Golf in North York

Whether golfers are coming in from the snow, the rain, or a downpour of golf-club-sized hail, the sun is always shining on the virtual courses of OnGolf Club. While making their way to one of five course simulators, guests hear the healthy swoosh of a finely swung club. Each station boasts a selection of 80 world-renowned courses brought to vivid life with high-definition projection screens and effects like elevation, different lengths of grass, and trees swaying in a virtual breeze. Simulators also churn out analytics on each swing while onsite pros offer golfing tips for beginning or advanced students. Additionally, guests waiting for their tee time can watch the world of outdoor sports on one of the numerous TVs in the lounge.

Forty-five hitting bays span the length of Markham Golf Dome’s indoor driving range, allowing players to groom golf games year-round. The six-storey dome covers 53,000 square feet, which could easily serve as a modern sports stadium or a blimp's favorite napping spot. Alternatively, the facility also hosts an outdoor driving range with 60 hitting bays, target greens, and chipping greens to help players hone long-range and short-game techniques. Each of Markham Golf Dome’s instructors has accrued more than 10 years of experience in helping players drive, pitch, and scissor-kick balls with the precision and consistency needed to achieve tee-to-green success.

Castlemore Golf & Country Club's semi-private 9-hole course challenges golfers with a triple threat of tight fairways, small greens, and numerous water hazards. As obstacles abound, players are forced into nerve-racking shot situations, forcing them to make deft club selections or play conservatively by putting through the entire course. Four par 3s and a lack of par 5s make scoring the par of 32 a possibility for scratch golfers, though three sets of tees per hole ensure enjoyment for players of all abilities. After the round, clubbers can retire to the pro shop for new equipment or a shirt that hasn't just returned from swimming in the course ponds. An elegant, Carolina-inspired clubhouse also houses a restaurant and event centre that seats up to 200 guests and features a terrace that overlooks the 18th green.

Course at a Glance:

• 9-hole, par 32 course
• Total distance of 2,253 yards from back tees
• Three sets of tees

Cresthaven Golf Club awakens the competitive spirit in golfers of all stripes with an 18-hole par 3 layout. With an average distance of 146 yards from tee to green, the abridged course lets players focus on approach shots, putting, and how best to fake a hole in one. Two lengthier holes throughout the round—the 210-yard 14th hole and the 223-yard 18th hole—will force duffers to unsheathe a wood or driver in order to reach the green. To expand its market to golf neophytes, the club rents out bags of clubs for those without a serviceable set or the ability to extract bejewelled drivers that have been wedged into legendary stones.

Some consider it therapeutic. Others find it a challenging exercise. Either way, the driving range is an oasis where golfers send shots soaring toward a variety of targets spread across the 300-yard fairway from the two-tiered structure peppered with 57 stalls. Launch Golf Centre remains open throughout the year, allowing players of all stripes to work on full drives in spring, mid-iron approaches in summer, or using putters to swordfight snowmen in winter. During cold months, players can opt for heated hitting zones as they thwack golf balls into the snowy tundra. The centre also offers table service for food and drinks while players are honing their skills. For players looking to improve their skill sets with the help of an expert, six teaching professionals conduct lessons and clinics to smooth the path toward lower scores.

CPGA-certified instructor Clint McCormick developed his passion for helping others improve their golf games at the prestigious golf-management program at College of the Desert in Palm Springs, California. Today, Clint draws from years spent on the course, the numerous camps he himself attended, and the hundreds of golf balls he has whittled out of driftwood to create a personable, detail-oriented approach to teaching. During lessons, Clint evaluates each student’s swing mechanics and ability to discern between a groundhog and sprinkler head before imparting advice on everything from posture and form to advanced control of ball trajectory. At the end of each lesson, Clint gives his pupil notes and sketches out personalized practice routines accompanied by play sheets, helping students to improve their skills beyond the lesson. Clint also specializes in club fittings that are customized to improve any player's on-course results, especially those who play golf with a bag full of mannequin legs.