It’s undeniable, and a little sad, but golf season in Canada is coming to a close.

After a record-setting year for rounds-played (Golf Canada reported 1.2 million, 1.6 million, and 1.5 million rounds were registered with the national sport organization in June, July, and August, respectively) thanks to the sport being one of the only things people could do physically distant but social, many clubs across the country are going to sadly be putting away the pins for another year.

“We’re going to look back on 2020 and say 'amongst all challenges, amongst a lot of really difficult situations for so many people, golf was a bright light that we built from,'" Golf Canada CEO Laurence Applebaum told The Canadian Press in September.

“Looking back, I'm proud of the way the entire industry came together. I'm proud of the way the operators in particular handled play. The golf clubs, the golf club operators and owners did an exceptional job."

But while the days are getting shorter, Canadian golfers are going to do what they’ve always done – try to squeeze the last bits out of the season, no matter the weather.

Here are a few places across the country that allows golfers to play through the fall and, yes, even into the winter.

Muskoka

A few hours north of Toronto is the land of cottages for Toronto’s Bay Street-types and drop-ins from celebrities. But it’s also one of the prettiest places to play golf through autumn, with colours bursting off trees and a litany of courses and resorts to take in the Canadian Shield’s rocky outcroppings.

Some great layouts include the Muskoka Bay Club (ranked constantly in the top-20 in the country), Bigwin Island, Rocky Crest, Deerhurst Highlands, and Taboo.

A quick drive north of Canada’s biggest city gives you access to some amazing golf, and even more amazing colours.

Vancouver Island

The only place in the country with a 12-month golf season is Vancouver Island – while December and January are typically rainy and the coldest months of the year, most courses remain open.

A highlight for the region is the Bear Mountain resort (it has two courses, both designed by Jack Nicklaus, and is the home to Golf Canada’s National Amateur Team) – and it’s located in one of the driest regions of the country. While unpredictable with respect to weather – it is on a mountain, after all, it’s one of a few layouts that could be played year-round.

Other notable golf courses in the Victoria, B.C.-area include Olympic View Golf Club, Cordova Bay Golf Club, and Crown Isle Golf Course.

Southwestern Ontario

There are a couple of courses about two hours southwest of Toronto that stay open through the wintertime, giving diehard golfers more opportunities to peg it – even when they might need a hammer to do so (rumour has it you need to bring one in order to get the tee into the frozen ground at one of the courses).

St. David’s Golf Course in the Niagara region is one such layout. It’s a nine-hole gem in Southwestern Ontario’s wine country. Winter golf has also been a staple at the 27-hole Camisle Golf in Burlington, Ont. for more than 20 years. And lastly, the 18-hole Tarandowah Golfers Club just outside London, Ont. has been known to be open during the wintertime, too.

For some of the best fall golf in the country, the Niagara region is also worth checking out (and maybe pick up some nice wine, too).

Calgary

While a bit of a shorter season than other areas across the country, the Rocky Mountains of Calgary and its surrounding cities like Banff and Canmore make for fall-golf settings. With the mountain backdrops already getting a light dusting of snow and the colours being vibrant and inviting, mountain golf is beautiful all summer long already. But, there is something even more special about playing at places like the Fairmont Banff Springs, Canmore Golf and Country Club, and Kananaskis Country Golf Courses’ 36 holes in the fall.

Written and intended to the GlobalGolf.ca audience by Adam Stanley