Kananaskis Country Golf Course

The verdict

Kananaskis is one of the great mountain golf experiences in North America, and one of the few at a public price. Robert Trent Jones Sr designed both eighteens, Mount Kidd and Mount Lorette, named for the limestone peaks that tower over them, and they opened in 1983 deep in the Kananaskis Valley between Calgary and Banff. Boreal forest, glacier fed creeks and ponds, and 10,000 foot mountains on every side make this a round that lingers in the memory.

The story of the place is its resilience. The June 2013 floods tore through the valley and destroyed much of both courses, which were painstakingly rebuilt and reopened to play in 2018. The restored layouts honor the original Jones routing while playing firmer and truer than ever. Mount Kidd is the sand course, Mount Lorette the water course, and a buddies group or a couple on a Rockies trip can happily build two days around the pair.

The holes worth the trip

Jones built both courses to be playable from the right tees and brutal from the back, a classic of his philosophy of a hard par and an easy bogey. Mount Kidd is defined by its bunkering, with broad sandy hazards framing the fairways and guarding greens, while Mount Lorette leans on the glacier fed water that runs through the valley, with creeks and ponds threatening tee shots and approaches.

The setting does the heavy lifting. Both routings sit on the valley floor with the peaks rising sharply on either side, so every hole is framed by mountains and the air is clean and thin enough to add yards to a well struck drive. Wildlife is part of the experience, and elk and the occasional bear are not unusual sights from the fairway.

The rebuilt courses play firm and fair, with generous landing areas, large contoured greens and the kind of conditioning that belies the public green fee. For most golfers the smart approach is to play the markers that match the game, soak up the scale of the place, and plan to play both eighteens across a two day stay in the valley.

Where to stay nearby

The Kananaskis valley has its own mountain lodges within minutes of the first tee, ideal for a golf focused stay, while Canmore and Banff are a short drive away for more dining and a wider choice of hotels. Many golfers base in Canmore and split their days between Kananaskis and the courses around town.

For a fuller Alberta golf week, pair Kananaskis with Stewart Creek and Silvertip in Canmore and the classic Banff Springs. See our Golf in Canada hub and our best courses in Canada ranking to plan the route.

Looking for a base? See our recommended lodges and hotels in Kananaskis, Canmore and Banff.