Banff or Jasper

[Frank Kim]

I will be on a family vacation in the Banff area next week.  I will have time to play one round.  Should I play Banff Springs or Jasper Park and why?

[Bart Bradley]

Frank:

You can't go all the way up there and not find 3 hours...play them both.  They are both outstanding.

Your family will understand. 

Bart

[Tom_Doak]

I'm there next week, myself.  I hope to play both courses twice if the weather suits.

[Adam Clayman]

The correct answer is of course.... Jasper Park.

The reason? The routing. The abortion that has become the routing at Banff, is too confusing for a person on vacation.

[Ben Malach]

Play Jasper for the reason that they have changed less there than at Banff. If you get a chance you should at least walk Banff and see how awkward the new routing is. As they re routed to include an extra 9 that is not the best and a driving range/ short game area. Also they built a UFO of a club house. Where as the old club house was a rustic wood building that fit the feel of the property way better.

[Kerry Gray]

I think Jasper is the best golf experience I ever had in Canada. A very fun course. I liked Banff a lot as well. The problem may be time. If you only have time for one round, where will you find time for the drive to Jasper from Banff? It's 4 hours as I recall, a beautiful drive but not short. Enjoy.

[cary lichtenstein]

Jasper

[Carl Johnson]

My meager contribution.  About 7 years ago my wife and I played the Jasper course and stayed in the Jasper Park Lodge (run by the Fairmont hotel group).  There was nothing special about the lodge, our room was poor in any number of respects, and the staff cold.  We liked the golf course very much, however -- I can recommend it.  One neat thing was the fences and gates through the course to keep wildlife and golfers apart.  If I went back (unlikely) I'd stay in one of the motels in town.  We ate in a couple good restaurants in town, too.  We were shut out of the Lodge restaurants by large tour bus groups.

First we'd gone to Banff, and stayed in Canmore -- just fine -- rather than at the Banff Springs Hotel (also Fairmont).  From appearances the Banff Springs Hotel looked much better -- very classic.  We had a good lunch there.  We also walked about four holes on the golf course and thought they looked quite good, but we did not play.

The drive from Banff Springs to Jasper is about 4 hours.  It's a scenic drive, though the scenery doesn't change much.

  

[Sean Leary]

I think it depends on what you like. Jasper is quite a bit easier than Banff, which can kick your ass. I prefer Jasoer but Banff may be the better course.

Adam, it's not the routing that screwed up as the routing is the same. You simply play the holes is a a different order. I agree that it was better before but I don't think you can call it a routing issue.

[Ben Malach]

Sean,
Is not the order of holes a key part of any routing. The old routing playing out and away from the hotel. allowed for the feeling of a great hike out down the Bow Valley. then turning back to see the Castle that is the Banff Springs hotel.   

[Sean Leary]

Sean,
Is not the order of holes a key part of any routing. The old routing playing out and away from the hotel. allowed for the feeling of a great hike out down the Bow Valley. then turning back to see the Castle that is the Banff Springs hotel.   

I guess. It's Part of the routing but not all of it. For sure it was better before but the individual holes are still routed the same. As far as the flow of the holes go as a routing it was better before. 

[Steve Green]

Of the two I have only played Banff.  I found it to be very enjoyable.  Time for one round would not be wasted there.

[Ian Andrew]

I'm there next week, myself.  I hope to play both courses twice if the weather suits.

About time   
Hope the weather is good for your visit

[Ian Andrew]

I will be on a family vacation in the Banff area next week.  I will have time to play one round.  Should I play Banff Springs or Jasper Park and why?

Jasper Park, its more fun, more intact, easier to access, cheaper to play and a better golf course

[Frank Kim]

Thanks all for your suggestions.  Sounds like both are great courses designed by one of the greats of all time.  Jasper seems to be the better course but Banff more convenient.  Bart is right.  I should try to play both.

Tom,
If you need a playing partner, PM me.  I'll will be there June 13-21.  My schedule is flexible other than family obligations.

Ian,
I really enjoyed your Best of Golf piece on the history of Jasper Park.  Reading that makes me want to play it even more.

Frank

[Jeff_Mingay]

As a fellow Canuck, I agree with Ian

Banff and Jasper are difference places and different courses. Both worth seeing, of course. But Jasper is my preference too.

[Pete Lavallee]

I would definitely agree with the consensus here that Jasper is a slightly better experience, but it is surely not conveniently located to the Banff area; this would be an all day trip up, golf and back. One possibility would be to bring the family along, drop them off at Lake Louise, lots to see and do there, then continue on to play Jasper, pick them up on the way back. When Ran and Ben sponsored a trip to both several years ago Ben arranged for us to play the original routing, starting and finishing at the Hotel. This really does make a tremendous difference. I suspect that peoples opinions would be much different if Banff still started and finished at the Hotel. It is like playing the Old Course at St Andrews but in a shotgun where you start at 5 and end at 4; you still play the course but it just wouldn't be the same stating and ending where they do. They really are both very close in terms of quality and fun.

[Steve Lang]

  The Lavallees at Banff



you can't go wrong with either...

[CMP]

For what it's worth, I played Banff a few days ago and conditions were spectacular.  This isn't an endorsement for Banff over Jasper, simply that it's a great time to make the effort to play both.

P

[Frank Kim]

I played Banff Springs yesterday with Tom.  What a setting with the Mountains in the background and next to the Bow River.  Very impressed with Stanley Thompson's design.  Look forward to playing Jasper Park next time.

[Tom_Doak]

I have played both now this week and in Wall Street terms I can say that both courses beat my expectations.  I'm shocked they are not both rated among the top 100 courses in the world but I guess the panelists have outsmarted themselves trying to figure out which one belongs.  It is a shame that Banff no longer starts at the hotel; hiking up to that tee after a long walk from the old 18th green is a real drag after Thompson's great finishing run.

[Andy Shulman]

I don't yet have the answer Frank's original question because I only just played Banff yesterday - it was fantastic - with Jasper coming up later this week.  (Seems like a lot of GCAers are heading to the Canadian Rockies this summer!)



I can certainly see how starting the round with what is now #15 would be incredible, and a far more challenging starting hole than the current #1.  It's a hole, however, that will definitely produce a "Wow" at any point in the round.  The only other hole I've played where your tee shot has that kind of "hang time" is #17 at Gullane No. 1.


Banff is a course that combines an incredible setting with outstanding golf architecture, which is why we're all willing to spend the $$$ and time to travel to play it.  Ran's write-up has details on virtually every hole, but two par-3s - #s 4 and 10 - stood out to me along with #15.

[Tom_Doak]

It's a hole, however, that will definitely produce a "Wow" at any point in the round. 

Yes, but now it's more of a "Wow, I am out of breath!"     If you walk the course, anyway.


The 4th hole alone is worth the green fee, but I was also very impressed with the par-5 7th, and the par-4 12th and 14th both playing back toward the hotel.

[Adam Clayman]

Tom, I loved how the notches in the distant mountain peaks guided you on those other holes you mentioned.

[Steve Lang]

   Did you guys play the alternate tee right of the present back one, just over the hill side at Banff's #4?