ssherstad

Always enjoy playing this course. Someday I’ll birdie that 6th hole....I wish.

Nice layout. Normally good conditions. Greens are nice. Cart paths a crumbling. But the golf is worth it.

Due to COVID only Keystone’s River Course was open this season and it will close for winter Oct 4. I’ll play again that day.
Ranch Course did not open but was maintained daily so it should be in great shape next year.
Keystones conditions were the best of Summit County this year. I played them all.
Looking forward to playing both courses again next year.

I played 36 holes with my son last Friday. I've always loved the design and the secluded front nine of this course. It's under new ownership and hopefully will recover from irrigation issues this season.
The strangest complaint I'd have is their COVID flag sticks. They have prongs at their base that knock several putts back out of the hole. Generally you can tell whether or not your ball would've stayed in the cup but not always. On the 6th hole my son hit the pin from 100 yds out. The ball settled by the hole but we couldn't tell if the prongs knocked it out? I gave him an eagle 2. Then on the next hole 183 yard blind par 3 he hit a perfect shot. When we got to the green we found his ball 18" right of the hole. We yelled to the group up on 8th tee box to see if it had hit the pin and they said it had curled around it. I gave him a birdie. He wanted an ace!
Those pins need to be set lower or replaced. Keystone simply uses a cut PVC pipe low in the holes with the old flags. Problem solved.

Formerly a semi-tricked up Chase Oaks GC went through various struggles and was eventually rebuilt and owned by the city of Allen (in spite of sitting in Plano).
See if you can score a par or better on the 6th hole here.

Keystone Ranch is in great shape this year. They heavy late snows were good for the course.
The Ranch is not tricked up at all. Built on an old working Ranch only holes 1 and 2 are tree lined. The remaining holes meander through a beautiful meadow valley.
The cart path up to the ninth hole blue tees is now paved....finally!

Played Redlands Mesa again Sat, July 21, 2018.
I love this course. So beautiful and fun to play. Great variety of holes and shots.
My only complaint is the 13th hole is too crazy even for a Jim Engh design. From the Redlands tee I'd have had to hit a 280 yd drive down the middle then turn back more than 90 degrees to the green. I came up short on my drive and had to drive a totally blind shot over the rocky ridge. Uggh!
But I'm anxious to play it again. Maybe from the Canyon Tees.

It's been a super year for Keystone. And the conditions are still great with aspens turning golden and greens and fairways still in great shape. It snowed a bit last night but conditions should be good again next week.

This was the perfect course for our annual 8 man Colorado Golf Binge to play as a wrap up from our 5 days and 6 rounds of tough mountain golf. I'd played this course years ago when it was Heritage Golf Course at Westmoor. I enjoyed it then and I feel we all enjoyed it even more this week.

The course is in super condition. Greens are fast and true. Fairways are lush but not mushy. The course was renamed as Walnut Creek Preserve April, 2017 and became Colorado's first golf preserve with lots of special attention to protecting the environment and practicing astute sustainability.

The fairways are generous but the roughs are rough The greens are extra large and quite penal if your approach leaves you above the hole.

Trees are generally not a factor although I managed to crash high into a big Cottonwood on the inside of the dogleg right par 4 8th hole.

The back nine plays relatively close to the Rocky Mountain Metropolitan Airport with lots of air traffic to divert your attention rather than dwelling on your last 3-putt.

The course is generally a Scottish links style track with loads of inviting bunkers....90 total: 38 on the front nine and a whopping 52 on the back. Water is only a real factor with ponds on the par 3 7th hole, the par 4 16th hole and the tough par 5 18th hole.

Rather than having 5 tees of varied colors or names Walnut Creek simply has 5 numbered cut wood limbs with a neat western style WC brand burned into each pc. Our group handicaps are in the 6-17 range and we normally play courses in the 6,200 yd range. We found it a little strange that Walnut Creek doesn't offer tees in this range. Tee #4 measures 5,975 yards while Tee #3 jumps to 6,528 yards. Possibly offering a combo tee option would be a good fit for this gap.

We ended our Binge with pitchers of beer and great food while settling our bets and reliving our stories including one of our players holing out from 60 yards on his last shot of the week on #18. 'Great memories from a great golf perserve!

My group of mostly out-of-state Colorado Golf Binge players thoroughly enjoyed playing here again last week. Our weather was great and the course was in fine shape.

The fairways were lush and the greens were fast and true. Hole #7 continues to be a challenge for drainage but almost all other problem areas seem to be largely corrected with updates on their irrigation systems. The Raven's biggest challenge seems to be keeping the cart paths from sliding down the mountainsides....a problem common to Summit County including I-70.

The unique features of The Raven are generally wide and lush fairways, large and fine greens that are very challenging to read and great elevation changes.

Bring your camera for great Rocky Mountain scenery combined with a fair amount of local wildlife including fox, deer, an occasional moose and ospreys that for years have had their huge nest on a post overlooking the 3rd fairway. You may see an osprey snatch a large trout from ponds of The Raven or the neighboring ponds and fly it back to its tall nest on the pole.

The Raven staff will welcome you to a great day of golf and send you off on what begins as a rather tame front nine. But as you climb from the Blue River valley uphill to the par 3 8th hole (appropriately named Buena Vista) you'll be ready for 2 very exciting downhillers. The 8th hole measures 184 yds from the Raven (tips) tees and 134 yds from the forward tees. A flatlander with a good game should probably hit about 2 clubs less than he'd hit this distance at low altitude due to the approximate 150 ft. drop from tee to green and the thin, light air at almost 9,000' above sea level. Of course this depends on the wind that day. Just don't miss left or long!

Then #9 is a breathtaking par 4 with a launch pad tee box that must sit 300 feet or more above the green on this par 4 monster. Drive your tee shot straight out into the Rocky Mountain air and watch it drop hopefully to the center of the lush, downsloping fairway. Then hit your long iron to the left front of the right sloping green, earn your birdie or par and head happily past the beautiful Raven clubhouse and patio to the even more challenging back nine.

The Raven's back nine has two very tough par 3s (#12 and 14) and five fun but challenging par 4s. But it's the two par 5s that really define the back nine here. #11 (properly named Waterloo) is a super risk/reward hole. Your tee shot hopefully will land just short of the large trout filled pond straight off the tee. A well-struck 200+ yard, high risk second shot over the pond puts you in great position for a birdie or eagle. But the more prudent shot tends to be playing the hole as a double dogleg and hit a mid to long iron left of the pond in preparation for lofting a high, soft iron to a green that can be tough to hold.

My favorite hole is The Raven's signature #16. It's a long downhill, dogleg right par 5. Measuring 601 yards from the tips and 489 yards from the forward tees this hole welcomes a long, left center tee shot followed by an equally long and well aimed second shot near or on a well- bunkered, roller coaster green. From #16 you begin a long, uphill climb through two tough par 4s and finish at a high point on the course.

After your final putt on #18 you'll drive a long, steep, downhill cart path with lots of switchbacks before returning to the clubhouse for a great lunch, dinner and/or drinks on the normally sunny patio. You've earned a beverage of choice following your Rocky Mountain high golf experience at The Raven at Three Peaks.

After playing the Keystone Ranch Course in the morning of Aug 21 during the eclipse our 2 foursomes moved to the River Course for a nice, quick lunch then headed out for a fun afternoon of high altitude golf. The course is in super condition and my buddies always enjoy the extreme altitude changes on the back nine.

The Keystone Resort provides the ultimate in Colorado year round outdoors activities. A traveler wanting a great variety in winter sports or summer golf, biking, hiking, sailing, rafting, etc. can't go wrong by booking a trip to beautiful Keystone, Colorado.

Keystone has two spectacular 18 hole courses with two separate clubhouses: The River Course at Keystone and Keystone Ranch Course. Both are in the best condition I've ever seen this summer. This review is on The River Course. I played this course again this year with my Colorado Golf Binge group and the conditions of the fairways and tee boxes were great. We played 5 great Colorado courses last week at The River Course at Keystone Resort was voted as the favorite for several in our group largely due to the beautiful vistas and the exciting elevation drops.

The River Course at Keystone hosted our son's pre-wedding golf tourney in 2012 and everything was spectacular. Many of our players said that the River Course, the staff's service and that round of golf was the best golf experience they'd ever had.

Keystone River Course opened in 2000 and has received numerous awards including three consecutive Silver Medals as one of America's Best Golf Resorts by Golf Magazine 2002-2007. Golf Digest ranked it as one of American's Top 75 Golf Resorts. It always ranks high in Colorado resorts and especially a favorite for women due to the friendly forward tees and the beauty of the normally snow-capped mountains towering over the lush green Snake River Valley.

The River Course is all about excitement, beauty and challenging shot-making. Five tee boxes on every hole allow you to pick your poison. The front nine opens with a gorgeous view of the Snake River valley and upcoming holes with a 551 yard par five off a high tee launching pad. You'll wonder if your golf cart will survive 18 holes after that drive up to the first tee. It will! After your tee shot settles to the lush fairway well short of the snow-capped peaks of the Continental Divide and Keystone and Arapahoe Basin ski areas you will work your way through the valley and the front nine. Holes 5 and 6 are exciting target golf holes through a marshland often home to grazing elk and deer. #7 is a beautiful but tricky par 3 over the Snake River. After a long downhill par 3 ninth hole you'll pass the clubhouse and practice area and up into the hills of the back nine.

Hole #16 is the wildest tee shot on the course. It's a 500 yard downhill, dogleg left par 4 with a 200' elevation drop. #17 is a drive and a wedge to a challenging elevated green. The finishing hole provides a wonderful view of Lake Dillon, Buffalo Mountain and the Gore Range. This 520 yard par 5 is now ranked as the #18 handicap while the 222 yard par 3 third hole is ranked as the #1 handicap. This seems more logical than automatically slapping the toughest handicap ratings on the par 5's as done on many courses. The River Course at Keystone is certainly a beauty and a wonderful change for a Southerner tired of the summer heat, humidity and of playing flat, dry golf courses. And when you've played the River Course it's time you treated yourself to the Keystone Ranch Course. It's older and quite different from the River Course but also fun and challenging.

Steve Corneillier, GM of Golf, and his large staff do an excellent job of running their two top notch resort courses. Phillip Tobias is PGA Head Golf Pro at The River Course. Tod Anderson is Tournament Coordinator. Jim Banks is Head Pro at the Ranch Course. I've always found all the Keystone staff to be friendly, professional and most helpful.

At times Keystone offers some great Stay and Play packages at great rates at the Inn at Keystone including golf at the Keystone Ranch Course and deals on golf and fly fishing clinics plus nature hikes and more. Check it out on their website www.golfkeystone.com.

Aug 21 our annual Colorado Golf Binge played Keystone Ranch during the eclipse. We had a great time playing this special course with very weird lighting on holes 8 thru 11. The course is in great condition and a favorite of our group.

Following a long winter and a very wet Spring including a 2' May snowfall both Keystone courses are in the best shape ever this summer. Some improvements have been made to the tee boxes for this season and the blue tees are a bit more foregiving than in the past.

I struggle often with the front nine especially holes 4 thru 6. I've donated lots of balls to the meadows there. But I still love the course.

Built in 1980 Keystone Ranch is the older of the two Keystone 18 hole courses. It's a perfect compliment to The River Course at Keystone. Part of your challenge in playing The Keystone Ranch is finding it! From I-70 follow Highway 6 through Dillon past The River Course at Keystone. Take a right on West Keystone Rd. Follow the signs to the Ranch Course across the Snake River. Take a right on Soda Ridge Rd then a left on Keystone Ranch Rd just before the Keystone Stables. Follow this up a steep slope past some great River Course back nine holes then down through the Ranch Course entrance. You'll see the quaint old log Ranch House (this is a super restaurant and the Ranch Pro Shop). Keystone Ranch offers 4 tee boxes (blue, white, gold and red) to fit your game.

The Keystone Ranch Course opens with a tree lined par 5 and par 4 similar to The River Course. But the remaining 16 holes are a beautiful mix of Scottish links and mountain meadow holes. #3 is a blind dogleg right par 4 protected by an old Lodgepole Pine sitting in the front, right sand trap.

An exciting shot from an elevated tee on #4 drops you to the meadow for the remainder of the front nine. #5 plays 190 yds from the tips (blue tees) and provides a glimpse of Keystone Ranch's history with the weathered old barns and ranch equipment backing this shallow green.

#9 is an exciting par 4 with a heavy dose of risk/reward opportunities for those daring to carry a large pond and a marshland inlet from an elevated tee.

The front nine has 29 bunkers while the back has a staggering 41. #10 throws you into these challenges. It's a long par 4 and the number 1 handicap hole. You'll learn that most balls break away from Westridge (on your east) toward the west and down the valley toward Buffalo Mountain and the Gore Range.....regardless of what you think you read.

#18 is a classic finishing par 5 with a required carry over water and marshland off the tee to a fairway skirting the large pond. See marble slab diagram of The Ranch Course or pull up the scorecard and diagram at www.keystoneresort.com . Keystone's Stay and Play is a great deal for the perfect sampling of Rocky Mountain golf, fishing, hiking, biking and dining. And the air is cool, fresh and clean. Check it out.

I've played Keystone Ranch several times. Following a long winter and a very wet Spring including a 2' May snowfall both Keystone courses are in the best shape ever this summer. Some improvements have been made to the tee boxes for this season and the blue tees are a bit more foregiving than in the past.

I struggle often with the front nine. I've donated lots of balls to the meadows there. But I still love the course.

Built in 1980 Keystone Ranch is the older of the two Keystone 18 hole courses. It's a perfect compliment to The River Course at Keystone. Part of your challenge in playing The Keystone Ranch is finding it! From I-70 follow Highway 6 through Dillon past The River Course at Keystone. Take a right on West Keystone Rd. Follow the signs to the Ranch Course across the Snake River. Take a right on Soda Ridge Rd then a left on Keystone Ranch Rd just before the Keystone Stables. Follow this up a steep slope past some great River Course back nine holes then down through the Ranch Course entrance. You'll see the quaint old log Ranch House (this is a super restaurant and the Ranch Pro Shop). Keystone Ranch offers 4 tee boxes (blue, white, gold and red) to fit your game.

The Keystone Ranch Course opens with a tree lined par 5 and par 4 similar to The River Course. But the remaining 16 holes are a beautiful mix of Scottish links and mountain meadow holes. #3 is a blind uphill dogleg right par 4 protected by an old Lodgepole Pine sitting in the front, right sand trap.

An exciting shot from an elevated tee on #4 drops you to the meadow for the remainder of the front nine. #5 plays 190 yds from the tips (blue tees) and provides a glimpse of Keystone Ranch's history with the weathered old barns and ranch equipment backing this shallow green.

#9 is an exciting par 4 with a heavy dose of risk/reward opportunities for those daring to carry a large pond and a marshland inlet from an elevated tee.

The front nine has 29 bunkers while the back has a staggering 41. #10 throws you into these challenges. It's a long par 4 and the number 1 handicap hole. You'll learn that most balls break away from Westridge (on your east) toward the west and down the valley toward Buffalo Mountain and the Gore Range.....regardless of what you think you read.

#18 is a classic finishing par 5 with a required carry over water and marshland off the tee to a fairway skirting the large pond. See marble slab diagram of The Ranch Course in photo or pull up the scorecard and diagram at www.keystoneresort.com . Keystone's Stay and Play is a great deal for the perfect sampling of Rocky Mountain golf, fishing, hiking, biking and dining. And the air is cool, fresh and clean. Check it out.

The Raven at Three Peaks is a "must play" for a traveling golfer anxious to experience Rocky Mountain beauty with fresh, clear air, gorgeous views and no humidity. The Raven at Three Peaks has won many national and Colorado state awards for its golf and service.

My group of mostly out-of-state players thoroughly enjoyed playing here in 2016 and we're playing it again in 3 weeks.

The fairways and greens were in fine shape other than a few boggy spots on some fairways. The Raven's biggest challenge seems to be keeping the cart paths from sliding down the mountainsides....a problem common to Summit County including I-70.

The unique features of The Raven are generally wide and lush fairways, large and fine greens that are very challenging to read and great elevation changes.

Bring your camera for great Rocky Mountain scenery combined with a fair amount of local wildlife including fox, deer, an occasional moose and ospreys that for years have had their huge nest on a post overlooking the 3rd fairway. You may see an osprey snatch a large trout from ponds of The Raven or the neighboring ponds and fly it back to its tall nest on the pole.

The Raven staff will welcome you to a great day of golf and send you off on what begins as a rather tame front nine. But as you climb from the Blue River valley uphill to the par 3 8th hole (appropriately named Buena Vista) you'll be ready for 2 very exciting downhillers. The 8th hole measures 184 yds from the Raven (tips) tees and 134 yds from the forward tees. A flatlander with a good game should probably hit about 3 clubs less than he'd hit this distance at low altitude due to the approximate 150 ft. drop from tee to green and the thin, light air at almost 9,000' above sea level. Of course this depends on the wind that day. Just don't miss left or long!

Then #9 is a breathtaking par 4 with a launch pad tee box that must sit 300 feet or more above the green on this par 4 monster. Drive your tee shot straight out into the Rocky Mountain air and watch it drop hopefully to the center of the lush, downsloping fairway. Then hit your long iron to the left front of the right sloping green, earn your birdie or par and head happily past the beautiful Raven clubhouse and patio to the even more challenging back nine.

The Raven's back nine has two very tough par 3s (#12 and 14) and five fun but challenging par 4s. But it's the two par 5s that really define the back nine here. #11 (properly named Waterloo) is a super risk/reward hole. Your tee shot hopefully will land just short of the large trout filled pond straight off the tee. A well-struck 200+ yard, high risk second shot over the pond puts you in great position for a birdie or eagle. But the more prudent shot tends to be playing the hole as a double dogleg and hit a mid to long iron left of the pond in preparation for lofting a high, soft iron to a green that can be tough to hold.

My favorite hole is The Raven's signature #16. It's a long downhill, dogleg right par 5. Measuring 601 yards from the tips and 489 yards from the forward tees this hole welcomes a long, left center tee shot followed by an equally long and well aimed second shot near or on a well- bunkered, roller coaster green. From #16 you begin a long, uphill climb through two tough par 4s and finish at a high point on the course.

After your final putt on #18 you'll drive a long, steep, downhill cart path with lots of switchbacks before returning to the clubhouse for a great lunch, dinner and/or drinks on the normally sunny patio. You've earned a beverage of choice following your Rocky Mountain high golf experience at The Raven at Three Peaks.

We played Legacy Ridge on Day 4 of our annual Colorado Golf Binge. We found the course to be in fine condition and the greens were the fastest we'd experienced all trip.
Hole 9 is a classic. Be sure to keep your downhill approach shot to the left side of the green.
And #18 is a real challenge to avoid the trees and sand.
I saw some bike golf caddies there but didn't get a chance to ask about trying them. Next time!

We have 2 foursomes that try to play The Raven every summer. It's a wonderful course. Last year the fairways and greens were in fine shape other than a few boggy spots on some fairways. The Raven's biggest challenge seems to be keeping the cart paths from sliding down the mountainsides....a problem common to Summit County including I-70.

The unique features of The Raven are generally wide and lush fairways, large and fine greens that are very challenging to read and great elevation changes.

Bring your camera for great Rocky Mountain scenery combined with a fair amount of local wildlife including fox, deer, an occasional moose and ospreys that for years have had their huge nest on a post overlooking the 3rd fairway. You may see an osprey snatch a large trout from ponds of The Raven or the neighboring ponds and fly it back to its tall nest on the pole.

The Raven staff will welcome you to a great day of golf and send you off on what begins as a rather tame front nine. But as you climb from the Blue River valley uphill to the par 3 8th hole (appropriately named Buena Vista) you'll be ready for 2 very exciting downhillers. The 8th hole measures 184 yds from the Raven (tips) tees and 134 yds from the forward tees. A Texan with a good game should probably hit about 3 clubs less than he'd hit this distance in Texas due to the approximate 150 ft. drop from tee to green and the thin, light air at almost 9,000' above sea level. Of course this depends on the wind that day. Just don't miss left or long!

Then #9 is a breathtaking par 4 with a launch pad tee box that must sit 300 feet or more above the green on this par 4 monster. Drive your tee shot straight out into the Rocky Mountain air and watch it drop hopefully to the center of the lush, downsloping fairway. Then hit your long iron to the left front of the right sloping green, earn your birdie or par and head happily past the beautiful Raven clubhouse and patio to the even more challenging back nine.

The Raven's back nine has two very tough par 3s (#12 and 14) and five fun but challenging par 4s. But it's the two par 5s that really define the back nine here. #11 (properly named Waterloo) is a super risk/reward hole. Your tee shot hopefully will land just short of the large trout filled pond straight off the tee. A well-struck 200+ yard, high risk second shot over the pond puts you in great position for a birdie or eagle. But the more prudent shot tends to be playing the hole as a double dogleg and hit a mid to long iron left of the pond in preparation for lofting a high, soft iron to a green that can be tough to hold.

My favorite hole is The Raven's signature #16. It's a long downhill, dogleg right par 5. Measuring 601 yards from the tips and 489 yards from the forward tees this hole welcomes a long, left center tee shot followed by an equally long and well aimed second shot near or on a well- bunkered, roller coaster green. From #16 you begin a long, uphill climb through two tough par 4s and finish at a high point on the course.

After your final putt on #18 you'll drive a long, steep, downhill cart path with lots of switchbacks before returning to the clubhouse for a great lunch, dinner and/or drinks on the normally sunny patio. Our group loves this place.

My group of mostly out-of-state players thoroughly enjoyed playing 36 holes here last July. They seemed to enjoy playing the second round from the White tees after getting beat up from the Silver Tees on the back nine in our first round.

The fairways and greens were in fine shape other than a few boggy spots on some fairways. The Raven's biggest challenge seems to be keeping the cart paths from sliding down the mountainsides....a problem common to Summit County including I-70.

The unique features of The Raven are generally wide and lush fairways, large and fine greens that are very challenging to read and great elevation changes.

Bring your camera for great Rocky Mountain scenery combined with a fair amount of local wildlife including fox, deer, an occasional moose and ospreys that for years have had their huge nest on a post overlooking the 3rd fairway. You may see an osprey snatch a large trout from ponds of The Raven or the neighboring ponds and fly it back to its tall nest on the pole.

The Raven staff will welcome you to a great day of golf and send you off on what begins as a rather tame front nine. But as you climb from the Blue River valley uphill to the par 3 8th hole (appropriately named Buena Vista) you'll be ready for 2 very exciting downhillers. The 8th hole measures 184 yds from the Raven (tips) tees and 134 yds from the forward tees. A Texan with a good game should probably hit about 3 clubs less than he'd hit this distance in Texas due to the approximate 150 ft. drop from tee to green and the thin, light air at almost 9,000' above sea level. Of course this depends on the wind that day. Just don't miss left or long!

Then #9 is a breathtaking par 4 with a launch pad tee box that must sit 300 feet or more above the green on this par 4 monster. Drive your tee shot straight out into the Rocky Mountain air and watch it drop hopefully to the center of the lush, downsloping fairway. Then hit your long iron to the left front of the right sloping green, earn your birdie or par and head happily past the beautiful Raven clubhouse and patio to the even more challenging back nine.

The Raven's back nine has two very tough par 3s (#12 and 14) and five fun but challenging par 4s. But it's the two par 5s that really define the back nine here. #11 (properly named Waterloo) is a super risk/reward hole. Your tee shot hopefully will land just short of the large trout filled pond straight off the tee. A well-struck 200+ yard, high risk second shot over the pond puts you in great position for a birdie or eagle. But the more prudent shot tends to be playing the hole as a double dogleg and hit a mid to long iron left of the pond in preparation for lofting a high, soft iron to a green that can be tough to hold.

My favorite hole is The Raven's signature #16. It's a long downhill, dogleg right par 5. Measuring 601 yards from the tips and 489 yards from the forward tees this hole welcomes a long, left center tee shot followed by an equally long and well aimed second shot near or on a well- bunkered, roller coaster green. From #16 you begin a long, uphill climb through two tough par 4s and finish at a high point on the course.

After your final putt on #18 you'll drive a long, steep, downhill cart path with lots of switchbacks before returning to the clubhouse for a great lunch, dinner and/or drinks on the normally sunny patio. You've earned a beverage of choice following your Rocky Mountain high golf experience at The Raven at Three Peaks.

I've played RR several times thru the years. I've found it to have reliably good conditions and some very interesting holes. #3, 4, 7 and 11 can be a real challenge depending on the wind direction.
On #4 you've got a lot more room to your left than what you see off the tee. #5 must give up a lot of aces due to the friendly bowl green on a short par 3.

Woodbridge has held up well this wet North TX winter while many other courses have suffered. I always enjoy playing this course. The back nine always seems to play tougher than the front.

Due to a tremendous rainstorm when I tried to play July, 2014 we were only able to play the front nine. When I saw Redlands had dropped their weekday price to $50- I worried that conditions would be bad this year. Fortunately that was not the case. Conditions were great as usual. The pricing change was done to encourage more play on this wonderful track. Good move!

Redlands Mesa is another classic Jim Engh designed track including 11 elevated bunkers. The Golf Club at Redlands Mesa appears to be a lush dark green carpet flowing through rugged red rock formations with a backdrop of the beautiful Colorado National Monument. Who could ask for anything more for super photo ops?

Grand Junction has a high desert climate and therefore a longer and dryer season than the courses up in Summit and Eagle Counties.

Your golf experience at Redlands Mesa will long be remembered for the incredible views from each tee box. The first few holes have the rugged backdrop of Colorado National Monument (which is definitely worth a side trip for a winding road drive comparable to the Grand Canyon in beauty and history). If you're really brave and strong do this on a bike.

Back to the golf review...... Hole #3 is an almost blind par 3 with a huge green divided by a ridge in the middle. Get on the correct side of the ridge and you're rewarded. On the wrong side you'll get the usual Jim Engh punishment.

Hole #5 is a dog-leg right par 5 with the Jim Engh signature clown's tongue green. When I played it with my brother we both narrowly missed the elevated green to the right on our third shots. When we got to the green we found my ball 2" from the hole for a tap in birdie and my brother's ball was in the hole for an eagle 3!

Another classic hole is the #17 par 3. It's a long downhill shot from a very elevated tee to a narrow green in a rugged rock cove. When I played this hole in 2007 a bobcat chased a rabbit across the green as we were about to hit our tee shots. This year the rabbit population was way up and no bobcats visible. Nature's way, I guess.

Redlands Mesa ranks very high on the fun and beauty scales. It's a great course to play at least twice due to some pretty tricky layouts. (The 14th hole has a dogleg right of more than 90 degrees if you bust a big drive down the middle between two large rock mounds. Shorter hitters have a partially blind shot over the right rock mound.

Bring your camera and your shot making imagination when you come to play Redlands Mesa.