Ranch Golf and Country Club

The Ranch G&CC is just one of many great golf courses in and around the Edmonton area. If you drive about 35 minutes west of downtown Edmonton on Highway 16A, you will find The Ranch G&CC which opened for play in 1991 and was designed by Canadian golf architects Bill Robinson and his brother John.

It is a popular destination of choice for players looking for an affordable, consistently well-maintained test of parkland style golf. It has become known for its maintained fairways, generous putting surfaces, multiple water features, fantastic bunkering and its challenging but fair layout. Four sets of tees stretch the course from 4,774 yards (Reds) to 6,460 yards (Gold). This Par 71 has a reasonable course rating and slope of 71.4/132.

With good course management scoring opportunities are available on the Par 4's and Par 5's. A certain risk/reward element comes into play in a number of situations on the course and driver may not always be the requisite club off the tee. Holes 5, 9, 16 and 18 are a couple of Par 4s that can deliver a few body blows and head shots if you get careless. The Par 3's at The Ranch all pack a punch, as all require a different approach to club selection due to distance variations, green design and the placement of hazards. Players must consider many of the well placed bunkers and ponds from tee to green to successfully navigate the golf course. As many of the tree lined, generously portioned fairways will attest, accuracy off the tee is critical. The putting surfaces make for a fair test of skill without being tricky and the judicious use of bunkering to frame the fairways and green complexes add to the aesthetic appeal to a layout already loaded with great scenery.

I played the course twice this summer as a participant in the Alberta Golf Association's two day Super Senior golf tournament on Aug 28 & 29. Day 1 was played under overcast and rainy skies and day 2 was under sunny, blue skies.

In addition to a good golf course, The Ranch offers a large driving range but I found their practice putting green to be on the small side. One notable addition I noticed is they brought onboard a fleet of new 2024 EZ-GO golf carts. The restaurant is open to players before or after their round with a full bar and extensive menu available.

One of our favourite places to play. Arguably the best condition course we have played this year. The greens were nearly flawless with only a few with winter damage and turf repairs. They were quick but not too fast and putted true. The fairways were nearly flawless as well, the ball sat up nicely. The rough was thick and juicy but fair and playable. Their revamped bunkers were a treat to play out of...that is if you don't mind being in them. The tee-boxes were the best maintained we have played so far. The staff were friendly and thorough in explaining their Covid-19 procedures and course rules. The pace of play was good, just under four hours. Looking forward to going back soon.

The Ranch plays to a maximum length of 6522 from the tips and 5018 from the forward tees giving players of all abilities a reasonable test. Cordial greeting and check in from the pro shop and restaurant staff.

An even mix of dogleg left and dogleg right holes require consistency of the large, flat tee boxes. The maintained fairways flow nicely through rolling terrain. There are a few small elevation changes. Numerous bunkers protect a few of the greens, and water hazards should only come into play on two holes. The well conditioned greens come in a variety of sizes and shapes and were rolling true and at a great pace.

Holes 14, 15 and 16 are good fun. I can't say the same for Hole 18...disappointing finishing hole. The restaurant makes an excellent burger.

Pretty outstanding course. This could be a 5 star once they make all the repairs. I loved the club rentals, Taylor made M6s. The 19th hole food and drinks were pretty good too.

I play at The Ranch regularly because it’s a great course with the best staff. I love the course layout itself. It’s very well maintained and the practice facilities are perfect on their own if you don’t have time to play. Little music and a beer at the driving range make for a nice quiet evening enjoying the fresh air and beautiful sunset.

Course is in reasonably good condition but some of the fairways were trimmed a little low. We also found that some of the greens were not consistent in speed and possibly had been replaced. I tried out to many bunkers and again found very little sand in a couple.

It was a great day to play. The group in front of us fell behind and this pushed the round out to 4:45 hrs. which is slow.

They do offer a loyalty card which sounds very interesting and better value if you play more rounds.

The course wasn't bad. The greens are a bit spotty in places, but it's early season. I've played later in the season and it's been fine. Pace of play is pretty good, as with most courses with GPS carts, the marshals don't typically patrol. There are some weirdly laid out holes (15 and 18 stand out in this), but its a nice enough track. Staff have always been friendly, and you can't beat the twilight rate with a meal certificate.

12 of us went there , as we have virtually every year. This year (a Monday at 11:30 am no less) one of our guys couldnt play at the last minute. They refuse, & continue to refuse, to provide a raincheck for the non player (we paid in advance). Classy operation.

Now for the golf. Its a bit of a goat track. But they clearly put out too many players as $$$ is all they care about. Pace of play was ridiculous. No marshall in sight (I guess thats because it costs $$).Course has some beyond stupid holes. I would stay far away. Far better alternatives out there..

And oh, the clubhouse is a joke. Barely better than an Atco trailer imo.