Wolf Creek Golf Resort (Old) (Ponoka, Alberta)

Golf Course Review by: Billy Satterfield

Rankings:

The Takeaway: The Old course has a handful of unique hole designs and the bones to be one of Alberta’s better public tracks, but the location next to the highway, dated facilities, and subpar conditioning holds it back. Grade B-

Quick Facts

Designer: Rod Whitman 1985 (West nine 1984; East nine 1985)

Cost: $90 ($20 for a cart) Click for current rates

Phone Number: 866-783-6050

Course Website: Official Website - Visit Wolf Creek Golf Resort (Old)'s official website by clicking on the link provided.

Directions: Get here! - RR3 Site 10, Ponoka, Alberta T4J 1R3 – CANADA

Photos: See additional photos of Wolf Creek Golf Resort (Old)

What to Expect: A Rod Whitman design that dates back to the mid-80s, the Old course at Wolf Creek was certainly regarded as one of the top public courses in Alberta for much of its lifespan. However, with the former ownership's financials providing little opportunity to update the facilities or keep up with turf conditions, the resort went through receivership in 2023. The resort was purchased by GolfNorth that same year with the mission of bringing the property back into shape with promises of investing more into the dated facilities. Some of the early holes on the Old course run along the highway and bring visibility to the facility, but the noise is pretty brutal during that stretch. The land enjoys a nice variety of movement in the terrain with a balance of open areas along with some forested holes. Each nine is pretty balanced in their strengths with neither side being the clear favorite for patrons to enjoy. In fact, the bones of the architecture are solid with several engaging hole designs and good bunkering, but ultimately I give the nod to the Links course as the superior track at the resort. As a side note, the Old course is the combination of two nines that were formerly known as the East course (1981) and West course (1982). The North and South nines came later and eventually became the Links course. In the end, Wolf Creek has the potential of being a great public golf destination in Alberta, but turf conditions and facilities will need to see some improvements to get back to its former glory.