CaddieTrail Guide
Colorado's top golf is one of the most geographically diverse state trails on the platform — from Ballyneal's windswept prairie to Red Sky Ranch's mountain meadows near Vail, and from Castle Pines in the Denver foothills to Redlands Mesa above Grand Junction.
Colorado's twenty best climb from the high plains of the northeastern corner to the alpine valleys around Vail and Aspen, taking in the Denver foothills and the red-rock mesas above Grand Junction along the way. Most are private — some of them invitation-only mountain retreats that rarely see an outside player — while a handful of resort and daily-fee courses open the high country to anyone willing to make the drive. The through-line is altitude and terrain: thin air that carries the ball, and routings that ride the folds of the Rockies.
#1 on trail
Ballyneal Golf & Hunt ClubHolyoke, Colorado
Tom Doak's minimalist masterpiece in the Colorado sandhills. Walking-only, private, and consistently ranked among the top 50 courses in the U.S.
#2 on trail
Castle Pines Golf ClubCastle Rock, Colorado
Jack Nicklaus-designed private layout in Castle Rock, opened 1981. Elevation changes and dense ponderosa pine corridors define play across all 18 holes.
#3 on trail
Cherry Hills Country ClubEnglewood, Colorado
William Flynn's 1922 design outside Denver hosted the 1960 U.S. Open, where Arnold Palmer's final-round charge past Hogan and a young Nicklaus became one of golf's iconic days. Also host to three U.S. Amateurs, including Phil Mickelson's 1990 win. Private club.
#4 on trail
Colorado Golf ClubParker, Colorado
Private club in Parker with 18 holes set against the Front Range foothills. Elevation changes and Colorado's semi-arid terrain shape every approach and putt. Designed by Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw and opened in 2007.
#5 on trail
Maroon Creek ClubAspen, Colorado
Ted Robinson Sr. designed this 1994 layout nestled along Maroon Creek near Aspen, with the Elk Mountains providing a dramatic backdrop. Elevation changes and mountain terrain create a demanding test rarely matched in Colorado resort golf.
#6 on trail
The Broadmoor East CourseColorado Springs, Colorado
Donald Ross's 1918 design in the Cheyenne Mountain foothills — later reworked by Robert Trent Jones Sr. — has hosted three U.S. Senior Opens (2008, 2018, 2025) and two U.S. Women's Opens, including Annika Sörenstam's first major in 1995. At roughly 6,400 feet, altitude reshapes every club selection. Resort access.
CaddieTrail is the pursuit platform for serious golfers.