Grand Lake GC, Grand Lake. Dick Phelps, 1964.

This course is in the town of Grand Lake but not near the lake itself. Back when I played it, it was all through thick pine forest, which was the character of the course. As such, I loved the place because of my deep and abiding love for golf courses that play through tall pines.

But there wasn’t much to the course beyond the trees. There are few bunkers and only a couple ponds. The trees made the course, forcing you to shape shots around doglegs and keeping you honest on the straight holes.

In the years since I last played there, beetle kill has thinned nearly all the trees. I have a hard time imagining what kind of interest the course now retains. I guess the views are probably better.

Colorado 8th Decile [2000]

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