Colorado courses that have opened in 21st century are featured prominently in recent national rankings
By Gary Baines
Colorado has been fortunate to see numerous outstanding golf courses come online in the 21st century.
You need look no further than national course rankings that have been released in the last month or so by a couple of the country’s most prominent golf publications to confirm as much.
In recent weeks, Golfweek has published rankings involving the top courses opened since 1960, the top public-access courses in the U.S., and the best private and public-access courses in each state, and in all those cases 21st-century Colorado layouts figure prominently. The same is true for Golf Digest’s rankings of the top 20 TPC courses in the nation.
And, mind you, those don’t even include a course such as much-ballyhooed first layout at Rodeo Dunes, the Bill Coore-Ben Crenshaw layout which opened for limited play in May and will welcome the public starting next year.
Below, we note the Colorado courses that appear in recent Golfweek and Golf Digest rankings — and the year the courses opened.
Golfweek Top Modern Courses in the Country (Opened Since 1960)
5. Ballyneal in Holyoke (private; opened in 2006).
33. Colorado Golf Club in Parker (private, opened in 2007 after soft opening in the fall of 2006). Hosted 2010 Senior PGA Championship, 2013 Solheim Cup and 2019 U.S. Mid-Amateur. Scheduled to host 2030 U.S. Junior Amateur.
63. Castle Pines Golf Club in Castle Rock (private, opened in 1981). Hosted the PGA Tour’s International from 1986 through 2006 and the Tour’s BMW Championship in 2024.
For the complete Golfweek modern list, CLICK HERE.
Golfweek Top 100 Public-Access Courses in the Country
94. Flying Horse North in Colorado Springs (resort; opened in 2020). Note: Flying Horse North, located in the Black Forest area, hosted the CGA Match Play and Women’s Match Play in 2026 and the Colorado PGA Professional Championship in 2025.
For the complete Golfweek Public-Access list, CLICK HERE.
Golf Digest Top 20 TPC Courses in the Country
5. TPC Colorado in Berthoud (semi-private; opened in 2018). Has hosted a Korn Ferry Tour stop annually since 2019.
For the complete Golf Digest Top TPC course list, CLICK HERE.
Golfweek Top 200 Classic Courses in the Country (Opened Before 1960)
55. Cherry Hills Country Club in Cherry Hills Village (private; founded in 1922). Has hosted 10 USGA championship, including three U.S. Opens, plus two PGA Championships, a BMW Championship (2014), and a Denver Open (1947). Also, the 1950 Women’s Western Open and the 2005 U.S. Women’s Open — both LPGA Tour majors — and the 1993 U.S. Senior Open, a PGA Tour Champions major.
187. Denver Country Club (private; at current site since 1905 after being founded in 1887). Has hosted two USGA championships and the PGA Tour’s Denver Open in 1962 and ’63.
192. The Broadmoor in Colorado Springs (resort; opened in 1918). Has noted nine USGA championships — including the 2011 U.S. Women’s Open (an LPGA Tour major), and three PGA Tour Champions majors, all U.S. Senior Opens — and is scheduled to host two future U.S. Senior Opens.
For the complete Golfweek classic list, CLICK HERE.
Golfweek Best Private Courses in Colorado
1. Ballyneal in Holyoke (opened in 2006)
2. Colorado Golf Club in Parker (opened in 2007)
3. Cherry Hills Country Club in Cherry Hills Village (founded in 1922)
4. Cornerstone in Montrose (opened in 2008; reopened in 2018)
5. Castle Pines Golf Club in Castle Rock (opened in 1981)
6. Country Club of the Rockies in Edwards (opened in 1985)
7. Maroon Creek in Aspen (opened in 1995)
8. Frost Creek in Eagle (opened in 2007 and reopened and rebranded in 2015)
9. Glacier Club Mountain Course in Durango (opened in 2004)
10. Roaring Fork Club in Basalt (developed in 1999)
For Golfweek’s complete private course in Colorado list, CLICK HERE.
Golfweek Best Public-Access Courses in Colorado
1. Flying Horse North in Colorado Springs (opened in 2020)
T2. Redlands Mesa in Grand Junction (opened in 2001)
T2. The Broadmoor’s East Course in Colorado Springs (opened starting in 1918)
4. Red Sky Fazio Course in Wolcott (opened in 2002)
5. Red Sky Norman Course in Wolcott (opened in 2003)
6. Golf Club at Bear Dance in Larkspur (opened in 2002)
7. RainDance National in Windsor (opened in 2022)
8. TPC Colorado in Berthoud (opened in 2018)
9. Haymaker in Steamboat Springs (opened in 1997)
10. CommonGround Golf Course in Aurora (opened in 2009)
For Golfweek’s complete public-access course in Colorado 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