In all four directions of our nation’s loftiest state (the highest average elevation of any U.S. state with 58 mountain peaks over 14,000 feet), you’ll find golfing gems offering top-tier conditions and world class views.
Out west, nestled among the dramatic red-rock mesas of Grand Junction with sweeping canyon views is the Redlands Mesa Golf Course.
Up in the Rockies, near the famous ski destination of Vail is the Red Sky Golf Club. Set in a high-alpine landscape surrounded by ranchland, it is renowned for its two 18-hole championship courses designed by Tom Fazio and Greg Norman.
And located on the eastern plains is the highly anticipated links public golf resort Rodeo Dunes. Developed by the team that produced Sand Valley and Bandon Dunes, Michael Keiser and Dream Golf, two course routings are complete – one by the acclaimed duo of Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw, and the other marking the solo debut of longtime C&C associate, Jimmy Craig.
This site, expected to be a premier destination for inland sand dune golf, will officially welcome guests next year.
Now, be it this year, next year or any year, any golf excursion to Colorado must include a stay and play at the classic Broadmoor Resort.
About 60 miles south of Denver in Colorado Springs, this iconic golf destination sits at the base of the Rocky Mountains' Front Range, directly east of Pikes Peak, marking the transition from high plains to mountainous terrain. It is here that stunning scenery, high-quality amenities, and premier, challenging layouts of a pair of courses designed by legends Donald Ross and Robert Trent Jones, offer the state’s best holiday option for the golfer.
It begins with a great legacy. Its historic East and West courses have been the stage for nine USGA championships, including the 1959 U.S. Amateur (Jack Nicklaus' first major win), the 1995 U.S. Women's Open, and multiple U.S. Senior Opens.
“The East is big and wide. I mean it is a U.S. Open course. When the wind blows here, you can have a 400-yard par 4 which can play three clubs longer just because of the elements,” notes Russ Miller, The Broadmoor’s Director of Golf.
But success on this course means mastering the greens. If your ball is between the mountains and the flagstick, you’re always putting downhill. It is difficult.
How challenging are they?
“A couple years ago we were standing on the green at Hole #4 East and Jack Nicklaus turns to me and says, ‘Russ, Augusta National’s greens are the second toughest in the world. I’m standing on the toughest.’ That was a compliment because he won the U.S. Amateur here in 1959. So, we tell our guests ‘It’s not that hard to get to the green. Once you get there, that’s when the fun starts.’
The fun continues, but in a different way on the West course. It is a bit tighter and more doglegged with a lot more elevation change.
So in between rounds, while you play back the 18 holes in your head, the seasoned spa technicians can take care of your body.
“There is a strong mind-body connection and we realize golfers on holiday will tend to play more in a concentrated period than they’re used to,” said Cassie Hernandez, Broadmoor’s Spa – Salon & Fitness Director. “We really work the connective tissues so that you don’t have any joint and muscle pain. Plus making sure your spine and hips are aligned so the player is mobile and ready to tee it up again.”
Of course, after golf and the spa, you’ll be plenty hungry. And there’s a wide range of options when you consider the diverse menus of 18 restaurants, lounges and cafes on the property.
“We do have an international-oriented menu, but we also like to feature local Colorado products like lamb and we have a greenhouse by the golf course and grow our own vegetables and the owners have a ranch that produces top wagyu beef,” said Tia Allen, Executive Sous Chef of Broadmoor’s Restaurants.
And when it comes to accommodations, this iconic hotel, as the world’s longest-running consecutive Forbes Five-Star, AAA Five-Diamond resort, offers 784 guest rooms, suites, cottages, brownstones, and an Estate House that feature elegant touches and thoughtful amenities that have charmed guests for over 100 years.
Now for the golfer and non-golfer alike, Krista Heinicke, Broadmoor’s Director of Public Relations, points out there’s lots of outdoor activities to be enjoyed.
“We offer zip lining, hiking, biking, falconry, tennis and pickleball, and our Wild West Excursion includes axe throwing, air rifles and archery. We also have a fly-fishing camp to name a few options.”
There are certainly some fine golf options in the Denver area including TPC Colorado, CommonGround and picturesque Arrowhead. However, two of the very best are Fossil Trace and Rain Dance National.
Just about a dozen miles from downtown is Fossil Trace.
With his distinct style featuring plenty of recessed fairways and greens that twist, turn and funnel shots toward the center, architect Jim Engh keeps the player thinking. That is especially the case on the back nine, for it is here, particularly on the fabulous 12th that walls of fossils split the fairway and hide the green.
“His work is known for creativity, movement, and fun. The course is not flat, quiet, or traditional in the old-school parkland sense,” explains Adam Finch, PGA Head Golf Professional for Fossil Trace. “It has truly rolling fairways, tough bunkering, undulating greens and a sense of adventure built into the routing.”
The golf course opened in July of 2003, approximately 64-million years after the first dinosaurs walked where holes 11 through 15 now sit. Triceratops footprints, as well as other prehistoric creatures' fossils can be viewed adjacent to the golf course’s 12th green.
After a day of golf, take in a ballgame and see the Colorado Rockies in action. Denver’s Coors Field is widely praised as one of MLB's most beautiful and fan-friendly ballparks, earning high marks for its classic red-brick design, reasonably priced tickets, and spectacular mountain views (and take the time to locate the single row of purple seats in the upper deck that marks exactly one mile above sea level aka The Mile High Row).
Less than an hour drive north is RainDance. It’s worth “the distance” because here you will be teeing up at the longest course in North America.
Yes, RainDance National Golf Course in Windsor, is officially the longest course in North America, stretching up to 8,463 yards from the back tees (but hey, keep in mind that at roughly 5,000 feet, the high altitude helps your ball travel further). Opened in 2022, it features 18 holes set on a 300+ acre landscape and is designed to accommodate all skill levels as the course offers multiple tee boxes, allowing it to play as short as 4,919 yards.
Whichever tees you play from, it offers unobstructed views of the snow-capped Front Range mountains and features nostalgic, rustic farm relics and machinery. Make sure to take advantage of this tip from the starter who will tell you - “don’t ignore the old tractors and trucks as their positioning points the way to the green.”
From long and classic courses, there’s plenty of green to enjoy in Colorado.