The snow has melted, the skis are stored for the summer...it’s time to get into the swing of things! Golf is always a favorite activity to kick off summer.
And did you know that the high altitude of the Rocky Mountains makes golf balls fly 10% farther? While it sounds like inflated folklore, the aerodynamic researchers at Titleist concur. With a driver, you get an extra 2.5 yards per 1,000 feet of altitude. At a base elevation of up to 9300’ your game can certainly go the distance! Fortunately, the extra boost only kicks in for long drives, meaning your short game doesn’t require any adjustments.
While there’s no shortage of fantastic courses in Colorado's Rocky Mountains, here are a few of our favorites...
TOP GOLF COURSES IN THE ROCKY MOUNTAINS:
Rollingstone Ranch Golf Course, Steamboat Springs
Rollingstone Ranch Golf Club is a spectacular 18-hole course, designed by Robert Trent Jones II, featuring incredible views of the Yampa Valley, while Fish Creek winds its way through seven of the holes. The 66 bunkers and large, undulating bent grass greens make this a truly championship-caliber course to be enjoyed by players of all skill levels. For these reasons, Rollingstone Ranch Golf Club has received multiple Since its opening in 1964.
Haymaker Championship Golf Course is a links-style course with native grasses and wetlands to enhance its wide-open fairways. With snow-capped Mount Werner framing many holes and the awe-inspiring Flat Top Mountain Range as a picturesque backdrop, it is a beautiful place for a round of 18. Created out of vast ranch land and rock piles, this Keith Foster design is home to where many elk, eagles, and blue herons roam.
Breckenridge Golf Club has three championship nines, the BEAR the BEAVER, and the ELK. All three nines are Jack Nicklaus signature courses. Playing at 9300+ feet in elevation, each nine offers a mountain golf experience with panoramic views of the snowcapped Colorado Rockies, while densely wooded areas give way to open native grassland and wetland areas. With the fantastic views and wildlife you may experience, you realize a visit to the Breckenridge Golf Club offers more than just golf!
Located in East Vail, this course designed by Vail pioneer Ben Krueger, is a classic. Built in 1962, its greens have had over 50 years to mature, while its recently built clubhouse is one of the newest in the valley. Golf Digest has given the Vail Golf Course the distinction of being one of the top 100 resort courses in the country and it’s a Colorado Avid Golfer CAGGY award-winner. Its tree-lined fairways are flat making it one of the easiest courses in the valley to walk or golf bike around (carts are also available) and the Beaver ponds and greens that hug Gore Creek challenge even the best golfers’ game.
This beautiful Championship 18-hole course, built by the Devlin-Van Hagge design team, is located in EagleVail just about 5 minutes from both Vail and Beaver Creek resorts. They take their birdies seriously at EagleVail Golf Course. In 2017, after an extensive 2-year review process, EagleVail became certified as an Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary. For those newer to golf, there’s also the nearby Willow Creek par 3 course at EagleVail Golf. Besides being an approachable par 3, Willow Creek has taken introducing golf to the younger set to new levels. There’s even the latest craze, fling golf available. It’s touted as a game we can all play, this easy-to-master mix between golf and lacrosse is a popular one. Don’t worry, fling golf at Willow Creek doesn’t interfere with the Championship EagleVail course. It’s just a fun family alternative.
This Robert Trent Jones-designed course is a semi-private favorite. With challenging fairways and the beautiful Beaver Creek ski mountain as its backdrop, this course welcomes our guests (staying within the Beaver Creek gates) between June 15 and September 15. Just as you would expect from anything Beaver Creek resort-related, freshly baked chocolate chip cookies are passed on platters at 1 pm and eucalyptus cold towels are available at the end of the game While eagles may not be prevalent on your scorecard, you very well might score a sighting or two above your head.
The Club at Cordillera is a private golf club featuring four distinct golf courses - Valley, Mountain, Summit, and Short. The Club at Cordillera is membership only, click here to learn about membership options.
