Vail Getaways & Vail Golf Club

The Vail Valley has 1,000 summer delights, but anchored dead-center is the Vail Golf Club. The public course runs along, beside and over Gore Creek at the base of the Gore Mountains. The clubhouse is just east of Vail Village and the beautiful log clubhouse doubles as the local parks and recreation Nordic center in the winter.

But in summer as visitors ply the local waterways for rafting or fishing, or hike deep into the hills, the course offers a perfect alpine valley respite.

“We’re excited for this summer; we opened May 17 and the course weathered the winter very well. It’s in great shape,” said Alice Plain, the Vail Golf Club’s director of golf.

Days can be spent in all manner of mountain pursuits, with a 9-hole round at twilight a nearly ideal way to wrap the day. Big-money resorts throughout the country are spending a lot to add the sort of twilight-round, laid-back golf vibe that is Vail Golf Club’s primary experience.

“The Gore range is one of the best assets of our golf course, and walking nine in the evening on our golf course is really spectacular,” Plain said.

The course is open to mid-fall – very much weather-dependent – and through the summer they offer clinics and lessons. The course is generally flat with ample fairways and is a good course for couples and families to play while visiting the mountains.

The course can be difficult to get a tee time for an impromptu round but for a $20 per person fee will book tee times any time in the future; otherwise, visitors need to book two weeks in advance.

Vailrec.com

THINGS TO DO

Nearby Vail Village is an arts and music paradise throughout the summer, with the centerpiece for live music and the classical music series Bravo!Vail.

The series features full-week visits by the Dallas Symphony, the Philadelphia Orchestra and the New York Philharmonic and other performers, running June 20 to August 1. In addition to the main-stage performances each night the music festival features free small-venue performances most afternoons and some evenings throughout the community.

BravoVail.Org