I doubt that many consider Jack Nicklaus a great architect, but his ninth green at the Country Club of Castle Pines is the worst green I have ever seen. At least it was when I was a member there in the early nineties, and I don't think it has been improved. I once had a conversation with Ron Whitten during which he asked me where I played. When I mentioned CCCP, he remarked, "you mean the course with the terrible 9th green." The hole is a short par 4, which requires a fairway wood or long iron to lay up to the base of a steep hill leaving a wedge staight up the hill to a green that is so blind that they have to put a second flag on the hill behind the green so you have some idea where the hole location is. The green is a punchbowl-like design, which has slopes so severe that the only shots that stay on the green wind up on the back right. If the pin is there, you have a short birdie putt. Otherwise, a two-putt is extremely difficult. Even with a wedge, the best way to hit the green is to bounce off a steep slope left of the green. It is virtually impossible to get near a front pin.
When I served on the green committee there, we tried to have the green changed. Jim Engh, who was also on the committee, offered to do the redesign for free. He was turned down. The problem was that Nicklaus would not agree to any change and any change made without his agreement would result in the club not being able to claim it was a Nicklaus "signature course". He finally agreed to send Jim Lipe out and some changes were made. Unfortunately, the club chose to do the work in house, and I don't think it turned out too well.
I have not played the course in about 9 years. I would love to have someone tell me that the green has been improved. I know Jim lipe visits this site occasionally. Maybe he can correct anything I have reported that is inaccurate.
By the way, other than that hole, I really liked the course. Everytime I played it, I would stand and try to figure how I would re-design the hole if allowed. I never could come up with a good idea other than making it a par three and locating the green at the bottom of the hill. That would have resulted in 5 par threes, which the club didn't want, and there was no way to stretch one of the other par 3's into a par 4.
Incidently, at the time Jim Engh was a relatively unknown architect, and the club management did not trust him to re-design the hole. Only a few years later he won "best new private' with a course a mile or so up the road.