Golfing
Albertans are serious about their golf. We have more than 280 courses around the province. Six of our signature courses are on Canada’s Top 10 list. Whether you seek a majestic mountain setting, the challenge of a traditional Scottish-style course or a first-class fairway that happens to be just down the road, you’ve come to the right place.
Getting Started
The Alberta Golf Association keeps an up to date list of all member clubs. The majority of courses are open to the public, but call ahead or visit course websites for complete details.
Municipal Courses
Our major urban centres sport a number of municipal courses. There are eight public golf courses in Calgary with very reasonable greens fees and equipment rentals.
Edmonton has three public fairways nestled in the river valley along the banks of the North Saskatchewan. Victoria Golf Course is the oldest municipal course in all of Canada. It’s also one of the most popular, so make sure you book your tee time well in advance. Also popular is the Riverside Golf Club, renowned as one of the finest municipal courses in the world.
The recreation departments in both cities employ golf pros at their courses and offer instruction for all levels of experience.
Deluxe Courses
The golf courses in Banff and Jasper are legendary. Elite greens in the Rockies come with the decadent option of bedding down at a deluxe resort on-site or nearby, complete with spectacular views, stellar service that caters to every creature comfort and some of the best cuisine on the continent.
Signature Golf Courses in Alberta
Blackhawk Golf Club
Tucked along the banks of the North Saskatchewan River just 10 minutes west of Edmonton, this upscale 18-hole course was recently ranked by Golf Digest as one of the top two new courses in Canada. The setting is stunning.
D’Arcy Ranch Golf Club
This fully public facility just south of Calgary winds through tree-lined ravines, framed by southern Alberta’s slopes and escarpments.
Fairmont Banff Springs Golf Course
Stanley Thompson’s design of 1928 is as famous as the spectacular scenery in which it is set. No matter which direction you face, each of the 18 holes offer breathtaking vistas. The view from the clubhouse back to the castle-like hotel looming over the 14th hole is second only to the challenges of the course, where the mountains create optical illusions to test the best in the sport.
Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge Golf Course
Rated Canada’s #1 Best Golf Resort by Score Golf magazine, this landmark fairway is renowned for its challenging layout and equally remarkable design that pays tribute to the surrounding environment. Photographers say the 14th tee box at sparkling Lac Beauvert rivals Pebble Beach for natural golfing beauty.
Goose Hummock Golf Resort
Just north of Edmonton, this Scottish/everglades design has water on 15 of its 18 holes. Their signature hole is 17, which plays to a natural island green.
Heritage Pointe
Just a few minutes south of Calgary, this course consists of three distinct nine-hole fairways—desert, Scottish links and parkland—and hosts some of the world’s best young professionals.
Kananaskis Country Golf Course
Designed by Robert Trent Jones Sr., these two side-by-side 18 hole courses are named for Mount Lorette and Mount Kidd, the 3,048 m (10,000 ft) limestone peaks soaring behind them. Nestled in the montain foothills of the Kananaskis valley, the bent grass greens are laced with spring fed creeks and ponds. And this paradise is only one hour’s drive from either Calgary or Banff.
Northern Bear Golf Club
Just southeast of Edmonton, ‘the Bear’ is one of three Jack Nicklaus courses in Canada and the only one in Alberta. Mike Weir and Wayne Gretzky are honorary members. Like every Nicklaus course, the Bear is designed to accommodate all handicaps. Stop in at the clubhouse, a work of art in wood, stone and glass—not to mention its 7 m (23 ft) waterfall. The readers of Score Golf voted it the best clubhouse in western Canada.
Silvertip
Next door to Canmore, Silvertip is considered one of North America’s most challenging courses. The design exploits the site’s dramatic elevation changes—nearly 183 m (600 ft). This is mountain golfing akin to mountain climbing. Expect epic tee shots. It received third place in Westworld magazine’s “Top Ten Golf Destinations of Canada.”
Stewart Creek Golf & Country Club
Located near Canmore, this course is loaded with par fours and a thoroughly modern design. Golf Digest consistently gives Silver Creek a 4.5 star rating.
The Ranch Golf and Country Club
Five minutes west of Edmonton, this challenging course comprises two distinct nine-hole layouts, with its final hole rated the toughest on the Canadian Tour.
Wolf Creek Golf Resort
On the outskirts of Red Deer, this 27-hole course was designed by Rod Whitman, who has skillfully translated Scottish traditions onto a stunning and surprising prairie landscape. Golf Digest gives it 4.5 stars and the Financial Post ranks it second in the province.
Vacation Packages
Most of Alberta’s courses are close to accommodations to suit all budgets. Many offer terrific golf vacation package deals. Golf Northern Alberta’s Best is loaded with family friendly, affordable packages throughout the region. The same can be said for Golf Central Alberta.
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