Colorado Getaways 2023: Granby Ranch

More than Great Golf

IF YOU’RE A GOLFER in a family of non-golfers, or vice versa, planning a family golf getaway can be tough if there’s nothing for the non-golfers to do. That’s not a problem with Granby Ranch Golf Course, the summertime centerpiece of a burgeoning community that also includes the nearby Granby Ranch ski area.

The course itself is reason enough to visit, with two totally distinct nines and a beautiful setting along the Fraser River. The front nine plays through meadows and wetlands, with two holes along the river, while the back nine works its way up and down a narrow valley at the foot of the ski area.

“Design-wise, it’s just fun golf, with good views and interesting hole designs,” says David Crosby, Granby Ranch‘s golf operations supervisor. Away from the course, the ski area operates its bike-hauling Quick Draw Express lift during the summer, giving access to an extensive network of downhill and cross-country mountain biking trails. Granby Ranch residents can reserve private stretches of river for fishing, and there are miles of hiking  trails through the nearby Arapaho and Roosevelt national forests.

The ski area base hosts concerts and events throughout the summer. Just down the hill, the town of Granby serves up an authentic Western vibe along with great shopping and dining, and it’s a short drive to boating and camping on Lake Granby and Grand Lake or sightseeing in Rocky Mountain National Park.

With so much to offer besides great golfing, it’s no surprise that Granby Ranch, which has a wedding venue at the base of the ski area, has emerged as a popular place to tie the knot.

“We get a fair amount of those, where the day before the wedding everyone will come out and play some golf,” says Crosby.

Also popular is the Granby Ranch community, which occupies some 5,000 acres just south of Granby and has plans for hundreds more homes to go along with the hundreds already built. It doesn’t take a genius to account for Granby Ranch’s popularity. A great golf course, in a great setting, with tons of non-golf activities for every member of the family. You couldn’t ask for much more than that. golfgranbyranch.com

---

Colorado AvidGolfer Magazine is the state’s leading resource for golf and the lifestyle that surrounds it, publishing eight issues annually and proudly delivering daily content via coloradoavidgolfer.com.

Follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.