Kananaskis Golf (Mt. Kidd): Our Favorite Repeat Round in the Rockies
Why We Keep Coming Back
Some golf courses are worth playing once. Others become part of your travel plans before you even leave home. Mt. Kidd at Kananaskis Country is one of those places for us.
This was a repeat golf stop on our Great Northern Expedition, and one we marked on our itinerary right from the beginning. Kananaskis is the kind of place that makes you feel lucky just to be there, and Mt. Kidd is one of those courses we'd happily play again anytime we're anywhere close.
Kananaskis Country Golf Course features two outstanding 18-hole courses—Mt. Kidd and Mt. Lorette. While both are highly regarded, Mt. Kidd has always been our favorite. What stands out most isn't just the layout. It's the philosophy. The course feels built around welcoming people not only to play golf, but to embrace the beauty of the mountains.
A Course That Belongs Here
Every time we've been here, the staff's respect for nature is obvious. It comes through in the way they talk about the course, how they care for the land, and how they treat wildlife as a normal part of life in the Rockies.
This isn't a course that feels dropped into the mountains.
It feels like it belongs here.
Most golf courses leave you remembering a few signature holes. Mt. Kidd was different. Looking back, I honestly couldn't tell you where one memorable hole ended and another began—and I mean that as the highest compliment.
The mountains, the forests, the river, and the course itself all blended together into one continuous experience. Instead of thinking, "That was a great par 3," we found ourselves simply enjoying being immersed in the landscape. It never felt like the golf course was competing with the scenery. It felt like it was part of it.
Course Highlights
For those interested in the golf itself, Mt. Kidd is a par-72 championship course with multiple tee boxes ranging from approximately 3,500 to over 7,100 yards, making it enjoyable for golfers of virtually every skill level.
Wildlife on the Course (Yes, Bears)
Wildlife on the course—and throughout the area—is simply part of life here. So yes, you may see bears while you're golfing.
The staff keeps a close eye on wildlife and will encourage bears to move along if necessary, but when we played, the black bears we encountered seemed completely content grazing on the grass. One was lying down and munching away like a horse!
It's a wonderful reminder that you're golfing in the mountains, not on a manicured neighborhood course. Out here, you're sharing the landscape with the wildlife that calls it home.
Twilight Rates & Booking Tips
The course is very popular, but one of the best values is the twilight rate beginning at 5:00 p.m. During the long summer days, daylight stretches until nearly 10:45 p.m., leaving plenty of time to comfortably finish 18 holes.
We paid just $95 CAD (about $67 USD) for twilight golf, which felt like an incredible value for one of the most scenic mountain golf experiences we've ever had.
The only challenge is securing a tee time. Reservations open months in advance and the popular times disappear quickly. Fortunately, the course has a flexible cancellation policy, which is especially helpful since mountain weather can change in a hurry.
Our Round (After Two Rainouts)
We actually booked three different tee times during our stay.
The first two were washed out by rain.
The third time, everything finally came together—and it reminded us exactly why we keep coming back.
It was a cart-path-only day, which turned out to be just fine. Walking between shots gave us even more time to appreciate the mountains, towering evergreens, and the river winding naturally through the property. Mt. Kidd doesn't feel like a golf course carved out of the wilderness.
It feels like golf simply found its place there.
A Reminder That Nature Is in Charge
We played in early June, but only a few weeks later the area experienced significant flooding. Heavy rains combined with snowmelt quickly overwhelmed the rivers.
Highway 40—the same road we had traveled and camped along—was closed, a local State of Emergency was declared, and campers staying at Mt. Kidd Campground were stranded for several days until access could be restored.
Around the same time, the Many Glacier area of Glacier National Park, where we had recently visited, also experienced severe flooding and evacuations.
It's a humbling reminder that no matter how carefully we plan our travels, nature always has the final say.
Maybe that's exactly why we keep coming back.
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