Courtesy of Sanctuary
Courtesy of Sanctuary
Courtesy of Sanctuary
Sanctuary Golf Club
Sanctuary Golf Club
7549 Daniels Park Rd
Sedalia, CO 80135-8718
United States
Overview
In the late 1990s, Sanctuary debuted as a counterpoint to what was then the latest fashion, the startlingly outrageous architecture of Mike Strantz. Coloradoan Jim Engh introduced his stylistic philosophy of incorporating Art Deco themes of parallel lines, sweeping curves and repetitive patterns in his bunker, fairway and green shapes. The comforting nature of his architectural style proved to be popular and soothing to many golf fans. But Sanctuary’s site itself is startling. The first tee shot drops 200 feet. Fairways twist and tumble down narrow valleys and over chasms. Enormous greens are protected not just by Engh’s squiggly bunkers but by giant transplanted pines. Sanctuary’s developers, Dave and Gail Liniger, founded the Re/Max real estate empire, but they insisted that Sanctuary have no homes that could disturb the tranquility of the course. It’s a Sanctuary indeed.
About
Awards
ranking history:
100 Greatest: Ranked for 10 years from 1999-2002 and 2005-'10.
Highest ranking: 48th, 1999-2000.
Second 100 Greatest: Ranked for eight years from 2013-'20.
Highest ranking: 139th, 2013-'14.
Best in State: Ranked inside the top five, 1995-2011, 2023-'24, 2023-'24. Ranked sixth, 2013-'14, 2021-'22. Ranked seventh, 2025-'26.
Previous ranking: 5th.
2025-'26 ranking: 7th.
Panelists
Ratings from our panel of 1,900 course-ranking panelists
100 GREATEST/BEST IN STATE SCORES
Shot Options
Character
Challenge
Layout Variety
Fun
Aesthetics
Conditioning
Reviews
Review
“Sanctuary Golf Course's unique logistics are complimented by its incomparable scale. The course has no members, so an endless stream of first-time-players is subjected to the mind-bending drops present on many tee shots. The course belongs to the certificate holders for a day, and they'd do well to score on these snake-like fairways."
Read More2025
Review
“Sanctuary Golf Course's unique logistics are complimented by its incomparable scale. The course has no members, so an endless stream of first-time-players is subjected to the mind-bending drops present on many tee shots. The course belongs to the certificate holders for a day, and they'd do well to score on these snake-like fairways."
Read More2025
Review
“Built on a jaw-dropping site, this unwalkable but visually stunning course offers a one-of-a-kind golf experience. Fairways play wider than they look and layout variety is as good as it could be, given the clear directive to play as many downhill holes as possible. Par threes are exceptional and manmade elements are well integrated into the site. Engh's green sites are creative and distinctive. Commanding views of the front range dominate the player's attention but the golf course is very, very good."
Read More2024
Review
“The views are breath taking, but not a course I would want to play everyday."
Read More2023
Review
“A roller coaster thrill ride. Massive elevation changes, beautiful views, and heroic shots abound. A few too many holes take driver out of the sensible player's hands because of playing corridors pinching in too much. But overall, very high on the fun scale!"
Read More2022
Review
“Beautiful vistas and superb conditioning highlight this topsy turvy Jim Engh creation south of Denver."
Read More2022
Review
“Fun course, beautifully maintained and challenging. Big elevation changes and very scenic."
Read More2022
Review
“This course has a single owner and no members. It was built to have outings. Playing at another time is difficult to arrange. It is built on the edge of the rockies and might be the hilliest course I have ever played. Jim Engh was given a difficult piece of ground on which to work. The first hole drops precipitously and the drive seems to go on forever. It is playable but the greens demand good putting skills."
Read More2018
Review
“Great design with fantastic risk/reward holes. Beautiful course with firm and fast conditions."
Read More2018
