Some of the people, places and things in Colorado golf that have earned national accolades recently
By Gary Baines – 1/1/2026
As we begin the new year, it seems like a good time for one of our periodic updates on people and places in Colorado golf that have garnered national honors and accolades in recent months.
This time around, we focus on anything from “influencers” to courses to golf shops that have drawn some attention for being at the top of their game.
So let’s tee that up:
— Colorado courses that are receiving 2026 Association of Golf Merchandisers Platinum Awards as top 100 golf shops internationally:
Castle Pines Golf Club in Castle Rock
Colorado Golf Club in Parker
Columbine Country Club in Columbine Valley
The Country Club of Colorado in Colorado Springs
Castle Pines, Columbine and the Country Club of Colorado were also on the 2025 list.
Note: The top 100 will be honored on Jan. 21 at the PGA Show in Orlando.
For the complete list of the top 100 golf shops, CLICK HERE.
— Top Influencers in Indoor Golf, according to the Indoor Golf Alliance:
Colorado Golf Hall of Famer Joe Assell, the CEO of Colorado-based GolfTec, one of the world leaders in golf instruction, club fittings and training systems. In all, the Indoor Golf Alliance named 16 people for this list.
For the entire Influencer list, CLICK HERE.
— The top 100 golf courses in the world (2025-26), according to Golf.com:
63. Ballyneal in Holyoke.
For the complete list, CLICK HERE.
— The top 25 private short, par-3 and non-traditional golf courses in 2025, according to Golfweek:
11. Ballyneal’s 12-hole Mulligan course in Holyoke.
16. Colorado Golf Club’s 9-hole Short Course in Parker
For the complete list, CLICK HERE.
About the Writer: Gary Baines has covered golf in Colorado continuously since 1983. He was a sports writer at the Daily Camera newspaper in Boulder, then the sports editor there, and has written regularly for ColoradoGolf.org since 2009. The University of Colorado Evans Scholar alum was inducted into the Colorado Golf Hall of Fame in 2022. He owns and operates ColoradoGolfJournal.com