Colorado Summer Golf Trip Ideas

Colorado Summer Golf Trip Ideas
Red Sky Golf Club

Summit County

Breckenridge, just 80 miles from central Denver, is the only city in the U.S. that boasts a 27-hole, Jack Nicklaus-designed municipal course, Breckenridge Golf Club. (breckenridgegolfclub.com) Moreover, as a ski destination, Breckenridge (gobreck.com) offers plenty of housing possibilities, including condos, which makes the pre- and post-golf gatherings so much easier. Less than 14 miles north of Breckenridge on Highway 9 perches The Raven at Three Peaks (ravenatthreepeaks.com).   

Women's Golf Trip near Colorado

For those who prefer an onsite stay with two courses, Keystone Resort (keystoneresort.com) is a perfect fit. The expansive Robert Trent Jones II Ranch course, with its first-rate restaurant, and the Hurdzan/Fry rollercoaster at The River Course make it a one-stop-shop in one of Colorado’s most beautiful spots.

Vail Valley

Known worldwide for its back bowls, the Vail Valley also drips with golf opps. Again, thanks to nearby ski resorts, there are plenty of group housing options.

Accommodations at designated Vail Resorts properties (vailresorts.com)  give access to Red Sky Golf Club (redskygolfclub.com), 20 minutes west of Vail, where Tom Fazio and Greg Norman each designed a beauty of a course. 

Closer to downtown is another Vail Resorts property, Beaver Creek Golf Club (beavercreek.com), a tight, scenic Robert Trent Jones Jr. layout with stay-and-play packages for groups. 

Two nearby courses–as well as Vail’s Eurovillage—are nearby. The enforced 4:07 pace-of-play at Vail Golf Club (vailrec.com) might irk the Ben Cranes in your group, but it’s fabulous golf. Also, EagleVail Golf Club (eaglevailgolfclub.com) has a par-3 course that suitable for a fun betting round—or a brisk game of FootGolf.

Cordillera Summit Course - summer golf trips
Cordillera Summit Course

Southwest of Edwards, The Lodge and Spa at Cordillera (cordilleralodge.com) gives you golf variety with three 18-hole courses and a nine-hole Dave Pelz Short Game Course. For groups, you can’t beat Cordillera’s luxury rental homes.

Thirty-five miles west of Vail in Eagle sits the Arnold Palmer-designed Eagle Ranch Golf Club (eagleranchgolf.com). Stay-and-play packages are quite attractive for those who prefer fewer tourists with their golf excursion. And just 15 miles further west is the Pete Dye-designed Gypsum Creek Golf Course (gypsumcreekgolf.com). At a peak price of $60 per round with cart, it’s one of the best deals in Eagle County. 

Aspen

On the edge of town is the scenic Aspen Golf Club (aspengolf.com). With 14 holes having water in play, it requires your attention, and as the only public course within 30 miles, it requires booking way ahead. A half-hour north in Carbondale sits River Valley Ranch Golf Club (rvrgolf.com), a Jay Morrish design along the Crystal River. Continue north towards Glenwood Springs for a shot at Ironbridge Golf Club, or, head west on I-70 to New Castle’s Lakota Canyon Ranch Golf Club (lakotacanyonranch.com). Golf groups can find great deals in Carbondale and the tourist mecca of Glenwood Springs.

Grand Junction

Colorado Summer Golf trip ideas - Redlands Mesa
Redlands Mesa

One of Colorado’s most photogenic golf experiences is Redlands Mesa Golf Club (redlandsmesa.com), a Jim Engh opus that threads through mesas, ridges, buttes and sere vegetation with views of the Colorado National Monument and Grand Mesa. Tiara Rado Golf Course (golfgrandjunction.net) is not nearly as dramatic, but the course’s conditioning makes it worth the time. Devil’s Thumb Golf Course (devilsthumbgolfcourse.net) in nearby Delta, plays through the moonscape known as the Adobe Hills. At $59 for 18 holes with a cart on weekends, it remains one of Colorado’s top values. In addition to a latticework of hiking and biking trails, as well as a Grand Junction’s downtown, there’s plenty of locally produced wine to try in Palisade. The lodging is as reasonably priced as the golf.

Eastern Plains

Colorado golf trips - Ballyneal
Ballyneal

You want a special trip? Head to Holyoke, home of Ballyneal Golf Club
(ballyneal.com). Tom Doak’s masterwork heaves through the sandy “chop hills” created by ancient oceans and mighty winds. Though private, the property receives golf guests in their lodges. Want more? Cross the border into Nebraska and drive three hours to Valentine, where you’ll find The Prairie Club (theprairieclub.com) and its superb troika of courses, tasteful accommodations and excellent cuisine.

Colorado Springs

The Broadmoor Cottages make for a golf buddy trip
Cottages at the Broadmoor

Few destinations in the world—let alone the state—boast the magnificence of The Broadmoor (broadmoor.com). Its East and West courses have hosted national USGA events, and the Broadmoor Cottages along the East’s 18th fairway treat golf groups like champions with up to eight bedrooms and the world-class amenities you’d expect from a five-star, five-diamond resort. A veranda, outdoor fireplace and other comfortable appointments make for a homey headquarters.

ALSO SEE: Memory Upgrades – Why Golf Trips Aren’t Always About the Golf

This article appears in the June 2016 issue of Colorado AvidGolfer.

Colorado AvidGolfer is the state’s leading resource for golf and the lifestyle that surrounds it. It publishes eight issues annually and proudly delivers daily content via coloradoavidgolfer.com.

GET COLORADO GOLF NEWS DIRECTLY TO YOUR INBOX