It’s always fun to change up the scenery for a round of golf. Whether your home course is surrounded by desert landscape, coastal views or lush Midwestern trees and grass, be sure to add golfing in the Colorado Rocky Mountains to your travel bucket list.
Here is a list of eight golf courses to check out in or near Glenwood Springs, along with a Stay, Play & Swim Golf package from Glenwood Hot Springs Resort and Glenwood Springs Golf Club. You’ll never feel better swinging a golf club and nailing a chip shot than after soaking in natural mineral hot springs, which is both soothing and invigorating.
The Stay, Play & Swim Golf package includes 10% off the room rate at Glenwood Hot Springs Lodge, unlimited hot springs pool access, complimentary made-to-order hot breakfast served at the poolside Grill, one pass for nine or 18 holes of golf per registered guest (ages 13 years and older), golf cart rental, and complimentary rental golf clubs if needed. This package is available through Oct. 31, 2023, and guests are responsible for booking their tee time at least one week before arrival.
As a bonus, we’ve included two local disc golf courses for those who want to play a different kind of 18 holes.
Glenwood Springs Golf Club
Tour Like a Golf Pro
Why limit yourself to one course when there are two in Glenwood Springs and six more within 40 miles to check out?
Since 1955, the nine-hole Glenwood Springs Golf Club has welcomed all levels of players to enjoy tree-lined fairways and carefully manicured greens featuring views of Mt. Sopris and the Roaring Fork Valley. Designed by Henry Hughes, the par 35 course features a practice area, putting green, and clubhouse with a full-service pro shop and Greenside Grill with a patio for pure relaxation after play. The course is open March through October.
Also delivering spectacular views of Mt. Sopris and the Roaring Fork River, the 18-hole Ironbridge Golf Club is a semi-private course in Glenwood Springs’ beautiful alpine setting. In 2014, golf pro Tom Lehman initiated refinements to the original Arthur Hills design. Before or after playing, stop by the Grill for a meal and beverage. Ironbridge Golf Club has won several awards, including Golf Digest’s Top Rated Golf Course in Colorado.
In Carbondale, south of Glenwood Springs, there are two options: River Valley Ranch and Aspen Glen Golf Club. Opened in 1997, River Valley Ranch is a public, 18-hole course designed by Grand Junction native and golf course architect Jay Morrish, ASGCA, who was inducted in the Colorado Golf Hall of Fame. The 7,348-yard course was named a top 10 Colorado public golf course by Golfweek magazine. The pristine waters of the Crystal River flank four holes of play, and amenities include a practice area, full-service pro shop with equipment rentals, Homestead Bar & Grill with a patio, and more.
The private Aspen Glen Club features an 18-hole, par 72 Nicklaus/Nicklaus II-designed golf course with mountain and Roaring Fork River views that is a challenge to pros and novices alike. Opened in 1997, Aspen Glen is undergoing a three-phase, multimillion-dollar project through 2024 that improves both the golf course, clubhouse and amenities such as the pool and pickleball courts. Two golf simulator bays are being added, the clubhouse patio expanded, and pro shop renovated.
West of Glenwood Springs on Interstate 70, the golf courses in New Castle, Rifle and Parachute offered varied landscapes. The 18-hole Lakota Links Golf Course in New Castle is the closest and is situated just below the Flat Tops Wilderness Area. The 7,111-yard layout by James J. Engh has exciting features such as elevated tee boxes, some of which drop 100 feet to the fairway. The public course is open nine months of the year and features Lakota Lookout Bar & Grill for players who work up an appetite and thirst.
Nestled against the Grand Hogback ridge and just down the road from Rifle Mountain Park, the public Rifle Creek Golf Course in Rifle offers two distinct nine-hole tracks. Designed by Richard M. Phelps, ASGCA, the 72-par, 6,235-yard course opened in 1960 and features practice facilities, a pro shop, a clubhouse and Rifle Creek Bar & Grill.
Opened in 1988, the 18-hole Battlement Mesa Golf Club in Parachute delivers a traditional mountain layout with dramatic elevation changes that climb from valley floor to high desert. The opening side begins in the more verdant and tree-studded valley, while there is hardly a tree to be found inbounds on the back nine that climbs a plateau overlooking the Colorado River. Make time for a stop at the Rough Bar and Grill after tackling this 7,309-yard course designed by Finger Dye Spann, Inc.
Heading east from Glenwood Springs on Interstate 70 toward Vail, the public Gypsum Creek Golf Course is a Pete Dye-designed, 18-hole championship course for players of all calibers. Nestled in the Gypsum Valley, the course opened in 1997 and is spread out over a steep, sage-covered mesa. The signature 15th hole is a daunting par-5 that exceeds 550 yards from the back tees and is almost never reached in two shots due to prevailing winds. From there on, steep drop-offs and tough angles are the status quo for the course. The Creekside Grill looks out over the golf course, has expansive outdoor decks, and is the ideal place to relive memorable shots.
River Valley Ranch
Benefits of Playing Golf in the Mountains
A golf ball really does fly farther at high elevation! According to an article by Titleist—maker of golf balls, clubs, gear and accessories—the reason is mainly due to the change in air density, which decreases as elevation increases. Essentially, thinner air exerts less drag force on the ball, allowing it to move more easily through the air. However, the shorter the shot, the smaller effect altitude has on golf ball aerodynamics. For short approaches and greenside shots, there is no need to adjust for elevation.
This isn’t the only benefit of golfing in the Colorado Rocky Mountains. The mild temperatures, spectacular views, and 300 days of annual Colorado sunshine are sure to make golfers smile.
Glenwood Springs Golf Club
Disc Golf Fun
For people who don’t play golf or are disc-golf aficionados, there are two courses in Glenwood Springs. The object is to complete each hole in the fewest number of throws instead of hits. Sunlight Mountain Resort has the 18-hole Mountain Course and the new 27-hole Babbish Gulch Course, and Colorado Mountain College – Spring Valley Campus offers 18 holes. There is no cost to play just bring your own equipment.
The Glenwood Springs area is a perfect combination of golfing in the Colorado Rocky Mountains and soaking in natural hot springs to your heart’s content. Pack your clubs and swimsuit and recruit other like-minded individuals for several days of pure mountain fun.