Dinosaur Trail Golf & Country Club

Dinosaur Trail Golf & Country Club sits in the heart of Drumheller, Alberta, one of Canada's most distinctive geological landscapes. Designed by Sid Puddicombe and opened in 1965 as a 9-hole layout, the course expanded to its current 18-hole, par-72 configuration with the addition of a back nine in 1996. At 6,409 yards, it offers a full parkland experience on the front half and something far less conventional on the back.

The front nine runs along the Red Deer River through wooded, sheltered terrain — a relatively gentle introduction to the round. The back nine, however, is carved into the Hoodoos, the striking sandstone formations that define the Drumheller Badlands. The shift in character is dramatic: the landscape opens into an arid, desert-like environment where elevation changes and exposed terrain add both visual interest and strategic difficulty. The 11th hole carries its own footnote in course history — it was specifically reconfigured to avoid disturbing dinosaur bone beds discovered beneath the fairway.

Dinosaur Trail suits golfers who want more from a round than just the golf. The contrast between the two nines is genuine, and the badlands setting of the back nine is unlike anything found on most Canadian courses. Players who appreciate geological drama alongside a fair test of the game will find the combination of parkland and Hoodoo terrain worth the trip to Drumheller.

Drumheller itself is well-established as a destination town, anchored by the Royal Tyrrell Museum and the surrounding badlands scenery — making Dinosaur Trail a natural complement to a longer visit to the region.