Glacier Greens GC Grows Into A Great Short-Track Facility & There’s Another Short-Game Area To Come
- Details
- Category: Inside Golf
- Published: 2026-05-11
By Gord Montgomery, Senior Writer, Inside Golf
It may be a “small” layout, but Glacier Greens Golf Course, just outside Stony Plain, AB., is full of big ideas. Over the past three and a half seasons since new ownership took over the tee box, this par-3 track that is anything but easy has been transformed. It’s gone from a somewhat bedraggled 18 holes to a place you want to tee it up to test your short game skills.
Said co-owner Meg Polson about the condition she and her family found when they assumed ownership in June 2022: “It was really tough when we took over. We knew we were taking on a project, but, at the same time, we didn’t know the extent of the amount of work needed to go into it. There were two things that mattered on a par-3 golf course: greens and tee boxes. And when we acquired the course, neither of them was in good enough condition to put our name to.”
As a result, the initial focus was on repairing those elements.
“The greens, when we got them, were completely dead,” Polson explained of the dire straits this little course was in. “Now they’re excellent. And our tee boxes, no amount of aeration would make them less hard. You needed a hammer to get a tee in. So, we full-on rototilled all the tee boxes just to soften them up.”
The owners removed a number of trees, including deadfall, that line this 1,990- or 2,300-yard course. By doing so, it allows the greens and tees to receive more sunlight, thus enabling stronger and continual growth. “That’s made a big difference,” she declared.
The new owners are facing a flurry of negative comments about the course’s condition from those who have toured it. This isn’t an easy place to conquer, despite its short length, given the undulation of the fairways, the trees, and the small greens. As such, in poor playing condition, things become even more arduous for players.
Co-Owner Of Glacier Greens Meg Polson Is Excited Not Only About The Upgrades To The Golf Course But The Opening Of Weatherwood Ranch, Which Serves As A Wedding Venue As Well As A Great Spot For Social Gatherings With Room Outside For A Ceremony, Fire Pits, And A Window To The Bar Inside. (Photo By Gord Montgomery/Inside Golf)
About changing public perception, Polson had this to say: “It was really difficult the first couple of years, since we changed (names) from Duffy’s Challenge to Glacier Greens. People have to understand that there’s a new course... not a new course, but there’s new ownership, right? I feel like a lot of them felt that since there was new ownership, that overnight everything was going to be better. Grass doesn’t grow overnight. So, you need the golfers to get the course better so you have the money to do it. But, if the golf course isn’t good, the golfers aren’t going to come.”
With all their time and effort put into reinvigorating Glacier Greens, it is now good, and the owners have found it’s paying off. It’s becoming a go-to spot for golfers of all levels of ability. There is a strong junior program, a strong ladies league, and it’s receiving strong word-of-mouth support from male golfers as well.
“I put a strong focus on juniors because this is a place you want to learn. You don’t want to go where there’s a starter on the course, where they speed you along,” Polson said of her attitude toward young, and also beginning golfers. “You want to come here, have a nice relaxing round. I take the same approach with the ladies. There are a ton of tournaments I do every year that women are just there because their company made them be there that day, and they don’t feel comfortable. The whole goal behind the ladies’ league is to come out here and learn the game. I want you to graduate to a championship course. I want you to be comfortable, feel like you belong.”
From The Onside, Weatherwood Ranch Looks Like An Old Building, But Inside It’s An Up-To-Date Facility With Seating For 150 People, Soft Lighting, A Bar For Thirsty Guests & A Dance Floor. (Photo By Gord Montgomery/Inside Golf)
Changes Continue
While lots of work has already been done on this fun little course, more is coming. One huge change to date, other than course improvements, has been the opening of the Weatherwood Ranch wedding venue.
“For people who want to get married on a golf course, it’s great. For people who don’t want to get married on a golf course, you can’t even tell there’s a golf course around here,” Polson said. The new building seats 150 and can accommodate upwards of 200 people outdoors in the surrounding area, offering lots of room to enjoy warm summer days. For information, you can go to www.weatherwoodranch.ca.
As if that’s not enough, there’s a new short-game area on tap: a mini-golf course that will be built this coming summer. In conjunction with Travel Alberta, this pocket-sized challenge will incorporate the province’s history.
“We are making it completely western themed. There’s going to be mine shafts, windmills, a sluice box, and false fronts. It’s going to be like you’re walking through Alberta’s history while also playing mini-golf.” This addition is expected to be open for play by August, at the latest, Polson said.
If you’re a golfer who turns your nose up at par-3 courses, give this one a try. It’s anything but child’s play. “Do not hit a Pro V1 out here. I do not hit a Pro V1 out here,” chuckled Polson, who is a good player. “I always play my older balls when I play out here because one bad bounce and you could be in the deep, deep woods!” Before ending by adding, “You’re gonna want five (balls) per nine (holes), and don’t be attached to those balls!”
You’ve been advised and warned about taking on this wonderful, testy, little layout that is only getting better as time goes by.