Dalton Ranch Golf Club

The high desert terrain southwest of the San Juan Mountains serves up one of Colorado's most underrated mountain golf experiences, where elevation changes of 150 feet create dramatic risk-reward scenarios on nearly every hole. Ken Dye's routing maximizes the natural arroyos and mesas, particularly on the stunning downhill par-3 17th that plays across a desert chasm to a green perched on red rock. At 6,400 feet above sea level, the thin air adds 15-20 yards to every shot, turning this 7,049-yard layout into a thinking player's course where club selection trumps raw distance.