Cougar Canyon Golf Links -- Trinidad
The sixteenth hole at Cougar Canyon Golf Links with its island green. - from cougarcanyonliving.com
Cougar Canyon in southeastern Colorado is just 2 years old, but already has some big trophies for its clubhouse. Cougar Canyon was No. 3 in Golf Digest's 2008 list of "Best New Courses" and rated No. 1 in "Best Courses You Can Play" in Colorado by Golfweek.
A Jack Nicklaus-designed par 72 stretches to 7,669 yards from the tips. Cougar Canyon combines the Rockies and the desert Southwest. The course uses the intimidating landscape that was already there. A couple trademarks are black sand bunkers, a tribute to Trinidad's mining history, and a mesa island green on the par-three sixteenth hole.
City Park Golf Course -- Denver
City Park Golf Course is just 5 minutes from downtown Denver. - from cityofdenvergolf.com
City Park is the best municipal course in Colorado according to Golf Digest's August '09 edition. Just 5 minutes from downtown, City Park is a great course with quite affordable green fees. City Park includes scenic views of the downtown skyline and the Rockies out to Denver's west. The course is known for tight fairways and small, sloping greens. City Park, which opened in 1920, measures 6,318 yards from the back tees.
If there's a whole day to spend, the course is next door to the Denver Zoo and the Denver Museum of Natural History. Bogey's on the Park is a year-round restaurant at City Park.
Pole Creek Golf Club -- Winter Park
The fourth hole on the Ridge Nine at Pole Creek Golf Club - from polecreekgolf.com
Head 90 minutes west of Denver to find Pole Creek and its 27 holes at 8,600 feet above sea level. Fully into the Rockies, of course there are spectacular views; most specifically though are the Continental Divide, perfect lakes and snow-capped mountains.
On the newest nine, the Ridge Nine which opened in 1999, the ninth hole is a 561-yard par five with an elevation drop of 110 feet. It's more than 300 yards from the tee to round the dogleg right, but that's no problem with the terrain and thin air.
