Golf in Colorado
Overview
Golf in Colorado
What golf looks like for retirement in Colorado: where to do it, what the state costs, and the towns that fit.
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 2026What 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
- 1
Map the public and municipal courses nearby
Most metros list city-run courses with published fee schedules. Those set the affordable floor before any private club enters the picture.
- 2
Ask about senior and resident rates
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.
- 3
Price the season, not the round
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
Where to do it, town by town.
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
Is Colorado a good place to retire for golf?
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.
What does it cost to retire in Colorado?
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