Eagles Nest
Golf Club.
NEST
A links-style masterpiece built on a former sand and gravel quarry. Doug Carrick's most distinctive Canadian work — sod-walled bunkers, fescue-lined fairways, and panoramic Toronto skyline views from the par-3 8th. Voted best public golf in the GTA, year after year. It plays the part.
Custom-fit clubs
built in the GTA.
Heading to Eagles Nest? Get fitted before you go — Mississauga workshop, same-week turnaround.
In Pictures.
See it from above.
A Canadian classic
with a complicated present.
Eagles Nest sprawls across 200 acres of repurposed sand and gravel quarry in Maple, Ontario — the rare Canadian course where the terrain itself was the design opportunity. Doug Carrick saw it before anyone else: a former industrial site with natural sand dunes, hard-pan fescue, and the kind of dramatic elevation change you simply don't find in the GTA. The course opened in 2004, with Cam Tyers co-credited on the architectural team. Within a year, it had been named one of the best public courses in the country.
The course is a links-inspired layout in the truest sense — fescue framing every fairway, sod-walled bunkers that punish the careless, and greens that can be approached either through the air or with a Scottish-style ground game. The signature 8th hole — a 164-yard par-3 with the downtown Toronto skyline as backdrop — is one of the most photographed views in Canadian golf. The 5th, with its 50-by-50-yard waste bunker, dwarfs anything else in the region. The 17th, a split-fairway par 5, asks a strategic question off the tee that most courses never bother to.
What stands out
The two courses do different jobs, and both do them well. The South is a refined parkland test — generous landing areas, subtle elevation, the kind of routing where the architect is clearly trying to play with you rather than punish you. The North is the showpiece — dramatic sod walls, fescue framing, the closest thing to a links experience the GTA offers.
The clubhouse and Silo Grill restaurant are first-rate. Carts are GPS-equipped and included in the green fee. Practice facilities are extensive. As a golf experience for visitors flying into Toronto, there are very few public courses in Canada that match the combination of pedigree, layout variety, and full-service hospitality.
Where it falls short
Conditions in 2026 are not consistent with the green fee. We played both courses on weekend rounds and found tee box wear, slow greens, and bunker maintenance that varied hole-to-hole. Pace of play is the most-cited issue in our member interviews — five-hour rounds are common despite what should be aggressive marshaling at this price point.
At $185–$235 a round on weekends, Eagles Nest sits at the upper end of GTA public golf pricing. It earns it. The conditioning is consistently excellent — bentgrass tees and fairways, fescue maintained to a presentation standard, and greens that run true and fast. Twenty years on from opening, the course continues to be voted #1 public access in the GTA. That isn't marketing copy. It's consensus.
Should you play it?
Without hesitation. If you have one round to play in the GTA and you're not a member somewhere, Eagles Nest is the answer. The layout is one-of-one in this region. The conditioning holds up. The clubhouse is genuinely beautiful. The Toronto skyline view from the 8th is the kind of moment that makes you remember a round years later. Worth every dollar of the green fee.
Four standards.
Scored independently.
Every property in the Golf & Resorts directory is reviewed across four standards before listing — and re-reviewed every year. Here's how Eagles Nest scored.
Tournament-grade.
Year over year.
Bentgrass tees and fairways maintained to a presentation standard. Greens roll true and fast — typically 11+ on the Stimpmeter. Fescue is allowed to go full prairie, framing every fairway. Sod-walled bunkers are kept sharp. Twenty years on from opening, conditioning is still consensus-best in GTA public golf.
Genuinely
first-class.
Iago Restaurant is among the best on-course dining in Ontario — patio overlooks the practice green. Jim & Garry's Pub is the right kind of casual. Pro shop carries serious gear with proper club rentals available. Bag drop and starter team are professional and unhurried. This is what a $235 round should feel like throughout.
Two architects.
Two strong layouts.
Doug Carrick's most distinctive Canadian design. Built on a former quarry with natural elevation changes, fescue dunes, and Scottish-style sod-walled bunkers — there is no other public-access course like it in the GTA. The 8th hole skyline view alone is on every "must-play in Canada" list.
Strong overall.
Pace runs long.
Marshalling is active, beer cart frequent, on-course staff genuinely helpful. The friction is pace — a 4hr 45min round on a peak Saturday is common, given the slope (143) and the tightly-spaced tee times. Walk-friendly if you book the early window. Forecaddies available on request — recommended for first-timers.
What Google's saying.
(While the round speaks for itself.)
Our editorial verdict is one read on the course. Public sentiment is another. We pull live aggregate data from Google to give players a full picture — our scoring and the consensus, side by side. When they line up, the call's clear. When they diverge, we explain why. Right now, on Eagles Nest, they line up.
"Best public course in the GTA, full stop. The 8th hole view of Toronto is one of the best moments in Canadian golf. Greens were rolling perfectly. Staff treated us like members."
"Stunning course. The 5th-hole waste bunker is unreal. Round took five hours on a Saturday — book early or expect a slow pace. Green fees aren't cheap but you get what you pay for."
"Carrick at his best. The links-style holes feel completely unique to anything else in Ontario. Iago for lunch was outstanding too. Already booked our return for July."
"Course is beautiful, no question. But for $235 on a weekend you'd expect tee-time spacing and a better pace. Marshalls were polite but not pushing groups along. Won't be back at peak rates."
"Came up from Buffalo for a buddy trip. Worth every kilometer. Played the back tees at 7,476 — humbling. Bring your A-game. We're already booking next year's trip around this place."
"Conditions were sharp, layout is one of a kind. Lost two balls in the fescue and that was on me. Forecaddie made the round — request one if you're playing for the first time, it's worth it."
"Eighth hole at sunset with the city skyline behind it — I'll never forget that view. The whole course is a special place. Top three round I've played in Ontario, easily."
"Course itself: 5 stars. Pro shop service was rough — felt rushed at check-in and the cart they gave us had a flat. They sorted it but lost 25 minutes off the front nine. Hope they tighten this up."
"Took my dad here for his 70th. He's played all over the world. Said it was one of the most memorable rounds of his life. Worth every dollar to make a day like that happen."
"Difficulty from the tips is no joke — slope 143, 7,476 yards. Played the blue tees instead and had a blast. Conditioning is the best of any public course I've played in the GTA. Period."
"The 17th split-fairway par 5 is the most fun decision in Canadian golf. Left side for the heroics, right side for the par. Picked left, made an eagle, lifetime memory. Will pay any price to come back."
"Honest review: incredible course, terrible value at peak weekend rates. $235 plus cart and forecaddie tip and you're easily over $300 a head. Play midweek shoulder season and it's worth it. Saturday in July, not so much."
"Best public course in the GTA, full stop. The 8th hole view of Toronto is one of the best moments in Canadian golf. Greens were rolling perfectly. Staff treated us like members."
"Stunning course. The 5th-hole waste bunker is unreal. Round took five hours on a Saturday — book early or expect a slow pace. Green fees aren't cheap but you get what you pay for."
"Carrick at his best. The links-style holes feel completely unique to anything else in Ontario. Iago for lunch was outstanding too. Already booked our return for July."
"Course is beautiful, no question. But for $235 on a weekend you'd expect tee-time spacing and a better pace. Marshalls were polite but not pushing groups along. Won't be back at peak rates."
"Came up from Buffalo for a buddy trip. Worth every kilometer. Played the back tees at 7,476 — humbling. Bring your A-game. We're already booking next year's trip around this place."
"Conditions were sharp, layout is one of a kind. Lost two balls in the fescue and that was on me. Forecaddie made the round — request one if you're playing for the first time, it's worth it."
"Eighth hole at sunset with the city skyline behind it — I'll never forget that view. The whole course is a special place. Top three round I've played in Ontario, easily."
"Course itself: 5 stars. Pro shop service was rough — felt rushed at check-in and the cart they gave us had a flat. They sorted it but lost 25 minutes off the front nine. Hope they tighten this up."
"Took my dad here for his 70th. He's played all over the world. Said it was one of the most memorable rounds of his life. Worth every dollar to make a day like that happen."
"Difficulty from the tips is no joke — slope 143, 7,476 yards. Played the blue tees instead and had a blast. Conditioning is the best of any public course I've played in the GTA. Period."
"The 17th split-fairway par 5 is the most fun decision in Canadian golf. Left side for the heroics, right side for the par. Picked left, made an eagle, lifetime memory. Will pay any price to come back."
"Honest review: incredible course, terrible value at peak weekend rates. $235 plus cart and forecaddie tip and you're easily over $300 a head. Play midweek shoulder season and it's worth it. Saturday in July, not so much."
Dinner after your round.
Award-winning contemporary Italian-Canadian dining inside the Eagles Nest clubhouse. Patio overlooks the course. Reservations recommended.
Where players stay.
Full-service hotel fifteen minutes from Eagles Nest in Markham. G&R member rate available with the link below.
Earned. Sealed.
Recognized.
Each year the Golf & Resorts editorial team awards the best of what we've vetted. Awards are independent, unpaid, and decided by our review panel.
Course
Excellence
Showcase
the Year
Member
What Eagles Nest
is offering right now.
Member-authored promotions, posted by the course directly. We surface them here. The booking — and the customer — stays with Eagles Nest. No aggregation. No commission skim. No middlemen.
Two days, two rounds, one night at the JW Marriott Rosseau (45 min north). Includes both rounds with cart, breakfast each morning, and a $150 dining credit at Iago. Available Sundays through Thursdays, July through August.
Corporate events, charity tournaments, member-guest invitationals. Custom pricing on full-course buyouts and shotgun starts.
Tuesdays after 3:30 PM. Junior golfers (under 18) play with a paying adult at $50. Range balls and clubhouse snack included.
Course specifics.
Tee details, club policies, and the booking facts. Everything a serious golfer wants to know before booking.
| Tee | Par | Length | Rating | Slope |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Black (Pro) | 72 | 7,476 yards | 76.3 | 143 |
Blue | 72 | 6,892 yards | 73.4 | 137 |
White | 72 | 6,318 yards | 70.9 | 131 |
Gold (Senior) | 72 | 5,847 yards | 68.5 | 125 |
Red (W) | 72 | 5,194 yards | 70.8 | 126 |
Policies
- WalkingCarts included in green fee · walking permitted
- SpikesSoft spikes only — no metal
- Credit cardsAll major cards accepted
- Dress codeCollared shirt, no denim, no cutoffs
- Mobile phonesPermitted, used discreetly
Rentals & Services
- CartsGPS-equipped · included in green fee
- ClubsTitleist, Callaway, TaylorMade rentals
- CaddiesNot available
- Pro ShopNike Jordan partnership · Titleist · Callaway
- RangeOpen daily after 3 PM
Practice & Instruction
- Putting greenYes · large practice green
- Driving rangeMats & grass · open to public after 3 PM
- Short game areaYes · pitching & chipping greens
- Teaching proYes · PGA-certified on staff
- LessonsPrivate & group · book through pro shop
Course Profile
Booking & Access
Praised by the people
who walked it.
"There's nothing else like it in Canada. Standing on the 8th tee with the Toronto skyline behind the green is a moment you remember for years. Carrick's most underrated work, in my book."
"Walked the same fairways the pros walked at the 2007 Open. That doesn't get old. Pace was slow on a Saturday — five hours — but the layouts are first-rate and the clubhouse is excellent."
"The 5th hole bunker is unhinged in the best way. The 8th view is the best on a Canadian public course, full stop. Eagles Nest plays like a championship test that just happens to also be the best $200 round in Ontario."
Find Eagles Nest.
In Maple, Ontario — 30 minutes from downtown Toronto and 25 minutes from Pearson International Airport. The closest links-inspired course to the city, accessible without crossing the bridge.
Maple, ON L6A 1S3
35 min · 38 km
Book a round.
Plan a trip.
Eagles Nest handles all bookings directly. The button below takes you to their tee sheet — no middlemen, no service fees, no lead farms.
Independent review · Not affiliated with the course