Golf guide • Canada • Quebec

Golf in Charlevoix: fairways hanging above the St. Lawrence

Charlevoix, on the north shore of the St. Lawrence about two and a half hours' drive from Québec City airport, has three courses: the 27 holes of Fairmont Le Manoir Richelieu, opened in 1925, and Murray Bay Golf Club, founded in 1876, both in La Malbaie, plus Golf Baie-Saint-Paul. Golfers come to play above the river, between mountains and boreal forest, in a region of summer retreats and local produce. The courses open from May to around mid-October and close for the winter; the best period is June to September.

Plan this tripUpdated 11 October 2026

Charlevoix stretches along the north shore of the St. Lawrence, downstream from Québec City, where the river widens until it looks like the sea. The mountains drop almost sheer into the water, the villages sit where the rivers come out, and Route 138 strings one view after another. Part of the region lies within an ancient meteorite crater some 56 kilometres across, and UNESCO made it a biosphere reserve in 1988.

Golf here goes back a long way. From the 19th century, Pointe-au-Pic, now part of La Malbaie, drew well-to-do families from Canada and the United States to the shores of what was then called Murray Bay. In 1876 the summer visitors founded one of the oldest clubs in North America. Former US president William Howard Taft, a devotee of the region for decades, served as the club's president and in 1925 opened the Manoir Richelieu course on the neighbouring cliff.

Three courses is not many, but they are enough for a stay of three to five nights: two in La Malbaie, a few minutes apart, and one in Baie-Saint-Paul, about fifty minutes to the west. The rest of the time is shared between the art galleries of Baie-Saint-Paul, cheeses and farm produce, and the national parks of the hinterland.

The courses

Green and pale sand bunker at the foot of a spruce and birch forest, in late-day light

Club de golf Fairmont Le Manoir Richelieu

Architect: Herbert Strong; Darrell Huxham (2002)
Opened 1925
27 holes

Herbert Strong, one of the founders of the PGA of America, designed the first eighteen holes, opened in 1925 by William Howard Taft. In 2002, Darrell Huxham restored them and added a third nine. The three loops, Richelieu, Tadoussac and Saint-Laurent, combine into eighteen holes of roughly 6,000 to 6,350 yards. The terrain is rugged, with steep changes in elevation, and many tees open onto the river and the mountains. A holiday course in the best sense: demanding on placement, but above all unforgettable for the view.

Signature hole. The Saint-Laurent nine, the steepest of the three, is the one people mention for its plunging views over the river.

Official website

Club de golf Murray Bay

Opened 1876
18 holes
Par 68

Founded in 1876 and incorporated as a club in 1894, Murray Bay describes itself as the third-oldest club in North America and the oldest still on its original ground. The first golfers rented a farmer's pasture and shared the fairways with cows and sheep until 1928. The course is short, a par 68 of about 5,550 yards, with a par-32 front nine that includes three par 3s, holes with old-time names such as the Kopje or the Gros coup, and views of the St. Lawrence. Long private, it now welcomes visitors for a green fee.

Official website

Golf Baie-Saint-Paul

Opened 1972
18 holes
Par 72

Opened in 1972 on the outskirts of Baie-Saint-Paul, this par 72 plays between forest, mountain and river. Several holes reveal the town, Isle-aux-Coudres and the south shore of the St. Lawrence, and the colours of the landscape change a great deal as the season goes on. The course crosses two covered bridges, one of them spanning a stream more than ten metres up. Less prestigious than the Manoir, it is also more relaxed, and the club offers reduced rates for nine holes. A good course for a day in Baie-Saint-Paul.

Official website

Where to stay

Fairmont Le Manoir Richelieu

Built in 1899, destroyed by fire in 1928 and rebuilt by 1929 by the architect John Smith Archibald in the style of a French château, the Manoir Richelieu overlooks the river from its cliff at Pointe-au-Pic. Its 405 rooms, its restaurants and its 27-hole course make it the obvious base for a golf trip. The Casino de Charlevoix connects to the hotel by an underground passage. The G7 summit was held here in 2018.

Hôtel & Spa Le Germain Charlevoix

In Baie-Saint-Paul, on the riverbank, Le Germain spreads its rooms across pavilions with farm names, the Bergerie, the Moulin or the Gare, since the Train de Charlevoix stops in front of the hotel. An 8,000 m² kitchen garden supplies the kitchens, Highland cattle graze on the estate and a Nordic spa occupies part of the site. The hotel has been awarded a Michelin Key.

Auberge des 3 Canards

On the Côte Bellevue in La Malbaie, this house, bought in 1904 by a Baltimore merchant, was sold in 1953 to three doctors from the Montreal area, who turned it into a restaurant and then an inn facing the St. Lawrence. Book a superior room or a suite, with a whirlpool bath, fireplace or river-facing terrace: the exterior rooms have only a partial view. Murray Bay Golf Club is a few minutes away.

Grand old hotel with green copper roofs and turrets, perched on a wooded cliff above a river at dusk

Where to dine

Chez Truchon Bistro-Auberge

In a century-old house on Rue Richelieu, at the heart of Pointe-au-Pic's old resort quarter, chef Dominique Truchon, winner of the Renaud-Cyr award and one of the founders of Charlevoix's Route des saveurs, cooks the region's produce in the evening in a large open kitchen. Order the grilled leg of Agneau de Charlevoix, a PGI lamb. The house also lets eight rooms and a suite, so you can dine without getting back in the car.

Le Mouton Noir

In the centre of Baie-Saint-Paul, on Rue Sainte-Anne, Le Mouton Noir is a bistro whose terrace overlooks the Gouffre River, with fire pits and heaters for cool evenings. The dining room is hushed. It closes for several weeks between late October and December; check the dates before booking.

Les Labours

The restaurant of the Hôtel & Spa Le Germain Charlevoix is built around a kitchen open on all four sides. The menu follows the seasons and draws on the estate's kitchen garden, which keeps the house self-sufficient in garlic, squash and Gorria peppers. Dinner is served only from Wednesday to Sunday: book ahead. The logical choice for dinner after a round at Golf Baie-Saint-Paul.

Beyond golf

Baie-Saint-Paul, the painters' town

Since the early 20th century, Charlevoix's landscapes have drawn painters, from Clarence Gagnon to René Richard. Baie-Saint-Paul, Canada's cultural capital in 2007, lines up its galleries along Rue Saint-Jean-Baptiste. It is also where Cirque du Soleil began, in 1982, as a troupe of street performers. For local produce, taste the region's cheeses, including the Tomme de brebis de Charlevoix.

Hautes-Gorges-de-la-Rivière-Malbaie

About twenty kilometres from La Malbaie, via Saint-Aimé-des-Lacs, this national park protects a deep valley between rock walls more than 800 metres high. You discover it on a cruise along the Malbaie River or on foot: the Acropole-des-Draveurs trail, 10.5 kilometres with 800 metres of climb, leads to the summit of Montagne des Érables. A demanding day, ideal between two rounds.

The taiga of Grands-Jardins

North of Baie-Saint-Paul, via Saint-Urbain, Grands-Jardins National Park covers nearly 320 km² of boreal forest of black spruce and fir. Here you find taiga landscapes usually seen only 500 kilometres further north, as well as woodland caribou and moose. The park is one of the core areas of the Charlevoix Biosphere Reserve.

Village of wooden houses and a white steeple on the edge of an estuary, in front of wooded hills in autumn colours

When to go

The golf season is short: the courses open in May and close around mid-October. From late October to April, snow and cold keep them closed; Charlevoix then becomes a ski region. June to September offers the best conditions, with long days and courses in peak shape. July and August are the busiest months. Late in the season, maples and birches take on their autumn colours; expect cool mornings.

Getting there

Québec City Jean Lesage International Airport (YQB) is the closest: allow about two and a half hours by road to La Malbaie on Route 138, and about an hour and forty minutes to Baie-Saint-Paul. A car is essential for getting between the courses. In season, the Train de Charlevoix links Québec City (Chute-Montmorency station) with Baie-Saint-Paul, in front of Le Germain, then La Malbaie, running along the river.

Frequently asked questions

What is the best golf course in Charlevoix?

Fairmont Le Manoir Richelieu Golf Club in La Malbaie: 27 holes designed by Herbert Strong in 1925 and restored by Darrell Huxham in 2002, with constant views of the St. Lawrence. Murray Bay Golf Club, founded in 1876, is the historic complement.

When can you play golf in Charlevoix?

From May to around mid-October; the courses stay closed from late October to April, the snow season. June to September is the best period.

How many golf courses are there in Charlevoix?

Three: Manoir Richelieu (27 holes) and Murray Bay (18 holes) in La Malbaie, and Golf Baie-Saint-Paul (18 holes), about fifty minutes' drive to the west.

Is Murray Bay Golf Club open to the public?

Yes. Long reserved for its members, this club founded in 1876 now accepts visitors for a green fee; book directly with the club.

How do you get to Charlevoix from Québec City?

By car on Route 138: about an hour and forty minutes from Québec City airport to Baie-Saint-Paul and two and a half hours to La Malbaie. In season, the Train de Charlevoix also runs along the river from Québec City.

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Your golf trip: Charlevoix

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