35 of 70: Pine Hills Golf Club, Rocky Mountain House, AB

Number ten, in my opinion, the signature hole.

While our friends and family were on their third and final day of canoeing on the North Saskatchewan river, Miguel and I, having completed our shuttle duties for the day, decided to drive to Rocky Mountain House for a leisurely round of golf. The weather was perfect, the course in great shape and our mood upbeat. To keep the ball rolling, so to speak, we decided on a best ball format and found enjoyment in such collaborative play. This was a rare occasion for the two of us to socialize one on one and we took advantage of it. At the end of the day, the memories of the round mattered a lot more than any individual score we might have had.

The Pine Hills Golf Club, is, as it claims, a true retreat amongst tamarack pine trees. On every hole, one is invited to relax and enjoy the natural environment and scenery of the Rocky Mountains foothills. That being said, one still has to concentrate on the execution of each and every shot for the fairways are at times severely undulated. The number one fairway demands a perfectly centered drive to the top of a crest dropping severely on each side making the approach shot quite difficult. One's skills are challenged right from the start as the first two holes are quite demanding. The following two holes are a lot easier offering perfect balance to a fine layout. And the pattern seems to repeat for the full eighteen holes yet, each hole is unique in its design and playability.

I would love to play Pine Hills over and over again as there is so much to discover in each and every hole. Do I have any favorites from playing them only once? Of course I do. I loved both the view and the challenge of the number 10 hole, the most difficult on the back. On the front, I particularly enjoyed the long downhill par 5 sixth hole and the attractive uphill number nine. On the back I certainly enjoyed both par 3's. Number 12 plays really short but is well protected by a hidden pond at the back. Number 16 plays long and demands an accurate tee shot. Number 18, pictured here, is radically different from all others. It demands a 200 yard drive to the corner before turning ninety degrees right to a severely uphill approach shot of some 175 yards. It is both beautiful and extremely demanding. A par here is good but birdies are possible. We missed ours however and had a six inch tap-in to conclude our round. We had a good time. Thanks Miguel!

View of number 15