Three Iconic Courses Lauded as Top in Country; Noted for Design, Scenery and Playability
(ALBERTA, Calgary) – The Canadian Rockies golf-and-resort lifestyle destination consortium announces three of its courses have earned Golf Digest’s prestigious “Best of Canada” award in its biennial rankings of the world’s top facilities.
The Fairmont Banff Springs, The Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge and Kananaskis Country Golf Course placed eighth, 18th and 19th respectively on this coveted list which considered more than 2,100 Canadian courses. Banff Springs was also named on the exclusive “100 Best Courses Outside the United States.”
The three courses are members of the Canadian Rockies golf-and-resort lifestyle consortium which also includes highly acclaimed Canmore Golf & Curling Club, Stewart Creek Golf & Country Club and Silvertip Resort – home course to PGA Tour Professional Stephen Ames. Together, these courses are unparalleled for natural splendor, challenging yet playable mountain landscapes with varying elevation drops, abundant wildlife and breathtaking setting. Its collective brand tagline says it all: “Canadian Rockies Golf: Historic. Dramatic. Untamed.”
The Fairmont Banff Springs and The Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge showcase classically designed 18 holes by the iconic Stanley Thompson and nestled in the heart of Banff and Jasper National Parks, capitalizing on the area’s stunning scenery. The Fairmont Banff Springs course boasts 147 bunkers with the infamous par-3 200-yard Devil’s Cauldron while The Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge is home to the 140-yard 15th hole – frequently considered one of the four best short holes in the world.
Both Fairmont properties were honored in the prestigious “World’s Best 25 International Golf Hotel” listings with The Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge ranked 10th and The Fairmont Banff Springs at 15th, validating that the Canadian Rockies golf-and-resort lifestyle consortium is one of the world’s most coveted travel destinations.
Meanwhile Kananaskis Country’s Mount Lorette – one of two dramatic layouts designed by Robert Trent Jones Sr. on the club’s property – winds through the cascading Kananaskis River, a location that Jones himself called “the best natural setting I have ever been given to work with.” The club’s Mount Kidd course features one of the world’s most photographed holes – the island-like green on number 4. The club’s Mount Kidd course features one of the world’s most photographed holes – the island-like green on number 4.
“It’s no secret that Stanley Thompson and Robert Trent Jones Sr. are two of golf’s best architects in history,” says Gordon Schultz, spokesman for the consortium. “To have three of the designs by these men lauded on such a list speaks volumes for the high-caliber of facilities in our consortium. All of the courses are consistently ranked in various influential publications as “best-of” – there’s no better natural setting in which to golf.”
Golf Digest’s biennial rankings are determined by the magazine’s course rating panelists, a group of several hundred low-handicap golfers who rated thousands of courses on a 10-point scale in various criteria and the results appear in the May 2009 issue, currently on newsstands.
The Canadian Rockies golf-and-lifestyle consortium is the ideal destination for outdoor lovers and those looking for peace and pampering. Combine the spectacular scenery and summer daylight as late as 11 p.m. and golfers can play to their heart’s delight and still have time for family and the region’s many activities. These include award- winning spas, helicopter tours, hiking, fishing, rafting, gourmet restaurants, indoor and outdoor pools, horseback riding and many children’s programs.
What people are increasingly discovering, however, are the proximity of these properties to one another as well as the combined wealth of resort and lifestyle options accessible by Calgary and Edmonton airports – from international and commercial to regional and private.
To view the stunning topography, vacation options and learn more about the area visit www.canadianrockiesgolf.ca. Website visitors can view stay-and-play packages or request custom quotes for trips and packages or they may call 877.323.3633 for more information.
The critical acclaim and extraordinary attributes of the six members of the destination – “Canadian Rockies Golf: Historic. Dramatic. Untamed.” – include:
1. Canmore Golf and Curling Club (www.canmoregolf.net, 888.678.4785)
Valley-based property requires players use all clubs in their bag, narrow fairways challenge all levels of golfers
Tree-lined course, friendly community atmosphere provides intimacy and camaraderie
Located at base of Bow Valley, glacier-fed streams lace through course
2. The Fairmont Banff Springs (www.fairmont.com/banffsprings, 800.441.1414)
Historical course and castle-like hotel with regal ambiance, award-winning Willow Stream Spa and exquisite resort amenities
27 holes of golf – 18 Stanley Thompson-designed holes including the 200-yard, par-3 Devil’s Cauldron, 147 bunkers, and the 9-hole Tunnel Course
Panoramic beauty, picturesque-mountain setting nestled between Sulphur Mountain and Mount Rundle
Situated in Banff National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site
3. The Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge (www.fairmont.com/jasper.com, 800.441.1414)
Featuring the “wild side of the Rockies” – elk, caribou, coyote, bear and wolves inhabit the national park
Widely regaled as one of the world’s best resort courses
Designed by Stanley Thompson, the 18 holes carve contours at the feet of mountains
Located in the heart of Jasper National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site
4. Kananaskis Country Golf Course (www.kananaskisgolf.com, 877.591.2525)
Robert Trent Jones Sr. exquisitely designed courses, situated in serene Kananaskis Country
36 holes played beneath breathtaking Mt. Lorette and Mt. Kidd, after which the courses are respectively named
Features immaculate lush fairways, famed island-like 4th green on Mt. Kidd course, 140+ silica sand bunkers and the cascading Kananaskis River
5. Silvertip Golf Resort (www.silvertipresort.com, 877.877.5444)
Home course of PGA Tour Member and 2006 Players Champion Stephen Ames
Golf Digest rated 4 ½ stars and lauded for environmental sensitivity and maintenance practices
600 feet of elevation change, including dramatic par-4 18th with extreme altitude drop from tee to fairway, fairway to green
6. Stewart Creek Golf & Country Club (www.stewartcreekgolf.com/golf, 877.993.GOLF)
Golf Digest rated 4 ½ stars
Surrounded by the spellbinding Three Sisters Mountains, practically close enough to touch during play
Audubon-certified course preserves habitat for plentiful wildlife
Contact:
Jen Voss, jvoss@billycaspergolf.com, 571.830.2531
Dan Shepherd, dshepherd@billycaspergolf.com, 703.891.3320
