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Photo by Dan Davis realvail.com/ResortGuides/18/The-2008-Vail-golf-guide.html
Headline RSS FeedAutumn golf: discounts abound in the Vail Valley this fall
September 7, 2008 —
Fall is a wonderful time of year in the Valley, kids are in school, the boys of the gridiron are back for another season, and the colors on the scrub brush and aspen trees begin to show.
It’s also a great time to get in discounted golf on some of the state’s best courses. Here in the Vail Valley we have an abundance of golf courses, and with a hot summer trailing behind us, all of them are in great shape. And as summer winds down discounted rates are almost a guarantee at the public courses: Vail, Eagle-Vail, and Eagle Ranch.
Semi-private courses will also open their doors for the remainder of the golf season. Sonnenalp and Cotton Ranch both have specials going on until closing (usually around the end of October) and the best thing is all of these courses are playing their best.
Catching discounted rates on great golf courses only happens in the fall, especially after this past winter. Superintendents have had months of growing time, and greens and fairways are in far better shape than they are in the spring. So I suggest getting out there and spanking whitey around.
My favorite courses to play in the fall are numerous, but with a newborn baby, I have a short leash. If you only play one course in the fall make it Eagle-Vail, that's right, Eagle-Vail. Often not on the top of my list for player friendly courses (lots of hazards and houses) but an autumn gem in the Vail Valley. A friendly staff sends you on your way through the Eagle-Vail housing district (my old HOOD) taking golfers across the Eagle River twice. Elevated tee boxes and water lined fairways await you as golfers finally end up in the Stone Creek drainage area. Holes 15-18 are absolutely magical when the aspen leaves are peaking, almost too bright to look at on the right days.
Vail Golf Club is my second choice for the very same reasons, friendly staff, great rates and an easy course to walk. Holes 13 and 14 butt up against one of the largest aspen groves in the state, and home to great ice climbing in the winter. Don't forget to have a drink at the bar afterwards, it is by far one of the best views in Vail as a large window looks right over the 18th fairway and the Gore Range.
My final choice would be Sonnenalp Golf Club. For me it’s close to home (remember the short leash?) and it’s always in great shape. The greens at Sonnenalp are some of the fastest in the state, and if you can get a tee time after 1 p.m. the rates are cheap.
Also don't forget about our friends in the “banana belt”. Eagle Ranch and Cotton Ranch have great weather in the autumn and both courses stay open a couple of weeks longer than those closer to Vail.
As a side note, don't forget to ask the golf shop when the maintenance crew plans on aerating (punching) the greens, once this process is done, it means it’s close to closing, and time to wax the boards.
For information and phone numbers please visit the link here at realvail.com listed under the golf guide. This guide has phone numbers and web addresses to reach any club in the Valley. Enjoy the best time of year in the Valley, and keep it in the short grass.
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