Hurry up and play these almost 2-mile-high Colorado courses
Their views are unforgettable but their seasons are short. Start planning now for September visits to Colorado’s five publicly accessible courses at over 9,000 feet, before their brilliant colors fade to white and putters give way to snowshoers with the first snowfall.
Elevation note: The numbers generally reflect the course apex. Golfers not used to such heights will want to drink more water than usual and club down.
The Club at Crested Butte: Course designer Robert Trent Jones II got so carried away with the setting at 9,004 feet that he designed the bunkers in the pattern of snow melting in the mountains. Open since 1984 as a private club, Crested Butte welcomes guests to the tee daily between 11:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. Play it as long as 7,155 yards or as short as 5,004. Reservations taken seven days in advance at 970-349-8601.
Telluride Ski and Golf Club: Opened in 1992 and refreshed in 2008 by City Park designer Todd Schoeder, the par-70 course at 9,417 feet has the distinction of views not only down below the Turkey Creek Mesa but looking up at surrounding 13- and 14-ers. Like Crested Butte, Telluride is private and caters to the ski crowd as well as golf members, but nonmembers can play by booking a stay at the Peaks Resort & Spa.
Breckenridge Golf Club: Jack Nicklaus designed Breck to serve the local community in three phases: in 1985, the Bear nine, 1987 the Beaver nine and then 2001 the Elk nine. Each is named after the primary creature that shares its habitat and all are in play daily with these combinations: Beaver-Bear, Bear-Elk, Elk-Beaver. At the pinnacle, Elk No. 7 tee starts at 9,445 feet and drops down 75 feet over the next 400 yards or so. Book online up to 90 days in advance and prepay for the best rate.
Mount Massive Golf Course: This locally beloved Leadville nine at 9,680 feet has long claimed the distinction of “North America’s highest course.” In the face of some competition from our next entry on the list , it planted the town elevation of 10,152 feet on its logo! Mount Massive is definitely the most affordable course on the list and maybe the narrowest. It doesn’t have to groom its fairways for the ski crowd, so, weather permitting, you might still be able to play this one in October.
Copper Creek Golf Course: Pete and Perry Dye designed the original layout here in 1986 that’s undergone a fresh redesign by Cynthia Dye over the past three years reducing the course to nine holes and then 14 holes and finally, this month, restoring it to 18. They’ve been just waiting for the grass to grow – not an easy task in Colorado but especially challenging at 9,800 feet, or 9,863 feet, where the 14th tee overlooks the new layout. But, hurry: Closing day is Sept. 29.
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Veteran journalist Susan Fornoff has written about golf for publications including the San Francisco Chronicle, ColoradoBiz magazine and her own GottaGoGolf.com. She provides the voice of “Molly McMulligan,” the CGA’s on-course consultant on golf for fun. Email her at mollymcmulligan@gmail.com.
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