Going West This Summer ?

By J. ERIC ECKARD
On the Links Magazine /Golf Travel Contributor

With such acclaimed golf courses near Calgary like Jasper Park Lodge, Banff Springs, Stewart Creek, SilverTip and Kananaskis, it’s often easy to overlook several top-shelf courses within a short drive of Alberta’s largest city. But those hidden gems make a mini golf trail of some of the best courses in the region, particularly with the Rockies as distant backdrops coupled with a variety of unique course designs.

Heritage Pointe Golf Club (above) Located in DeWinton, Heritage Pointe is a 15-minute drive south of Calgary. With Pine Creek meandering throughout the 27-hole complex, the Ron Garl design is highlighted by a plethora of elevated teeboxes and hazards that range from tall fescue grasses to deep bunkers to water, water, everywhere. Each 9-hole section – Pointe, Desert and Heritage - offers a distinct feel for golfers. And combining different nines presents a diverse experience for each visit. The Pointe, at 3,369 yards, is the shortest of the three and features No. 5, a 518-yard par 5 that crosses the creek five times. The Desert (3,573 yards) and the Heritage (3,581) probably present the most challenging 18-hole combination.

The Links of GlenEagles Just 15 minutes northwest of Calgary on the edge of the Rockies sits the Links of GlenEagles, a Les Furber creation that features plenty of elevation changes and magnificent vistas of distant mountains. Escarpments and ravines highlight GlenEagles, which plays 7,019 yards. No. 16, a par 3 with its teebox 130 feet above the hole, stars on the back nine. The straight downhill hole sits beside Bow River, which runs along the edge of the course. The closing hole is a 535-yard par 5 with a sloping green protected by water and a huge bunker complex on the left.

Wolf Creek Golf Course Located in Ponoka, Wolf Creek is worth the two-hour drive north of Calgary. Designed by Rod Whitman, Wolf Creek offers 27 holes of links-style golf, complete with coulees, humps, sod and pothole bunkers, massive waste areas and small traps carved into the sides of hills. A true shotmaker’s course, Wolf Creek’s three nines – West, East and South – also present unique combinations for an 18-hole round. The South (3,516 yards) is the newest and longest at Wolf Creek. An East/West combo isn’t long (6,624 yards), but it requires accuracy, especially on the East’s third hole, a 427-yard par 4 called the Gorge.