While Eagle Ranch was the main course of the day I still wanted to get my money’s worth, since I was driving a couple hours each way. So, I played an afternoon round at Gypsum Creek Golf Course. I picked Gypsum Creek mainly because of its location. I wasn’t sure how long my morning round would take and the courses are only fifteen minutes apart.

There was a light rain falling when I got to the course and I think that scared off many golfers. The course looked to be pretty busy when I booked my tee time. However, because of the weather, I teed off by myself and played the front nine quickly. Things backed up on the back nine, but I made it around in about four hours. Not bad.

Gypsum Creek is a municipal course that was designed by Pete Dye. The course opened in 1997 and has a number of really good golf holes – mostly on the back nine. As I’m sure you know by now, I’m not the biggest Pete Dye golf design fan. He seems to have a way of making everything artificially difficult. But, I didn’t find that to be the case here. Don’t get me wrong – Gypsum Creek is still a difficult course, but not in a manufactured way. I played the black tees which are 73.3/142/6951. There are a lot of forced carries and visually, the course is tricky.

The front nine is a bit ho-hum. It is interesting to play and has some nice scenery. But, homes line a number of holes, most holes are pretty straight-forward, and the land is flat. I liked the 194 yard par-3 3rd the best on the front. It plays a little downhill to a green that is guarded by a creek. The green angles from front left to back right. I let the creek get in my mind and missed to the left. That isn’t any good as there is a steep slope down into trouble.

The back nine has quite a bit of target golf and opens with some holes in a marshy area. Then, the 13th through the 18th is an awesome stretch of holes at Gypsum Creek. Each hole is memorable. The 13th is a long par-5 that plays at the bottom of a mesa, which is off to the right. The green is tucked into the hillside and then you climb to the top of the mesa where the 14th, 15th, and 16th holes are located. The 16th is a narrow 380 yard par-4 that has a great view of a mountain off in the distance.

The 17th, a 163 yard par-3, is the course’s signature hole. It has a big drop (three clubs is my guess) from the mesa back down into the valley. From the back tees I couldn’t even see the green unless I walked to the very front and tilted my head down. Even though the scorecard says it is 163 yards, I thought it played closer to 110 yards with the elevation change and altitude.

My twilight green fee was about $60. I don’t have any complaints about the conditions, especially considering the price. The turf was mostly lush and everything was playable. The greens were a medium pace, which I’ll attribute to the rain. They rolled well though. The edges of the bunkers were a bit worn.

Considering the price, scenery, and top-notch back nine I’d highly recommend at Gypsum Creek. I’d even go as far as calling it a hidden gem. There is too much target golf for me to play here all the time if I lived nearby, but for a Dye course it gets my vote. If you are looking for a value course that isn’t far from Vail, then Gypsum Creek should be on your list.

Course Pictures (click any picture to scroll through the gallery):