Banff Springs Hole #1

Banff Springs Hole #1 "Peachee" 414-yard Par4 Handicap 9

(Turns out I found a site with this kind of pic for every one of the courses we're playing in Canada.....must be new.)

This hole requires a straight tee shot. Right or left will make it difficult to get to the green in two shots. Longer hitters may chose a fairway wood off the tee to avoid the large bunker. Approach shot is uphill, use an extra club. This green is relatively flat with a slight back to front slope. Do not over-read the putts, they should break only slightly.

http://sports.webshots.com/photo/2344191560036427037lblwQY (pic of Hole #1)


Banff Springs GC:
Golfers receive a welcome speech on the first tee that includes a warning about the large and potentially ferocious animals they are likely to encounter. Grizzly bears, bighorn sheep, mountain goats, wolves, coyotes and eagles are all frequent visitors to the course. But it's the dozens of elk seen every day of the golf season that cause the most disruption. Each dawn reveals at least one green that has suffered extensive damage from the hooves of elk during the night. Groundskeepers shudder when they recall the summer evening several years ago when two rutting bulls locked horns on the ninth green in full view of the clubhouse dining room. So ferocious was the battle that diners rushed to the window for a better view. Afterward, groundskeepers spent hours repairing a putting surface splattered with bits of antler, blood and hair.

Banff:
Seeing as how I've yet to touch on the subject that got us thinking CRO from the get-go, the next 18 blogs will be devoted to everything Banff (the town, the sights, dining, hikes near town...).


The Canadian Rockies are a lot like Charlize Theron: pretty in pictures but mind-blowing in person. An hour's drive west of Calgary, Banff is easier to reach than you think and provides as dramatic a backdrop for golf as exists on the planet. Not to be overlooked is the fact that the weak U.S. dollar goes further north of the border, ensuring that a golf trip to Banff will be as affordable as it is memorable. Now, that's a real Rocky Mountain high.

(I went forward in time and took this picture of us in our Dodge Caravan)