Keystone's No. 1

The River Course at Keystone:
A Mountain Vista Oasis

By Diana Rowe Martinez, Regional Staff Writer

The River Course is a semi-private/public resort course. The course architects are Hurdzan & Fry. Their course designs are quickly gaining a reputation in the Denver metro area with incorporation of the environmentally sensitive areas of courses. (The Heritage at Westmoor is another of their recent designs.)

Summer 18-hole rates range from $115 for guests to $140 for the general public, but this is a price worth paying. Discounted twilight golf is also available.

I cannot begin to relate the magnificent views available to the golfer from any of the eighteen holes of the River Course. Snow-peaked mountain vistas, clean mountain air, rapidly flowing mountain streams and elevated greens are just a few of nature's gifts you'll receive on this course. Fairways are in excellent shape offering you its wide, inviting fairways, and frequently tall evergreens protect both right and left sides.

Each hole presents a magnificent view of the mountains and/or the mountainous terrain and will momentarily make you forget that you are playing golf and not sightseeing. Photographing opportunities abound, so make sure you tuck your camera in your bag.

The first tee box faces east and is elevated 150 feet overlooking the fairway. The Grays and Torreys peaks, twin Fourteeners on the Continental Divide, loom in the horizon. The first hole is a par 5, 551-yard with evergreen bordering either side of the fairway. Once you lay up on the fairway, you have an approachable landing to an ample green with bunkers protecting both right and left at the front.

• Past Colorado course reviews • Past reviews by Diana Rowe Martinez

Hole 2 is a par 4 dogleg right with bunkers right at the dogleg. Evergreens again edge the fairway with long wide bunkers at the front right and left of the green. Hole 3 is straight par 3 with bunkers protecting the green. A heavy drive will land you behind the green in the trees or the mountain stream.

Hole 4 doglegs left with bunkers and rolling hills giving the challenge on this par 4. The tee box 5 gives you a narrow opening fairway with a blind shot over the hill. Shoot for the target pole, which is 281 yards away for black. Beware the carry hazard of creek with brush and weeds on the bank at 331 yards. Once you pass this it's downhill to protecting fairway bunkers at the cart sign and at the green.

Hole 6 is a par 4 from the black over a carry hazard--this time a pond at 215 yards. The green is 348 yards. The fairway offers you another target at the hazard pole with another pond on the left of the fairway, although the hole slightly doglegs left presenting a temptation for those golf balls that prefer water to the green. Interestingly enough, this is a par 3 from the ladies' forward tee, a tempting 152 yards. However, that pond on the left likes the ladies' golf balls, too.

Teeing off over the rapids of Snake River at Hole 7 presents interesting nature background music, but it also challenges the golfer from 195 yards at the back tee. Beware--too much on this green will send you into the river behind the green. In the background is Buffalo Mountain, the hump-shaped peak rising above Silverthorne.

Hole 8 is a downhill par 4 with bunkers left and right at the 150 marker. Hole 9's par 3 is a great send to the clubhouse with an elevated tee box and the mountain view.

	Keystone's No. 14

The back nine is just as intriguing as the front. Hole 10's straight blind over hill shot presents a challenge with pines lined up both sides of the fairway and bunkers protecting the green. Another elevated tee is at 11 with rolling hills sloping to dogleg right par 4 with bunkers protecting the dogleg and the green. Overdriving here could end you up in the woods behind the green, too.

The Par 3 at 12 is a slight left dogleg with woods on the right and bunkers protecting the green, but fairly approachable from the back tees at 209 yards and the forward tees at 124. Hole 13 is another gorgeous hole-this time an uphill 5 par battle with a sand trap just over the hill and right at the 225 marker. A long green is well protected by bunkers.

You'll need extra time at the 14th hole, but not due to an extra stroke golf game. The view is magnificent and behind and above the green on your way to the next tee, you'll see a view you'll never forget. Hole 14 is another elevated tee with a dogleg left. Once you stop for a few minutes to take a look at the scenic bypass atop Hole 14, you'll head on to 15's par 3 up a rolling hill, again with ample green and bunker protection,

	Keystone's No. 17

Keeping your drives to the middle of the downhill fairway and avoiding the bunkers to the left of the green attains hole 16's par 4, the largest vertical drop in North America. The River's 17th hole is another elevated tee, but this time over an environmentally sensitive corral and then uphill. Grassy woods are to the right. The green is well protected with bunkers directly in front of the green.

And what a finish is in store for you at hole 18. A par 5 is a drive off an elevated tee downhill. Then the fairway begins its uphill climb at about mid-fairway. Bunkers protect this entire fairway at just the right position to make you nervous. Forget about the game and enjoy the view and the rest will come on this finishing hole.

Overall, from the forward tees for the higher handicaps, the course is forgiving and fun, yet challenging enough from the back tees. The five level tees give all players with different levels of game an enjoyable golf round. The yardage ranges from 6,886 to 4,762 and the par is a men's 71/ladies 70.

	Keystone's No. 18

This is a must-play Colorado course. You'll leave the Rivers Course at Keystone with a smile on your face, a continuing love for the game of golf, and an appreciation of the Rockies.

The River Course at Keystone (part of the Keystone Ranch Golf Course Resort).
Fax (970) 496-1458
Phone (970) 496-4444
105 River Course Drive
PO Box 38
Keystone, CO 80435
www.keystoneresort.com