The Raven Golf Club at Three Peaks

June 24, 2013

If you are looking for the best mountain golf experience in Colorado, you have to peg it up at The Raven Golf Club at Three Peaks.

Located in Silverthorne, Colo., The Raven Golf Club was established in 2000 and is located just an hour west of Denver. Though some of Vail Valley’s top destinations are nearby, The Raven Golf Club stands out among others because of its amazing snow-capped mountain tops (reaching 13,000 feet), picturesque lakes and rivers and towering pine and aspen trees.

Former British Open champion Tom Lehman and Hurdzan/Fry designed The Raven’s true mountain course so that is fun to play but challenging to golfers of all levels. The lush rolling fairways appear tight from the tee boxes but open up to greens surrounded by stands of tall evergreen trees.

“Tom Lehman and Hurdzan/Fry did a great job on the design,” said Mark Nickel, Director of Golf at The Raven. “Birdies are available but it takes quality shots to get them.”

Avid Golfer magazine has ranked The Raven as the number one golf experience in Colorado and Golf Magazine has listed it as one of the “Top 10 courses you can play in the U.S.”

No doubt, the reason for the course’s numerous accolades are the course’s layout within its amazing surroundings.

“It’s just just beautiful scenery up here. We are at 9,000 feet, so there are lots of elevation changes, and it’s just wonderful,” Nickel said.

Depending on your level of play, the Raven has a challenge tailor-made for you. There are five sets of tees with the shortest cutting the par-72 layout down to 5,235 yards while the Raven is a daunting 7,413 from the tips.

But don’t worry about the length, Nickel says. The elevation results in players being a club to a club and a half longer at the Raven and most players enjoy the extra 23-30 yards.

According to Nickel, the 16th hole, a long, downhill par-5, is the club’s signature hole and one of the most scenic and photographed on the course. His favorite, however is the 17th hole.

“It’s a par-4 that curves to the left with a creek that crosses the fairway at 300 yards,” Nickel said. “The green slopes away from you and it takes two good, quality shots to get there. That hole just sets up nice to the eye and has the creek and lake off of it.”

A mountain course in the middle of a popular outdoor recreation area, The Raven Golf Club at Three Peaks is the perfect place for golf to compliment any Colorado getaway.

“We are near the big ski resort areas and the summers are fantastic, with temperatures in the 80s,” Nickel said. “There are great rivers and lakes and people come up here for rafting, fishing, sailing and biking. We have the perfect place for golf to compliment all of that.”

Check out another great review of The Raven GC at Three Peaks at Travel Golf.com.

 

 

Featured image courtesy of  Fry Straka.com.