Golfers love new stuff.
New clubs. New balls. New places to play, or new additions at the course you call home.
So what’s new this season on Alberta’s golf scene? We’re glad you asked!
New nine: Lac La Biche Golf Club
In early August, Lac La Biche Golf Club will debut a completely overhauled front nine, and regulars can hardly wait to test out the new tee-boxes and see flags in the new greens. The Alberta-based design duo of Bryan Ohnysty and Paul Crough put an emphasis on playability with their renovation work, adding width and introducing new angles. At the same time, they also enhanced the sightlines to really show off the natural setting. The new eye candy is especially noticeable as you size up your approach shot on the Par-4 fourth hole. Remember that old advice about keeping your head down when you swing? With the lake providing a beautiful backdrop, we wish you luck!
New 12: Sandy Point Resort Golf Club
If you love to check out new courses, you should be planning a road-trip this summer to Sandy Point Resort Golf Club, which is located on the west side of Gull Lake just outside Bentley. This new-kid-on-the block opened in June for its inaugural season. What sets Sandy Point apart? For starters, it is a 12-hole layout, only the second of its kind in Alberta, and plays to a par of 47. Six-hole rounds are also an option. You will enjoy the views of the lake, but try to keep your ball from going for a swim of its own in one of several on-course water hazards. Hole 12 is a 175-yard knee-knocker across a pond, an opportunity for a walk-off birdie.
New clubhouse: The Winston Golf Club
It should be a challenge to steer a great round across the finish line, and a dynamite closing stretch is part of what makes The Winston Golf Club one of Calgary’s best tests. It shouldn’t, however, be tricky to navigate around the clubhouse, which is why a replacement was long overdue at this semi-private facility. The soon-to-be-opened new clubhouse at The Winston is a 21,000-square-foot stunner. The first floor of this two-storey walkout is all about golf, including a spacious pro shop, bright locker-rooms and year-round simulator bays. The upper level features dining, lounge and hospitality space. The view from the patio will be awesome, a perfect perch for recapping the stellar shots that sealed a low round.
There is also a new clubhouse sprouting at Speargrass Golf Course in Carseland. It’s now fully framed and likely to be finished in the fall.
New name: The Coyote Golf Club
If you were tracking the leaderboards during the 2026 Alberta U19 Championships, you might have found yourself thinking, ‘Is this a new course? I don’t recognize the name.’ The Coyote is actually a familiar venue, just with fresh branding. This 18-hole setup in Sundre was formerly known as Coyote Creek Golf & RV Resort. The logo is awesome, so you might be tempted to buy a hat, shirt or ball marker. Outside the pro shop, you will discover why this is such a popular stop for both tournament competitors and green-fee guests — a peaceful setting in the pines, delicate approach shots that will get your pulse racing, and an expansive practice facility.
New and improved: River Bend Golf & Recreation Area
There is nothing better than carding a birdie on one of the toughest holes on a golf course. And since you always pay a little extra attention when lining up those putts, you may find yourself admiring one of the new greens at River Bend Golf & Recreation Area in Red Deer, where they replaced four of the dance-floors while installing a new irrigation system. It’s now back to business as usual at one of Central Alberta’s most popular tracks after they operated as a modified nine-holer in 2025. One of the rebuilt putting surfaces is a beauty at No. 2, rated on the scorecard as the hardest assignment at River Bend. Can you be among the first to sink a birdie putt on this new green?
New, but inspired by old: Edmonton Country Club
The members at Edmonton Country Club are still learning the nuances of what sometimes feels like a totally new course. After gradual reopenings in 2024 and 2025, this marks the first full season since a major renovation project that included all 18 greens and 63 bunkers. Those sand-traps are a bit of a throwback, because consulting architect Ian Andrew set out to mirror the style of the legendary Stanley Thompson, who left his mark at Edmonton Country Club in the 1940s. Thompson, we’re sure, would appreciate the flash facing and intricate shaping of these remodelled bunkers. Unless he was too busy admiring the enhanced views of the downtown skyline and river valley.
New century: Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge
Last summer had double significance for Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge — this historic course celebrated its 100th birthday while also marking its grand reopening after a devastating wildfire in 2024. If you have a tee-time at this mountain masterpiece during Year 101, you will see how busy they’ve been. Recovery efforts since the fire have included the removal of more than 10,000 burned and damaged trees, the planting of hundreds of mature trees, the restoration of several green-sites to Thompson’s original design, the installation of a new irrigation system, the replacement of wildlife fencing and on-course furnishings, and the reintroduction of the short-game practice area. And that’s not even the full list.
While we’re talking triple digits, congratulations are also in order to Canmore Golf & Curling Club. Staff and members at this popular mountain hangout celebrated their centennial in the spring.
This is a small sample of new features in Alberta, so get out there and check out everything courses have to offer.