Grand Junction: The Beauty of the Desert

By Todd Hartley

From the opening tee shot at the Golf Club at Redlands Mesa, it’s clear you’re about to play a rarity in Colorado: a true desert golf course. The sweeping views to the south are dominated by the spectacular sandstone spires of Colorado National Monument, and the lush green fairway below you is lined by barren scrubland that you’re pretty sure has its fair share of cacti to menace golfers looking for wayward drives.

It’s all part of the unique character of this award-winning club in Grand Junc- tion that many consider the best public golf course in the state and the best course overall in western Colorado.

“I love it. What an amazing golf course,” says head pro Brandon Pinard, who arrived at the course sight unseen last summer and just took over the top spot last December. “I played competitively in high school and college, so I’ve played courses all over California and Hawaii, and this one is right up there with any of them.”

Designed by celebrated course architect Jim Engh, a master at working with unconventional terrain, Redlands Mesa winds through the redrock desert, around and over dramatic stone formations, arroyos and cliffs, with big views from every hole and strategic decisions to be made on nearly every shot. The course is open to the public but also offers individual and family membership packages that include access to the club’s private pool and other facilities, as well as all the golf you can handle.

“It’s unlimited golf, unlimited everything,” says Sandra Weckerly, the club’s general manager. “You don’t have any other fees to pay.”

That just means you’ll have more to spend after your round at Ocotillo, Redlands Mesa’s eclectic, upscale-casual restaurant, which has a reputation as one of the best dining experiences in Grand Junction. It’s a perfect place to sit on the deck and enjoy a post-round drink and some ahi wontons and watch the colors of the desert and the monument change as the sun sets somewhere out beyond Utah.