The Raven Golf Club at Three Peaks

We played The Raven at 3 Peaks on a gorgeous day and I had very positive memories of the last time we played there. From the start, things seemed different. The driving range (already a poor facility since you can't hit much more than a 200 year shot) was soaked in the teeing area to the point where a taking a divot was a frightening endeavor. There had not been any significant rain for several days so this was due to irrigation. When we commented about this to the staff after coming back to the clubhouse we were told "at least the sun's shining!". We then went for a quick bite in the grill before teeing off. We had 45 minutes to spare before our time and mentioned that to the server who took our order. 35 minutes later we were gulping down our food in order to head to the tee in time. Once we teed off the pace of play was very slow - over 2 1/2 hours for the front nine. In addition, the wet range seemed to have spilled over onto the course as numerous areas were too muddy for carts, and casual water was evident on a number of fairways. The worst of it was the 7th fairway where a number of areas were virtual quagmires. I will say the greens were firm and in great shape, but the tees looked like little maintenance had been done and most people paid no attention to divots. The corker to the front nine occurred when we hit the clubhouse and commented to the staff that pace of play was very slow. Rather than apologize for this, two of the young guys out front argued with us and told us 5+ hours was "normal for mountain golf". It certainly wasn't normal the day before when we played the River course at Keystone in less than 4 1/2 hours. We were basically told we were wrong in our opinion of the slow play. Imagine that - a course making excuses for poor on course supervision. Too bad about all of this - I really like the layout and the views are spectacular. We used our VIP Passbooks (which I am guessing many people do) so it was a good rate for a great course with second rate conditions and even worse service.

This is true mountain golf with dramatic elevation changes and awesome vistas. A real Gem. Because of it's difficulty and long rides between tees, be prepared for a 5 hour round. But who cares? It's beautiful.

My only critique is the staff. We played on a 'hot deal'. We arrived early to warm up and noticed there was no one on the tee for an hour and asked if we could go off early. "you have a hot deal tee time and you can't go early" was the curt response. We reminded of this 3 times by the rather surly staff as they treated us like lower class citizens. Yes, I have a hot deal, that doesn't make me a bum. Yes, I can pay full freight, but why should I? If you don't want hot deal players, don't offer them

Defiantly was a really cool course and the scenery was awesome. The cart guy was friendly, quickly gave me some good tips for the course, and set up my cart. The guy in the clubhouse was somewhat clueless, I stood at the counter looking at him for 2 minutes as he was messing around with the computer and didn't say a word to me. No water or beverage cart on the course.

Course was in fairly good condition. Fun elevation changes. The greens and pin placements were tough, hard to read at times. Overall a good experience but compared to a lot of the resorts in Arizona, it seemed like they were lacking that high class resort feel.

My wife and I were celebrating out anniversary in Breckenridge and this course with the hot deal was about 118 for the both of us. Thats far better than the surrounding courses that would have been over $200 for the both of us. So we get to the course and the staff is absolutely excellent, they pointed us in the right direction, answered all of our questions, overall they were fantastic. The practice area is very good with practice bunkers for both fairway bunkers and green bunkers, the range is a little short, only 260 I would say, so my driver was going out on every shot. Well went up to start our round and before we started a marshall was up on #1 waiting for us. He explained the front nine and gave us great instructions for the course before we hit. This was only the second time my wife has golfed but the front tees at this course basically start on the fairway so that really helped her stay up and have a good time. So what was wrong with this front nine? Well we started at 3:30 and did not finish the front nine till 6:30.... 3 hours for nine holes. After the first hole we were waiting on every shot and then some. It just took forever. After the front nine we headed to the back and showed up with two groups of four waiting on #10. So I headed back to the clubhouse and asked if I could finish the back nine the next morning. The staff yet again was awesome. He completely apologized and told me I could be the first one out the start the back. So the next day my wife and I started at 8:09 (45 degrees which I loved) and proceeded to play nine holes completely by ourselves and finish in under 1:30. It was amazing. So overall I loved everything about this course except the pace of play on the first day. Will I come back? Yes, but I would make sure that I was the first to tee-off.

I only have one thing to say: 3 hours for 9 holes. And the staff shrugged shoulders and said "it's a busy day".

Had booked 18 but didn't have 3 more hours so didn't complete round.

It's a shame because it's otherwise a demanding and very scenic course.

But other than charity scrambles I have never played a slower 9 in my life.

Got there an hour before the tee time and had to wait 30 minutes to get a cart. The practice facility is inaccessible without a cart so we had to wait by the pro shop. We ended up teeing off 15 minutes late. Once on the course pace was brutal. We didn't see a ranger until the 12th hole. Drinking water is limited on the course. After finishing in 5 hours and 15 minutes staff was extremely rude and asked us what we expected from a Saturday round. They told us 5 hours plus is the standard for the Raven. If you can put up with an outrageously long round the corse is okay with a few tricked up holes.

Stopped playing after 13 holes took over 4 hours.Staff felt it was just busy and they could do nothing about slow play.

Really nice course overall. Back nine is much tougher than the front. Forced carries on the back nine place a premium on driving and solid approaches. Several bunkers had rocks everywhere in them, which keeps me from a five star rating.

Staff was very friendly.

I do hope to play again when back in town.

The group in front of us wouldn't let us pass through. We did see one marshal but still nothing happened. Beautiful golf course but 5 hours is too long.

Fun course. Difficult for us flat landers who have not acclaimated. Great experience despite being anoxic.

Great course and a great value.

The course was in great condition as usual. The greens were true and held well. I would recommend this course to anyone looking for a great mountain experience. The only drawback was the beer cart was not out.

The layout is outstanding. Conditions are very good. Some fairways are spotty but understandable based upon winter effects. Greens are in good shape. Pro shop staff is helpful and starters are friendly. Restaurant staff is slow to prepare and serve food. we waited well over a hour to be served with only one other table of guests. Two days later at the turn, they are no prepared sandwiches or hot dogs but plenty of bad attitude. Don't eat there!

Course layout and views are outstanding. Condition of greens and course not what you would expect for a course that charges over $100 per round.

I've played a ton of golf around the U.S. and in Mexico and this course is a top 2 track. Unbelievable layout that is breathtaking the entire time. I've played a couple other 'Mountain' courses, nothing to compare this to. It's worth the price. Can't wait to go back. It rained on us for 4 out of the 18 and we still had an incredible day.

Normally one of our favorites, Raven conditions getting worse and worse. Group of 16 play the mountains every year around late June. Don't waste your time at Raven until they get their act together; play Keystone and Breck instead. Greens were so slow--maybe a 7 and as a result not very true. Tee boxes were burnt, many fairways under repair, and weeds throughout bunkers. Staff blamed the winter and lack of moisture however Breck and Keystone just a few miles away were in far better shape! Oh yeah, we saw the cart girl once on hole #2 and never again! Course layout is amazing and normally a must play. I hope they get it together.

Played the Raven a couple of days ago and had a poor experience. The course itself came out of this winter in less than average shape. There are many areas of ground under repair and fairly large parts of the course are soggy from the spring runoff. This problem should cure itself within a few weeks and by fall the course should be in better condition, but for now be warned that there are many areas that are in poor condition.

In addition, many of the bunkers have weeds or grass growing in them and are poorly maintained.

The second issue with the round is that it took nearly 5 1/2 hours to complete. The two groups in front of us were together and played much of the course just like a group of seven. The pace of play was awful and the ranger came by one time and never stopped or made any attempt to correct the problem. The course staff seemed uninterested in hearing about it after the round was over.

I've played here several times before and never had this pace of play problem so it may have been a one time affair, but given the response of the ranger and shop staff it would concern me to return and face a similar problem again since they were uninterested in correcting it.

Now for the good, this course is in a spectacular setting, the mountain views and rolling terrain are second to none. Fall is a particularly wonderful time to play as the fall colors are fabulous on this course. The front nine is like a roller coaster ride in the best possible way. The first couple of holes are down and then flat and then you begin the climb up the mountain. The climb is rewarded with fabulous holes on #8 and #9 big downhill par 3 and par 4 holes that area blast to play! The back 9 is a little less of a thrill ride but still a lot of fun, particularly #16 a big par 5 that is downhill and allows for getting there in two with two good shots.

The greens were also in very good condition, they rolled smooth and true although were VERY slow.

I love the layout and when in good condition and with a good pace this is a very fun round.

If you are looking for true Mountain Golf, then look no further. This place has the views that you will want. It also has some dramatic elevation changes. I do believe that from the top of the 8th tee to the 9th green is a 450 foot drop.

I will get rid of the negatives. This place is crowded during the summer; the 4.5-5 hour round can happen especially on a weekend. It is also quite pricey in the summer. Twilight or shoulder season pricing is recommended highly. Depending on the winter, the conditioning in the spring could be iffy. Not bad, but not perfect.

As for the positives, the course has everything a travelling golfer could want. There is a practice facility with a driving range, putting green and short game area. There is always a restaurant and sometimes a patio grill There I a halfway house stop. The patio is a nice place to enjoy a meal with views.

This is a template for mountain golf. Elevation changes up and downhill abound. Scenery is splendid with views of mountains in all directions. The 10th hole is short but quite uphill; count on at least one extra club. Downhill, there the aforementioned 8th and 9th hole-the 9th might have the biggest drop in the state and the 16th hole. The 16th is a dog leg par 5 that with the elevation drop is reachable in two. A lot of fun.

The par 3s have some variety. The front nine par 3s are shorter and one plays downhill. The back nine's are longer. They also play in all four directions. The par 4s have variety in length, in shot shape and elevation change. I did notice that as the round goes on, the challenge is taken up. The last couple of par 4s are the most difficult on the course. They also have water in play. The par 5s also have variety in directions. The 11th is risk reward with a big hitter able to go for it in two; water is in play on 2nd and 3rd shots. The 16th, as mentioned, is a lot of fun.

If you are up in the mountains, this is a great place to get the real Mountain Golf experience. I just hope you can find a time that isn't crowded or overpriced (not worth over $100 to me) If you can play it for a decent price and not crowded, it is very enjoyable and one of my favorites in the mountains.

While in Keystone I played two other courses, but everyone kept asking if I had played the Raven. After playing the course I knew why. Amazing views from every tee!

Course played extremely well considering it's early November in Summit county. A little bit slow play ahead but the guys behind us were staffers, very nice and friendly. Late season sanded greens played slow but we got used to it after a few holes. Overall an awesome Monday afternoon at The Raven!