Denver area golf trip - August 2025

[gulpeg]

A group of us (4) will be heading to Denver in mid-August. I was hoping to get some thoughts from people in the area on what I've "planned".

 

Our Airbnb is near Regis University, so you'll have a better sense of traveling distance/times. Don't mind up to 45 min drive

 

Tentative itinerary right now is:

• Fossil Trace - hearing +/- great course, lots of outside "noise" power lines, local prison overall noise distractions
• Arrowhead - hearing +/- incredibly scenic, weird layout, bad conditions for $
• Common Ground - nothing but good, recommended to walk
• Fox Hollow/Homestead - question here is - both are at same facility as near as I can tell. if spending the day, all 27 @Fox Hollow OR 18 @Fox Hollow & 18 @Homestead?

 

Looking for thoughts on these, plus other courses that I'm sure I've missed in place of any of these.

 

Lastly, if I want to ante up $$$, I can probably arrange privates through my club. Any suggestions there?

 

Much appreciated to any/all thoughts and opinions.

[Dancin]

If you haven't played a Jim Engh course before you should play either Fossil Trace or Red Hawk Ridge. The first is more tricked up.

Skip Arrowhead. It's a drastically overpriced and mediocre layout in great scenery. If you want to see red rocks go to the amphitheater.

Fox Hollow and Homestead are close, but not at the same facility. It's about a 8 minute drive and you will need to load into the car and unload. Homestead is a shorter course with a lot of drivable greens, so if you play that when the tee sheet is full you may find yourself waiting on a lot of shots.

Another reasonably priced and good public within your 45 minutes is Murphy Creek.

Bear Dance and The Ridge at Castle Pines North are the other expensive public courses besides Fossil Trace that out of town people usually hit. Bear Dance is a little outside your range at about 55 minutes from where your rental is (or much longer during rush hour). If you are traveling on highways (especially I-25) during week days from 7-10 am and from 2:30pm-6:30 it will take longer to get to where you need to go and your 45 minute limit will probably get blown out.

 

For privates around Denver, Colorado Golf Club is the best, but also outside your 45 minute limit. Lakewood, Ravenna and Hiwan are all good privates within your 45 minute drive limit that shouldn't be too hard to get on.

 

[Chanceman]

Bear Dance is one not to miss. The Ridge at Castle Pines is also worth considering.  Of those listed we played Commonground (solid course) but not the others.

[carrera]

Maybe network a bit to get a connection to Ballyneal.  Too bad that Rodeo Dunes won't be open for your trip.

[Dancin]

Guy says he doesn't want to drive more than 45 minutes and you tell him to go to Ballyneal. If he had the Ballyneal connection he would have done that instead of Denver.

[gulpeg]

Dancin et al

 

thanks for the replies, very helpful and somewhere echos what I've been hearing. appreciate it.

[carrera]

2 hours ago, Dancin said:

Guy says he doesn't want to drive more than 45 minutes and you tell him to go to Ballyneal. If he had the Ballyneal connection he would have done that instead of Denver.

Thanks for correcting me, Dancin.  

[sabram]

Click on a photo below to link to photo tour of the course (Denver area top 10 in alphabetical order)

 

Arrowhead - Expensive, lots of eye candy. architecturally not great, but not as bad as some make it out to be. Play here if the green fee doesn't scare you off and you prefer courses with cool views.

 

Bear Dance - Nice course, rustic setting

 

Buffalo Run - A prairie links style course.  Generous fairways, few trees, wind...If you are a fan of courses like Wildhorse in Nebraska this one will appeal to you

 

Common Ground - Excellent bunkering. Not much to look at and pretty flat,  but one of the most fun courses in the area. If you are a fan of strategic golf courses

or golf course architecture, play here. It'll show what can be done with a plain site

 

Fossil Trace - This course can be polarizing. I like it a lot. It is certainly memorable and quirky.

 

Fox Hollow - Only played here once. Played the meadow and links nines. The links 9 is not linksy, but I liked the course and thought it was under appreciated by most people

 

Murphy Creek - Like Buffalo Run, this is a prairie links style course. It's really good and lots of fun when the wind is up

 

Red Hawk Ridge - This is a good value course

 

Ridge at Castle Pines - Like Arrowhead, lots of eye candy and if you are into scenery this is for you

 

Riverdale - Dunes Course - This is a Pete Dye course that Tom Doak helped build early in his career. Highly recommend

Edited April 26 by sabram

[gulpeg]

1 hour ago, sabram said:

Click on a photo below to link to photo tour of the course (Denver area top 10 in alphabetical order)

 

Arrowhead - Expensive, lots of eye candy. architecturally not great, but not as bad as some make it out to be. Play here if the green fee doesn't scare you off and you prefer courses with cool views.

 

Bear Dance - Nice course, rustic setting

 

Buffalo Run - A prairie links style course.  Generous fairways, few trees, wind...If you are a fan of courses like Wildhorse in Nebraska this one will appeal to you

 

Common Ground - Excellent bunkering. Not much to look at and pretty flat,  but one of the most fun courses in the area. If you are a fan of strategic golf courses

or golf course architecture, play here. It'll show what can be done with a plain site

 

Fossil Trace - This course can be polarizing. I like it a lot. It is certainly memorable and quirky.

 

Fox Hollow - Only played here once. Played the meadow and links nines. The links 9 is not linksy, but I liked the course and thought it was under appreciated by most people

 

Murphy Creek - Like Buffalo Run, this is a prairie links style course. It's really good and lots of fun when the wind is up

 

Red Hawk Ridge - This is a good value course

 

Ridge at Castle Pines - Like Arrowhead, lots of eye candy and if you are into scenery this is for you

 

Riverdale - Dunes Course - This is a Pete Dye course that Tom Doak helped build early in his career. Highly recommend

 

 

Sabram - this is fantastic and super helpful with the pics.  Thank you

[Dancin]

Riverdale Dunes is redoing the irrigation this spring. While they are supposed to finish long before August, it might still be beat up. You'll want to check with someone on conditions before that. Buffalo Run is in the same situation and has had poor conditions for a long time due to salt deposits that keep seeping up and killing the grass. Probably better to skip both of those

[gulpeg]

anybody's thoughts on TPC colorado?

 

[TK3]

You have to include a course called Bear Dance in Larkspur, Colorado.
 

This is about 35-40 minutes south of Denver, between Denver and Colorado Springs.

It’s a beautiful track, very wooded, wildlife everywhere, lots of elevation changes always in great shape.
 

The dance starts at the 1st hole!  
 

You will not be disappointed.

[Dancin]

5 hours ago, gulpeg said:

anybody's thoughts on TPC colorado?

 

Outside your driving range at a little over an hour. Extremely overpriced for the public, but a good course that is not a typical TPC layout and should be in excellent condition in August. Public is only allotted a couple tee times Mon-Wed and you'll pay over $200.

 

If you're willing to drive that far north Highland Meadows is a lot cheaper by the same architect and really good. Raindance National is another expensive course up in that area that out of town people might try to play.

[DoubleGloves]

Id suggest booking tee times in advance also,  I went on a golf trip last year to Denver and we usually like to check the courses out in person and book that day or for the next but that wasnt happening.   That being said you wont regret playing Bear Dance or Ridge at Castle Pines if you choose those.  

[cubuffs]

As a Colorado native who now lives in TN and comes back to visit each Summer, will give you my perspective.

 

From your proposed lineup - I would keep Fossil Trace as that is a course that I play with my boys every time we are back.  As mentioned above - play 1 Engh course while you are out.  I would trade Arrowhead out for either the Ridge or Bear Dance.  Distance could be an issue, but will give you more of a mountain golf feel without driving to Summit County.  Fox Hollow is a course that I played right when it opened and was our HS course, so I am probably a bit higher on it than others.  I haven't played homestead and would probably just settle for playing 27 (all 3 nines there - my favorite is Canyon).  Finally, I would look to sub out Common Ground for Walnut Creek Golf Preserve.  With views of the flatirons, just a good plains option that my college golfer Son really enjoyed for the challenge and overall experience.  

 

We will be out there at the end of July and might do this exact rota - although we generally get up to Summit County and will hit either Keystone or Vail.

[Lobsterzilla]

I've seen all the comments you mentioned about Fossil Trace previously. For me, outside the 1 par 5 that rides the powerlines/fence next to the power company HQ, it was extremely easy to focus on the course and appreciate it. I absolutely loved fossil trace.

 

It seems you're focusing on South Denver, outside of common ground, so riverdale dunes might be a bit out of the way. Like guy said previously, I'd check on the status of Riverdale dunes. If it's up and running and in good shape, I'd bump basically every course on here outside of Bear Dance for it. Dunes is amazing.

 

All the other courses you listed are great. Arrowhead gets a bum wrap because it's incredibly touristy. If you play it, expect a -LONG- round.