Welcome to ThinkVail – we hope you find this article about Vail area golf courses helpful.
The elevation of the Vail Valley ranges from East Vail at 8,200 ft. to Gypsum at 6,300 ft. and includes summit courses that top out at 9,200 ft in elevation. We are certainly up there in elevation, and it WILL affect your game, but mostly for the better.
Higher elevation means thinner air and thinner air means less friction on the golf ball, which mean shots will travel considerably farther than usual. Vail golfers will enjoy watching their balls fly 10 percent farther than at sea level, so get ready to hit the ball distances you’ve only dreamed of before.
In addition to your ball traveling significantly farther, it will curve less. For the same reason it goes further, it goes straighter, thinner air means less friction. It is way easier to keep the ball online at high altitudes.
When golfing at elevations above 5,000 ft, choose a softer golf ball, it will spin more than normal and help compensate for the thin air and lack of friction.
Trajectory control comes into play at high altitude, and it is very important for controlling your yardages. At altitude, if you hit the ball HIGHER you will add yardage. So you don’t need to swing harder, just higher to go farther.
Whether you hit the ball high or low doesn’t matter much when playing at sea level but at elevation, trajectory is amassive factor for controlling your distance. A good rule of thumb, in the mountains, is to keep your Wedges as low as you can, to stop your ball from going uncontrollably far.
Hooking and slicing the ball is also affected by altitude. It is reduced in severity due to the altitude’s effect on the golf ball. A hook or slice cannot get as much lifting force, again due to the thinner air. Curvature is also reduced. So remember, at higher elevations it’s easier to hit the ball straight, but it’s harder to intentionally curve it. So watch out for those dog legs.
Here is a list of all the golf clubs in the Vail Valley, get ready to enjoy the challenge that high altitude brings to the game on these wonderfully varied courses throughout the area. Also, check out the accompanying videos to really get the feel of each course.
The Vail Golf Club sets the standard for mountain golfing sitting at 8,200 ft in elevation with breathtaking views of the Gore Mountain Range, the 18-hole, par 71 golf course has unique fairways, smooth surfaces for putting and a scenic layout within the White River National Forest.
Enjoy beautiful tree-lined flat fairways with lots of greenside and fairway bunkers, as well as natural beaver ponds and the lovely Gore Creek.
Recognized by Golf Digest as a “Top 100 Resort Course”
Designed and built by Ben Krueger, in 1962, the Vail golf course is arguably one of the best courses in the Vail Valley — a must-play for both locals and visitors.
In the winter the Vail Golf Club becomes the Vail Nordic Center, offering 17 kilometers of groomed ski track and 10 kilometers of separate snowshoe trails.
Located at 7,650 ft. in elevation and just a few miles down the road from Vail Golf Course lies EagleVail Golf Club. This 18-hole, par 71 public golf course is nestled between the world-class resorts of Vail and Beaver Creek. This challenging course is recognized as a Certified Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary from Audubon International and is a joy to play.The EagleVail golf course was created in the 1970s by the Devlin/Von Hagge design team and provides a true mountain golf experience that includes elevation changes, long carries over the Eagle River, and beautiful alpine scenery
This course also boasts the Willow Creek Par 3 course, when you don’t have the tie or inclination to play regulation 18-hole course. It is perfect for children, families, or beginners looking to play a short course. Advanced players can practice their short game, as the longest hole measures 120 yards.
Both the 18 hole and Par 3 courses are beautiful and enjoy scenic views of the Eagle River, smaller streams, ponds, wetlands, forests, and bright, brilliant gardens. A wonderful course that offers varying micro climates and multi-faceted terrain for unique and challenging play
Other Amenities
Willow Creek Par 3 Golf Course
Driving Range and Putting Green
Whiskey Hill Golf Grill
Pro Golf Shop
Golf Cart Rental with GPS Included
Ladies on the Link Clinic & First Tee Kids Instruction
This fantastic, Arnold Palmer Signature designed, 18-hole public course lies at the very temperate elevation of 6,300 feet. It enjoys one of the longest golf season in Eagle County. Offers a variety of memberships and passes.
Featuring five sets of tees, plus Junior Tee markers in the fairway on each hole so anyone can play according to their abilities.
This par 72 golf course, is an Audubon-certified sanctuary and is perfect for the environmentally-minded golfer. For a unique experience try pedaling one of the low-impact golf bikes from hole to hole or take a more traditional golf cart with GPS.
This gently rolling golf course has a links-type feel, with wide, forgiving fairways and elevation changes that aren’t as severe as at other valley courses.
Opened in 2001 as part of a master-planned residential community that includes other amenities such as an outdoor swimming pool, ice rink, recreation trails and fitness center conveniently located just 30 minutes from Vail, and eight minutes from the Eagle Vail Airport.
Gypsum Creek Golf Course is a beautiful par 72 public golf course in Gypsum, Colorado. This Pete Dye designed course is fun and challenging for all skill levels and abilities.
The front nine of this walkable course meanders along a mountain stream and the back rolls across a high alpine wooded mesa. The signature hole drops 120 feet from tee to green and plays only 164 yards, it’s awesome!
Perched atop a sage-covered mesa at an elevation of 6,300 ft with rolling fairways flanked with native pinion and juniper trees, yucca and prickly pear cactus. Undulating terrain provides dramatic challenges including steep drop-offs and tricky twists and turns to keep you on your toes.
The Gypsum Creek public golf course is just minutes from the Eagle Vail Airport.
The Beaver Creek Golf Club, located 8,100 ft elevation, is one of the longest established golf courses in the Vail Valley. Created in 1982, the championship course was designed by Robert Trent Jones, Jr. He created this iconic course with long, narrow, challenging fairways and stunning scenery in the canyon that leads up to the resort.
The par 70 golf course enjoys majestic pine forests, cascading creeks, elevated tees, fountains, ponds, historic wooden barns, lush fairways and gorgeous views of the ski mountain
Beaver Creek is only open to the public pre and post season, from mid May to mid June and mid September to mid October.
Exclusively available to Beaver Creek, Bachelor Gulch and Arrowhead lodging guests and Beaver Creek Club Members mid June to mid September.
Thanks for the info on Vail area golf courses. Me and my family are planning a golf trip to Vail this summer. We are staying at the Vail Arrabelle and can't wait to get to the courses there. We are planning to play the Vail Golf Club but we believe that we may be able to play other exclusive Vail Resort golf courses that are usually private. I am not too concerned about the elevation as we have played in Mexico city before and that is pretty high as well. I will be bookmarking your page for a reference as we begin to decide where exactly we want to play and what to do while we are in the area.
Hi Shannon so happy you found the post about Vail area golf course helpful. Yes, the Arrabelle at Vail Square is a Vail Resort Lodge so that means aside from playing at the local public courses you will also have access to Red Sky Ranch with two amazing golf courses a Greg Norman Course and a Tom Fazio course. You can also golf at the Beaver Creek Golf Club as part of their Stay and Play program. Both of these golf clubs are exceptional and you will really enjoy these courses immensely. Also don't forget, that soft balls work best at high elevations like Vail, so you may want to make sure you bring your favorite soft, low compression ball when you come. Check here for a list of the year's best soft golf balls that will compliment your high altitude game perfectly. Have fun!
This is a really great detailed, article about Vail area golf courses. I usually go to Vail 3-4 times each summer specifically to play golf. I am from Wyoming and we do have some wonderful courses there, but nothing compared to what can be found in Vail and I LOVE how much farther my ball goes because of the high elevation. It is so cool. I usually play at the Vail or Beaver Creek Golf Club (BC during the shoulder seasons) but your article really has me interested in the Eagle Vail course. I love the activities they offer like Ladies on the Links, Kids First Tee, Buckets & Brews as well as the Par 3 course that they have in addition to their full 18-hole course. Thanks for introducing me to this cool golf course that has really been, literally, right in front of me, but I never really saw it before.
Hi Karsha, I am so happy you were able to find a new golf course to try from the article Vail Area Golf Courses. The Vail Valley has some wonderful courses. I do love the Eagle Vail golf club it is a fun challenging course with a welcoming and laid back attitude. I have participated in the Ladies on the Links clinic in the past and it is a great way to meet other women who are learning/improving their game.
This is the best website for visitors, full of tons of resources about what's going on and where to do all of your favorite activities in and around Vail, Colorado. Thanks for sharing all of these amazing Vail golf courses, I don't know which one I want to hit first!
Thanks so much for your nice comments about ThinkVail and in particular, the post about Vail, golf courses and I am so happy you found it helpful. You really can't go wrong, every course in the area has beautiful mountain views and boasts challenging holes. Enjoy!
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Thanks for the info on Vail area golf courses. Me and my family are planning a golf trip to Vail this summer. We are staying at the Vail Arrabelle and can't wait to get to the courses there. We are planning to play the Vail Golf Club but we believe that we may be able to play other exclusive Vail Resort golf courses that are usually private. I am not too concerned about the elevation as we have played in Mexico city before and that is pretty high as well. I will be bookmarking your page for a reference as we begin to decide where exactly we want to play and what to do while we are in the area.
Hi Shannon so happy you found the post about Vail area golf course helpful. Yes, the Arrabelle at Vail Square is a Vail Resort Lodge so that means aside from playing at the local public courses you will also have access to Red Sky Ranch with two amazing golf courses a Greg Norman Course and a Tom Fazio course. You can also golf at the Beaver Creek Golf Club as part of their Stay and Play program. Both of these golf clubs are exceptional and you will really enjoy these courses immensely. Also don't forget, that soft balls work best at high elevations like Vail, so you may want to make sure you bring your favorite soft, low compression ball when you come. Check here for a list of the year's best soft golf balls that will compliment your high altitude game perfectly. Have fun!
This is a really great detailed, article about Vail area golf courses. I usually go to Vail 3-4 times each summer specifically to play golf. I am from Wyoming and we do have some wonderful courses there, but nothing compared to what can be found in Vail and I LOVE how much farther my ball goes because of the high elevation. It is so cool. I usually play at the Vail or Beaver Creek Golf Club (BC during the shoulder seasons) but your article really has me interested in the Eagle Vail course. I love the activities they offer like Ladies on the Links, Kids First Tee, Buckets & Brews as well as the Par 3 course that they have in addition to their full 18-hole course. Thanks for introducing me to this cool golf course that has really been, literally, right in front of me, but I never really saw it before.
Hi Karsha, I am so happy you were able to find a new golf course to try from the article Vail Area Golf Courses. The Vail Valley has some wonderful courses. I do love the Eagle Vail golf club it is a fun challenging course with a welcoming and laid back attitude. I have participated in the Ladies on the Links clinic in the past and it is a great way to meet other women who are learning/improving their game.
This is the best website for visitors, full of tons of resources about what's going on and where to do all of your favorite activities in and around Vail, Colorado. Thanks for sharing all of these amazing Vail golf courses, I don't know which one I want to hit first!
Thanks so much for your nice comments about ThinkVail and in particular, the post about Vail, golf courses and I am so happy you found it helpful. You really can't go wrong, every course in the area has beautiful mountain views and boasts challenging holes. Enjoy!