Colorado is blessed with diverse terrain, captivating elevation changes, mountain views, and wispy native grasses. The area is also characterized by lots of great ski locations.
These destinations are particularly attractive if you are looking to play golf in the summer.
While much of the country is a little hot from June through September, the Keystone state presents perfect summer temperatures that are ideal for golf.
Colorado is also a great destination for golf in the late spring and early fall. On top of this, the Rockies offer a great variety of golf courses.
Some of the best public golf courses in Colorado are located a few miles away from major metropolises such as Denver.
Besides this, some of these best facilities are situated thousands of feet above sea level.
But if you are looking to play in different locations, don’t worry. We will cover all the fabulous public golfing opportunities in the state.
So scroll on to learn more about each of these best public golf courses in Colorado.
List of the Best Public Golf Courses in Colorado
- The Broadmoor Golf Club East Course: Best Overall
- Red Sky Ranch & Golf Club Fazio Course: Second Best
- Red Sky Ranch & Golf Club Norman Course: Third Best
Other Top Public Courses
- TPC Colorado
- Redlands Mesa Golf Course
- The Broadmoor Golf Club West Course
- The Ridge at Castle Pines North
- Rio Grande Club & Resort
- RainDance National Golf Club
- The Club at Crested Butte
- Lakota Links Golf Course
- Keystone Ranch Golf Course
- The Bridges Golf & Country Club
- The Golf Club at Bear Dance
- Sonnenalp Club
- The River Course at Keystone Resort
- Common Ground Golf Course
- Highland Meadows Golf Course
- Saddle Rock Golf Course
- Breckenridge Golf Club: Beaver/Bear/Elk
The Best Public Golf Courses in Colorado
1. The Broadmoor Golf Club East Course
- Location: Colorado Springs
- Length: 7,355 yards
- Par: 72
- Designed by: Donald J. Ross
- Year Established: 1918
- Championships: 1959 U.S. Amateur; 1962 Curtis Cup Match; the 2008 and 2018 U.S. Senior Open; the 1995 and 2011 U.S. Women’s Open; the 1959 and 1967 U.S. Amateur
This is one of the must-play golf courses in Colorado for many reasons. The fact that it is situated several thousand feet above sea level means that it provides an exciting distance gain.
Players get to enjoy the captivating elevation changes, mountain views, and attractive grasses on the tracks.
2. Red Sky Ranch & Golf Club Fazio Course
- Location: Wolcott
- Length: 7,113 yards
- Par: 72
- Designed by: Thomas Fazio
- Year Established: 2002
- Championships: Golfweek Red Sky Classic tournament in 2021; Colorado PGA Professional Championship in 2024; 2018 Colorado PGA
The Fazio Course features more elevation change when compared to the Norman Course and has an open front nine.
We also ranked it one of the best public golf courses in Colorado because of the juniper bushes and mountain slopes.
3. Red Sky Ranch & Golf Club Norman Course
- Location: Wolcott
- Length: 7,480 yards
- Par: 72
- Designed by: Greg Norman
- Year Established: 2003
- Championships: Golfweek Women’s Conference in 2014
This is another fantastic alternative to the Fazio Course.
In fact, the two courses are separated by just a ridgeline, with the Norman Course positioned on the western slope.
This positioning allows for long-range views of the Rockies to the west and south.
4. TPC Colorado
- Location: Berthoud
- Length: 7,991 yards
- Par: 72
- Designed by: Arthur Schaupeter
- Year Established: 2018
- Championships: TPC Colorado Championship in 2019; the Korn Ferry Tour’s The Ascendant presented by Blue in 2023 and 2024
This course is located south of Boulder and north of Denver on the highlands where the Rocky Mountains intersect with the Great Plains.
5. Redlands Mesa Golf Course
- Location: Grand Junction
- Length: 7,007 yards
- Par: 72
- Designed by: Jim Engh
- Year Established: 2001
- Championships: Men Club Championship and Women Club Championship in 2021; Redlands Mesa Couples Round Up in 2020
Its topography makes Redland Mesa one of the best public golf courses in Colorado. This must-play course is set against the backdrop of the Colorado National Monument.
Another interesting thing about this golf course is that every hole is characterized by rocky outcroppings.
6. The Broadmoor Golf Club West Course
- Location: Colorado Springs
- Length: 7,101 yards
- Par: 71
- Designed by: Robert Trent Jones
- Year Established: 1964
- Championships: U.S. Senior Open Championship in 2025; the 2018 United States Senior Open; the 1967 US Amateur
Just like the East Course, the West Course has also hosted a number of premium championships, including the 1967 US Amateur.
But the West Course tends to play tighter off the tee with more sloped greens and doglegs when compared with the East Course.
7. The Ridge at Castle Pines North
- Location: Castle Pines
- Length: 7,013 yards
- Par: 72
- Designed by: Tom Weiskopf
- Year Established: 1997
- Championships: The PGA Tour’s International from 1986 through 2006
This is another fantastic public golf course that is just a half-hour south of Denver.
The golf course sits adjacent to some other top golf courses, like The Country Club at Castle Pines and Sanctuary Golf Club.
But we believe the Ridge is the best one here because it is the only course that is actually located in the town of Castle Pines.
8. Rio Grande Club & Resort
- Location: South Fork
- Length: 7,155 yards
- Par: 72
- Designed by: Ric Buckton
- Year Established: 2001
- Championships: The Alder Creek Classic Golf Tournament in 2017; the Wolf Creek Cup Tournament in 2018
Rio Grande Club and Resort features two distinct nines, with the frog side being relatively flat and playing along the Rio Grande River. On the other hand, the back features more elevation change and is tree-lined.
9. RainDance National Golf Club
- Location: Windsor
- Length: 8,463 yards
- Par: 72
- Designed by: Harrison Minchew and Fred Funk
- Year Established: 2022
- Championships: 2024 RAINDANCE TOURNAMENT; the 2024 UNC Spring Invitational; Two Man Links Championships in 2024; 2021 PGA Championship
This prairie course is laced with rugged ravines and is among the longest golf courses, stretching over 8,400 yards.
The golf course is part of a large resort development, so we expect it to continue to improve as it matures.
10. The Club at Crested Butte
- Location: Crested Butte
- Length: 7,155 yards
- Par: 72
- Designed by: Robert Trent Jones, Jr. (1984), Donald Knott (1984), and Gary Linn (1984).
- Year Established: 1984
- Championships: 2024 PGA National Club Championship; 2016 Crested Butte Open
This is one of the best public golf courses in Colorado because of its tremendous views of the surrounding Rockies.
The Robert Trent Jones Jr. design is relatively flat but has a tranquil setting.
11. Lakota Links Golf Course
- Location: New Castle
- Length: 7,111 yards
- Par: 72
- Designed by: Jim Engh
- Year Established: 2004
- Championships: 2024 PGA Works Collegiate Championship
Lakota Links Golf Course offers stunning views of the surrounding mountains and is characterized by several small greens.
Some of the greens are also segmented, so it requires quality approach play to excel in this course.
12. Keystone Ranch Golf Course
- Location: Keystone
- Length: 7,017 yards
- Par: 72
- Designed by: Robert Trent Jones, Jr.
- Year Established: 1980
- Championships: 2019 CACP Golf Tournament; Field of Greens Golf Tournament in 2024
This golf course features a scenic layout and is just a few minutes away from Denver. Another notable thing about it is that it has a great variety of holes.
13. The Bridges Golf & Country Club
- Location: Montrose
- Length: 7,100 yards
- Par: 71
- Designed by: Nicklaus Design
- Year Established: 1920
- Championships: 2014 Men’s Club Championship; AJGA Junior Open in 2023
The Bridge Golf Course has a relatively flat layout despite being surrounded by mountains. Players enjoy views of these mountains in the distance.
14. The Golf Club at Bear Dance
- Location: Larkspur
- Length: 6,879 yards
- Par: 72
- Designed by: Bruening and Hogan
- Year Established: 2002
- Championships: 28th Annual Denver Cherry Creek Rotary Open in 2024
The Bear Dance has a tranquil setting with expansive fairways lined by occasional creeks and ravines, as well as tall Ponderosa pines.
We included it in the list of the best public golf courses in Colorado because of its close proximity to Denver and Colorado Springs, as well as the mountain terrain.
15. Sonnenalp Club
- Location: Edwards
- Length: 7,074 yards
- Par: 71
- Designed by: Jay Morrish and Bob Cupp
- Year Established: 1980
- Championships: The annual Morrish-Cupp Cup in 2023; the USGA Junior Amateur Championship
This is another fine golf course that has scenic views.
The course offers terrific views of the nearby Rockies and has hosted major championships, including the 1987 US Junior Amateur.
Honorable Mentions
16. The River Course at Keystone Resort, Dillon
17. CommonGround Golf Course, Aurora
18. Highland Meadows Golf Course, Windsor
19. Saddle Rock Golf Course, Aurora
20. Breckenridge Golf Club: Beaver/Bear/Elk, Breckenridge
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
The best times to play golf in Colorado are during the spring, summer, and early fall.
So, we can say golf courses are active for about 9–10 months in a year, with a slow season from December to February.
However, some courses, especially those near Denver, are open throughout the year.
As mentioned above, the best public golf courses in Colorado usually open in the warm months.
But there are several of them that are open throughout the year. That means that you can play golf in Colorado during the winter months.
In fact, winters offer an opportunity to explore the region’s highest peaks and are also crystal-clear days.
The Rockies boast a number of quality courses totaling 292.
Out of this number, 103 are public golf courses, 77 are private golf courses, and 112 are municipal courses.
Another thing to note is that most of these golf courses are located within the Greater Denver area.
Specifically, there are over 80 courses within a 15-mile radius of this area. The good thing is that over 60 of them are fantastic public golf courses.
Final Thoughts
For all who love to chase white balls up and down, they will be amazed by the many great ski locations in the Rockies.
This is particularly attractive during the summer because of the perfect temperatures in the area.
The good thing is that most of the public golf courses in the area are fabulous and affordable. In fact, you may be tempted to play at each course.
But if you don’t have time to test all the best public golf courses in Colorado, then make sure not to miss The Broadmoor Golf Club, either East Course or West Course, TPC Colorado, and one of the Red Sky Ranch & Golf Club courses.
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