Jackson Hole Golf and Tennis Club

The verdict

Jackson Hole Golf and Tennis Club has the most jaw-dropping backdrop in Wyoming golf, and a pedigree to match. It opened in 1965 as the first 18-hole course in Teton County, was reworked by Robert Trent Jones Jr. in the 1970s, and was rebuilt almost entirely in a major redesign by his firm completed in 2007. The result is a modern parkland course laid across the open valley floor, with the Tetons rising in a near-constant wall to the west.

It plays to a par 72 of about 7,409 yards at roughly 6,300 feet, where the thin air adds carry and the mountain light makes every hole photograph well. As a semi-private club that takes public tee times, it gives a traveling golfer rare access to a course of this caliber and setting, and it slots neatly into a Jackson Hole trip built around the national parks, the town and the wider Mountain West. For scenery alone it is a must play; the redesigned course backs the views with real substance.

The holes worth the trip

The 2007 rebuild gave Jackson Hole the shaping and conditioning of a modern resort course while keeping the wide, walkable feel of the valley floor. Robert Trent Jones Jr. added movement to the fairways, rebuilt the greens with more interest and used water and bunkering to frame the approaches, all while keeping the Teton skyline in view from nearly every tee. The defining quality of a round here is space: the holes breathe, the sightlines run for miles, and the mountains never leave the picture.

At altitude the ball flies, so the generous length plays shorter than the card suggests, but the wind that funnels down the valley and the firm, fast greens keep good players honest. It is a course that rewards a confident long game and a steady putter, and one where the scenery is a genuine part of the challenge, pulling the eye away at exactly the wrong moment.

Conditioning is excellent through the short, intense mountain summer, the practice facilities are strong, and the clubhouse and tennis side make it an easy place to spend a half day. For most visitors the lasting memory is standing on a tee with the Grand Teton filling the horizon, a backdrop few courses anywhere can match.

Where to stay nearby

The town of Jackson, with its boutique hotels, lodges and rentals, is the natural base, a short drive south of the course and the hub for Grand Teton and Yellowstone trips. For a more rural feel, the Spring Gulch and Teton Village areas put you closer to the mountains, and the ski resort lodging at Teton Village runs all summer.

For a Jackson Hole golf trip, the club pairs naturally with the Arnold Palmer designed Teton Pines across the valley, and the two together make a strong two-course week alongside the national parks. It suits a group that wants marquee mountain scenery, walkable summer golf and a town with real range off the course.

Looking for a base? See our recommended hotels and resorts near Jackson.