Colorado WRX 2021

[deadsolid...shank]

My goodness. The way I hook the ball, on the second pictured hole I would be praying  I hit a tree or my ball would be heading towards I25😀

[I_HATE_SNOW]

12 hours ago, golf4pj said:

I love both courses, but they're much different from each other.  Greens are difficult on both courses, but a lot of people prefer Blue over Silver.

The Blue is a Robert Trent Jones designed course, the greens are incredibly challenging and it's an annual host of NCAA golf tournaments, US Open qualifier, Colorado PGA Championship and many more.

The Silver course is a 'mountain course' with tighter fairways and requires more accuracy off the tee.  If you struggle with that, I can understand why you prefer one over the other.  In my opinion, the Silver course has much more interesting holes on it and you don't just automatically grab the driver and bomb away.  It requires some thought...

My favorite hole on the Silver course is the Z-shaped fairway of # 12.  You tee off at the top of the picture, it starts to turn hard left about 210 yards out, then another 175-200 yards down the fairway and a hard right turn back up into the mountain to an elevated green.  Fantastic hole! 

 

The other hole pictured is #1 - starting on an elevated tee box, on the side of a mountain - the fairway and green slopes right to left, away from the mountain.

Here's a course bio:

The Silver course first opened for play in 1975. The course was designed by Frank Hummel, who designed over 20 outstanding courses in the mountain west states. Widely regarded as the more scenic course of the two, the silver is a demanding golf course with a premium placed on accuracy rather than length. The course measures 6,519 yards from the championship tees and 5,215 from the forward tee. You will use every club in your bag on this great course. You won’t see a house on either course, just pure golf.
 

The Silver gives golfers great views of the Rockies as well as the famed Air Force Academy where each year, up to a thousand young men and women graduate to become officers in the United States Air Force.
Like the Blue course, the greens are where your score is made or lost each hole has gravity defying putts, but the birdies are out there if you play it smart. Risk reward best defines the Silver.

In 2021, the Silver will play host to its first ever Division 1 collegiate tournament.
Regardless of which course you play, your experience will be unique, between the beauty and the courses, you can’t go wrong.

 

-- P.J.

I've played both, unfortunately right after green aeration.  Loved both and would say the Blue course is in my top 5.  I do remember #12, rare to see a double dogleg like that.  Hummel did a lot of courses but the Silver doesn't remind me of any of his others, his best that I've played.  Had a retired Air Force guy that announced us, one by one on the first tee (Silver course), he had a great time doing it.

 

Colorado 2021, 10 pages longer than 2020 but 51 less than 2018.  What got into you guys that year?

Edited November 23, 2021 by I_HATE_SNOW

[RobotDoctor]

On 11/18/2021 at 5:46 PM, bobbyclampett!! said:

Dang, this almost worked for me. Have a niece's birthday party at 2 in Fort Collins. Probably not going to work out. Would love to try again in the future. Love Ute Creek.

 

Checked Collindale website for a 9 am tee time on Saturday. Of course the website shows there isn't a single tee time until 12:10, which is not actually the case. My only gripe with Collindale (and all FC city courses) is they let you book a tee time with no skin in the game, so everyone books a tee time "just in case", and then half or more of the people who booked don't show up. It's just annoying, because I know that's going to happen, so I show up as a single on Saturday morning to "see if I can get out as a single," and the guy is all exasperated because "they're full until 12:10," so I just say, "Well, if one person doesn't show up, can you just pair me with a group?" and then I get out usually the first or second tee time. If I were in charge, I'd make you put at least $5 down to make a weekend tee time. I think the course would end up making more money. Saturday morning often looks like a ghost town out there because the people who made tee times don't show up, and the people that actually wanted to play couldn't get a tee time on the website so they didn't even try to show up. Annoying.

 

I have talked to the staff about this very thing.  Their hands are tied due to city policy.  Collindale, and the city courses, should charge any no-show if they cannot cancel within 12-24 hours of a tee time.  This would curtail people taking up four player slots for a tee time when they know only one or two will show up.  This is my biggest beef with Collindale.

[bobbyclampett!!]

1 hour ago, RobotDoctor said:

I have talked to the staff about this very thing.  Their hands are tied due to city policy.  Collindale, and the city courses, should charge any no-show if they cannot cancel within 12-24 hours of a tee time.  This would curtail people taking up four player slots for a tee time when they know only one or two will show up.  This is my biggest beef with Collindale.

Me too! Only gripe I have. And we all know how many people book 4 spots when they only have 2 because they don't want anyone else to join them.

 

I agree with you 100 per cent. I applied to be on the golf board, but I haven't heard back. 

 

[007iron]

On 11/22/2021 at 5:45 AM, deadsolid...shank said:

Sine I only walk on occasion, and when I do it’s on very easy to walk course, how is TPC to walk?

 

It seemed like it was pretty long with some pretty good hills (noticing from the cart of course😀)

 

Have walked 10+ rounds (half with a staff bag, half with a heavy carry bag) in the KFT event and it's tough walk! 8,000 yards is long and then the walks from 1 to 2, 3 to 4, 5 to 6, 10 to 11, 13 to 14, up the hill on 15, 15 up to 16 tee and then up on 18 are all rough. Plus it's hot in July!

Edited November 23, 2021 by 007iron

[I_HATE_SNOW]

2 hours ago, 007iron said:

 

Have walked 10+ rounds (half with a staff bag, half with a heavy carry bag) in the KFT event and it's tough walk! 8,000 yards is long and then the walks from 1 to 2, 3 to 4, 5 to 6, 10 to 11, 13 to 14, up the hill on 15, 15 up to 16 tee and then up on 18 are all rough. Plus it's hot in July!

Still a member at Ironbridge?  Lakota Links any better with new owners?

[Dancin]

5 hours ago, I_HATE_SNOW said:

Still a member at Ironbridge?  Lakota Links any better with new owners?

I played Lakota Links in June.  Greens were fine but fairways still needed some work. They're trying. Assuming they don't get hit bad with winter kill I'd guess it'll be recovered next year.

[007iron]

14 hours ago, I_HATE_SNOW said:

Still a member at Ironbridge?  Lakota Links any better with new owners?

Not anymore - playing most of my golf up here at River Valley Ranch and Battlement Mesa (so so good)

 

Dancin is on it with Lakota; it's a fine course (I live off the 11th hole) but conditions and the people who work there don't get me at all excited to play. My office is near RVR so I play there some and when I'm home I'd rather drive the 30 minutes to Battlement as the course is awesome, conditions are great and it's super good value.

[007iron]

Western slope* public power ranking, in my humble opinion, based on fun, layout, conditions and value:

 

1. Battlement Mesa (Parachute)

2. Devil's Thumb (Delta)

3. Eagle Ranch (Eagle)

4. River Valley Ranch (Carbondale)

5. Ironbridge (Glenwood Springs; semi-private)

6. Aspen City Course (Aspen)

7. Gypsum Creek (Gypsum)

8. Bridges (Montrose)

9. Glenwood Springs 9-holer (Glenwood)

10. Tiara Rado (Grand Junction)

11. Redlands Mesa (Grand Junction)

12. Cobble Creek (Montrose)

13. Dos Rios (Gunnison)

14. Rifle Creek (Rifle)

15. Meeker 9-holer (Meeker)

16. Lakota (New Castle)

17. Lincoln Park 9-holer (Grand Junction)

 

 

*Eagle and West is my area; these are the courses I mostly get to once a year at least. Not listed are Black Canyon in Montrose, Adobe Creek in Fuita, and Cedaredge, which I've never played. I may have missed one or two others in the Roaring Fork, Colorado River valleys or GJ down to Montrose area...

[I_HATE_SNOW]

Thanks, love Devil's Thumb, Redlands and Battlement Mesa.

[007iron]

1 hour ago, I_HATE_SNOW said:

Thanks, love Devil's Thumb, Redlands and Battlement Mesa.

 

I have a bad attitude about Engh courses mostly due to Lakota; Redlands is fun and pretty - but it's slightly lower in my rankings due to cost and my feelings about his courses.

[Dancin]

I played Snowmass as part of that trip out west with Lakota in June too. Although better than Lakota, their fairways weren't the greatest either. Frankly I don't know why anyone would pay to be a member there. Very average layout.

[Joelness]

1 hour ago, 007iron said:

Western slope* public power ranking, in my humble opinion, based on fun, layout, conditions and value:

 

1. Battlement Mesa (Parachute)

2. Devil's Thumb (Delta)

3. Eagle Ranch (Eagle)

4. River Valley Ranch (Carbondale)

5. Ironbridge (Glenwood Springs; semi-private)

6. Aspen City Course (Aspen)

7. Gypsum Creek (Gypsum)

8. Bridges (Montrose)

9. Glenwood Springs 9-holer (Glenwood)

10. Tiara Rado (Grand Junction)

11. Redlands Mesa (Grand Junction)

12. Cobble Creek (Montrose)

13. Dos Rios (Gunnison)

14. Rifle Creek (Rifle)

15. Meeker 9-holer (Meeker)

16. Lakota (New Castle)

17. Lincoln Park 9-holer (Grand Junction)

 

 

*Eagle and West is my area; these are the courses I mostly get to once a year at least. Not listed are Black Canyon in Montrose, Adobe Creek in Fuita, and Cedaredge, which I've never played. I may have missed one or two others in the Roaring Fork, Colorado River valleys or GJ down to Montrose area...

 

These rankings are solid. I love that you have Battlement at the top, it's soooooo good. Clearly I need to play Devil's Thumb. I played the Bridges this summer and I liked it a lot, the green complexes were awesome. I like Rado a lot also but I've only played it for the RMO where they speed up the greens. I could see it being an avg to crappy course with slow greens.

 

20 minutes ago, 007iron said:

 

I have a bad attitude about Engh courses mostly due to Lakota; Redlands is fun and pretty - but it's slightly lower in my rankings due to cost and my feelings about his courses.

 

I couldn't imagine playing an Engh every single day. I think it would make me worse at golf. They are fun every now and then but I've had a recurring nightmare where I could only play golf on an Engh course.....

[Dancin]

I could play Four Mile Ranch every day if they had the greens running at least 9 and not slower like they do sometimes in spring and sometimes into summer to save money, but yes most of Engh's courses would not be fun to play every day.

[007iron]

6 minutes ago, Joelness said:

 

These rankings are solid. I love that you have Battlement at the top, it's soooooo good. Clearly I need to play Devil's Thumb. I played the Bridges this summer and I liked it a lot, the green complexes were awesome. I like Rado a lot also but I've only played it for the RMO where they speed up the greens. I could see it being an avg to crappy course with slow greens.

 

 

I couldn't imagine playing an Engh every single day. I think it would make me worse at golf. They are fun every now and then but I've had a recurring nightmare where I could only play golf on an Engh course.....

 

Devil's Thumb is what an Engh course would be with a lot of restraint. It's got elevated tee boxes and goes through some canyons but nothing too wild. Lots of fun holes and you'll always see antelope which is cool.

 

Tiara Rado is good; the front nine being in a neighborhood drops it for me a little but overall I like it a lot.

 

And yeah, Battlement is so solid with almost no weak holes. The only one I think is kind of weak is number 9 but even 9 has a cool green and decent greenside bunker; but really the only straight away par-4. Basically every other hole is unique and fun! Anyone heading west on I-70 should make time if possible to play it; and hit me up I'm a good tour guide.

[pseudoswede]

On 11/23/2021 at 8:21 AM, deadsolid...shank said:

My goodness. The way I hook the ball, on the second pictured hole I would be praying  I hit a tree or my ball would be heading towards I25😀

 

You could also block it out far right OB like I did because of the same reasons. Chances of winning a season-ending FRGC trophy vanished on the first tee.

[pseudoswede]

On 11/23/2021 at 8:23 AM, I_HATE_SNOW said:

Colorado 2021, 10 pages longer than 2020 but 51 less than 2018.  What got into you guys that year?

 

A lot of the guys never returned after the website/forum upgrade snafu. I also think a lot of us also made it a point to post about every round played.

 

Wishing everyone a Happy Thanksgiving! (We were supposed to be in Cancun right now, but my youngest tested positive for COVID last week (again).)

[I_HATE_SNOW]

7 hours ago, 007iron said:

 

Devil's Thumb is what an Engh course would be with a lot of restraint. It's got elevated tee boxes and goes through some canyons but nothing too wild. Lots of fun holes and you'll always see antelope which is cool.

 

Tiara Rado is good; the front nine being in a neighborhood drops it for me a little but overall I like it a lot.

 

And yeah, Battlement is so solid with almost no weak holes. The only one I think is kind of weak is number 9 but even 9 has a cool green and decent greenside bunker; but really the only straight away par-4. Basically every other hole is unique and fun! Anyone heading west on I-70 should make time if possible to play it; and hit me up I'm a good tour guide.

Good chance of watching parachuters at Devils Thumb, clubhouse people are very nice also.  Only played the front 9 at Tiara Rado, rained out, did not like it at all.  First time I've landed a golf ball on a house roof.

Edited November 24, 2021 by I_HATE_SNOW

[golf4pj]

8 hours ago, Dancin said:

I could play Four Mile Ranch every day if they had the greens running at least 9 and not slower like they do sometimes in spring and sometimes into summer to save money, but yes most of Engh's courses would not be fun to play every day.

I've played Four Mile Ranch countless times, it's a fun track - but it's not really golf with the blind shots into greens (with a post pointing which general direction you should aim) and the bowled greens, you can play great or poorly and score about the same.

No way I'd ever want to play it more than a few times a year.  Every time I'm on the course, I hear circus music in my head from the gimmicky greens.  Like the 3-tier 'waterfall' green on the Par 3 or the huge humps in the middle of the greens on another of the Par 3's.

Send in the clowns...

[CDM]

6 hours ago, pseudoswede said:

 

A lot of the guys never returned after the website/forum upgrade snafu. I also think a lot of us also made it a point to post about every round played.

 

Wishing everyone a Happy Thanksgiving! (We were supposed to be in Cancun right now, but my youngest tested positive for COVID last week (again).)

 

Hey on the bright side it is cold, dry and gloomy here.... you dont want the sun, sand and warm beach  😃 

 

Hope your youngest feels better

Edited November 25, 2021 by CDM

[ALi3]

4 hours ago, golf4pj said:

I've played Four Mile Ranch countless times, it's a fun track - but it's not really golf with the blind shots into greens (with a post pointing which general direction you should aim) and the bowled greens, you can play great or poorly and score about the same.

No way I'd ever want to play it more than a few times a year.  Every time I'm on the course, I hear circus music in my head from the gimmicky greens.  Like the 3-tier 'waterfall' green on the Par 3 or the huge humps in the middle of the greens on another of the Par 3's.

Send in the clowns...

Course is definitely a little funny. I've never scored well on the completely blind par 3 and that bugs me every time I play there. There is something to be said that I've driven through snow storms down I-25 and in the springs to then be able to play in somewhat pleasant high 40s out there. The location seems to be perfect at avoiding weather during the winter and I'm more than willing to drive the 2 hours to scratch my golf itch a few times each off season. 

[pseudoswede]

2 hours ago, CDM said:

 

Hey on the bright side it is cold, dry and gloomy here.... you dont want the sun, sand and warm beach  😃 

 

Hope your youngest feels better

 

I'm just glad she tested positive here and not in Mexico. That would've been unpleasant being quarantined within sight of the beach and ocean!

 

She's bored being quarantined and itching to get back to playing hockey. Littleton tournament started tonight; man, if we could've had her in the line-up tonight, we probably could've taken down the #1 team in the state.

[I_HATE_SNOW]

21 hours ago, Dancin said:

I could play Four Mile Ranch every day if they had the greens running at least 9 and not slower like they do sometimes in spring and sometimes into summer to save money, but yes most of Engh's courses would not be fun to play every day.

Engh courses I didn't like, Fossil Trace and Awarii Dunes.   Enjoyed Red Hawk Ridge, Lakota is OK but really liked Redland Mesa (2 holes. 5 and 14, IIRC, a little to much Engh)

[ColoradoMike]

On 11/24/2021 at 7:20 AM, 007iron said:

Western slope* public power ranking, in my humble opinion, based on fun, layout, conditions and value:

 

1. Battlement Mesa (Parachute)

2. Devil's Thumb (Delta)

3. Eagle Ranch (Eagle)

4. River Valley Ranch (Carbondale)

5. Ironbridge (Glenwood Springs; semi-private)

6. Aspen City Course (Aspen)

7. Gypsum Creek (Gypsum)

8. Bridges (Montrose)

9. Glenwood Springs 9-holer (Glenwood)

10. Tiara Rado (Grand Junction)

11. Redlands Mesa (Grand Junction)

12. Cobble Creek (Montrose)

13. Dos Rios (Gunnison)

14. Rifle Creek (Rifle)

15. Meeker 9-holer (Meeker)

16. Lakota (New Castle)

17. Lincoln Park 9-holer (Grand Junction)

 

 

*Eagle and West is my area; these are the courses I mostly get to once a year at least. Not listed are Black Canyon in Montrose, Adobe Creek in Fuita, and Cedaredge, which I've never played. I may have missed one or two others in the Roaring Fork, Colorado River valleys or GJ down to Montrose area...

Good list. I'd move Bridges to the top. Black Canyon is a fun Muni, but not worth travel. The back 9 at Cederedge is ridiculous, built on the side of a mountain....fun to play once, but mickey mouse.

 

 

[CDM]

HAPPY THANKSGIVING EVERYONE

[ztull]

On 11/3/2021 at 5:13 PM, bobbyclampett!! said:

Man, this has me dreaming of a Mullen/Bally trip to rival a Bandon Dunes trip, all less than 4 hours from me. Sounds like the biggest challenge is getting the invites...

 
DM me if you want to talk specifics, Dismal is relatively easy, Bally is tough but gettable, Sandhills is one I haven’t cracked.

 

I live in Denver too, the other Denver based trip I think about all the time (but haven’t done) is:

 

Bally, Prairie Dunes, Southern Hills. 
 

Maybe the ultimate…

[ztull]

22 hours ago, ColoradoMike said:

Good list. I'd move Bridges to the top. Black Canyon is a fun Muni, but not worth travel. The back 9 at Cederedge is ridiculous, built on the side of a mountain....fun to play once, but mickey mouse.

 

 

The green complexes at the bridges *Chef’s Kiss.* 

 

Made me think that if Nicklaus thought more about green complexes people would think differently about his architecture. 
 

I wonder what designer at the firm was on the ground here, and if he has gone on to do other things.

 

Also VERY tough to beat those views, Bridges one of the best bang for buck values in the country.

[ztull]

Any Colorado courses with good Black Friday deals? 

[CDM]

16 minutes ago, ztull said:

Any Colorado courses with good Black Friday deals? 

 

Have not seen any.  Honestly does not seem to be that good of deals in general on golf stuff

[007iron]

On 11/24/2021 at 4:41 PM, I_HATE_SNOW said:

Good chance of watching parachuters at Devils Thumb, clubhouse people are very nice also.  Only played the front 9 at Tiara Rado, rained out, did not like it at all.  First time I've landed a golf ball on a house roof.

 

True about Devils Thumb - great views, friendly people and staff and amazing, almost always empty golf course.

 

On 11/25/2021 at 8:55 AM, ColoradoMike said:

Good list. I'd move Bridges to the top. Black Canyon is a fun Muni, but not worth travel. The back 9 at Cederedge is ridiculous, built on the side of a mountain....fun to play once, but mickey mouse.

 

 

 

Thanks for the info; want to check all of those out at least once.