Keystone
With the winter chill behind us and golf courses at every latitude greening up nicely as the seasons turn from spring to summer, golfers begin to think about getting away for a trip to play a round or two (or three).
Golf has never been more popular, and many courses and resorts at the better-known destinations are already full for the season. But that doesn’t mean you can’t find places to play that allow for a splendid and memorable stay-and-play.
Travel Caddie has been around (golf and travel is what we do) and we have some ideas about where to tee it up in places off the beaten path that are, perhaps, a little off the radar. Below are three such destinations — one each in the Eastern, Central and Mountain time zones of the United States — that might have escaped your attention.
Keystone is a little piece of heaven in the Colorado Rocky Mountains
Keystone, Colorado becomes an incredible golf destination every summer when the snow clears and lush green conditions reemerge, setting the stage for an incredible stay and play vacation. Located 90 minutes west of Denver at an elevation of 9,280 feet, Keystone Resort presents two award-winning courses, Keystone Ranch Golf Course and The River Course at Keystone. Both courses offer a distinct experience at a great value, demanding you play them both.
Keystone Ranch Golf Course opened in 1980 and was brought to life by the iconic Robert Trent Jones, Jr. Set among the original homestead and barns from the early 1900s lettuce and dairy farm that once thrived there, the course offers golfers a fun and challenging layout with stunning panoramic views of surrounding peaks. Words cannot do it justice, but you can appreciate the incredible views in our exclusive drone footage.
The River Course at Keystone is an environmentally-friendly design that was fashioned by the iconic duo of Dr. Michael Hurzdan and Dana Fry, opening in 2000.The River Course features wide fairways, dramatic elevation changes, and epic views as you journey around the Snake River and through lodgepole pine forest. Featuring five sets of tees ranging from 4,748 to 6,886 yards, the course is all about excitement, beauty and challenging shot-making, also known as the holy trinity for many golfers.
With 36 incredible holes spread over two amazing golf courses, a trip to Keystone must be placed on every golfer’s mountain bucket list.
Keystone Lodge & Spa offers the perfect place to stay while you are in the area. There are also a plethora of condos, homes, and hotels throughout the resort that can make the perfect homebase for you and your group during your visit to Keystone Resort. Click here to see a full list of the resort’s signature properties.
Wintergreen Resort offers 45 holes of fun in Virginia
If escaping the summer heat and while enjoying two varied and testing golf courses is on your summer agenda, look at the wonderfully secluded Wintergreen Resort that is located on the Virginian eastern slopes of the Blue Ridge Mountains just outside of Charlottesville.
The resort features two courses. First there is Devils Knob, an 18-hole track designed by Ellis and Dan Maples that sits on the highest parts of the resort and includes spectacular views of the Shenandoah and Rockfish River valleys. The other Stoney Creek, three nine-hole courses fashioned by “The Open Doctor” himself Mr. Rees Jones that sit in the property’s lower confines.
Devils Knob, the original course at the Wintergreen Resort, runs along challenging yet surprisingly level mountain ridges, incorporating an abundance of natural rock outcroppings, mountain foliage and streams. It’s all about course management here, as the course dictates plenty of times to leave the driver in the bag and emphasizes club selection and the type of shot.
The Maples’ 6,668-yard routing follows old Indian trails and rolls gently over the contours of the land. Devils Knob’s notoriously fast greens are narrow, with some multi-tiered surfaces, while danger lurks along the edges placing a premium on accuracy throughout your round.
Rees Jones’ 27-hole facility at Stoney Creek incorporates natural springs and native habitat, including Lake Monocan, with all three nines offering generous landing areas, few forced carries and large, contoured greens. The three nines at Stoney Creek are labeled Monocan, Shamokin and Tuckahoe, and each of these courses is quite a bit longer and grants much more leeway off the tee and is more level than Devils Knob.
Stoney Creek also features Rees Jones’ signature mounding, which helps to frame the holes and provide some protection to the average player who might otherwise hit through the fairway. The mounding looks like it’s part of the terrain, melding Jones’ philosophy with the natural elements existing on the property into a very playable golf course.
Wintergreen Resort is anything but typical as the resort features more than 300 condominiums spread across the property’s expanse of better than 11,000 acres versus one large tower like so many other resorts provide. There are literally thousands of private properties to choose from for rental or purchase here, but the isolation is the resort’s true calling card and can be the perfect sanctuary for your next golf getaway.
Stoney Creek
Sequoyah National is a North Carolina beauty
Located just west of Asheville, North Carolina, Sequoyah National is a true hidden gem among the Great Smoky Mountains. As of the publishing of this article in June of 2024, the course is being managed by the team at KemperSports and since it has come under their management a design that always had incredible bones is now blossoming and offers an incredible value for golfers looking for a golf getaway in this beautiful destination.
With lush zoysia fairways and slick bent grass greens, the combination of Robert Trent Jones, Jr. and Notah Begay III have brought to life a design that features simply awesome views and plenty of challenge. Danger lurks everywhere here as the course tips out at just over 6,500 yards for a par-72 layout, but accuracy means more than length here as big numbers lurk just about everywhere.
For those looking to make a stay and play vacation out of a visit here, be sure to check out the nearby Harrah’s Cherokee Casino Resort that features a massive casino, shows, a sportsbook, multiple restaurants, and plenty of more activities to facilitate a great golf vacation.
Sequoyah National