Friendly, Versatile Keystone Resort

Keystone has all of the elements for a perfect summer golf getaway on just about any vacation budget

By Christine Loomis

When you're thinking Rocky Mountain golf this summer, think Keystone. The friendly, low-key mountain resort has a distinct advantage over some of its famously exclusive neighbors-lodging, activities and restaurants in a wide range of prices and options.

Naturally, there's luxury if that's your preference. Keystone Lodge & Spa and Keystone Ranch Restaurant offer AAA Four Diamond accommodations and dining, respectively, and multi-room luxury condos provide a stunning alternative to hotel rooms. But there are plenty of other options, too, for those who want to stretch their vacation dollars farther.

"Colorado's best is a Keystone summer," says Philip Tobias, head golf professional at Keystone's River Course. "We have 36 holes of championship golf and we have a tee time and rate to meet your budget needs."

Keystone is hard to beat in terms of location. It's such a short, easy drive from Denver that golfers visiting from the Front Range spend a lot more time on the fairways and less on I-70, a plus on anyone's scorecard-especially when you consider the two golf courses that Keystone has to offer.

Keystone Ranch Course is a par-72 layout winding through stands of lodgepole pines and around high alpine meadows brimming with wildflowers and sage. Designed by Robert Trent Jones, Jr., the Ranch Course brings together the best of two worlds: the front nine is reminiscent of a Scottish links-style course while the back is classic mountain.

The slightly shorter River Course, a par-71 layout designed by the team of Hurdzan-Fry, is all about dramatic elevation changes, from the banks of the Snake River to high Rocky Mountain forests. Perhaps the most visually impressive hole is the 16th, featuring a 194-foot elevation drop from tee to green. If sand gives you thrills you'll love the finish here: No. 18 has a dozen bunkers. Fortunately, it also has fabulous views of Lake Dillon that easily soothe a bunker-rattled soul. Perhaps best of all, the River Course has five sets of tees on each hole giving every level of golfer the ideal vantage point from which to challenge this course.

And then there are the summer deals that make any Keystone getaway a steal. From now until the end of the season, the resort offers a Stay and Play package starting as low as $158 per person per night. The package includes lodging (double occupancy) and two rounds of golf on the River Course.

One of the best deals is the Replay Rate: For $200, a savings of $70 in high season, you can play both of the resort's golf courses on the same day-the Ranch Course in the morning and River Course in the afternoon. In between, treat yourself to lunch on the patio at top-rated Keystone Ranch Restaurant, with views overlooking the golf course and Keystone Ranch Lake. The restaurant is rated among the top five restaurants in Colorado for its dinner menu, so go back and enjoy it one evening of your vacation. Or go après golf and experience the great "après menu," featuring many of the same foods as the award-winning dinner menu. Another option is to lunch at the River Course Grill.

That's the great thing: There's an option to meet every taste and budget.

All golfers should be aware of Keystone's stellar golf clinics and programs that draw Front Range residents and locals alike-the perfect way to feel a part of this welcoming community. For women, there's Birdies and Betty's at the River Course, Saturdays June to August. Arrive for the 8 a.m. shotgun, play nine holes, benefit from a clinic with one of Keystone's golf professionals, then enjoy lunch with your new friends at the River Course Grill, all for just $60.

Boomers on the Links, for both men and women, is the same but takes place on Tuesdays. For those who bring kids along-Keystone is an ideal destination for families-there are Junior Clinics on Wednesdays. But the best family deal of all brings parents and kids together for a round of golf every summer evening starting at 5 p.m. Adults pay just $55 and kids with them golf for free-including rental clubs. Not only is this a low-stress environment for families to enjoy golf together, it comes with mesmerizing sunset views over Buffalo Mountain. If you're all pretty good golfers, you might get in as many as 13 or 14 holes for one very low price.

The folks at Keystone welcome visitors from afar and those in the Denver Metro Area. They accommodate singles, couples, families and even wedding parties (bring a group of 20 and two play free). Most of all, they're determined to provide the best vacation possible.

Tobias puts in the simplest of terms: "We want people to have the experience of a lifetime."

What could be better than that?

To book a Keystone vacation, visit keystoneresort.com or call 888.222.9285.

Christine Loomis is a staff editor and writer with Colorado Golf Magazine