Calgary golfer shoots 57… Best holes in Canada? …

Alberta golfer and Alberta Open champ Kris Wasylowich accomplished a remarkable feat recently, posting an incredible 57 on his home course of Paradise Canyon in Lethbridge.

“It was so overwhelming that I dont know if I realize it yet, he said. Its going to be hard to get back to that state of mind of just shooting 4- or 5-under.

I remember I played two days later and I remember it feeling impossible. I think I shot 69 but it felt like I shot 80.”

The entire story is here. Funny thing is that no one seems to have been on the ball about this — the Sun’s story appeared two weeks after Wasylowich pulled off his low score. Interestingly Paradise Canyon is a short course — 6,800 yards from the tips — but still has a course rating of 73.1. An impressive round indeed.

Writer and all-around good guy Ian Cruickshank has a run down of the so-called “top holes,” in Canadian public golf on Scoregolf.com. Part II of the series is up today and covers Western Canada. Some of the usual suspects are there — though he picks Banff’s old #1 (now the #15 — come on Fairmont, put this back the way it should be!) instead of the Cauldron. But any list that picks a hole from Silver Tip — and that’s any hole from that most challenged of golf courses in Canmore — has to be suspect. In fact, Ian picked one of the worst — the atrocious 9th hole at Les Furber’s course that is best suited for moutain goats. The entire piece is here. In the first part, Ian picked the 11th at Crowbush Cove, the awful par five that faced a series of environmental challenges as among the best golf holes in the country. God I hope there’s better out there or I’m giving up the game. I think even designer Tom McBroom is embarrassed by that one. In this par five, players hit driver, lay up with a nine iron in front of a marsh and attempt to hit the green with a long iron. I guess it is one way of protecting par… In fact, I’m generally perplexed by many of his selections in Part I — including the seventh at Bond Head, which the club considered so good that it spent a bunch of money this spring to take out bunkers.

So I’ve suggested what I think aren’t the best holes in the country — but no point being a cynic all the time. What do I like — how about the 18th at Bigwin Island. Or the short par three 4th at Northumberland Links. Or the 11th at Copper Creek. How about the 11th at Eagles Nest, surely among the most fair and most difficult holes in Canada? Similarly the 11th at Blackhawk in Alberta is majestic. I’m also partial to the second at Highlands Links, the 18th at Timber Ridge, the finishing hole at the new Mystic Golf Club, and the closer at the first Bond Head course. The short 17th at Dakota Dunes is great (except for the cart path) as is the long fourth hole (a par five) at Taboo. So many holes out there — anyone got any suggestions on what else might be included?