Grand Junction, Colorado
Redlands Mesa is Jim Engh’s signature high-desert design, known for its breathtaking elevation changes and tee-to-green drama. Once ranked among America's top public courses, it still delivers a bold, scenic, and rewarding round for adventurous players.
Order a drink and soak in the panoramic mesa views from the clubhouse terrace after your round—it’s a favorite sunset ritual for locals and visitors alike.
Redlands Mesa is Jim Engh at his boldest: a true original routed over wind-sculpted mesas, plunging canyons, and outcrops of weathered red stone. Every hole uses the high-desert terrain to maximum effect, favoring dramatic elevation changes, staggered landing zones, risky lines, and broad, angular greens. Strategic options abound—forced carries and layups, sidehill stances and blind runups, always framed by extraordinary vistas. Engh’s shaping and dramatic use of natural features are the course’s hallmarks.
A textbook example of Engh’s ability to transform raw, rugged land into a showpiece of exciting public golf.
At 466 yards from the Monument tees, this brawny par 4 is the longest two-shotter on the card. The gauntlet-like corridor and ever-present desert wind demand both distance and discipline from the tee. An accurate drive leaves a mid- to long-iron to a tough, well-defended green perched amid canyon edges.
Prioritize control off the tee–missing left leaves a brutal recovery, and safe right brings runoffs and awkward stances. Play for the middle of the green and take par with pride.
Straying offline courts deep desert rough, rocky hazard, and impossible pitch shot angles.
Consistently strong for a public high-desert layout; expect firm fairways and quick greens in season.
Round times average 4–4.5 hours; can run long on peak weekends due to popularity.
Upscale but relaxed public course energy, with a lively clubhouse and plenty of scenic distractions.
Standard golf attire—collared shirt and golf shorts or pants strongly advised.
Brush up on controlling ball flight and club selection in crosswinds—Redlands Mesa’s exposure means wind is always a factor.
High elevation and sparse shade mean you’ll need extra sunscreen, sunglasses, and a hat all round.
The topography is dramatic; unless you’re an experienced walker, consider taking a cart to avoid fatigue.
Demand spikes on weekends and in the spring/fall—secure your slot in advance to get favorable times.
The Golf Club at Redlands Mesa opens for public play.
Debuts on Golf Digest’s '100 Greatest Public' courses list.
Remains top 10 in Colorado on published state rankings.
Course undergoes a comprehensive renovation (per local sources).
New green complex installed at the 7th and lengthening of the 17th hole.
Jim Engh’s signature at Redlands Mesa is transforming rugged Colorado badlands into a playable, dramatic public course. His routing carves through red-rock outcroppings and natural amphitheaters, turning every hole into a stage for bold shotmaking.
Redlands Mesa stunned the national scene by jumping as high as No. 17 in Golf Digest’s '100 Greatest Public' in the 2000s, cementing its status as the western slope must-play. The buzz brought travelers from all over looking to tackle Engh’s wild topography.
Golfers quickly realize elevation is part adversary and part asset, with shots that soar from dramatically elevated tees and carry must-hit plateaus. From the high points, you get unobstructed views of the Colorado National Monument and horizon-to-horizon sky.
Nearly every hole at Redlands Mesa tempts with a shortcut or dares you to bite off more than you can chew. The smartest players use Engh’s shaping–runoffs, sideboards, and slopes–to their advantage, choosing when to attack and when to play safe.
Redlands Mesa’s 10th is one of the longest par 4s in Colorado, stretching 527 yards from the tips.
The course has been called 'a must-play for its topography alone' by Golf Digest.
Every hole offers a different angle on the Colorado National Monument’s red rock formations.
Jim Engh used the natural canyons and ridges to dictate the routing, rarely moving major earth.
Redlands Mesa was built in under a year and instantly became a statewide sensation when it opened.
A top local complement with more forgiving layout and strong mesa views.
Great value, fun variety, and an easy drive from downtown Grand Junction.
Desert-mountain hybrid with bold bunkering and wide fairways—worth the extra drive for distinctive holes.
If you crave the alpine, Powderhorn offers a cooler, mountain-lodge counterpoint to Redlands Mesa's desert drama.
Stay near downtown Grand Junction or the Redlands area for fastest access to golf, dining, and post-round amenities.
Courses with the most similar DNA profile — matched by deviation shape across all eight playing characteristics.
Why it matches: There is real overlap here. Dinosaur Mountain Golf Course shares a memorable sense of place, making it a compelling counterpart to The Golf Club at Redlands Mesa.
Why it matches: If The Golf Club at Redlands Mesa is your kind of course, Snake River Sporting Club is worth a look because it makes the landscape part of the experience.
Why it matches: What links these two? Makes the landscape part of the experience — a familiar feeling, expressed in The Boulders Golf Club - South Course's own setting.
A private Colorado adventure in true mountain drama
Dramatic golf perched above Lake Coeur d'Alene
Northern Michigan’s Secluded, Dramatic Woods Test
Wetlands drama and Engh’s boldest bunkers
Bold mountain target golf with thrilling elevation changes.
Bold Colorado terrain, Engh’s signature strategy, pure drama
Community Sentiment
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