Laval-sur-le-Lac Green Course
Laval is the third largest city in Quebec with a population of just under 450,000 and has a recorded history dating back to 1636. There were 14 different municipal units on the island that became the city of Laval when they were amalgamated in 1965. One of these was Laval-sur-le-Lac which was and remains one of the richest neighbourhoods in Quebec with an average household income of over $325,000.00 per annum. It is also home to the oldest and most prestigious French speaking golf course in Canada, Club de Laval-sur-le-Lac which was founded in 1917. There are two 18 hole layouts and in August, 2026 I was privileged to play both of them. What follows is a hole-by-hole description of the Green course. But first let’s look at the history of the club and why it has attained iconic status.
History of Club de Laval-sur-le-Lac
In 1917 a group of Quebecois businessmen retained renowned Scottish golf architect Willie Park Jr. to design an 9 hole course that was expanded to 18 in 1923 and became the Green course at Laval-sur-le-Lac. Park was a two time winner of The Open, wrote the first book about golf by a professional, The Game of Golf and was one of the first true golf course architects. Park would go on to design the Weston Golf Club in Toronto, Mount Bruno, Ottawa Hunt and Golf Club and the Calgary Golf and Country Club, all of which are in the top 100 of Canadian courses according to the SCORE Golf ranking system. However, from what I can determine, Club de Laval-sur-le-Lac was Park’s first Canadian enterprise and it might well have been his work here that led to his other Canadian assignments.
The Green course has hosted no shortage of major tournaments starting with the Canadian Amateur in 1934 and 1978, the second Canada Cup in 1954 and the Canadian Open in 1962 where Gary Player was disqualified for signing an incorrect scorecard. So when you step up to the first tee you will be teeing off where Jack Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer and of course Gary Player have preceded you. In the 2026 SCORE Golf rankings the Green course came in at #46, a significant move from its #62 rank in 2024.
When I drive into the parking lot at Club de Laval-sur-le-Lac it becomes pretty clear that this is a well to do membership, every second car seems to be a Porsche or better. That being said, along with the fact that the membership is almost entirely French speaking and I’m not, I was treated like royalty during my two visits. I don’t think I’ve ever been to a friendlier private club where I was not a member.
The pro shop at Club de Laval-sur-le-Lac is definitely one of the better stocked ones I have seen and makes my home club look like a thrift store.
I enjoyed poking around before hitting the practice facilities. This mural pays tribute to Willie Park Jr. and the fame his name brought to the course.
The golf carts at Club de Laval-sur-le-Lac are among the poshest I have had the pleasure of driving – exquisitely quiet as I think all golf carts should be mandated to be. The day of the gas powered cart surely should be legislated out of existence.
OK, let’s play some golf.
From the tips the Green course is only 6,622 yards which tells you how much the PGA has changed over the years. They would laugh at you now if you suggested playing an event at a course this short, yet it was long enough to challenge Jack Nicklaus and the best in the world in 1962. I will be playing a combination of the white and green tees that comes out as 5,705 yards which is plenty at my age and with a slope rating of 128 is no pushover.
#1 Green Course Laval-sur-le-Lac – 471 Yard Par 5
The first thing you notice from this photo is just how lush the course is. The conditioning is excellent and what you would expect from a top tier private club. The second thing is the generosity of the fairways and the lack of serious rough. I didn’t lose a ball during the round, mainly because the areas between holes have been cleared out making this a genuine parkland course. If you are going to score well at Club de Laval-sur-le-Lac it’s going to be on the Green course. I think it was a wise decision to have one very playable course and one very challenging one which suits everyone’s level and ability.
I’m not a great fan of semi-blind tee shots, but I do like the payoff that comes on the second shot.
If you hit a decent drive and clear the crest of the hill you’ll get a great roll and have this look for the second shot. I can’t reach the green so the smartest play is just to avoid the bunkers and leave a wedge in for the third.
The greens on this course are quite large and not overly contoured, but as I will find out, some have a lot of slope to them, making it very difficult for a first time player to know exactly where to aim for on the approach shot. In terms of speed, they are set for member play, so not overly fast.
From this lie one could aim for the pin and hope for an opening birdie, but anything left will bring the bunker into play so I opt for centre of the green and a two putt par.
All in all a very good starting hole.
#2 Green Course – 133 Yard Par Three
The pin is well back on this short par three with a large green and a backstop so taking an extra club more than usual is not a stupid play. This is the easiest hole on the front nine and plays like it.
#3 Green Course Laval-sur-le-Lac – 314 Yard Par Four
Even though this is a pretty short hole it is very difficult for a first time player. It’s one of the narrower fairways and it’s not clear where one should be aiming. It’s probably best to use a wood rather than the driver.
I’m left with this uphill blind shot to the green and it’s anybody’s guess as to what I should hit.
I come up woefully short and need to scramble just to save a bogey. Laval-sur-le-Lac Green starts to show its teeth.
#4 Green – 334 Yard Par Four
The fourth hole has a wide fairway allowing for driver to about this point where a 7 or 8 iron into the green is very doable. Willie Park Jr. has positioned the traps on this course to capture errant shots and not to make them obstacles to be overcome on the way to the green which makes for less trouble and more fun.
BTW what you see in the upper right hand corner is the fence beside the main commuter rail line that runs from Montreal to the west end of the island. Holes 3-6 run alongside it and although there are regular trains going by they are not too noisy and don’t distract from the enjoyment of the round.
#5 Green Course Laval-sur-le-Lac – 469 Yard Par Five
The second par five on the front nine on the Green course at Laval-sur-le-Lac is quite manageable if played with restraint. There should be no trouble with the tee shot and keeping it down the left side is the best course of action.
That leaves this second shot where the main object is to avoid one of the rare fairway bunkers on the Green course, but still stay left enough to get a clear shot at the pin.
That accomplished you can pitch, chip or even bump and run to this green.
#6 Green Course – 340 Yard Par Four
This is the #1 stroke hole on the Green course at Laval-sur-le-Lac and I’m not quite sure why. The fairway is fairly narrow, but that can be dealt with, hopefully, by using a wood off the tee.
That leaves a longer approach than I care for and the pin is behind the trap so discretion is the better part of valour – just aim for the centre of the green and get down in two for par. I don’t and land in the first trap of the day. Fortunately these traps are not too deep and the sand, while not fine, is quite forgiving. I don’t get a sand save, but just making a decent out from the trap is satisfaction enough.
#7 Green Course Laval-sur-le-Lac – 164 Yard Par Three
This is a lovely and fairly benign looking par three whose green slants quite severely from right to left. There is no need to even think of going at the pin. Landing on the centre of the green the ball will roll right toward it. This might be the best birdie opportunity on the Green course at Laval-sur-le-Lac.
#8 Green Course – 364 Yard Par Four
#8 might be the most uphill hole on the Green course at Laval-sur-le-Lac and it has a trap on the left side of the fairway that you can’t really see from the tee box. With the pin well on the left side of the green you want to be down the right side with your drive so the trap should not be a problem.
There are no less than five traps guarding this green, so accuracy on the approach is essential. It’s quite a large green that slopes up from front to back making it easier to stop your ball, but it’s still a daunting approach shot. Bogey is not a disgrace on this hole.
#9 Green Course Laval-sur-le-Lac – 356 Yard Par Four
You can only see one fairway bunker from the tee box, but there are actually three more lurking over the rise on the right side making this one of the toughest tee shots on the Green course at Laval-sur-le-Lac.
More by luck than proficiency I didn’t land in any of them leaving this quite lengthy approach shot. Once again Willie has made this a bunker on each side green with not a lot of room between as I found out on my way a second failure to make a sand save,
All told though I’m quite pleased with my play on the front nine and the overall fairness of this course.
#10 Green Course – 484 Yard Par Five
This looks like a fairly easy par five with the green straight ahead, I might even be able to reach it in two. Except that’s not the tenth green, it’s #1. This hole is a dogleg right that will require a decent drive to reach the corner and have a look at the actual green on the second shot.
I don’t quite accomplish that and am now faced with a decision – try to go over the tree or place safe and leave a much longer approach shot.
I opt for the safe route and have this left for the approach shot to what is virtually an island green surrounded by traps on the right side and left front. It’s all about taking the right club for the yardage and fortunately I do a start the back with a par. This is my type of par five which will reward three shots to get there, but still leave a decent birdie opportunity.
#11 Green Course Laval-sur-le-Lac – 135 Yard Par Three
This is the only hole on the Green course at Laval-sur-le-Lac that Willie Park Jr. chose to put a bunker across the face of the green forcing one to pick the right club to hit the green or else.
While you can’t really see it from the tee box, this green is severely sloped not only from front to back, but right to left as well which requires aiming well right off the tee. Not knowing that my tee shot rolled off to the left rough and made for a tough up and down. I cannot imagine how difficult they could make this hole if the greens were set to 11 or higher on the Stimpmeter.
#12 Green Course – 375 Yard Par Four
This is the only true blind tee shot on the Green course at Laval-sur-le-Lac and it’s the #2 stroke hole on the course. It plays far longer than the stated yardage and for me a real challenge to get there in two.
Oh boy! If I thought #11 green was a challenge, how about this. The foreshortening makes this green look a lot closer than it really is and will require a hybrid or better to reach. Staying on will require almost a miracle. A par on this hole is the equivalent of a birdie.
#13 Green Course Laval-sur-le-Lac – 156 Yard Par Three
After the brutality of #12 you get a real respite with this gorgeous looking par three that has a collared green to stop shots that might otherwise go over. There is a false front to be avoided so taking an extra club won’t hurt. Thank you Willie for creating one of the most enjoyable par threes you’ll find anywhere.
#14 Green Course – 324 Yard Par Four
This is a fairly straightforward uphill par four that does not require a driver. The challenge is staying on the fairway and leaving a short iron to a relatively small green guarded by the usual traps on either side of the front. Accomplish that and you might get a good shot at birdie.
#15 Green Course Laval-sur-le-Lac – 353 Yard Par Four
Another tough par four where you do require decent length off the tee to get a better shot at reaching the green with a lofted club. That requires avoiding the trees on the right and one of the few fairway bunkers on the Green course at Laval-sur-le-Lac.
If you succeed off the tee you will be left with this uphill shot to a green that has a bunker all along the right side. Not the easiest of approaches by any means. Par is a good score here.
#16 Green Course – 366 Yard Par Four
The foreshortening in this photo is ridiculous, making this look like a par three, but it’s actually a tough par four that requires a great approach shot to another tricky sloped green. The final tough par four at the Green course at Laval-sur-le-Lac.
#17 Green Course Laval-sur-le-Lac – 153 Yard Par Three
The final par three on the Green course at Laval-sur-le-Lac is a good one with another collared green and front to back slope. Avoid the bunkers and you should bag a par.
#18 Green Course – 479 Yard Par Five
I zoomed in on this photo to give you an idea of how great this final hole on the Green course at Laval-sur-le-Lac really is. It’s a classic round ender with a grand uphill finish to a green that sits below the clubhouse. Those fairway bunkers are definitely in play making the drive trickier than most on this course.
I avoided the fairway bunkers and was left with this look for the second shot. It looks like you could get home from here, but it’s actually still 250 yards or so uphill. The main mission was to avoid the bunkers on the second shot so I played quite conservatively.
That left this 100 yard uphill shot for the approach which required a well struck attack wedge to the green and a two putt par to end the round.
The Green course at Laval-sur-le-Lac is a great and fair test of golf with most of the difficulty coming from the slope of the greens. In the next post I’ll tackle the Blue course at Laval-sur-le-Lac which is a different matter altogether.