Colorado Getaways: Vail Valley and Aspen

GOLF//WHERE TO PLAY

Ten. The number suggests perfection, which is appropriate for Red Sky Golf Club in Wolcott. Its Fazio course turned 10 last year, and the Norman layout celebrates its 10th birthday this year. Members and guests alternate play on the two spectacular mountain designs. The Norman made both Golf’s and Golf Digest’s lists of Top 100 public courses. The Fazio ranked slightly lower but is second to none.

Tom Fazio, Jack Nicklaus and Hale Irwin have each designed a course at The Club at Cordillera, and for the first time in two years the club plans to open all three. With the well-pubicized legal wrangling finally in the past, the club has hired Troon Privé, the private club operating division of Troon Golf, to manage the Valley, Mountain and Summit layouts, giving Cordillera’s full golf members exclusive access to over 30 world-class private clubs. 970-569-6460; cordillera-vail.com

Know It From Adam’s
Spreading across 285 of the 1,600 acres covered by the Adam’s Rib Ranch development south of Eagle, Adams Mountain Country Club features a spectacular 7,181-yard Tom Weiskopf design framed by mountains in the scenic Brush Creek Valley. Ten holes holes play along water, thanks to eight man-made lakes. Unlimited golf comes with club membership, which is available to residents and nonresidents and includes access to the clubhouse, fitness center, spa, guest cottages, pool, tennis courts and equestrian facility. adamsribranch.com; 888-760-2326.

Local Knowledge

  • Vail Golf Club, the first course built in Eagle County, last month received Town Council approval to comprehensively remodel and modestly expand its existing clubhouse. The project is still in the design and conceptual stage.
  • Eagle Vail Golf Club also has the family-friendly Willow Creek Par 3, where the longest hole is 100 yards. Another economical, fun par-3 is The Ranch at Roaring Fork on the way to Aspen in Carbondale.
  • Beaver Creek Golf Club is exclusively available to club members, their guests and Beaver Creek, Bachelor Gulch and Arrowhead lodging guests. Stay and Play packages can knock up to 40 percent off lodging.

Photo Credit: Jack Affleck

Tips from the Pros
Don’t always reach for the driver on long par-5s like the double-dogleg 593-yard 16th at Eagle Ranch. A 3-wood or long iron won’t let you go through the fairway. Power isn’t always the key on monster holes. Lay up and score.
— Jeff Boyer, PGA Director of Golf, Eagle Ranch Golf Club

The “everything breaks toward the valley” mantra is not always true at Red Sky. Look at the topography around the greens for high and low spots that dictate fall lines and slope. Our wonderful yardage books feature each green’s slope in different quadrants to determine uphill and downhill putts.
—Jeff Hanson, PGA Director of Golf, Red Sky Golf Club

FEATURED COURSES
Adam’s Mountain Country Club
1094 Frost Creek Drive, Eagle
888-760-2326
adamsribranch.com

Aspen Glen Club
545 Bald Eagle Way, Carbondale
970-704-1905
clubcorp.com

Aspen Golf Club
1000 Truscott Pl, Aspen
970-429-1949
aspengolf.com

Beaver Creek Golf Club
103 Offerson Rd, Beaver Creek
970-845-5775
beavercreek.com/golf

The Club at Cordillera
– Valley Course
– Mountain Course
– Summit Course
Edwards
970-569-6460
cordillera-vail.com

The Short Course at Cordillera
100 Kensington Drive, Edwards
970-926-5550
golfcordillera9.com

Country Club of the Rockies
676 Sawatch Drive, Edwards
970-926-3080
countrycluboftherockies.com

Eagle Ranch Golf Club
0050 Lime Park Drive, Eagle
970-328-2882
eagleranchgolf.com

Eagle Vail Golf Club
459 Eagle Drive, Avon
970-949-5267
eaglevailgolfclub.com

Gypsum Creek Golf Course
530 Cotton Ranch Drive, Gypsum
970-524-6200
gypsumcreekgolf.com

Ironbridge Golf Club
430 Ironbridge Drive, Glenwood Springs
970-384-0630

Lakota Canyon Ranch Golf Club
1000 Club House Drive, New Castle
970-984-9700

Roaring Fork Club
100 Arbaney Ranch Rd, Basalt
970-927-9000
roaringforkclub.com

Snowmass Club
239 Snowmass Club Cir, Snowmass Village
970-923-5600

Sonnenalp Golf Club
1265 Berry Creek Road, Edwards
970-477-5372
sonnenalpgolfclub.com

Vail Golf Club
1778 Vail Valley Drive, Vail
970-479-2260
vailgolfclub.net

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 www.coloradoavidgolfer.com.

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