Bella Ridge Golf Club in Johnstown, a daily-fee public facility, opens for ‘limited preview play’ on Oct. 6
By Gary Baines – 10/3/2025
Excuse the pun, but things are certainly fall-ing into place this autumn regarding the newest golf courses in Colorado.
Earlier this week, Rodeo Dunes in Roggen hosted some rounds for selected people in anticipation of a 2026 “preview season” that will be limited to founders, their guests, some media/industry folks and the like. Then general public play will start in 2027.
Then club management company Troon announced on Thursday that Bella Ridge Golf Club in Johnstown will open for “limited preview play” beginning on Monday (Oct. 6). A couple of months after the Bella Ridge website indicated the daily-fee public course, located at 5749 County Road 42, would be “Opening Fall 2025”, this weeks announcement provided the confirmation.
“We’ve been waiting for this moment,” a Bella Ridge Facebook and Instagram post said. “Bella Ridge Golf Club will officially open its doors on Monday, October 6th, 2025! Tee Times Are Now Live! Be among the first to experience the stunning beauty and challenge of Bella Ridge. We can’t wait to welcome you on the course.”
Bella Ridge will be the first regulation golf course to open in Colorado since RainDance National in Windsor in 2022.
As noted on BellaRidgeGolf.com, tee-time rates feature dynamic pricing, similar to how many airlines and hotels operate. In Bella Ridge’s case, the prices adjust based on “demand, time of day, day of the week, and how far in advance you book”. For example, as of mid-morning on Friday, the 18-hole rate for an 8:54 am tee time on Wednesday was $81. Ones in the early afternoon on Oct. 14 were going for $75, while the available times on Oct. 17 were $95. Tee times can be booked up to 14 days in advance and must be pre-paid.
The website says amenities will be limited during the preview phase — food and beverage service will be provided via a beverage cart — and that “playing conditions are excellent. Meanwhile construction work continues around the golf course.”
“This has been an exciting project to be a part of,” Schaupeter said in a press release. “The Podtburgs (who owned the dairy farm on which the golf course was built) have been committed from day 1 to building a wonderful public-access golf course, and from my first tour around the property I knew that this land could yield something special. I think the golf experience will be very fun and interesting for all golfers. Each hole has its own individual character and challenge. Golfers will find that the course continues to ratchet up in interest, challenge and fun throughout the round.”
According to the scorecard on the website, the par-72 course will play up to 7,315 yards — and as short as 3,200 yards, said the Troon press release. Six sets of tees can be utilized in that range. Bella Ridge is designed by Art Schaupeter, who also was a the architect for two other courses in the area between the northern Denver suburbs and Fort Collins — TPC Colorado in Berthoud and Highland Meadows in Windsor.
The site of a former dairy farm, the course will have 50 bunkers and numerous water features, with expansive and undulating fairways. It features almost 200 feet of elevation change and includes featured views of Longs Peak.
Practice-wise, starting in 2026 there will be a 400-yard driving range that’s 150 yards wide, a short-game area and a 15,000-square-foot putting green.
The course includes four par-3s, 10 par-4s and four par-5s. From the back tees, par-5s range from 527 to 646 yards, the par-4s from 276 to 506 yards, and the par-3s from 151 to 261 yards. The layout features three short par-4s — 276, 303 and 310 yards. From the back tees, the course rating is 74.6 and the slope is 140.
The holes are named; among them are Valley of Risk … Reward?, Dare Ya, Ridge Runner, Udderly Long, Bolder … Boldest … Bold, Carried Away, Dam Deceptive, and Podtburg Point, named for the family who long worked a dairy farm on the site.
“As a family who has spent our entire lives in Johnstown, it’s an incredible honor to bring this course to our community,” Rick Podtburg said in the release. “We’ve poured over eight years into designing and building something truly special, and we always felt this land, with its elevation changes, lakes and spectacular mountain views, was meant for golf. Those mountain views became the inspiration behind the name Bella Ridge, a name that captures both the natural beauty of the property and the elevated experience we will provide. As our town continues to grow, we believe this course will be a timeless amenity that reflects the pride we have for Johnstown and creates a place for connection, recreation, and lasting memories.”
For more information about Bella Ridge GC, visit the website by CLICKING 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