My Must Play Edmonton Courses
The Rules:
Before relentless judgement is passed down on my selections just hear me out as to why the list looks the way it does:
I have not played every course in Edmonton. This could be a reason a course is not on my list. Please see future articles on courses I have not played, would like to, and let me know if you would like to join me.
My range for picking a course considered “within” YEG was about 30 minutes. A reasonable drive to make for the average golfer looking to get out.
I have only selected public courses because if I am telling you that you MUST PLAY the courses listed I would bet some of you would have a tough time trying to find your way on to a private, member’s only golf club.
Price and course conditions are not taken into consideration at all. Why? I don’t have any knowledge as to how a course picks its price point. And I have nothing but admiration for the dedication our local supers and their grounds staff put to making sure we get our jollies chasing around that damn white ball. Course conditions will vary year to year because we live in this crazy province where we can expect snow at any point.
You’ve made it to this part of the article which means you’ve read the rules. I say “must play” because I genuinely have a lot of fun when I loop around these tracks and to me, that’s all that matters. More importantly I have gone back to play countless rounds at these courses.What’s my criteria for endless golf fun you may ask? Usually a combination of:
Views
Getable Par 5’s and drivable par 4’s
Risk and reward opportunities (see point 2 for clarification)
Shots that I don’t find myself hitting too often. Variety is key.
Can a rainy day effect how I feel while I play the course? Sure. Who likes playing in the rain? Will course conditions come into effect when I decide which course I am playing with my limited time to play on weekends? Of course. Basically what I’m getting at is if the stars align, you have the right group of friends and a solid playlist (one that probably includes plenty of Michael Buble), give one of the following courses a try:
The Quarry
It has to be said that I have worked here for 3 of the past 4 summers and by no way am I making a biased decision…. It’s the best public course in the city. End of discussion. Okay that really didn’t sell the fact that I am trying to come across as unbiased but I stand by my statement. 27 holes of challenging, Alberta’s version of (kinda but not really) links-y golf that hits you right in the face as soon as you enter the property. The drive down the hill never gets old.
River Ridge Golf Course
I remember playing the course for the first time with no expectations whatsoever. And I also remember thinking after finishing the round how in the world I had not played here before. Very underrated is the word I'll use for River Ridge. Situated on the North Saskatchewan just like The Quarry (seems I’m a sucker for river “views) holes 4-8 could be some of my favourite golf in the province.
Northern Bear
Jack Nicklaus is all that needs to be said here. Do I also have it on the list because it’s favourable for lefties who “power fade”? Maybe. Expect some course reviews to follow that get into a little more detail about why I will always say yes to play these three courses. But please let me know what your must play courses in the City of Champions are and why! Connect by interacting with myself and #GolfLifeAB on Twitter. Anyone else itching to golf?