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Fairways to HeavenCopyright © 2007-2009 Travel Alberta, All Rights ReservedWritten by: Travel Alberta When it comes to Alberta golf, some people are slow learners. Count me among them. Why? Because it took 20 years living in the mammoth shadows of the Canadian Rockies before I played the Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge Golf Club. Sure, I'd toured the world famous Fairmont Banff Springs Golf Club – in awe – a dozen times. Banff was my favorite course, period. That all changed five years ago when I played Jasper. It was love at first sight. It turns out I'm not alone. In a national ranking of Canadian golf courses in 2003 by SCOREGolf magazine, the People's Choice awards shone a moon-sized spotlight on Jasper golf. It shared first-place honors as the country's No. 1 course. Additionally, it won gold medals for best resort course, best value, best scenery, and best walk. Pretty high praise for the 18-hole layout that set the standard for Alberta golf courses 80 years ago. Hand in hand, it elevated golf architect Stanley Thompson into an iconic class, the Canadian equivalent of American Donald Ross. Stanley Thompson Not to be outdone, the Banff Springs quickly commissioned Thompson to design and build its new 18 holes, later becoming the world's first-ever $1-million course. What makes Jasper golf golden? First, half the joy is getting there. Located a breath-taking 3 1/2 hour drive from Banff (five hours north of Calgary), the journey is spectacular. Glaciers, wildlife, cascading mountain waterfalls, and ear-popping climbs make the Icefields Parkway one of the world's great highway driving tours. But it's only a warm-up of things – a prelude to the high-altitude giddiness golfers experience at Jasper. Framed by aspen, conifers, and imposing mountain ranges – the course has no expensive homes lining its fairways – Jasper is picture post-card perfect. Fun and Fair But the true golfer praises Jasper golf for two reasons: it's fun and it's fair. Jasper boasts a welcoming blend of long and short par-3s, par-4s and par-5s. It has elevated shots, doglegs, is straightforward and offers great examples of Thompson's trademark bunkering. (Thompson's bunkers are especially well known in Jasper and Banff because they mimic distant mountain ranges, creating illusions that often befuddle first-time golfers trying to gauge the distances to their target.) Jay Wilson, the dean of Calgary golf professionals, offers the best explanation for Jasper's appeal. "It's my favorite because of the scenery and playability," Wilson says. "At Jasper, if you are a one-handicap and shoot well, you'll shoot 68. If you are a 20-handicap and play well, you'll shoot 90. But if you play poorly, you won't shoot 120. "It's a golf course that doesn't punish you severely, and that's the criteria of a good golf course to me. You don't want to play a course and lose 20 balls. That's not fun." Indeed, when I played one of my first rounds at Jasper with executive professional Alan Carter, he guaranteed that our foursome wouldn't lose a ball. We didn't. While there are trees and rough, none is so thick that a wayward shot can't be rescued. And although water occasionally comes into play, it takes a poor effort to sink your golf ball. Alberta Golf at its Finest Carter says that what Jasper does best, however, is stitch the fun, playability, and scenery into one relaxing experience. Rounds at Jasper seldom take much more than four hours, yet are unhurried because groups tee off in 10-minute intervals. The gap, or "bubble" between groups ensures each foursome seldom waits on a shot, yet has time for pictures whenever the urge strikes - which is often. Lastly, unlike Banff or Lake Louise, the Jasper resort has no huge hotel. Instead, small cabins are spread throughout the property. Even when full, the resort seems empty. In 2000, when I played Jasper for the first time, I remember strolling out for my crack-of-dawn coffee. It was 90 minutes before my tee time. Staking out a spot overlooking emerald green Lac Beauvert, I watched morning steam rise from its surface, the reflection of mountain peaks etched on a seemingly Windexed pane of glass. Comfortable in a bright red Adirondak chair, I sat blissfully for half an hour. Then, my coffee done, mind in harmony with the pristine surroundings, I made the two-minute to the golf course. That's what makes Jasper golf special. About The Author:
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