Banff and Jasper Golf – Better in Person! By Bob Fagan
As I was just becoming infatuated with golf, I would clip the most beautiful golf course pictures for my golf scrapbook. The year was 1962 and I had not yet become a teenager, but the images of the 4th hole at Banff and the 9th hole at Jasper Lodge became the two images indelibly burned into my consciousness. I promised myself that someday I would play them. Well, forty-five years later, my dream has been fulfilled and I can exclaim that each exceeded my expectations. Indeed, they are better in person!
If you ever need a four or five-day tonic for what ails you, the region of Banff, Kananaskis, Jasper, and Canmore in Alberta, Canada may be the perfect anecdote. Banff can be a great starting location for traveling to any of these other locations.
Flying into Calgary, Alberta is an easy trek and the travel is a seamless transition for us Americans. Ninety minutes west of the airport are the Canadian Rockies. They dwarf their American neighbors, and the drive is easy, seemingly quick, filled with anticipation of some of the most beautiful golf on the planet. Indeed, it really is.
If there is a more inviting scenic entrance than the last twenty minutes into the Kananaskis Valley, it must be in heaven. I have heard from other travelers of how impressive it is, and they could not have been more correct. The first of my recommended golf courses are the two Robert Trent Jones, Sr. designs at Kananaskis Country Golf Course - flat courses in mountainous surrounds. These are isolated national parklands and there is little in the way of people or amenities except for the Village a couple of miles from the courses. Elk, bear, deer, and a host of other critters share the land with golfers. Around dawn or dusk they are about and often seen.
The two Kananaskis courses play in the wooded meadowlands and feature the trademark large greens, long tees, and stylized bunkering of Jones, the “Father of Modern American Golf Course Architecture”. The holes on either the Mt. Loretta or Mt. Kidd courses are all solid, and I would be hard-pressed to name favorites – perhaps the back nine on Mt. Loretta and the front nine on Mt. Kidd. These layouts are always busy and the prices are very reasonable. The only drawbacks are the slow rounds, but with this scenery to admire, Kananaskis rivals Pebble Beach for beautiful vistas, so why hurry? Refer to www.kananaskisgolf.com. For lodging, I definitely recommend the Delta Lodge at Kananaskis. Even if the area had more options, you would be hard-pressed to find more comfortable surroundings and good eateries, and so close to the golf as well. Refer to: http://www.deltahotels.com/hotels/hotels.php?hotelId=30.
Robert Trent Jones’ 36-hole Kananaskis Country Golf Course
(Courtesy of Kananaskis Country Golf Course)
The town of Canmore is often recommended as an eating alternative for those staying at
Kananaskis. The interesting feature is that Canmore also offers two more spectacular golf
courses as well. Most Americans content to ride a golf cart will be attracted to the mountainous
Silvertip golf course situated on very difficult terrain. Though the layout has a few tricky holes,
there are many spectacular photogenic ones in which you gaze across the valley below to the
adjacent snow-capped peaks and simply utter “Oh Wow!” The views are simply that spectacular.
After Kananaskis, you will be hard-pressed to decide a favorite. Then you discover yet another
outstanding course, Stewart Creek Golf & Country Club about five minutes drive across the
valley on the opposite mountain. Stewart Creek is considered by many to be among the top five
public courses in the entire province. Here the terrain is still hilly, but not nearly as severe as
Silvertip and the course is definitely walkable. The layout is more conventional, the driving areas
more expansive, and the challenge more straightforward. Though the vistas are probably more
spectacular at Silvertip, the golf challenge may be better at Stewart Creek. Either way that can
be debated, no one will dispute that these two courses are spectacular. I would not argue with
any who referred to either of these two layouts as their favorite among this delicious menu of
mountain golf. Refer to: www.silvertipresort.com and www.stewartcreekgolf.com.
Heading another twenty minutes west along the Trans Canadian Highway awaits The Fairmont
Banff Springs and its acclaimed Stanley Thompson Golf Course. For those not aware of
Thompson, he is the preeminent Canadian golf course architect and creator of 145 golf courses,
one I would call “the Alister Mackenzie of Canada”. More importantly, his influence extended all
around the globe with his apprentice, Robert Trent Jones, Sr., Jones’ sons, and others. His
sweeping bunkering, visually aesthetics, and ingenious routings make his works something to
behold. He was an admirer of Americans designers Tillinghast and Mackenzie, and his work
reflected them. Could the Banff Springs course be as good as I had hoped?
Yes, Banff Springs is that good. Essentially it is a meadow layout immediately situated between
the base of 8,500-foot Mount Rundle and the majestic Bow River. Built in 1928, it was the first
golf course in the world to cost more than $1 million to build, a massive undertaking considering
the rocks had to be moved by teams of horses and men, and that sand and soil had to be
transported by rail to the site.
The result of Thompson’s labors is quintessential resort golf that is challenging, but not
overbearing. Wide fairways afford margin for error off most tees, but Thompson then brings the
focus into the approach shots where ample serpentine bunkering punctuates and defines the
greenside challenges. The layout has three extraordinary holes of note, the par-three fourth, the
par-four 14th heading directly back toward the hotel, and the magnificent 15th hole with its
elevated tee shot aimed directly at Mt. Rundle.
The bunkering is strategically placed (an over-used term) in that one must continually assess
whether to try to carry them or tack around them. Oh, and if the bunkers are not perfectly
smooth, it’s likely some wild critters were in them between the time they were raked and your
arrival; besides I agree with many that the shaping of these bunkers is the best ever conceived in
Canada!
Golf purists, including me, lament that the routing sequence of the course was changed from
Thompson’s original plan. The aforementioned 14th was formerly the splendid par-four finishing
hole while the 15th was the opening hole, perhaps the most spectacular opening hole in the world.
A 475-yard par-four, its elevated tee sits high on a hill adjacent to the hotel overlooking a rushing
stream with the vista set at Mt. Rundle – one of the most mesmerizing and impressive sights in
the entire world of golf. It is no longer that opening hole, but simply a fantastic hole in the midst of
the back nine. The famous par-three fourth was originally later on the front nine, but that change
is of less consequence. Nicknamed the “Devil’s Cauldron”, that hole is the one that first captured
my attention as a youngster. As beautiful as the pictures are, in person it is even better - maybe
the most beautiful inland hole in the world.
Fairmont Banff Springs – #4 on the Thompson Course with Mt. Rundle to the right. The
hole that sparked my interest in golf! (Courtesy of The Fairmont Banff Springs)
Balancing this decision to change the routing sequence was the desire to create a quieter, more
focused golf environment for the clubhouse and to make the driving range more convenient to the
staging area - conveniently centralized and away from the distractions and hustle of the hotel. As
such, the golfer now drives a couple of kilometers tantalized with views of holes on both sides of
the entrance driveway. It is a wonderful new experience a preview to the upcoming attraction that
counteracts the loss of routing in my mind. The important thing is that the routing that makes
extensive use of the mountain vistas as well as the river ones is pure genius – and that remains
intact. Regardless, the Fairmont Banff Springs is a magnificent golf course and a magnificent
experience, worthy of its designation as one of the world’s greatest golf resorts. And do not
forget, the layout includes a third-nine, called the Tunnel Nine that is entertaining though does not
receive quite the attention or demand that the Thompson Course commands.
While there are many other hotel choices in the Banff area, my choice has to be with The
Fairmont Banff Springs. Originally built in 1888, the regal structure is truly a landmark and
staying there affords one the opportunity to step back into a time of elegance and grace. It is a
grand dame of a hotel boasting 778 modernized luxurious rooms and a wide array of quality
eating establishments. With such a hotel, the atmosphere is quite dignified, but surprisingly not
stuffy or snobby. Happy customers and smiling employees are busy enjoying the best that life
has to offer. Nearby is the quaint village of Banff with its upscale antique shops, restaurants, and
tourist establishments. The thing to remember is that this entire area is situated in a national
preserve so at times you are just as apt to see an elk sauntering down the main street, as you are
a pedestrian.
While the Fairmont has many amenities, it is the allure of nature and the outdoors that attracts
people to Banff. There are many activities to choose from and if you can picture a couple of
rounds of golf combined with exceptional hiking and nature excursions, exploring beautiful nearby
Lake Louise, horseback riding, tennis, river rafting, and award-winning spa services not mention
world-class art galleries and museums, and a terrific performing arts center. You can see why
something like a four-day getaway in Banff is the perfect tonic for whatever ails you.
(www.fairmont.com/banffsprings and check out their golf packages, see also
www.banfflakelouise.com )
Continuing our trek north from Banff, you will encounter another Stanley Thompson golf course
masterpiece and another Fairmont hotel property, the Fairmont Jasper Lodge Golf Course. In
between may be the most beautiful highway drive on earth, the Icefields Parkway. You will bisect
serrated mountains that climb even higher than previously visited with massive glaciers, icefields,
and other natural attractions before encountering Jasper. Properly planned, this is a ride to be
savored and enjoyed with several educational and uniquely beautiful stopping points.
The Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge is situated on serene lake, Lac Beauvert, with the mountains
more set back as opposed to Banff where every peak seems immediately adjacent to you. Here
the accommodations are definitely more laid back and casual. The motif is a log cabin one rather
than stone and wood beams of the Banff Fairmont. Blue jeans and sandals replace jackets and
loafers. The golf course is more laid back too. It was actually designed earlier than Banff Springs
by Thompson (completed in 1926) and he returned many times to refine it. Customers also
return to the Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge many times as well. During my Alberta travels, I met
numerous folks who have annually vacationed at Jasper 30, 40 or more times! Mention Jasper
and their faces would light up. Can there be any greater compliment? The Fairmont Jasper
Lodge and the golf course are hardly polished or refined, but rather like that quality pair of
comfortable old shoes that wear so well and never go out of fashion.
Golfwise, Jasper Park offers an all-too-rare combination of interesting topography, stunning
beauty, and outstanding golf design. It affords plenty of room off most tees, and the bunkering
and trouble is usually to the sides of most greens allowing for run-up shots. The greens are
subtle and best approached from short of the hole as putting from above the hole can be
problematic. The five par-threes are the meat of the challenge with the four par-fives ripe for
birdies, especially for the modern power player. As his protégé Robert Trent Jones espoused, he
wanted to make his holes easy for the bogey golfer, but a challenge for the par golfer. The
mentor, Stanley Thompson, did expressly that on the par-threes at Jasper. All are interesting
though pictures or commentary do not do the 231-yard ninth hole justice. Named and shaped
after the Egyptian queen Cleopatra, there are mounds, deception bunkers, slopes and angles that
combine to make this downhill hole one of the world’s true classic holes. The shortest, number
fifteen, has been called the “2 or 20” hole as hitting the tiny plateaued putting surface, you have a
good chance at a birdie; miss it and you will be challenged to avoid a large number.
Looking back from Jasper Park’s 16th green. (Courtesy of The Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge)
As you approach several of the greens you will find that architect Thompson built up bunkering
behind the putting surfaces to emulate the peaks in the distance and better define the approach
shots, a practice that the Jones family has often replicated in their golf course design. Moving
along, the approach from a side hill, downhill lie to the expansive, but amply bunkered undulating
18th greens was called one of the finest he’d ever seen by none other than the visiting Dr. Alister
Mackenzie while the tee shot adjacent to the lake on the par-four sixteenth hole is often listed
with the likes of the finishing hole at Pebble Beach as one of the most beautiful tee shots in all of
golf. I found the semi-blind approach to the bunkerless green of the 603-yard 13th to be an
intriguing minimalist design – just one of the many pleasures you will discover on this engaging
layout.
Again, here as with the other courses, you will likely find all sorts of wildlife. I encountered black
bear, elk, and big horned sheep. Three times at the Jasper Park Golf Club, I just missed a grizzly
bear by minutes. It all dawned on me how precious it is to be able to enjoy a great game in the
company of others, while also simply being alive in the real natural world, sharing time with
wildlife at a place other than a zoo. If that is not exhilarating, what is? (www.fairmont.com/jasper
and www.jaspercanadianrockies.com)
If you seek refined, polished conditions, lightening fast putting surfaces and spotless fairways,
rustic Jasper may not be your cup of tea. Fortunately, most golfers agree with me that Jasper
with its sister course at Banff Springs are two of the world’s truly great resorts and resort courses.
When you add the magnificent splendor of the two courses at Kananaskis together with the two
flavors of great golf in Canmore, you have what might be the best collection of mountain golf in
the entire world. Yes, golf here is better in person, the perfect tonic!
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