Where To Play Golf In Denver

By Susan Comolli Davis

Denver, long a gateway to the West, is also a gateway to spectacular golf. The season is short but sweet, typically running from April through October, and offers a variety of styles – from classic parkland to majestic mountain courses – to suit any taste and budget. The city appeals to both culture-loving urbanites and serious-nature lovers (Rocky Mountain National Park is only an hour's drive from Denver). In the spring, skiers can often hit the trails in the morning and play golf in the afternoon. Best of all, the top-notch courses are an easy drive from downtown, making the city an ideal hub for a mountain-golf getaway.

Photo by Photo: Rich Grant/Visit Denver

Arrowhead Golf Club

You'll probably take more shots with your phone than with your clubs at this Robert Trent Jones, Jr. beauty just south of Denver, in Littleton. Celebrating its 40th year, the course is consistently rated the areas' most scenic; one peek at the stunning red sandstone rocks wedged between fairways and greens reveals why. After the round, drink in the amazing scenery from the serene outdoor patio.arrowheadcolorado.com

Common Ground Golf Course

In 2009, Tom Doak transformed this former military course in Aurora into a public golf Mecca whose mission is to provide a budget-friendly, welcoming, first-class experience to all who love the game. Mature trees and native grasses dot the fairways, giving the course a links feel. Walking is encouraged, and caddies are free.commongroundgc.com

The Ridge Course at Castle Pines North

The Ridge has all the plush amenities and top service golfers have come to expect from a Troon facility plus a whole lot more. The highly rated Tom Weiskopf design unfolds in the foothills of the Front Range; it's hilly on the front and stacked with Ponderosa pines on the more secluded back. Unobstructed views of Pikes Peak – at 14,115 the highest summit of the southern Front Range of the Rockies – add to the allure.playtheridge.com

Green Valley Ranch Golf Club

An easy drive between the airport and downtown, Green Valley Ranch is a lush oasis in the metro area and is consistently ranked as one its best. Known for its challenging par 5 finishing hole, a dog leg with wetlands and bunkers, the championship course is home to the Colorado Opens (men, women, and senior). Its dynamic pricing (greens fees vary based on demand and top out at $72) and sporty 9-hole par 3 course make Green Valley an affordable treat.gvrgolf.com

Fossil Trace

Although this Jim Engh design is a busy municipal course that attracts an avid local Golden crowd (read: avoid weekends), it's received a lot of praise in the national golf press for its challenging design and unusual hazards, including the ruins of an incinerator in the first fairway. Rocks, deep bunkers and blind shots ensure it’s never boring, and the five sets of tees (all rated for women) make it fun for all. What's more, golfers can glimpse 68 million-year-old Triceratops tracks from the 12th green.Fossiltrace.com

The Golf Club at Bear Dance

If you only have time for a round or two, make sure Bear Dance is one of them. Voted the Best Denver Golf Course in 2016, this home to the Colorado PGA provides a truly gorgeous mountain golf experience. Beautifully maintained, the course has no contiguous fairways, creating a hushed, private-club feel. Towering Ponderosa pines, grassy valleys, and meadows with wild flowers weave in and out of play.beardancegolf.com

Fox Hollow Golf Course

Mix and match the three distinct nines here to suit your preferred style of play. The Canyons thrills with its ups and downs, including an 80-foot plunge on its signature 5th hole. The Meadows provides a pleasant streamside amble amid cottonwood trees, and The Links has a wide-open Scottish flavor and pretty mountain vistas. Golf Digest named Fox Hollow one of the top 10 new courses in the U.S. when it opened, in 1994, and the course doesn't disappoint.lakewood.org

Murphy Creek Golf Course

Public golfers have it good in Colorado as this popular and reasonably priced Aurora municipal course proves. It's championship worthy – the 2008 U.S. Amateur Public Links was held here -- and Golf Digest named it a best new course when it opened, in 2002. The "prairie-links" style layout has gently rolling terrain, sweeps of native grasses. fast greens and thick rough, creating a fun challenge. The friendly staff and a patio with a view make it an appealing option.golfaurora.com

The Broadmoor

Although the Broadmoor is in Colorado Springs, about an hour from Denver, and you have to be a guest to play there, it's a must-stopover for any self-respecting golf aficionado. Its three courses of name-brand golf (Donald Ross, Robert Trent Jones, Sr., Jack Nicklaus), history (site of Jack Nicklaus's 1959 U.S. Amateur win), five-star luxury and impeccable service make this a splurge-worthy destination.broadmoor.com

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