Banff

Stanley Thompson's 1928 masterpiece beneath the Fairmont castle — a design that proved mountain terrain wasn't just a backdrop but the golf course itself. The Devil's Cauldron par-3 8th is one of the most photographed holes in the world, a downhill shot to a green nestled in a natural glacial amphitheatre. The back nine along the Bow River is as beautiful as anything in North American golf. One of the ten most dramatic courses on earth.

Elevated above Canmore with 360-degree Rocky Mountain views and a layout that demands your full attention. Les Furber's design drops 1,000 feet in elevation across 18 holes — the tee shots are unfair in the best possible way and the canyon crossings are the carries you'll reconstruct on the drive back to Calgary. A worthy partner to Banff Springs and significantly less crowded.

Carved through the Three Sisters mountain range in Canmore, Gary Browning's design offers the best conditioning in the Bow Valley corridor. Eighteen holes of varied, interesting golf with the Rockies in every direction and green fees that won't make you wince after Banff Springs. The fairways are generous; the approach shots are not.

One of two Robert Trent Jones Sr. designs inside Kananaskis Provincial Park, playing along the Kananaskis River beneath Mount Kidd's 2,958-metre peak. A public course inside a national park is rare anywhere in the world — this one charges provincial park prices for a genuinely excellent layout. The best-value round in the Canadian Rockies.

A nine-hole layout that plays as 18 through the Bow Valley with the Three Sisters looming above every shot. No resort pretension, excellent turf conditions, and green fees that make a warm-up round feel like a gift. The locals love it because it's consistently better than it has any right to be. The round you play on the way to the airport.

The castle in the mountains — a Canadian landmark and one of the great resort experiences in North America. Waking up here, walking to the first tee of Stanley Thompson's masterpiece, and having the Bow Valley as your backdrop is an experience that justifies the rate. Do it at least once.

Perched on the hill above town with panoramic Rocky Mountain views from every room. Boutique, independently owned, and the most underrated property in Banff — the views rival the Fairmont at half the price. The bistro downstairs is a genuine restaurant, not an afterthought.

The lifestyle play — modern rooms, right on Banff Avenue, walking distance to everything in town. The right base camp for groups who want central location over resort experience.

Dead center on Banff Avenue, home to Brazen cocktail bar, and the most social option in town. For groups that want to be in the middle of everything — dining, bars, and the mountain town energy.

At the summit of Sulphur Mountain via the Banff Gondola. The most dramatic dining room in Canada — 360-degree Rocky Mountain views at 7,486 feet. Reserve for sunset. Non-negotiable.

The classic Banff fine dining institution. Canadian cuisine done with conviction — bison, elk, and Alberta beef prepared properly. The post-round dinner the group will still be talking about on the plane home.

Mountain comfort food at its most refined. The bison burger is the best in town and the terrace in summer is the right place to recap the round over a beer. Unpretentious, dependable, genuinely good.

Hip, cocktail-forward, located inside the Mount Royal Hotel on Banff Avenue. The après-golf bar for groups who want something more interesting than a hotel lounge.

Wood-fired breakfast and brunch on Banff Avenue. The morning fuel before a round at Banff Springs — the elk sausage hash is the move.