Golf-club members revive Golf Club at Fox Acres near Red Feather Lakes

A group of investors has purchased the Golf Club at Fox Acres, adjacent to Red Feather Lakes, out of foreclosure.

Led by managing partners Larry Lyon and Bill Butin, a group of 27 golf-club members joined together to form a limited-liability corporation and purchased both the club and the residential community. In May, the membership group engaged leading golf-course management firm Touchstone Golf to re-open and manage the day-to-day operations of the club, with a goal of returning this hidden gem to its former grandeur.

The club’s rise, fall and renaissance, however, has as many twists and turns as the championship layout that anchors the charming rustic mountain village of Red Feather Lakes.

The history of the club began more than 50 years ago, when Colorado businessman and former University of Colorado football player Ray Stenzel purchased an abandoned fox farm and transformed it into a modest family vacation home. A golf-oriented real estate development and a nine-hole golf course were added before noted golf course architect Johnny Cochran was engaged to design a championship layout that quickly earned recognition as one of the top 10 private courses in the state. The golf course was utilized by family and friends only until Stenzel’s son, John, took over operations and expanded both the development and the golf club membership.

Hoping to capitalize on the club’s rapidly-expanding membership and the growth of the residential community, an equity group purchased the club in 2000. The timing, as it turned out, could not have been worse; the tech bubble burst soon after, causing a sharp decline in both memberships and home sales. In 2005, the golf club and real estate community were sold to a large developer, who expanded the club and promoted it as an exclusive enclave for the rich and well-traveled. The growing recession, however, led to the further erosion of the membership and course conditions, and the club and neighborhood were foreclosed upon in January 2014. Faced with high costs — and without expertise in operating a golf course — the bank decided to close the club.

True to its reputation for turning around even the most challenged golf properties, in just one month, Touchstone worked with the new owners to restore the course to premium playing conditions while re-energizing and growing the membership. During the next several months, the Touchstone team will continue to significantly upgrade the golf course and many of the club’s amenities.

Surrounded by the 612,000-acre Roosevelt National Forest northwest of Fort Collins, the Golf Club at Fox Acres is highlighted by its 6,500-yard, par-71 championship golf course, which was named No. 17 on Golf Digest’s list of the “Most Fun Golf Courses You Can Play in America” in 2012.

Thick stands of stately pine trees frame lush, winding fairways and manicured greens, with stunning rock outcroppings, 15 shimmering lakes, more than 100 sand traps, and numerous elevation changes creating both strategic diversity and a breathtaking backdrop for golf. Golfers share this peaceful sanctuary with moose, elk and deer, creating a truly unforgettable experience for golfers of all abilities.

The Golf Club at Fox Acres is located at 3350 Fox Acres Drive in Red Feather Lakes, near the north fork of the Cache la Poudre River – Colorado’s first designated Wild and Scenic River. The location offers access to some of Colorado’s best hiking, whitewater rafting, kayaking and world-class fishing. While the club is open to the public, a variety of attractively-priced golf and non-golf/social memberships are also available, offering an array of privileges, discounts and other benefits.

For tee time reservations, membership information, or to inquire about golf tournaments, weddings and events, call the club at 970-881-2574 or visit golfclubatfoxacres.com.