Telluride Golf Club

I've played over 60 courses in Colorado and this one continues to be my favorite. It's expensive for sure, but you get what you pay for. Very easy to forget how many bad shots you've hit with those views.

Despite being called semi-private, Telluride golf resort is available to the public from 10:30am on. I would recommend the twilight rate, which in the summer is $120. If you can come in the shoulder season it is $85. Considering that you are in Telluride, the pricing is relative. The views make the first playing worth it, after that, I am not so sure. It will depend on the depth of your pockets or what you consider the price of golf should be. I will say that it is one of the better conditioned high country courses I have played. Not easy with the winters up in the rockies.

Off the course, this place has the things you need. There is a driving range and putting green. There is a full service restaurant with great patio dining. There is a halfway house of sorts, more like every third, that you will cross twice on your round.

The course itself is quirky; which to me is fun. You have 6 of each type of par. You also have some back to back par 3s and 5s. The par 4s vary in length as do the par 3s. The main defense is elevation change. there aren't many hazards, the fairways are quite wide and the course is not difficult. It is a resort after all and we don't want 5 hour rounds. The par 4 7th is a lot of fun. It is reachable for anybody-big hitters might come at it with a hybrid. Despite the length or lack of it, the hole is well protected and a poor first could lead to bogey. Many holes are risk reward in nature on the drive or the second shot on par 5s.

If you are in Telluride, play here once and then decide if it is worth the cost. If not, I would not recommend taking a detour to play golf here. In fact, Telluride has the best hiking in the state, jeep tours, fly fishing, etc. So the non-golfer will have plenty to do. The golfer who can't resist a round, will have a good one here. Coupled with the views, you will have an enjoyable day here.

Good Colorado mountain cours, fun to play with great views of the surrounding peaks. Course was in excellent condition with fast greens that rolled smooth.
Can be a bit pricey to play but worth the money for the views.

Despite the altitude, expectations at this resort better known for skiing than golf really weren't really that high, but I was more than pleasantly surprised. All the holes are memorable, a couple are quirky and the whole course is a blast to play. The signature hole is the 17th, a short par-3 that requires players to take steep steps to the tee. The shortness of breath is worth the view and there are lots more great views of not only the course but the immense mountains surrounding it as well. If you get a chance to stay at one of the hotels at Mountain Village, you can play this private course, and it's well worth it.

Telluride Golf Club opens with a 377-yard, downhill par-4 that is temptingly drivable at altitude. Scoring opportunities abound as back-to-back par 3s follow, including the sporty 233-yard third hole (No. 4 handicap). As the front nine progresses, famed Wilson Peak dominates the backdrop as golfers negotiate consecutive par 5s culminating with the 635-yard eighth hole.

The back nine ascends even deeper into the 14,000-plus peaks of the San Sophia Range.. Uphill holes, stout carries and beguiling doglegs add ample teeth to a strategic design that doesn’t rely on length as its only defense against par.

The closing holes present a compelling contrast in brawn and beauty. The rapidly rising 486-yard par-4 15th – the course’s most difficult hole – plays like par 5. Conversely, players who climb the 92 steps to reach the tee box on the par-3 17th are rewarded with a 100-foot drop over 137 yards to a pine-encircled green below.

Telluride Golf Club is an Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary, one of the first courses bestowed the prestigious certification in 2004. It meets strict criteria for water and biodiversity conservation, habitat protection, water quality management and reduced chemical use.

The club expanded its game-improvement platform a year ago, naming Dale Abraham Director of Golf and Instruction. The 2013 Southwest Section PGA Teacher of the Year, Abraham manages the club’s overall operations, private lessons, junior and golf fitness programs. The season ahead includes a major expansion of the practice facility and enhancements to some holes and club amenities.