The Colorado Golf 2011 VIP Passbook has added 6 new top Colorado Golf  Courses. The best among them may very well be Cougar Canyon Golf Links in Trinidad, the 4 year old course with rave reviews from the top golf magazines in the golfing world.

November 10, 2009

Cougar Canyon – #14 Best Resort Course” in the U.S.
Ranking Earns Cougar Canyon the #1 Spot in Colorado

The names are the most recognized in golf: Pebble Beach, TPC Sawgrass, Pinehurst #2. Among these giants now stands Cougar Canyon, which Golfweek Magazine just named the “#14 Best Resort Course” for 2010. With this week’s announcement of Golfweek’s “Best Resort Courses”, Cougar Canyon, which is located in Trinidad, Colorado, has received its sixth national award since opening in late 2007.

“What’s truly special about this award is the company we are keeping and the courses we beat out,” said Scott Candland, Cougar Canyon’s Managing Director. Indeed, the names are impressive. Cougar Canyon topped such notables as the Plantation Course at Kapalua Resort in Maui (#19) and the Stadium Course at PGA West in La Quinta, CA (#34).

And within Colorado, it wasn’t even close. Cougar Canyon’s closest competitor is the Fazio Course at Red Sky Ranch & Golf Club, which came in at #53. The only other Colorado course to make the top 100 list is the East Course at the Broadmoor Golf Club, which ranks at #67. “We are blessed with a fantastic piece of ground, spectacular views, and a golf course design that was inspired,” Candland went on to say.

Cougar Canyon claims two other distinctions besides its #14 ranking. Cougar Canyon Golf Links is the top Nicklaus Design course on the list followed by Pronghorn (#21) in Bend, OR. Furthermore, Cougar Canyon is the newest course listed in the top twenty. “Receiving so much national recognition in such a short period of time is a testament to the quality of the design and the superb condition and presentation of the course,” said Director of Golf Operations, Matt Reams.

In fact, “Quality of Shaping” (design) and “Conditioning” (maintenance) are two of the ten factors that Golfweek’s 400 raters use when assessing a course for the magazine’s “Best Courses” lists. To achieve a top 100 ranking, a course must have a minimum of fifteen individual ratings, and it’s not uncommon for the top courses to receive 25 or more ballots. The 400 raters for Golfweek come from all 50 states and are closely monitored by the magazine for professionalism and fairness.

While a majority of the prior awards honored Cougar Canyon as a great new course, the latest Golfweek praise establishes Cougar Canyon as an annual golf destination. “With the opening of Cougar Canyon Resort and Spa next spring, we will have a great retreat for the whole family as well as the avid golfer,” said Candland.

Cougar Canyon’s first national recognition came from GOLF Magazine in January of 2008 with a spot in its “Top Ten Courses You Can Play in the U.S.” awards in 2007. Following Cougar Canyon’s inaugural summer season last year, Golfweek Magazine awarded the Links its “#5 Best New Course” for 2007-2008 in late October. A week prior to the Golfweek award, LINKS Magazine honored Cougar Canyon as the winner in the category of “Best for Resort Lifestyle” in the magazine’s well-read “America’s Premier Properties” guide for 2008-2009. Finally, just before Christmas, Golf Digest Magazine recognized Cougar Canyon as the “#3 Best New Public Course in the U.S.” in 2008, an award that punctuated the end of the year with an exclamation point for the southern Colorado course.

Once golfers and their entourages arrive at Cougar Canyon, they will be treated to a boutique, 117-suite hotel; full-service spa, equestrian center, and budding community vineyards to compliment the world-class golf experience. Nestled amongst these amenities will be 1,700 homes and home sites which are perfect for anyone looking for a second home with a reasonable price tag. Golf course home sites start in the low $100s while semi-custom homes start in the mid $200s.

For more information about Cougar Canyon, please visit www.CougarCanyonLiving.com or call (877) 547-7455.

The Island Green at Cougar Canyon Golf Links

Intimidation, intimidation, intimidation! This picturesque par three is very short, simple and straightforward, save for the fact that there is a tee, a green, and nothing else in between. This is destined to be one of the more photographed holes in Colorado, and if you can bring your heart rate down to a manageable level, you will do just fine.

Great view from the Tee at Cougar Canyon #6

Cougar Canyon is located in Trinidad, Colorado.

Golfweek Magazine Ranks Cougar Canyon the #14 Resort Golf Course in the U.S.