Golf Course Review by: Billy Satterfield
Rankings:
The Takeaway: In the discussion of the state's most difficult courses, Colorado GC's firm and fast conditions greatly reduce the effective hitting areas of the seemingly generous fairways and greens. Ultimately the front nine is a grind and the back nine is a hoot with the whole being a top five course in the Centennial State. Grade A-
Quick Facts
Designer: Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw 2007
Cost: Private
Phone Number: 303-840-5400
Course Website: Official Website - Visit Colorado Golf Club's official website by clicking on the link provided.
Directions: Get here! - 8000 Preservation Trail, Parker, Colorado 80134 – UNITED STATES
Photos: See additional photos of Colorado Golf Club
What to Expect: Located in the suburbs southeast of Denver, Colorado Golf Club is a firm and fast course that is perhaps Coore and Crenshaw's most challenging test. The course employs a very demanding start with a 651 yard par five, three par fours with two of them exceeding 485 yards, and a pair of par threes; one of which stretches out to 263 yards. The back nine offers a more enjoyable set of holes to play with more engaging design features; though your scorecard may not reflect much lower of a score. The course is located on a former horse ranch that spanned over 1,700 acres and features mostly wide open space though there are plenty of trees peppered throughout the layout; but not thick enough to block the view of the homes found within the development. As one might expect in Colorado, there is also plenty of movement in the property with holes 4-7 being the only flattish offerings while the remaining holes all have movement up or down; some more significant than others. There is a good variety of hole lengths and design features throughout the course, but the two drivable par fours stand out as some of the best offerings on the property along with the back to back par fives found on the inward nine; with the greensite at 15 being the best at the club. Speaking of greensites, the feature that stands out most at Colorado Golf Club are how large the greens are but how small of an effective area you can hit to be successful. Sometimes hitting a spot 40 feet away from the flag is required in order to get your ball near that day's pin location. With the firm conditions, approach shots have to be exacting otherwise big numbers are in store. In fact, the length and precision you'll need to be successful here is exactly why players in the 2023 U.S. Amateur had a higher scoring average at Colorado Golf Club than they did at co-host site Cherry Hills. In the end, Colorado Golf Club is certainly one of the top five courses in the state, but the front nine can be a turnoff to many patrons before embarking on the back nine that is quite a bit more enjoyable.
By the Numbers
| Tees | Par | Yardage | Rating | Slope |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Championship | 72 | 7647 | 76.5 | 152 |
| Black | 72 | 7300 | 75.1 | 150 |
| Paintbrush | 72 | 6929 | 73.1 | 141 |
| White | 72 | 6228 | 69.9 | 130 |
| Wildflower | 72 | 5187 | 64.8 | 119 |
| White (Ladies) | 72 | 6191 | 75.7 | 153 |
| Wildflower (Ladies) | 72 | 5187 | 70.3 | 132 |
Individual Hole Analysis
Signature Hole: 11th Hole – 214 Yard Par 3 – The beautiful 11th hole offers an inspiring view from the tee to a green fronted by the course's largest pond that continues up the entire right side. The multi-segmented green is the highlight here with a plethora of interesting pin placements and putts you might face. When the flag is tucked in the back left of the green, players will have to carry a bunker that stretches over 40 feet from front to back and boasts an equal length side to side.
Best Par 3: 2nd Hole – 153 Yards – Coore & Crenshaw and known for their inclusion of a short par three in virtually all of their layouts and an exceptional one is found early in the routing at Colorado Golf Club. This uphill one-shotter features a green perched into the side of a hill with a quartet of bunkers protecting each quadrant of the putting surface. Missing the smallest green on the course will result in some of the most difficult positions to save par from at Colorado Golf Club. Once you are on the green, players will gain appreciation for how sloped the putting surface is. Despite it being the shortest hole on the property, pars are more difficult to card than the yardage would indicate.
Best Par 4: 3rd Hole – 428 Yards – Perhaps Colorado GC's most distinguishable hole, the 3rd is a downhill two-shotter highlighted by a barranca that separates the fairway from the green. Driver isn't necessary off the tee, especially since the fairway tightens as you get down beyond the fairway bunkers. That being said, the further down the fairway you make it, the less yardage into the green you'll have, but going too far will leave an inferior angle to attack the flag from. The shaping of the green makes for some interesting putts, so hitting your approach shot into the proper level will make life much easier.
Best Par 5: 16th Hole – 585 Yards – The second of excellent back-to-back par fives, the 16th provides a great scoring opportunity late in the round. The tee shot plays downhill to a dual fairway design where the larger fairway on the left is easier to hit but more difficult to reach the green from, while the narrower fairway on the right is reserved for those ready to attack the green in two. A creek splits the two fairways and hitting it with your tee shot will eliminate birdie for most players. The slope left of the green is a great feature to bring approach shots into as it will kick balls onto the putting surface and help keep the water out of play that flanks the right side of the putting surface. In match play, this is a great hole. As much as I love the 16th, there is part of me that prefers the 15th with the blind uphill tee shot followed by an approach shot over a creek to a green tucked back into some trees.
Birdie Time: 14th Hole – 327 Yard Par 4 – The 14th is just pure fun! For long hitters it is reachable with the tee shot, but players have to be aware that the fairway kicks everything to the right and staying up the left side is paramount for success in reaching the green. The green horseshoes around a narrow bunker that is nearly four times longer than it is wide, but getting up and down from the sand there is easier than it may appear visually. Players that layup should go up the left side of the fairway for a right pin, and up the right side for a left pin to create the optimal angle for attacking the hole. Pick up a birdie here and use the insurance for the fantastic stretch of holes the course finishes on.
Bogey Beware: 5th Hole – 476 Yard Par 4 – This hole is a bear no matter what your skill level is. In fact, during the 2023 U.S. Amateur, this hole carded more double bogies and "others" than any other at Colorado Golf Club. This lengthy par four plays through the flattest portion of property found at CGC with a barranca framing the left side and deathly deep grass on the right, leaving players with no choice but to hit the fairway if they wanted to avoid taking a drop. The approach shot plays slightly uphill to a green with a false front, so it is really easy to leave a ball short or have it repelled by the front edge. Once you make the putting surface you'll be faced with some subtle breaks that are masters at yielding three-putts. Pars aren't going to be very common here, just do what you can to avoid carding an "other."
