Autumn can be the best time of the year for golfing in Alberta. The Canadian Rockies scenery sharpens during the fall as the leaves turn colors, the wildlife changes with the season and the days begin to shorten.

Morning temperatures warm back to near-summer highs at mid-day, but the superintendants tending the courses can face challenges that increase during the winter season. Greens keepers in the Rockies, particularly in Alberta, must deal with warm Chinook winter winds from the Pacific that can cause wild temperature swings.

Silvertip in Canmore is in mountain country, less than an hour’s drive west of Calgary. The course features 600 ft (183 metres) of elevation change. The elevation provides elation along with the odd frustration as the course aims to stay open into mid-October.

Check out Alberta spa and golf packages and read on as Silvertip Golf Director Tim Zado gives the lowdown on the upside of golfing toward winter in the Canadian Rockies.

Fewer Players, More Fairway

“In August you can golf to 9:30 p.m. but every day towards fall you lose a few minutes, and at some point you wonder where the summer went,” says Zado.

“It will cut into the growth of the grass of well,” he adds. “It slows it down a bit, particularly late September when we get into frost. We account for that here as the days get shorter and we anticipate frost, as we book our tee times a little later for the day.” The upside is that there are usually fewer players and you can take advantage of some bargains on fees.

The mornings can be cool, so you will likely shed layers through the day and then reapply them. But it’s not daunting.

“People think there’s snow in the mountains at this time of the year but some of our best days are in September,” says Zado. “We have great sunshine and that shows the different colors in the trees, so some of the most beautiful scenery happens in the fall. And you can get a touch of white with a dusting of the snow on the mountains.”

Wildlife Makes the Scene

The wildlife does get a bit more active, seeking food before winter, and the elk and deer are trying to find their mates as it is rutting season, explains Zado. It’s part of golfing in the Rockies.

“You do see elk and deer on the course sometimes, but they aren’t a hazard,” he says. “They might be on the fairway in the morning but then they head into the trees.”

There are birds migrating overhead and golden eagles come through the Canmore area in the fall. “So the scenery is really spectacular, with the golf course in as good condition as any time of the year,” says Zado. “It really makes the greens stand out that much more on the fairways.”

Tending the Course in Winter

“Through the wintertime, because we are in Chinook country, we can get three feet of snow and go from minus twenty to plus twenty in the same day,” he adds.
And that temperature fluctuation puts the pressure on superintendents trying to keep the course healthy throughout the winter.

A lot of golf courses put top dressing on the greens for winter, which is a mixture of sand and a bit of grass seed that helps maintain the health of the turf. “Then they will pop the tops off and see how they made it through winter,” says Zado.

“But here it is more challenging with the Chinook winds as the grounds can actually dry out, so sometimes we have to put water down,” he explains. “There is a lot going on in the winter going on in the Rockies that golfers don’t realize.”

Potential Pitfalls

There is the potential of different turf diseases, so each fall the superintendent will put down treatments and he will monitor them. If one or two greens are in especially shaded areas, they need special attention.

Ice can get into the turf during winter and it may show in the spring as patches throughout the green called snow mold, says Zado. But Silvertip has learned to weather and prevent all hazards.

The Silvertip season traditionally starts the second week in May, depending on the weather. And remember, this is the mountains, so anything’s possible.

“This year out on our opening day we had three feet of snow dumped the day before,” says Zado. “But don’t be scared of golfing in autumn, because you can actually get some of the year’s best weather.”

By the last week in September, Silvertip offers a shoulder season rate. And regarding the days shortening as winter approaches, from a golfer’s standpoint, there is more opportunity to golf at twilight which starts earlier in the afternoon -- so there are opportunities for sweet deals.

Other Alberta Golf Courses

Discover Alberta golf courses that you can play during autumn, including others in the Canadian Rockies.