Troon Golf & Travel

CalgaRy, albERta, sits on the west- ern edge of the vast Canadian prairie. Arriving by air, one sees clearly just west of this cowboy-influenced town a long backbone of tall mountains that runs to the north as far as the eye can see, a continuation of the great Rocky Mountain range that stretches 3,000 miles from southern New Mexico all the way up to the northernmost parts of British Columbia.

Formed more than 76 million years ago by a geologic event wonderfully referred to as a "magnatically null subduction" of tectonic plates under the continent (meaning no volcanic eruption, but lots of upwardly thrust land), over the eons glaciers and water runoff have created what we see today as soaring mountain peaks cut through by deep river valleys and alpine meadows. Snow rests on the highest summits year-round, and from a window seat in an airplane the whole area looks pristine, as though, as they say in the prologue to Star Trek, "no one has gone before."

But in fact the Canadian Rockies have seen trekkers before, as well as golfers and fisher-men...and many others too. The region encom-passes five very popular national parks—the largest of which are Jasper National Park ( 4,200 square miles) and Banff National Park ( 2,564 square miles)—some darling resort towns, scenic fly-fishing and rafting rivers, countless lofty mountain peaks, glacier fields, an abundance of elk, bear and wildlife of many sorts and several historic and renowned re-sorts...and a number of must-play golf courses.

It all adds up to a great vacation adventure that will give every member of the family vivid memories. A week is hardly enough time to

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when golfers discuss their favorite golf resorts in Canada, it's often a toss-up between Jasper and Banff...

photo credit: bill marsh

take in all there is to see and do, but you can sure try. If you time it properly, you can spend a couple of days at the Calgary Stampede (July 8-17, 2011) a summer tradition where "ordinary people become cowboys and cowboys become heroes." Imagine a rodeo, chuck wagon races, concerts (where acts including Alan Jackson, Kenny Chesney, Taylor Swift, George Strait, Reba and Gretchen Wilson, Bon Jovi and Kid Rock have appeared), ice show and food court all rolled into 10 days of ruckus partying and that's the Calgary Stampede.

But that's just the tip of the region's ice- berg of fun. You haven't even pulled out your driver yet, although a short drive into the mountains will give you that opportunity. One of the most convenient ways to experience the best courses and book the best deals is through the organization called Canadian Rockies Golf. A consortium of six golf and resort properties that have banded together to offer visitors peace of mind and convenience of travel, Canadian Rockies Golf can take care of everything from tee times to hotel rooms to dining reserva-