3-Day Golf Road Trip: Mauricie & Centre-du-Québec

This three-day loop through Mauricie and Centre-du-Québec suits golfers who want variety — a historic parkland, a links-style layout, and a Graham Cooke design — connected by manageable drives along the St. Lawrence lowlands and up into the Laurentian foothills. The geographic arc moves from Plessisville in the south through Trois-Rivières before turning north toward Saint-Alban, with no single leg exceeding roughly 90 minutes.

Day 1

Start in Plessisville and secure an early tee time at Club de Golf de Plessisville et Golf des Bois-Francs, an 18-hole parkland track that makes a natural opening round given the town's position as the southernmost anchor of the trail. Morning tee times give the rest of the afternoon free to make the drive north toward Bécancour or Trois-Rivières. Those who prefer full hotel amenities should check in at Delta Hotels by Marriott Trois-Rivières Conference Centre or the more boutique Les Suites de Laviolette, an Ascend Collection Hotel, both in Trois-Rivières. Alternatively, Auberge Godefroy Hôtel Spa & Golf in nearby Bécancour offers a spa for post-round recovery. For dinner, Jackalhop Microbrasserie in Plessisville is a reasonable stop before the drive if the round finishes at a civilized hour, or Poivre Noir in Trois-Rivières serves as a more polished evening option on arrival.

Day 2

Day two centers on Trois-Rivières and its surroundings, with the option to play two shorter rounds or linger over one. Start mid-morning at Club de Golf Le Marthelinois, Phil Watson's 18-hole, par-72 semi-private course on the edge of the city — a practical choice given its proximity to the downtown stays. After the round, drive southwest along the 138 to Louiseville to play Golf Louiseville, Howard Watson's par-71 links-style layout, which offers a different feel from the parkland courses bookending the trip. The links character means it plays well even in afternoon wind if tee times are pushed later. Return to Trois-Rivières for the night — those staying at the Holiday Inn Express & Suites Trois-Rivières Ouest have a practical west-side base for the Louiseville run. Dinner in the city is well covered: Le Buck : Pub Gastronomique is a reliable choice for something casual, while Restaurant Le Rouge Vin or Le Pot Papilles et Cocktails suit those wanting a longer sit-down meal.

Day 3

On the final morning, drive north from Trois-Rivières toward Grand-Mère for a round at Golf Grand-Mère, a par-70 parkland course with a distinguished design pedigree — Walter Travis, Albert Murray, and C.H. Alison each had a hand in it — making it the most historically significant layout on the trail. The course sits in Shawinigan, and golfers staying the previous night in Trois-Rivières can be on the first tee within 30–40 minutes. Those who want to extend into the afternoon can continue north to Saint-Alban and play Golf Des Pins, Graham Cooke's par-70 design, before heading home — it adds roughly 45 minutes of driving from Grand-Mère but rounds out the trail properly. Travelers wrapping up near Shawinigan can overnight at Hôtel Marineau Shawinigan if the schedule runs long, or head south on the 55 toward their departure point after the final round. Restaurant Le St-Antoine in Grand-Mère is the natural post-round lunch stop before departure.