Colorado Springs

Hikes are fine, but a better way to exercise and enjoy the mountain scenery of Colorado Springs is to play golf. In a city dubbed the "Newport of the Rockies" there are scenic golf courses at all prices. While rates at Broadmoor Golf Club, the top public course in Colorado, top out north of $200, at nearby Cheyenne Shadows, on the grounds of Fort Carson, a prime-time round can be had for a small fraction of that.

There are a wide range of challenges in Colorado Springs, as well. The long and short of it: Antler Creek Golf Course is the second-longest track in the nation at 8,058 yards. By contrast, the Lee Trevino-designed Appletree Golf Club measures 6,407 yards.

Sightseers can take Cog Railway to the top of Pikes Peak, or they can view the majestic mountain from below as they play the Golf Club at Bear Dance or the jaw-dropping 27 holes as Kissing Camels Golf Course, open to customers of the Garden of the Gods Lodge. Other publics in the area are Pine Creek Golf Course, Gleneagle Golf Club and Monument Hill Country Club. Solid courses in Colorado Springs include the 27 holes at Patty Jewett Golf Course and Cherokee Ridge Golf Club.