7 Day Canadian Rockies Golf Itinerary
One week, one valley, two Stanley Thompson masterpieces. Fly into Calgary, open with 36 holes of Robert Trent Jones Sr at Kananaskis, climb through Canmore to the 1928 Banff Springs course, then drive the Icefields Parkway to Thompson's 1925 layout at Jasper Park Lodge. Here is the day by day, with indicative 2026 fees.
Photograph: Doug McLeay, via Google
Who this trip suits
This is the week for golfers who want mountains with their golf. The corridor from Calgary to Jasper holds the most concentrated stretch of alpine golf in Canada: two Robert Trent Jones Sr courses at Kananaskis, two modern layouts above Canmore, and the pair of Stanley Thompson designs at Banff and Jasper that anchor any list of the best mountain golf courses in the world. The route runs one direction, every drive between rounds is an hour or less, and the single long transfer is the Icefields Parkway.
It suits a buddies trip that wants five rounds and a road trip in one, a couple mixing golf with hikes, or anyone ticking Thompson's two greatest resort courses in one week; every course here takes public bookings. If your idea of Canada is ocean cliffs rather than glaciers, our 4 day Nova Scotia itinerary built around Cabot Cliffs is the east coast counterpart.
The 7 day plan
Land at Calgary, drive to Kananaskis, afternoon on Mount Lorette
From Calgary International, the drive into the Kananaskis Valley takes about an hour. Kananaskis Country Golf Course is 36 holes of Robert Trent Jones Sr from 1983, wrecked by the 2013 Alberta floods and rebuilt under Gary Browning before reopening in 2018. Take an afternoon time on Mount Lorette, the friendlier layout. Indicative 2026 fees run about CAD 109 to 144 with carts around CAD 50. Stay in Kananaskis Village or push on to Canmore.
Kananaskis again, the Mount Kidd course, then settle in Canmore
Back for the other half. Mount Kidd is the bolder sibling, working tighter against the peak it is named for, with Jones's runway tees restored in the rebuild. These fees are the bargain of the week, so book both rounds the day reservations open. Afterward, drive 30 minutes to Canmore, the lively town that makes the best base in the valley.
Silvertip or Stewart Creek above the Bow Valley
Silvertip, Les Furber's 1998 design, tumbles down the Fairholme Range with fairways that cant like ski runs. Stewart Creek, Gary Browning's 2000 layout on the opposite slope, is calmer and more polished, threading old mine entrances beneath the Three Sisters. Pick one, or play both; they sit 15 minutes apart. Indicative 2026 fees run roughly CAD 150 to 245 by course, date and time.
Fairmont Banff Springs, Stanley Thompson's 1928 statement
The headline round. When Stanley Thompson unveiled the Banff Springs course in 1928 it was reported as the most expensive yet built, and a century on it remains the most photographed in Canada. The loop beneath Mount Rundle peaks at the par 3 fourth, the Devil's Cauldron, played over a glacial tarn and named among the best short holes on earth. Indicative 2026 fees run about CAD 269 to 329 including shared cart.
The Icefields Parkway, Banff to Jasper
No golf today, and you will not miss it. The Icefields Parkway runs 232 kilometers from Lake Louise to Jasper past Bow Lake, Peyto Lake, the Columbia Icefield and Athabasca Falls; the driving takes about three and a half hours, but give it the whole day. Walk to the toe of the Athabasca Glacier, fuel up in Lake Louise, and check in at Jasper for dinner on Lac Beauvert.
Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge, Thompson's 1925 masterpiece
Three years before Banff, Stanley Thompson built his reputation here. The course at Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge circles Lac Beauvert through pine and aspen, every hole aimed at a different peak, and many devotees rank it above its famous sibling. The ninth, Cleopatra, is the signature par 3, plunging nearly 100 feet toward Pyramid Mountain. The 2026 season runs May 29 to September 30 with rates from about CAD 280 including cart.
Back down the Parkway to Calgary, or out through Edmonton
Two clean exits. The classic is to retrace the Icefields Parkway to Calgary, about five hours that nobody resents because the glaciers look different heading south; leave by 9 am for an evening flight. The alternative is the fast Yellowhead Highway east to Edmonton, about four hours, and a flight home from there, minding the one way rental fee.
Green fees, drive times and logistics
| Round | Indicative 2026 fee | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Kananaskis Country, Mt Lorette or Mt Kidd | CAD 109 to 144 plus cart | Robert Trent Jones Sr, 1983, reopened 2018; carts about CAD 50; 1 hour from Calgary airport |
| Silvertip or Stewart Creek, Canmore | Roughly CAD 150 to 245 | Furber 1998 and Browning 2000; rates vary by date and time; 15 minutes apart |
| Fairmont Banff Springs, Stanley Thompson 18 | CAD 269 to 329 | Includes shared cart and practice facilities; 20 minutes from Canmore |
| Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge | From about CAD 280 | Includes shared cart; 2026 season May 29 to September 30; stay and play via the lodge |
Fees vary by season, day and booking channel and change without notice; always confirm current rates and availability directly before booking. Check Rockies tee times · Find a Banff or Canmore base.
When to go and how to run it
The window is short. The mountain courses open roughly May to mid October, with Jasper Park Lodge publishing a 2026 season of May 29 to September 30, and July through September is prime. June buys daylight past 10 pm and softer shoulder rates; September delivers golden light and tee sheets that breathe again. Whatever the month, pack for four seasons in one round, and book Kananaskis and Banff Springs the moment reservations open, since both sell out summer weekends months ahead.
Run it as a rental car loop from Calgary airport; a car is the only practical way to link the valleys. Buy the Parks Canada pass before the gates, and note that the two Fairmonts reward staying on property with early tee time access and stay and play pricing. Two of these courses sit on most rankings of the best golf courses in Canada, so build the budget around Banff and Jasper and treat Kananaskis as the steal of the trip. For the next week away, our full menu of golf itineraries covers where to point it.
Plan your 7 day Canadian Rockies trip
Tell us roughly when and who is travelling, and one concierge locks the tee times, books the Fairmont stays, arranges the car and park passes and costs the week to the head. July and August sell out far ahead in these valleys, so the sooner we start the better, with no obligation.
Canadian Rockies itinerary questions
What is the best 7 day golf itinerary in the Canadian Rockies?
Fly into Calgary and play the valley in order: two days at Kananaskis on the Mount Lorette and Mount Kidd courses, a Canmore day at Silvertip or Stewart Creek, Stanley Thompson's course at Fairmont Banff Springs, a golf free day on the Icefields Parkway, then Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge before the run home. The only long drive is the scenic one.
How much do green fees cost in Banff and Jasper?
Indicative 2026 rates: Fairmont Banff Springs runs roughly CAD 269 to 329 with shared cart, Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge starts from about CAD 280 with cart, Kananaskis runs about CAD 109 to 144 plus around CAD 50 for a cart, and the Canmore courses sit roughly between CAD 150 and 245. All fees are indicative and seasonal; always confirm directly before booking.
When is the best time for a Canadian Rockies golf trip?
The mountain courses open roughly May to mid October, and Jasper Park Lodge lists a 2026 season of May 29 to September 30. July through September is prime. June trades a little early season softness for daylight past 10 pm, while September brings golden light, cooler mornings and easier tee sheets.
Should you drive back to Calgary or fly home from Edmonton?
Both work. Driving Jasper back to Calgary takes about five hours, with the Icefields Parkway in different light as the reward. Flying out of Edmonton means roughly four hours from Jasper and saves the repeat, but check one way rental fees first. Most groups book the loop from Calgary for simplicity.
Related
The Tee Sheet
Tee time releases, access changes and the booking windows worth moving on first. Every other week.
Researched and written by the GolfForKings editorial desk. Designers, opening years and indicative fees verified June 2026 against club published rates and independent course guides. Last reviewed June 2026.