Keltic Out Rd,
Ingonish Beach, Nova Scotia B0C 1L0
Office
+1 (800) 441 1118 (toll free)Pro shop
+1 (902) 285 2600Fax
+1 (902) 285 2734Website
Visit websiteThe Course:
18 holes. Tree-lined parkland. Gently undulating terrain - a few slopes to climb on the back-nine.
Surroundings:
Woodland, wetland and briefly riverside (Clyburn Brook).
Designer:
Stanley Thompson
46.655829
-60.384765
2 km NE of Ingonish Beach / 116 km N of Sydney.
Cape Breton Highlands
Cape Breton Highlands Links (formerly just Highlands Links): There's no escaping the stunning Cape Breton scenery that surrounds this historically revered course. Whether oceanside or playing along Clyburn Brook in an enchanting woodland, every hole commands its special place in proceedings. Stanley Thompson's imaginative out-and-back layout remains a golfing adventure, with many demanding and classic holes to play.
Many claim this as Thompson's greatest design. That's debatable, especially with five more of his designs routinely in Canada's Top 10. What is beyond dispute is Highlands Links' idyllic "Scottish" setting. The course enjoys a backdrop of tree-clad mountains, lagoons, bays and the Atlantic Ocean. In the foreground pristine woodland, beautiful wetlands and shallow rivers also grace the scene.
Thompson's excellent, though ever challenging layout, is mainly routed through woodland and wetland areas, while also offering occasional stunning sea views. The often dramatically rolling tumbling fairways lead to subtly breaking greens. Creative bunkering frequently threatens, while on occasions mimicking the surrounding mountain scenery, as at the signature par-3 3rd (Lochan).
The flattest stretch on the course comes at the par-5 11th (Bonnie Burn) and long par-3 12th (Laird), both played in the valley floor of Clyburn Brook. At 6 and 7 and again at 15 and 16 there are scenic back-to-back par-5s to be played. The 7th (Killiecrankie) is a beautiful looking hole, though daunting from the tee, hence its local nickname "Killer".
Highlands Links is a "must play" course if you are visiting Cape Breton's Cabot Trail. Here is an essential part of Thompson's outstanding legacy to golf, even if it's not as "polished" as the other sparkling gems in his illustrious collection.
Visitors welcome on weekdays and weekends.
Must book in advance.
Contact club for full details, discounts, packages, etc. [Last updated: 2023].
Non-metal spike facility. Walking permitted. Golf carts available to rent.
Limited
Cape Breton Highlands Links became the first course in Atlantic Canada to gain certification from the Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary System.
Legendary Canadian golf course designer Stanley Thompson routinely has six of his layouts listed among the very best golf courses in Canada. The six are: Jasper Park Lodge (1925), Banff Springs (1928), St George's (1928), Westmount G&CC (1931), Capilano (1937) and Cape Breton Highlands (1939).
Canada's 12th best course (SCOREGolf, 2024) and 5th best public access course (SCOREGolf, 2023).
World's 74th best public access course (Golf World, 2025). World's former 98th best course (GOLF Magazine, 2011; not in subsequent editions of this ranking).
383 Middlehead Peninsula, Ingonish, Nova Scotia B0C 1L0.
+1 (902) 285 2880
Visit websiteKeltic Lodge Resort & Spa is a Cape Breton Island gem. Spectacularly perched on a headland overlooking the Atlantic Ocean, the resort has been welcoming guests since 1940. The refreshing coastal air and warm hospitality, is complemented by exquisite dining, a renowned spa and championship golf on the Cape Breton Highlands.
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Cape Breton Highlands (o.5 km)
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Women’s (British) Open: the last women’s major championship of the season is hosted by Royal Porthcawl GC. It’s the first time this fabulous seaside links course has hosted the event (July 31-Aug 3).
Walker Cup: the 50th playing of this prestigious men’s amateur event sees the GB&I go head-to-head against the defending USA team at Cypress Point Club, California (Sept 6-7). After that, all eyes turn to Bethpage State Park on Long Island, NY, where the American and defending European professional teams engage in the 45th Ryder Cup (Sept 27-29).
Lottie Woad: 21-year-old Woad burst onto the professional scene in July, with wins in the Women’s Irish Open (as an amateur) and three weeks later in the Women’s Scottish Open (as a professional). She nearly picked-up a major championship, placing third in The Evian in the same month.
Pádraig Harrington: the ever-likeable Irishman added the (British) Senior Open Championship title to his stellar array of tournament successes. His win came on Sunningdale’s spectacular Old Course. Harrington had already bagged the U.S. Senior Open title in June this year.
The Dutch: "It's no' just a game", as they say in Scotland, and that's certainly true at The Dutch. With 5-star services throughout, a lavishly comfortable Loch Lomond-inspired clubhouse, and a superbly designed and presented golf course, one could not ask for more from this top-end private club.
Join us at The Dutch from August 21–24 for the Festival of Golf, featuring the HotelPlanner Tour. Experience four days of top-tier sport, live music, incredible food, and unexpected surprises. Explore the grounds, connect with others, embrace new challenges, and dive into an unforgettable celebration. Click here to buy tickets.
Here at Prince’s Golf Club you'll find 27 excellent holes of links golf. Just over the fence and sharing similar terrain is Royal St George’s; but Prince’s is far from overshadowed by its venerable neighbour. The three nine-hole loops at Prince's, laid out over gently undulating terrain, are sure to bring a smile of satisfaction to all lovers of links golf.
Stay&Play at Prince's: excellent onsite Lodge accommodation available
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