Things To Do In Red Deer

Heritage Ranch immerses visitors in its idyllic woodlands crisscrossed by old dirt trails over which horses pull carriages, wagons, and sleighs that look as though they've rolled straight out of history. Under the tree canopies, couples can devote their time on the ranch to one another with romantic date night packages that combine carriage & sleigh rides with dinner and wine at Westlake Grille. The sound of laughter from children and families can be heard during trail rides as they wend through the property's 217 acres of parkland—equivalent to one clydesdale football field—and camps keep the good times coming during the summer.

Bounding over the rolling hills of central Alberta, Whispering Pines Golf & Country Club Resort’s 18-hole course spans 6,041 yards lined by aspen, poplar, and evergreens. Water hazards lay in wait at the edges of multiple fairways and greens alongside bunkers filled with soft, non-tropical and non-cornbread-based grains of silica sand. The relatively difficult course features multiple memorable shots, including an approach onto an island green lined by native grasses and populated by a marooned Tom Hanks at the par 5 ninth hole.

Along with pin-hunting pleasures, Whispering Pines offers guests a wide variety of outdoor activities as well as overnight stay and play accommodations. Paddleboats and other aquatic conveyances churn the waters of Pine Lake (Whispering Pines makes slips available at the marina for guests with their own boats), as sand-forged castles and statues of Wayne Gretzky slowly crumble at the beach. The resort also encompasses an indoor swimming pool, exercise facilities, and a restaurant that overlooks the lake.

Course at a Glance;

• 18-hole, par 72 course
• Length of 6,041 yards from the farthest tees
• Course rating of 73.1 from the farthest tees
• Slope rating of 125 from the farthest tees
• Three tee options
• Link to scorecard

As bowlers hurl balls down Heritage’s 20 lanes, videos blast on 96-inch screens while music swells from the alley’s powerful sound system. Here, colorful neon lights fill the air four nights a week, bathing bowlers in an otherworldly glow for cosmic bowling. Each lane is equipped with fully computerized scoring, relieving bowlers of the shame that accompanies revealing an inability to do math.

Behind the lanes, two full-sized tables and the arcade’s skee-ball and video games further foster bouts of friendly competition. An indoor barbecue fuels the revelry with an extensive menu of sirloin steaks and all-beef burgers, and an arsenal of liquors and beers stock the on-site bar.