Course: HeatherGlen Golf Course
Location: 234024 Range Road 285, Rocky View, Alberta
Phone: 403-236-4653
Website: www.heatherglengolf.com

I’ve lived in Calgary for almost 15 years now (which by this city’s standards almost makes me a native Calgarian) and have played pretty much every golf course in and around the city; public, semi-private and private alike.  I recall, albeit vaguely playing HeatherGlen quite a few years ago and for whatever reason hadn’t returned to play the course again.  I recently returned to HeatherGlen for a round and found myself pleasantly surprised by my visit.

I have to admit; I was running late for my tee-time and didn’t get to fully experience HeatherGlen’s practice facilities.  My playing partners shared with me that the practice facilities are nice and that they made an effort to arrive early enough for their tee-time to take full advantage.  Despite my tardiness (I literally arrived less than five minutes before the scheduled tee-time), the pro shop staff was very pleasant and incredibly helpful (which is certainly more than I can say for a number other courses around the city, but I digress).

There are 27 holes at HeatherGlen and we played a rotation that included The Hills and The Grove nines.  HeatherGlen’s website suggests “The Hills Nine is the longest of our three nines where the focus is on distance off the tee. Long hitters can clear many of the hazards here for an easy shot into the green.”  I do concur that many of the fairway hazards not a factor for a longer hitter.  I hit a longer ball, but this is typically both a blessing and a curse.  Long balls tend to fly long regardless of the direction, so it’s pretty easy for me to get in trouble.  Having said that, the fairways on The Hills nine are generous and forgiving, so feel free to grip it and rip it with confidence.  Though I have to admit that there aren’t any particularly memorable holes on The Hills, overall it’s a pretty enjoyable nine holes.

Our second nine of the day was played on The Grove, which had a decidedly different feel than The Hills.  The Grove “is made up of holes from the original course at HeatherGlen, but the holes have been arranged in a different order.”  Though I can’t comment on the original course at HeatherGlen, I can say with certainty that this is a pretty nine, more typical of a mature tree-lined course.  Accordingly, The Grove is less forgiving than The Hills, but more picturesque.  The trees can be punitive, but not overly so with the course still being very playable for golfers of all skill levels.  If I had to choose between the two, I may give a slight edge to The Grove nine as I found it to be a little more interesting.  Either way, you really can’t go too wrong with either of these nines.

I unfortunately wasn’t able to play The Creek nine which is apparently a little more difficult that either of The Hills or The Grove nines.  HeatherGlen portrays The Creek nine as “more of a shot-maker’s test with three par-3s and three par-5s. This nine has large greens, so aim to land on the same tier as the pin after you hit your ball or you’re going to struggle for par. The Creek is shorter than the Hills so although distance doesn’t count as much, you can really score here with some well-struck iron shots.”  After reading this description, I’m a little upset that I wasn’t able to experience The Creek nine.

I found out after finishing my round that HeatherGlen was actually a fully private club in the early eighties.  Though I wasn’t able to experience HeatherGlen prior to my round (given my late arrival), I stuck around for a bit and chatted with a couple of golfers who have been playing HeatherGlen for a long, long time.  It seems that HeatherGlen has a bit of a cult following.  The course is no doubt interesting with 27 holes, but was struck me was how approachable everyone was – from fellow golfers and the pro shop staff to the servers and grounds crew.  HeatherGlen is unpretentious and approachable, which is nice for a change and a breath of fresh air when compared to a number of other clubs that I frequent.

Related to the above point, HeatherGlen is the perfect venue for golfers of all skill levels, including less-experienced golfers among us.  The course would be an ideal place for new golfers and families looking to experience great golf in a casual, friendly and welcoming environment.  The course is forgiving, fun and easily walk-able; all hallmarks of a great course for avid and beginner golfers alike.  Testament to this fact, HeatherGlen was voted Calgary’s #1 Public Golf Course in the Consumers Choice awards.

Though I can’t think of much that I didn’t like about the course, I would say that the layout and hole routing is a bit confusing at times.  It is easy to get a bit mixed-up with the various nines intersecting one another.  We admittedly got turned-around on more than one occasion, despite paying pretty close attention to the suggested routing.  I live on the far West side of Calgary, so HeatherGlen is a bit of a hike for me.  Accessing HeatherGlen is no doubt simple (just follow Glenmore Trail West), but on a Saturday afternoon, it took me about 45 minutes to get to the course (though this will be much less of an issue for most Calgarians).  Lastly, I would say that if you are looking for a true golf test, HeatherGlen is not the course for you.  As I’ve outlined above, this is more of a family-friendly course and those low handicappers among us may want to consider visiting Blue Devil or GlenEagles (coincidently owned by the same group).

Overall, I would say that HeatherGlen was undoubtedly an enjoyable round at a great public golf facility – definitely worth checking out!

Course Rating:3/ 5 stars

Click here to visit HeatherGlen Golf Course’s website to book a tee time or for more details about the course.