Canadian Rockies Golf Feel the Rush

Canadian Rockies Golf- Feel the Rush
By Tim Cotroneo
Rush is Canada’s most famous rock band. A rush is also the sensation you can’t help
but feel when playing golf in the Alberta Canadian Rockies.
Where else in the world do golf courses embrace skyscraping mountain vistas on every
hole? Where else is there a 50/50 chance of spying an elk or a bear at any moment
during your 18 holes? Where else can you top off a picturesque round with the thrill of
adding 10 yards to each shot by playing in altitude with an attitude?
Arrive for your Canadian Rockies golf experience by flying into Calgary’s airport, and
then breathe the freshest air known to man. Prepare to revel in an all-natural mountain
theater and a golf setting that is second to none. From Calgary to Jasper, you’ll find five
rarified 18-hole options for taking in the best of Rocky Mountain golf
Silvertip Resort Golf Course-
Canmore, Alberta Like Golfing on Top of the World

Silvertip Resort Golf Course will have you at hello. Before you even tee off, the Silvertip
driving range is one you’ll never forget. Golfers hit their practice shots into the face of
Mount Lady MacDonald. Topping out at over 8,000-feet, Lady MacDonald leans out so
far, not even your highest drive will near its peak.

You’ll enjoy listening for accents among the Silvertip staff. More than a dozen members
of the Silvertip team hail from Australia. Many of the Aussies are drawn to Canmore’s
world-class mountain climbing, hiking, and skiing opportunities.
It’s hard to resist not falling in love with Silvertip’s 18 th hole. You’ll need to duck to keep
from brushing your golf cap on the clouds just above the elevated tee box. Once you
reach the green, keep on walking to the outdoor deck at Stoney’s Bar & Grill. All Alberta
Canadian Rockies golf courses pride themselves in offering outdoor dining and imbibing
options with views that are to die for. Stoney’s features an awesome view of the 18 th
green. The emerald green lake next to the putting green is blindingly brilliant on a sunny
day.
Stewart Creek Golf & Country Club- Canmore Rated 4.5 Stars by Golf Digest
Stewart Creek is one of Alberta’s most luxurious golf properties and a winner of
numerous Best in Golf awards.
If you’re a mountain lover, at Stewart Creek you’ll witness no fewer than four mountain
ranges over 18 holes. Your head will swivel at the Cascade, Pigeon, and Three Sisters

mountains, as well as Ha Ling Peak.
History buffs will buzz over the fact that Stewart Creek is built on what was formerly an
abandoned coal mining site. The course architect kept two historical remnants of these
mine shafts visible on the front and back nine.
Before or after your round, it’s hard not to appreciate the visuals and ambiance of the
Stewart Creek clubhouse. This two-tiered facility’s glass wall exterior features high-def
views of the 18 th hole and the Rundle Mountain Range. Inside the clubhouse you’ll rub
elbows with members and vacationers who’ve played golf around the world. The
Stewart Creek vibe is one of an international flavor with fellow players exuding a real
appreciation for the game of golf.

At Stewart Creek you’ll be reminded how small the world has gotten and the
intercontinental pull of golf. Several of the Stewart Creek staffers arrived in Canmore to
take advantage of the plethora of mountain sport opportunities. You’ll hear multiple
mentions of Canmore’s Nordic Center where athletes can take part in biathlon training.
Spend a couple of days in Canmore, and you’ll observe that this town of 12,000 people
may be one of the fittest cities in the world.
Canmore Golf & Curling Club- Canmore
Hometown Hero
Canadian Rockies golf makes a point of immediately drawing you in. On the first hole at
Canmore Golf & Curling Club, you’re advised to hit your drive toward the crevasse
separating the Rundle and Cascade mountains. Is there another course in the universe
where your target points at not one, but two mountain ranges?

There is something to be said for researching the nuances of your vacation destination.
At the Canmore Golf & Curling Club, you’ll discover Canmore is located smack dab in
the middle of the Edmonton Oilers and Calgary Flames hockey rivalry. It may be wise to
ask your playing partner which side of this intense rivalry he or she leans before
spewing your own take on who should rule in the coming season.
Upon commenting that Canmore Golf and Curling Club is even more beautiful in person
than in the photographs you viewed prior to your trip, be prepared to receive a smile
and this common refrain, “The photos don’t lie.”

This golf course, along with its friendly inhabitants, is often referred to as the “Canadian
Cheers.”
Considering the spectacular views and conditions, Canmore Golf and Curling Club’s
modest greens fees may be the Canadian Rockies best golf value.

Canmore Golf & Curling Club
Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge Golf Club- Jasper
Canada’s #1 Golf Resort
Fairmont Jasper Park treats golfers like rock stars. On the first tee, the starter
announces each player’s name and hometown.

You’ll note that on each tee box, every golf hole has a name that honors a chapter in
Jasper history, geography, or a famous individual. The most storied moniker is on the
9 th hole, a long par three. The name Cleopatra is based on the way course designer
Stanley Thompson configured the mounds surrounding the putting green to match his
minds-eye image of the Egyptian Queen.

Over the years, movie stars and British royalty have trekked to Jasper to see if the
spectacular surroundings were indeed as beautiful as the hype. Crooner Bing Crosby
stayed long enough, in 1947, to win the Jasper Park Golf Club’s Totem Pole
Tournament.
Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge Golf Club recently celebrated its 90 th anniversary. Today it
takes four hours to drive to Jasper from Banff. When the course opened in 1925, it took
30 days to travel on horseback.

Golfers choose Jasper Park Lodge Golf Club to not only be surrounded by its mountain
range, but also to inhabit an environment where animal life thrives. It’s not uncommon to
awaken to find elk grazing right outside your cabin. To say that animals thrive in these
surroundings is an understatement. The antlers of the elk living in Jasper National Park
are said to grow 2 ½ centimeters per day.
Fairmont Banff Springs – Stanley Thompson Golf Course
Canada’s Castle in the Rockies

Four million visitors choose Banff as a vacation destination every year. The nine-story
Fairmont Banff Springs Castle in the Rockies is one of the city’s main drawing cards.
The 6,900-yard, 18 hole “Thompson Course” at Banff Springs is surrounded by Sulphur
Mountain and Mount Rundle. The mountain ranges are visible everywhere you look on
this Stanley Thompson design.
The number of signature holes at Banff Springs are too numerous to count. One hole
that is particularly impressive is the Par 5, 527-yard 14 th hole. This hole is the ultimate
photo opportunity. As you approach the 14 th green, the Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel
juts out from the woods and serves as a striking backdrop.

Elk appear on the golf course almost daily around sunset. A few years ago, a famous
elk confrontation occurred on the 16 th hole when two bull elks started fighting.
Scenes from the 1954 movie “River of No Return,” starring Marilyn Monroe and Robert
Mitchum, were shot on the golf course grounds. A photograph of Monroe awkwardly
holding a golf club can be seen in the Banff Springs hotel.
Play One, Play All
Whether you play one or play all of the Canadian Rockies top five golf courses, each
venue promises a golf rush. This is extreme golf with a premium placed on magnificent
mountain views in a setting that is so quiet you’ll feel obliged to look skyward before
speaking. If God plays golf, the Canadian Rockies is where he’d book his first tee time.

http://silvertipresort.com/
http://canmoregolf.net/
http://www.stewartcreekgolf.com/
http://www.fairmont.com/jasper/golf/
http://www.fairmont.com/banff-springs/golf/
Where to stay while you play:
Canmore Blackstone Mountain Lodge or Stoneridge Mountain Resort
Jasper
Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge
Banff
Fairmont Banff Springs
Where to eat:
Canmore The Iron Goat Pub & Grill, Grizzly Paw Pub, Tavern 1883
Where to explore after you play:
Canmore Alpine Helicopter Tours
Icefields Parkway Brewster Travel Canada Glacier Skywalk
Tim Cotroneo is a Minneapolis-based freelance writer specializing in travel, business,
and golf.