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The
Fairmont Banff Springs Golf Course is the perfect
compliment to its ‘Castle in the Rockies;’ the
company’s western Canadian flagship hotel resort and
conference center, built in 1888. Set in the shadows
of the grand Banff Springs Hotel, where the Bow and
Spray rivers meet, it was designed by Stanley Thompson
just three years after he completed Fairmont’s
course at Jasper Park.
The
patriarch of Canadian golf was given a dramatic piece
of property that rivals the property at Jasper, with
the difference being that the course at Banff is set
among the mountains, as opposed to around their base,
like at Jasper.
Banff
Springs Golf Course has a longer history then simply
the hiring of Thompson; he actually rebuilt the
existing course from the Donald Ross design built
prior to the 1928 renovations.
The
general belief that the Canadian Pacific Railway
needed a course to compete with Canadian National
Railway’s Jasper Park Golf Club probably holds some
merit. Coming off the success at Jasper Park, Thompson
was once again armed with a healthy budget (the course
claims to have been the first to cost more than a
million dollars). Drawing on some of Ross’s original
holes, as well creating his own originals, Thompson
created an incredible piece of work to match the
splendid scenery. The most memorable of the bunch, as
the now famous story goes, was purely the work of
nature.
On
a section of the property Thompson never intended to
use, an avalanche in the winter of 1927 created the
glacial lake that is now a centrepiece to the
signature fourth hole at Banff Springs, ‘Devil’s
Cauldron.’ When Thompson’s design team returned in
the spring, they designed the par three that is
considered one of the best in the world—Golf
Magazine ranks it among the world’s four best. From
the elevated tee set on a granite shelf some 80 feet
above the green, the setting is perfect. Aesthetics
aside, the lake that fronts the green is a menace to
shots left short, and the six greenside bunkers, which
protect the green, add to the challenge. The
spectacular view down the valley, beyond the green, is
a jaw-dropping sight, and explains the perpetual
clicks of cameras trying to capture the theatre.
But
Banff Springs is by no means a one-horse show. In
fact, it boasts a back nine with one of the great
stretches of holes in Canada, due to a recent change
in the order of holes. When an additional nine holes
were added in 1989, the clubhouse was relocated to the
center of the property. What were once the first and
18th holes are now the 14th and 15th, thus taking the opening and closing
climaxes and relocating them to the middle of a key
stretch of holes. While purists will argue that the
former first, with a tee set on a ledge beside the
hotel, should not have been changed, the shuffle does
not detract from the Thompson design.
The
course’s strongest set of holes are its five par
threes, beginning at the second. Brad Klein’s new
book Discovering Donald Ross: The Architect and his Golf Courses states
that the second is actually the last of Ross’s
remaining holes. The ubiquitous mountain backdrops
become familiar, but it is still quite awesome this
early in the round. The false front on this green
causes many golfers to leave it short, so take plenty
of club.
After
the par-five third, you arrive from the surrounding
pines on the dramatic fourth tee. The strategy here is
simple; play to the center of the green. With trouble
literally encircling the green, this is the only smart
play.
The
ninth is a unique par five; relatively short in at
only 510 yards, the dogleg right dares the player to
challenge the right side. The problem is the waste
area, which runs the length of the right side and
makes for difficult recovery shots. The Bow River runs
along the right side of the green, but it should not
come into play except for the most errant shots. If
played smartly, nine is a great birdie chance before a
difficult stretch of holes.
The
10th through the 15th deserve
special recognition as one of the great stretches of
holes in Canada. Each hole’s difficulty is usually
accentuated by the prevailing wind, which makes all
these holes play longer, especially the two long par
threes. 10 is a 225-yard par three that does offer a
small area to run the shot in if a player wishes to
challenge the Bow River, which protects both front and
right. The large green is fairly receptive, but can
also leave you with some of the longest putts on the
course.
Hole
11
may be deceptive from a simple look at the scorecard.
At 424 yards from the back tee, it will still require
two full shots to reach the green when the wind is up.
The hole is the best chance at par, so take full
advantage.
The
12th is one of three long par fours that
highlight this six-hole stretch. Stretching to 449
yards, the fairway bunkers left are daunting, so the
right side is key. The first glimpses of the grand
hotel become visible on this hole, and it is a
dramatic sight.
The
13th
is the second long par three in four holes, but this
one stretches to 232 yards. There is plenty of room in
front of this large green; the key is to keep it
straight and avoid the bunkers, which are some of the
nastiest on the course.
The
14th
is both brutal and beautiful. Playing some 447 yards
from the back tee, this dogleg right was the closing
hole before the re-organization in 1989. This is
evident with the hotel acting as a backdrop and the
river sweeping down the right. 14 is the hardest hole
on the course, and if the wind and length are not
enough, the green is one of Banff’s most
treacherous.
The
15th (which was formerly the opening hole)
ably follows the challenge of 14; with the addition of
a ‘super’ back tee, the hole plays 480 yards. This
yardage is not quite accurate as the drop from tee to
fairway is close to 100 feet. Originally the first
hole, 15 provides the best view found on the golf
course. The Spray River cuts across in front of the
tee and the valley lies below and beyond. After a
successful tee shot the hole is less challenging, but
it still requires a well struck second shot at the
left side of the green.
The
closing hole is the only par five on the back nine,
and even though it measures a daunting 585 yards from
the back tee, the wind is usually helping. 18 is the
best birdie opportunity on the back side if the
clusters of fairway bunkers in the lay-up area are
avoided.
The
Fairmont Banff Springs Golf Course is a great living
tribute to Stanley Thompson, and to CP Railways for
their fundamental contribution to the development of
resort destinations in Western Canada. Banff Springs
Golf Course is sure to satisfy all visitors, and
leaves at least a few dramatic images etched in their
minds. While the fourth hole made the top 18 holes in
the world, it is an even greater achievement that it
is considered to be the best that Thompson has
produced. Known for his excellent par threes, the
“Devil’s Cauldron” is truly a special hole.
The Package:
2005 Ultimate Golf Retreat
Package:
Package Includes:
-
Accommodation each night
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Daily use of The Willow Stream spa at The Fairmont Banff Springs
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Three meals per day in your choice of hotel restaurants
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18-holes of golf per day
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The Fairmont Banff Springs Golf Academy
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Club rentals
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Valet parking
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All gratuities
In addition to the experience of golfing on
the Stanley Thompson 18-hole championship course, guests staying at The Fairmont Banff Springs on the Ultimate Golf Retreat have other golfing opportunities. Enjoy our Tunnel-9 course on an unlimited basis, or enjoy one of three other courses in the area in lieu of golfing on the Stanley Thompson course at The Fairmont Banff Springs. The many options make this a true retreat for avid golfers.
Availability:
This package is valid from May 17, 2005 to October 11, 2005, subject to availability.
Rates:
Packages start from $772 CAD per night in May, from $917 CAD per night from June 01 to golf course closure (typically mid-October). Rates are based on double occupancy for Fairmont category room.
Book
this Package
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