Beaver Creek Golf Club:
Prepare for the Layup Zones

By David R. Holland, Regional Staff Writer

Built in the style of the European Alps ski villages, the Vail-area resort is also home for Beaver Creek Golf Club, built in 1984.

The 6,784-yard par-70 course was host for some years of the Jerry Ford Golf Invitational, who ended his 20-year run of the charity pro-am event in 1996. Guess President Ford had taken enough ribbing for his constant wayward drives, which made spectators run for cover frequently. But the event benefited 20 charities in the Vail Valley.

Beaver Creek is an upscale resort in which Colorado’s own Brandt Jobe owns the course record of 59. The amenities are first class -- just above the clubhouse is a fancy restaurant, there’s detailed yardage books right there on your golf cart with tips on how to play the hole. There’s a valet bag drop and underground parking facility. There’s a driving range, chipping area and putting green.

"The site for the Beaver Creek Golf Course can be described as dramatic and rugged Rocky Mountain terrain with an abundance of native vegetation and other natural features," Mr. Jones said.

"While compact in size when compared with most golf course sites, the property presented an opportunity to create a strategic shotmaker's golf course based upon precision and accuracy. Golfers that experience this marvelous resort venue will be required to position their ball carefully for scoring success. The water and other features play an essential role in the strategy and hopefully the players who challenge this golf course will enjoy it as much as we did creating it."

It’s a down the hill back up the hill course that features aspen and blue spruce, lots of bunkers, open and narrow fairways with bentgrass greens and bluegrass fairways. The opening three holes and final three holes have beautiful scenery and require lots of finesse, layups and strategy. Put away the driver. Check the yardage book and hit it straight. The lower holes have rolling fairways that lead to heavily trapped and moderately contoured greens that are medium-sized.

No. 1 starts at an elevation of 7,970 feet. It’s a par-5, 546-yarder with a two-tiered fairway. The tee shot has to be placed to a layup zone just in front of Beaver Creek, then you hit your second shot to a fairway well below that angles right. A large bunker guards the left side of the fairway.

The second hole is a beautiful, downhill par three measuring 192 yards. The canyon is most beautiful here with Beaver Creek on the right and aspens and spruces on both sides. No. 3 is another par five, over the creek to another layup landing zone. The second shot is back over the creek to an uphill, narrowing fairway area short of the green.

No. 17 was interesting just for the fact Mr. Jones left some old farm buildings, including an old bunkhouse and barn. It’s a 350-yard, par-four hole with the creek running in front of the green. Put the driver away and hit it short of the creek. Then take your camera out for a shot of the old bunkhouse and the ski runs in the background.

The signature hole is No. 18. It’s a par four, 457 yards from the back and if you don’t nail the drive you may have to layup short of Beaver Creek on your second shot, because it’s guarding the green.

If you work for a large corporation and are lucky enough to be sent here for a summer workshop you will get the best treatment -- Beaver Creek Resort guests and club members are given first priority for tee times. Tee times that are left over could get you in the middle of one of Colorado’s famous and dangerous afternoon thunderstorms. Rain checks are issued if five holes have not been completed.

“This is a mountain course and generally I think it’s a little gimmicky,” said Robert Smith, a Merrill Lynch employee from Kansas City, on site for a workshop. “We have been playing all day. The pace was pretty good in the morning, but the later it got, in to our second 18 holes, you could tell the marshall was asleep. We arrived at No. 16 and there were four groups there. We told the marshall and he said we were “ahead” of schedule. There was a 20-handicapper and a 35-handicapper just in front of us playing from the back tees.”

Greens fees including cart are $125 for 18 holes. From late September to closing, the fee is $75 for 18 holes, also from May 5 to May 27. Golfers must be staying at Beaver Creek Resort between June 15 to September 15.

“If I had $125 burning in my pocket to play either Beaver Creek or The Broadmoor,” Smith said, “I’d pick The Broadmoor.”

Directions: Take Interstate 70 west from Denver to exit 167 and proceed west on Avon to Beaver Creek Gate House. Continue straight up the hill until you come to Offerson Road, make a left and head directly to the course.

Other Robert Trent Jones II courses in Colorado: Arrowhead Golf Club, Roxborough Park; Crested Butte Country Club, Crested Butte; Keystone Ranch Golf Resort, Keystone; Steamboat Golf Club & Resort, Steamboat Springs; and Ute Creek Golf Course, Longmont.

Beaver Creek Golf Club - Resort
103 Offerson Rd
Avon, Colorado 81620
(970) 845-5775
Season Open: May to November.
Telephone 970.845.5775 Fax 970.845.6223
e-mail: BeaverCreekGolf@vailresorts.com