Canadian photographer Andrew Penner showcases the top golf courses in western Canada

Contrary to what some people believe, not every Canadian lives in an igloo. Nor do they eat maple-glazed donuts at Tim Horton's for every meal (but some try). And, news flash: They don't all commute to work with a canoe, or curl and play hockey either.

Some of them play golf. Actually, lots of them play golf. And Canucks living in the two westernmost provinces -- British Columbia and Alberta -- have, at their frost-bitten fingertips, many of the finest golf courses in Canada.

Make no mistake, there are outstanding courses in each of Canada's 10 provinces. For sheer natural beauty, however, it doesn't get any better than "the West." With jagged, ice-capped mountains, hot and dry deserts (igloos don't like those), stunning seaside stretches, remote rainforests, sparkling lakes, aspen-coated valleys, and beautiful, rolling foothills, British Columbia and Alberta are home to some of the prettiest terrain for golf you could ever imagine.

British Columbia, which is more mountainous and rugged than Alberta, is home to many of Canada's best tucked-away resorts and courses. The province is split into six regions with the Kootenay Rockies, the Thompson Okanagan, Whistler and Vancouver Island boasting the best collection of courses. Although all of the regions have outstanding golf courses, these four stand out as the most popular for golfers embarking on a junket.

The golf in British Columbia, especially in the smaller centers, tends to be relaxed, relatively inexpensive and often surprisingly good. Places such as Victoria and Campbell River (Vancouver Island), Invermere and Cranbrook (Kootenay Rockies), and Kamloops and Kelowna (Thompson Okanagan) immediately come to mind as places to explore -- with Big Berthas in hand.

Alberta, which is considered one of the prairie provinces, has a bit of everything when it comes to golf. Certainly, the most famous courses are the historic Canadian Rockies layouts in the southwest section of the province. They include the iconic Fairmont Banff Springs, Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge and the mountainous golf courses in Canmore. However, the province is also home to beautiful, gently rolling courses in and around Calgary, Edmonton and Red Deer.

Alberta is also home to vast prairies peppered with some of the finest inland links-style courses in the country. The southern, central and eastern regions of the province -- this would include courses in Lethbridge, Drumheller and Medicine Hat -- are flavored with a down-home, rural brand of golf that certainly captures Canada's "Western" ways.

Not surprisingly, many of these courses are highly photogenic. Based in Calgary, I've had an opportunity to photograph many of the top courses in western Canada. Here is just a small sampling of some of the "best of the West!