According to the Golf Life Alberta website, we have 10 “Mountain” courses in our province. 11 if we recognize both courses at Kananaskis (and why wouldn’t we they’re amazing). I came back from a little mountain trip this past weekend and it got me thinking about how lucky we are to play in the beautiful Rocky Mountain setting. It also got me thinking which mountain course is the best. So it’s Power Ranking time. I’m sure this will come with some vastly different opinions and maybe stir up a bit of a debate but that’s why I’m here folks. To get you thinking about everything golf in Alberta and ruffle some feathers.

Still Waiting...

So I haven’t played all the courses on the list. So this ranking of power is a little bit unfinished. But if there are any willing golfers out there that want to play a round with a left-handed Oiler fan give me a shout! Sorry Calgary readers, 97 is God (I’m not sorry though).

• Canmore Golf & Curling Club

• Crowsnest Pass Golf & Country Club

• Fairmont Banff Springs Golf Club

• Waterton Lakes Golf Course

What are people’s thoughts on these courses? Which one should I make some time to visit this summer?

Honourable Mention:

So these courses just can’t measure up to the rest on the list and there always has to be someone at the bottom. We still get the mountain views at both places so still totally worth the price of admission and offers a place to play as a warm up to a few of the other courses in the list:7. Brewster’s Kananaskis Ranch - Exshaw6. Hinton Golf Course - Hinton

Ugh, this was tougher than I anticipated:

5. Kananaskis Country Golf Course, Mt. Lorette – Kananaskis 4. Stewart Creek G&CC – Canmore 3. Kananaskis Country Golf Course, Mt. Kidd – Kananaskis Let me just start by saying I am a big fan of all of these courses and that trying to make a ranking of the best mountain courses in the province is actually so tough. The toughest. Someone help? I played Mt. Lorette twice over the weekend, returning on the 5 year anniversary of the disastrous days that took away our precious Kananaskis courses. Obviously changes were made but it was exactly how I remembered it: pristine. I did play Kidd prior to the floods but there are definitely plans to play it again after August 1st. Stewart Creek I only played for the first time this past May at the Alberta Golf Tour’s Season Opening Major (plug alert: You can read about my experience by clicking here! Or don’t. You can be your own man Alex (Alberta Golf Tour Phoenix trip inside joke)) and had a fantastic time. These three courses were too close to really compare but I’ll stand by my ranking.

Runner Up:

2. Silvertip Golf Course – Canmore (a look from the patio at Silver Tip's gorgeous finishing hole) So I did play here on the weekend for the second time in my life. I love it. I know the common consensus may be that some of the holes are gimmicky and I definitely agree. There’s nothing I enjoy more than going for a par 5 in 2 and that is quite the task here. But we’re golfing in the mountains. I’m there for views, big elevation drops, and if I have to pay the price with a few slopes I’m all for it. And thank god there are golf carts or I’d have to drink a few more beers to stay in prime dad bod shape!

Mountain Superiority goes to....

1. Jasper Park Lodge – Jasper (#neilerknows pictured on hole 5)

I was very lucky to play this course a lot in high school. And the more I played it the more I fell in love. Not like the kind of love you have for say a certain best hockey player in the world playing for your favourite NHL team and you get to watch every game he plays. But something close to that. Maybe it has something to do with playing well when I play JPL but every hole offers something different and I leave the 18th green thinking about how much fun I’ve had playing this beautiful track. So the question is should I take my solid Jasper Park Lodge track record to the Rocky Mountain Major on the Alberta Golf Tour this year?.....Well? What does your Alberta mountain golf power ranking look like? I would love to hear what your favourite mountain track is so let us know on Twitter at @GolfLifeAB and @10Neiler. I think we can all agree that we have some of the most beautiful courses in the world to play.