Denver area golf advice

[Missouri Swede]

39 minutes ago, HJJ003 said:

Forgive me for answering a question that you didn’t direct to me, but I have heard that Fox Hollow in Lakewood  is good. I think it’s 27 holes, and one of the combinations (canyon/meadows?) is thought pretty highly of. 

Thanks— yep, I’m just looking for good suggestions like that!

[DeadMan]

2 hours ago, Missouri Swede said:

Hey, @Fourputt and @Club Rat I’ve got a couple of days to play next week in the Golden CO area. I’ve made a reservation for one day at Fossil Trace. For a second day, what would you recommend: Applewood, another day at Fossil Trace, or another course out on the west side? Thanks.

Don't waste your time at Applewood. That course has a special place in my heart because it's where I learned to play, but it's not a course I would sent anybody to from out town. 

Here are some suggestions on the west side:

• Fox Hollow (my home course) is really good, but the pace of play is pretty slow. Best two nines, in my opinion, are Canyon-Links, but Meadow is really good too. 
• The Meadows is really good.
• West Woods has 27 holes as well. Probably less unique to Colorado than the other courses on this list, but it's pretty good. I would go Sleeping Indian-Silo, personally.
• Homestead is really good, but it's a par 62 if you care about that.

I would avoid Foothills or Willis Case, personally. They're pretty standard parkland courses. They're not bad at all, but I would recommend playing courses that are different from what you'd find outside of Colorado.

If you are okay with driving a bit, here are some other courses to think about:

• Walnut Creek (great, great course. About a 30 minute drive from Golden.)
• Commonground (Doak course. Wide fairways, tough greens. About 20-30 minutes from Golden, but don't go there during rush hour)
• Arrowhead (never played there, but it's supposed to be spectacular and really unique to Colorado. It's $$$. Probably a 30 minute drive from Golden)

You might also like Fossil Trace enough to play again there. It's not my favorite course, but it's definitely a very unique Colorado experience. Right near the foothills, pretty hilly, but also a pretty open course.

If you restaurant/activity advice, I actually live in Golden. Shoot me a PM if you want.

Edited May 17, 2018 by DeadMan

[Pretzel]

I'll go ahead and second the Walnut Creek recommendation. I haven't played since they changed the name recently, but played it a lot when it was Heritage at Westmoor and it's a fun course. It's pretty long though, so get ready to have some lengthy approaches!

Commonground is the best interpretation of a links golf course I've seen in a state so far away from any significant body of water. It's a bit pricier, but definitely a nice course. Arrowhead is beautiful, but like @DeadMan mentioned it's usually $100+ per round if you play on the weekend, though weekdays are more reasonable. Looking at it, I'm actually really tempted to go there tomorrow afternoon since they've got a 4:30 tee time available for $40 and I need to leave work early anyways to avoid going over 40 hours this week...

[Fourputt]

One other recommendation that's not hard to get to from Golden is The Dunes Course at Riverdale in Brighton.  Probably about 1/2 hour drive, give or take.  Pete/Perry Dye design, good course.

[Missouri Swede]

@DeadMan, @Pretzel, @Fourputt:Great suggestions.  I figure the locals know.  Thanks!

Edited May 17, 2018 by Missouri Swede

[Eric C]

This thread is making me miss Denver!  I moved to Florida about a year ago, and while I can't complain about the golf here I definitely miss Colorado and the extra 15 yards off the tee! Colorado also has 300 days of sun a year and I played year round, so pay no attention to @BuckeyeNut for he knows not of what he speaks.

Like @DeadMan, I grew up playing Applewood but wouldn't recommend it for an out-of-towner. 

• Fossil Trace is fun and always in great shape, but a bit gimmicky for my tastes.   
• Arrowhead is over priced, but has amazing views and you'll see some wildlife for sure. I remember playing there as a kid when all they had for a clubhouse was a trailer.
• Fox Hollow is an excellent choice, and reasonably priced.  Always well taken care of, fun elevation changes, and challenging without being ridiculous. Highly recommend it.
• West Woods is a fun course and well maintained, but as other's have mentioned it's not particularly special.  My father was a member and I've played there quite a bit.  Very reasonably priced.
• CommonGround is, in my opinion, the best tract in the Denver area.  It hosts a lot of amateur events, and is really well set up. The greens are tough though! Someone else mentioned that it was expensive, but my recollection is that it was in the $60 range on the weekend which isn't that bad for what you get there.
• Kennedy GC, which I haven't seen mentioned so far, was my home course and go-to favorite.  It's a city course, but has it's own water so it doesn't dry out during the dry summer months.  Wellshire, which is nearby and also a city course, is fun but suffers during the summer heat. As a kid I killed a goose there on the 14th hole with my drive, then took out the windshield of a pink Cadillac that was driving by on the 16th - same round.
• I would not recommend Plum Creek as it has changed ownership several times and is not particularly well maintained.
• Just outside of Denver in Castle Rock you really need to play Red Hawk Ridge, The Club at Pradera, and most importantly The Ridge at Castle Pines. These three are all $100ish fees on the weekend, but top notch courses.

[DeadMan]

I wouldn't go to Wellshire right now. They either just finished or are in the middle of a renovation. Kennedy is going to be a huge pain to get to from Golden during rush hour, FYI.

And I just looked up Commonground, and the rates are a lot more than I remember. You get a significant discount if you're a CGA member (i.e., have a handicap with a Colorado club), but the non-CGA rate is $65, without cart. It's a very walkable course, so you don't need a cart. It's definitely a great course, but I'm not sure it would be worth the extra ~$20 or so over Fox Hollow or the Meadows, especially including the drive.

9 hours ago, Pretzel said:

 Arrowhead is beautiful, but like @DeadMan mentioned it's usually $100+ per round if you play on the weekend, though weekdays are more reasonable. Looking at it, I'm actually really tempted to go there tomorrow afternoon since they've got a 4:30 tee time available for $40 and I need to leave work early anyways to avoid going over 40 hours this week...

Oh, to be young and have unlimited time on my hands...

Edited May 17, 2018 by DeadMan

[Club Rat]

Across town to the East is a very good course I enjoyed, Buffalo Run.

I give thumbs up to Fox Hollow and The Dunes Course at Riverdale

I've also played Highlands Ranch, a bit of a drive south from Golden.

A longer drive but worth the trip would be the course in Winter Park Ski area, Pole Creek.

[Pretzel]

11 hours ago, DeadMan said:

Oh, to be young and have unlimited time on my hands...

I'm working 40 hour weeks, I just show up early in the morning so that I get to leave earlier (and eat lunch at my desk). If I show up at 7:30 I'm done with my 8 hours by 3:30, leaves plenty of time for golfing and my boss doesn't mind so long as I get my work done and am in the office at least between the hours of 10 and 3. I've already worked around 34-35 hours this week (just stayed until 4:30 each day instead of 3:30), and they don't want to pay me overtime, so tomorrow I'll just show up from 10-3 and then do whatever after.

Didn't end up playing Arrowhead today, but I was quite tempted. Maybe next week I'll find a good deal.

Edited May 18, 2018 by Pretzel

[Yukari]

@Missouri Swede If you want a mountain course experience without having to travel to the mountains,  I would recommend Bear dance in Larkspur. It’s Jack Nicolas design and a great lay out. It’s about an hour from Golden but worth the drive. It is my favorite course in Denver. 

[Missouri Swede]

I went with Fossil Trace and Fox Hollow (Canyon-Meadow).  It was a great time and I got paired up with folks who are about my skill level.

Probably the most memorable position I found myself in (from 12th hole at Fossil Trace).  I felt like I was in a pinball machine.

Thanks again, @HJJ003, @DeadMan, @Pretzel, @Fourputt, @Eric C, @Club Rat, and @Yukari

[Vinsk]

On 5/17/2018 at 10:12 AM, Eric C said:

Colorado also has 300 days of sun a year and I played year round, so pay no attention to @BuckeyeNut for he knows not of what he speaks.

Lol! One of you even mentioned the most snowfall during March-May...yeah...and Nov-March....how’s that golfing weather?  I lived in Ft. Collins and Greeley. Come on guys...it’s not a bash on Colorado...it is what it is. You have to LOVE freezing weather and snow to live there. The cold there is definitely better than say Detroit where it’s wet humid cold. But come on...to us Sun gods, 300 days of sunshine don’t count when 210-220 of those days there’s snow falling or it’s below freezing. I wanted to play golf on my birthday there (May 10th) and couldn’t because I woke having a blizzard. Sorry guys, beautiful mountains and lovely 2 month summers...otherwise ...it’s a snow boarding/skiing Mecca but bottom of the barrel for golf. Hey, I bought the talk and moved there. I love snowboarding and it’s great (except for the miserable traffic to any park) for that. Sorry, otherwise it was huge disappointment. Brrrrr Colorado. No thanks.

[Missouri Swede]

12 minutes ago, Vinsk said:

Lol! One of you even mentioned the most snowfall during March-May...yeah...and Nov-March....how’s that golfing weather?  I lived in Ft. Collins and Greeley. Come on guys...it’s not a bash on Colorado...it is what it is. You have to LOVE freezing weather and snow to live there. The cold there is definitely better than say Detroit where it’s wet humid cold. But come on...to us Sun gods, 300 days of sunshine don’t count when 210-220 of those days there’s snow falling or it’s below freezing. I wanted to play golf on my birthday there (May 10th) and couldn’t because I woke having a blizzard. Sorry guys, beautiful mountains and lovely 2 month summers...otherwise ...it’s a snow boarding/skiing Mecca but bottom of the barrel for golf. Hey, I bought the talk and moved there. I love snowboarding and it’s great (except for the miserable traffic to any park) for that. Sorry, otherwise it was huge disappointment. Brrrrr Colorado. No thanks.

[Vinsk]

11 minutes ago, Missouri Swede said:

Lol! Yeah. Didn’t mean to rain, well...snow on your parade. But I’ll say this....best damn water I ever drank....tap, hose, water jugs on the course....awesome. 

[Fourputt]

1 hour ago, Missouri Swede said:

I went with Fossil Trace and Fox Hollow (Canyon-Meadow).  It was a great time and I got paired up with folks who are about my skill level.

Probably the most memorable position I found myself in (from 12th hole at Fossil Trace).  I felt like I was in a pinball machine.

Thanks again, @HJJ003, @DeadMan, @Pretzel, @Fourputt, @Eric C, @Club Rat, and @Yukari

#12 is a real gem... I've done the pinball routine there too, but once you know what to expect, the hole can be negotiated without any significant problems.  I tended to have more trouble with the bunkers there than with anything else.

1 hour ago, Vinsk said:

Lol! One of you even mentioned the most snowfall during March-May...yeah...and Nov-March....how’s that golfing weather?  I lived in Ft. Collins and Greeley. Come on guys...it’s not a bash on Colorado...it is what it is. You have to LOVE freezing weather and snow to live there. The cold there is definitely better than say Detroit where it’s wet humid cold. But come on...to us Sun gods, 300 days of sunshine don’t count when 210-220 of those days there’s snow falling or it’s below freezing. I wanted to play golf on my birthday there (May 10th) and couldn’t because I woke having a blizzard. Sorry guys, beautiful mountains and lovely 2 month summers...otherwise ...it’s a snow boarding/skiing Mecca but bottom of the barrel for golf. Hey, I bought the talk and moved there. I love snowboarding and it’s great (except for the miserable traffic to any park) for that. Sorry, otherwise it was huge disappointment. Brrrrr Colorado. No thanks.

I've played in great weather in every month of the year in the Denver area.  I've also played in pretty crappy weather in every month of the year.  It's all a matter of timing. 

[DeadMan]

4 hours ago, Vinsk said:

Lol! One of you even mentioned the most snowfall during March-May...yeah...and Nov-March....how’s that golfing weather?  I lived in Ft. Collins and Greeley. Come on guys...it’s not a bash on Colorado...it is what it is. You have to LOVE freezing weather and snow to live there. The cold there is definitely better than say Detroit where it’s wet humid cold. But come on...to us Sun gods, 300 days of sunshine don’t count when 210-220 of those days there’s snow falling or it’s below freezing. I wanted to play golf on my birthday there (May 10th) and couldn’t because I woke having a blizzard. Sorry guys, beautiful mountains and lovely 2 month summers...otherwise ...it’s a snow boarding/skiing Mecca but bottom of the barrel for golf. Hey, I bought the talk and moved there. I love snowboarding and it’s great (except for the miserable traffic to any park) for that. Sorry, otherwise it was huge disappointment. Brrrrr Colorado. No thanks.

Spoken like someone who hasn't experienced a real winter in his life...

[Vinsk]

13 minutes ago, DeadMan said:

Spoken like someone who hasn't experienced a real winter in his life...

-20? Below 30 for 64 days? I’ve lived in Colorado, Michigan, New York and Montana. Snow lovers seem to take offense when they’re told their  weather sucks. Hey, some love it...some don’t. I don’t. So yeah, I’ve spent many years in the world of winter.  And I’ve lived in the Caribbean and Africa. I’ll take warm to hot any day over miserable winters. Funny thing is in all the cold places I’ve lived...they always brag about their summer weather. 

So when those of us who enjoy Florida weather are told places like Denver are all year round golfing....you’re gonna get some disagreement. And again, I lived very close to there and it was far from year round. Many people don’t consider 16* and sunny good golf weather. Power to ya if you do. Again, I lived there. Miserable.

Edited May 26, 2018 by Vinsk

[Pretzel]

I personally like the cold more than the warm, which is why I think it's nice here. It's easy to fix being too cold by putting on more layers, but there are only so many layers it's socially (or physically) acceptable and possible to remove when it gets too hot out!

I think @Fourputt hit the nail on the head. I've been golfing before here on Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve in 70* weather, and I've been golfing here in May when it was 35* out and about to snow. The good news is that (with the exception of that one big blizzard a while back) the snow usually melts off enough to play by the end of the week.