Golfing

The Canadian Rockies [1] hold special appeal for golfers because some of the world’s most scenic courses lie in their midst. All of the best courses are public, lying in national parks or on provincial land, so anyone can play at any time. The scenery alone stands the courses of the Canadian Rockies apart from others, but there are many other reasons that the region is a golf destination in itself. Stanley Thompson, generally regarded as one of the preeminent golf course architects of the early 1900s, designed three courses in the Canadian Rockies, typified by holes aligned with distant mountains, elevated tee boxes, and fairways following natural contours of the land. (As most of Thompson’s work was in Canada, he is still little known in the United States.)

The golfing season is fairly short, May–early October, depending on snow cover. (The golf courses at Radium Hot Springs [2] and Golden [3] are the first to open each spring.) But with the long days of summer, there’s plenty of time for golfing. Greens fees range from $15 at the historic nine-hole Nordegg Golf Course to $230 for 18 holes at the Banff course [4]. The greens fee at Kananaskis Country Golf Course [5] ($100) is also worth noting: It is regularly featured in Golf Digest as North America’s best-value course. At the resort courses, greens fees usually include the use of practice facilities and a cart (complete with global positioning system at Silvertip). The sport’s popularity in the mountains is such that tee times need to booked well in advance—up to a month for preferred times at some courses.