Golf in Colorado
Overview
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This page explains golf in Colorado. The sorter handles the local question by city or ZIP.
Golf in Colorado
Colorado Parks and Wildlife oversees state park golf courses at locations like Rifle Creek and Grandote Peaks, and Denver's city-owned Wellshire Golf Course and Willis Case Golf Course are public 18-hole courses with senior rate structures. The golf season in the Front Range runs roughly April through October, shorter at higher elevations.
Published local price
Wellshire Golf Course (Denver Golf municipal system); 18-hole weekday adult walking $38-$60, weekend $56-$67; senior (62+) weekday $33-$40; rates vary by season and tee time under dynamic pricing model
cityofdenvergolf.com · as of 2026Golf score
37th of 51 states for retirement golf
Golf score blends year-round playability (34%), playable access (16%), affordability (16%), course pedigree (12%), and statewide course density (22%).
Courses
A sample of marquee courses across Colorado, with where to play and how to book.
Historic Donald Ross layout climbing the foot of Cheyenne Mountain · Donald Ross
This is the grande dame of Colorado golf, a five-star resort course that has hosted U.S. Opens for over a century. A cart or caddie is required before 2pm, so plan for a guided ride rather than a walk.
Opened 1918 · $$$$ · Slope 127
Photo: PEO ACWA
One of the oldest public courses west of the Mississippi, with Pikes Peak views · Willie Campbell
A historic city muni dating to 1898, with mature trees, gentle terrain, and Pikes Peak on the horizon. Green fees stay friendly here, which makes it an easy regular for retirees who want to play often.
$ · Slope 120
Dinosaur tracks and old quarry walls frame holes near the 12th green · Jim Engh
Just west of Denver in Golden, this city-owned course winds past sandstone cliffs and genuine dinosaur tracks. Walking is allowed, though the terrain has some climbs, so pick your day and pace.
Opened 2003 · $$$ · Slope 141
Photo: James St. John
Long foothills layout with tees perched a hundred feet above the fairway · Brian Whitcomb
Set in the pines between Denver and Colorado Springs, this is the home course of the Colorado PGA. It plays long from the tips, but with five tee sets you can dial the distance back to something comfortable.
Opened 2002 · $$$ · Slope 144
Gore Creek winds through the valley floor beneath the Gore Range · Ben Krueger
This is the Vail Valley's most walkable course, laid out flat along the valley floor with the Gore Range overhead. There is even a dedicated walking pass, which is a real gift at this elevation.
Opened 1962 · $$$ · Slope 136
Photo: White House Photograph Office (U.S. National Archives)
The only municipal Jack Nicklaus design, threading wetlands and pines at 9,300 feet · Jack Nicklaus
The only municipal Jack Nicklaus Signature course anywhere, with three nines you can mix and match. At over 9,000 feet the ball flies, so club down and enjoy the mountain scenery.
$$$ · Slope 150
Photo: Nicklaus Design
Treeless links-style core layout rolling over open Yampa Valley meadow · Keith Foster
Steamboat's city course plays like a wide-open prairie links, with big greens and gentle contours instead of forced carries. It is a friendly walk in the round shape of an old hay meadow.
Opened 1997 · $$$ · Slope 133
Dramatic red-rock canyon golf beneath the Colorado National Monument · Jim Engh
Out on the Western Slope near Grand Junction, this one drops you into red sandstone canyons under the Colorado National Monument. The scenery is worth the drive, and the layout rewards a careful, well-placed game.
Opened 2001 · $$$ · Slope 146
We've mapped 24 courses across Colorado so far.
What Colorado costs
Cost of living
103
BEA index, U.S. = 100
State income tax
~4.4% state income-tax planning rate
Social Security
Partly taxed
How people start
Most metros list city-run courses with published fee schedules. Those set the affordable floor before any private club enters the picture.
Many courses post a reduced weekday senior rate and a season pass. The difference between pay-per-round and a pass is the number that usually drives the yearly cost.
In warm states the season runs most of the year; in cold ones it is a few months. The yearly cost is rounds-per-year times rate, plus cart and equipment.
Towns in Colorado
Patty Jewett Golf Course, operated by the City of Colorado Springs, features both a regulation 18-hole course and a 9-hole layout with a full-service pro shop and driving range. The city's parks, recreation, and cultural services department manages the course, which dates to 1898 and is one of the oldest west of the Mississippi.
City of Colorado SpringsDenver Golf manages eight municipal facilities across the metro including City Park Golf Course, Willis Case Golf Course, and Overland Park Golf Course, with a loyalty pass program and discounted rates for seniors available through the city's online booking system. The Denver Golf website notes qualifying golfers can purchase passes at reduced cost, making the city's public courses among the more affordable options on the Front Range.
City of Denver GolfFort Collins has three public golf courses, including City Park Nine (a 9-hole par-36 course at 1500 W Mulberry St inside City Park) and Collindale Golf Course, an 18-hole municipal course on Collindale Ave managed by the city's parks department. Tee times for City Park Nine can be booked through the city's parks website, with senior and junior discount programs offered seasonally.
City of Fort Collins -- City ParkCommon questions
Colorado Parks and Wildlife oversees state park golf courses at locations like Rifle Creek and Grandote Peaks, and Denver's city-owned Wellshire Golf Course and Willis Case Golf Course are public 18-hole courses with senior rate structures. The golf season in the Front Range runs roughly April through October, shorter at higher elevations. Towns like Colorado Springs, Denver, Fort Collins have their own local options.
Colorado has a cost-of-living index near 103 (U.S. = 100), about a 4.4% state income-tax planning rate, and taxes some Social Security. The full state guide breaks down property tax, sales tax, and long-term-care costs, each sourced.
Sources
The life your money is for