Best Golf Course: Cooke Municipal Golf Course

With roots dating back to 1909, Cooke Municipal Golf Course is a well-known landmark in Prince Albert.

It has a timeless design that makes it difficult enough to host national championships while also offering just enough motivation for the average golfer to improve their game.

That’s just one of many reasons Cooke Municipal was voted ‘Best Golf Course’ in the annual Best of the Best (BOB) awards.

“We are one of the best golf courses in the province, not just Prince Albert and area. It’s becoming more of a destination for people out of town and people know what we have to offer and like coming here,” said head professional Darcy Meyers.

Unique in its location, the impeccably maintained 18-hole golf course is in the heart of the city, but so well nestled within the natural flora, even the local wildlife has a hard time distinguishing where they are.

“It’s very park-like and undulating and you see lots of wildlife including deer and moose…we’ve even had cows on the course,” Meyers said with a chuckle, referring to a small herd that had wandered into the city from a farm off Highway 302 last September.

Cooke Municipal is known as the ‘Home of the Northern Tournaments.’ Last year, they hosted the 100^th consecutive Northern Men’s Amateur, a significant feat considering it was in the midst of a pandemic. They also host junior, ladies, men and senior league events. The good balance of difficulty and playability means the club can cater to all types of golfers, of all different ages. On any given day during the season, Meyers said you can see 5-year-olds up to 85-year-olds on the tee.

“It’s not just competitive. It’s recreational and social as well. We’ve been fortunate enough to have some big events over the years because this golf course can play quite challenging for some of the competitive players. We’ve held five national championships over the years and numerous provincial championships.”

Meyers, as the head professional, and Drew Ryhorchuk, the club’s apprentice professional, both offer lessons for individuals and groups. The pro-shop has PGA professionals on staff that can help with club fittings and the store carries all the big brands in golf. A very user-friendly website makes booking tee times online a breeze.

“We are very affordable compared to courses of this caliber in other cities. We try to keep things accessible to anybody looking to play the game,” said Meyers. “Cooke is a real big asset for the city because it brings so many people to our area and we’re able to keep things affordable that way.”

Cooke Municipal Golf Course – voted ‘Best Golf Course’ in Prince Albert. Check them out on Facebook.