By David R. Holland

Long before the ski runs were carved and the golf holes placed into the environment, Keystone, at an elevation of 9,300 feet, was an 1880s stagecoach station on the way to Denver, heading over towering Loveland Pass.

A little rustic inn served as the stop for travelers and it’s still here. They call it the Ski Tip Lodge and if you could look back in time, there was a day when you might have said “howdy” to Henry Fonda, sitting in a rocking chair in back, overlooking the Snake River, relaxing after a day of hiking in the cool Colorado summer.

Today, the Ski Tip Lodge is a Keystone landmark. It’s a bed and breakfast and home to a gourmet restaurant that is a must for any vacationer.

But modern-day Keystone is much, much more. It’s a world class ski resort, carefully designed to make every single member of the family happy. The kids won’t have a chance to get bored.

It’s also home to two championship golf courses, the newest one opened in June 2000, named The River Course at Keystone, and The Ranch Course, which opened in 1980.

Steve Corneillier, Keystone’s General Manager of Golf & Recreation, looks at the River Course like a proud papa. As a veteran employee, he nurtured the dream-to-reality project with a vision of environmental stewardship to a playable and enjoyable golf course that might not be matched by any other mountain golf course -- anywhere.

“Our goal was to make this golf course appear as if it was air-lifted in,” said Corneillier. “We didn’t want the golfer to see any disturbance to the landscape. There’s a breathtaking view from every hole.”

This vision was the reason he selected golf course architects Dana Fry and Dr. Michael Hurdzan. The duo are known worldwide for their environmentally-sensitive approach to design and Hurdzan was rewarded as Golf World magazine's 1997 Golf Architect of the Year.

“Our two courses are like brother and sister,” Corneillier said. “You can see how they are related, but they are also two different contrasting styles.”

The River Course

The River Course measures 6,886 yards from the black tees for par 71.   It cost almost $12 million and features five to six sets of tees allowing play for any level of golfer. It includes 74 bunkers and five water hazards.

Fry and Hurdzan provided generous landing areas, but mounding keeps fairways from looking as wide as they are. After a spectacular elevated tee shot on the first hole, it takes you only two holes to cross the scenic Snake River, where a par-3, 222-yard test awaits. A trap guards the right side of the green and anything right of that is in the river.

Then your journey provides some scary target golf combined with mountain scenes that will cause you to shoot as much with your camera as with a wedge.

The back nine is more elevated and includes incredible mountain vistas and a glimpse of Lake Dillon. Lodgepole pines frame the fairways and wildflowers -- poppies, daisies, lupine and flax -- are popping up everywhere for an added dash of color.

You could ski down the par-4, 509-yard, 16th hole. It features a 194-foot vertical drop from the tee to green with leveled-off collection areas for the tee shot. The 18th is another elevation drop par-5 with 12 bunkers to navigate on a trip of 520 yards.

“The 18th is my favorite hole,” Corneillier said. “From the tee box you feel as if you can see all of Colorado in the stunning 360-degree panoramic view. It’s a 130-foot drop and the exhilaration you feel after you tee off on the final hole makes you want to start the whole day over again. The River Course really is Colorado at its best.”

The River Course design also features biking and hiking paths which creates a multi-purpose recreational opportunity. In winter, Keystone’s Cross Country Center will headquarter out of the new River Course clubhouse and provide cross-country skiing and snowshoeing on the area’s pathways.

The Ranch Course

The 7,090-yard, par-72 course was designed by Robert Trent Jones, Jr. and is located where Ute and Arapaho Indians once hunted buffalo. The clubhouse is former ranch house dating back to the 1930s, where the settlers were cattle ranchers and also farmed lettuce.

After the first two holes are played in the trees, the Ranch Course pops out into sage meadows with a Scottish "linksland" design with 68 bunkers, a nine-acre lake and a total of six water hazards. The greens are a combination bent and poa with bluegrass and rye in the fairways.

Old ranch buildings provide a backdrop on the par-3, 190-yard No. 5 one of the toughest holes. No. 9 is only 368 from the rear, but it’s a carry over the lake when you are against the wind. If you clear the water you will be faced with a short iron for a possible birdie.

Corneillier says No. 17 is Jones’ favorite hole. From the back this par 4 is 414 yards with a forced carry over native grass and wetlands. It’s only one of the holes on the Ranch Course side that makes it a sterner test of golf over the River Course.

Jim Banks, head golf pro at The Ranch, says he continuously hears about the stunning views and the fun of the challenging, quick and contoured greens.

“It is hard to get bored looking at the sweeping vistas from Mount Baldy to the south to Red Mountain, Swan Mountain, the West Gore Range, Buffalo Mountain and Uneva Peak,” Banks said. Add Soda Creek crossing the property and the scenery is as good as the golf.

Keystone never fails to put forth the best of the Rocky Mountains. It’s upscale, but down home and friendly. If you can’t find something to do and enjoy at Keystone then you are not trying.

Where to Stay

Keystone Lodge & Spa is a AAA Four Diamond Award-winning offering 152 guest rooms (including 14 loft suites). The Lodge features a luxurious, 10,000-square-foot spa, and the outstanding Bighorn Steakhouse.

River Run is a European-styled village with shops and restaurants on the first floors and condos on the upper floors. It includes underground parking, which is great for winter ski trips. Keystone’s gondola ski lift is a short walk away. It doesn’t get any better than this. www.keystoneresort.com

Where to Dine

The Ski Tip Lodge was not only a stagecoach stop, but was used as the very first ski lodge by founders Max and Edna Dercum when the ski lifts opened in the 1940s. Today it offers an incredible dining experience. More gourmet dining can be found at The Keystone Ranch Restaurant is in the same building as the Ranch Golf Clubhouse. This former 1930s ranch log homestead is rated AAA Four Diamonds. It has been heralded "as quite possibly the finest ski resort restaurant on earth" by US News and World Report magazine. Also try the Black Bear Grill in Keystone.