Walk from your room to the course at these Colorado destinations
Just as “first tee” inspires fresh starts and “19th hole” calls to mind cocktails, “The Broadmoor” has become synonymous with the phrase “Colorado golf resort.” This iconic Colorado Springs getaway folds history, beauty and service into a cherished gift box that also happens to contain world-class golf. Internationally known, it’s a Fab 5 all by itself.
But it’s vacation season, and Colorado isn’t lacking for wildly varied alternatives to the consensus No. 1. Here are five more getaways where you can easily walk from your room to the golf course, no hiking boots required. They’re listed in order of approximate cost, from bargain to luxury.
Grandote Lodge/Grandote Peaks Golf and Country Club (La Veta): Many Coloradoans happily put La Veta back on their wish list last year when mowers revisited this cherished Weiskopf-Morrish design after five years closed and three more on the edge of foreclosure. New owners Corinne and John Condon have made many improvements, renovating the clubhouse, adding a steakhouse and event center, and making a pole barn wedding-friendly. Across the street from the course, the new Grandote Lodge awaits your foursome – or two foursomes! There are three bedrooms, three living rooms each with sleeper sofa, three bathrooms, a kitchen and two big porches. Price tag: Just $400 a night for the whole thing, with smaller configurations available at $175.
The Bridges (Montrose): If you’ve ever wondered what it’s like to stay in the Crow’s Nest at Augusta Golf Club and simply take the stairs down to the locker room, you might want to book a room in the spectacular clubhouse at the Bridges. Guest rooms have that golf-clubby look to them, with all the privacy and comfort of any hotel and an easy jaunt home from dinner at Remington’s overlooking the course. Then there’s the Nicklaus Design that awaits just outside. At least plan to venture out once or twice: Must-see Black Canyon of the Gunnison is just 20 minutes away, and the town of Montrose serves up a tasty microbrew selection. Price tag: The seven suites range from $125 to $250 a night, depending on size and view.
Elkhorn Lodge/Beaver Creek Golf Club (Beaver Creek): The golf course opens to the public only in its shoulder season; from June 15-Sept. 15, guests need to stay at one of its lodging partners to tee off atop the narrow, scenic, Robert Trent Jones Jr. design. Right next door sits the Elkhorn Lodge, a condominium complex where units are decorated individually but fireplaces and Jacuzzis are standard. Beaver Creek Village restaurants also are just a short walk away. (Family favorite: Blue Moose Pizza at happy hour.) Price tag: You can find a studio apartment at the Elkhorn for about $280 a night online, or spring for three bedrooms and a loft for $536. Call in season for golf package pricing.
The Peaks Resort & Spa/Telluride Golf Club (Telluride): The golf season is short but oh so sweet at 9,500 feet, the elevation that transitions a ski club in winter into a golf club in summer. The Peaks presides over the par-70 golf course, with 14ers in sight from both rooms and fairways, and boasts an acclaimed spa to soothe the back or the nerves. Price tag: This varies wildly from room to suite to condo to cabin; peak season accommodations at the Peaks start at about $425 a night for a room and top out at about $3,000 a night for a four-bedroom, luxe cabin.
Flying Horse Resort and Club (Colorado Springs): A stay at the 96-room Lodge gives guests a sample of membership in the Club, which has two acclaimed golf courses, two pools and fitness facilities accessible only to members and resort guests. (The public can visit the spa and dine at the Steakhouse.) The Lodge is just a short walk away from the original Weiskopf course; the newer North Course, designed by Phil Smith, requires a 10-minute drive. Price tag: The two-night golf package with unlimited golf for two from noon on the day of arrival to noon on the day of departure starts at about $900 nightly in season. Or book a room with one round of golf starting at about $590 nightly.
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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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