Windermere Golf & Country Club - Alberta

Windermere Golf & Country Club was founded in 1959, with a Robbie Robinson-designed 9-holer brought into play for an expectant membership two years later. It wasn’t long before this course was expanded to eighteen holes and Doug Carrick now consults at the club, keeping a watchful eye on a layout he describes as “a very solid test of golf in a really incredible setting.”

Today, the course extends to 6,767 yards from the back markers on a 140-acre property, with holes arranged as two returning nines (out in 35 then back in 36 for a par of 71). The North Saskatchewan River doesn’t come into the reckoning on the outward half, only forming a backdrop to the par three 8th, which is one of three short holes on the front nine.

The green for the par four 10th is also located right on the river bank then the following two holes are routed alongside the river, with the daunting par three 12th played to a peninsula green. There’s more water to beware of, courtesy of greenside ponds at the 15th and 17th, before the round concludes with a strong, left doglegging final hole.