Maroon Creek Club
A Tom Fazio design at the foot of Buttermilk Mountain, Maroon Creek runs from an old ranch meadow up a canyon wall and along its namesake creek, with the Aspen peaks at every turn. Private, exquisitely kept and set in one of the great mountain towns in America.
Photo: Maroon Creek Club via Google.
The verdict
Maroon Creek Club sits at the base of Buttermilk Mountain, one of Aspen's ski hills, a few minutes from the heart of town. Tom Fazio routed it in the mid 1990s, and it opened for play in 1995 as the private golf anchor of one of the most desirable mountain communities in the country. Few clubs can match the setting: peaks in every direction, the cottonwoods of Maroon Creek running through the property, and the clean high country light that makes Aspen what it is.
The golf lives up to the address. The opening holes play out across a former working ranch fringed by native sagebrush, wide and welcoming, before the course tips into more dramatic ground, climbing a canyon wall and threading along the creek and a deep ravine. At about 7,100 yards and par 71 it is a comfortable number on the card, and Aspen's altitude shrinks it further, so the test is in the elevation change, the angles and Fazio's beautifully shaped greens rather than brute length. It is private, so a member connection is the route on, but as a piece of mountain golf it is among Colorado's finest.
Maroon Creek Club at a glance
- Opened
- 1995
- Designer
- Tom Fazio
- Type
- Mountain
- Par
- 71
- Yardage
- About 7,100 yds
- Access
- Private members club
Designer, opening year, par and length verified June 2026 from leading course databases; reported yardage and par vary slightly by source, so the figures are given as about 7,100 yards, par 71. Maroon Creek is a Tom Fazio design opened in 1995 at the base of Buttermilk Mountain in Aspen, Colorado. It is a private members club and a summer course; there is no public green fee to quote. Access is generally as a member's guest, so always confirm arrangements directly before planning a visit.
The holes worth the trip
Maroon Creek opens gently. The first handful of holes play across the old ranch meadow, broad fairways edged by sage with the mountains rising beyond, an easygoing start that lets you settle into the altitude before the land grows more dramatic. It is a clever sequence, banking a few good swings before the course shows its teeth.
From there the round changes character. The holes climb the canyon wall and run along Maroon Creek and a ravine, the elevation changes sharpening and the views opening up at every tee. Fazio uses the natural drama of the site, with shots played from height to fairways below and approaches into greens set against rock, water and aspen, so judging how the ball flies in the thin air becomes a constant question.
Played from a sensible tee it is a glorious round, scenery and shot values in equal measure, the kind of course you remember hole by hole. Played from the back, with the creek and the ravine in play and the greens running firm, it becomes a genuine test that asks for precision and nerve, all of it staged beneath some of the most photographed peaks in American golf.
How to get on
| What to know | Detail |
|---|---|
| Access | A private members club; play is generally as the guest of a member, with no open public tee times |
| Green fee | No public green fee; guest play is arranged by a member, so there is no rate to quote |
| Booking | Through a member host; a traveling golfer cannot book directly, so plan an Aspen trip around the area's public golf and treat Maroon Creek as a private highlight |
| On the day | Traditional club dress and etiquette; the routing has real elevation change, so a cart helps and the altitude is felt by visitors from sea level |
| Getting there | At the base of Buttermilk in Aspen, minutes from town and Aspen and Pitkin County Airport, about a four hour drive west of Denver |
| Best months | Roughly late May to October; July and August give the most settled mountain weather |
Access verified June 2026; arrangements change, so always confirm directly before planning a visit. Ask us about Aspen golf tee times.
Where to stay nearby
Maroon Creek sits at the edge of Aspen, so a visiting golfer can base themselves in town and have the club, the restaurants and the mountains all within a few minutes. Aspen is one of the great summer resort towns in the Rockies, and the lodging runs from grand hotels to quieter inns and rentals.
Because the club is members only, the practical move is to build an Aspen trip around the valley's public and resort golf, pair it with the hiking, the dining and the music and arts that fill the summer, and treat a round at Maroon Creek as a bonus if a connection allows. Aspen and Pitkin County Airport keeps the town well connected in season.
Looking for a base? See our recommended hotels and resorts around Aspen.
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Maroon Creek Club questions
Who designed Maroon Creek Club and when did it open?
Maroon Creek Club was designed by Tom Fazio and opened for play in 1995. It sits at the base of Buttermilk Mountain in Aspen, Colorado, set alongside Maroon Creek with the surrounding peaks as a backdrop.
What is the par and length of Maroon Creek Club?
Maroon Creek Club plays to a par of 71 and measures about 7,100 yards from the back tees, with reported figures varying slightly by source. At Aspen's altitude the thin air adds carry, so the elevation change and the mountain setting matter more than the raw yardage.
Can visitors play Maroon Creek Club?
Maroon Creek Club is a private members club without public tee times. Access for a visiting golfer is generally as the guest of a member, so the realistic route is a member connection. Always confirm current access arrangements directly before planning a visit.
When is the best time to play golf in Aspen?
Maroon Creek is a high country course and a summer layout, typically open from roughly late May or June into October. July and August give the most settled mountain weather, with cool mornings and the chance of an afternoon storm in the Rockies.
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Researched and written by the GolfForKings editorial desk. Designer, opening year, par and yardage verified June 2026; access verified June 2026. Last reviewed June 2026.