The 10 Best Golf Courses in Colorado You Can Play (2026)

The best Colorado golf courses you can play are Redlands Mesa in Grand Junction, TPC Colorado in Berthoud and The Broadmoor's East Course. The Broadmoor is open only to overnight guests. For value, try CommonGround in Aurora, owned by the Colorado Golf Association, or city-owned Haymaker in Steamboat Springs.

The list at a glance

| # | Course | Location | Access | Best for | |---|---|---|---|---| | 1 | Redlands Mesa | Grand Junction | Public | Red-rock desert golf | | 2 | The Broadmoor, East Course | Colorado Springs | Resort (overnight guests and members only) | Championship history | | 3 | TPC Colorado | Berthoud | Semi-private (public tee times) | A Tour-length test | | 4 | Red Sky Golf Club (Fazio and Norman Courses) | Wolcott | Private club (partner-lodging guests only) | A Vail-area stay | | 5 | The Golf Club at Bear Dance | Larkspur | Public | Pines and Pikes Peak views | | 6 | RainDance National | Windsor | Public | Big scale, modern design | | 7 | Haymaker | Steamboat Springs | Municipal | City-owned mountain golf | | 8 | CommonGround Golf Course | Aurora | Public (CGA-owned) | Doak design near Denver | | 9 | Keystone Ranch Golf Course | Keystone | Resort, public tee times | Ski-country golf | | 10 | Fossil Trace Golf Club | Golden | Municipal | Dinosaur tracks and bluffs |

How we chose

Every course here takes non-member tee times, checked on its website in October 2026; two require an overnight stay. We ranked by Golfweek and Golf Digest lists, design pedigree, value and spread across the Front Range, mountains and Western Slope. Private clubs are listed separately.

1. Redlands Mesa

Location: Grand Junction, CO · Access: Public · Holes: 18 · Designer: Jim Engh (2001) · Region: Western Slope

Redlands Mesa tied for No. 2 on Golfweek's Best Public-Access Courses in Colorado (2026) and is No. 18 in Golf Digest's Best in Colorado (2025-26). It sits among red-rock mesas against the Colorado National Monument.

Golf Digest notes rocky outcroppings along nearly every hole and tees set high above the fairways. It plays 7,007 yards from the back. Book it as the anchor of a Western Slope trip.

Around the greens: Rock outcroppings frame nearly every hole, so short-shot distance control matters; commit to a landing spot on every chip.

2. The Broadmoor, East Course

Location: Colorado Springs, CO · Access: Resort (registered overnight guests and members only) · Holes: 18 · Designer: Donald Ross and Robert Trent Jones Sr., as credited by the resort (1918) · Region: Southern Front Range

The East Course has hosted nine USGA championships, and the resort is a future U.S. Senior Open host in 2031 and 2037. It tied for No. 2 on Golfweek's Colorado public-access list (2026). It is also No. 97 on GOLF's Top 100 Courses You Can Play (2024-25).

The resort states that its courses are open only to registered overnight guests and Golf Club members. Treat this as a stay-and-play destination, not a drive-up round. The West Course hosted the 1998 PGA Cup Matches.

Around the greens: On a once-a-trip round, ask the shop for the day's green speed and spend 10 minutes chipping before you tee off.

3. TPC Colorado

Location: Berthoud, CO · Access: Semi-private (public tee times) · Holes: 18 (par 72) · Designer: Arthur Schaupeter (2018) · Region: Northern Front Range

TPC Colorado is No. 14 in Golf Digest's Best in Colorado (2025-26) and No. 8 on Golfweek's Colorado public-access list (2026). It hosts an annual Korn Ferry Tour event. The tips stretch to 7,991 yards beside Lonetree Reservoir.

Non-members can book up to seven days ahead, in midday and afternoon windows that vary by weekday or weekend. Golf Digest reviewers describe large, complex greens with false fronts, including a Biarritz on the 2nd. It suits strong players who want a tournament-length test.

Around the greens: Firm, fast greens with false fronts punish short chips, so land the ball past the false front and let it release.

4. Red Sky Golf Club (Fazio and Norman Courses)

Location: Wolcott, CO · Access: Private club; stay required (partner-lodging guests only) · Holes: 36 (two courses) · Designer: Tom Fazio (2002); Greg Norman (2003) · Region: Central mountains (near Vail)

Red Sky's Fazio Course is No. 4 and its Norman Course No. 5 on Golfweek's Colorado public-access list (2026). Members and guests alternate daily between the two courses and use separate clubhouses.

The club sits near Vail and Beaver Creek and opens play only to guests staying at one of its partner properties. Check that your lodging qualifies before you plan a trip around it.

Around the greens: Two designers mean two styles on back-to-back days, so roll a few chips before each round to recalibrate pace.

5. The Golf Club at Bear Dance

Location: Larkspur, CO · Access: Public · Holes: 18 (par 72) · Opened: 2002 · Region: Front Range (between Denver and Colorado Springs)

Bear Dance is No. 6 on Golfweek's Colorado public-access list (2026) and No. 27 in Golf Digest's Best in Colorado (2025-26). It plays 7,726 yards at an average elevation of 6,800 feet. Ponderosa pines line the course, and the par-4 16th frames Pikes Peak.

The course lists a green renovation notice and a possible closure from October 26 through December 31. Check before booking a late-season round.

Around the greens: Reviewers on the course's site call the greens quick and tricky to read, so favor a lower-lofted chip that rolls predictably.

6. RainDance National

Location: Windsor, CO · Access: Public · Holes: 18 · Designer: Fred Funk with Harrison Minchew (2022) · Region: Northern Front Range

RainDance National is No. 7 on Golfweek's Colorado public-access list (2026). Its website says members and the public alike can book online. The course stretches to 8,463 yards with about 250 feet of elevation change.

It is one of the state's newest destination courses, so choose tees carefully.

Around the greens: With 250 feet of elevation change, many greens sit above or below you, so adjust carry for slope before picking a club.

7. Haymaker

Location: Steamboat Springs, CO · Access: Municipal (City of Steamboat Springs) · Holes: 18 · Designer: Keith Foster (1997) · Region: Northern mountains

Haymaker is No. 9 on Golfweek's Colorado public-access list (2026). The City of Steamboat Springs owns it, and tee times book online around the clock. Native grasses and wetlands frame a links-style layout.

Tees range from 5,059 to 7,308 yards, so it works for every level of player. It is the only city-owned mountain course on this list.

Around the greens: The course describes its greens as large with gentle undulations, so long chips and lag putts decide your score.

8. CommonGround Golf Course

Location: Aurora, CO · Access: Public (owned by the Colorado Golf Association) · Holes: 18 plus a par-3 course · Designer: Tom Doak (2009) · Region: Denver metro

CommonGround is No. 10 on Golfweek's Colorado public-access list (2026). It is the home of the Colorado Golf Association and uses recycled water and native vegetation.

Free caddies are available in summer through the Solich Caddie Academy, subject to availability. Tee times can be booked up to 90 days ahead for an advance fee.

Around the greens: Use a free summer caddie to read slopes and landing spots on your first lap of a Doak course.

9. Keystone Ranch Golf Course

Location: Keystone, CO · Access: Resort (public tee times) · Holes: 18 (par 72) · Designer: Robert Trent Jones Jr. · Region: Central mountains

Keystone Ranch is No. 24 in Golf Digest's Best in Colorado (2025-26), listed as public. Golf Digest places it about 90 minutes west of Denver on former ranch land. The opening holes run through forest before the course opens into native grasses.

It plays 7,090 yards from the back. Keystone's second course, the River Course by Michael Hurdzan and Dana Fry, is a par 71 with notable elevation changes.

Around the greens: On a short mountain trip, green speed is the big unknown, so get the day's reading from the shop first.

10. Fossil Trace Golf Club

Location: Golden, CO · Access: Municipal (City of Golden) · Holes: 18 · Designer: Jim Engh (2003) · Region: Denver metro

Fossil Trace is No. 30 in Golf Digest's Best in Colorado (2025-26). Triceratops and hadrosaur footprints are visible in a sandstone column beside the 12th green. Golf Digest notes holes beneath sandstone bluffs and fairways that funnel shots toward the center.

An irrigation and pump-station project runs from September 2026 to mid-2027, with one hole closed at a time. Expect a 17-hole round with adjusted rates for now.

Around the greens: Golf Digest describes greens that funnel shots toward the middle, so use the contours as a backstop when you chip.

Private clubs worth knowing

• Cherry Hills Country Club (Cherry Hills Village): A 1922 William Flynn design that hosted the U.S. Open in 1938, 1960 and 1978. Member invitation required.
• Castle Pines Golf Club (Castle Rock): A Jack Nicklaus design, opened 1981, that hosted the PGA Tour's International from 1986 to 2006. Member invitation required.
• Ballyneal (Holyoke): A Tom Doak design ranked No. 1 in Golf Digest's Best in Colorado (2025-26). Member invitation required.
• Colorado Golf Club (Parker): A Coore and Crenshaw design that hosted the 2019 U.S. Mid-Amateur. Member invitation required.
• Sanctuary Golf Club (Sedalia): A Jim Engh design where the first tee shot drops about 200 feet. Member invitation required.

Tips for playing golf in Colorado

• Expect more carry at altitude. Air gets thinner as elevation rises, and thinner air lets a ball fly farther. Visit Denver notes long drives at Evergreen Golf Course, at 7,220 feet; check your carry distances on the range first.
• Watch the mountain calendar. Mountain seasons are short; Pole Creek in Tabernash closes for 2026 on October 11. Front Range courses also post fall green work, so check before booking.
• Know the booking windows. TPC Colorado opens non-member times up to seven days ahead, while CommonGround allows 90-day booking for a fee.
• Plan for elevation change. RainDance has about 250 feet of elevation change, so allow for slope on every short shot. Our uphill and downhill chipping guide covers the adjustments.
• Extend the trip. Heading west? See the best golf courses in Utah.

Frequently asked questions

What is the best public golf course in Colorado?

Redlands Mesa in Grand Junction is the strongest fully public pick. It tied for No. 2 on Golfweek's Best Public-Access Courses in Colorado for 2026 and is No. 18 in Golf Digest's state ranking. TPC Colorado in Berthoud, No. 14 in Golf Digest's ranking, is the top Front Range alternative.

What is the best-value golf course in Colorado?

CommonGround in Aurora, owned by the Colorado Golf Association, offers a Tom Doak design and free summer caddies, subject to availability. City-owned Haymaker in Steamboat Springs and Fossil Trace in Golden are strong municipal options. Fossil Trace is playing 17 holes during its irrigation project.

Can the public play The Broadmoor?

Only if you stay there. The Broadmoor says its golf courses are available only to registered overnight guests and Golf Club members. The East Course has hosted nine USGA championships, and the resort is scheduled to host the U.S. Senior Open in 2031 and 2037.

When is golf season in Colorado?

Summer and early fall are prime time for Colorado golf. Mountain seasons are short; Pole Creek in Tabernash, for example, closes for 2026 on October 11. Front Range courses also schedule fall aeration and green work, so check each course's calendar before you book.

How do I handle unfamiliar green speeds on a new course?

Ask the pro shop for the day's Stimpmeter reading, then roll a few chips on the practice green before you tee off. Faster greens need landing spots closer to you; slower greens need the ball carried farther. Our green speed guide explains how to adjust.

Find your landing zone on every green

From firm, fast greens at TPC Colorado to large, gently rolling mountain greens at Haymaker, Colorado courses roll at very different speeds. Green speed changes where every chip should land, and it changes from course to course. ELZS (Essential Landing Zone Systems) turns three inputs, your distance to the hole, your club and the green speed, into the number of paces to land the ball so it rolls out to the hole. It was built by former teaching pro Chaz H. Smith and comes as an app for iOS and Android and as a waterproof pocket chartbook. Before your next round, ask the pro shop how fast the greens are running, then look up your landing zone and chip with a plan.

Download ELZS for iPhone · Get ELZS on Android · Learn how landing zones work