D'Arcy Ranch Golf Club - Course Review

I had the pleasure of escaping the office last week and taking a trip out to D'Arcy Ranch Golf Club in Okotoks.  This was my second visit out to D'Arcy Ranch, and we couldn't have picked a better day.  It was about 22 degrees with blue skies and a light wind, perfect golfing weather!

We arrived early enough to hit a few balls on the range before teeing off, which is something I always like to do.  We tee'd off in the late morning, and the course was in fantastic condition.  The course plays at 6424 yards from the blues tees, and offers a great variety of par 3's, 4's and par 5's.  I'm a huge fan of the course design, which is challenging yet enjoyable for any skill level of golfer.  The course offers a variety of challenges, including sand traps, picturesque water hazards and fairways and greens that often require tactical ball placements.  Overall, this is one of my favorite courses in southern Alberta and if you have yet to play D'Arcy Ranch, I'd consider it a must play.

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Shawnee Slopes

This week I wanted to try a course that I'd never played before, and after doing some research online, I found a course called Shawnee Slopes in Calgary's south west. It's reasonably priced at about $50 for 18 holes, although the golf cart rental price seemed a little skewed at $35 (especially when you're not providing GPS). Seems to me it would make much more sense to have a $60-65 green fee and $20-25 cart rental. We decided to make the rare choice to leave the golf cart behind and get the exercise from walk the course.

The course was in great shape, and you can't help but be impressed with the majestic trees that line most of the fairways. Riddled with some green side bunkers and some thick rough, the course offers many challenges. We were greeted by a really friendly beverage cart girl on the third hole, which was a pleasant site on this stifling summer afternoon; unfortunately this was the only time we saw her, leaving us running on fumes by the 18th hole. I was a little frustrated with the inconsistencies difference between the scorecard yardage and the yardage posted on the tee boxes, often out by 20 yards.

In the end, I found myself disappointed with a course that I thought I was really going to enjoy. It's unfortunate to see a course with so much potential fall short on the finer details. With some new promotional/marketing strategies (including an updated/modern website), a couple operational adjustments, additional on course signage, this could be a much more golfer friendly experience.

A Day at Elbow Springs

Elbow Springs Golf Club, located on the outskirts of Calgary, is a truly  fantastic place.  This course has it all... amazing warm up facilities complete with 40 stall driving range, 10,000 square foot practice putting green and a full sized chipping area.  The warm up area is just the tip of the ice burgh, with 3 separate 9 hole courses,  players can mix and match to create multiple unique 18 hole rounds.

Each of the nine hole courses offer unique course design, with a variety challenges including crystal clear water hazards, white sand bunkers and varying terrain.  The golf carts are equipped with GPS navigation to help you negotiate the challenges that the course throws at you; which I personally relied on often.   Located in the Elbow River Valley, the picturesque surrounding is the perfect backdrop to complement your round. 

After your round, be sure to visit the club house, browse the pro shop and have a bite to eat in the restaurant or a few drinks on the patio.  From start to finish, this course has it all and definitely had my golf needs fulfilled.  For more details about the course, check out the course brochure by clicking the following link:
Elbow Springs Brochure

Kananaskis Golf Course Review

Kananaskis has long been one of my favourite golf courses, not only in Alberta but anywhere in North America. Unfortunately mother nature has not been co-operating the past few days and the forecast shows nothing but cloud and rain for the next couple days. Nonetheless, eager to play, we packed our rain gear and set out on the short one hour drive to the picturesque alpine course. Offering two full 18 hole courses, Mr Lorette and Mt. Kidd, which are named after two of the scenic surrounding peaks, today we'll be tested by Mt. Kidd.

Nothing short of top notch, we are greeted at the entrance by a couple of course ambassadors offering complementary valley parking. We gather our bags and take some time to warm up on the practice facilities. The large greens are tricky so we putt around on the practice green for a while and then hit some complimentary balls on the driving range. As ready as we're going to get, we make our way to the first tee box marking the start of a hole riddled with sand traps. It doesn't take long to figure out why they call this an alpine course with constant elevation changes, I wouldn't want to walk this course. Offering a combination of water hazards and sand traps combined with the elevation changes, this is one of the most difficult courses I've played.

We plug along through our round barely seeing another golfer the entire time. I guess the thought of rain scared everyone away, which gives us a chuckle as we didn't get a single drop the entire round. We make our way to the signature hole number four, a 182 yard par three that drops significantly down to an island green. Overestimating the elevation change, my seven iron leaves me short of the green, but miraculously out of the water. We continue our round, astonished by the sheer beauty of the rocky mountains.

As I mentioned, Kananaskis is one of my favourite courses to play and I would say it offers the best bang for your buck out of any Albertan golf course. I give Kananaskis a 9.5 out of 10 and look forward to golfing there many more times. If you've never played this course, it's definitely one to put on your to do list.

Collicutt Sidding

I can't think of a better way to spend a Thursday afternoon than out on the links, and fortunately June 18^th, that's exactly what I was able to do. We decided to take the one hour drive from Calgary out to Crossfields to play Collicutt Siding Golf Course. Nestled amongst numerous farmers fields, industrial plants and surrounded by train tracks, Collicutt offers a unique golf setting.

We roll into the golf course with little time to spare, which always gets me a little uptight. Thanks to the friendly staff, and a very laid back atmosphere on this sunny mid-week day, I'm able to breath a sigh of relief before heading over to the first tee box.

As we make our way over to the first tee box, I take a moment to enjoy the fact that there are no groups visibly in front or behind us. We tee off as a twosome, and I happily card a par on the first hole, which helps me settle into the round. The course offers some long and narrow fairways with few to no opportunities to drive any of the par 4 greens.

The course is very picturesque, and is in great shape as we continue to play through our front nine. The power plants in the background and the ocassional honk from the train conductor, gives the course somewhat of a unique feel. As we roll up to the 8^th tee box, for the first time we wait for the group in front of us, we notice a twosome also catch up behind us. We greet the twosome and ask to join us. After a little chit chat and introductions, I drive my ball over the water hazard safely onto the fairway. My playing partner Jesse, also manages to find the fairway with one of his best drives of the day. Our newly joined twosome step up to the tee box touting how great their round has been. Perhaps a little nervous, they both club their balls into the water hazard coming up short of the fairway. I appologize for bringing them some unintended bad luck and toss them each a ball, only to feel a sense of deja-vu as they proceed to find the same water hazzard one more time. They decide to take a drop, and we head on our way.

We finish the ninth hole and our twosome decides they were having better luck on their own, and we say our goodbyes. After grabbing a hot dog and beverage from the club house, we make our way to the tenth tee. Greeted by another twosome, we're a little nervous of spreading more bad luck, but nonetheless decide to pair up with the father/son duo.

The back nine compliments the front nicely offering several challenging holes. We finish our round in a comfortable four and a half hours. With only a cafeteria sized clubhouse, we pack up and head to Crossfields for an apres golf wrap up.

The bottom line... With a weekday rate of $50 including cart rental, Collicutt Sidding offers a relaxing ambiance away from the hustle and buslte of Calgary. When all is said and done, I give Collicutt Sidding 3.5 out of 5.

Lakeside Greens

Saturday June 13th, it's approaching 25 degrees with clear sky's as we pull into Lakeside Greens Golf Club in Chestermere. I've decided to meet up with my playing partners an hour prior to our tee time, to get acquainted with the course and to enjoy my warm up routine, complete with a little pre-game trash talking.

As the three of us loosen up and indulge in the complimentary bucket of warm up balls on the range, we can't help feeling a little unsettled as our fourth informs us he's still twenty minutes from the course. Moments later we hear our ten minute warning call announced over the intercom.

We stall as long as possible, but eventually have no choice but to tee off one man short. A little nervous as the marshal glares at our crippled foursome, I nonetheless manage to punch one straight down the fairway. We finish the first hole only to find things are backed up to start the second. Snaping a few photos and bragging about the par I just made, we notice our fourth heading towards us, shuttled out by one of the kind Lakeside staff.

Feeling a little more complete as a foursome, we tee off on the short par 3 second hole with a challenging green surrounded by water. We continue to plug along, and after 9 holes I really don't have any complaints, the course so far has been nothing short of picturesque. Regardless of what the scorecard says, you can't help but be entertained on this well designed course. Thankfully my scorecard reads 40, which has me narrowly ahead by 2 strokes over my playing partner Dave.


We waist little time before eagerly making our way to the 10th tee box and continue with what has already shaped up to be a memorable round. The back nine is on par with the front, offering a combination of challenging holes and photo opportunities. I'd like to say my scorecard was also on par; unfortunately, somewhere between the front and back nine, I misplaced my focus loosing my 2 stroke advantage from the front nine dropping 6 strokes back of my consistent playing partner

The bottom line... At $69 including green fees, cart rental and warm up balls, Lakeside Greens is definitely one to put on your to do list. Great layout, good conditions and friendly staff helped contribute to a fabulous day on the course. I give Lakeside Greens 4 out of 5 stars!