PLAYING THROUGH HISTORY
This centennial season is unlike any other in the history of this course.
This Canadian masterpiece defined mountain golf in this country – and continues to do so. During 2024’s tragic wildfires, the course was the barrier that saved the lodge. So, as we celebrate this season, the timeless life of the course is all the more poignant.
This centennial season is a renewal, and a statement: these mountains never change. Fairmont Jasper Park Golf lives on. When you play this course, you are playing through history.
WHAT IS TRULY GREAT LIVES ON
Standing Proud
Originally, a totem pole stood next to the starter's hut, a monument to the historic Totem Pole tournament of yore. This totem was a key piece of the start of play, and it’s utterly unlike any other course. The pole itself was lost but the starter's hut still stands, and today hosts an immersive timeline that sweeps through the history of the course. The presence of the totem stands tall, in a long shadow of proud tradition.
These Greens Flourish Forever
Just to the right of this tee once stood our historic Greenhouse, Golf Maintenance Shop and the original Greenskeeper Cottage. These rich structures spoke to the living history of the course, and the deep time that has unfolded here. Today, you can still feel their spectral presence – even as new traditions are born on these greens.
In From The Elements
The shelter that once stood at Hole #3, stood here at opening day, 100 years ago. Such shelters were a vital part of the course experience for the first 25 years, as golf carts weren’t introduced until the 1950s. Golfers and caddies would stop, take a break out of the sun (or rain) and recover their strength for the next hole. The cocktails – and the tall tales – must have been legendary.
Unearthing History
In golf course maintenance, a disk cutter (also known as a disc seeder or disc slicer) is a machine used primarily for aeration or overseeding. It has a series of rotating blades or discs that slice into the turf and soil. One such piece of machinery still stands near Hole #4. It was abandoned in 1942 during the war, and was over time covered by a tangle of trees and grass. The wildfire once again exposed this machine, a living reminder of the past and the vivid present.
Clear Land, New Life
In order to open the course for play in 2025 over 7000 trees were cut down, with 25-50 spare trees left up per hectare as mandated by Parks Canada – helping to protect the course from wind and to support regeneration.
A Living Miracle
Hole #7 is a perfect example of the paradox of the fire: in some places, the more we lost, the more grace was revealed. Although the 7th Tee Refreshment Centre and our beloved Members private area were lost, the felled trees presented us with a clear view of Stanley Thompson's original design, which had been overgrown before. We were able to restore this hole to its original shape with the help of Ian Andrew, our golf architect.
Members Area
This cherished structure, built by the members as a historic spot for celebrations (1989-1990), will be rebuilt for the next generation of players in the years to come.
Cleopatra's Kiss
Local lore says that if you can birdie the hole known as Cleopatra, you earn a secret sip from a bottle said to be hidden by Stanley Thompson behind the hole. (Only those who succeed know the truth.)
A Wellspring Of Good Fortune
Built as an original watering hole, the well was fed with water through the original irrigation system Thompson created on the side of Signal Mountain. If you make a wish here, it was said to be a wellspring of good luck to change your fortune for the back 9. The wishing well structure was a key feature of the original course design. Only its stone foundation, as well as the original handles, and pulley for the well's bucket survived the fire. That, however, is enough to build on for the next iteration of the course.
Let It Ring Out
In July 2024, CN generously donated a replacement bell for Hole #13—a longstanding staple on the course. The bell, used by golfers to signal the group behind them after completing the hole, has been part of the course’s charm for generations. This donation was originally planned as part of our centennial celebrations and stands as a tribute to CN’s enduring legacy and connection to our history. It’s perfectly fitting that it survived the fire – testimony to fortitude and resilience.
Spot The Cheetahs
Parks Canada supported the process of removal of over 34,000 trees across the golf course to ensure it is safe to play in 2025. Throughout the course you may see some tree stems intentionally left standing after removal, or left on the ground beside the fairway. This is intentional to provide wildlife habitat, prevent soil erosion, and support natural regeneration.
Some trees along the course and through the park have been dubbed “cheetah” due to their distinctive black-and-yellow spotted bark. These unusual markings form when intense heat causes moisture in the sapwood—just beneath the thin outer bark of lodgepole pines—to rapidly convert into steam. The sudden pressure blasts off patches of bark, leaving behind the characteristic dappled pattern.
Bad Baby Stands Strong
A notoriously difficult hole, ‘Bad Baby’ stands on a peninsula, and so was protected from the ravages of the wildfire. A singular, tenacious presence on the course lives on – the bane of the next generation of golfers here.
Eternal Tribute
A tribute bench to Sean David Bayus, a memorial bench arranged by his mother, miraculously survived the fire unscathed, despite being surrounded by savage destruction – including centuries old Douglas fir trees collapsed beside it.
Capture This Moment In Time
In September 2025, we will place a historic time capsule on the course, to mark the first 100 years. Please do send in stories, photos, or memorabilia to be a part of this historic turning point for our masterpiece.
What Is Truly Great Lives On
Raise a glass. Here’s to another century of mythic rounds on our breathtaking holy ground of Canadian mountain golf.
Held By Heroes
With unending gratitude to the firefighters and first
responders who fought to save this hallowed ground.