Hello to all of the forgettable golfers out there! So glad you're here and thanks for reading. I hope you find this monthly blog useful, funny, and occasionally both. When you aren't planning a new trip or checking out some courses in a new destination, you can trust this monthly blog to do a few things:
- Featured Destinations — deep dives into a certain destination, perhaps a trip recap by a Past the Pin user, any tips or specific things to know about said destination.
- What's New on the Site — recently added destinations or features, changes to the site, etc.
- Golf Trip Planning Tips
- General Golf Yapping from time to time, if necessary.
Featured Destination: Banff, Alberta, Canada
Why Banff?
I haven't made it to Banff yet. But it's right at the top of my own list, and the more I dig into it, the more I'm convinced it might be the most beautiful golf trip on the planet. Couple that with the recent YouTube video from Bryson showing off Banff Springs, and it got me very excited. August is also a peak time to visit, but September is also great for some crisp mountain golf.
The season's short. Mid June into September is the window. Then it all shuts down once the snow flies in October. It is also a beautiful destination not just for golf trips, but couples trips, family trips, etc, with tons of things to do aside from golf, such as hiking, zip lining, white water rafting, you name it.
The two headliners are Stanley Thompson designs that basically trade the top spot on every "best in Canada" list. Banff Springs (1928) runs along the Bow River under that giant castle of a hotel, and it's home to one of the most photographed holes in all of golf — the par-3 "Devil's Cauldron," played over a glacial lake with Mount Rundle staring you down. Fun fact, back in the 40's, Banff Springs was actually ranked higher than Augusta National on golf course rankings! Oh, and there's a real chance you'll be sharing the fairway with an elk or bear. A few hours north, Jasper Park Lodge is Thompson's other Rockies stunner, and it gets called the best public course in the country on the regular.
However, those two are certainly premium rates. There are plenty of budget options to round out the trip in an affordable way. Kananaskis is 36 holes of Robert Trent Jones Sr., fully public, for a fraction of the resort prices. Silvertip and Stewart Creek are fifteen minutes from Banff in Canmore and usually easier to get on.
And look — half the reason to go is everything around the golf: Lake Louise, the gondola, the hot springs, wildlife everywhere, and a mountain town that's a genuine scene. For those of us paying in US dollars, the exchange rate takes some of the sting out, too.
Bottom line: this is a bucket-lister, and the clock's ticking on the season. I know where I want to go next. If you can't make it this year, plan a trip for next July or August now!
Who It's For / Who It's Not
Perfect For:
- Bucket-list golf trips
- Couples and groups who want scenery and golf, not just golf
- Anyone who can get to Calgary
Consider an Alternative if:
- You want a winter or shoulder-season trip (the season's very short, basically Mid June–Late September to be sure it won't be too cold)
- You need everything walkable in one spot (this is a rent-a-car, spread-out trip; Jasper especially is a haul)
- Budget's your #1 priority — you can do Banff on the cheap, but the marquee rounds and in-park lodging aren't
Cost Ballpark ($ in USD, assuming peak season rates)
5-night stay with 6 rounds, dinners, drinks, rental cars. Flights not included in these prices.
- ~$3,000 a person: Base yourself in Canmore, lean on the value plays (Kananaskis, Stewart Creek, Silvertip), splurge on one Banff Springs round, and split the rooms. The exchange rate does you a favor.
- ~$5,000+ a person: Stay in the park at the Fairmont, play Banff Springs and make the run up to Jasper, playing at premium times, spending big on dinners, etc.
Must-Play Courses
- Banff Springs. Stanley Thompson, 1928. The one you've seen on every postcard. #9 course in Canada (Golf Digest), but one of the most beautiful in the entire world.
- Jasper Park Lodge. Thompson's other masterpiece, and about as good as public golf in Canada gets. Worth the drive north. #3 course in Canada.
- Kananaskis: Mt. Kidd and Mt. Lorette. 36 holes of RTJ Sr., fully public, and the best value in the Rockies. Play both.
- Silvertip and Stewart Creek. Big, dramatic mountain golf right in Canmore, twenty minutes from Banff.
- Greywolf. The day-trip splurge for that canyon-carry 6th. One of Canada's top public tracks.
Off the Course Gems
- The Boss. A fun bar and restaurant in Banff named after the Boss, the area's famous dominant grizzly. The move for a post-round beer and a bite.
- Banff Avenue. The whole town scene, with patios, restaurants, and shops right outside your hotel.
- The scenery itself. Lake Louise, Moraine Lake, the gondola, the hot springs. Honestly, half the trip.
Insider Tip(s)
- Fly into Calgary (YYC). Banff and Canmore are about 90 minutes west; Kananaskis is an hour. Jasper's a long haul (~4 hours) — treat it as its own add-on, not a day trip. It is a must play and completely worth it.
- Base in Canmore, not Banff town, if you're watching the budget. It's twenty minutes out, noticeably cheaper, and closer to Kananaskis and Stewart Creek.
- Book Banff Springs first. It's the round everyone wants, and peak-season tee times go fast. 2027 tee times are already available for booking.
- Play Banff Springs and Jasper Park Lodge on the front end of the trip when everyone is fresh to ensure peak enjoyment!
- Aim for June or September if you can swing it. The second half of June or early/mid September for cheaper rates and less crowded courses.
Read the full Banff & the Canadian Rockies guide here — including a cinematic flyover of the Banff Springs course.
What's New on the Site — August 2026
- Two new destinations, and we're at 61 now. We just added the Pocono Mountains, a drive-to fall weekend barely two hours from NYC and Philly, and Nebraska, the all-public Sandhills trip headlined by top-20 public course Landmand. Told you we'd keep adding.
- New: Tee-Time Concierge. You plan the trip, we make the calls. We're now offering to book your tee times and dining reservations so you're not stuck on hold with six pro shops. Plan it, send it over, and we handle the booking. Golf and reservations only, no flights or lodging (yet).
- New guide: The Best Fall Foliage Golf Trips. Ten trips worth chasing the color for, from Northern Michigan and the Laurentians to the Rockies' golden aspens, each with a peak window so you can time it right.
Golf Trip Planning Tip #3: Don't over-golf a bucket-list destination
When you travel somewhere as ridiculous as Banff, it's tempting to cram in 36 every day and grind the whole trip out. Don't do it.
The best trips leave a little room to breathe. A morning round, then an afternoon at the lake, up the gondola, or just wandering the town. You came all this way for the place, not only the golf. Book one fewer round than you think you want and you'll come home with better stories, and a crew that isn't cooked by day three.
If your group are die-hards who want dawn-to-dark golf, fair enough. But at a spot like this, at least build in one half-day to actually see where you are.
How You Can Help — Past the Pin Is a Community Site!
- Review courses and destinations. Share your honest thoughts on what you've played to help other golfers plan better trips.
- Add off-the-course gems. Been to one of our destinations? Drop us your favorite bars, restaurants, live-music spots, or hidden gems.
- Submit a destination. Know one we missed? Send it over. Just give us the destination and maybe a course or two, and we'll handle the rest.