Golf Digest

182500 Account: 07/01/2012 Date: 80E80 Pub Num: 87 Section/Page: 1 / 3 Page Count:

Golf Digest Circulation: 1679244 DMA: New York, NY

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City: Wilton State: CT

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edited by MATT GINELLA

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The 131 yard 17th at Red

Sky Golf Club designed by Tom Fazio

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JN VA LING GOLF N COLORADO

TRAVEL

From one of the best bargains

in the country to some of the best mountain courses in the world 2012

PHOTOGRAPH BY

DICK DURRANCE

GOLFDIOEST COM

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182500 Account: 07/01/2012 Date: 80E80 Pub Num: 87 Section/Page: 2 / 3 Page Count:

Golf Digest Circulation: 1679244 DMA: New York, NY

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City: Wilton State: CT

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COURSE GUIDE

AWAY GAME BOULDER

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CommonGround is the companion course for the 2012 U S Amateur

Vailinjunefe ls like an intimate European skivil age

eager to share its thawed out offerings with summer enthusiasts My golf agenda crossed creeks with an annual event called the Teva Mountain Games so as

Norman

the kayakers were cartwheeling in the ice cold water to the crunchy crowd s delight I was navigating mountain courses in short sleeves and a cart O I flew into Denver and before I made my way to Vail I played CommonGround which is a former military course renovated by Tom Doak in 2009 One of the hottest shapers in golf

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DENVER 0

COLORADO SPRINGS

h CommonGround

commongroiindgc com 303 340 1520

~ Red Sky Golf Club redskygolfdub com

Red Sky Golf Club Fazio

I Vail Golf Club

received no fee from the

a must play if you re anywhere winds and five tough finishing near Denver holes it was in my best inter

course s owners the Colo rado Golf Association and the Colorado Women s Golf As sociation At that time Doak

was getting about 8750 000 to design a layout We were looking for a project that would allow us to give some thing back to the community

Bandon Dunes owner Mike

Keiser recently said I don t think anyone has created a true St Andrews concept in

from CommonGround to VaiPs

the U S

went far enough to make the game feel easy at the swanky and semiprivate 36 hole Red Sky Golf Club The 240

CommonGround

feels a little like St Andrews

to me It appeals to tourists caters to locals with special and that was accessible to the rates 40 encourages walk average golfer Doak says ing and is cultivating a caddie As a result CommonGround program In addition to Doak s is one of the best courses in design there are nine holes for the country for 55 or less see kids CommonGround says its page 92 and it s one of two philanthropic mission is to courses used for the stroke represent promote and serve play portion of this year s U S the best interests ofgolf in the Amateur Aug 13 19 Only 20 state of Colorado minutes from the airport it s After a serving of afternoon GOLFDICEST COM

est to make the two hour drive

JULY 2012

high ground At 7 880 feet the ball never

members have their own

log cabin clubhouse at the course designed by Greg Nor man but you ll check in at the course built by Tom Fazio The general theme of the Nor man courses I ve played is long narrow and unforgiving Conversely Fazio assists the high handicapper by build

vailgoifclub net 970 479 2260

Raven at Three Peaks ravpnatthrppppaks com 970 267 3636

ing receptive saddle shaped fairways That s not the case here Red Sky s Norman is more forgiving off the tee than the Fazio Both were in Au

gusta National condition and featured Masters fast greens Each day one course is open to members only The walk up rate for either course is 240

and you can play both but not on the same day for 300 You have four days to take advan tage of that deal which is more reasonable than the 85 break

fast ticket for two including

M RefNo: ae4288

182500 Account: 07/01/2012 Date: 80E80 Pub Num: 87 Section/Page: 3 / 3 Page Count:

Golf Digest Circulation: 1679244 DMA: New York, NY

City: Wilton State: CT

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LOCAL KNOWLEDGE

EXTREME SPORTS Vail s a winter and sum

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mer playground for pro fessional and amateur

athletes During the Teva Mountain Games June

6 9 2013 you ll enjoy watching eight sports In cluding extreme kayaking

and competitive slacklln Ing which take place In and around Va I Village

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and along the Arkansas River coloradoraftlng net With seven lines the longest is 900 feet the half day away from golf Is worth the 90 mlnute drive from Vail for the views and

value

79 for adults

69

for children 10 12

CORDILLERA UPDATE With Its owner and mem

bership locked in battle

Vail s high end Cordillera development has suffered

through court cases and course closures But the

Valley Course one of four

will be open this summer to resort guests The par 71

egg burritos fruit smoothies

Bloody Marys and a 10 tip That meal was S30 more than a 55 twilight rate at Vail Golf Club a perfect combination of setting convenience value and

Clockwise from top Arrabelle at Vail Square the ultimate beverage cart Red Sky s Norman Course

bikers and golfers are wowed

by excellent food refreshing energy and live music The best

at Vail Square had to offer The

Tom Fazio design is a fun

36 room resort with 50 condo

round of golf

options and European inspired facade would satisfy the highest of lodging expectations rooms start at 189 per night The

fun You ll play shots along the highway Gore Creek and at the base of 2 3 million acres of na

meal I had was at Sapphire Res taurant and Oyster Bar which offered scenic outdoor seating

rooftop pool and Jacuzzis with stunning mountain views are a

tional forest Those 150 yard

overlooking the wild water sports The menu is always subject to change but I ordered a sampling of appetizers and couldn t name a favorite among

an evening The spa is as sweet as you d expect and the menu at Tavern On the Square is a bit

gamey buffalo meatloaf grilled elk lettuce wraps and barbecue

the sesame seared tuna nachos

duck enchilada

markers are ski tips I walked it

with a friend and joined two lo cals who brought beer in carry coolers provided by the course A little more pretentious and a much more festive venue

the Vail Village is where you ll do most ofyour drinking eat ing shopping and spending

In what feels like a European epicenter of social activity pe destrians paddlers climbers

tempura asparagus fried arti chokes and avocado pancakes I didn t spend a lot ofTime in my room—a sign of a great golf trip—but I regret not being able to sample more of what the recently renovated Arrabelle

fitting way to enjoy a day or end

The town is named after

at the Raven course at Three

Peaks in Silverthorne 165 It s more mountain golf with spectacular backdrops and a friendly staff Almost as impressive as the view from the ninth tee is the all terrain

beverage mobile which comes

with a roll bar no governor and two smiley servers It goes fast and I drive it fast says Aly Whittaker 24 I get

Charlie Vail who was the en

into a lot of trouble with the su

gineer who built the original

perintendent There are a lot of tight corners and steep slopes

highway through the area in

1940 And as you re headed

Whittaker served cold drinks

back to Denver off Interstate

and an accurate assessment of

70 I d suggest agetaway round

golf in Colorado matt ginella

GOLFDIGEST COM

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