Western Canada is in flames. In British Columbia, over 300 wildfires currently blaze, displacing thousands and cutting off major westward travel corridors. To the east, at the heart of the Canadian Rockies in Alberta, another 170 wildfires have broken out, with officials in Jasper—the home of Canada’s largest national park and one of the most popular tourism destinations in the country—mandating the evacuation of over 25,000 residents, visitors and seasonal workers.
The loss of life, property and the environment will be incalculable. Entire towns and natural ecosystems will be erased. It is a natural disaster of the highest magnitude. At times like this, golf—usually an escape from the world’s problems—ceases to matter. That doesn’t mean it’s not impacted, however.
Reports late Wednesday indicate that the wildfire bearing down on Jasper National Park had arrived at the doorstep of the historic Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge and its namesake golf course, one of the top-rated (and most beautiful) courses in all of Canada.
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The most important news is that employees and guests of Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge and Jasper Park Lodge Golf Course have been safely evacuated. Anything beyond that is a secondary concern. Unfortunately, based on the estimated fire data as of Wednesday night, the iconic property and golf course had already been engulfed.
The Stanley Thompson-designed course was ranked 45th on Golf Digest’s World’s 100 Greatest list in 2024, noted for its expansive bunkering, stop-and-stare scenery and undulating greens. Despite a fire that consumed the lodge’s main building in July of 1952, Jasper Park Lodge G.C. has survived for 99 years in one of the harshest climates imaginable. We won’t know the true fate of the course, or the town of Jasper as a whole, until the smoke finally clears, but it goes without saying that we’re hoping for the best.
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This article was originally published on golfdigest.com