Banff Springs Golf Club- Banff, AB

Banff Springs Golf Club is without a doubt one of the most beautiful courses in the world. Opened in 1911 as a nine hole track designed by Bill Thompson, an apprentice of Old Tom Morris at St. Andrews, it was expanded by Donald Ross in 1924 to eighteen holes. Just a few years later, with a virtually unlimited budget from Canadian Pacific Railway, Stanley Thompson redesigned the course, which boasted of being the most expensive ever built when it opened in 1928.

Although the original clubhouse is now a German restaurant, and a few holes have been reordered, today’s course is still essentially Thompson’s design. A somewhat short, difficult track, Banff Springs winds its way through the Canadian Rockies in a spectacularly scenic fashion. The course’s signature 4th hole, a short par 3 known as the Devil’s Cauldron, is perhaps one of the most recognizable golf holes in the world. Located at the base of Rundle Mountain, golfers hit from an elevated tee box, over a small glacial lake, onto a sloping, bunkered green. So many ways for a shot to go wrong, all wrapped up in one glorious hole.

Admittedly expensive, the course has an excellent pace of play, and is kept in immaculate condition. Here, weather can be the biggest challenge; often unpredictable and windy, mid-summer offers the best chance for a pleasant golfing experience. Exceptional all around, it truly is a course you will never forget, making it well worth the price of admission.