There’s something truly unforgettable about teeing off at altitude. With sweeping views, crisp alpine air and golf courses carved into nature’s most dramatic landscapes, mountain layouts offer unique blends of challenge and serenity. Whether you’re an avid golfer chasing iconic fairways or a recreational player seeking a peaceful luxury sanctuary surrounded by peaks, the ultimate, impressive, sky-high golf adventures await.
From private, pine-lined fairways of California to Canada’s glacier-fed greens, here are seven of the best destination mountain courses in North America – each ranked in Golf Digest, GOLF Magazine and Golfweek top echelons –worth flying to and from privately in luxury.
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Martis Camp – Truckee, California (Private)
Nestled in the Sierra Nevada mountains near Lake Tahoe, the gated Martis Camp offers an exclusive Tom Fazio-designed course that’s a favorite among those who seek both privacy and prestige. With meticulously maintained fairways winding through soaring forests and panoramic views in every direction, the Discovery Land enclave is where serious golfers come to escape at 6,100 feet above sea level. Grandiose heights and forced carries – accented by bold bunkering – make golfers feel like they’re ascending Mount Everest. No. 18 presents a theatrical finale with the clubhouse perched atop a remarkable 70-foot-high wall of granite, spellbinding golfers as they approach the green. Ask your club’s golf professional to secure you an invitation here.
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The Omni Homestead Resort – Hot Springs, Virginia (Public)
One of America’s most historic golf havens, The Omni Homestead Resort in the Allegheny Mountains is home to 36 holes comprising The Cascades and The Old Course designed by Donald Ross. Renowned for its classic design and natural beauty, the layouts boast rolling terrain, mineral springs and (beware!) spectacular natural topography that constantly provides uneven terrain lies all just a short flight from the East Coast’s major cities. Legendary golfer Sam Snead called Omni Homestead Resort home for decades and many of our most public figures, from Commanders in Chiefs to the Rockefellers, sought to break par here. A portrait of every sitting president who visited The Omni Homestead Resort resides in the bar.
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Keystone Resort – Keystone, Colorado (Public)
At more than 9,000 feet above sea level, Keystone Resort is Colorado’s highest elevation golf experience. With two distinct courses –the River Course, offering dramatic changes in latitude, and the Ranch Course (designed by Robert Trent Jones, Jr.), set in a serene valley –Keystone challenges your game with many holes playing downhill to the extreme around the Snake River, through pine forests and amid stunning Rocky Mountain panoramas. Frequent visits from moose, elk, beavers, bears, hawks and other wildlife add to the natural grandeur.
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Fairmont Banff Springs – Banff, Alberta, Canada (Public)
Few courses in the world match the visual splendor of Fairmont Banff Springs. Designed by Canuck Stanley Thompson and set in the heart of the Canadian Rockies, this resort course is framed by jagged peaks, lush pine forests and the turquoise Bow River. All holes are top notch with one of the most memorable being No. 4, appropriately known as Devil’s Cauldron, that plays well downhill over a pond to a green that slopes from left to right with an optically intimidating skyscraper mountain framing the right side. Let’s not forget the five-star hotel reminiscent of a storybook castle. Banff Springs is “summit golf” in its most majestic form and a must-play for any avid golfer with a passport.
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Gozzer Ranch Golf & Lake Club – Harrison, Idaho (Private)
An unmatched mountain retreat set high above Lake Coeur d’Alene, Gozzer Ranch blends rugged terrain with refined design. The Coore & Crenshaw championship layout embraces Idaho’s natural contours and delivers both strategic challenge and unfiltered beauty. Several holes run along the edges of basalt bluffs where 100-foot-high spires, crags and cliff faces are back-dropped by sweeping views of the lake and imposing crests. Ready for this: No. 8 is an outstretched, 605-yard, par 5 that starts with a narrow, 75-yard alleyway requiring avoidance of left and the right fairway bunkers to catch a downhill swell and advance your ball another 30 to 50 yards. That’s not it – carry a 60-yard, 15-foot-deep crossing bunker to a shallow, elevated green protected by two deep bunkers on the right side. Ask your club’s golf professional secure you an invitation here.
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Farmlinks Golf Club at Purcell Farms – Sylacauga, Alabama (Public)
Within striking distance from Birmingham and tucked into the Appalachian foothills, Farmlinks Golf Club at Pursell Farms is consistently ranked among the best courses in the South. This hidden gem plays to 7,420 yards from the tips and is known for its Par 3, No. 5 hole featuring a daunting 172-foot vertical drop – now that’s h
ang time! With even more climbs to tee boxes in the proverbial sky, impeccable conditioning and heaps of Southern hospitality, Farmlinks is a unique venue for golfers looking to combine mountain terrain with a relaxed, countryside vibe.
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Wolf Creek Golf Club – Mesquite, Nevada (Public)
Often called one of the most visually striking courses in the U.S., Wolf Creek Golf Club is carved into the dramatic desert-mountain landscape of southern Nevada. Each “wow” hole is iPhone camera worthy. Towering cliffs, rollercoaster-like elevation drops, wandering canyons omnipresent white-sand bunkers and surreal red rock views make every hole an adventure. Take note of No. 17, a risk-reward par-5 with an incredible ski slope-like tee shot that is an illusionist’s canvas daring golfers to go for the water-protected green in two. Decisions, decisions.
Hassle-Free Travel
Ready to book your mountain course golf getaway? Magellan Jets, understands that for discerning golfers, the journey is just as important as the destination. Our Private Aviation Advisors are golf knowledgeable and specialize in crafting custom flights that get you from tarmac to tee at the world’s best mountain courses. We’ll help plan a weekend or weeklong jaunt with your golf group or a solo escape. We offer a full range of private aviation solutions, including Jet Cards for frequent travelers, On-Demand Charter for one-off trips, and even business solutions for enterprises and busy executives. Wherever your next golf adventure awaits, get there effortlessly, so you can focus on your swing.
