About 67 miles west of Denver, up beyond 8,500 feet, you’ll find panoramic views of the Gore Range, pine forests, clean air, the bluest of skies…and four scenic, individual golf courses, all within a 15-minute drive. The four courses that make up Grand Links wind through Grand County, Colorado, between Winter Park on the south and Grand Lake, sitting on the west side of Rocky Mountain National Park, on the north. Framed by forests, streams, lakes, and mountains – very tall mountains – very few holes in the Grand Links are not scenic. But for a tour of the best of the best, the course’s pros and managers weigh in.

Pole Creek Golf Club
Zagat Survey of America’s Top Golf Courses named Pole Creek the “Best Golf Course in the Rocky Mountain Region.” Offering 27 holes (Ridge, Meadow, and Ranch Nines), the Denis Griffiths-designed course sports tree-lined fairways and open-valley holes. Picks for the most scenic, according to Larry Burks, general manager, are:
# 9 on the Ridge Nine – At an elevation of 8,570 feet, the hole sits at the highest point on the course. “It’s like sitting on top of the world,” says Burks. The view from the elevated tee box pans the Continental Divide, with James and Parry Peaks in full view. The hole is a relatively easy Par 5 if your tee shot is in the center of the fairway. If, however, you miss it to the right, you will be in the trees; if you miss it to the left, the rough rolls quickly down into the native grass and trees, making the second shot a challenge. From the center of the fairway, a second shot can easily reach the green when played slightly right, letting the ball roll from the hill beside the green.
# 4 on the Ridge Nine – With views of the Never Summer Mountain Range that are not seen from anywhere else on the course, perfectly manicured turf flows downhill into one of the course’s many ponds. Just beyond the water sits the menacing putting surface. The hole is a downhill, 439-yard, Par 4 slight dogleg left. A 260-yard tee shot that skirts the trees on the left will get you to position. A second shot, over a pond, takes you to a green that sits perpendicular to the fairway and slopes from back to front.
# 4 on the Meadow Nine – The 181-yard, Par 3 hole features views of the Continental Divide and the jagged peaks of the Indian Peaks Wilderness Area. From the white tees, this seemingly easy Par 3 is all carry. Choose your club wisely, hope that the wind is at your back, and carry to the center of the green. It’s only 161 yards, but make sure to aim slightly below the hole if you want to have an uphill putt. If you miss it to the left, the downhill green banking will take your ball into Pole Creek.

Grand Lake Golf Course
Known as “The Crown Jewel of Mountain Courses,” thanks to David Nelson of the Rocky Mountain News, Grand Lake features lodgepole pines among narrow fairways. The course was designed by Dick Phelps. Bill Winfield, general manager of the Grand Lake Metropolitan Recreation District, offers his picks for the most scenic holes.
# 1 – The Par 5 looks directly toward the Never Summer Range. The contrast of the green fairway and treetops with the snow-capped mountain peaks is dramatic. (Snow is visible year-round, confirming the mountain range’s moniker.) With out-of-bounds on the right, a good drive followed by a shot that favors the right-hand side of the fairway will leave a good view to a small green.
# 3 – The view from this tee box is breathtaking, according to Winfield, with almost perfect 360-degree views of mountain peaks. The hole plays slightly downhill with greenside bunkers left and right.
# 17 – A short dogleg right Par 4 may tempt you to cut off a little extra. But beware: This usually leads to problems. Be happy with a right-center tee shot of about 200 yards, leaving an approach to a green that has a difficult bunker on the right. The views from this tee box are worth the travel.

Headwaters Golf Course
Set amid the beauty and drama of the Fraser River Valley, Headwaters provides a beautiful and challenging round. Elevated tees offer dramatic views of mountains, wetlands, and lush alpine meadows. The Nicklaus Design course features 7,268 yards of groomed fairways that wind around strategically placed bunkers, lakes, and ponds.
# 7 – Hole 7 is a 597-yard downwind Par 5, playing the entire distance along the Fraser River. The hole will likely yield more pars and birdies than the sixth hole, says Kory Atkinson, PGA professional and general manager of Granby Ranch. The fairway is undulating and inviting, with a strategically placed bunker approximately 320 yards from the championship tee on the left. The small, slightly elevated green is guarded on the front right by a large deep bunker.
# 9 – The 421-yard Par 4 plays from the river back to toward Quarry Hill and the clubhouse. The hole is specially spectacular in the early evening, claims Atkinson. The fairway landing area is pinched between two gaping bunkers and surrounded by native vegetation. The elevated green is large, with a false front surrounded by a large amphitheater hill and a significant drop off on the right side into a grassy low.
# 18 – From a spectacular elevated tee, the bunkers in the background of this 546-yard Par 5 offer a perfect target line…make sure to avoid reaching them. Long hitters can reach this green in two, but trouble lurks for a missed shot. You’ll find water to the left, right, and behind the green. The bunkers are set 70 yards in front of the green, making golfers think on lay-up shots. Conservative plays can leave a blind approach while the narrow area past the bunker can offer an easy pitch.

Grand Elk Golf Course
Every hole at the Craig Stadler-designed course provides excellent views of aspen-covered hills, native grasses and wetlands, and majestic peaks of the Continental Divide, says Mike Ritter, PGA head professional. Golfers often single out the stretch from Hole # 16 through #18:
Bordered by a working ranch to the north and federal land to the west, the holes play along Ten Mile Creek and the largest lake on the course. Wildlife is abundant, with striking white pelicans making an appearance each spring.
# 16 – A long Par 3, up to 218 yards from the back tee, often into the breeze, makes this a challenging hole. Coming up short here and chipping on for your chance at par is a frequent option. The main objective off the tee is to find the short stuff.
# 17 – Be sure to take a moment to soak in the incredible views and beautiful design of the course’s signature hole, Par 5 and 539 yards. According to Ritter, it is one of the most peaceful places in Grand County. A gambler’s delight, #17 challenges you to “go for it” off the tee – over the largest lake on the course – and be rewarded with an iron into the green. If you can play a draw with your driver, now is the time to execute it and watch your ball sneak past the fairway bunkers and bound down the fairway towards the green. Finding the green in two, however, doesn’t guarantee anything; the wide green has often been compared to a rollercoaster.
This is another hole where landing short and running the ball onto the green is often the best strategy, especially with the wind at your back.
# 18 – Although the finishing hole is a long Par 4 (up to 474 yards from the back tees), the wide fairway encourages players to grip it and rip it off the tee. Check the GPS and subtract 20 yards on your approach shot. As long as you avoid the bunker on the left, your ball should run onto the green and might get you close to the pin.

Four in One
During the 2009 season, SitzmarkGOLF and Grand Links are offering the Grand 4-Pack. You’ll receive a round of golf with cart and practice balls at each of Grand County’s four golf courses. Packages thru SitzmarkGOLF.com include lodging. Nearby restaurants, along with endless hiking, biking, fishing, and other outdoor activities, make for a convenient vacation for the entire family.
SitzmarkGOLF is part of Sitzmark Travel, a decades-old lift ticket, lodging and rental firm headquartered in Overland Park, KS at 105th & Marty. SitzmarkGOLF marries Sitzmark’s relationship with Colorado lodging properties to GrandLinks... offering golfers affordable golf and lodging packages.
SitzmarkGOLF is available 24/7 via SitzmarkGOLF.com or daily at 913-888-4754.