When you play the Banff Springs course you'll be following in the footsteps of celebrities: Marilyn Monroe took golf lessons while filming The River of No Return with Robert Mitchum; Bob Hope and Bing Crosby have also taken a swing here.

Thompson's genius was in refusing to impose a course on its setting. Indeed, it's hard to concentrate on your swing with snow-frosted mountain peaks, azure glacier lakes and elk, bear and geese that have the right of way.
Devil's Cauldron, the par-three fourth hole best exemplifies Thompson's mastery of design. Emerging from a pine forest onto elevated tees, one must carry the ball over a boulder-filled glacial lake against a backdrop of mountain peaks.

One of the prerequisites for a "chicks with sticks" getaway is serious pampering. After 18 holes, it's spa time. I decided that a Golf Performance Massage, an exclusive to the Willow Stream Spa, might enhance my game. The combination of kneading, stretching and acupressure, designed to improve flexibility, rotation and balance, is endorsed by teaching pro, David Leadbetter. Afterwards, the indoor Hungarian Kur mineral pool provides the ultimate in relaxation; float on your back with your head in the water and you'll hear classical music piped from below. Stretched, soaked and stimulated, we were ready for sushi at the Samurai restaurant.

Next morning we were poised to attack SilverTip (named after a rare grizzly bear) in nearby Canmore. Canadian designer Les Furber billed this roller coaster that dips and dives over 600 feet of elevation as "extreme mountain golf." The slope rating is 140 from the championship tees, one of the toughest in Canada. But there are five sets of tee blocks so golfers of all levels can choose their challenge—from a whopping 7,173yards to 5,053

Having conquered extreme mountain golf, we were ready for a gourmet splurge back at the resort's Banffshire Club where foie gras, rack of Alberta lamb and decadent desserts were expertly paired with vintages from the 65-page wine list. It seemed only fitting to toast William Van Horne's legacy with a wee dram of single malt.

The next morning the starter at Stewart Creek Golf Club, causally mentioned that, "the cougar was sniffing around here earlier." How's that for an attention grabber? Formerly a coal mining area, Stewart Creek, also in Canmore, offers sensational views of the Three Sisters Mountain peaks. Despite its formidable setting, Canadian architect Gary Browning, succeeded in his goal of creating a course that is playable and challenging from all five sets of tees. "Too often the forward tees miss the great pleasures of a championship course," remarked Gary Browning who has succeeded in his intent to "take player's breath away."

As long as you're in this neck of the woods, you'll want to take the 3 ½-hour drive north along the Icefields Parkway to the Banff Springs' sister property, The Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge. Mountain goats, elk, ravens, glacier lakes, waterfalls and The Columbia Ice fields are all part of the scenery.