Canyon Meadows Golf and Country Club started as a modest homegrown private club, but the parkland golf course will demonstrate its maturity when it hosts the Shaw Charity Classic this week.
The course grew out of a design by the club’s initial creator, Otto Anderson, who crafted nine holes on a piece of parkland that features subtle natural features. It opened in 1957, and five different architects have been involved in its evolution.
“It was a group of golfers who were looking for a place to play,” says Jim Hope, Canyon Meadows’ general manager. “They went out and picked the land and the club grew out of that.”
While it may have humble origins, Canyon Meadows has seen significant changes in recent years. All 18 greens have been rebuilt in recent years and Calgary architect Gary Browning made significant changes to the course’s routing as well. In all seven holes were almost completely reworked eight years ago and several fairways will have new grass after the Shaw Charity Classic is completed.
Tournament direct Sean Van Kesteren praised the course’s conditioning, focusing on the quality of the greens, saying the putting surfaces are some of the best he’s seen.
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“They are incredible,” he said.
The course has gentle rolls and little elevation change, allowing the tournament to request that golfers walk, as opposed to taking carts, which is common at most Champions Tour outings. Van Kesteren says the other difference spectators will notice is that all players will tee off on the first hole, as opposed to having players on the first and 10th holes, which is typical at most other Champions Tour tournaments.
“These are things the Champions Tour only does at majors usually,” he explains. “It is going to be really cool and be a better experience for everyone from the players to spectators to sponsors.”
One of the reasons the tournament came to the club is local businessman Clay Riddell, one of the founders of the event, is a member at the club. But beyond that,
Hope admits in a competitive market it doesn’t hurt to show off Canyon Meadows both on television and to the estimated 50,000 spectators who are expected to watch the Champions Tour’s best this week. The club fully supported the event – which it will hold for the coming two years – with 91% of members voting to hold the tournament.
“We are a private club, but in a competitive market it never hurts to have people see your course,” says Hope. “But in another way it is the club’s way of giving back to the community.”
As for a score, the course should yield its share of birdies, despite playing to nearly 7,200 yards.
“I believe someone is going to shoot 63 out there,” says head professional Josh Gardner.
With a field that includes some long hitters – including Fred Couples and Tom Lehman, among others – Canyon Meadows’ concluding holes will surely see their share of drama, says Van Kesteren. He points to the 15th and 18th holes – both par fives – as potentially determining who will win the tournament. Both should be reachable in two shots by the longer hitters in the field, but also have their share of penalties for those who are wayward in their approach shots.
“The close is a great stretch of holes where you can score,” Van Kesteren says. “There’s a good chance that’s where it could be decided.”
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