Doug:
A few retorts are in order ...
I played Grandote on my way back from Black Mesa last year and it's nothing more than I described. I really liked the course when it first opened. But if you believe what's there now is the equivalent of what it was when it first opened -- then we disagree -- big time.
Doug, GD rated the course too high in my book and there's little doubt that even when it was at its finest it could not sniff cracking the top ten in Colorado now IMHO.
Allow me to explain my rationale in regards to the true meaning of "hidden gem." Any such course(s) must be literally invisible to the greater mass of golfers who certainly follow the ebb and flow of such courses when they open and come onto the scene. When Grandote first opened it certainly did that because as you opined it would be a great site for a NORAD base. Few people ever heard of La Veta -- then or now. However, once Grandote was rated top ten by Digest it stopped being "hidden" and was flying high in elite company. It's fall was sudden and from what I saw last years was only slowly coming back to where it was.
But just remember this -- the world of golf design -- especially in Colorado since Grandote first opened has evolved greatly. I would think you would know that better than most.
Matt--I can't be quite so dogmatic as you in tying "hidden gem" status to whether the course ever has been rated. Perhaps that's OK as a general proposition but Grandote Peaks is very much the exception. When was it rated? Its first year in 1997 or so? This fine course is so far off the radar screen NORAD can't find it! I prefer my definition of "hidden gem" (without the ratings qualification) and I'm sticking to it.
Matt,
A few rejoinders to your retorts are in order...
I think your rear view mirror view of Grandote when it first opened is a bit blurry. Yes it was a really fine course then and it is again now. But your lofty view of the course's beginnings are misplaced. I guess you realize that when you say GD rated the course too high.
We agree that there's no way it's top 10 Colorado now. And I agree that the world of Colorado golf has evolved big-time since Grandote opened. But what's that have to do with this discussion of the course in question?
I must again respectfully disagree with your definition of "hidden gem." I suspect there aren't too many people on this website (who, after all, are the real audience for this subject) have their 1997 or 1998 Golf Digest "Best of" issues lying around or refer to them. So what if this course appeared once on a state of Colorado list? Unlike, say, Pacific Dunes, it long since disapeared from the view of raters and readers, including readers of this site. We readers are trying to get a handle on worthy courses that, to use your words, are "literally invisible" NOW so we might think about seeing them if we are in the area.
Matt--Go back and read my definition, which I think is apropos of this topic. The intent here is to identify courses that are "Hard to find or relatively unknown to participants on this site, but a quality course with decent golf course architecture that is worth seeing if you are in the area." Tell me that Grandote Peaks doesn't fit that definition. If you want another definition, pardner, start another thread. [emoticon deleted in deference to Dan Kelly]