The Club at Cordillera:
New Nicklaus Design Will
Tower Above in Vail Valley

By David R. Holland, Senior Staff Writer

EDWARDS, CO -- Lofty.

From the Valley, to the Mountain, to the Summit. The Lodge and Spa at Cordillera is simply ascending to heights no other golf resort in Colorado can claim.

Next summer Jack Nicklaus’ Summit Course, a par-72 at a mind-boggling 7,840 yards, will open at Cordillera. Teamed with Tom Fazio’s Valley Course and Hale Irwin’s Mountain Course -- Cordillera will have rooted its name as one of the best golf resorts in the USA.

And that’s not even mentioning the more mortal and fun nine-hole Short Course, designed by short-game expert Dave Pelz.

“Our courses complement each other,” said Director of Golf Pentti Tofferi, easily Colorado’s leading professional golf ambassador. “I think our courses are second-to-none in conditioning and the greens are fast -- 10 or 11 on the Stimpmeter.

“The Valley Course is like a high-desert plain with rocky terrain, sagebrush and junipers,” he said. “And because it faces south on the north side of I-70, we get warmer weather earlier (April to November play) and can be open more days of the year. The Mountain Course has a lot more severe mountain terrain and lots of uphill and downhill. The Summit Course is way up there at 9,000 feet, but its topography won’t be as severe as the Mountain Course. It is going to be a fabulous golf course.”

The views? The panorama includes the Sawatch Range, the New York and Jackson Mountains and red-hued Belly Ache Ridge.

The Valley Course: You will enjoy the contrast of the near-desert terrain with almost an Arizona look -- the browns, the rocks and sagebrush against the bright green of the bluegrass fairways, many which will give you a favorable bounce if you stray right or left. Cottonwoods jut from the creek areas and ancient junipers hang on to the rocky cliffsides.

Cordillera's Valley Course, designed in 1997 by Tom Fazio, is a 7,005-yarder at par-71 and is more user-friendly than the severe terrain of the Mountain Course. But don’t think it’s easy. One caddy said of the 253-yard par-3 14th: “Every day I’ll tell people to use the driver, but they think they can carry it with a 2-iron. Most days they are wrong.”

• More information on River Valley • Past articles by David R. Holland • Past Colorado course reviews

At the 464-yard par-4 No. 5, you face a creek carry then a protruding piece of rough real estate sticking out on the right side of the fairway. The approach is to an angled green criss-crossed by a hump -- a shotmaker’s masterpiece.

The Mountain Course: Cordillera’s first course to open was Hale Irwin’s 1994 Mountain layout, a challenging test of uphill, downhill and sidehill lies, situated at 8,250 feet in the clouds on some days. Flat-land golfers call it goofy golf, but if you just enjoy the views and the history of this former working ranch, you will have fun and enjoy the plush conditions -- perfect fairways and slick bent grass greens.

The Fenno family first came here in 1883. They raised sheep and cattle and grew potatoes, lettuce and strawberries on the slopes that now entertain golfers. There are rusting signs of days of old all over the layout -- the Fenno cabin and barn just off No. 10 and a 1946 Case Thrashing Machine that harvested grain and was operated by leather belts. Throughout the back nine you will find relics, including a 1920’s single-row planter, which was horse-drawn, and a potato digger.

The par-5, 620-yard No. 4 is straight-away downhill, but with aspens and pines guarding both sides, it can seem tight. The second shot is blind and there’s a cow bell to ring for those exiting the green, alerting those in the fairway to hit away. If you keep it straight it’s a birdie hole.

Lucky No. 13 is another downhill tee shot, 455 yards at par 4, which is beautiful, but can be deadly. The 60-foot drop from the tee has to stay centered, because there are aspens jutting out from the left. But the fairway is concave giving you a better chance. Your approach is to a two-tiered green. On No. 14 (425, par 4) you must stay clear of aspens left and a pond and waterfall right.

If you have been hoping for a dramatic downhill par-3, you have it at No. 17. It’s 190 from the back, and you will have to walk to the front of the tees to get a good view. There you will see a serpentine bunker and multi-lobed green with plenty of creative pin opportunities.

Now, look at the scorecard and do a double-take. Yes, No. 18 is a 518-yard par-4. That’s right. A par-4. Yeah, it’s downhill, but fingers of water just happen to bulge out on the right and left, so you have to be precise on the tee shot. If you strike two solid shots you can get home easily, however, because of the thin-air carry. And you can go home and brag you made a par.

The Summit Course: There are 190 mountain-top acres here and only 85 acres have been designed to require irrigation and landscaping. The rest will be natural and is bordered by more than 3 million acres of national forest land. Cordillera is also dedicating another 106 acres of open space to protect the environment and the homesites will be up to 35 acres in size.

“The first thing you notice about The Summit at Cordillera is the spectacular vistas,” said Nicklaus. “It’s truly a unique property that presents us many design challenges, and in the end should make for a golf course of which we can all be proud. It’s one of the more dramatic sites I’ve ever seen.”

The Lodge is an extra prize to the great golf. There are 56 rooms in this Belgian chateau-styled luxury hotel featuring vaulted ceilings, balconies, fireplaces and European furnishings accented by maple. You can swim laps in an indoor pool, play tennis, relax in a whirlpool or rejuvenate with hydrotherapy, watsu therapy or aromatherapy treatments.

Lodge guests are complimentary members of The Club at Cordillera for the duration of their stay with privileged use of spa facilities and advance reserved golf-tee and tennis-court times, and access to 6,500 acres of mountain and high meadow landscape for recreation year-round.

The Lodge and Spa at Cordillera 2205 Cordillera Way, Edwards, CO 81632

Telephone: 970-926-2200 or 800-830-6294.

Internet: www.cordillera-vail.com.
E-mail Address: thelodgeandspa@cordillera-vail.com.

Director of Golf: Pentti Tofferi

Valley Course by Tom Fazio Telephone: 970-926-5950. Par/yardage: 71, 7,005. Green Fees: $225, forecaddies included. This is a private course, members and guests only. Elevation at Clubhouse is 7,200 feet.

Mountain Course by Hale Irwin Telephone: 970-926-5100. Par/yardage: 72, 7,413. Green Fees: $225, forecaddies available. Elevation at Clubhouse is 8,250 feet.

The Summit Course by Jack Nicklaus Telephone: 970-926-6752. Par/yardage: 72, 7,840 yards. Green Fees: underdetermined. There will be limited public play. Elevation at the Clubhouse is 9,000 feet.

Short Course by Dave Pelz Telephone: 970-926-5550. Par/yardage: 27, 1,252. Green Fees: $61. Elevation at Clubhouse 7,800 feet.

Where to Dine: Grouse-on-the-Green is an authentic Irish pub-style restaurant at the Short Course. The interior was designed and built in Ireland, then shipped to Cordillera for installation. Authentic to the core, it not only has the ambiance of a traditional pub, it has a menu that includes shepherd's pies, pasties and fish and chips. Restaurant Picasso is Cordillera’s formal restaurant at The Lodge and features light interpretations of European fare. The Timber Hearth Grille, located in The Clubhouse at the Mountain Course, offers American cuisine with a Southwestern flair. The Chaparral Steakhouse is located at the Valley Course.

Cordillera’s Extras: Even if you aren’t a golfer, the golf clubhouses are worth visiting for their distinct architecture. Also check out this site for outdoor recreational activities: http://www.cordillera-vail.com/golf/third/clubafacilities2.html.

Directions to The Lodge: It’s 17 miles west of Vail. Take exit 163 from I-70 to Highway 6. Turn right and go west from Edwards for 2.7 miles. Turn left or south on Squaw Creek Road. Cordillera’s entrance is a left turn. To get to the Mountain and Summit Courses keep going straight up the mountain and follow the signs.

The Valley Course is located on the opposite side of I-70. Take the Edwards exit, No. 163, turn right, then almost immediately back left leading west for two miles to Legends Drive. The clubhouse is located on the left.

Awards: The Sporting Life Magazine -- Gold Medal Sporting Resorts, 1999. Condé Nast Traveler Magazine -- Top 50 Golf Resorts, 1999. The Golfer Magazine -- Top 100 Golf Resorts in the World, 1999. Golf Magazine -- "Top 10 You Can Play", Valley Course, 1998. Links Magazine -- "The Links 100" top 100 golf courses in North America, 1997. Frequent winner of Golf Magazine -- Silver Medal Golf Magazine -- "Top 100 You Can Play", Valley Course, 1998. Condé Nast Traveler -- 50 Best Golf Resorts, 1998. The Mountain Course is certified as an Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary. Bentcross Association -- Top Five Greens in the United States, Mountain Course, 1996.