Golf Club at Redlands Mesa
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Golf Club at Redlands Mesa
The setting at the Golf Club at Redlands Mesa rocks, literally. Jason Scott Deegan/Golf Advisor
Golf Club at Redlands Mesa - hole 1
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Golf Club at Redlands Mesa - hole 1
The view of the first fairway at the Golf Club at Redlands Mesa is impressive. Jason Scott Deegan/Golf Advisor
Golf Club at Redlands Mesa - hole 3
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Golf Club at Redlands Mesa - hole 3
The flag on the par-3 third hole at the Golf Club at Redlands Mesa plays peek-a-boo with golfers on the tee. Jason Scott Deegan/Golf Advisor
Golf Club at Redlands Mesa - hole 4
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Golf Club at Redlands Mesa - hole 4
The Colorado National Monument towers over the backdrop of the fourth green at the Golf Club at Redlands Mesa in Grand Junction. Jason Scott Deegan/Golf Advisor
Redlands Mesa golf course - hole 6
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Redlands Mesa golf course - hole 6
A miss left of the sixth green at the Golf Club at Redlands Mesa will become a lost ball. Jason Scott Deegan/Golf Advisor
Golf Club at Redlands Mesa - hole 7
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Golf Club at Redlands Mesa - hole 7
The seventh hole at the Golf Club at Redlands Mesa climbs uphill. Jason Scott Deegan/Golf Advisor
Golf Club at Redlands Mesa - 8th hole
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Golf Club at Redlands Mesa - 8th hole
The scenic eighth hole at the Golf Club at Redlands Mesa plays to a narrow green. Jason Scott Deegan/Golf Advisor
Golf Club at Redlands Mesa - 11th
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Golf Club at Redlands Mesa - 11th
It's a lay-up off the 11th tee to avoid the wetland crossing the fairway at the Golf Club at Redlands Mesa in Grand Junction, Colorado. Jason Scott Deegan/Golf Advisor
Redlands Mesa golf course - 12th hole
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Redlands Mesa golf course - 12th hole
The 151-yard 12th hole at the Golf Club at Redlands Mesa is short, but a big green makes putting a challenge. Jason Scott Deegan/Golf Advisor
Golf Club at Redlands Mesa - hole 13
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Golf Club at Redlands Mesa - hole 13
A wetland gobbles up poor approach shots to the par-5 13th hole at the Golf Club at Redlands Mesa in Grand Junction, Colo. Jason Scott Deegan/Golf Advisor
Golf Club at Redlands Mesa - hole 17
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Golf Club at Redlands Mesa - hole 17
To fully experience the par-3 17th hole at the Golf Club at Redlands Mesa, take a hike to the back tees. Jason Scott Deegan/GolfPass
11 Images

At the Golf Club at Redlands Mesa in Grand Junction, Colorado, the views never stop

GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. -- Few inland backdrops in golf compare to the high desert scenery surrounding the Golf Club at Redlands Mesa. The Jim Engh design -- ranked the top public course in the state by Golfweek in 2015 and no. 95 nationally by Golf Magazine in 2014 -- is blessed with views of the Colorado National Monument, the Book Cliffs mountains and the Grand Mesa.

The brown and red rocks look spectacular juxtaposed against the green grass of the 7,007-yard course. The barrage of elevated tees showcases all the scenery.

True to form, the Colorado-based Engh created some intriguing holes. The par-5 fifth hole at Redlands Mesa doglegs right, playing to a massive green cut above a rocky shelf. The tricky par-4 14th hole whips right toward a green hugging some gigantic boulders.

Golfers won't find a better set of par 3s. The 197-yard third climbs uphill to a green hidden behind mounding. Only the top of the flag is visible. The rest are all drop-shot par 3s -- the 164-yard eighth over a pond, the 151-yard 12th into a bowl and the 218-yard 17th hole bracketed by rock outcroppings.

Be sure to hike up the narrow, winding steps to the back tee at no. 17 to find the most picturesque moment of the day.

Golf Advisor user "ssherstad" rated his round five stars, writing: "Your golf experience at Redlands Mesa will long be remembered for the incredible views from each tee box.

Jason Scott Deegan has reviewed and photographed more than 1,100 courses and written about golf destinations in 25 countries for some of the industry's biggest publications. His work has been honored by the Golf Writer's Association of America and the Michigan Press Association. Follow him on Instagram at @jasondeegangolfpass and Twitter at @WorldGolfer.
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At the Golf Club at Redlands Mesa in Grand Junction, Colorado, the views never stop