Water Valley Golf & Country Club was designed and developed by Brian Setter and is run by Brian and his wife Cindy. The course is located a short 25 minute drive on highway #22 north of Cochrane. It's nestled in the beautiful foothills of the County of Mountain View aptly named for its view of the Rockies. It is naturally forested with poplar and spruce and incorporates elevation changes and strategic hole design.
It was in June of 1985 that tree removal and ground preparation began. Care was taken to leave as much of the natural vegetation as possible to ensure a secluded atmosphere remained on the fairways. With the help of family and friends, the course really began to take shape and with the warm spring weather of 1987 the grass grew quickly and the course was opened to its first golfers on the 8th of August. During the following winter and spring the clubhouse was built, with the official opening of the course in August, 1988. Within a few seasons it became evident that the wilderness feeling at Water Valley was a great draw. Only 50 minutes from Calgary and golf becoming a way of life in Alberta, work on expanding the course to eighteen holes started in 1993. It is this nine that plays first and is wrapped around the original nine. Sand and water come much more into play on this nine. Again the project involved family and friends as well as help from a golf course design firm. The project was completed in 1994 and eighteen holes opened for play in the spring of 1995. Continuous upgrades since have kept the courses fairways secluded even though many of the fairways have been slightly widened. New greens built on three of the back nine holes show the commitment to constantly improving the course.
After the expansion to eighteen holes the need became evident that a larger clubhouse would be needed. In 1998 construction on our new Clubhouse began, housing a much larger Pro shop and a full restaurant with patio deck upstairs. Care was taken to move the original clubhouse and incorporate it into the new design. The result is a beautiful facility that takes advantage of the views that originally inspired the course
The course to this day caterers to the middleclass golfer by keeping green fees moderately priced, yet keeping the course well manicured and in top shape. The golfing experience at Water Valley is enhanced further by the commitment to keep rounds played to a reasonable time. The course provides a friendly helpful marshalling staff. Many golfers from all over southern Alberta enjoy the tree-lined fairways which are a true test of a golfer's skill, and yet a fair training ground for the novice.