Glen Abbey Golf Club

Very noisy, they wouldn't shut them off even when I had to make a chip 3 ft from a sprinkler and was getting blasted with misty water and air. If they are going to do this they shouldn't be charging full price. Very unfair to their customers.

I say nice fall round because it’s everything that you would expect when playing golf this time of year. Try to stay away from the leaves and stay out of the sand both which I didn’t manage to do. Greens were rough from the effects of aeration and I should have known for this time of year but also wasn’t given that information

As a life-long Toronto resident and golf enthusiast, Glen Abbey has always held a special place in my heart. Until yesterday the course was one that I knew intimately only as a golf fan. I grew up watching golfing legends compete for Canada's Championship both on television and as a live patron. I have always wanted to play the famous track but for some reason never did until I booked on a whim 24 hours before. I called a buddy and nabbed a 12 noon Friday tee time ($99.99 special promotion).

Arriving early on a late fall blustery day, I expected the course to not be bustling but rather attended by die-hard golf enthusiasts like me (it was a cool 10 degrees, but felt colder because the wind was up). Players were obviously on the course, but the scene was eerily quiet as soon as I pulled into the drive...not a soul anywhere! The drive into the course was confusing; signage directing you past Golf Canada offices and the Hall of Fame were not especially clear and I parked in a lot I assumed was the right one but unsure of where to go next. I walked toward the Clubhouse, recognizing it only from my many trips to the Canadian Open and checked in. I was told to go back to the lot I came from, grab an unattended cart from the fleet. The whole operation was very self serve, there seemed to be no staff anywhere!

Many I assume come to Glen Abbey as a special, almost bucket-list type experience.
One would assume that such a course would necessarily be over-staffed if anything...but it was quite the opposite. The one attendant in the opulent proshop was nice enough, but so alone. Same with a young lady in the lounge who I purchased a cup of tea from.

Nobody directed or invited me to use the practice facility. I luckily knew where it was, so after driving back to the parking lot to pick up my golfing partner (who I wanted to spare the experience of my confusing arrival) we went to hit some warm-up balls. Keeping up with the abandoned theme, the practice area was staff free and looked rather deshevelled. The practice green was in surprisingly very average condition...again feeling and looking almost let go.

Your Starters were great!

The starters provided us our first real human contact and the first feeling that someone was happy to see us. We knew our time and made our way to them. Again, if I wasn't familiar with the course, it would have been easy to get lost. Apparently the other two booked for 12 noon were no shows (probably thet did get lost) so we teed off as a twosome.

Course Conditions:

Given the late season round, average condition. I had played 4 rounds in area courses the same week that were in as good a shape or better. What stood out as especially poor was the unconditioned look of all the courses huge sand traps. You would imagine that Glen Abbey should always look its best. Traps had plenty of good sand in them and it was frustrating and sad to see them so unattended. It really took away from the feeling that you were playing a special course.

Pace of Play was poor.

We expected to wait given that we were a twosome, but the course was not properly marshalled. It was such a stark juxtaposition to be playing a course marshalled by hundreds of volunteers on Open Day, seemingly not marshalled at all! We finally saw what appeared to be a single lonely marshall on hole 14. It took over 4 1/2 hours to play.

Help with Tee Box selection a good idea:

Course should advise more actively. I expected and hoped the course to be challenging, but not because I inadvertently selected the wrong tees. With a 15 index handicap I usually play tee boxes between 5800-6200 yds. Glen Abbey's Blue Tees at slightly over 6200 yards played much longer. I would advise the staff to be more active in helping golfers select appropriate tees so they can enjoy the experience more.

The round ended the way it started...I brought the cart back to where I picked it up. No attendants there still...hopefully it was the right spot.

Glen Abbey should not be run like an ordinary course. ClubLink should see it as a special trust to care for. I know that Clublink wanted to develop the property and the Town of Oakville was able to keep it from doing so. I was taken aback by how much it seemed abandoned. I realize it's late in the season, but so long as the flag sticks are in and the course is accepting green fees Glen Abbey should present itself as a special, historic course. If Jack Nicklaus dropped by yesterday, he would have not been very pleased.

It was later in the year, but Glen Abbey is not near the condition it has been in the past. The massively inflated green fees depend on rich golfer's who remember what it was and want to reminisce. This course should charge $120 on a weekend, not $241 all the time. If you're going to gouge, at least put some of the profits into course maintenance.

Thoroughly enjoyed playing this gorgeous course on a warm fall day.

Overpriced I Feel
Great track but very tired
Need some love for sure

Arrived for check-in 45 minutes ahead of 10:24 tee time. Advised 1 hour frost delay. Understandable for this time of year. Go in to have breakfast. No food other than pre-made sandwiches. Not open until 11.
Off to range. Good facility and lots of range balls available. They approached us and informed us that they are ahead of time so we got off at 11.
Pace of play slow due to sending them off at 7 or 8 minute intervals. Not a problem until you have so called members zooming pass you to get ahead two three groups to further back up play. Starters and marshals let it go.
Cart broke down on 8th hole. Called clubhouse to bring a cart out. Teed off on 9 and walked up carrying a cart bag. Went into speak to Brian in pro shop about what happened to our replacement cart. He was nice and gave us his due to another employee screwing up.
Overall love playing the Abbey once a year in September or early October. The course and area is spectacular. Greens had been aerated earlier that week but still were in good shape.

The course is in decent shape, nothing special. The bunkers aren't in great shape though. The greens were freshly punched, there should have been a discount because of this, or at least let us know ahead of time. Amenities are sufficient but dated. Playing this course is always a pleasure, but has started to loose some of the lustre it has always had for me.

Bunkers hasn't been touched all year it looked like, punched greens, no discount on the price to putt like a game of plinko

For the money charged vs the condition of the course I do not feel it was worth it. Not talking about the leaves etc but more the areas around the green, too many hard patches on the fairways and leading up to the greens and especially the fringe areas. The bunkers were awful too, way too hard and not turned before the days play commenced

I don’t what’s going on there but it’s gone down the toilet

Fall season is here. Just enjoy maples with golf. Beautiful course.