Get in the Swing this Spring

By: Travel Alberta

With alpine courses as challenging as the Canadian Rockies that tower over them, Alberta is a golfer's paradise. Historic Alberta golf courses, some designed by the world's most prominent golf course architects, wait to greet you in the majestic Rocky Mountains. Nowhere will you find golf courses more challenging, inspiring or spectacular. Find out what makes Banff, Jasper, Kananaskis and Canmore your best choice for a golf vacation this year. There they are, staring at you. Your golf clubs. Telling you they're up for a real adventure this year. Well, why not an Alberta golf course adventure – somewhere in Canada's Rocky Mountains? Spectacular scenery, charming mountain towns and challenging world-renowned golf courses only begin to describe what lies in wait. Alberta, in the heart of the Canadian Rockies, is a treasure trove of memorable golf destinations where more than one high profile golf course architect has left his indelible mark. It's not hard to see why golfers from around the world flock to the rugged peaks, pristine lakes and towering pines of Alberta.

But wait. The mountains in February are hardly playable, unless you have some good snowshoes and a shovel to find your ball. Now is the time for planning, for choosing the ultimate golf experiences as only the Rocky Mountains of Alberta can deliver them.

So, if you find yourself pondering such questions as 'will I ever shoot my age?' make it the summer to find out – at the best golf courses in the Canadian Rockies.



Fairmont Banff Springs Golf Course

Head Golf Pro: Miles Mortensen

Yardage: 7,072 (Pro Tees)

Rating: 74.4 (Pro Tees)

Designed in the 1920s by legendary course architect Stanley Thompson, the Banff Springs course is played at the foot of the "Castle in the Rockies." Golf Digest praises this Alberta golf course as "almost impossibly scenic" in awarding the course 11th spot in its 75 Best Golf Resorts in North America.



Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge Golf Course

Head Golf Pro: Kevin Sebulski

Yardage: 6,663 (Blue Tees)

Rating: 71.1 (Blue Tees)

Another Stanley Thompson mountain masterpiece, the Jasper Park Lodge Golf Course is a true classic. Score Magazine rated this Alberta golf course the No. 1 Resort in Canada for six consecutive years, and the course is one of only nine in the world to earn a gold medal from Golf Magazine.



Silver Tip Golf Course (Canmore)

Head Golf Pro: Rob Padget

Yardage: 7,200 (Tour Tees)

Rating: 74.1 (Tour Tees)

With a 9th hole perched 5,300 feet above sea level and elevation changes of 600 feet over its 18 holes, Silver Tip Golf Course is as challenging as it is picture perfect. In 2004, Score Golf rated this Alberta golf course as 36th overall on its list. This year, look forward to a new clubhouse to be completed by July.



Stewart Creek Golf Course (Canmore)

Head Golf Pro: Clinton Schmaltz

Yardage: 7,150

Rating: 73.3 (Black Tees)

Awarded 4.5 stars in Golf Digest, Stewart Creek has also been recognized by Audubon International for its environmental stewardship. Exciting golf and majestic mountain vistas have earned Stewart Creek Golf Course the distinction of Best New Course in Western Canada by Score Magazine.



Kananaskis Country Golf Course

Head Golf Pro: Bob Paley

Yardage: 7,083 (Mount Kidd) 7,102 Mount Lorette

Rating: 72.8 (Gold Tees - Mount Kidd) 74.1 (Gold Tees - Mount Lorette)

Renowned course architect Robert Trent Jones, Sr. called it "the best natural setting I've ever been given to work with" and it's easy to see why. Kananaskis Golf Course is breathtaking. But this Alberta golf course is also a lot more. With two mountain courses to choose from, Kananaskis has been awarded Gold medals by Score Golf for Best Service, Best Scenery, Best, Best Public Course and Best Value.



Other Unique Golf Destinations in Alberta


Northern Bear Golf Club (Edmonton) designed by golf legend Jack Nicklaus.

The Links at GlenEagles (Cochrane) rated in "Top 3 Best New Courses in Canada" by Golf Digest.

Dinosaur Trail Golf & Country Club (Drumheller) features incredible Badlands "moonscape" terrain.

Wolf Creek Golf Resort (Red Deer) uses traditional Scottish design, in a stunning prairie landscape.



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