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McMaster Gym Guide: DBAC, Pulse, Pool and Ron Joyce
Most McMaster recreation happens in and around the David Braley Athletic Centre (DBAC) on the main campus. It holds the Pulse Fitness Centre, a climbing gym, courts and an indoor track, and it connects to the pool in the Ivor Wynne Centre. If you're a full-time undergraduate, you pay a University Athletics and Recreation fee with your supplementary fees. That fee is $307.61 in 2026-27 and gives you full access.
Sources checked September 29, 2026. View sources
What's where
McMaster Athletics and Recreation moved its site to active.mcmaster.ca; older rec.mcmaster.ca links redirect there. The table lists what McMaster describes for each space.
| Facility | What's there | Good to know |
|---|---|---|
| Pulse Fitness Centre (in DBAC) | More than 7,000 sq ft of resistance equipment with dumbbells up to 130 lb, over 4,000 sq ft of cardio, a women's-only section and the ADAPT one-on-one program for people with disabilities | Group fitness classes run on Pulse's second floor with no advance registration. Fall 2026 classes run September 8 to December 11. |
| Feather Family Climbing Wall (inside Pulse) | A wall 30 ft wide and 36 ft high, with top-rope and bouldering routes for beginners and experienced climbers | Included in a Pulse membership |
| DBAC courts and track | Burridge Gymnasium (three basketball or volleyball courts), Thérèse Quigley Sport Hall, an indoor turf gym, a golf simulator and a four-lane, 200 m indoor track with a 60 m sprint lane on the third floor | Golf simulator: $25 an hour for members, $45 for non-members; one 60-minute booking per member per day |
| Ivor Wynne Centre (IWC) | Six-lane, 50 m salt-water pool, the East Auxiliary Gym, Rose Hill Studio and squash courts | Reach the pool through the DBAC change rooms' east exit. The Fall 2026 swim schedule runs September 14 to December 23. |
| Squash courts | Seven courts: four international and three hybrid | Bookings are 40 minutes, one per member per day, through MacRecOnline or the Joan Buddle Service Desk. |
| Mona Campbell Outdoor Track | Outdoor track that opened in fall 2012 | Check outdoor hours on the facility page |
| Ron Joyce Stadium and Les Prince Field | Les Prince Field, a full-size Canadian football and FIFA soccer field used by football, soccer and women's rugby, with 5,500 permanent seats | A varsity and event venue, not a drop-in space |
Is the gym included in your fees?
For recreation access, McMaster counts you as full-time if you've paid the full University Athletics and Recreation fee. That fee is charged to students taking 18 or more units in the academic year, with some exceptions such as certain co-op placements. Your Mosaic account statement shows whether you paid it.
Full-time access includes the tracks, pool, Pulse, group fitness, climbing, squash, saunas, open courts and member rates for programs. Part-time, graduate and medical students get the tracks, pool, squash, saunas and courts, and can add fitness access for $28 a month or $280 a year, tax included.
| Student type | What's included | Extra cost for Pulse |
|---|---|---|
| Full-time undergraduate (paid the full A&R fee) | Tracks, pool, Pulse, group fitness, climbing, squash, saunas, open courts, member rates | None. The 2026-27 fee is $307.61. |
| Part-time, graduate or medical student | Tracks, pool, squash, saunas, courts | $28 a month or $280 a year, including HST |
Your first visit
DBAC is at 1280 Main Street West. The Joan Buddle Service Desk is at the bottom of the steps at the main entrance; start there with questions about membership, lockers or access.
From September to April, DBAC is open 6:00 a.m. to 12:30 a.m. on weekdays and 8:30 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. on weekends. Exam periods in December and April run shorter: 6:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. on weekdays and 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on weekends. McMaster also lists a winter break closure from December 24, 2026 to January 3, 2027, so check the hours page before you go.
- Buy memberships and add-ons through MacRecOnline.
- Check drop-in times in the McMaster Recreation app.
- Book squash, table tennis or the golf simulator through MacRecOnline or at the service desk.
- Bring your student card to every intramural game.
Intramurals, rec clubs and varsity
Intramurals are organised through IMLeagues. Some leagues are free, and others charge $15 a player or $75 to $100 a team, depending on the sport.
Recreation clubs include Barbell and Tae Kwon Do among others; the clubs page lists the current set. McMaster has put a two-year freeze on applications for new clubs while it reviews its club sports, so plan to join an existing club rather than start one.
Varsity teams compete as the McMaster Marauders. Tryouts and team news are on marauders.ca.
Keep exploring
Sources and updates
This independent guide summarizes the official information linked below. Availability, access rules and application cycles can change; check the relevant university page before making a decision.
- McMaster Athletics and Recreation: facility hours and information
- McMaster Athletics and Recreation: Pulse Fitness Centre
- McMaster Athletics and Recreation: aquatics
- McMaster Athletics and Recreation: squash, table tennis and golf simulator bookings
- McMaster Athletics and Recreation: IWC pool
- McMaster Athletics and Recreation: Ron Joyce Stadium
- McMaster Athletics and Recreation: membership rates and eligibility
- McMaster Registrar: undergraduate fees and 2026-27 fee schedule
- MacRecOnline registration
- McMaster Athletics and Recreation: intramurals
- McMaster Athletics and Recreation: recreation clubs
- McMaster Marauders varsity athletics