The golf courses in the Eastern Townships were some of the first of their kind in Quebec and were introduced to the region by American tourists. The popularity of golf led to the establishment of over forty two courses in the area by 1997, which included the Old Lennoxville Golf Club in 1897 on what is now a part of the Bishop’s University campus and the Waterville Golf Club in 1903. Their appeal in the Eastern Townships led to further development within the tourist industry itself to attract more people interested in specialized vacation activities.

The many golf courses in the region inspired the establishment of many country clubs, including the Hermitage Country Club in Magog, which was created along with its own golf course in 1912. This club offered numerous activities to parents as well as their children, besides golf, such as weekly dances, volleyball, tennis, swimming, diving, canoe trips, hiking, horseback riding and mountain climbing. The Hermitage Country Club was a model for other clubs being established in the Eastern Townships as it combined the appeal of both the lakeshore and the mountain based tourism that was so desired by vacationers.

Associated with mountain and lakeshore area during this period of traditional tourism was the presence of game and fish clubs, which used the natural environment to attract tourists. The Compton Game and Fish Club was established in 1917 in a log cabin, but soon had to expand, like so many like it, due to its popularity. Fish such as trout, salmon, bass and perch along with game like deer, bear, moose, lynx, partridge and bobcats are no longer present in the Eastern Townships due to over-hunting. The initial popularity of tourism in the region effected the landscape so greatly that by the middle of the twentieth century, it had been changed tremendously and measures had to be taken to preserve the area while keeping it available to the increasing demands of tourists.