Stewart Creek

Only a half hour outside of Banff, Canmore is home to several ‘must play’ mountain layouts. Calgary-based golf course architect, Gary Browning’s, Stewart Creek, tops the player’s choice lists of ‘Most Beautiful,’ ‘Best Conditioned’ and ‘Most Fun’ every year.

The course is noted for its breathtaking, concentration trying, mountain scenery that incorporates views of the Three Sisters, Cascade, Pigeon and Ha Ling Mountain ranges in the routing. The signature hole is the 9^th – a 212-yard Par 3 from the tips that features an elevated tee with dramatic elevation change to the dance floor below.

Browning took over the project in the late 1990s when there was a change in ownership due to environmental issues under the initial management.

His design opened in 2000 to rave reviews and has increased in player respect since then. The Club achieved Audubon status in 2004 and it was on Golfweek’s Best Modern Canadian rankings in 2012, 2013 and 2014.

One should always take note when playing in wilderness areas that they are home to native wildlife and in the Canadian Rockies that includes bears, cougars and elk.

Stewart Creek is situated in a wildlife migration area and when redesigning the initial routing Browning had to move his design to not be in the middle of it. He tells some wonderful stories of when he was building the course encountering a bear swimming in the pond on the 10^th and 3 cougar kittens on the bridge on the 14^th – fortunately ‘momma’ cougar was not in sight.

Browning will tell you that he is equally as proud of all the environmental awards Stewart Creek has achieved as he is the accolades for his design work.