You’d be hard-pressed to find a municipal golf course in the United States with views to equal what you’ll find at the Aspen Golf Club. Just a 10 minute ride from downtown Aspen, Colorado and nuzzled into a valley surrounded by some of the more modest Rocky Mountains, the course’s views only add to what is a very welcoming and entertaining golf course.
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During a recent trip to the ski mecca with St. Regis Hotels, I snuck away from all of the luxury and hustled my clubs over to Aspen Golf Club for 18 holes with course pro Jim Pratt. The course is owned by the city, and all employees of the golf club work for the municipality in one way or another. Once ski season begins and the snow flies, the club goes dormant and Pratt heads over to the hockey rink to drive the Zamboni.
Once a visitor to the club, the golfer is surrounded by mountain vistas on all sides. But, that wouldn’t be enough to hold a golfer’s interest if the course was a dud. Fortunately, the layout is challenging without becoming frustrating. There seems to be more water than bunker, but some bowl-shaped fairways keep balls in play while reachable par fours dare the recreational player to go for aggressive scoring.
The Aspen Golf Club also includes a full service driving range, pitch and putting practice, a club house and a full bar and restaurant.
As for course fees, the club is an expensive muni in high season. Of course, peak golf time in Aspen runs directly opposed to the desired ski season, so we’re talking June, July and August after the course had a chance to dry from winter snows and spring mud from mountain run-off. In-season play costs $159.99 with cart. But, if you can manage some creative timing, twilight golf is $99.
When the club opens in spring, players can get on for just $39 with cart if they’re willing to put up with a little damp and some chilly pre-summer Aspen weather. Once on these links with mountains on all sides and green fairways ahead, there aren’t too many golfers that wouldn’t put up with a little shiver to play in the mountains.
