Jasper Park Lodge Golf Club
Stanley Thompson's first great mountain course opened at Jasper Park Lodge in 1925, three years before Banff, and many judges still rate it the finer of the pair. A par 71 of about 6,663 yards laid through the forests of Jasper National Park, it reopened for its 2025 centennial as good as ever.
Photo: JS K via Google.
The verdict
Jasper Park Lodge is the course that made Stanley Thompson's name. Completed in the spring of 1925 by fifty teams of horses and two hundred men, it was his first major mountain commission, opened three years before Banff Springs, and a strong contingent of architecture lovers consider it his masterpiece. Thompson routed it through lodgepole pine and along the shore of Lac Beauvert, framing the holes with Mount Edith Cavell, Pyramid Mountain and the Colin Range so that nearly every shot has a peak for a target.
It is quieter and more intimate than Banff, a walk in the woods that opens repeatedly onto astonishing views. The design is subtle and natural, the bunkering artful, and the greens true. After the 2024 Jasper wildfire the resort restored the course and reopened it for its centennial in 2025, a hundred years on from Thompson's original. For the traveling golfer it is the more soulful of the two great Rockies courses and an essential round on any Alberta golf trip.
Jasper Park Lodge at a glance
- Opened
- 1925
- Designer
- Stanley Thompson
- Type
- Mountain resort
- Par
- 71
- Yardage
- About 6,663 yds
- Green fee
- From about C$190 (2026)
Designer, opening year, par and yardage verified June 2026 from the resort and leading course databases. Jasper Park Lodge is a par 71 of about 6,663 yards designed by Stanley Thompson and opened in 1925, restored and reopened for its 2025 centennial after the 2024 Jasper wildfire. Indicative 2026 green fees start in the region of C$190 with a cart in early season and rise in peak summer, with preferred rates for Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge hotel guests. The course is seasonal and rates change, so always confirm current pricing and opening dates directly before booking.
The holes worth the trip
The most talked about hole is the par 3 ninth, known as Cleopatra, played to a green that Thompson shaped against the mountain skyline with bunkering said to echo the female form, a piece of design theater that delighted and scandalized in equal measure when it opened. It is the headline among a set of par 3s that, like Banff, point in every direction and to a different summit each time.
What sets Jasper apart is the rhythm of the routing. Thompson moves you between tight, tree lined corridors and sudden open vistas over Lac Beauvert and the peaks, so the round breathes, and the holes feel discovered rather than constructed. The green complexes are gently contoured and fair, and the fairways are generous enough to keep a holiday game enjoyable while the strategy rewards a thoughtful line.
Wildlife is part of the round, with elk and deer common on the fairways, and the pace is relaxed in keeping with the setting. It is a walk to be savored, a course where the architecture and the scenery work together as Thompson intended, and a fitting centerpiece to a trip into the northern Rockies.
How to get on
| What to know | Detail |
|---|---|
| Access | Resort and public course; open in the summer season, with preferred access for Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge hotel guests |
| Green fee | From about C$190 with a cart in early season 2026, higher in peak summer (indicative) |
| Cart and caddie | Cart usually included; the range and practice facilities are included with play |
| Booking | Book through the Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge golf reservations, well ahead for peak summer; confirm seasonal opening |
| On the day | Golf attire and soft spikes; pack layers and watch for elk and deer on the fairways |
| Getting there | Jasper townsite in Jasper National Park, about four hours west of Edmonton or roughly three and a half hours north of Banff by the Icefields Parkway |
Access and fees verified June 2026 from the resort and public sources. Green fees and opening dates vary by season and the course reopened in 2025, so always confirm current pricing and availability directly before booking.
Where to stay nearby
The natural base is the Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge, a lakeside village of cabins and lodges on Lac Beauvert with the course on its doorstep and the easiest tee access for guests. The town of Jasper a short drive away offers a wider range of hotels and dining, and the whole setting is quieter and more remote than Banff.
Jasper Park Lodge is best paired with its sister course down the Icefields Parkway. Build a Rockies road trip that adds Stanley Thompson's Banff Springs to the south, drive one of the most scenic mountain highways in the world between them, and fold in Lake Louise and the Columbia Icefield for a golf week with scenery to match the architecture.
Looking for a base? See our recommended hotels and resorts near Jasper Park Lodge.
Play Jasper Park Lodge on a Rockies golf trip
We book the Jasper Park Lodge tee times, add Banff Springs and the Bow Valley courses, and arrange the Fairmont stay and the Icefields Parkway drive between them. Tell us roughly when and who is traveling and one concierge costs it to the head, with no obligation.
Jasper Park Lodge questions
Who designed the Jasper Park Lodge course and when did it open?
The Jasper Park Lodge course was designed by Stanley Thompson and opened in 1925, built by teams of horses and hundreds of men. It sits within Jasper National Park beside the Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge.
What is the par and length of Jasper Park Lodge?
Jasper Park Lodge plays to par 71 over about 6,663 yards, a Stanley Thompson routing that uses the natural mountain ground, elevated tees and holes aligned with distant peaks.
Is Jasper Park Lodge open after the 2024 wildfire?
Yes. After the 2024 Jasper wildfire the resort restored the course, which reopened for its 2025 centennial season, one hundred years after Stanley Thompson's 1925 design first opened. Always confirm current operating dates before booking.
Can visitors play Jasper Park Lodge?
Yes. It is a resort and public course, open in the summer season, with preferred access and rates for guests of the Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge. Always confirm current rates and the season directly before booking.
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Researched and written by the GolfForKings editorial desk. Designer, opening year, par and yardage verified June 2026; indicative green fees verified June 2026. Last reviewed June 2026.