1 course near Denver to play?

[Ari Techner]

Sorry for another "where to play" thread but I have done many searches and have not come to any good conclusions.  
I am heading out friday to Sand Hills and Ballyneal with a quick stop at Wild Horse.  I have time for 1 round somewhere near Denver before I fly out tuesday morning.  The question is, where do I play?  I was considering driving to Colorado Springs and playing The Broadmoor, is that a doable drive?  Which is better West or East and are either worth the drive?  Thanks to all in advance.  

[Dan Smoot]

I have enjoyed Riverdale Dunes in Brighton

[Tom_Doak]

Ari:

The Broadmoor is a couple of hours' drive each way from the Denver airport which is well to the north of the city.

If you can't get on Cherry Hills or Castle Pines or the new Colorado Golf Club, the best bets among public access courses would be Riverdale Dunes on the north side of Denver, or Murphy Creek on the NE side.  Neither is going to be very impressive after Sand Hills though.

[Andy Troeger]

Ari,
If you are willing to make the drive to The Broadmoor, play the East. The only public course I played near Denver is the Ridge at Castle Pines North, so I can't say if The Broadmoor is that much better than the other options to make it worth the drive. Its also significantly more expensive than the other options. They are already prepping for next year's Senior Open, so the rough is thick and the fairways narrowed.

[Sam Morrow]

The Ridge is a pretty good golf course, there are a couple of good courses in Aurora, in fact I think the USGA might have played something at one in the last year or so.

[Matt_Ward]

Ari:

If access is possible you can also try Pradera -- Jim Engh's layout in nearby Parker -- about 30 minutes from the airport. About 45 minutes away is Bear Dance in nearby Larkspur. Gets little attention from the group here but is well done and quite better than many of the places in and around the Castle Pines area.

[mark chalfant]

Ari,

Pradera is very fun and  interesting. Engh did a great job on a scenic but  very rugged site. Ive been told that  Weiskopf public course  in Castle Pines is nice but Ive not played it.
Colorado Golf Club  in Parker is great fun and very artistic, for me, CGC is easily top 40 modern.

[John Kavanaugh]

Colorado Golf Club  in Parker is great fun and very artistic, for me, CGC is easily top 40 modern.

Sounds like an 8.5...Is it better than Ballyneal in your handbook?

[Matt_Ward]

Mark:

With all due respect -- when you say Colorado GC is top 40 modern -- you might also add that it's top 40 from the courses YOU have played.

The reason why I say that is to give people an appropriate understanding of the total number of courses you have played and given that number (whether high or low) how such a statement of the type you made has meaning.

[Andy Troeger]

The day I played the Ridge at Castle PinesI thought I was going to play Bear Dance, but I couldn't get on as a single for 3 hours, so I bailed and ended up at the Ridge. The front nine is mediocre housing development golf, but the back is very cool. Bear Dance looked interesting from the drive in and clubhouse (admittedly that doesn't help much), but it looked like a place I would enjoy playing, and the price was more reasonable.

Pradera is also worthwhile if you can get on. I probably would consider it comparable in quality to Broadmoor East, although the courses themselves are VERY different.

[mark chalfant]

John,

i slightly  preferred Desert forest and Blackwolf River over CGC. However,  i prefered CGC  over Spyglass and Firethorn. if given 10 rounds I would play  6 at Colorado  vs. four at   NCR South.  Unfortunately   i have not yet played Ballyneal.

on the Doak scale i would give CGC  a solid 8

[Peter Zarlengo]

Two good ones that havent been mentioned and are very close to the airport are Green Valley Ranch (Perry Dye) and Buffalo Run (Keith Foster). Both are interesting and reasonably priced.

[redanman]

on the Doak scale i would give CGC  a solid 8

mark:

That's lofty.  Doak only has about 20 8's or so as I recall.

What separates it from the Doak 7's that you've played and makes it inclusive with the Doak 8's in your experience?

Unfortunately, I have not played a CO course since 2001, so CGC is not in my wheelhouse.  What other C&C masterpieces to you are Doak 8's and why 8's not 7's?

[Wyatt Halliday]

Ari,

Peter is right about GVR and Buffalo Run if you are hunting good solid golf.

However, if you are looking for something a bit different, you should try Murphy Creek (very solid front nine void of housing), and of course Riverdale (Dunes).

ps- If you play Riverdale, play the composite course, i.e. play number 14 twice and then walk over to 16 tee

[Tim Leahy]

Two good ones that havent been mentioned and are very close to the airport are Green Valley Ranch (Perry Dye) and Buffalo Run (Keith Foster). Both are interesting and reasonably priced.

I would second Buffalo Run for convenience, it is only 15 minutes at most from the airport and is a classic rolling prairie course with very good greens. Bear Dance is my favorite in that area for a mountain course with pine trees and a real Colorado feel to it and some great views of the mountains.

[Doug Wright]

Ari,

Riverdale Dunes would be my suggestion (over GVR and Buffalo Run and still close to DIA) if you can't get on any of the privates; if, however, you haven't played a Jim Engh course you might look at Fossil Trace in Golden--pretty unique venue with a lot of vintage Engh work.

[redanman]

How expensive is the Ridge at CP now?  IT has a lot of good holes, but was one of the more expensive ones.

Riverdale Dunes, Buffalo Run are both good bets.  Jeff Brauer's Canterburry in Parker (First of his that I ever played) is further away but is a very fun course that is very good.

[Wyatt Halliday]

Redanman,

I'm not sure the last time you played the Ridge, but the housing on the front is almost unbearable. The worst example is the Par 5 fifth.

Side note: The management/ownership group behind Bear Dance now includes Black Bear Golf Club (formerly Canterburry) and the Riverdale Complex.

[Doug Wright]

BillV,

The Ridge at Castle Pines North is $115/$140 weekends rack rate though there are usually deals. Bear Dance down the road is $89/$109 and a much better course IMO. Ari if you want a Colorado mountain golf experience you should check Bear Dance--it's about 45-60 minutes from the airport though.  

PS Broadmoor East in Colorado Springs is definitely worth seeing if you have the time (1:45-2 hours from DIA). I played there yesterday and it's already Senior Open-ready--including some 20 yard wide fairways... ; ) the new/improved bunkering is terrific.

[redanman]

redanman,
I'm not sure the last time you played the Ridge, but the housing on the front is almost unbearable. The worst example is the Par 5 fifth.

The fifth was always awkward at best as a hole, but "encroaching housing" was there from the first house!  

BillV,
PS Broadmoor East-it's already Senior Open-ready--including some 20 yard wide fairways... ; )

can't wait to get back to THAT!  

20 yds? WOW!  The East has always been the prize at Broadmoor.  It has very good RTJ holes as well as the best of the Ross holes, IMO.

Have they managed the swale behind the (old?)16th?? short par 3 with fast and firm short grass in the swale?  I always loved that feature. They've re-ordered the routing so many times I can't keep track.

Call me SICK-O, but I always liked the South Course.  I got to play it four times in a state Mid-Am once and it really grew on me, at least some of teh holes.  I'm not putting it up there with East, but I definitely would put West as a distant third.

I for one would like a restoration of the original Ross bunkering (as diagrammed on the main routing drawing that once hang in the lobby of the South Clubhouse, explain that one!) and at least the option to play the Ross 18 at one clip.

[Doug Wright]

Have they managed the swale behind the (old?)16th?? short par 3 with fast and firm short grass in the swale?  I always loved that feature. They've re-ordered the routing so many times I can't keep track.

Bill,

Funny you should mention the short 16th (the site of my one and only hole in one 25 years ago... )--I was in that very swale long and left yesterday and it's nothing but 3 inch rough and death right now.  Just had play a bunker shot-type shot to a green sloping away and try to keep it on the surface. It absolutely would be better if it were cut down. Why don't you call your buddies at the USGA and suggest it?  

Call me SICK-O, but I always liked the South Course.  I got to play it four times in a state Mid-Am once and it really grew on me, at least some of teh holes.  I'm not putting it up there with East, but I definitely would put West as a distant third.

No way on the South course (at least the course formerly known as the South course--now remodeled and renamed the Mountain course, which I haven't played and likely won't). Hit layup irons to aiming posts in the fairway on many holes? Surely you jest... PS I heard yesterday that parts of the remodeled course may be following its predecessor by sliding down the mountain.

I for one would like ... at least the option to play the Ross 18 at one clip.

Agreed--think you can do it in the wintertime but not the same experience.

[Jay Flemma]

Pradera...then Sanctuary...then either Fossil Trace or Red hawk Ridge.

1 = Pradera

[Andy Troeger]

I'm supposed to play the Mountain Cse at the Broadmoor in a few weeks, I will try to remember to report afterwards.

[mark chalfant]

Bill V.
some aspects of Colorado G.C. were epsecially striking:

The use of  natural features such as creeks,   dry  washes,ravines  that directly affect play. These features  were used  epecially well on par threes and par fives.The second, 168y, evoked  Prairie Dunes. The seventh, 575 yds
had  a neat  mix of  bunkering, angles, gullies that influence a golfers tactical chioces
2.  elevation  changes: these climbs were often  used to   strenghen  par fours. However  the  10th was a  great  driving hole (l ot r) 470 but the real treat here  was dropping approach shot that calls for precise distance control.
3.  green complexes & tie ins were splendid, many done by Jim Craig I believe
4. Very nice meandering walk and some nuanced ground features  20-25   yards short of   some greens. hope this helps.

I believe the club is private. however I would counsel  discriminating golfers like your self to make  a special trip to
CGC  if youre within 400-500 miles.
 
   

[Jim Colton]

I'm also doing the Denver-to-Ballyneal trek in a few weeks and have time for one round somewhere in between.  Any other ideas or thoughts?  I probably don't have a ton of extra time to go too far out of the way.  Thanks in advance.