The Top Golf Courses and Most Scenic Golf Holes in Alberta

These are the sort of rounds, the sort of shots, that you won’t forget.

Alberta is home to many outstanding golf courses with unique features and unrivalled scenery.

You can experience the thrill of watching a drive soar against a stunning mountain backdrop, and you will have a good chance at a career-best blast in this thin air. You can chase your ball across the hoodoos or through gorgeous river valleys. You can test your skills on courses that have hosted professional events or were designed by some of the biggest names in the game.

Here are some of Alberta’s most unforgettable golfing experiences.

Mountain marvels

Fairmont Banff Springs Golf Course

Fairmont Banff Springs is home to one of the most iconic golf holes in the world — a dramatic Par-3 that is nicknamed ‘Devil’s Cauldron.’ Your heart will be thumping as you step up to the elevated tee. After all, this is likely the shot you were daydreaming about as you planned your trip. You can admire the incredible view as your ball soars across a glacial pond and lands on the green at the base of Mount Rundle. This is just one of many highlight moments during a round at Fairmont Banff Springs, which is frequented by a herd of elk and consistently ranked among the best courses in Canada. If you don’t have time for the Stanley Thompson 18, the Tunnel Nine offers the same superb scenery.

Kananaskis Country Golf Course

As beginner golfers, we all received this simple swing tip — ‘Keep your head down.’ During a round at Kananaskis Country , it’s a lot easier said than done. You will be constantly gazing up, marvelling at the mountain views in every direction. The sibling courses at this 36-hole facility are named for nearby peaks. So should you book your tee-time on the Mount Kidd or Mount Lorette course? That’s a never-ending debate for Alberta golfers, but the truth is you can’t go wrong. Both are beauties. At ground level, keep your eyes peeled for wildlife, including bears.

Silvertip Resort

The view is breathtaking. And your drive, if you find the sweet spot, will be jaw-dropping. The second tee-shot at Silvertip in Canmore is among the most exhilarating in Alberta. From an elevated launch-pad, it’s a plummet of more than 30 m (100 ft) to the fairway below. It might feel like your ball will never fall out of the sky. Since you’re staring at the Three Sisters, a trio of towering peaks, you certainly won’t mind the wait. From start to finish, Silvertip serves up beautiful mountain vistas and several downhill opportunities for the longest bop of your lifetime.

Stewart Creek Golf Club

A round at Stewart Creek starts with a unique target. The ideal aiming point for your opening drive, especially if you tend to work the ball from left to right, is an old coal mine entrance. This easy-on-the-eyes course — a favourite of both locals in Canmore and club-toting travellers — actually plays over a network of closed mine shafts, so there’s a slice of Alberta history underneath your soft-spikes. Your divots won’t go nearly that deep. When you arrive at Stewart Creek’s ninth hole, grab both an iron and your camera phone. This plummeting Par-3, backdropped by Grotto Mountain and Mount Lady MacDonald, is a bombshell.

Tour-approved tests

Fort McMurray Golf Club

PGA Tour Americas alumni can vouch for what the folks in northern Alberta know — Fort McMurray Golf Club is a true gem in the Boreal Forest, with three nine-hole loops and some especially memorable assignments along the Athabasca River. The pros played the Black Bear — keep an eye out for those, by the way — and Big River nines, but you should also carve out time for Foxtail, which opened after the historic wildfire in 2016. As long as your back and shoulders aren’t too grouchy, you will have plenty of time to play all 27 holes. During the longest days of summer, there’s daylight in Fort McMurray until past 11 p.m.

Links of GlenEagles

Links of Gleneagles, located in Cochrane, has previously hosted both the Korn Ferry Tour and PGA Tour Americas. You can bet the visiting pros still have vivid memories of Hole 16, a picturesque Par-3 where a single snapshot will include several distinct landscapes — the Bow River valley, the prairies and the Canadian Rockies in the distance. If you hit the dancefloor on this dandy downhiller, be sure to stop (and to smile) at the photo frame that is stamped with ‘I Hit the Green On 16.’ It’s a bit of a humble brag, sure, but it will be great content for your Instagram feed.

Paradise Canyon Golf Resort

If you’re arriving by vehicle at one of the Canada-U.S. border crossings and travelling with golf clubs in the trunk, one of your first stops should be Paradise Canyon in Lethbridge, a well-conditioned course that weaves through the Old Man River valley and was twice a stop on the PGA Tour Americas circuit. The competitive course record now stands at 11-under 60. Whoa. If you’re sticking around the southern edge of the province, you should also tee it up at historic Fort Macleod Golf Club — dating to 1890, this nine-holer is the oldest course in western Canada — and Waterton Lakes, another of Stanley Thompson’s national-park treasures.

Redwood Meadows Golf Club

Proudly owned and operated by Tsuut’ina Nation, Redwood Meadows is a tour-tested course in the foothills just west of Calgary. Local golf lovers will be impressed that you knew to add this under-rated course to your hit-list. This challenging track was a two-time tournament venue for the rising stars on what is now the Korn Ferry Tour, the final stepping stone before the PGA Tour. Redwood Meadows was recently renovated, and the upgraded greens and surrounds have earned rave reviews. You will find peace and quiet on these tree-lined holes and will be delighted by the Par-3s, some of the best in the province.

Star-power

Mickelson National Golf Club

Phil Mickelson’s only design in Canada has quickly earned a reputation as one of the best courses in the Calgary area. Mickelson National oozes personality, just like the guy who mapped out the holes at this championship-calibre test. If you can “hit bombs,” as Mickelson likes to say, you could be putting for eagle on a pair of drivable Par-4s. You will also be rewarded for a creative short game, which has always been Phil’s calling card. Mickelson National will eventually be a private club, and is already conditioned like one, but you can score a tee-time for now.

Northern Bear Golf Course

Golf legend Jack Nicklaus, nicknamed the Golden Bear, left his paw prints on Northern Bear, which is considered one of the must-play courses in the Edmonton area. This is the only Nicklaus signature design in Alberta. Northern Bear combines that close-to-the-city convenience — located in Sherwood Park, it’s a half-hour drive from downtown — and that middle-of-nowhere feel. It’s a stern test, having also hosted the sharpshooters on PGA Tour Americas. Jack isn’t the only sports superstar who has strolled these fairways. Wayne Gretzky, known to hockey fans as ‘The Great One,’ hosted the opening event at Northern Bear.

One-of-a-kinds

Coal Creek Golf Resort

Typically, you try to steer around the sand-traps. Even if you have outstanding aim, be sure to hit at least a couple of shots out of the unique black bunkers at Coal Creek, a nod to the history of this challenging course near Ryley. This was the longtime home of the Dodds Coal Mine. The old tipple, which served as a processing plant and storage facility, still stands and you will see some machinery scattered in the fescue. Those black bunkers, filled with a copper slag, are a defining feature for a linksy layout that is a favourite of Edmonton-area golfers.

Dinosaur Trail Golf & Country Club

You might find yourself wondering why the 11th fairway at Dinosaur Trail in Drumheller is so skinny. The answer is very cool, and the sort of explanation you’d only hear in the Canadian Badlands. During construction, they reconfigured this Par-4 to ensure they wouldn’t disturb dinosaur fossils in the hillside. Where prehistoric creatures roamed about 70 million years ago, and just down the road from the Royal Tyrrell Museum of Paleontology, you will find a one-of-a-kind golf experience. The tree-lined front nine at Dinosaur Trail is a gentle warm-up for a back-nine thrill-ride that plays through the hoodoos.

Shaganappi Point Golf Course

Golfers in Calgary adore Shaganappi Point, a city-run facility that is not only close to downtown but is easily accessible on the CTrain transit line. The main attraction is a Par-68 layout that is big on birdie opportunities, high on fun factor and offers great bang for buck. The best views are on the back nine, which is carved into the hillside above the Bow River valley. From the green at Hole 13, be sure to snap a photo of the Calgary Tower and the rest of the skyline. The lineup at Shaganappi Point also includes the Valley Nine, an option for a quick spin and enjoyable stroll.