Three things are happening on the Millcroft Golf Course at once, and each runs on its own timeline. The club has played only its back nine all season. Phase 1 of the Millcroft Greens development has been approved by the Ontario Land Tribunal, but as of early September nobody had started site work on it. Phase 2 was refused by Burlington council on September 29, 2026, yet that vote does not decide what happens to the rest of the course.
Of all the recent news, the council refusal settles the least. The final call on the remaining open land rests with the province. Two competing Minister's Zoning Order requests are waiting for a decision there, and neither has one yet.
Track | Status as of early October 2026 | Who acts next |
|---|---|---|
The golf course | Nine holes, 10 through 18, for the 2026 season | Millcroft Golf Club |
Phase 1, 90 detached homes plus a Dundas Street block | Approved by the Ontario Land Tribunal; City says site work has not begun | Developer and City, through a pre-servicing agreement |
Phase 2, 138 more homes | Refused by council September 29 | The province, through competing zoning orders |
The course went quiet before construction began
Golfers saw the change first. On its course-details page, Millcroft Golf Club says it is "a 9 hole course only for the 2026 season." Holes 10 through 18 are in play and holes 1 through 9 are closed. The back nine plays to par 34 at 2,750 yards from the blue tees, 2,466 from the whites and 2,143 from the reds.
The clubhouse is running a smaller operation too. The indoor dining room and banquet space are closed for the 2026 season. Golfers get a snack hut and a BBQ on the lower back patio instead, and the club is running no leagues of its own or for outside groups this year.
Construction did not cause any of this. The City of Burlington's Millcroft Greens construction updates page, posted September 2, 2026, says: "Work has not yet begun on-site and a construction start date has not been confirmed." The course scaled back before the approved homes had a start date.
Phase 1 is settled on paper, waiting on one agreement
Phase 1 is the only part of the plan the Ontario Land Tribunal has approved. The tribunal's order leaves the City to give final approval to the subdivision plan once its conditions are met. The City's Phase 1 project page breaks the 90 detached homes into four areas:
- Area A: 29 homes near Hadfield Court
- Area B: 40 homes between Hadfield Court and Parklane Crescent
- Area C: 14 homes near Berwick Drive and Country Club Drive
- Area D: 7 homes near Chasewood Court
A fifth parcel, Area E at 4274 Dundas Street, falls outside that count. The tribunal's May 2025 order zones it for either an apartment building or townhouse buildings.
Millcroft Greens names Hallett Homes as its builder. Hallett is marketing the first homes as The Legacy, a collection of 42 houses at the end of Millcroft Park Drive. The sales material lists closings for fall 2028.
On timing, the City's own forecasts have moved. Its Phase 1 page, posted in September 2025, said home construction could start as early as spring 2026. The September 2, 2026 update replaces that forecast. Site preparation will happen under a pre-servicing agreement that the City and the developer are still finalizing, and work "is expected to begin shortly after" that agreement is signed. The first step listed in the scope of work is installing erosion and sediment controls.
Reports can seem to disagree here. BurlingtonToday's coverage says work has started on the course, and the story's file photo shows heavy machinery on site. The City's notice is about the next stage, site preparation and site alteration, which has not begun. The two most likely describe different kinds of activity. The City had earlier approved tree removal on the lands. For anyone tracking dates, the useful milestone is the signed pre-servicing agreement. The City says it will post an update when it has one, and Millcroft Greens has said it will give advance notice of site activity, including timing and expected noise.
The September 29 refusal leaves the bigger question open
Phase 2 covers the rest of the developer's plan. At its September 29 meeting, council refused both the Official Plan Amendment and the Draft Plan of Subdivision for 2155 Country Club Drive, 4135 Millcroft Park Drive and 4291 Couples Crescent. The subdivision called for 73 detached homes, 65 townhouses and six private roads, along with blocks for open space, landscaping, natural heritage and stormwater management.
Council members said openly that the refusal might not be the last word. At the committee meeting earlier in September, after eight delegates had waited hours to speak, Ward 2 Councillor Lisa Kearns said: "We've used all the tools in our toolbox." Mayor Marianne Meed Ward said the matter was now largely in the province's hands, though the City was still in the fight.
The province holds the deciding power because both sides have asked it for a Minister's Zoning Order. That is a provincial order that sets land use directly. Both requests are posted on Ontario's Environmental Registry, and they ask for opposite outcomes:
- Millcroft Greens' request (ERO 026-0551), posted June 5, 2026, seeks permission for 138 homes across six areas. It also asks to allow long-term care and retirement home uses on the Dundas Street parcel. Comments closed July 5.
- The City's request (ERO 026-0550), posted June 22, 2026, seeks to keep the remaining course lands in open-space use. In effect, Phase 1 would be the last addition to the neighbourhood. Comments closed July 22.
Both comment periods have closed. As of October 4, both notices still read "Proposal," and the ministry has posted no decision on either. If you want to know whether more homes are coming to the course, those two pages matter more than anything on the City's agenda.
What the 75 acres would and would not mean
Most of the debate over the remaining land comes down to one promise. On its website, Millcroft Greens says Phase 2 would build on 25 acres and protect the other 75. It also commits to dedicating about 75 acres of open space to the City of Burlington "for zero financial consideration," with publicly accessible trails.
When the Ward 6 councillor asked about it in September, Stephen Robichaud, the City's Commissioner of Development and Growth Management, said nothing concrete shows the applicant intends to hand the remaining land over to the City.
The dedication is tied to Phase 2. It is part of the proposal the developer wants approved, not a separate arrangement the City can count on. If the province grants the City's zoning order, the land stays open space under existing ownership, and the City's request is not built around a transfer. If the province grants the developer's order, the 75-acre promise would still need to be written into a binding agreement before the land became public.
Cynthia Shanahan, an executive with the resident group Millcroft Against Development, welcomed the unanimous vote. She also pointed to the uncertainty that remains: "With an election coming up, things are tenuous, who knows who will be back on council. At least the staff have been given clear direction."
Where each track gets decided next
For anyone living next to the course or walking past it, each track has its own place to check:
- The course: The Millcroft Golf Club course details page is where the club posted the nine-hole season and the dining room closure. Any change for 2027 will likely appear there first.
- Phase 1 site work: The City's Millcroft Greens construction updates page will report when the pre-servicing agreement is final and work begins. Millcroft Greens takes questions at [email protected] or 289-208-7543.
- Phase 2 and the open land: The two Environmental Registry notices, 026-0551 and 026-0550, will show a decision when the minister makes one.
Every Millcroft property that backs onto or overlooks the course is touched by at least one of these tracks. If you're wondering what this means for your home, especially a lot near Hadfield Court, Parklane Crescent, Berwick Drive or Chasewood Court, Martin Group can walk you through what has been approved near your property and what is still pending. Ask us for a free home valuation and we'll show you how recent Millcroft sales compare to your home.
