Penner: A short drive rewards with picture-perfect fairways in rural Alberta

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My anxiety was building to extreme levels. I only had a three-footer left to close out the match. Dozens of people were watching. My wife, my mom, and, for some unknown reason, my cranky, sideburn-sporting math teacher from Grade 8 was also there. I’m a little foggy on this part, but I believe Donald J. Trump, toupee flapping in the wind, and his hillbilly sidekick were also in the gallery, heckling me from behind the green. I was squirming, fidgeting, sweating profusely, and I just couldn’t pull the trigger on my putt. 

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Thankfully, when I awoke from my nightmare, the panic quickly subsided. And I realized it was likely just some inconsequential residue – the mind is mysterious, folks – from my recent golf binge. It certainly had nothing to do with the outstanding golf courses that I’d just experienced.  

Yes, truth be told, Alberta’s rural golf scene is certainly no nightmare. It’s more like a delightful, driver-down-the-middle dream.     

I’ve always said that the geography in Alberta is absolutely ideal for golf. The rolling hills, river valleys, foothills, mountains, coulees and badlands; the terrain is – almost everywhere in central and southern Alberta, especially – exceptional for golf holes. More so than, probably, any other place or province I’ve seen. 

So, that said, I’m always looking for any excuse I can – ie: the courses in the city are too crowded and too expensive, I need to go on a road trip and smell wheat-scented air, I’m going clinically insane from my disturbing, politically-charged, fever dreams, etc. – to hit up some of Alberta’s coolest country courses. 

Interestingly, from Calgary, you can head in any direction and you’ll find some wonderful small-town courses that won’t break the bank. But they will impress you with their value, grassroots charms, and compelling in-the-heartland character. 

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To the south of Calgary, places like Turner Valley, Nanton, Claresholm, Magrath and Cardston all ring true with solid, countrified golf courses. In the east, Carseland, Drumheller and Brooks are good bets. Northward, places like Carstairs, Olds, Innisfail, Ponoka and Stettler are all sweet little outposts for birdie-seekers. And westbound, Bragg Creek, Crowsnest Pass, Water Valley and Sundre definitely merit a swing-filled day trip. 

On my latest little “dream,” I first ventured to the north and re-acquainted myself with the beautiful parkland courses in Innisfail (27 holes) and Sundre (both the Sundre GC and the Coyote Creek Golf Resort are excellent). 

And, after I ticked those boxes, I kept heading further north to a variety-filled, wind-blasted plot of land between Ponoka and Lacombe where a true legend in Alberta’s rural golf scene is situated: the Wolf Creek Golf Resort. Designed by one of the greats in Canadian golf course architecture, Rod Whitman (he grew up in the Ponoka area), Wolf Creek opened way back in the early 1980s and was an instant hit. Showcasing Whitman’s keen eye for strategic angles and routing, eye-popping bunkering, and dramatic Alberta-meets-Scotland shaping, Wolf Creek is a time-tested classic; a testament to how good the inland-links genre of golf can be when executed well.   

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The facility, which is now owned by GolfNorth Properties, is home to two Whitman gems – Old and Links – and, in my opinion, both rightfully belong on SCOREGolf’s esteemed list of the Top 100 courses in Canada. (In 2024, Links was #78 and Old was #86.) 

“Our group has worked tirelessly to restore the courses to the standards they deserve and discerning golfers around the province expect,” says Jim Boomer, general manager of the course. “To be one of only three, or so, facilities in the country with two courses in the Top 100 in the country is a great honour.”  

Although they’re not likely to ever crack the Top 100, there are many other courses in rural Alberta that make for a dreamy day of golf. A few more picks in the central region include Dinosaur Trail GC in Drumheller (it’s a wild ride in the badlands, so bring lots of balls), Pheasantback GC in Stettler (short and sporty with plenty of hills), and Pine Hills GC in Rocky Mountain House (it’s cut through the boreal forest). 

In terms of southern Alberta and courses closer to Calgary, a few of my personal favourites include Speargrass in Carseland (a beautiful finishing run along the heaving banks of the Bow River), Wintergreen in Bragg Creek (it’s a thrilling mountain course just half an hour west of Calgary), and the Turner Valley Golf Club (some recent architectural changes have improved it). 

In terms of being really close to Calgary, one of the best, especially in fall when the colours explode in Pine Creek Valley, is the Heritage Pointe Golf Course in DeWinton. Yes, you’re basically in the city, but when you dip into the valley you feel like you’re, well, somewhere way, way, out there. Kinda like you’re dreaming … or something.  

Andrew Penner is a freelance writer and photographer based in Calgary. You can follow him on Instagram @andrewpennerphotography. 

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