Rodeo Dunes: Coore/Crenshaw 18
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Ratings from our panel of 1,900 course-ranking panelists
Reviews
Review
“Coore and Crenshaw have done it again. WOW! This course masterfully fits into the rolling Colorado sands hills. It appears as if the only soil moved was to shape bunkers, tee boxes and greens. Several of walk off areas where you tee off and play the hole at any length. room for 6 courses and a 7 acre putting green."
Read More2026
Review
“This course is different that many Coore Crenshaw courses in a few ways. First, there are several holes with mounding above green level but right next to the greens. If your ball stays on these mounds, the player is significantly above the green level but playing out of high grasses to a green complex that is often downhill to the hole. In addition, the thick grass can stop a ball on the severe downslope near the green. The other significant difference is the number of blind tee shots and approach shots (significantly more than most CC courses). From the back tees (that are less than 7000 yards even at altitude), the player often has a bunker on the left that is 210 to 235 yards to carry to a fairway that cannot be seen. Most, but not all of these holes seem to dogleg left after the tee shot. Green complexes are varying in size and generally have slopes that are not severe. Once they increase the green speeds and firmness, the course will be more difficult. A fun course that will be popular in the Denver area, albeit at a high price point."
Read More2026
Review
“While this course has elements of many other Coore Crenshaw courses, I thought it was unique in many ways. There are multiple holes with mounding above green level but right next to the greens. If your ball stays on these mounds, the player is significantly above the green level but playing out of high grasses to a green complex that is often downhill to the hole. In addition, the thick grass can stop a ball on the severe downslope near the green. The other significant difference is the number of blind tee shots and approach shots (significantly more than most CC courses). From the back tees (that are less than 7000 yards even at altitude), the player often has a bunker on the left that is 210 to 235 yards to carry to a fairway that cannot be seen. Most, but not all of these holes seem to dogleg left after the tee shot. Green complexes are varying in size and generally have slopes that are not severe. Once they increase the green speeds and firmness, the course will be more difficult. A fun course that will be popular in the Denver area, albeit at a high price point. [I played two days in a row as a paying guest - not gaining access as a panelist.]"
Read More2026
Review
“Coore and Crenshaw did an excellent job routing the course to incorporate the most dramatic and visually intriguing elements of the land. Each hole is punctuated by rolling terrain and sand blowouts. Broad horizons set up view of herds of cattle, grain silos, windswept plains and the Rocky Mountains. Many elevated tee boxes allow you to see the entire hole in front of you along with views that combine to provide a strong sense of place. It's going to be interesting to see the whole Rodeo Dunes development come to fruition."
Read More2026
Review
“Rodeo Dunes Coore/Crenshaw course The strongest feature to the property's first course is undoubtedly shot options. Throughout the round, players are forced to consider club selection from the tee as C/C masterfully weaves their course through rolling dunes and strategically placed fairway bunkers and natives grasses. Some holes can withstand a variance between Driver down through 7iron from the tee, as there is risk/reward offered on nearly every hole. The course quickly exposes itself as highly demanding from the tee, and scorable if accurate. Many of the holes require trust and accuracy to your line as you often hit into blind landing spots. If playing from the fairway, there is are plenty of shot options into the greens, whether high or low, as C/C uniquely shaped entry points around dunes and green side bunkering. Conditions were surprisingly good for such a raw course, and once the native grasses mature players will face a more penal round. The property itself holds a tremendous amount of character as the land was previously a horse ranch and played host to regional rodeos. A second course is currently under construction with the third being planned along with onsite lodging around 2030. As the course matures, continues to firm up and the likelihood of windy conditions being the norm, it will likely play more difficult in years to come. However, at 7,200 yards from the back tees in elevation the distance did not pose as much of a challenge. Overall, the course will provide a strong 18 to serve as the first of various designs to come on property in the next 5-7 years, and will provide a similar experience and challenge to those at Bandon Dunes and Sand Valley."
Read More2026
Review
“Very fun and forgiving design that offers spectacular views through gentle sand dunes. Wide fairways and several greens with punchbowl type surrounds make this a very forgiving course. All of the par 5's seemed reachable and offered birdie chances. Great variety of par 4's with a couple of very long & challenging par 4's as well as three short par 4's that offer scoring opportunities. Well balanced between uphill and downhill holes"
Read More2026
Review
“Very fun and forgiving design that offers spectacular views through gentle sand dunes. Wide fairways and several greens with punchbowl type surrounds make this a very forgiving course. All of the par 5's seemed reachable and offered birdie chances. Great variety of par 4's with a couple of very long & challenging par 4's as well as three short par 4's that offer scoring opportunities. Well balanced between uphill and downhill holes"
Read More2026
Review
“Course is a lot of fun! What more needs to be said?"
Read More2026
Review
“The shaping around the greens may be some of the best you will find anywhere."
Read More2026
Review
“Rodeo is very strong in shot options. The greens and green surrounds are really good (except for maybe #7 and 13 which lack some character). There are so many blind shots that keep you attention and make you question your line off the tee and into the green. There are opportunities to use slopes and undulations to get you ball into the correct portion of the fairway off the tee or correct portion of the green on approach shots (although I think the greens are slightly slower than intended making the slopes less useful). There is a great risk and reward and shot options off the tee on holes 1,2, 4, 6, 8, 11, 12, 15 and 17. The standout approaches for shot options and risk / reward are 1,2,3, 4, 5, 8, 9, 12, 14 15, 16 and 17 (that's almost all of them, right?!). The additional carry you get at elevation temps you even more to be aggressive off the tee and into greens because you're taking less club from farther distance. The terrain is tailor made for golf. The wind and elevation as factors on every shot keep you engaged throughout the round. The blind shots are additive to the excitement of the round. Its an easy walk with tees being very close to the green from the previous hole. Each hole has a slope or undulation that allows an alternate route to the premium spot in the fairway or to the green. I would play here every day and can't wait to get back to see it when it matures. There are a lot of blind shots; on some approaches (holes 1, 2, 4, 6, 10, 12, 15) and some on tee shots (1, 4, 5, 10, 12, 15). If you get off the fairway, it makes for a long day hacking out of the sand and waste areas - they are thin enough that you think you can get more out of it but it is prudent to just take your medicine. Because of the length of fairway cut, you can get a lot of uneven lies which makes approach shots more challenging. Greens have some tricky spots and tiers (1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 9 , 16, 17). Hazards are very penalizing albeit tough to find because of the width of the course. Fairway and greenside bunkers are nearly 1 stroke penalty because of their depth, design, location, etc. Lots of blowout bunkers on the edge of play that can play like waste areas or true bunkers depending on what spot you get into. The wind is always a factor and there is nothing to stop it. Judging distance is a challenge because of uphill/downhill lies, uphill or downhill shots, wind and elevation factor. The green designs have a ton of great variety: there are long and narrow (11), short and wide (2), intruding hazards both dug out (3) and built up (4), big (13), small (14) and everything in between (5, 6, 16 , 17). The differences in green designs are often in consecutive holes as well which makes identification of the differences even easier (3/4 or 13/14). There is wonderful variety in layout as the course meanders through and amongst the dunes. Hazards come in all shapes and sizes and Coore & Crenshaw prove that hazards don't have to be trees or water. There is great variety in the par 3s, a wonderfully varied group of par 4s. The routing is brilliant covering the full gambit directionally, uphills, downhills, lefts, rights, variety in hazards, and green designs, while also making short walks from green to tee and making groups feel like they're in a world all their own while on the course. Rodeo dunes is in a wide open space - you can see to the mountains west of Denver and as far east as visibility will allow. The dunes with strips of fairway and blowout bunkers that you can't tell if they're miles away or carriable with a mid-iron. I'm extremely impressed with the grow-in and quality of the turf throughout the course. You would never be able to tell that the course had only been open for a month or so. Turf was nice and thick throughout and the first cut of rough is VERY thick and no fun at all to hit out of. The greens rolled nice and there were very few divots or imperfections anywhere on the course. The greens were soft of ideal which was surprising because most sand-based courses are extremely firm upon first opening. Fairways were nicely firm and provided ample bounce both downwind and into the wind - cut of fairway grass was probably too long to make the slopes play as intended. General condition of the course was really nice, with no wet spot, very playable, and I'd welcome these greens anywhere, anytime. Despite having no infrastructure, the vibe at the course was incredible - they had a food truck near the parking lot, music on the first tee / 18th green, a great gathering of players hanging out after the round, etc. The course was very walkable in its design and the caddies were additive to the experience. The land is ideal for golf with enough elevation change to add interest to every hole, but nothing so extreme that you need long distances between holes. The routing is brilliant covering every direction imaginable while taking up relatively little space and making it feel like you in the wilderness alone. I also think its is a positive characteristic of the course that you're near a major metropolitan area, but into a world all yourself."
Read More2026