Glen Afton

If you've watched any professional golf on television over the past four decades, you've heard the letters "TPC" attached to a course name. TPC Sawgrass. TPC Scottsdale. TPC Harding Park. TPC stands for Tournament Players Club — a network of golf courses owned, operated, and licensed by the PGA Tour. The branding is everywhere in the sport, but most travelling golfers don't fully understand what it means, where it came from, or why it should matter to them when planning a trip. See the Top 100 Golf Courses Ranking of TPC Courses The story behind TPC is one of the shrewdest business moves in the history of sport. It reshaped the economics of professional golf, created a network of courses that the public can actually play, and pioneered a design philosophy that remains divisive among architecture enthusiasts to this day. Today, the TPC network comprises 30 properties across three countries — the United States, Canada, and Mexico — plus the U.S. territory of Puerto Rico. Here's what you need to know. How the PGA Tour Went From Tenant to Landlord For most of its history, the PGA Tour operated as a travelling circus. Each week, the Tour would pitch up at a different private club, stage a tournament, and move on. The host club controlled the course setup, the infrastructure, the hospitality, and the revenue. The Tour was a well-known guest renting somebody else's living room. By the late 1970s, that arrangement was breaking down. Spectator experiences at many venues were poor — cramped viewing corridors, limited sightlines, zero infrastructure for grandstands or broadcast equipment. Private clubs weren't designed for crowds of 30,000 or more. And the Tour had almost no control over the commercial revenue being generated at its own events. PGA Tour Commissioner Deane Beman saw the solution: the Tour needed to build and own its own courses. It was a radical idea — a professional sports league constructing its own stadiums. In American football or baseball, that model was well established. In golf, nobody had attempted it. Beman enlisted architect Pete Dye, and in 1980, they opened TPC Sawgrass in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida. It would become the permanent home of The Players Championship and, in time, one of the most recognisable golf courses on earth. What Is Stadium Golf? The signature concept behind TPC courses is what Beman and Dye termed "stadium golf." The premise was straightforward: design the course so that spectators can actually see what's happening. In practice, that meant sculpting enormous mounds around greens and along key fairway corridors, creating natural amphitheatres where thousands of fans could watch the action from elevated vantage points. At Sawgrass, Dye committed fully. The course was carved from flat Florida swampland, with earth-moving equipment fabricating elevation changes the terrain never provided naturally. Waste bunkers, railway sleeper walls, bulkheaded lakes, and the now-iconic island green par-3 17th hole were all part of a layout that felt like nothing else in American golf. Tour professionals initially loathed it. The original routing was brutally penal, with water swallowing balls on seemingly every hole. J.C. Snead famously described the course as "90% horse manure and 10% luck." But Beman hadn't built Sawgrass to please the players. He'd built it for fans, for television cameras, and for the Tour's financial independence. The design philosophy has always split opinion. The weaker TPC courses feel very much manufactured — rows of uniform berms that bear no relationship to the landscape, constructed purely to give galleries somewhere to stand. That distinction matters if you care about golf course architecture, and it explains why some TPC courses rank among the best in their state while others go unranked entirely. Should TPC Courses Matter to Travelling Golfers? Here's the part that's most relevant if you're building a trip itinerary: a significant portion of TPC courses are open for public play. Unlike the storied private clubs that host major championships, the TPC network was designed with accessibility at its core. Of the 30 TPC properties, 14 are resort or daily-fee courses where you can book a tee time and pay a green fee without any membership. These include the flagship venues — TPC Sawgrass, TPC Scottsdale, TPC San Antonio, TPC Harding Park, TPC Las Vegas, TPC Louisiana, and TPC Dorado Beach, among them. The remaining 16 are private clubs, including notable tournament venues like TPC Southwind, TPC River Highlands, TPC Craig Ranch, and TPC Boston, where access is restricted to members and their guests. Just under half the network is genuinely accessible to travelling golfers, but that still represents a rare opportunity in professional golf — if you want to play a course where Tour events take place, TPC's pay-and-play venues are often your best, and sometimes your only, realistic option. The trade-off is price. Green fees at flagship TPC courses regularly sit between $300 and $500, sometimes considerably more during peak season. You're paying for the brand, the conditioning, and the bragging rights. Whether that represents value depends on what you want from a round of golf. Conditioning across the network is consistently strong. Because TPC courses are PGA Tour-owned, they're maintained to professional standards year-round rather than being polished for one event week per year. Greens are quick, fairways are tight, bunkers are pristine. If immaculate course conditioning is a priority for you, TPC venues will rarely let you down. Our Top 5 TPC Courses We've reviewed and ranked every TPC course in the network. These are the five that stand above the rest; whether they are worth a green fee is up to you. 1. TPC Sawgrass — Stadium Course Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida The flagship of the entire network and the course that started it all. Home of The Players Championship — which carries the largest purse on the PGA Tour outside the four majors — Sawgrass is the definitive TPC experience. The island green 17th is the single most televised hole in professional golf, and regardless of what you think about it architecturally, standing on that tee with a wedge in your hand is one of the great bucket-list moments in the game. Pete Dye softened the routing significantly after its brutal early years, and the course has matured beautifully through the Florida wetlands. The conditioning is immaculate, the practice facilities are world-class, and the entire experience — from check-in to the 18th green — is polished in a way that justifies the premium green fee. Playing Sawgrass feels like an event. That's exactly what it was designed to be. 2. TPC Boston Norton, Massachusetts A Gil Hanse design that hosted the Dell Technologies Championship (formerly the Deutsche Bank Championship) for over a decade as part of the FedEx Cup Playoffs. It's worth noting that TPC Boston operates as a private club, so access is limited to members and their guests — but it earns its place on this list on the strength of the design alone. TPC Boston stands apart from most courses in the network because of Hanse's reputation as one of the most respected modern architects in the game — his portfolio includes Merion's restoration and the Olympic Course in Rio. The routing moves through mature New England woodland with subtle, strategic bunkering and green complexes that reward creativity. It's a course that feels more considered than many TPC venues — less reliant on the stadium mounding formula and more focused on the quality of the golf itself. For golfers who appreciate design substance alongside Tour pedigree, Boston is a standout. 3. TPC Colorado Berthoud, Colorado One of the newer additions to the TPC network, TPC Colorado was designed by Art Schaupeter and sits against the dramatic backdrop of the Rocky Mountain Front Range. The course hosted the Korn Ferry Tour's TPC Colorado Championship and offers something that many TPC courses lack: a genuine sense of place. The mountain views are spectacular, the layout uses the rolling terrain intelligently, and the conditioning meets the standard you'd expect from the brand. It's a course that demonstrates what the TPC model looks like when it embraces natural landscape rather than imposing manufactured features onto flat ground. For golfers passing through Colorado, it's a compelling option that many overlook. 4. TPC San Antonio — Oaks Course San Antonio, Texas Home of the Valero Texas Open, which holds the distinction of being the longest-running event on the PGA Tour at the same course. The Oaks Course, designed by Greg Norman with Sergio Garcia's input, threads through the Texas Hill Country landscape of live oaks and native grasses, with the rock outcroppings and elevation changes giving the layout a character that feels authentically Texan. The resort complex at JW Marriott San Antonio also houses the Canyons Course (a separate TPC-branded layout by Pete Dye), making it a strong multi-round destination. The Oaks is the stronger of the two designs and earns its place among the top TPC courses for its combination of tournament pedigree, natural setting, and accessibility as a resort course. 5. TPC Harding Park San Francisco, California If there's one TPC course that transcends the brand entirely, it's Harding Park. Originally built as a municipal course in the 1920s, it was renovated and brought into the TPC fold, and has since hosted the PGA Championship, the WGC-Match Play, and the Presidents Cup. Set among towering Monterey cypress trees along the shores of Lake Merced, it possesses a sense of history and atmosphere that purpose-built TPC courses simply cannot replicate. The fact that it remains a public course in a major American city — one that has hosted a major championship — makes it almost unique in the sport. It barely feels like a "TPC course" in the traditional sense, and that's precisely what makes it special. The architecture predates the stadium golf era by half a century, and the Monterey cypress corridors give it a gravitas that no amount of manufactured mounding could create. Other Notable TPC Courses Several TPC courses outside our top 5 deserve mention for travelling golfers. TPC Scottsdale's Stadium Course hosts the WM Phoenix Open and its infamous par-3 16th hole stadium — the most raucous atmosphere in professional golf. TPC River Highlands hosts the Travellers Championship and features one of the best finishing stretches on Tour. TPC Southwind is home to the FedEx St. Jude Invitational — the PGA Tour's only private club in Tennessee. TPC Louisiana and TPC Deere Run are strong options that often fly under the radar. TPC Courses Outside the United States The TPC network extends beyond the continental U.S. into two additional countries and one U.S. territory. In Puerto Rico, TPC Dorado Beach is a 54-hole resort complex with the East Course ranked #1 on the island. In Mexico, TPC Danzante Bay in Loreto, Baja California Sur is ranked #17 nationally — a stunning coastal layout in one of the country's most beautiful settings. In Canada, TPC Toronto at Osprey Valley offers three courses (Hoot, Heathlands, and North), all ranked within the Canadian top 80 and all sharing the same Alton, Ontario facility. Are TPC Golf Courses Worth the Green Fee? The TPC network deserves credit for something that often gets overlooked: access to professional-calibre golf courses used for tournament play. Before TPC, if you wanted to play a course where Tour events took place, your options were virtually nonexistent. TPC created a pathway for everyday golfers to experience tournament conditions/ The business model was visionary. The PGA Tour transformed itself from an organisation dependent on the goodwill of private clubs into a property portfolio generating year-round revenue through green fees, memberships, hospitality, and event hosting. It gave the Tour financial independence and brand control that it simply didn't have before. The TPC name implies a certain standard, but the network includes everything from world-class tournament venues to facilities that are essentially well-maintained daily-fee courses carrying a premium marque. Not every TPC course hosts or was ever intended to host a Tour event. From an architectural standpoint, the ‘stadium’ build that defines most TPC designs can feel formulaic — manufactured berms that serve no strategic purpose and have no relationship to the natural landscape. The Bottom Line for Golf Travellers If a TPC course falls on your travel route, it may be worth considering. Our top 5 (Sawgrass, Boston, Colorado, San Antonio Oaks, and Harding Park) offer experiences that are difficult to replicate elsewhere: exceptional conditioning, memorable holes, and the chance to walk fairways you've watched on television. For the remaining TPC courses, weigh the green fee against what else is available in that market. In some cases, you'll find that a similarly priced course without the TPC badge offers a more interesting, more characterful round of golf. What Deane Beman started in 1980 was more than a golf course. It was a business model that altered an entire sport. Whether or not every TPC venue lives up to the ambition of that original vision, the concept itself remains one of the most consequential innovations in the modern game. See our TPC Ranking, you would actually want to play.

Canada's Best: Why Five Courses Battle for Top Spot Unlike most golfing nations where consensus exists around a clear number one course, Canada presents a fascinating anomaly. Whilst panellists consistently rank Jasper Park Lodge as the country's second-best course, the top spot remains hotly contested amongst five world-class contenders. This unique situation reveals not just the exceptional quality of Canadian golf, but the remarkable architectural diversity that makes the country one of the world's most underrated golf destinations. For serious golf travellers, this debate offers an extraordinary opportunity: access to world-class golf architecture across diverse landscapes at substantially lower costs than comparable international destinations, with the added advantage of no mandatory caddies and favourable exchange rates. Why Canada's Golf Rankings Defy Convention When Golf Club Atlas managing partner Andrew Harvey spoke with Jasper Miners of Top 100 Golf Courses about Canada's golf course rankings, Miners revealed something unprecedented in the golfing world. "There's really no general consensus on the best golf course in Canada," Miners explained during the discussion. "There could pretty much be as many as five number ones." This stands in stark contrast to other major golfing nations. The United States essentially debates between Cypress Point and Pine Valley, whilst Scotland's argument centres around St. Andrews and Muirfield. Canada, however, offers no such clarity amongst its elite courses. When Top 100 Golf Courses reviewed the Top 10 Courses in Canada, Jasper Park Lodge emerges as the consistent number two choice across all demographics. But the top spot remained fractured between St. George's Golf and Country Club, Cabot Cliffs, Banff Springs, Capilano Golf Club, and Toronto Golf Club, with Hamilton Golf and Country Club and Cape Breton Highlands Links also receiving serious consideration. This disparity stems from what Harvey identifies as the "Thompson Five" (Banff, Jasper, Capilano, St. George's, and Highlands Links), the "Harry Colt Two" (Toronto and Hamilton), and the "Cabot Two" (Cliffs and Links). These nine courses represent different eras of golf architecture across vastly different landscapes, making direct comparison exceptionally challenging. Three World-Class Golf Destinations in One Country Canada's ranking controversy reflects its unique position as perhaps the only country offering three distinct styles of elite golf within its borders. Each region presents world-class examples of different architectural philosophies, creating an apples-to-oranges comparison that defies easy resolution. Rocky Mountain Golf Courses represent perhaps the most dramatic golf anywhere in the world. Stanley Thompson's masterpieces at Banff Springs and Jasper Park Lodge showcase the dramatic possibilities of mountain golf. Set against the Canadian Rockies, these courses utilise spectacular elevation changes, dramatic vistas, and strategic routing through mountainous terrain to create unforgettable golf experiences that blend natural grandeur with architectural excellence. Southern Ontario Parkland Golf centres around the Greater Toronto Area, where Harry Colt's influence created two of Canada's finest courses. Toronto Golf Club and Hamilton Golf and Country Club showcase Colt's mastery of rolling terrain and strategic bunkering. St. George's Golf and Country Club, meanwhile, represents what Harvey calls "that American championship golf course" style—a demanding examination that has proven worthy of multiple Canadian Opens. Atlantic Links Golf achieved new prominence with Cabot's arrival in Nova Scotia. Cabot Cliffs and Cabot Links offer modern interpretations of links golf that rival anything in Scotland or Ireland, whilst the classical routing of Cape Breton Highlands Links provides a more traditional links experience through some of the most dramatic coastal terrain in North America. Stanley Thompson Golf Courses: Canada's Golden Age Legacy Understanding Canadian golf's excellence requires appreciating Stanley Thompson's unprecedented influence. Working primarily during the 1920s and 1930s, Thompson created what many consider the finest collection of golf courses by any single architect in any single country. His five Canadian masterpieces—Banff, Jasper, Capilano, St. George's, and Highlands Links—each demonstrate his ability to maximise dramatically different sites. Thompson's genius lay in his restraint and site sensitivity. Rather than imposing a signature style, he allowed each landscape to dictate the golf experience. This philosophy created courses so perfectly suited to their environments that they feel inevitable rather than constructed. Today, Rod Whitman emerges as Thompson's potential successor. The Alberta-born architect has developed a portfolio that increasingly draws comparisons to the master. Harvey suggests Whitman's career trajectory could rival Thompson's legacy: "If they're all as good as they currently are, you kind of go, okay, now there's a conversation to be had." With fifteen to eighteen courses planned or completed, Whitman's body of work may eventually challenge Thompson's supremacy in Canadian golf architecture. Western Canada continues producing exceptional golf course talent, from shapers like Josh McFadden (working with Gil Hanse) to architects like Riley Johns (working with Keith Cutten). This regional concentration of talent suggests something unique about the western Canadian golf experience that inspires deeper architectural understanding. Golf Travel Value: Canada vs The World's Elite Courses Canadian golf's most compelling argument for serious travellers lies not just in quality, but in exceptional value. Whilst a day at Sunningdale or Sandwich now approaches £500 including caddies and amenities, equivalent Canadian experiences cost significantly less with no mandatory additional services. The conversion rate alone makes Canadian golf attractive for international visitors. Where British golf has become prohibitively expensive for many travellers, Canadian courses offer world-class experiences at accessible prices. Harvey notes, "You can see some really great stuff on a budget, even though you're flying overseas." This value proposition extends beyond green fees. Canadian courses rarely require caddies, allowing golfers to experience these architectural masterpieces without the exponential costs associated with other world class venues. The emphasis on walking golf maintains the intended architectural rhythm whilst keeping costs reasonable. Seasonal considerations offer additional opportunities. Unlike the year-round accessibility of warmer climates, Canadian golf's concentrated season creates intense appreciation amongst locals and visiting golfers alike. The brief but glorious Canadian golf season—peaking in July and August—means early planning and booking are essential. Planning Your Canadian Golf Holiday: Regional Strategies Canada's vast geography—75 to 80 hours driving coast to coast—demands strategic planning for golf travellers. Rather than attempting a comprehensive national tour, successful Canadian golf trips focus on specific regions while acknowledging the country's three distinct golf landscapes. Western Canada Golf Tours offer the most dramatic golf experiences, centring on the Rocky Mountain courses of Banff and Jasper. These anchor points allow for exploration of hidden gems throughout Alberta and British Columbia. Rod Whitman's work provides contemporary excellence alongside Thompson's classics. Central Canada Golf Itineraries encompass the Southern Ontario corridor and Montreal region, offering the highest concentration of elite courses. The proximity of St. George's, Toronto, and Hamilton allows for efficient touring of multiple architectural styles within reasonable distances. Atlantic Canada Golf Adventures present the most remote but perhaps most rewarding golf experiences. Cabot's two courses alone justify the journey, whilst Highland Links offers one of golf's most unique experiences through Cape Breton's dramatic coastal landscape. Harvey's assessment proves increasingly relevant: "Every time I go somewhere, it reaffirms that the truly great golf courses here have their place in the discussion internationally." With six courses on Golf Club Atlas's coveted custodian list—tied with Australia and trailing only Scotland, England, and the United States—Canada's golf credentials are beginning to be appreciated by more and more astute travelling golfers. For golf travellers seeking world-class architecture without world-class prices, Canada offers an increasingly compelling proposition. The country's inability to agree on its best course reflects not confusion, but an embarrassment of riches.

Stretching across Alberta's vast landscapes, from the cosmopolitan centres of Calgary and Edmonton to the legendary mountain courses of the Canadian Rockies, Alberta delivers a unique Canadian golf adventure. Alberta offers everything from Rod Whitman's contemporary masterpiece at Blackhawk near Edmonton to Stanley Thompson's timeless mountain classics at Jasper Park Lodge and Banff Springs. Whether you're seeking the exclusivity of Calgary Golf Club, the strategic genius of Phil Mickelson's signature design, or the breathtaking scenery of Rocky Mountain golf, this Alberta trip creates an unparalleled combination of great golf with jaw-dropping natural beauty that defines the true Canadian golf experience. Why Alberta Golf Will Redefine Your Canadian Experience Alberta - Where Prairie Elegance Meets Mountain Majesty Alberta's unique geography creates golf conditions unlike anywhere else in the world, stretching from Edmonton's parkland perfection through Calgary's foothills positioning to the Rocky Mountain masterpieces beyond. Your Complete Canadian Golf Collection: Five Must-Play Courses: Calgary Golf Club, Mickelson National, Banff Springs, Jasper Park Lodge, and Blackhawk Golf Club Dual Gateway Strategy: Fly into Edmonton and out of Calgary (or reverse) to minimise unnecessary travel Heritage & Innovation: Play Stanley Thompson's 1920s mountain masterpieces alongside Rod Whitman's contemporary brilliance Alberta's Must-Play Golf Courses: Five Contrasting Venues Calgary Golf & Country Club - The Holy Grail of Canadian golf, this Willie Park Jr. design from 1922 remains tricky to access with a legendary waiting list. Known as the first course in Canada to install fairway irrigation, it's where oil executives and golf pilgrims aspire to play. The 126-acre layout features the back nine enclosing the front nine in an anti-clockwise direction from the clubhouse, creating strategic angles that have challenged members for over a century. Mickelson National Golf Club - Phil Mickelson's only signature design in Canada opened in 2020 on a former farming site transformed through massive earthworks. This private club stretches over 240 acres with dramatic elevation changes, strategic water features, and Lefty's famous risk-reward philosophy. Built with prevailing Chinook winds in mind, the course includes a towering 646-yard par 5 and multiple driveable par 4s that tempt aggressive play whilst penalising poor execution. Banff Springs Golf Club - Stanley Thompson's 1928 mountain masterpiece remains the gold standard for scenic golf architecture. Set within Banff National Park alongside the Bow River, the course features 150 bunkers crafted to mirror mountain peaks, with the iconic Devil's Cauldron par 3 playing over a glacial lake beneath Mount Rundle's vertical face. Nothing prepares you for the sheer enormity and charm of this setting. Jasper Park Lodge Golf Club - Thompson's 1925 masterpiece celebrates its 100th anniversary in 2025 with special programming starting July 1st. Set beside crystal-clear Lake Beauvert with snow-capped peaks aligned with fairways, this course appeals to golfers of all levels whilst maintaining architectural excellence. The par-71 lakeside layout rewards strategic thinking over brute force, with elevated tee boxes and dramatic mountain vistas on every hole. Blackhawk Golf Club - Rod Whitman's contemporary masterpiece near Edmonton opened in 2003 and quickly established itself as one of Canada's top modern courses. This public access championship layout features rugged terrain and dramatic contours that play longer than the scorecard suggests... Sample Alberta Golf Adventure: 5-Day Experience Day 1 - Calgary Arrival & Championship Golf Golf: Calgary Golf Club (advance member arrangements essential) or Mickelson National Golf Club (member guest access required) Travel: Arrive Calgary International Airport (YYC), collect rental car Accommodation: Stay Calgary (downtown or airport area hotels) Day 2 - Banff Springs Pilgrimage Golf: Banff Springs Golf Course - Stanley Thompson's legendary 1928 design featuring the iconic Devil's Cauldron par 3 Travel: Calgary to Banff (90 minutes via Trans-Canada Highway) Accommodation: Stay Banff townsite or Fairmont Banff Springs Day 3 - Jasper Park Lodge Centennial Golf: Jasper Park Lodge Golf Club - Thompson's 1925 masterpiece celebrating its 100th anniversary Travel: Banff to Jasper via spectacular Icefields Parkway (3.5 hours of UNESCO World Heritage scenery) Accommodation: Stay Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge or Jasper townsite Day 4 - Edmonton Transfer Travel: Jasper to Edmonton via Yellowhead Highway (3.5 hours through different prairie scenery) Accommodation: Stay Edmonton (downtown or west Edmonton area hotels) Day 5 - Blackhawk Golf Club Finale Golf: Blackhawk Golf Club - Rod Whitman's contemporary masterpiece (45 minutes from Edmonton) Travel: Return to Edmonton, departure from Edmonton International Airport (YEG) or Calgary International Airport (YYC) Optional Extensions: Extra Banff Day: Add a second night in Banff for hiking, hot springs, and additional mountain exploration Wolf Creek Addition: Include Rod Whitman's 36 hole venue in Ponoka -between Edmonton and Calgary Calgary Extension: Extra day for additional Calgary area courses Seasonal Considerations: Peak Season (June-August): All courses accessible, maximum daylight hours, premium pricing Shoulder Seasons (May/September-October): Competitive rates, fewer crowds, potential weather considerations Mountain Course Seasons: Jasper opens typically May 10th, Banff Springs May 9th, weather dependent Getting There and Getting About: Alberta's Dual-Gateway Strategy Dual Airport Flexibility Alberta's two major airports create exceptional routing flexibility. Calgary International Airport (YYC) offers direct flights from London Heathrow (Air Canada, WestJet), Edinburgh, Dublin, Paris CDG, Amsterdam, and Frankfurt. Edmonton International Airport (YEG) provides connections through major Canadian hubs with excellent domestic service. Consider fly-in/fly-out strategies: arrive Edmonton, depart Calgary or vice versa to eliminate backtracking and maximise golf time. Inter-City Transport Options The 300km (186-mile) drive between Edmonton and Calgary via Highway 2 takes approximately 3 hours through scenic Alberta prairie. Major car rental companies operate from both airports with competitive rates and one-way rental options. VIA Rail's "The Canadian" provides rail service between cities, though schedules may not align with golf itineraries. Regional airlines offer 1-hour flights between Edmonton and Calgary for time-pressed travellers. Driving Logistics International driving permits required for rental cars. Traffic remains manageable in both cities compared to Toronto or Vancouver. Winter driving skills are unnecessary during golf season, but mountain routes require attention to weather conditions. Regional Weather Patterns Alberta's golf season typically runs April through October with potential November extensions during warm Chinook periods. Edmonton averages slightly cooler temperatures than Calgary due to northern latitude. Summer temperatures range 12-26°C (54-79°F) with dramatic daily swings. Mountain courses can be 10-15°C cooler than prairie cities. Pack layered clothing system for all conditions. Convenient Airports Calgary International (YYC): Better international connections, closer to mountain courses (90 minutes to Banff) Edmonton International (YEG): More domestic connections, direct access to Blackhawk Golf Club (45 minutes) Accommodation Strategy: Dual-City Base Planning Edmonton Downtown Edmonton hotels provide easy access to Blackhawk Golf Club. West Edmonton area hotels are also positioned strategically for Blackhawk access. Calgary Strategic Positioning Airport area hotels provide practical solutions for a starting or finishing your holiday. Mountain Resort Accommodation Fairmont properties at Banff Springs and Jasper Park Lodge deliver ultimate golf resort experiences but command premium pricing. Both Banff and Jasper townsites offer numerous alternatives from luxury lodges to family-run establishments. Canmore Value Base Canmore provides excellent strategic positioning between Calgary and the mountain courses. Vacation rentals and boutique hotels offer exceptional value whilst maintaining proximity to mountain courses, comapred to staying in Banff town centre. Fuel Up and Wind Down: Alberta's Culinary Scene Fairmont's Clubhouses Mountain resort clubhouses offer upscale casual dining with panoramic views. Banff and Lake Louise are excellent dining options. Calgary Downtown Standouts Calgary's restaurant scene rivals any major Canadian city with farm-to-table establishments and fine dining experiences. Edmonton's local craft breweries provide authentic regional experiences. Alberta Beef Experience Major steakhouses across both cities showcase world-famous Alberta beef. Prime cuts represent local specialities with exceptional quality that defines the regional dining experience. The bone-in T-bone is one of the local favourites. Alberta Golf Course Booking Strategy: Securing Alberta's Five Must-Play Legends The Big Five Booking: Calgary Golf Club remains virtually inaccessible to visitors - membership connections are absolutely essential. Mickelson National requires member guest arrangements due to its private status. Blackhawk Golf Club offers public access with 2-4 weeks' advance booking recommended for prime times. Banff Springs opens May 9th with tee times bookable 2-3 months ahead, particularly for summer weekends. Jasper Park Lodge celebrates its centennial year with special programming starting July 1st - book early for this historic season. Accessing Private Venues: A personal call or email in the proper format may open more doors than you think. Sometimes access is possible if asked for discreetly and professionally. Consider contacting club professionals or concierge services who may have established relationships. Other exceptional alternatives include Stewart Creek Golf Club in Canmore and Kananaskis Country Golf Course (Mount Kidd), both offering championship experiences with easier access. Mountain Course Seasonal Windows: Jasper Park Lodge typically opens May 10th, weather permitting, whilst Banff Springs opens May 9th. Both courses close mid-October, depending on weather conditions. Peak season (July-August) requires 8-12 weeks advance booking for weekend times. Shoulder seasons offer better availability and competitive pricing. Regional Booking Strategies: Edmonton area courses, including Blackhawk, typically allow 7-14 days advance booking for public players. Calgary semi-private courses require 2-4 weeks for weekend access. Wolf Creek Resort, between the cities, offers excellent value with 1-2 weeks' advance booking for Rod Whitman's additional designs. Multi-City Coordination: Plan Calgary Golf Club early if member access is secured. Schedule mountain courses (Banff, Jasper) for maximum scenic impact mid-trip. Save Blackhawk Golf Club for the trip conclusion or Wolf Creek Resort serves as an excellent midway point between Edmonton and Calgary, depending on your time or route. Weather Contingency Planning: All courses offer flexible rebooking policies for weather cancellations. Mountain courses are particularly susceptible to sudden weather changes. Confirm cancellation policies when booking, especially for premium mountain experiences where weather can change rapidly.