B.C./Alberta courses

[Jim Johnson]

I'm looking at organizing a trip next summer for 8 of us...into the  area of southwestern Alberta and southeast B.C., Canada.
The trip will be just over a week long, playing a different course (or two!) each day along the way. Choices at the moment include, but are not limited to, Paradise Canyon (Lethbridge, Alberta), Bootleg Gap, St.Eugene Mission, & Trickle Creek (Kimberley, B.C.), Copper Point (Columbia Valley), Greywolf (Panorama), Eagle Ranch (Invermere), Stewart Creek (Canmore, near Banff), and GlenEagles at Cochrane (Alberta).
Anybody play any of these courses?
If so, your thoughts. Recommendations?
Thanks for any feedback.
JJ

[Robert Thompson]

OK, if you were doing such a trip and didn't include Banff and Jasper, I'd say you were missing the two best courses in the area.... just my thoughts -- but they are two of Thompson's best and both worth playing, perhaps more than once.
I'd also skip most of what you've suggested to see Rod Whitman's Blackhawk and Wolf Creek near Edmonton.

Robert

[Jim Johnson]

Robert,
When I was in my late teens, I had the opportunity to spend a year working at CP Hotel's Chateau Lake Louise. As a perk (perhaps because the pay was lousy) hotel staff were afforded the opportunity to golf at Banff Springs (45-minute drive), during restricted hours of course, for a green fee which was incredibly cheap. So, needless to say, several other staff members and myself, whenever possible, made the drive to golf there.
I have also played Jasper Park several times. And I agree, both courses are very much worth playing. Wolf Creek is another one worth playing (on another trip!). I'd be interested in hearing more about Blackhawk from others.
It's just that personally, I'd like to see (and play) other courses  that are out there. It just happens that the courses mentioned, which we are looking at playing, comprise a convenient loop trip.
Edmonton will have to wait for another year.
JJ  

[Robert Thompson]

JJ: Take a look at the Greywolf thread... it should help you out.

Robert

[Tyler Kearns]

JJ,

I can certainly vouch for Blackhawk GC. A really splendid track just outside of Edmonton. Even a lousy design would have been pretty exciting here, given the scenery within the Saskatchewan River valley, however Rod Whitman & Jeff Mingay did a terrific job, and it is definitely a must play. Yes, the bunkering is rugged and beautiful, but the greens feature some really exciting undulations and many greens have some surrounds that are integrated into the green design, offering a player multiple ways to get on the putting surface.

TK

[Tyler Kearns]

JJ,

There is a golf course in Drumheller (NE of Calgary) that looks really good from the highway. From what I understand, a rather pedestrian 9 exists on one side of the highway, and a really spectatular 9 exists on the other side. It was too early in the season to play when I was passing through, but the terrain is awesome (miniature Grand Canyonesque), and the course looked pretty neat. Not sure the name of the course, or the actual architectural merit...maybe Robert has played it.

TK

[Steve Lang]

 

Definitely playing Blackhawk and Wolfcreek in one day is great big dose of "Whitman" that is really fun if you can pull it off.. Blackhawk on southwest side of Edmonton, just across river from Devon... back way in... realtively close to airport

Many kudos to Duane the superintendent at Blackhawk, he definitely gets it!!!

p.s. Duane sometimes posts as "Super"
p.s.s. I've got to get out those photos...