Alberta coal town emerges as popular golf destination industry, popular, closed, events

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Alberta coal town emerges as popular golf destination
What once was a mining town is now a golf destination, thanks in large part to the Olympics.
Coal mining was the industry that sustained Canmore, Alta., for nearly 100 years. When the last mines closed in 1979, the town faced an uncertain, if not bleak, future.
But with the announcement in the early 1980s that Calgary would host the 1988 Winter Games and that the nordic events would take place in Canmore, fortune began to turn.
Canmore, situated in the Canadian Rockies about 100 kilometres west of Calgary, rode the momentum gained from its high profile during the Olympics to launch a new destiny in tourism and, more specifically, golf.
Canmore and the surrounding area boast a handful of exceptional golf courses amid some of the most breathtaking scenery a golfer can imagine.
Canmore Golf and Curling Club, opened in 1926, is the original. In 1983 came two more courses in what is known as Kananaskis Country, a recreational area 40 minutes south of Canmore.
The two newer courses are Silvertip (1998) and Stewart Creek (2000), and their arrival made Canmore a legitimate golf destination.
They complement two of Alberta's (and Canada's) most historic and treasured courses - Banff Springs and Jasper Park Lodge.
The tourist mecca and ski destination of Banff is a neighbour of Canmore, just 27 km to the northwest, while Jasper Park Lodge is a trek away, 312 km up the scenic Icefields Parkway.
In 2007, these golf courses formed a marketing partnership, Canadian Rockies Golf, to offer golfers one-stop shopping in organizing their trips, from golf packages to lodging and transportation. While Jasper Park Lodge and Banff Springs are high-end courses, canadianrockiesgolf.ca will help tailor trips to golfers' budgets.
Canmore sits outside the southern gateway to Banff National Park. Entering the park between Canmore and Banff, a visitor can drive 290 km up the Trans Canada Highway and then the Icefields Parkway to Jasper without ever leaving a national park.

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A must-see stop 40 km northwest of Banff is picturesque Lake Louise and the Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise, which stands imposingly on the lake's shore.

Visitors leave Banff National Park at the Columbia Icefield, a spectacular series of glaciers that are visible from pull-offs along the highway.

While one might not think of playing golf in a national park, such is the reality in this part of western Canada. Besides lying within their respective national parks, the Banff Springs and Jasper Park Lodge courses can lay claim to a long list of awards (Jasper Park Lodge is considered Canada's finest resort course) and famous clientele, from celebrities to British royalty.

Jasper Park Lodge hosted King George VI and Queen Elizabeth in 1939 and Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Phillip in 2005.

The towns of Jasper and Banff both were founded by railroads late in the 19th century as they laid rail across Canada.

To their credit, the railroads recognized the beauty of the region and led the effort to have it preserved as national parks. Banff National Park was established in 1885, followed by Jasper National Park in 1907.

Competition between the railroads extended all the way to golf. In the 1920s, world-renowned golf course architect Donald Ross was enlisted to redesign the course in Banff and expand it to 18 holes. In Jasper, meanwhile, Stanley Thompson got the job of creating the course at Jasper Park Lodge. While not well known in the United States, Thompson is deemed Canada's greatest course designer.

Ross's course in Banff fell short of expectations, but Thompson earned raves for his achievement at Jasper Park Lodge. So envious was Banff that it hired Thompson to redo Ross's work and spare no expense. Banff Springs opened in 1928 and became known as the most expensive course ever built up to that point, costing more than $1 million.

More than 80 years later, both golf resorts have withstood the test of time, and neither is showing its age.

In general, the courses in Alberta are open only from midMay through mid-October. In summer, golf can be played from as early as 5 a.m. to as late as 11 p.m. near the summer solstice.

Weather, however, can be dicey, with snow possible any day of the year. Ontario native Scott Holland, the teaching professional at Silvertip Golf Resort in Canmore, recalls his introduction to mountain weather on an August day in the early 1980s after he'd moved to Banff.

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"There was six inches of snow on the ground when I woke up," he said, "and the high that day was [29 C]."

IF YOU GO

- Getting there: The nearest major airport is Calgary, 106 kilometres east of Banff. Calgary's big summer event is the 10-day Calgary Stampede in July; it will celebrate its centennial in 2012.

- Accommodations: Options run from campgrounds, hostels, budget hotels and condos to the luxury Fairmont hotels in Banff and Lake Louise, plus the Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge. The Fairmont Banff Springs, known as "the castle in the Rockies," dates to 1888 and commands a regal presence on a hillside above the shops along Banff's main street. It offers both fine dining and upscale shopping. In Kananaskis Village, 60 kilometres south of Canmore, the Delta Lodge was the site of the 2002 G8 Summit and contains its own shopping village.

- Things to do: The Canadian Rockies are hardly just a golf destination. Other activities include hiking, biking, fishing, white-water rafting, canoeing, horseback riding and wildlife watching (sightings of bear, elk, deer and coyotes are common). Shopping is popular in the towns of Canmore, Banff and Jasper, and particularly so at the Fairmont Banff Springs and Jasper Park Lodge. In Jasper, visitors can take a tram up the Whistlers mountain, beginning at 1,304 metres and arriving at a station at 2,277 metres. At the small station, which includes a restaurant and gift shop, guests may opt to admire the views or hike a trail to the summit (jaspertramway.com). In Canmore, Alpine Helicopter Tours offers sweeping views of the area's mountains and valleys.

- What to wear: Summer visitors should be prepared for both warm and chilly weather.

- Elevations: Canmore, 1,311 metres; Banff, 1,464; Jasper, 1,062.

- Park rates: A pass ranging from $4.90 (youth) to $19.60 (family/group of seven or more) must be purchased at the entrance to the national parks. It is good at all the parks and allows visitors to leave and re-enter for the duration of the pass.

- More info: canadianrockiesgolf.ca, tourismcanmore.com, travelalberta.com, jasper.travel

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Silvertip's hole #9 gives a stunning view of Ha Ling Peak and the Rundle Range
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