No new golf courses have opened in Colorado in about seven years, meaning this period is fast approaching a record length since golf came to the state in the late 19th century. Meanwhile, more than a handful of courses have shut down in that same period, most notably Green Gables Country Club.
But while the inventory of Colorado courses has shrunk slightly, what we have in the state continues to be highly regarded, not only by Coloradans but on a national scale.
That was apparent once again last week when one of the more respected “best of” course rankings was published. Golfweek.com put out its list of Best Modern Courses (opened 1960-present), Best Classic Courses (opened prior to 1960), and best “courses you can play” state by state.
The modern and classic rankings come out every two years, and this time around one additional Colorado course — the Jack Nicklaus-designed Country Club of the Rockies (pictured) in Edwards — made it into the nation’s top 100 modern courses, checking in at No. 82.
Overall, four Colorado courses made the top 100 modern, with another three among the top 200. The Tom Doak-designed Ballyneal in Holyoke remains the standard-bearer for the state in this category, staying at No. 4 nationally, behind only Sand Hills in Mullen, Neb. (No. 1, designed by Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw), Pacific Dunes in Bandon, Ore. (No. 2, designed by Doak) and Friar’s Head in Baiting Hollow, N.Y. (No. 3, designed by Coore and Crenshaw). Doak, by the way, designed or co-designed four of the top seven modern courses.
Among Golfweek’s classic course rankings, two Colorado venues made the top 200 nationally, with Cherry Hills Country Club, host of three U.S. Opens and two PGA Championships, leading the way at No. 82. Pine Valley in New Jersey was tops in that category, followed by Cypress Point in Pebble Beach, Calif., and Shinnecock Hills in Southampton, N.Y.
In the best “courses you can play” state by state, the Golf Club at Redlands Mesa in Grand Junction led the way in Colorado. Rounding out the top five were The Broadmoor’s East Course in Colorado Springs (second), Red Sky’s Fazio Course in Wolcott (third), the CGA-owned CommonGround Golf Course in Aurora (fourth) and Haymaker in Steaboat Springs (fifth).
Here’s a rundown of where all the Colorado courses were placed by Golfweek in the new rankings published last week:
Golfweek Best Modern Courses (opened 1960-present)
4. Ballyneal in Holyoke (Tom Doak design)
34. Colorado Golf Club in Parker (Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw design)
46. Castle Pines Golf Club in Castle Pines (Jack Nicklaus design)
82. Country Club of the Rockies in Edwards (Jack Nicklaus design)
179. Golf Club at Ravenna in Littleton (Jay Morrish design)
184. Redlands Mesa in Grand Junction (Jim Engh design)
197. Sanctuary in Sedalia (Jim Engh design)
For a complete list of the top 100 modern courses, CLICK HERE.
Golfweek Best Classic Courses (opened before 1960)
82. Cherry Hills Country Club in Cherry Hills Village (William Flynn design)
171. Broadmoor Golf Club in Colorado Springs, East Course (Donald Ross and Robert Trent Jones design)
For a complete list of the top 100 classic courses, CLICK HERE.
Golfweek Best State-by-State Courses You Can Play–Colorado
1. GC at Redlands Mesa in Grand Junction (Jim Engh design)
2. The Broadmoor (East Course) in Colorado Springs (Donald Ross and Robert Trent Jones design)
3. Red Sky (Fazio Course) in Wolcott (Tom Fazio design)
4. CommonGround in Aurora (Tom Doak design)
5. Haymaker in Steamboat Springs (Keith Foster design)
6. Devil’s Thumb in Delta (Rick Phelps design)
7. The Broadmoor (West Course) in Colorado Springs (Donald Ross and Robert Trent Jones design)
8. Lakota Canyon Ranch in New Castle (Jim Engh design)
9. Red Sky (Norman Couse) in Wolcott (Greg Norman design)
10. The Ridge at Castle Pines North in Castle Pines (Tom Weiskopf design)
For a complete rundown of the top courses you can play state by state, CLICK HERE.
