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| The Prospector at Suncadia | Top Mountain Golf Courses You Can Play
Open to the public, these high-country courses offer challenging play and gorgeous scenery to visitors and residents alike.
Story by Karen Misuraca
ARIZONA, We-Ko-Pa Golf Club, Fountain Valley
Beneath the long arms of the saguaros and hedgehog cacti in the Sonoran Desert, Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw created the rippling, bump-and-run-style Saguaro Course, a follow-up to the award-winning Cholla Course here on Yavapai tribal land just east of Phoenix. You can walk on this track and enjoy views of the Superstition and McDowell Mountains that are unencumbered––forever, they say––by residential development. $85-$195, (480) 836-9000, wekopa.com
BRITISH COLUMBIA, Bear Mountain Golf and Country Club, Victoria Island
Jack and Steve Nicklaus laid out the new championship Mountain Course on a mountaintop in the foothills of Mount Finlayson, within stunning views of the Strait of Juan de Fuca. Beware the 19th hole, an extra par three floating above the sea and the downtown skyline; an abyss awaits. Enjoy lobster sandwiches instead of hot dogs at the turn. The Valley Course and a Nicklaus Golf Academy are in the works. $99-$145, (250) 744-2327, bearmountain.ca
COLORADO, Lakota Canyon Ranch Golf Club, New Castle
In a small town ten minutes from Glenwood Springs and adjacent to the Flat Top Wilderness Area, fairways rise and drop between high ridges and the valley floor in a dramatic setting of jagged mountains, steep canyons and high-country mesas. Hillside lies and elevated tees and greens are on the menu––take care not to fall into the cavernous pot bunkers. $75-$85, (970) 984-9700, lakotacanyonranch.com
IDAHO, Circling Raven Golf Club, Worley
In the scenic Idaho panhandle near Spokane, wetlands and meadows filled with native grasses, and dense glades of pines, aspens, cottonwoods and birch, distract golfers from their game at this lauded links-style track that’s a short shuttle ride from the Coeur d’Alene Casino. With no course-side homes to clutter their wild habitat, moose, elk and the occasional black bear get attention, too, when they wander onto the fairways. $65 to $90, (208) 681-5252, circlingraven.com
MONTANA, Old Works Golf Course, Anaconda
At the base of Pintlar Mountain in southwestern Montana, 30 miles from Butte between Glacier and Yellowstone National Parks, this Nicklaus-designed course is a hidden gem, considering the low greens fees. 7,705 yards of generous fairways are draped along Warm Springs Creek and decorated with mining relics. Ever hit out of a black slag trap? An impressive brick-and-copper clubhouse completes the historic mining theme. $29-$46, (406) 563-5989, oldworks.org
NEVADA, Wolf Creek Golf Club, Mesquite
The 154 slope and 75.4 rating hint of the hair-raising steep on this high-desert track an hour north of Vegas––the USGA calls it the third toughest course in the country from the tips. Eye-popping elevation changes, yawning red-rock canyons, dazzling desert vistas, and no homes in sight! Take a breather at the Wolf Den “halfway house” for a fortifying drink and a cigar. $185, (866) 252-4653, golfwolfcreek.com
NEW MEXICO, Twin Warriors Golf Club, Santa Ana Pueblo
Between Albuquerque and Santa Fe high above the banks of the Rio Grande River, grassy knolls and rocky ridges, rambling arroyos and views of the sacred Snakehead Mountain comprise a 7,736-yard-long challenge. Après golf, a turquoise margarita is called for in the lounge of the adjacent Hyatt Regency Tamaya Resort and Spa. $100-$145 with cart, (505) 771-6155, twinwarriorsgolf.com
OREGON, Crosswater, Sunriver
The snow-capped Cascade Range rises above sunny meadows at 3,500 feet in elevation, where 54 holes of golf are gently laid among wetlands and an aspen and pine forest. However, gentle may not be the word for Crosswater––7,683 yards long, and rated a daunting 153. The heathland-style layout winds through golden, silver and reddish grasses that grow beside reedy ponds and lakes, following the banks of the Deschutes and Little Deschutes Rivers. $105-$160, (541) 593-4402, sunriver-resort.com
UTAH, Coral Canyon Golf Club, Washington
Bryce Canyon’s snow-capped spires and views of Zion National Park set the scene for moon-like, red-rock outcroppings between green target zones and a maze of ravines in Quail Wash. Five tee boxes give the mere mortal a fighting chance. Coral Canyon is 10 miles from St. George on the Red Rock Golf Trail, a string of eight courses within a 15-minute radius. $73-$98, (435) 688-1700, coralcanyongolf.com
WASHINGTON, The Prospector at Suncadia, Cle Elum
Located 80 miles east of Seattle, adjacent to the Wenatchee National Forest, and just below Mt. Baldy and the Thomas and Red Mountains, Arnold Palmer’s Prospector course winds over undulating terrain in the pine and fir forests of the Cle Elum River Valley. The par-4 10th hole is a knee-knocker with a 110-foot drop from the tee. Situated right on the golf course, the intimate 18-room Inn at Suncadia is newly opened. $50-$95, (866) 715-5050, suncadia.com
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