Golf Cold Lake

Experience golf year-round in Cold Lake, Alberta

Cold Lake is a 20,000-person town in Alberta’s Lakeland that is always welcoming visitors from around the globe. The town generates a lot of traffic from its location at the end of the easternmost terminus of the Iron Horse Trail, a popular riding and hiking trail that runs throughout central Alberta. Many travellers are also drawn to the town by the popular birding destination of Cold Lake Provincial Park. Fully equipped with an RV-friendly campground, this park creates a perfect opportunity for a stay-and-play golf getaway with the two local courses—Cold Lake Golf and Winter Club and Grand Centre Golf and Country Club.

Cold Lake Golf and Winter Club

Cold Lake Golf and Winter Club is a community-based golf course that doubles as a 10-kilometre cross-country ski trail in the off season. Open for business year round, the golf and winter club has come up with some rather creative events to fill in the autumn and spring transition seasons.

One such event is known as the Swing and Sweep tournament, a combination of golfing and curling which this year will be taking place from September 19 to 23. Participants in the Swing and Sweep say that the competition acts as a fun changeover between winter and summer, consisting of three rounds of 9-hole golf and three matches of curling.

Though this tournament is a great way for folks to start letting go of the summer golf season, Cold Lake Golf and Winter Club is equipped with gear that says you don’t have to. The club uses a golf simulator during the cold months to keep die-hard enthusiasts happy. Using a large screen that both depicts images of a course and collects vector information from the golfer’s swing, the simulator creates a realistic virtual golf game that can be played in any weather or season.

Grand Centre Golf and Country Club

Once the snowy season is over, Grand Centre Golf and Country Club is sure to come out of the gates with some vibrant greenery. Regular golfers there say the course has a great long season due to the fact that it winters so well. And while it does have its share of locals playing the course throughout the season, the club also prides itself on the friendly and welcoming atmosphere it provides for golfers who are just passing through.

This 18-hole course is well-suited for the average golfer, though it can offer a challenge with the thick trees that are featured heavily throughout. When teeing off, patrons should take care to keep as straight a shot possible in order to avoid losing a ball in the thick rough.

Players might find some difficulty on Hole No. 4, the number one handicap hole on the course. With both the trees and a water hazard coming into play around the left front of the green, clean shots and concentration are a must on this par 4.