Banff Springs Stanley Thompson

The verdict

The Stanley Thompson 18 at the Banff Springs is golf as theater. Thompson built it in 1928 in the floor of the Bow Valley, with the river winding through the routing and the great peaks of Rundle, Sulphur and the Fairholme range rising on every side. It is a course you remember frame by frame, designed by a master who understood that in the mountains the architect's first job is to set the holes against the landscape, then defend them with bunkers, elevation and the changing wind.

At about 6,938 yards to a par of 71 it is modest on the card, but the altitude, the shifting light and the sheer scale of the surroundings make it play bigger and harder than the number suggests. For a visiting golfer it is one of the bucket list rounds of North America, a piece of golden age architecture in a national park setting that no modern course can match.

The holes worth the trip

The round builds to its most famous moment early. The 4th, the Devil's Cauldron, is a par 3 of about 200 yards that plays from an elevated tee across a glacial lake to a green set into the base of Mount Rundle. It is regularly named among the finest one shot holes in the world, a hole where the view is almost a distraction from the demand of a long, exacting tee shot that must carry the water and hold the putting surface.

Thompson's routing follows the Bow River through the valley, using the natural movement of the ground to set greens on shelves and benches and framing each hole against a different peak. His bunkering is bold and artful, often flashed up to catch the eye and the wayward shot, and the greens reward a player who can flight the ball and read the subtle mountain break.

The closing holes return toward the baronial Banff Springs hotel, the castle in the Rockies that gives the course its grandeur. Few finishes in golf are as photogenic, and the whole round leaves a visiting golfer in no doubt why this is one of the great mountain courses and a centerpiece of any Canadian Rockies golf trip.

Where to stay nearby

The natural base is the Fairmont Banff Springs itself, the grand castle hotel that sits above the course and gives the round its sense of occasion. The town of Banff is minutes away with a full range of lodging and dining, and the wider Bow Valley puts Canmore and Lake Louise within an easy drive.

It is the centerpiece of a Canadian Rockies golf trip, pairing naturally with Stanley Thompson's other mountain masterpiece at Jasper Park a few hours north along the Icefields Parkway. Build a week around the two and you have one of the great drives and golf itineraries in North America.

Looking for a base? See our recommended hotels and resorts near Banff.