In the regions of the U.S. that are already seeing the leaves turn from green to orange and red, there is another form of green on the mind of golfers—the grass on their golf courses. For some, that green will be covered in the white of snow at some point. Accompanying that will be the melancholy of the playing “season” being over, forcing them indoors to work on their games or get a golf fix when the PGA Tour season begins in January in Hawaii and California.

Of course, there are also sporting men and women who are giddy about the coming chill. If you ski, the white stuff is a welcome sight, and true satisfaction can come for those lucky enough to live in or be able to visit a region that offers long days of golf in the summer and the thrills of the slopes in winter.

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It’s a fairly rare double, because it’s not easy to pull off. The snow is mostly left to Mother Nature, but golf superintendents need to recover each spring from that—all for what may be a short season. It takes a lot of money and a lot of work.

Understandably, then, among some 800 golf resorts in the U.S., there are only some 40 that offer both golf and skiing. Of course, there are other tracks close to the slopes that aren’t a resort, and as you’d imagine, many of them are in gorgeous settings because of the requisite mountains nearby.

It all makes for a fun and fascinating combination, with even golf pros putting away their sticks in the summer and taking out the skis for lessons in the winter. Here, we offer a list of some of our favorite places that pull it off beautifully. (Note: Though destinations like Yellowstone Club or Martis Camp are incredible clubs for skiing/golf, they are private and our list showcases only public options.)

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We urge you to click through to each individual course page for bonus photography, drone footage and expanded reviews. Plus, you can now leave your own ratings on the courses you’ve played … to make your case why your favorite should be ranked higher.

Allen Kennedy false Public Red Sky Ranch & Golf Club Fazio Course Wolcott, CO, United States 4 158 Panelists

• 100 Greatest Public
• Best In State

The companion to the Norman Course at Red Sky, the Fazio 18 features more elevation change, with the mostly open front nine atop a bluff dotted with hand-planted sage and juniper bushes and the back nine rising in switchback fashion far up a mountain slope through groves of aspen before plunging downhill on the final three holes. The bunkers here are some of Fazio’s most elaborate. Both Red Sky Ranch courses have flip-flopped positions on the America’s 100 Greatest Public Courses ranking, but the Fazio’s design consistently gets the higher Aesthetics marks. Explore our full review Evan Schiller false Public Boyne Highlands: Heather Harbor Springs, MI, United States 4 47 Panelists

The Highlands, located in Harbor Springs, offers four 18-hole layouts including the Heather course, which is a former member of our 100 Greatest and 100 Greatest Public lists. The Robert Trent Jones Sr. design sits at the base of the resort’s ski slopes and offers a stern ball-striking test, with tree-lined doglegs and water hazards demanding accuracy. Explore our full review false Public Canyons Golf Course at Park City Mountain Park City, UT One of the best mountains in the west also boasts a modern golf course. Gene and Casey Bates, who have partnered with Fred Couples and Johnny Miller on other designs, opened the Canyons course in Park City in 2014, which utilizes the surrounding mountainous terrain and large elevation changes up to 550 feet. Though the layout is short, measuring less than 6,100 yards and played at elevation, there’s no shortage of challenge from navigating rumbled, meandering fairways, avoiding big misses with a number of large runoffs and longer par 3s. Explore our full review false Public Stowe Country Club Stowe, VT

Stowe Country Club has long been at the hub of Vermont golf. Skiing came first, with the lodge owners looking for something to fill their rooms in the summer months. An expansion to 18 holes was completed in 1962 on the rolling hills of a dairy farm. 

Explore our full review Evan Schiller false Public Big Cedar Lodge: Payne’s Valley Hollister, MO, United States 3.7 124 Panelists

• 100 Greatest Public
• Best In State

From architecture editor Derek Duncan: It was a long time coming. That’s not a reference to the three-and-a-half-years of construction and grow-in for Payne’s Valley, the newest resort course at Big Cedar Lodge near Branson, Mo. Rather, it had been 14 years since public golfers began waiting to play a course designed by Tiger Woods. Woods founded his design company, TGR Design, in 2006. But because of his schedule, the desire to be selective of the few projects he signs onto and a devastating financial crisis, only two TGR courses were been completed—the El Cardonal course at Diamante Cabo San Lucas in Mexico, and Bluejack National, a private course in Texas. Payne’s Valley, which opened in 2020, presents to the largest audience to date the architectural principles he most values. “My goal when starting TGR Design was to create courses that are fun and playable for golfers of all abilities,” Woods told Golf Digest. “This was particularly important at Payne’s Valley, my first public golf course.” 

Explore our full review Courtesy of the club false Public Sun Valley Resort: Trail Creek Course Sun Valley, ID 3.8 25 Panelists The Robert Trent Jones Jr. golf course is routed through meandering streams and the Trail Creek, which comes into play on a majority of holes—seven holes on the front nine alone. The golf at Sun Valley Resort is some of the best in Idaho, but the skiing might be the highlight here, as the resort is a frequent host to alpine races. Explore our full review Evan Schiller false Public Sugarloaf Golf Club Carrabassett Valley, ME 3.9 17 Panelists

Set in the Carrabassett Valley against the Appalachians, Sugarloaf is a demanding Robert Trent Jones Jr. mountain course. A past member of Golf Digest’s 100 Greatest Public list, Sugarloaf is a true ball-striking test with narrow fairways guarded by dense forest and imposing rocks. The greens have significant undulations with numerous shelves, creating a variety of possible pin locations. Sugarloaf’s signature holes—the 10th and 11th—offer stunning panoramic views of the Maine wilderness and feature dramatic dropoffs from tee to green. At the par-3 11th—aptly nicknamed “Precipice”—the small, two-tiered green is set 120 feet below the tee box. In the winter months, Sugarloaf is a renowned ski resort, and the trails can be seen from many holes. Explore our full review Allen Kennedy false Public Keystone Ranch Golf Course Keystone, CO, United States 3.7 29 Panelists Playing on land that was once a ranch, Keystone Ranch is a scenic layout about an hour-and-a-half west of Denver. The Robert Trent Jones Jr. design has great variety, with the first couple holes playing in a forest before opening up to a vast expanse, where the fairways are lined with native grasses. Explore our full review false Public Stratton Mountain Resort Golf Courses: Lake/Mountain/Forest Stratton Mountain, VT 3.1 10 Panelists Explore our full review Brian Oar false Public The Quarry at Giants Ridge Biwabik, MN, United States 4.3 50 Panelists

• 100 Greatest Public
• Best In State

It doesn’t get the press that courses such as Bandon Dunes, Pacific Dunes, Whistling Straits or Arcadia Bluffs, but The Quarry at Giants Ridge plays very links-like with its collection of fairway speed slots, greenside backboards and backstops and reverse-camber greens. Its very inventive design also demands some aerial play, too. A standout is its 13th, a drivable par 4 that’s nearly as wide as it is long, with three alternate routes to a 100-yard-wide green. We named it the best 13th hole in America built since 2000. Explore our full review [email protected] false Public Shanty Creek Resort: Schuss Mountain Mancelona, MI Shanty Creek Resort is spread across 5,500 acres in northern Michigan and offers five 18-hole courses. At Schuss Mountain, which opened in 1972, there are two distinct nines. While the front is relatively flat and weaves through dense pine forests, the back side traverses rolling hills, providing more elevation change from tee to green. Overall, the greens don’t have a lot of undulation and are relatively straightforward. Explore our full review More from Golf Digest Golf Digest Logo The best golf courses in the Dominican Republic false Public Sunday River Golf Club Newry, ME, United States 3.9 27 Panelists

Overlooking a valley and set amongst the Appalachians, Sunday River is similar in aesthetics to Sugarloaf, another top Maine ski resort that offers a scenic mountain course. Yet Sunday River plays to more generous landing areas than the relentless Loaf, making it the gentler sibling that still delivers scenic mountain vistas. This Robert Trent Jones Jr. design is a bit of a trek from many popular coastal Maine destinations but consider the drive through the mountains and tiny villages part of the appeal. To play Sunday River in late September, with the foliage on full display, is one of the best mountain golf experiences in the Northeast. Explore our full review Courtesy of Evan Schiller false Public Pronghorn Club at Juniper Preserve Bend, OR, United States 4.1 72 Panelists

• 100 Greatest Public
• Best In State

When it first opened in 2004, Pronghorn was strictly private and its Nicklaus Course was ranked by Golf Digest as No. 2 among America’s Best New Private Courses (a second members-only 18 from Tom Fazio opened three years later). A few years back, the club began allowing public play on its Nicklaus design, now ranked No. 42 on America’s 100 Best Public Courses. It’s a beauty. The second nine, carved from a flow of volcanic rock, may be the most delightful Jack has ever designed, with gambling holes and gorgeous scenery at every turn. The shaping is gentle and subdued to create holes sit low on the land and slide through washes of exposed sand, native grasses and low pines and evergreens. For skiiers, Mt. Bachelor and one of the largest ski resorts in world are a short drive away.

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This article was originally published on golfdigest.com