JASPER, Alberta, Canada - Considered one of master architect Stanley Thompson's finest works, the Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge Golf Course has one of the best natural settings and hole-by-hole designs anywhere in the world.
Though the course isn't long, Thompson challenges with strategic bunkering, challenging greens and plenty of doglegs that hug tree lines and water hazards created by centuries of glacial movements. The course, at the Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge resort on an 80-year-old Unesco World Heritage Site, is also home to an abundance of wildlife, from elk and caribou to bears, wolves and dozens of species of birds.
Thompson, who also designed nearby Banff Springs, gave top priority to the natural contours of the mountains, and as a result, the par-71 course features great views of the surrounding mountain peaks from every hole.
Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge Golf Course - hole 14
The par-4 14th hole at Jasper Park Lodge Golf Course plays over and around a glacial-formed lake.
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Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge G.C. - hole 1
Architect Stanley Thompson laid out Jasper Park Lodge Golf Course in such a way that the views back from the greens are always stunning.
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Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge G.C. - hole 11
The par-4 11th at Jasper Park Lodge Golf Course is simple and stunning.
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Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge Golf Course - hole 13
The 603-yard, par-5 13th at Jasper Park Lodge Golf Course plays shorter than its yardage because it's downhill, which makes it reasonable to reach in two shots.
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Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge G.C. - hole 17
Some unusual bunkering protects the par-4 17th green at Jasper Park Lodge Golf Course.
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Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge Golf Course - hole 18
The 463-yard, par-4 18th at Jasper Park Lodge Golf Course is a dogleg left that finishes in front of the clubhouse.
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Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge Golf Course - hole 2
The par-5 second hole at Jasper Park Lodge Golf Course is a real opportunity for birdie.
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Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge G.C. - hole 4
The long par-3 fourth at Jasper Park Lodge Golf Course plays shorter than its yardage because of an elevated tee.
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Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge Golf Course - hole 5
The short par-5 fifth at Jasper Park Lodge Golf Course is another opportunity for birdie or eagle.
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Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge Golf Course - hole 9
The par-3 ninth, with Pyramid Mountain in the background, is considered Jasper Park's signature hole.
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Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge G.C. - hole 1 tee
A totem pole on the first tee at Jasper Park Lodge Golf Course.
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Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge Golf Course - wildlife
A mature elk roams freely near the the 10th tee at Jasper Park Lodge Golf Course.
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The Accidental Golfer:
Jason Scott Deegan:
Brandon Tucker:
The Vagabond Golfer: