Kananaskis (Mount Lorette) - Alberta - Canada

Kananaskis is an excellent public golf facility. Totally worth coming here & playing both courses (36 holes) in one day. Expect mountain golf at half the price of Banff Springs. The course is very fun and well maintained. It plays well from the tips.

This course if a fun, enjoyable, straightforward golf course. The service from the concierge, the pro shop, and the starters are very welcoming and what you would expect at a AAA golf course.

Mt. Lorette is quite different from Mt. Kidd where there are more bunkers, little to no elevation change, and did I say lots of bunkers. The easier of the 2 courses; I really enjoyed the layout and play ability of the course.

A nice course with great views of the mountains. The course was in really good condition when I played it, and we saw lots of deer on the course which was exciting.

If majestic mountain scenery and amazing photographic opportunities are your thing then look no further than the Kananaskis Country Golf Course just an hour drive west of Calgary.

In 2013 both the Mount Kidd and Mount Lorette layouts were devastated by the flooding of the Evans Thomas and Kananaskis Rivers. However, during reconstruction, the club raised the fairways and reengineered the drainage system in hopes of preventing future incidents. Both courses reopened in 2018 and are now back to their former glory.

We did not play Mount Kidd, but I found that the Mount Lorette Course had few elevation changes even though you meander through a gently sloping river valley moraine tucked some 5000 feet above sea level. The views are mesmerizing and there are plenty of bunkers and water to keep you on your toes. It offers wider fairways and groomed rough around the trees making it more player-friendly for the average golfer. There are 6 sets of tee blocks ranging from 3792 to 7232 yards so it an ideal resort style course.

The par-4 first hole was undoubtably the toughest hole on the course but after the flood of 2013 the fairway was widened, and a greenside bunker was removed to try and ease the difficulty. Regardless of the effort, you are still faced with a narrow landing area. You need to favour the large pond on the left because anything right, could be blocked out by the heavily tree-lined forest to this key-hole shaped approach. Nothing like a good punch in the gut to get you started.

I was told that #14 is the only hole that was completely redesigned after the flood. It changed from slight dogleg right to a severe dogleg to the left par-5 to avoid the flood plain. Your approach shot must land short of this green since your ball will certainly bounce forward.

The 18th is ranked the 2nd toughest hole on the course and now I understand why. Your drive will determine whether you should attempt this lengthy par-4 in regulation or settle for an up-and-down to save par. A large bunker protects you from shaving off the corner on this long dogleg left. Plus, you need to be aware of the winding creek in front that may be hidden from your viewpoint. With a severely sloped green from back to front, a bogey is a good score here.

Not necessarily my favourite golf course in the Rockies but the conditioning is excellent, and the scenery is breathtaking. The bunkers are soft and consistent, filled with sparkling white silica sand. The greens are large but fair with little undulation, however they are very firm as they were all just replaced. For now, plan on landing some of your long approach shots just short to be able to hold some of these putting surfaces.

If you are planning to visit Calgary and explore the nearby Rocky Mountains, you will certainly want to play Mount Lorette. I would also highly suggest you book your tee times well in advance. This is a very popular golf resort for Albertans as well as tourists

To follow Dave Finn’s golf travel adventures, visit www.golftravelandleisure.com