Kananaskis Country Golf Course

Few mountain golf experiences in Canada carry the reputation of Kananaskis Country Golf Course. Situated roughly 80 kilometers west of Calgary in the heart of the Canadian Rockies, the facility actually comprises 2 distinct 18-hole courses — Mount Lorette and Mount Kidd — both designed by Robert Trent Jones Sr. and opened in 1983. The project was a signature development of the Lougheed government's vision for Kananaskis Country as a world-class recreational destination, and the courses immediately earned international acclaim. Mount Lorette hosted the 1988 Canadian Open, one of the most celebrated editions of that championship, won by Ken Green.

The setting is genuinely dramatic: the fairways run along the Kananaskis River valley with the jagged peaks of the Kananaskis Range framing virtually every shot. Elk routinely wander the fairways, and the air at roughly 1,500 meters of elevation gives the ball noticeable extra carry.

Both layouts reward strategic thinking over raw power — Jones used the natural meadows, river corridors, and mountain topography to create routing that feels entirely of its place rather than imposed upon it. The courses are publicly accessible, making this level of mountain scenery and design pedigree unusually democratic for golf of this caliber.