Southern Alberta Golf Courses Hit Hard By Massive Floods - Kananaskis Images

Gord Montgomery

With the loss of life and the devastating after-effects of the flood waters that swept through, and over, southern Alberta in June, golf course closures sit far from the top of the list of priority items that have been lost and/or damaged.

Yet at the same time, those recreational facilities are the livelihood for many and as such, those people and businesses are touched in a disastrous way as well as more and more tracks report they may be closed for a period of time that could extend to months and perhaps, in some cases, years.

The most notable golfing loss in the province was the complete shutting down of the famed Kananaskis Golf Courses, Mt. Kidd and Mt. Lorette. Already soaked by almost constant rains this summer, the latest storm system that got stuck over the gorgeous Rocky Mountain location did far more damage than anyone ever could have predicted, or envisioned.

The following are images from Kananaskis Country Golf Course:

As such, both courses have been shut down for the year and it may take a very long time to get them back into playable condition, given the damage caused by the floodwaters of the Kananaskis River that have swallowed up some holes completely.

The news from all over the bottom end of the province is staggering when one considers the scope of this tragedy. A partial listing of courses that are closed for an unknown period of time in and around Calgary include Glencoe, Redwood Meadows, Cottonwood, Blue Devil, McKenzie Meadows, Wintergreen, the Fairmont Banff Springs, Canmore, Highwood in High River and Paradise Canyon in Lethbridge.

Some courses in Calgary are partially open, given the floodplain only touched parts of their facilities. They include River Spirit (18 of 27 holes still playable); Valley Ridge (back nine only); Country Hills where 18 of 36 holes are open (the Talons Course is closed);

As for courses that are still open for those who want to go out, whack some balls around and forget what has to be the worst week in Calgary’s history, there are still several that are up and running. They include The Hamptons, Silverwing Links, Lynx Ridge, Boulder Creek, the Links of GlenEagles in Cochrane, the Golf Canada Calgary Centre, Priddis Greens, Calgary Elks, Canyon Meadows, Heritage Pointe, Elbow Springs, River’s Edge and Silver Springs. While these were open at last check, please make sure to call ahead to the golf course of your choice to make sure all is in working order.

About the Writer:

Gord Montgomery is the sports editor of two weekly newspapers in the Edmonton area and is a member of the Golf Journalists Association of Canada. He has written for Inside Golf for the past five years with the majority of his coverage in north and central Alberta. He can be reached at noraltagolf@gmail.com  He’s also on Twitter at @iGgolfwriter.