Celebrate Independence Day in Style

Colorado’s 7 Best Golf Holiday Destinations

By Chris Duthie

For generations, Independence Day has been steeped in backyard barbecues and explosive fireworks displays, but wouldn’t it be great to pair this year’s hot summer holiday with a high-country Colorado golf vacation?

Indeed it would. Here are seven singular places to do precisely that:

In Durango, golfers are enjoying superb course conditioning at the Ken Dye-crafted Dalton Ranch (at right), Hillcrest municipal and private Glacier Club (Arthur Hills and Hale Irwin/Todd Schoeder). While the community’s annual Independence Day Celebration is an eye-candy carnival, consider driving 45 miles up the San Juan Skyway to experience Silverton’s fireworks fest, ranked among the state’s best.

Montrose is ahh-mazing in the summer, especially at semi-private The Bridges (Nicklaus Design, below), Cobble Creek (Craig Cherry) and Black Canyon. Further, the community’s July 4^th fun runs, parade and evening fireworks display help connect us to the enriching appeal of rural Colorado.

Grand County’s 8,000-foot elevation and sublime golf courses epitomize a summer-sizzle escape. Great golf is played at Pole Creek (Dennis Griffiths, pictured atop), Grand Elk (Craig Stadler), Grand Lake (Dick Phelps) and Golf Granby Ranch (Mike Asmundson/Nicklaus Design). On July 4^th attend Kremmling’s Fire Up the Cliffs celebration or the sky-painting Grand Lake Fireworks Extravaganza.

While Aspen is a celebrated winter haven, its high-altitude summer scene is perhaps even more heavenly. Golfers swing away at Aspen Golf Club (Frank Hummel), River Valley Ranch (Jay Morrish) and Ironbridge (Arthur Hills/Tom Lehman, below left). On July 4^th attend the town’s Old Fashioned Celebration with buddy races, kids bike decorating, rugby, parade, picnic and big-sky explosions.

Summit County’s golf attraction is legendary, especially at 27-hole Breckenridge Golf Club (Jack Nicklaus), Raven at Three Peaks (Tom Lehman and Michael Hurdzan/Dana Fry, above right) and Keystone Ranch (Robert Trent Jones Jr.) and The River Course at Keystone (Hurdzan/Fry). Click here to review the July 4^th celebrations in Breckenridge, Copper Mountain, Keystone, Silverthorne, Frisco and Leadville.

For beat-the-heat golf, it’s hard to rival the Vail Valley’s remarkable courses — like Sonnenalp (Jay Morrish/Bob Cupp, below), Vail Golf Club (Ben Krueger), 36-hole Red Sky Golf Club (Tom Fazio and Greg Norman), Beaver Creek (Robert Trent Jones Jr.) and exclusive Club at Cordillera (Tom Fazio, Jack Nicklaus and Hale Irwin). And for a truly memorable July 4^th, bring your patriotic pride to Vail America Days or the Beaver Creek Independence Day Celebration.

Steamboat Springs is hugely popular for Rocky Mountain golfers who play Haymaker (Keith Foster, below), Rollingstone Ranch (Robert Trent Jones Jr.), Steamboat Golf Club and Craig’s Yampa Valley. Don’t miss the community’s July 4^th Celebration for the rollicking parade, banging fireworks and 114^th Annual Cowboys’ Roundup Days.

What are your favorite July 4^th memories of Colorado? Share your comments below.

RELATED LINKS

Play Telluride, Crested Butte, Gunnison and Durango

The Magic of Montrose

Grand County is Rocky Mountain Majesty

Weekend Breakaway to Aspen 

Chris Duthie is a Durango-based contributor to Colorado AvidGolfer. Colorado AvidGolfer 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.