Banff Springs: 2026 Access and Booking Update
Few rounds anywhere match the setting at Banff Springs, a Stanley Thompson masterpiece laid out along the Bow River beneath the Canadian Rockies. Here is where the Fairmont course stands in 2026, what green fees to expect, and how to play it.
The news: a mountain classic, in season again for 2026
The Fairmont Banff Springs golf course sits in Banff National Park in Alberta, where the Stanley Thompson eighteen runs along the Bow River beneath Mount Rundle and Sulphur Mountain. It is one of the most photographed and admired resort courses in the world, and for 2026 it returns to its usual seasonal rhythm: a mountain course that opens in late spring once the snow clears and runs through the autumn before winter closes it again.
Nothing about the course's standing has changed for 2026; it remains a public, resort run layout that is the centrepiece of a Banff golf trip and a regular on lists of Canada's and the world's most scenic courses. The headline news each year here is simply the season and the rates, both of which travellers should confirm before building a trip.
The course, and the resort around it
The Stanley Thompson course dates to 1928 and plays as a par 71 of around 6,938 yards, a routing that the legendary Canadian architect draped over dramatic mountain terrain without losing its strategic bite. Its most famous moment is the par three 4th, the Devil's Cauldron, a roughly 200 yard one shotter played across a glacial lake to a green set beneath a sheer rock face, one of the most celebrated par threes in golf.
The course is part of the Fairmont Banff Springs resort, the grand railway hotel that anchors the town, so a golf trip here folds naturally into a wider Rockies holiday. The combination of championship mountain golf, a landmark hotel and Banff National Park on the doorstep is what makes this one of Canada's signature golf destinations, well suited to a mixed trip with non golfing partners.
How to play it in 2026
Banff Springs is a public resort course, so access is straightforward: book a tee time directly with the course or through the resort, with priority and packages available to hotel guests. For 2026, published green fees have been quoted in the region of around 269 to 329 Canadian dollars in peak season, with twilight and shoulder season rates lower. Treat those figures as indicative for the 2026 season and always confirm directly before booking, as resort pricing changes.
On timing, this is a seasonal mountain course that typically plays from late spring through to autumn, weather permitting, with high summer the peak and the early and late shoulders quieter and often better value. Book ahead for summer, pack for cool mountain mornings even in season, and build the round into a wider Banff and Rockies trip rather than treating it as a standalone.
Our take
Our take is that Banff Springs is a course you play as much for the place as the golf, though the Stanley Thompson design more than holds its own. The Devil's Cauldron alone justifies the trip, and the setting beneath the Rockies is as good as golf scenery gets anywhere in the world.
If you are planning a 2026 Canadian Rockies trip, make Banff Springs the golfing centrepiece, confirm the season dates and current green fees directly, and travel in the heart of summer for reliable conditions or the shoulders for value. Paired with the hotel and the national park, it is one of the great mountain golf experiences.
Plan your Canadian Rockies golf trip
From the Stanley Thompson course at Banff Springs to the wider Rockies, with the Fairmont hotel and national park on the doorstep, tell us roughly when and who is travelling and one concierge builds and costs the trip, with no obligation.
Questions
Can visitors play the Fairmont Banff Springs golf course?
Yes. Banff Springs is a public resort course, so visitors can book a tee time directly with the course or through the Fairmont resort, with priority and packages available to hotel guests. It is a seasonal mountain course, so confirm the opening dates for the 2026 season before travelling.
What are the green fees at Banff Springs for 2026?
Published green fees for the 2026 season have been quoted in the region of around 269 to 329 Canadian dollars in peak season, with lower twilight and shoulder season rates. Treat these as indicative for 2026 and always confirm directly with the course before booking, as resort pricing changes.
What is the Banff Springs course like?
The Stanley Thompson course, dating to 1928, is a par 71 of around 6,938 yards laid out along the Bow River beneath Mount Rundle and Sulphur Mountain. Its signature hole is the par three 4th, the Devil's Cauldron, a roughly 200 yard shot over a glacial lake, one of the most celebrated par threes in golf.
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Researched and written by the GolfForKings editorial desk. Season, course and access details verified June 2026 from club and golf travel sources; conditions and green fees change, so always confirm directly before booking. Last reviewed June 2026.