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 It's true. Shots do travel at least 10 percent farther in Colorado
than at sea level—even more at some of the high-elevation mountain
resorts. While this may not put most of us out into Tiger Woods
territory, the green certainly doesn't seem quite so far away.
Distance off the tee box is not the most important element Colorado
golf has to offer. That comes from some of the most stunning
settings ever selected for an ancient game that now features
a wealth of amenities. Sites in the mountains and along the foothills
have been chosen for dramatic scenic impact. Many of the views
will take your breath away. You'll spend much more time looking
at mountains than for your golf ball.
History
of Colorado
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The scenery starts early in Colorado.
Almost from the moment you set foot in the state, the mountains
are either surrounding you or are visible on
the horizon, and they're constantly presenting new vistas. While
skiing and hiking are undeniably great ways to appreciate the
peaks, they're hardly mandatory. Whether you're driving a freeway
or even walking on a busy Denver street, you will be ogling
the alpine scenery. In this state, it's unavoidable.
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There's evidence humans traveled
through Colorado as much as 10,000 years ago in pursuit of game.
Later, the Anasazi began their pueblo culture around AD 550 in the
southwestern part of state and the surrounding region. They
created large and complex buildings on mesas  and
in cliffside alcoves, some of which can still be visited at Mesa
Verde National Park and Hovenweep National Monument. Whether it
was due to warfare or another reason, their cities were abandoned
between 1200 and 1400. Other tribes that inhabited Colorado
included the Kiowa, Apache and Comanche, who roamed the flat
eastern prairie in search of bison. The Ute people of the
mountainous west lived a foraging/hunting existence.
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The Spanish expedition under
Franscisco Coronado may have passed through parts of Colorado in
1541. Although Spain claimed much of the
territory, its settlement of the land did not go much further than
the explorations of two Franciscan friars in 1776. Most of the
territory ended up in the United States, thanks to the 1803
Louisiana Purchase. Explorers and trappers entered the area over
the next several decades, including Zebulon Pike, of Pikes Peak
fame, who covered the area in 1806.
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It wasn't until 1858, when gold-fever
struck, that Colorado really saw any major influx of settlers. A
rough-and-tumble period of mining and frontier bloodshed followed.
As more Native American lands were claimed by  white
settlers, ranching became an important supplement to mining in the
region's economy. In the early 1900s, the Colorado mines were the
scene of bitter and bloody labor struggles. Minerals are still an
important part of Colorado's economy, as are ranching and farming,
but tourism has also become a booming business. Denver has emerged
as a major U.S. city, a center of business, banking and
communications.
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