You can play golf throughout Alberta at more than 280 courses, moving from ghostly hoodoos to mystic rivers to emerald greens, where deer stand stalk straight near the smooth hiss of a well-hit ball. With up to 18 hours of daylight during summer, you can see forever.
Find Alberta Golf Association member clubs (including websites and phone numbers) here.
In this article, local pros describe six challenging holes with tips on how to play them. Each of the holes is from a golf course in one of the province’s six districts. If you’ve never played, you can aspire to these challenges, and still get in the game. For those of you who live for golf – lead on, Macduff.
Calgary and Area
D’Arcy Ranch Golf Club, Okotoks (it’s about a 15 minute drive south of Calgary). This web link to the course takes you right to a photo of Hole #7.
Hole #7:
“It’s a challenging par 5 which can be stretched to 550 yards from the black tee, and it’s an elevated tee. A straight tee shot is a must or you will be in a trap or a long natural rough with a side hill line. The second shot is not for the faint of heart. The lay up in your narrow landing area is guarded by water on the right and the long natural rough on the left. Go for it – if you can hit it 250 yards straight at a two-tiered green that’s guarded by traps on the right and left, as well as water right. If you hit two straight ones you’re good, but even then, this can be a tough hole. You tend to do real well or real bad.”
– Tim Watt, Head Professional
Edmonton and Area
Northern Bear Golf Club, a Jack Nicklaus Signature design course, is in Sherwood Park, 30 minutes from downtown Edmonton. The web link to the course takes you to a sweet virtual tour of all the holes.
Hole # 9:
“You can see the entire hole from the tee box and you can see the clubhouse as well. This is 452 yards with a par 4. A long and accurate tee shot will set up a demanding approach into a well guarded green, with a full carry over water, and a bunker to a contoured green. To make it in the par 4, you need that long, accurate drive. It’s a contoured green and it’s guarded by a bunker to the right, so more than likely you are on the left hand of the fairway and you have to cut across. You want to be within the correct segment of the green – a 25-ft. radius of where the pin is, sets up your best putt.”
– Nathan Toornstra, Assistant Professional
Alberta North
The Dunes Golf and Winter Club, just south of Grande Prairie, is one of the courses you’ll find at Golf Northern Alberta's Best.
Hole #6:
“It’s awesome. From our back tees it’s 473 yards with a dog leg right, and it is well treed both right and left. If you pull your tee shot, we have a bit of water (left off the tee) that you have to watch. If you hit it too straight, you can blow it right through the fairway. There’s a jack pine tree about 150 yards out from the green, and it looks like it has a mysterious arm that grabs balls as they go by. People just seem to hit that tree.”
– Dennis Bradley, Head Professional
Another excellent source of information about golfing in Northern Alberta is the Golf Northern Alberta website.
The Rockies
The Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge Golf Course is regarded as one of the best courses in Canada, praised for its rustic beauty and design. The web link to the course provides an overview of each hole.
Hole #8:
“Named Tekarra’s Cut, this is a par 4 (it’s 434 yards). It requires a very good tee shot, hit far. It’s a tight area to drive into. For the average player, after the tee shot, you’ll likely have between 160-200 yards left into the green on a fairway that slopes significantly. The ball will want to go left. The hardest part is where the green sits up against a forest of trees down the right hand side. It’s a blind shot into the green, so that second shot is very difficult. For most players, it’s a three shot to get into the green. The green has a lot of slope, so it’s difficult putting it. The tee shot and approach shot require quality shots. It’s easy to make a bogey or worse.”
– Alan Carter, Director of Golf
Alberta Central
Ponoka Community Golf Club in the town of Ponoka, at the centre of Alberta, is listed by Golf Digest as one of the best places to play in 2007. Try Golf Central Alberta for more resources.
Hole #17:
“From the black tee it’s 214 yards and a par 3, downhill to a small, undulating green. If you miss the green you want to miss short, not right or left, as it is bunkered to the left and rough to the right of the green. Your ideal shot is to get to the front edge. Then if you are short, you are okay to get up to the green – but you’ll be chipping. It plays into the prevailing northwest wind. The bunker left is the toughest obstacle. Once you are on the green, there is large undulation and it can be slick if you are putting downhill, so watch that.”
– Rob MacPherson, Head Professional
Alberta South
Dinosaur Trail Golf and Country Club (Drumheller) is reputed to have the toughest back nine in Alberta.
Hole #12:
“This hole always gives you a bit of apprehension, but if you’re on the green or in proximity to the hole, you feel pretty good. You have to play the wind. It’s a good par 3. With a two-tiered green, where you land is important, because you could spend a few extra putts there. When the pin is up on the top tier, it’s a challenge to get it up there on the bottom level. The approach shows three tees in different locations. The black tee affords about 149 yards but it’s straight into the prevailing winds that come out of the west, so you need a good shot for target golf.”
– Ossie Sheddy, Club Past President
There will also be a new golf course opening in the south this year! The new Desert Blume course in the Medicine Hat area is a semi-private, 18-hole course.
Fore more!
For a story on family golfing in Northern Alberta, click here.
Check out the Canadian Women's Open website for information on the 2007 CN Canadian Women's Open, which is the proud host of Canada's only LPGA Tour event held from Aug 13-19 this year. Recently, CN and the Royal Canadian Golf Association (RCGA) announced that the young golf phenom Michelle Wie has accepted a sponsor’s exemption and will play at this exciting event in Edmonton, Alberta (Royal Mayfair Golf Club) to compete for the $2.25 million (US) CN Canadian Women’s Open.
