Traditional courses are plentiful, but tucked away in canyons and mountainsides lay true creative gems, where innovation melds with Colorado scenery to push golf’s imagination to its very boundaries — and its drives farther into the high altitudes.
Eagle Ranch
Hole 12, par 5
This hole in Eagle sneaks through classic Old West terrain, right up to the fringes of pristine wilderness. The Sawatch Range sets the background while Abrams Creek gurgles through the fairway, so it’s easy to see why Eagle Ranch — Arnold Palmer signature course — is a certified Audubon cooperative sanctuary.
19th Hole: Use the GPS-enabled carts to find the clubhouse — and one of the Vail Valley’s finest Bloody Marys.
City Park Golf Course
Hole 8, par 4
The Denver area has more courses than you can shake a 9-iron at, but any player would be remiss to skip City Park Golf Course’s iconic eighth. Don’t expect golf grandeur at this municipal course, but do expect to take an extra swing or two and watch your drives fly through light mountain air toward the Denver skyline.
19th Hole: Arrive early and try the top-notch breakfast burrito before hitting the links.
Battlement Mesa
Hole 18, par 4
Take a moment to enjoy the thousands of folding lines that crease the red-rock faces of Battlement Mesa’s buttes, and then get straight to the business of making that dogleg into prevailing winds. Hole 18 is a fine example of Colorado golf at its best: contoured enough to be interesting, but not so much to be gimmicky.
19th Hole: Mark your score and head for The Rough Bar & Grill, where a cold beer and huevos rancheros await.
The Bridges
Hole 18, par 4
A dark-blue lake embraces the left side of hole 18 at The Bridges in Montrose, and bunkers kiss the right-hand side. All this natural love creates one of the most scenic holes in southwest Colorado, and also makes for a tight finish to a lovely day on this bridge-filled, Nicklaus Design course.
19th Hole: Head to Remington’s to sit on the patio, which looks back down 18 with the San Juan Mountains in the background and a prime-rib sandwich in the foreground.