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Golfing in the Canadian Rockies
The Canadian Rocky Mountains are famous around the world for their rugged and majestic terrain and have long been the destination of choice for mountain enthusiasts from across the globe. Much to the good fortune of every golf enthusiast, the Canadian Rockies are not just for climbing any more as they boast some of the most spectacular golf courses in North America set to the backdrop of soaring mountains and ancient glaciers.
Consistently rated as one of Canada's top 3 golf destinations by Score Golf, Canada's golfing authority, and one of the top 50 destinations in the world by Golf Digest, there are few comparisons that can be drawn to what you will experience when you golf the spectacular Canadian Rockies.
Ultimate Rockies Vacations offers the leading selection of pre-arranged golf packages in the Canadian Rockies and has golf experts on staff that will work hand-in-hand with you to customize a package to meet your unique needs. Below is a list of the premier golf courses that Ultimate Rockies includes in its vacation packages.
Alberta Rockies Golf Courses
BC Rockies Golf Courses
* Price includes green fee, power cart, and range balls (not taxes)
**Exclusive to accommodation guests only
Destination Overview
The main destinations for an Alberta Rockies golf vacation are Banff, Canmore and Jasper arriving through Calgary. The most central location to all the golfing action is the booming mountain town of Canmore, a short and visually appealing 1 hour drive west of Calgary International Airport. There are 5 world-class golf courses within a 2 to 30 minute drive from Canmore. They include SilverTip GC, Stewart Creek GC, Banff Springs GC, and the two Kananaskis courses. Jasper Park Golf Course is located approximately 2.5 hours north of Banff by its lonesome but is well worth spending a day or two off the beaten trail to experience. Many of the BC Rockies golf courses are also very accessible from Banff and Canmore. The Springs Course at Radium Resort, Eagle Ranch, Grey Wolf, and Golden Golf Club are all within a 2 hour drive from Banff.
Picking which courses to play if you are only planning a short vacation is not a simple task (we suggest staying a minimum of 5 days to get a full taste of the Rockies). If you desire extreme mountain golf at its best, Canmore's SilverTip is an experience not to be missed. The course winds its way up and down a mountain and provides stunning views of the Bow Valley and the famous Three Sisters mountain range on almost every hole. However, SilverTip should come with a "golfer beware" sign as it is not a course designed for beginners and boasts one of the highest slope ratings in the world. Equally stunning, yet a little more playable and forgiving for the average duffer, is the Rockies' newest addition, Stewart Creek GC located in the enormous Three Sisters Resort Development in Canmore. In 2002, Golf Digest rated Stewart Creek as one of the best new courses in North America. Kananaskis Golf Course offers 36 spectacular golf holes 25-30 minutes southeast of Canmore at about half the price of the other courses. Don't let the price fool you though - the only reason that Kananaskis is so affordable is that it is subsidized by the oil rich Alberta government. Golf Digest Magazine has given Kananaskis GC the distinguished honour of being the "best value of any resort course in North America".
No Canadian Rockies golf vacation is complete without trying Banff Springs GC at least once; and its recent restoration makes it worth the while despite the steep price. Banff Springs was the first course in history to cost over $1million to build when it was constructed by Canadian golf architectural legend Stanley Thompson in 1928. While each hole on Banff Springs is unique, the unforgettable experience at the fourth is every golfer’s dream. The "Devil’s Cauldron," as it is affectionately known, is a delectable par-3, voted one of the best 18 holes in the world by Golf Magazine in 2000. With a tee perched high on a granite shelf and a crystal clear mountain lake sitting eloquently in the foreground, the setting at the fourth is surreal. The green sits in a natural bowl, or "cauldron," just over the lake - a menacing 170 yards away. Surrounding the green sit five "devilish" bunkers waiting to snare your Pro V ball. Don’t worry, you won’t be the first to find a hazard at the fourth. The water in the lake is clean and pure - on any given day a thousand balls glisten under waters fed by nearby glaciers, each a reminder that distraction is the norm at "Devil’s Cauldron."
Jasper Park Golf Course is another Stanley Thompson gem and is often rated as one of the top 10 courses in Canada. Similar to the Banff Springs Golf Course in design and visual impact, Jasper is often considered the superior layout (if that is even possible). For hard core golf fanatics, consider changing your itenerary to include a round (or two) at Jasper Park Lodge - it will leave you awestruck.
The BC Rockies, while well known to residents of Alberta who frequent the area, is often overlooked by international travelers, and unjustly so. On the warmer side of the Rocky Mountains that divide Alberta and BC, the Columbia Valley (BC Rockies) is quickly becoming a golfing mecca offering lower prices and a slightly longer season than the Alberta Rockies.
Accessible by air through Calgary or Cranbrook, the Columbia Valley stretches from Golden in the north to Kimberley in the south and features an excellent selection of world-class championship layouts that are guaranteed to impress even the most discerning golf vacationer. The most popular destinations to rest after a day on the fairways are Invermere, Panorama, Radium Hot Springs, Fairmont Hot Springs and Kimberley. If you're staying for more than 4 or 5 days, we recommend staying in a central location like Fairmont Hot Springs, Radium Hot Springs or Invermere so that you can efficiently sample the best courses of the entire valley. For shorter stays, your choice of location will be guided by which of the 10 excellent courses you want to tackle.
Golfers that get the opportunity to experience the courses of the Columbia Valley will be left itching for more. With some of the highest rated courses in Canada and extremely competitive rates for resort golf, the region is a "can't miss" for golfing fanatics.
Golden Golf Club is the hidden gem of the Rockies and is arguably its best deal at only $59Cdn (2003 rate without cart or range). Having earned a four-star rating from Golf Digest and being recognized in the top 65 courses in Canada, this course’s reputation is well-earned. With each of the holes being designed for playability and to showcase the natural beauty of the area, golfers from novice to expert will find characteristics guaranteed to make for a one-of-a-kind day. The only course in the Golden area, expect the prices to surge when it is joined by a new course at Kicking Horse Resort in the next few years.
One hour south of Golden and 1.5 hours west of Banff, you enter golf heaven in the central Columbia Valley and the resort destinations of Radium Hot Springs, Panorama Mountain Village, Invermere and Fairmont Hot Springs. The first "must play" course you'll approach is located just outside the village of Radium. The Springs Course at Radium Resort, perched high on the banks of the Columbia River, is consistently rated as one of the best resort courses in BC and Canada. A winding 20 minute drive from Invermere to Panorama brings you to Grey Wolf, the most extreme (and expensive) golf course in the BC Rockies. Rated as the #1 course in BC by Golf Digest, Grey Wolf features spectacular views climaxed by a dramatic par 3 known as "The Cliffhanger" (seen above).
Just a few minutes down the road from Radium, Invermere offers two excellent new additions to the region. Designed by renowned golf course architect William G. Robinson, Eagle Ranch has been skillfully sculpted from a meandering network of rolling canyons and elevated bluffs. The popular 6600-yard course winds itself around ravines, combining tee shots and fairways with panoramic views, stunning perspectives and lush greens. Copper Point is the newest addition to the region, opening in the late summer of 2003, and promises to be one of the best with spectacular views of Lake Windermere, the Purcell Mountains to the west, and the Rocky Mountains to the east.
The two courses in Fairmont Hot Springs are not as spectacular in terms of layout or condition as some of the other courses in the valley, but offer good golf tests for any level of player and great scenery at a relatively affordable price. You may also want to hone your short game at the local par 3 course.
About a 50 minute drive south of Fairmont Hot Springs, golfers will encounter three of BC's finest layouts in the Kimberley / Cranbrook region - Trickle Creek, Bootleg Gap, and St. Eugene Mission. Joined by the older layouts at Kimberley Golf Club and Cranbrook Golf Club, these new additions have put Kimberley on the Canadian golfing map. Trickle Creek is one of the most highly touted resort courses in BC, given 4.5 stars out of 5 for places to play by Golf Digest. St. Eugene was opened in May 2000 and in 2001 was awarded a top 3 ranking in Golf Digest's "Canada's Best New Courses" category. St. Eugene Golf Course takes full advantage of its spectacular Rocky Mountain setting, where majestic pine forest and the St. Mary's River provide a fitting backdrop for the championship layout. Also taking advantage of the St. Mary's River, Bootleg Gap is the newest addition to the area and is without question its best value.
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