Colorado WRX 2021

[Dancin]

1 hour ago, pseudoswede said:

 

"Affordable" is in the eye of the beholder. From what I believe I've seen in other parts of WRX, Colorado is on the pricey side compared to what you find in the midwest and east coast. That said, here is a guide to every private club in Colorado with listed initiation fees and monthly due ranges (depending on age/family).

 

https://coloradoavidgolfer.com/your-guide-to-private-clubs/

 

I live in the southern 'burbs of Denver, and I can get to pretty much all public courses in the metro area (even up by Boulder) in under 75 minutes on the weekends--provided there is no Broncos or Buffs game. That said, if you choose to live between Denver and Boulder, you will have a large selection of quality public courses (Walnut Creek, Hyland Hills, Broadlands, Indian Peaks, Coal Creek, Thorncreek, etc. etc.) all within 30 minutes of your house. However, as with the national trend of an increased interest in golf, 4.5 hour rounds is nice, but pretty rare. At most Denver muni courses, even before the pandemic, you're lucky to get in under 5.5 hours.

 

Once you narrow down where you want to live, we can provide better advice on the nearby courses.

He's coming from the NYC area. Anything here including most of the private courses is affordable to him and access considerations are amazing compared to what he's dealing with. But go to Texas. Colorado is full.

[pseudoswede]

2 hours ago, Dancin said:

"PGA Quality" not making me very interested. These courses rarely are great when done by a major home builder like Oakwood. The course is a loss leader to sell the houses. Watch it be a Dick Phelps design

 

Regardless if it's PGA quality, I'm just glad there will be a non-private option near Parker. Heck, by the time it's built, my kids will be in college, and I might join (or maybe I'll join Meridian).

[CDM]

7 hours ago, pseudoswede said:

In other news, it appears Parker/Aurora will be getting a new golf course in the next few years.

 

Oakwood Homes bought 900 acres just north of the Parker Costco to build out a ton of new homes plus a "PGA quality" golf course. The current rumors are that it will be semi-private.

 

https://villagerpublishing.com/oakwood-land-company-announces-acquisition-of-kings-point/

 

 

5 hours ago, Dancin said:

"PGA Quality" not making me very interested. These courses rarely are great when done by a major home builder like Oakwood. The course is a loss leader to sell the houses. Watch it be a Dick Phelps design

 

 

I worked on this deal 18+ years ago for the oringal ownership.  Oakwood bought it from a group that Kronke was part of  Will take alot if money to make it happen / develop but it is the only land really in the area.  Needs a new overpass on E-470 and a lot of infastructure brought in.

 

What we are concerned with...the golf course..  I heard they did talk to some top architects (not CC or Doak level but some decent ones... not sure who they picked)

 

The GC was required to develop the property in the annexation agreementwith Aurora way back in the day. The home owners (Chenango ....who have money and time)  fought us HARD to get the zoning allowed. The area was going to be open space / parks / trails and the was not good enough for them as they had he nerve to say they already use it for that even though it is private property... LOL  The homeowners said they would not fight it if they built a golf course adjacent the houses as a buffer.  As you can see they won twice over. Got what they wanted and will only increase proprty values for them.

 

Dont know much on the course but could find out pretty easy.  

[ALi3]

22 hours ago, pseudoswede said:

In other news, it appears Parker/Aurora will be getting a new golf course in the next few years.

 

Oakwood Homes bought 900 acres just north of the Parker Costco to build out a ton of new homes plus a "PGA quality" golf course. The current rumors are that it will be semi-private.

 

https://villagerpublishing.com/oakwood-land-company-announces-acquisition-of-kings-point/

 

 

While I doubt the course will be comparable to other courses in the metro area: CommonGround, Walnut, Riverdale. I am very excited about this to have another golf course in Parker. Timing should hopefully allow for me to decide between checking this out or joining Black Bear. Being younger and living in Parker leads to few opportunities for golf within 10 minutes of where I live. 

[dubbelbogey]

On 9/27/2021 at 10:56 AM, pseudoswede said:

 

I live in the southern 'burbs of Denver, and I can get to pretty much all public courses in the metro area (even up by Boulder) in under 75 minutes on the weekends--provided there is no Broncos or Buffs game. That said, if you choose to live between Denver and Boulder, you will have a large selection of quality public courses (Walnut Creek, Hyland Hills, Broadlands, Indian Peaks, Coal Creek, Thorncreek, etc. etc.) all within 30 minutes of your house. However, as with the national trend of an increased interest in golf, 4.5 hour rounds is nice, but pretty rare. At most Denver muni courses, even before the pandemic, you're lucky to get in under 5.5 hours.

 

Hmmm. This is interesting as this is a different experience that what I have encountered.

 

Sure, I've seen a bit of an increase in round times over the past year, but not by a whole lot.

 

I play a wide range of courses from south Denver up to Ft. Collins including a number on your list. In my 40+ rounds this season so far, I've had one round over 5 hrs, a few in the 4:45 range, and the vast majority at 4:30 or less. I happen to track round time in my personal stats and my last 6 rounds have all been 4:30 or less. And since I'm still a working stiff, most of these have been on weekends, which doesn't generally help pace of play.  I just played Saddle Rock in 4:14 this past weekend, for example.

 

Maybe I'm just lucky or perhaps it's a function of when my tee-times go off. I play as a single usually, so maybe that has a factor in pace of play as I don't usually get the prime 8am-10am slots.

 

I have no useful information about private clubs, as I only play public courses.

 

Edited September 29, 2021 by dubbelbogey

[ASak10]

I have an 8:30 tee time at CG tomorrow.  Going to be chilly and they punched the greens a few days ago, but if anyone wants the two other spots let me know asap.  Playing with a buddy but don't have two others to play tomorrow.  Otherwise I'll just cancel 2 of the spots.  

[thaar]

On 9/25/2021 at 4:53 PM, pseudoswede said:

Played GVR today. The course is in meh shape, and the greens are stupid fast. What was most amazing was that we played 18 in 4h25min. That also included waiting almost every single shot for the foursome in front of us (they were often a full hole behind the group ahead of them).

 

That's blazing fast out there for a weekend . It's too bad the course isn't in great shape, though I do like fast greens. GVR really thinks too highly for their course. I used to play there regularly and was part of their men's club, but stopped going there as they continually jacked their rates up. I'm not even sure the course is worth $75 let alone $100+ they ask during the summer. 

 

On 9/27/2021 at 9:36 AM, waukamp89 said:

Hey all,

 

My gf and I are considering a move and Denver is on the short list of cities in contention. Just wanted to pop in and get your thoughts on the golf scene there. It seems like the public options are pretty strong with common ground and a few others? I'm coming from the NYC area where getting a tee time is tough and then you'll be lucky to have a 4.5 hour round if you do find one. Is the private golf in the area at all affordable? There doesn't seem to be much info online. I'm hoping i can move somewhere where the commute for golf will be way lower than the current 2.5 hours round trip i'm dealing with generally and there are decent options for both public and (ideally) semi-affordable private.

 

Would really appreciate any insight you guys can give, thanks!

Getting tee times will still be tough out here unless you join a private club. Country Clubs aren't as prevalent as they are out east, but we still have some good ones. Some are stupid expensive like Glenmoor, Castle Pines, and Cherry Hills, but there are some more affordable ones like Meridian (just golf) and Valley, which I really like. Not sure if this is still the case, but it used to be ridiculous to get a tee time at Black Bear and Blackstone - they're part of Club Corp and have too many members that fight for tee times. One of our members here used to belong there, and I think he said they open up tee times a week in advance at 5am and the prime spots fill up in minutes. 

 

There are great public courses all around the Denver metro area (I can probably rattle off 15-20 great courses all around the city), though I prefer the south side of town in general. Those that live on the north side will say they prefer the north lol. If you want a new(er) home, you'll likely end up in either SE Aurora or the north of the city. 

 

On 9/27/2021 at 10:59 AM, pseudoswede said:

In other news, it appears Parker/Aurora will be getting a new golf course in the next few years.

 

Oakwood Homes bought 900 acres just north of the Parker Costco to build out a ton of new homes plus a "PGA quality" golf course. The current rumors are that it will be semi-private.

 

https://villagerpublishing.com/oakwood-land-company-announces-acquisition-of-kings-point/

 

I got excited about this...

On 9/27/2021 at 12:19 PM, Dancin said:

"PGA Quality" not making me very interested. These courses rarely are great when done by a major home builder like Oakwood. The course is a loss leader to sell the houses. Watch it be a Dick Phelps design

Then Dancin crushed my dreams 🤣

[thaar]

  

30 minutes ago, dubbelbogey said:

Maybe I'm just lucky or perhaps it's a function of when my tee-times go off. I play as a single usually, so maybe that has a factor in pace of play as I don't usually get the prime 8am-10am slots.

 

@pseudoswede just takes too much time on the course 3-putting for his 5.5hr rounds 😉

[deadsolid...shank]

11 hours ago, thaar said:

  

 

@pseudoswede just takes too much time on the course 3-putting for his 5.5hr rounds 😉

Ouch!!

[pseudoswede]

I hate you all.

[RobotDoctor]

5 minutes ago, pseudoswede said:

I hate you all.

I like you!  🙂

[jholz]

Any of you played Lonetree lately? I've never played the course. Any impressions, tips, or the like?

[thaar]

I play it fairly regularly, though typically just the front 9. I like the course with some challenging holes. They take pretty good care of it overall. The front and back are quite different, which is fun. I really like the back - elevation changes and some risk/reward opportunities. Just a heads up, the tips play considerably further back than the blues.

 

On another note, my buddy backed out today at The Links at HR for 411pm if anyone is interested. Ian? Lawrence, I assume you all are doing your typical thing...

[pseudoswede]

2 hours ago, jholz said:

Any of you played Lonetree lately? I've never played the course. Any impressions, tips, or the like?

 

If you didn't know, it's an Arnold Palmer-designed course, so a ton of trouble just off the greens. The front 9 is an easy walk; the back 9, not so much. Overall, the course is in great shape, the aeration should be pretty hidden by now. I just think it's way overpriced. 

 

1 hour ago, thaar said:

On another note, my buddy backed out today at The Links at HR for 411pm if anyone is interested. Ian? Lawrence, I assume you all are doing your typical thing...

 

We have the 4:20 and 4:30 at South Suburban today; unfortunately, I had to bail this morning due to some family stuff going on this evening.

 

I'm heading to Kentucky next week for work, and then my kid's hockey season goes into overdrive. This past weekend at GVR might've been the last time on the course this season. We'll see.

Edited September 30, 2021 by pseudoswede

[hoselpalooza]

hey guys, i've got some sad news. MRI results indicate i've thrashed a large portion of the labral ring in my shoulder. the doc says long drive and swinging fast are out of the question for me unless i want to risk a full-blown shoulder replacement at an early age. and it's debatable whether i will be able to withstand the rigors of training for competitive golf at a high-level after surgery.

 

could any of you guys recommend the top shoulder guys? e.g. in the state? that you know of? 

 

i'm not really expecting better news, but i'd at least like to know that i explored all my options before giving up on my dreams.

 

thanks, i appreciate you guys 🙏

[deadsolid...shank]

20 hours ago, hoselpalooza said:

hey guys, i've got some sad news. MRI results indicate i've thrashed a large portion of the labral ring in my shoulder. the doc says long drive and swinging fast are out of the question for me unless i want to risk a full-blown shoulder replacement at an early age. and it's debatable whether i will be able to withstand the rigors of training for competitive golf at a high-level after surgery.

 

could any of you guys recommend the top shoulder guys? e.g. in the state? that you know of? 

 

i'm not really expecting better news, but i'd at least like to know that i explored all my options before giving up on my dreams.

 

thanks, i appreciate you guys 🙏

Tough break man.  I don’t know any shoulder specific docs, but I know the orthopedic group out of Fort Collins is really well thought of.  They did my dad’s shoulder, my best friend’s daughters knees, and my knee. Everyone was well pleased. 
 

Im sure there are a bunch of really good places in Denver.  Maybe even a next level up. 

[mknoebel]

My wife had her ACL done at Panorama and she knows that they are good with shoulders too.  She would recommend Dr. Wente .

Good luck!

[bobbyclampett!!]

Hey Everyone-

 

Just got caught up on all 26 pages here. I just moved to Fort Collins last fall and am getting to know the Colorado golf scene, and so far I absolutely love it. I grew up in Cheyenne, WY so we'd come down here a lot and play in Fort Collins, and I always loved those trips. It's so much better now to live here and experience it year round. I qualified for the CGA Mid-Am this year by eagling the 18th for 73 at Buffalo Run to make the cut for the tournament at City Park in Denver. Played okay, shot 72-76 but failed to make the cut for the final day. What a cool experience, though. Got to see the top mid-ams play and see where I need to improve (easy answer: iron play, already took a video lesson, haha). I guess the guy that won it has won on the European Tour before, so... there's that. 

 

I absolutely LOVE Collindale in FC. I think it is a truly incredible muni, right in the heart of FC and as hard as any course I've ever played.  If you break 80 from the Black Tees there, you are playing golf.  One of my goals is to shoot in the 60s out there one day. That is a course I could play every day of my life, just coming back for more, seeking to gain that one stroke on the course. It's tree-lined, narrow fairways, small, pushed up, fast greens. No gimmicks. Just come play some good golf. They have a US Open qualifier there for good reason.

 

Hoping to find other low-cappers in the area that like to play early Saturday or Sunday mornings and maybe put a little something on the line. Nothing crazy, but something to create a little pressure.

 

Would love to hear others' list of Top 10 public, Top 10 private courses in CO.  Here is my list, some I have played and some I haven't yet. Cant' wait to explore it all, hopefully via elite amateur tournaments.

 

Favorites (In Order of Distance from me in Fort Collins)

 

Collindale

Fort Collins Country Club

Marianna Butte

Greeley Country Club

Ute Creek

Riverdale Dunes

Plum Creek

Eisenhower

River Valley Ranch

 

 

Liked:

 

Todd Creek

Buffalo Run

Olde Course (Loveland)

Boomerang

Columbine Country Club

City Park Nine (Fort Collins)

Southridge (Fort Collins)

Highland Meadows

Hyland Hills

Denver City Park

Redlands Mea

Bookcliff Country Club

Hillcrest (Durango)

Maroon Creek

 

Meh:

 

Twin Peaks (Longmont)

Mountain Vista

 

Want to Play:

 

Ballyneal

TPC Colorado

Sanctuary

Castle Pines

Broadmoor

Hiwan

Cherry Hills

Colorado Golf Club

Ptarmigan

Bear Dance

Inverness

 

Curious:

 

Fossil Trace

Murphy Creek

Indian Peaks

Walnut Creek

Country Club of Colorado

Red Sky Ranch

Bear Creek

Common Ground

Walking Stick

Fox Hollow

Meridian

Fox Acres

Haymaker

Rollingstone Ranch

Four Mile Ranch

 

 

 

 

[Noodler]

On 10/8/2021 at 11:58 AM, hoselpalooza said:

hey guys, i've got some sad news. MRI results indicate i've thrashed a large portion of the labral ring in my shoulder. the doc says long drive and swinging fast are out of the question for me unless i want to risk a full-blown shoulder replacement at an early age. and it's debatable whether i will be able to withstand the rigors of training for competitive golf at a high-level after surgery.

 

could any of you guys recommend the top shoulder guys? e.g. in the state? that you know of? 

 

i'm not really expecting better news, but i'd at least like to know that i explored all my options before giving up on my dreams.

 

thanks, i appreciate you guys 🙏

 

Sorry to hear about your shoulder trouble.  I have had the same for this entire past season and finally found a doctor that actually knows what he's doing.  I would NOT recommend Panorama; go find an ortho that is part of a sports medicine practice.  I found Dr. Adam Seidl at UC Health.  He's part of the CU Sports Med team.  So far he's done the best work for me and got me back out on the course after missing 6 weeks entirely (after spending much of the previous couple months only able to swing at 50-75% effort and with lots of pain).  I'm now swinging pain free and may have avoided surgery, but that option is still hanging out there if it flares up again.  At least this time I'm confident that Dr. Seidl actually knows how to fix the problem instead of the joker I was dealing with at Panorama.

[RobotDoctor]

On 10/9/2021 at 7:25 PM, bobbyclampett!! said:

Hey Everyone-

 

Just got caught up on all 26 pages here. I just moved to Fort Collins last fall and am getting to know the Colorado golf scene, and so far I absolutely love it. I grew up in Cheyenne, WY so we'd come down here a lot and play in Fort Collins, and I always loved those trips. It's so much better now to live here and experience it year round. I qualified for the CGA Mid-Am this year by eagling the 18th for 73 at Buffalo Run to make the cut for the tournament at City Park in Denver. Played okay, shot 72-76 but failed to make the cut for the final day. What a cool experience, though. Got to see the top mid-ams play and see where I need to improve (easy answer: iron play, already took a video lesson, haha). I guess the guy that won it has won on the European Tour before, so... there's that. 

 

I absolutely LOVE Collindale in FC. I think it is a truly incredible muni, right in the heart of FC and as hard as any course I've ever played.  If you break 80 from the Black Tees there, you are playing golf.  One of my goals is to shoot in the 60s out there one day. That is a course I could play every day of my life, just coming back for more, seeking to gain that one stroke on the course. It's tree-lined, narrow fairways, small, pushed up, fast greens. No gimmicks. Just come play some good golf. They have a US Open qualifier there for good reason.

 

Hoping to find other low-cappers in the area that like to play early Saturday or Sunday mornings and maybe put a little something on the line. Nothing crazy, but something to create a little pressure.

 

Would love to hear others' list of Top 10 public, Top 10 private courses in CO.  Here is my list, some I have played and some I haven't yet. Cant' wait to explore it all, hopefully via elite amateur tournaments.

 

Favorites (In Order of Distance from me in Fort Collins)

 

Collindale

Fort Collins Country Club

Marianna Butte

Greeley Country Club

Ute Creek

Riverdale Dunes

Plum Creek

Eisenhower

River Valley Ranch

 

 

Liked:

 

Todd Creek

Buffalo Run

Olde Course (Loveland)

Boomerang

Columbine Country Club

City Park Nine (Fort Collins)

Southridge (Fort Collins)

Highland Meadows

Hyland Hills

Denver City Park

Redlands Mea

Bookcliff Country Club

Hillcrest (Durango)

Maroon Creek

 

Meh:

 

Twin Peaks (Longmont)

Mountain Vista

 

Want to Play:

 

Ballyneal

TPC Colorado

Sanctuary

Castle Pines

Broadmoor

Hiwan

Cherry Hills

Colorado Golf Club

Ptarmigan

Bear Dance

Inverness

 

Curious:

 

Fossil Trace

Murphy Creek

Indian Peaks

Walnut Creek

Country Club of Colorado

Red Sky Ranch

Bear Creek

Common Ground

Walking Stick

Fox Hollow

Meridian

Fox Acres

Haymaker

Rollingstone Ranch

Four Mile Ranch

 

 

 

 

Saddleback Golf Course in Firestone is also a decent track.  I can agree with Collindale being a really good course that demands accuracy.  

[pseudoswede]

On 10/9/2021 at 7:25 PM, bobbyclampett!! said:

Hey Everyone-

 

Just got caught up on all 26 pages here. I just moved to Fort Collins last fall and am getting to know the Colorado golf scene, and so far I absolutely love it.

 

 

 

Welcome to the group!

 

I haven't played many of the courses on your list, but I would put Inverness (the one in Englewood?) at the bottom of your Curious list. It's a very bland course in the middle of an office park. To be fair, Meridian is also in the middle of an office park, but at least it's Nicklaus-designed (and Mickelson holds the course record).

[ASak10]

On 10/9/2021 at 7:25 PM, bobbyclampett!! said:

Hey Everyone-

 

Just got caught up on all 26 pages here. I just moved to Fort Collins last fall and am getting to know the Colorado golf scene, and so far I absolutely love it. I grew up in Cheyenne, WY so we'd come down here a lot and play in Fort Collins, and I always loved those trips. It's so much better now to live here and experience it year round. I qualified for the CGA Mid-Am this year by eagling the 18th for 73 at Buffalo Run to make the cut for the tournament at City Park in Denver. Played okay, shot 72-76 but failed to make the cut for the final day. What a cool experience, though. Got to see the top mid-ams play and see where I need to improve (easy answer: iron play, already took a video lesson, haha). I guess the guy that won it has won on the European Tour before, so... there's that. 

 

I absolutely LOVE Collindale in FC. I think it is a truly incredible muni, right in the heart of FC and as hard as any course I've ever played.  If you break 80 from the Black Tees there, you are playing golf.  One of my goals is to shoot in the 60s out there one day. That is a course I could play every day of my life, just coming back for more, seeking to gain that one stroke on the course. It's tree-lined, narrow fairways, small, pushed up, fast greens. No gimmicks. Just come play some good golf. They have a US Open qualifier there for good reason.

 

Hoping to find other low-cappers in the area that like to play early Saturday or Sunday mornings and maybe put a little something on the line. Nothing crazy, but something to create a little pressure.

 

Would love to hear others' list of Top 10 public, Top 10 private courses in CO.  Here is my list, some I have played and some I haven't yet. Cant' wait to explore it all, hopefully via elite amateur tournaments.

 

Favorites (In Order of Distance from me in Fort Collins)

 

Collindale

Fort Collins Country Club

Marianna Butte

Greeley Country Club

Ute Creek

Riverdale Dunes

Plum Creek

Eisenhower

River Valley Ranch

 

 

Liked:

 

Todd Creek

Buffalo Run

Olde Course (Loveland)

Boomerang

Columbine Country Club

City Park Nine (Fort Collins)

Southridge (Fort Collins)

Highland Meadows

Hyland Hills

Denver City Park

Redlands Mea

Bookcliff Country Club

Hillcrest (Durango)

Maroon Creek

 

Meh:

 

Twin Peaks (Longmont)

Mountain Vista

 

Want to Play:

 

Ballyneal

TPC Colorado

Sanctuary

Castle Pines

Broadmoor

Hiwan

Cherry Hills

Colorado Golf Club

Ptarmigan

Bear Dance

Inverness

 

Curious:

 

Fossil Trace

Murphy Creek

Indian Peaks

Walnut Creek

Country Club of Colorado

Red Sky Ranch

Bear Creek

Common Ground

Walking Stick

Fox Hollow

Meridian

Fox Acres

Haymaker

Rollingstone Ranch

Four Mile Ranch

 

 

 

 

 

Welcome!  Just my random quick thoughts on these that I've played from your list...

 

TPC Colorado - love this course, well worth playing at least once a year (it's a bit pricey unless you know a member who can get you the guest rate), very fun course and always in fantastic shape 

Castle Pines - which one?  Assuming the Golf Club (as opposed to the Country Cub); haven't played it but have some close friends that have an all rave about it

Broadmoor - insane greens, the history of the place really adds to the experience ; if you are married/have a girlfriend, spend a night or two, send her to the spa, go enjoy golf. The hotel and the grounds there are top notch.  It'll be pricey but it's worth the splurge in my opinion.  They have some stay and play deals too you may be able to find.

Hiwan - really fun track, old school with some trees and lots of elevation and doglegs; greens are also very tricky, similar to Broadmoor's

Cherry Hills - speaks for itself, playing the course is an experience; clubhouse is being rebuilt now so if you get on in the next year or two (not sure when it's supposed to be done) you'll miss some of the experience of the men's locker room and the rest of the clubhouse but playing the course alone is worth it

Colorado Golf Club - really hard course that has a spectacular layout, amazing conditions, very nice facilities, old school mentality (no phones, no hats inside, etc); love this course 

Bear Dance - typical mountain course, fun to play, not sure I need to go more than once or twice a year but always happy to play it at least a time or two 

Inverness - old school layout with trees and narrow fairways, course is fine, nothing special but fun to play if you have a chance

 

Curious:

 

Fossil Trace - I go back and forth on how I feel about it, but I think I like it; typical Engh design, lots of elevation change, random rocks to work around, but typically in very nice shape and certainly worth playing for the views and some of the holes

Murphy Creek - one of my absolute favorite courses, spectacular links layout and a very challenging course (especially if the wind is howling, which is often)

Indian Peaks - it's fine, nice enough course, I don't like courses with lots of homes on them and this has that but the views are nice and the layout is just fine

Walnut Creek - another favorite of mine, fantastic conditions, links style, challenging and fun layout

Red Sky Ranch - a surreal experience, mountain golf at its best (both courses)

Bear Creek - meh, had a bad experience the one time I played there; course is definitely hard, greens were pretty crazy too (saw multiple putts go off the green if you were above the hole); would probably give it another chance one day 

Common Ground - the course I play the most, I love CG so much - links course, fun greens that usually roll fast, really fun course to play that can be very challenging depending on setup and how long the native and rough is; around Open qualifier time they usually have it playing very hard 

Fox Hollow - underrated course in my opinion, great views, fun holes, good conditions 

Meridian - I hate how it's surrounded by office buildings and the planes flying overhead drive me crazy; if the course itself was lifted and dropped in the middle of a field it would be top 10 in my opinion, but I can't get over the buildings and planes; always in great shape though and the members there are generally some pretty damn good golfers but they have a lot of fun 

Haymaker - love this place, links style course in the mountains with some spectacular views, always play there when I'm in Steamboat 

Rollingstone Ranch - beautiful mountain golf course; lots of trees, water, elevation changes, unreal scenery. 

 

[pseudoswede]

21 minutes ago, ASak10 said:

Murphy Creek - one of my absolute favorite courses, spectacular links layout and a very challenging course (especially if the wind is howling, which is often)

 

Meridian - I hate how it's surrounded by office buildings and the planes flying overhead drive me crazy; if the course itself was lifted and dropped in the middle of a field it would be top 10 in my opinion, but I can't get over the buildings and planes; always in great shape though and the members there are generally some pretty damn good

 

What I find funny is that Murphy Creek is basically on top of DIA and the jets at Buckley are LOUD. I find it just as noisy as Meridian in that aspect.

 

I also find golf courses in office parks infinitely better than surrounded by houses. Zero chances of kids screaming and roof replacements; and low odds of dogs barking and miter saws.

[ASak10]

1 minute ago, pseudoswede said:

 

What I find funny is that Murphy Creek is basically on top of DIA and the jets at Buckley are LOUD. I find it just as noisy as Meridian in that aspect.

 

I also find golf courses in office parks infinitely better than surrounded by houses. Zero chances of kids screaming and roof replacements; and low odds of dogs barking and miter saws.

 

I know, for some reason the jets don't bother me at all, it's the smaller planes whizzing overhead at Meridian that I cannot get over.  It's probably more the combo of office park + planes, whereas Murphy to me is much more open (outside of a couple holes like 10 and 13-15 where the homes are closer).  

 

I think I agree on office park versus in a random neighborhood.  I used to love GVR but have gotten very sour on that course, a large part of which I think is due to all the homes that are being built around the holes.  

 

Which is why CommonGround is my favorite, don't have to worry about any of that stuff 🙂

[pseudoswede]

13 minutes ago, ASak10 said:

It's probably more the combo of office park + planes, whereas Murphy to me is much more open (outside of a couple holes like 10 and 13-15 where the homes are closer).  

 

Whomever thought it would be a great idea to buy a house on the right side of Murphy Creek's range 100-250 yards from the tee boxes....yikes.

[pseudoswede]

Has anyone heard anything (@CDM?) about Deer Creek and its future? Looks like they're still doing maintenance, but it's still closed.

[bobbyclampett!!]

9 hours ago, ASak10 said:

 

Welcome!  Just my random quick thoughts on these that I've played from your list...

 

TPC Colorado - love this course, well worth playing at least once a year (it's a bit pricey unless you know a member who can get you the guest rate), very fun course and always in fantastic shape 

Castle Pines - which one?  Assuming the Golf Club (as opposed to the Country Cub); haven't played it but have some close friends that have an all rave about it

Broadmoor - insane greens, the history of the place really adds to the experience ; if you are married/have a girlfriend, spend a night or two, send her to the spa, go enjoy golf. The hotel and the grounds there are top notch.  It'll be pricey but it's worth the splurge in my opinion.  They have some stay and play deals too you may be able to find.

Hiwan - really fun track, old school with some trees and lots of elevation and doglegs; greens are also very tricky, similar to Broadmoor's

Cherry Hills - speaks for itself, playing the course is an experience; clubhouse is being rebuilt now so if you get on in the next year or two (not sure when it's supposed to be done) you'll miss some of the experience of the men's locker room and the rest of the clubhouse but playing the course alone is worth it

Colorado Golf Club - really hard course that has a spectacular layout, amazing conditions, very nice facilities, old school mentality (no phones, no hats inside, etc); love this course 

Bear Dance - typical mountain course, fun to play, not sure I need to go more than once or twice a year but always happy to play it at least a time or two 

Inverness - old school layout with trees and narrow fairways, course is fine, nothing special but fun to play if you have a chance

 

Curious:

 

Fossil Trace - I go back and forth on how I feel about it, but I think I like it; typical Engh design, lots of elevation change, random rocks to work around, but typically in very nice shape and certainly worth playing for the views and some of the holes

Murphy Creek - one of my absolute favorite courses, spectacular links layout and a very challenging course (especially if the wind is howling, which is often)

Indian Peaks - it's fine, nice enough course, I don't like courses with lots of homes on them and this has that but the views are nice and the layout is just fine

Walnut Creek - another favorite of mine, fantastic conditions, links style, challenging and fun layout

Red Sky Ranch - a surreal experience, mountain golf at its best (both courses)

Bear Creek - meh, had a bad experience the one time I played there; course is definitely hard, greens were pretty crazy too (saw multiple putts go off the green if you were above the hole); would probably give it another chance one day 

Common Ground - the course I play the most, I love CG so much - links course, fun greens that usually roll fast, really fun course to play that can be very challenging depending on setup and how long the native and rough is; around Open qualifier time they usually have it playing very hard 

Fox Hollow - underrated course in my opinion, great views, fun holes, good conditions 

Meridian - I hate how it's surrounded by office buildings and the planes flying overhead drive me crazy; if the course itself was lifted and dropped in the middle of a field it would be top 10 in my opinion, but I can't get over the buildings and planes; always in great shape though and the members there are generally some pretty damn good golfers but they have a lot of fun 

Haymaker - love this place, links style course in the mountains with some spectacular views, always play there when I'm in Steamboat 

Rollingstone Ranch - beautiful mountain golf course; lots of trees, water, elevation changes, unreal scenery. 

 

Thanks for all the input! I will take that to heart, especially as we seem to appreciate the same kinds of courses (good, fair tests of golf without a ton of homes on each hole). I’m excited to play Common Ground, Walnut Creek, and Murphy Creek based on what you and others have said. 
 

The only reason I had Inverness on there is I remember caddying for my boss in the Colorado Open in like 1996 or 1997 at Inverness. I don’t remember much about it, but it has a cool name and I figured it was good if they had CO Open there. I don’t have a lot of experience I’m on courses in office parks, but it doesn’t sound super appealing. 
 

Would love to hear others’ opinions on their favorites around the state so I can continue to refine my list. 

[bobbyclampett!!]

Here’s a couple I get confused:

 

Colorado Golf Club/Country Club of Colorado

 

Bear Creek/Bear Dance/Other courses with Bear in the name

 

Maybe you all could help?

[ASak10]

9 minutes ago, bobbyclampett!! said:

Here’s a couple I get confused:

 

Colorado Golf Club/Country Club of Colorado

 

Bear Creek/Bear Dance/Other courses with Bear in the name

 

Maybe you all could help?

 

I've lived here since 2004 and I still sometimes get courses confused 😆

 

Colorado Golf Club just think exclusive and highly rated (#4 in the state per Golf Digest).  Closer to Cherry Hills and Castle Pines than other places.  Coore/Crenshaw design, hosted the Solheim Cup a few years back.  I'm actually playing there again Wednesday 😁  Not sure that'll help remember it but it's on a slightly different level than CC of Colorado haha.  I'm sure it's a fine place but I've never played it.  

 

The Bear courses....I got nothing.  Bear Creek is the men's only place, Palmer design.  Bear Dance is the semi-public course (they have memberships but also have public tee times) that's home of the Colorado PGA and has the famous (?) par 4 with bunkers shaped like a bear claw.  Then there's Black Bear which is the sister course of Blackstone and are both part of Club Corp.  Like I said I sometimes have to pause to remember which is which myself.  

 

 

[ASak10]

44 minutes ago, bobbyclampett!! said:

Thanks for all the input! I will take that to heart, especially as we seem to appreciate the same kinds of courses (good, fair tests of golf without a ton of homes on each hole). I’m excited to play Common Ground, Walnut Creek, and Murphy Creek based on what you and others have said. 
 

The only reason I had Inverness on there is I remember caddying for my boss in the Colorado Open in like 1996 or 1997 at Inverness. I don’t remember much about it, but it has a cool name and I figured it was good if they had CO Open there. I don’t have a lot of experience I’m on courses in office parks, but it doesn’t sound super appealing. 
 

Would love to hear others’ opinions on their favorites around the state so I can continue to refine my list. 

 

Hit me up if you need someone to play any of those courses....I play them often.  I'm not a low cap but I do like to gamble and I'll shoot the occasional 75...followed by a 95 🙃