Mountain Highs
Golf, fish and fun await at Aspen Glen Club in Carbondale
Photos Courtesy of Invited Clubs
With stunning views of Mount Sopris and the Roaring Fork River winding through its 900-plus carefully landscaped acres, Aspen Glen Club is a captivating Colorado destination. Whether you’re a golfer or a gourmand, a fly-fishing enthusiast or hiker, there are many ways to enjoy yourself at this mountain haven less than a three-hour drive from Denver.
The property’s 18-hole golf course, designed by Jack Nicklaus and his son Jack Nicklaus II, opened in 1997, and almost three decades later the private Club continues to regularly rank in the top tier of Colorado courses as rated by such publications as Golf Digest. It is part of the Invited Clubs network, which is made up of 150-plus golf, country and city clubs.
Investment company KSL Capital Partners, with an office in Denver, acquired Invited Clubs in June. The network offers a range of programs, from social memberships that include access to fitness facilities, pools, racquet sports and dining, to full golf memberships with 14-day advance tee times, plus social benefits. An additional platform, XLife, allows golf or social members to visit participating clubs within the company’s extensive portfolio of properties. “What makes us special is the accessibility of the network,” says Bonnie Scoggins, senior vice president of marketing for Invited Clubs, adding, “It connects people to that club atmosphere” at locations across the country.
About 40 percent of Aspen Glen Club’s members live in Carbondale year-round, and the remainder typically visit from one week to five months a year, says membership director James Folske. The big appeal of golf at Aspen Glen, he says, is that the course is at an elevation of 6,100 feet. It usually opens in March and doesn’t close until the third week in November—a longer season than most mountain golf courses in Colorado. (While it has Aspen in its name, Aspen Glen is 30 miles down the road from the mountain town.)
If you’re fortunate enough to play the Aspen Glen course with Folske, you’ll learn not only where to aim your shots, but also how the holes earned their names. The 10th hole, for example, was dubbed Eagle’s Nest for a family of eagles that lived in a tree along the river. A windstorm toppled the tree in 2018, but an eagle’s nest currently abuts another hole on the course. The entire property has been an Audubon International Cooperative Sanctuary since 1999 for its stewardship of the land.
When the action at Aspen Glen shifts to fishing, club members have access to 2½ miles of the Roaring Fork River that Colorado Parks and Wildlife has designated as Gold Medal Water for rainbows and brown trout.
Tennis and pickleball are additional attractions at Aspen Glen. Racquet sports director Jon Zalinski says pickleball has been gaining in popularity with players ages 40 to 70, and there are active leagues and programs for youths and adults.
An Illinois transplant who has spent decades in the area, Zalinski says Aspen Glen’s weather lets active people enjoy what he calls “trifectas.” “In the spring you can get three sports in on one day,” he says. “You can ski in the morning, play nine holes of golf in the afternoon, and then play some pickleball.”
Aspen Glen did extensive renovations and updates on its golf course, racquet area, pool, fitness facilities and clubhouse over the past few years. Attention was also paid to its dining program and menus. Serving both lunch and dinner, The Hearth restaurant offers Colorado-inspired cuisine served in a dining room framed by mountain views, or on its expansive patio. Executive Chef Adam White creates innovative takes on classics, such as a bison Reuben sandwich for lunch and elk stroganoff for dinner. “People want dishes they are comfortable with, but elevated,” White says.
For social members, the food, special events and casual club ambience are major attractions of Aspen Glen. A friendly and inclusive atmosphere—rather than the stuffy image of old-school country clubs—is what the club fosters, Folske says. “Whether people want to do water aerobics or go on a float trip, there’s something for everyone.”
Aspen Glen Club
0545 Bald Eagle Way, Carbondale
