8. Four Mile Ranch Golf Club
Canon City, Colo.
7,053 yards, par 72; Green fees: $59-$74;
719-269-7444, fourmileranch.com

As far as Jim Engh is concerned, "straightforward" is code
for "dull," and he has yet to be accused of designing a boring
course. But the heaving terrain he was handed in Colorado
was so dramatic that Engh decided to just leave well enough
alone.

The result is a quirky hodgepodge that resembles
nothing you've seen in golf. There are no formal bunkers,
just white shale ridges called hogbacks. Ranging in height
from three to thirty feet, they're all Engh
needed to balance out the blind shots,
native grasses and fearsome greens.
Love it or hate it, the 560-yard, par-5
6th is unforgettable, its green obscured
by huge rocks. This is adventure golf
at its finest. Four Mile Ranch enjoys
mountain vistas in every direction — but it's those on-course hogbacks that
will linger long in your memory.