The Rio Grande Club & Resort
By David R. Holland
SOUTH FORK, CO – The first time developers of The Rio Grande Club & Resort jumped the barbed-wire fences to envision what would become scenic fairways, they were greeted by 12 longhorns.
The future fairways were part of the Bar BR Ranch and the inhabitants weren’t ready to leave just yet. It was 1999.
South Fork was a blue-collar community with its origins from miners and loggers on the east side of the Continental Divide in the San Juan Mountains.
The paradox was how does a Colorado mountain town of 510 support such an ambitious venture? It was a $10-million dollar investment so where do the members come from?
“We become North Texas in the summer,” said head golf professional Adam Perko. “The tiny town’s population can go up to 8,000.”
Yep, that explains the success. These Texans, many with second homes, not only come for golf, but Gold Medal fishing on the Rio Grande River and hiking, biking, rafting, camping, four-wheeling and can return in the winter for Wolf Creek Ski Area only 20 miles away.
It is truly a club for all seasons.
Designed by Ric Buckton of Denver-based Redstone Golf, it was first named Wolf Creek Golf Club. It measures 7,155 yards from the back tees.
“It is really a tale of two nines,” Perko continued. “The front nine is all along the river and traverses over it. Then the back nine is mountainous with lots of elevation changes backing up to two million acres of national forest.
“So, with Wolf Creek Ski Area so close you have an opportunity some days in the spring or fall to play nine holes, catch a trout and ski a run.”
Nature is truly on display here. The course uses the valley, the Rio Grande, Alder Creek and climbs on the back nine into aspens, Ponderosa pines, scrub oak, wild rose, gooseberry and vibrantly-colored wildflowers. It is so picturesque it just creates one of the most uniquely varied golf courses in Colorado.
The links land of Rio Grande Club is nature at its best as the course ranges in elevation from 8,130 to 8,590 feet.
The journey begins with an 80-foot tee-shot drop to the No. 1 fairway, with a stone wall complete with chimney-rock formations running down the entire right side. The golfer then plays traditional golf in an open meadow, dodging only wetlands and ponds before reaching the stretch of Rio Grande Holes 3-8 negotiate the river with the par-3, 193-yard No. 6 requiring a forced carry over the rushing waters. The 14th could be the most picturesque, however, as Alder Creek snakes around it, giving this 207-yarder a target look — anything wild will be wet. There’s a small bail-out area just short and right of the green.
The severe downhill 18th, a 572-yard par 5, is an award-winner guarded by a 2.5-acre lake and it is tough to hit if you draw a downhill lie. The San Juan Mountains provide the scenery and backdrop.
The Rio Grande Club & Resort log-cabin styled 25,000-square foot clubhouse is awesome and offers dining in the Timbers Restaurant and Big River Grille with a view of golfers finishing on 18.
The course is open to the public but membership here includes countless amenities. Tennis, pickleball, pool, fitness center and yoga classes are included. For fishermen there’s over a mile of private access to the Rio Grande River.
The culinary staff takes great pride in creating recipes that are innovative yet familiar. The menu combines Old-World tradition and all-natural ingredients with a progressive American culinary philosophy. Ingredients include fresh herbs, quality poultry and produce, hand-cut steaks from the finest Angus beef and scratch-made sauces, marinades, stocks and breads.
The wine list offers a carefully-selected variety of national and international selections. A large selection of spirits with a considerable whiskey selection are also featured.
So many folks from Northern Colorado have never envisioned a Colorado that is so laid-back and void of traffic jams. For me, a Texan who has lived in Colorado off and on for 40 years, South Fork is a place I’ve traveled to and through my entire life.
Nearby Creede is a personal favorite. It has the Creede Repertory Theater company, but also take time to discover one of the most impressive geological wonders in the world — Wheeler Geological Area. Teddy Roosevelt thought the place was so special he asked the founding fathers of the National Park Service and Forest Service to always keep it remote. Sorry, no paved highway will take you there. You have to four-wheel there on a primitive byway.
South Fork – so much to do and plenty of time to do it. Don’t miss this part of Colorado.
Where to Stay: Ute Bluff Lodge, Cabins and RV park offers rustic accommodations within minutes of Rio Grande Club. Go ahead and rough it here and enjoy a bunch of amenities including an outdoor covered hot tub, recreational room with full kitchen, laundry facilities, private hiking trail up the bluff into the national forest, campfire area, wi-fi, BBQ areas, 50AMP & 30AMP pull thru and back in RV spots. UteBluffLodge.com
