The Banff golf course is the 27-hole Fairmont Banff Springs Golf Course, located on the Bow River within Banff National Park. The main course is the Stanley Thompson 18, a par 71 measuring 6,938 yards from the black tees, opened at the end of the 1920s at a cost of over a million dollars, making it the most expensive golf course ever built at that time. The season runs from May to October, and the green fees during peak season fall in the ballpark of C250-C300 inclusive of the cart fee.
Here are the facts. The thing that almost nobody knows about this course is that the course you will be playing today is not the original Stanley Thompson routed, and the reason why is one of the better stories in Canadian golf.
The quick version
| What you want to know | The answer |
|---|---|
| Official name | Fairmont Banff Springs Golf Course, in Banff, Alberta, inside the national park |
| How many holes | 27 in total, the Stanley Thompson 18 plus the Tunnel Mountain 9 |
| Par and length | Par 71 at 6,938 yards from the black tees, rated 72.6 with a slope of 131 |
| Who designed it | Stanley Thompson, with the extra nine added in 1989 by Cornish and Robinson |
| Season | Roughly May through October, with 2026 opening dates of May 8 and May 15 |
| Green fees | Around C$250 to C$300 in peak season, cart and range access included |
| Can anyone play | Yes, it is open to the public and you do not need to be a hotel guest |
| The famous hole | The 4th, Devil’s Cauldron, a downhill par 3 across a glacial pond under Mount Rundle |
Yes, you can play it
start here because it’s really what the question boils down to. This is a resort course that is part of a Fairmont hotel and while it sounds private, it certainly isn’t. Anyone can make a tee time reservation. You don’t need to be a guest at the Banff Springs, you don’t need to have someone sponsor you and you don’t need to be a member in order to play.
Tee time reservations can be made online using the course’s reservation system or over the phone at 403-762-6801. Booking at the hotel will help you secure packages and will help with convenience, but won’t be necessary for access. There is an Alberta resident’s fee that requires advance booking and proof of residency.
Reserve your spot for July and August weekends early. This is one of the most photographed courses in Canada with a short season and the best tee times are booked fast.
The history people get wrong
The two Thompsons mentioned in this tale are spelled differently and are merged into a single person in many articles.
Golf came to Banff somewhere around 1910 or 1911 when a Scotsman named Bill Thomson built nine holes. Not related, not connected, and differently spelled. Later, the Canadian Pacific Railway called upon Donald Ross, designer of Pinehurst No. 2, who designed an 18 hole course that was completed somewhere in the mid-1920s.
In 1925, the Jasper Park course, designed by Stanley Thompson, was opened and it was so good that the Canadian Pacific Railway could not stand having an inferior course at their best Banff hotel. So, in 1927, they had Thompson redesign the entire Banff course. And the only element that Thompson retained of Donald Ross’s design was one green position on the 2nd hole.
| Year | Who | What happened |
|---|---|---|
| 1910 to 1911 | Bill Thomson | A Scottish professional lays out the first nine holes at Banff |
| Early 1920s | Donald Ross | CPR commissions a full 18, which opens around 1924 |
| 1927 to 1929 | Stanley Thompson | A complete rebuild costing over a million dollars, keeping one Ross green |
| 1989 | Cornish and Robinson | A new clubhouse and a third nine, which changed the order of the holes |
| 1998 | Les Furber | Bunker restoration work, including moving the complex at the 14th |
You will see the Thompson course dated 1927, 1928, and 1929 depending on where you read, because those are the commission, the design, and the opening. All three are defensible. None of them is wrong.
Why it cost a million dollars in 1929
A million dollars was an incredible amount of money to spend on a golf course in the 1920s, but Thompson used this money in just two ways – he brought rock and soil.
The land would not accommodate eighteen holes without removing some of the mountainside, which they did through blasting. There was little topsoil that could be called soil, since this was a glacial valley floor, and Thompson had this soil shipped in train after train from the prairies to create a place where there was nothing before.
In the end, the course seems to have been discovered rather than designed, which was the exact illusion Thompson worked on all of his life. Thompson built about 150 bunkers, each with a shape reminiscent of the mountains behind the course. Once you realize that, you cannot unsee it.
This is worth knowing before you play, because the course can read as scenery with golf attached. It is the reverse. Nearly everything you look at was engineered at enormous expense to appear accidental.
Why you are not playing Thompson’s routing
This is the key difference between knowing what this course is really about and having just another travel brochure.
With the new clubhouse construction in 1989 and the addition of the third nine holes by Cornish and Robinson, Thompson’s original opening hole was destroyed, as well as the hole order was changed. The 14th hole that you will see today, named Wampum, was the final one for him. The original finish hole, the original starting hole, and original tempo are gone.
The current hole order is not necessarily worse but rather something else. The closing stretch of today provides you with more opportunities to make a birdie or eagle, which is suitable for the resort filled with many golfers. Thompson’s version was building up to a tougher and more dramatic finishing stretch. The architectural purists are still debating the change, and the original routing will never be restored officially.
None of this makes your round any less interesting. This just means that when people tell you that you are playing a true 1920s Stanley Thompson course, they are eighty percent correct, and the rest twenty percent is what architects really care about.
The holes you will remember
The 4th, Devil’s Cauldron
Par three played from a raised tee over a small glacial lake into a green located in a bowl-shaped depression at the base of the sheer rock face of Mount Rundle. It has been voted by Golf Magazine as one of the top ten holes in the world, and it is by far the most photographed golf hole in Canada.
The green is a punchbowl, which means that it gathers up solid shots in the center. This is Thompson being both very generous on the shot and very tough on the nerve, since the hole is much easier than it looks – if you go for it. Go left. The sand traps to the right are terrible, and the lake up front will punish any tentativeness.
The 12th, Big Bow
The name comes from the river that flows hard against the right of the green. In a 1949 survey by Canadian golfers, both professional and amateur, this hole was considered to be the best par 4 in Canada. The green becomes a mere ten yards wide at its rear, which is just about an insane target to aim at using a middle iron.
The home standing behind the green is owned by the course superintendent. This was the original clubhouse.
The par 3s, all five of them
The course has five one-shot holes on the 2nd, 4th, 8th, 10th and 13th, which is the reason for its par being 71 instead of 72. All of these five holes make the best par 3s of Canada as well as some of the world.
The 10th has a spine going through its green that deflects the ball either to left or right depending upon which side of the spine your ball lands on. The 13th, Sulphur, has the longest distance among these holes, with no obstacle to the front, giving it an advantage over most of the par 3s today.
The 18th, Windy
Par 5 that warns of danger rather than describes a hole. Plays downwind most days and has been likened strategically to the Road Hole and Hell Bunker on the Old Course at St Andrews. Not a clone, but the same concept – a hole where the safe play is not the same as the best score, and a decision must be made.
What it costs and what is included
| What you are paying for | Roughly what it runs | Worth knowing |
|---|---|---|
| 18 holes, high season | About C$250 to C$300 | June through September, and rates move by date and tee time |
| Twilight round | Often 40 to 50 percent less | After around 3pm, and in June the light holds long enough to finish |
| Alberta resident rate | Discounted | Book seven days ahead and bring proof of residency |
| Power cart | Included | Walking with a pull cart is permitted, and the ground is gentle enough for it |
| Driving range | Included | Range access before your round comes with the green fee |
| Club rental | About C$85 for 18 | Hickory club sets are offered too, at a similar price |
| Caddie | From about C$125 | Limited numbers, so book at least a week ahead |
| Non-golfing passenger | About C$120 | Comes with a blanket, hand warmers, and a hot drink, which tells you about the mornings |
Add five percent GST to all of it. By Rocky Mountain resort standards this is at the upper end but not outrageous, and the cart and range being included closes more of the gap than people expect.
The Tunnel Mountain 9, and a correction
The second nine at Banff Springs is the Tunnel Mountain 9, a 36-par course that plays to a distance of 3,287 yards from the blue tees. Green fees are in the range of about C$75 and this is the best value in the valley for golfing. It really is a very good choice if you have half a day and not an entire day.
There are several sites that attribute the design of the nine to Stanley Thompson. They are wrong, as can easily be proven – he passed away in 1953 and this nine was designed in 1989. The designers of the nine were Geoffrey Cornish and Bill and John Robinson. It is a nice nine but it is not a forgotten Stanley Thompson nine.
Playing at altitude, and sharing the course
Banff is situated about 4,500 feet above sea level, and this results in the ball traveling significantly further due to thin air. You get somewhere in the neighborhood of an extra half to a full club. Your only error is probably going to be the first-time player overshooting the 4th green because they hit their normal yardage off the tee at Devil’s Cauldron. Club down early, and adjust as the day progresses.
The other thing to keep in mind when playing here is wildlife. Elk graze the fairways on a regular basis, deer walk through, and bears visit as well. The policy is very clear, there is no discussion, and they have the right-of-way. The golf course staff will help you along if you need to be moved, and in most cases, this experience will outlast any memory of your score card.
It is cool in the mornings, even in high summer, which is why the cart package includes a blanket. Pack layers that you can peel off as you warm up. This golf course is an Audubon International sanctuary course.
How it compares to other Bow Valley golf
| Course | From Banff | Typical green fee | Why you would play it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Banff Springs | In town | C$250 to C$300 | The history, the par 3s, and the most famous setting in Canadian golf |
| Silvertip, Canmore | About 20 minutes | C$120 to C$200 | Over 600 feet of elevation change and a far more punishing round |
| Stewart Creek, Canmore | About 20 minutes | C$130 to C$200 | Old coal mine workings woven into the layout, and excellent conditioning |
| Kananaskis Country | About 45 minutes | C$100 to C$150 | Two full courses rebuilt after the 2013 floods, and the best value of the lot |
| Tunnel Mountain 9 | In town | From about C$75 | Nine holes in the same valley when you do not have the time or budget |
If you are in the Rockies for a week of golf, play Kananaskis and Stewart Creek alongside Banff rather than instead. If you have one round in you, the answer is the Stanley Thompson 18, and it is not a close call.
When to go
For 2026, the Tunnel Mountain 9, as well as the back nine of the Stanley Thompson 18, open on May 8, while both the 27 holes will be open from May 15. The closure date in this case will depend exclusively on the weather in October.
The warmest, and also the most favorable period for golfing is July and August, which offer the highest prices and the fullest schedule of tees. Late June would be considered the period with the longest days and courses in top condition. The best month for golf is certainly September with the yellow color of larches, reduced attendance, lower prices, and cleanest mountain air. May and late October are worth trying since you have more chances to win and much cheaper prices.
Final take
The Banff golf course ranks among the few rounds that warrant making a journey just for playing it. This is because the scenery alone accomplishes much, and it is accurate to say that this golf course is by no means the toughest test that you may have to play. However, it doesn’t have to be. The par 3 holes are some of the finest on the planet, the bunkering is some of the best shaping done by Thompson, and the Devil’s Cauldron lives up to everything said of it.
Play from the white tees unless your handicap says otherwise; you must club down due to the high altitude, use a caddie when possible, and read the hole descriptions. They hold all of the history and history of this place is better than at most courses.
Frequently asked questions
Can the public play the Banff golf course?
Yes. The Fairmont Banff Springs Golf Course is open to the public and you do not need to be a hotel guest or know a member. Tee times are booked online or by calling the golf shop at 403-762-6801.
How much does it cost to play golf in Banff?
High-season green fees at the Stanley Thompson 18 run roughly C$250 to C$300 including a shared cart and range access, plus five percent GST. The Tunnel Mountain 9 starts near C$75. Twilight rates after about 3pm often cut 40 to 50 percent off.
What is the par and yardage at Banff Springs golf course?
The Stanley Thompson 18 is par 71 at 6,938 yards from the black tees, rated 72.6 with a slope of 131. Forward tees run down to 4,627 yards. The Tunnel Mountain 9 is par 36 at 3,287 yards.
Who designed the Banff golf course?
Stanley Thompson designed the course that opened at the end of the 1920s, replacing an earlier Donald Ross layout and keeping only one of its green sites. The Tunnel Mountain 9 was added in 1989 by Geoffrey Cornish with Bill and John Robinson.
What is the Devil’s Cauldron at Banff?
The 4th hole, a par 3 played downhill across a glacial pond to a punchbowl green beneath the cliffs of Mount Rundle. It is the most photographed golf hole in Canada and has been named among the finest holes in the world. Aim left, since the right-hand bunkers are difficult to escape.
When does the Banff golf course open each year?
Usually in May, closing sometime in October depending on snow. For 2026 the Tunnel Mountain 9 and the back nine of the Stanley Thompson 18 open on May 8, with all 27 holes available from May 15.
Do you need to stay at the Fairmont to play?
No. Staying at the Banff Springs can get you package pricing and makes the logistics easier, but it is not required for access. Alberta residents also have a separate discounted rate that needs booking a week ahead with proof of residency.
Can you walk the Banff golf course?
Yes. A shared power cart comes with a green fee, but walking with a pull cart is permitted and the terrain is mild enough to make it pleasant. The only real climb on the back nine is up to the 15th tee beside the hotel.
Does the altitude affect how far the ball goes in Banff?
Yes, noticeably. At roughly 4,500 feet the ball carries farther, and most players find they need roughly half a club to a full club less than usual. Visitors routinely fly their first few greens before adjusting.
Are there animals on the Banff golf course?
Often. Elk graze the fairways, deer pass through regularly, and bears are seen. Wildlife has the right of way inside the national park, so give them space, do not attempt to play around them, and follow staff instructions.
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