if its cold. Looked at rain days per year and it looked worse than Cape Town and the UK (have lived in both). Beautiful place, but wet! 
 

• Halifax, Nova Scotia 
• Toronto, Ontario
• Vancouver, BC 
• Saskatoon, Saskatchewan 
• Winnipeg, Manitoba 

That was the list so to say. Edmonton and Calgary dropped off because our research (and friends in Canada) have indicated employmebt is a bit rough at the moment. But with Covid this all might change! 
 

Live in Calgary currently. Have lived in St, John's Newfoundland, Montreal PQ, Calgary and all over British Columbia. Have spent some time in the cities you posted above.

 

Calgary-Golf-you can trust May to early October. When its cold here its freaking cold-25 to -35- Chinook winds give some relief.Has indoor domes but the balls can be frozen in winter. Lots of activities but its energy driven and extremely depressed right now.

 

Montreal is a lovely city. You can get by with no French but it certainly helps. Has a European flavour and the neighbourhoods are from all over the world.

 

Winnipeg-Regina...nice enough smaller cities-winters are bitter and long and the mossies travel in packs. They carry small dogs away.

 

Toronto is a large city, has everything. Typical winters.

 

East Coast is unique...great history, winters are a wet cold, big snow. Winter by the Atlantic can be extreme.

 

As others have mentioned West Coast (lower mainland, Vancouver island), even the BC Okanagon are the answer, if you can handle a little rain in the winter. Nov-Feb is a little grey, but you can golf almost year round.

 

Its a big country and very diverse weather, topography , cultures,

 

 

[Phireside]

2 hours ago, BallerNate said:

Fair enough...just seemed like saying people from Toronto think it’s “the center of the universe” was an unnecessary shot, but everyone has a different sense of humour. I’ve experienced/seen a strong Anti-Toronto bias in Vancouver/BC, so I thought that’s where you were coming from.

I'll say it! 🤣

[2bGood]

1 hour ago, uitar9 said:

 

 

Winnipeg-Regina...nice enough smaller cities-winters are bitter and long and the mossies travel in packs. They carry small dogs away.

 

 

 

FYI Mossie is slang for mosquito. 

[BallerNate]

57 minutes ago, Phireside said:

I'll say it! 🤣

Are you a Toronto guy saying we’re at the Center of the universe, or a Vancouver guy saying that’s what all Toronto people think, Lol? Either way, this thread is starting to devolve to foolishness over the last few hours...both Van City and T-Dot are AWESOME!!! 

[2bGood]

12 minutes ago, BallerNate said:

Are you a Toronto guy saying we’re at the Center of the universe, or a Vancouver guy saying that’s what all Toronto people think, Lol? Either way, this thread is starting to devolve to foolishness over the last few hours...both Van City and T-Dot are AWESOME!!! 

Yes and both present super interesting option from the OP as they both a very different vibe/feel. 

 

To the OP, these jokes about Toronto are mostly based on the fact that the Metro Toronto area alone has more people than our 9 smallest provinces and Territories combined, it is lager then every Province but Quebec and nearly 1 in 5 Canadians live in Metro Toronto. 

 

 

 

 

[BallerNate]

2 hours ago, 2bGood said:

Yes and both present super interesting option from the OP as they both a very different vibe/feel. 

 

To the OP, these jokes about Toronto are mostly based on the fact that the Metro Toronto area alone has more people than our 9 smallest provinces and Territories combined, it is lager then every Province but Quebec and nearly 1 in 5 Canadians live in Metro Toronto. 

 

 

 

 

That we can agree on...Toronto and Vancouver are both great cities, and every city on the OP’s list have pros and cons. Yes, the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) has over 7 Million people (3rd largest city in North America), and no it’s just a stereotype that we think we’re the center  of the universe. All about personal fit, and each major city in Canada has it’s own strengths and drawbacks! The reality is that if he doesn’t get a fantastic job offer, he might not be able to afford to live in Toronto or Vancouver anyways (lol), so lots of factors to consider!

Edited January 1, 2021 by BallerNate

[Chanceman]

I only went to Hog Town twice - once in August when it was plus 37 centigrade (ie 100oF) and 100% humidity and the other in January when it was minus 37 centigrade with ice and snow, windchill probably -50. Not my kind of climate. Edmonton was balmy by comparison.