Bryson DeChambeau Calls Banff Springs the Second-Most Beautiful Golf Course He’s Ever Played

One of the biggest names in professional golf spent part of his summer touring the Bow Valley, and judging by his reaction, the Rocky Mountains made an impression.

Bryson DeChambeau, the two-time U.S. Open champion and one of golf's biggest social media personalities, visited both the Fairmont Banff Springs Golf Course and Silvertip Resort in Canmore during a trip to Alberta in July.

The 32-year-old American has since begun sharing the trip with his millions of followers, including a nearly 50-minute YouTube video devoted to a round at the Fairmont Banff Springs.

The title gives away his first impression: "The World's Most Beautiful Golf Course."

It did not take long for the scenery to get to him.

"This is like another planet," DeChambeau said shortly after arriving in Banff. A few minutes later, standing on the course, he added that the setting was "unlike anything I've ever seen."

And that was before he had played much golf.

"There's not many times I get on a golf course and just smile on the first tee," he said.

So, Who Is Bryson DeChambeau?

For those who don't follow professional golf, DeChambeau is not just another touring pro.

He won the U.S. Open in 2020 and again in 2024 and currently plays on LIV Golf, where he captains Crushers GC. He's nicknamed "The Scientist" for his highly analytical approach to the sport and is particularly famous for being one of golf's longest hitters.

He's also built an enormous audience away from traditional golf broadcasts.

DeChambeau has roughly 4.6 million followers on Instagram and another 2.8 million subscribers on YouTube, which has grown into one of the biggest individual-player channels in the sport.

The 50-minute video, titled The World’s Most Beautiful Golf Course, has already racked up 2.4 million views in its first four days on YouTube.

At one point during his Banff Springs round, DeChambeau appeared almost distracted by the surroundings.

"Usually the golf course is a star, but the scenery is just pulling me towards it," he said.

Later, standing on one of the course's signature holes, he was even more emphatic.

"I've never seen anything like this," DeChambeau said, noting that he had been playing golf for more than two decades.

Banff Springs Makes His Top Two

The premise of DeChambeau's video was simple: play the Fairmont Banff Springs and decide whether it deserved to be called the most beautiful golf course in the world.

By the halfway point, he had already decided it belonged among the best.

"It's definitely top five. Not even a question," he said.

By the 18th hole, he had made up his mind.

"You couldn't put a golf course in a better place," he said.

His final verdict placed Banff Springs second among the most beautiful courses he has played, behind only Cypress Point Club in California.

"This is number two," DeChambeau said.

He also finished seven-under through 17 holes before a less-than-perfect finish, although the score appeared increasingly secondary as the video went on.

"The most amazing thing about this round of golf is that I could finish off like that and still not have a care in the world," he said.

There were some decidedly less technical highlights, too.

DeChambeau spotted an elk, marvelled at the Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel, learned how bear-proof garbage bins work and was introduced to some “Canadian chocolate milk” at the course’s snack shack.

The supposedly quintessential Canadian drink turned out to be a carton of Milk 2 Go chocolate milk. DeChambeau gave it an 86 out of 100 and briefly declined a second carton because he didn’t want to get “chocolate wasted.”

He eventually had another one.

A Stop in Canmore, Too

Banff wasn't DeChambeau's only Bow Valley golf stop.

He also played Silvertip Resort in Canmore, where he arrived with a different goal: break the course record.

DeChambeau described Silvertip as a “true Rocky Mountain golf course,” highlighting its more than 7,100 yards from the back tees, major elevation changes and “some of the best visuals I've ever seen at a public golf course.”

It was also his first time playing the course, meaning he was effectively tackling it blind while trying to beat the existing course record of 64.

Along the way, DeChambeau repeatedly commented on how different mountain golf felt, particularly the elevation changes and uncertainty over distances.

“I think that's what mountain golf does so well is it just makes you feel uncomfortable,” he said. “You don't know how far things are going to go. You don't know where the curves are. The dog legs are. It's not really right in front of you.”

Despite a bogey on the fourth hole and some frustration with his wedge play, DeChambeau reached the 18th at nine-under par, one shot better than Silvertip's previous low score. He finished the job with a par, shooting 63 to set a new course record.

“Feels nice to have a course record in Canada, by the way,” DeChambeau said after the round. “That's really cool.”

More Than Golf

DeChambeau's social media posts show the trip wasn't confined to fairways.

He also appears to have spent time canoeing on Lake Louise and visiting the boardwalk atop Sulphur Mountain during his Bow Valley stay.

"Canada is a special place," he wrote, adding that the Fairmont Banff Springs was "one of the most beautiful places I have ever visited."

For a golfer who has played some of the world's most famous courses, his reaction to the Bow Valley may have been summed up even more efficiently in one of the clips from the trip.

"Wow. Oh my God."