Overview
Canmore is the town golfers actually stay in when they come for Banff Springs — cheaper beds, better bars, and two legitimate mountain courses of its own a few minutes from Main Street. This is golf with 600 feet of elevation change and the Three Sisters peaks watching every shot, followed by a brewery scene that punches way above what a town this size should have.
Courses worth playing
- Silvertip $200 CAD Les Furber design with over 600 feet of elevation change across the round — the resort itself calls it "the roof of the world." Panoramic Bow Valley views from nearly every tee.
- Stewart Creek $110 CAD Built on a reclaimed coal mine by Gary Browning, more forested and traditionally routed than Silvertip — the natural second round to pair with it.
- Fairmont Banff Springs $269+ CAD Stanley Thompson's legendary design and a genuine bucket-list round for Canadian golf — worth the short drive up the valley.
Where to eat
- Tank310 Canmore Sits on the third floor above Grizzly Paw Brewery with panoramic views of Ha Ling and Mount Rundle — handcrafted sandwiches and pizzas built to pair with the beer downstairs.
- Chez Francois Canmore Canmore's longest continuously running restaurant — 30-plus years in, still the classic dinner-out choice in town.
- Cabeza Grande Canmore Modern Mexican, bold flavors, a lively room to celebrate a good round in.
Where to drink
- Grizzly Paw Brewing Co. Canmore The original Canmore craft brewery, going back to 1996 — rustic lodge feel, mountain-facing patio, the town's flagship pour. 19th hole pickThe Beavertail Raspberry Ale — their most talked-about pour, named for the local pastry.
- Stoney's Grill Silvertip Golf Resort The clubhouse itself — high timber ceilings, a fireplace, and a patio with sweeping mountain views right off the 18th. 19th hole pickA cold pint on the patio while the sun drops behind the Three Sisters.
- The Drake Canmore A legendary Canmore institution — the kind of bar every visitor gets pointed toward by a local within the first hour. 19th hole pickWhatever's on from their Screaming Retriever Brew Co. partnership.
Getting there
Calgary International (YYC) is about 1 hour 15 minutes east. Play June through September — this is mountain weather, and courses can still have snow on the fringes into late spring.