Author: kris

Arrowhead  |  Bear Dance  |  Fossil Trace  |  Walnut Creek  |  TPC Colorado

Any golfer who’s had the opportunity to play one of the 30 TPC golf courses in North America knows what they should expect. The courses, a mix of private and resort courses, are all ready to host the best players in the world in tournament play. Between those events, amateur players get the chance to walk in the footsteps of their heroes and play the courses with outstanding conditions and amenities.

One of the newest TPC facilities, TPC Colorado at Heron Lakes, is no exception. When the club opened in 2019, it was the first new golf development in the state of Colorado in a decade. Jim Birdsall, a member of the club’s ownership group, said the land had already been earmarked for a golf course and the town of Berthoud insisted it remain in the group’s plans.

“We made significant changes to the plans after we purchased and the partnership with the PGA Tour made further changes to the plans,” said Birdsall of the 2005 land purchase. “The site was chosen for its proximity to other communities along the Front Range and the beautiful setting.”

The golf course is now part of an 865-acre master planned golf community that includes luxury condos and townhomes, and eventually a 30-acre shopping center.

Visit any of the courses in the TPC Network and you’ll find that each retains characteristics or pays homage to the history of the sites they’re built on. The owners and course architect Arthur Schaupeter, chose to do that in Colorado through a commitment to the wildlife the area is known for.

“We have retained the silos south of Hole 17 green, an Osprey nest and the largest Heron Rookery in the State, hence the name of the project: TPC Colorado at Heron Lakes,” added Birdsall. “Well over 50% of the property has been preserved as permanent open space.”

The natural beauty and splendor of the site is evident from the moment you leave Interstate 25 when arriving from the Denver Metropolitan area. After a few turns on the rural rounds and a quick peek at Berthoud, golfers will find themselves staring at a clubhouse befitting a PGA TOUR experience. The 65,000 square foot compound features two restaurants – from casual fare to unmatched steak and seafood – a swimming pool, members locker rooms, a fitness center, and a full-service golf shop and practice facility.

The course itself, however, would be a treat without any of the amenities surrounding it.

The Schaupeter design is a par-72 layout with tees that play from 4,157 yards all the way to 7,991 yards. Golfers of all abilities will have the chance to play and score from the right tee boxes. Starting at the very first tee box, you’ll be surrounded by the waters of three reservoirs, as well as the incredible Rocky Mountains. It’s a view you’d be hard pressed to find elsewhere.

Some TPC courses have their signature hole, like the 17th at TPC Sawgrass, or the 16th at TPC Scottsdale, but it’s difficult to choose just one hole at TPC Colorado. Every hole on the course has its own unique story and features that make it fun to play. Two holes, however, stood out: the short par three 8th, and the incredibly long par five 13th. These holes couldn’t be more different, yet both highlight the challenges that await players.

The 8th hole, on the scorecard, looks like it should be a push-over after the opening seven holes. Measuring anywhere from 72 to 194 yards, it’s one of the most difficult greens on the course to hit. The hole sits on a tree-lined peninsula that extends into Lonetree Reservoir. The narrow green stretches 50 yards from front to back, requiring a tee shot that not only finds the green but finds the general vicinity of the hole to avoid a potentially long putt.

Just five holes after that short par three, golfers will find themselves standing on the tee box of the 13th hole, one of the longest par fives they’ll ever play. Ranging from 401 to 773 yards, this is a three shot hole in every way. Like most holes on the course, the tee shot is fairly wide open, giving players the opportunity to swing their drivers. For their second shot, players are forced to decide how to deal with “Hell Bunker,” a sand trap inspired by the 14th hole at St. Andrews, that offers few options to advance the ball. Lay up short and the approach shot is roughly 200 yards; clearing the bunker requires more club than you think to have a shorter approach to the green. The final shot to the green, regardless of the yardage, is a tricky one as the putting surface sits at an angle and is well guarded by a bunker.

It would be easy to look at the overall layout of the course and see what a challenge it is from tee to green. That would mean ignoring what are some of the most interesting and challenging green complexes in the area. Each putting surface is surrounded by generous aprons, mown short to guide wayward shots to collection areas. Once on the green, however, players face sneaky undulations and lightning quick conditions that put a premium on speed. Even those who play well from tee to green will find their final score dependent upon their putting.

You may be asking yourself why you’ve never heard of TPC Colorado. If you haven’t, that’s because you’re not watching enough golf on television! The course is host to the Korn Ferry Tour’s The Ascendant presented by Blue. It’s been voted Tournament of the Year two of the last three years by Korn Ferry players (2021 and 2023). The course itself has received numerous accolades including Golf Digest’s Top 100 Course you can play (2021), GolfWeek’s Best Courses in Colorado (2021), and Golf Digest’s Best New Private Clubs (#3 in 2019).

TPC Colorado does have a membership, but also offers a limited number of tee times for non-members. For more information or to book your tee time, visit www.tpc.com/colorado or call 970-663-5063. TPC Colorado is a place rising stars love to play, and so will you.

Arrowhead  |  Bear Dance  |  Fossil Trace  |  Walnut Creek  |  TPC Colorado

Inland links-style courses have been all the rage since the turn of the century. Some work, but some feel contrived. Imagine standing in Westminster, Colorado and having, instead of the ocean (like at a true links course), a sea of prairie grass darting in and out of each hole to try and grab your ball. That’s what Michael Hurdzan was able to create at Walnut Creek Golf Preserve, and it works.

Coming in at 7,345 yards from the tips, Walnut Creek is a big golf course. Its wide fairways make it playable, though, for golfers of all abilities. It’s the kind of municipal course that every community wishes they could claim for their own with a well-stocked golf shop and practice facilities that make it fun to work on your game.

The practice facility includes a 30-station natural grass tee driving range, a 3,000 square foot short game area, two practice bunkers, and an impressive 5,000 square foot putting green that’s just as quick as any green on the golf course. Spend enough time there and it’s impossible not to improve.

In addition to the native grasses that surround the course, players will find themselves contending with nearly 100 bunkers strategically placed in landing areas and around large, fast greens. There’s even a little water out there, coming into play on four holes. All of those things make selecting the right tee box – there are five to choose from – an absolute must.

Visually, Walnut Creek is absolutely stunning. The sightlines make just about every shot interesting, so it’s hard to pick a favorite hole. However, the par five 13th seems to embody just about everything that makes Walnut Creek a memorable place to play. Coming in at 615 yards from the back tees, the longest hole on the course feels longer still because it plays uphill. It’s not a huge elevation change, but you can’t help but notice that after two good shots, you still have at least a wedge in your hand while approaching the small-ish green. From the tee, the 13th feels wide open, but the hole was designed with nearly a dozen well-placed bunkers waiting to snatch an errant shot. When players hit their second shots, they have to decide which side of the split fairway to hit to and set up a reasonable approach.

While golf is Walnut Creek’s main focus, it’s not its only one. The course is the 41st Audubon Certified Signature Sanctuary. That means it’s part of an environmental education program aimed at helping land managers follow a comprehensive list of sustainable resource principles. It’s all about integrating wildlife conservation, habitat restoration, water conservation and quality, and environmental stewardship into the maintenance of the facility. A continued commitment to the environment first rather than costs made Walnut Creek just the second such project in Colorado.

For tourists, Walnut Creek Golf Preserve may not have the notoriety that some of Denver’s other courses do. Local players, however, know Walnut Creek has hosted more Colorado state championships and USGA qualifiers than any other course in the area for good reason. It’s truly a great test of golf.

Arrowhead  |  Bear Dance  |  Fossil Trace  |  Walnut Creek  |  TPC Colorado

Fans of Coors and Coors Light have undoubtedly heard of the brand’s home: Golden, Colorado. What they likely don’t know is that one of the area’s best golf courses sits in the shadow of that original brewery (you can even see it from the 13th tee box).

Fossil Trace Golf Club is more than just a great round of golf, it’s an experience that really cannot be found anywhere else. It’s not just the great service from every single staff member, or the quality and selection of the golf shop, or even the course itself. It’s the trip back in time the course offers that gives it a leg up over many courses.

Let’s back up. First off, the service at Fossil Trace is incredible. It’s nice that the bag drop, golf shop, and driving range are clustered close together so players can get a lay of the land and have plenty of time to pick up anything they need for their round, grab a bite to eat, and get warmed up. The staff, though, makes sure everyone is ready to play and has their course instructions so they can tee off on time.

The golf shop has a great selection of branded apparel and accessories, as well as the top brands for clubs and balls. Inside the clubhouse, first time guests will get a hint at what’s to come with an impressive exhibit displaying the club’s history, all 64 million years of it.

Fossil Trace’s footprint is not a huge one (somewhere in the 200 acre range), but from the very first tee you can see how well every bit of land was used when Jim Engh designed the course. The course opened in 2003, following a protracted battle that made it seem unlikely that a course would ever be built on the land. In the end, though, Engh was able to work with stakeholders to make sure the course design preserved and celebrated the discoveries that had been made on the site.

As you may have guessed, there were fossils. Lots and lots of fossils had been found as early as 1877 on the former clay mining site. Everything from palm leaf to prehistoric trace fossils, to triceratops footprints dotted the landscape. Now, players can take a minute after they finish the 12th hole to explore that history and see what made the area so special.

Even without the namesake fossil’s, the course would be a unique one. Over the course of 18 holes, it feels like playing four different tracks. The opening holes wind through a wetlands area with an abundance of wildlife, with the front nine opening up to prairie lands. The back nine features a series of ponds and streams, but the highlight is the series of holes built around the old clay mine.

There’s not a throw-away hole on the property, but the hole you’ll remember is the par five 12th. On the 12th tee box, players get a glimpse of the old mining equipment left scattered along the bluff running down the hole’s entire left side. In the fairway, though, are a series of sandstone pillars left on the course to force players to make a choice about how they play over or around them. While the pillars might look intimidating, they were left in areas not considered to be landing areas. Closer to the green, the fairway narrows and approach shots must be precise to a long, narrow putting surface protected by a bunker. Walking off with a par will feel great, but you might forget about your score for a moment when you see the history left near the green in the form of fossils and tracings. All in all, one of the coolest holes you’ll ever play.

Like any good Engh-designed golf course, players are presented with generous fairways and undulating greens with bunkers protecting them in all the right places. The course is a mix of short and long holes that offers players the opportunity to make up for mistakes on the tough holes with several interesting birdie holes.

Talk to anyone in the area about golf course recommendations and Fossil Trace is sure to come up. In the 20 years the course has been open for play, it’s received a long list of accolades. It’s been named the Best Golf Course in Denver several times, and the 12th hole was included in Golf Digest’s list of Most Fun Golf Holes in America. The next time you visit Denver, it’s a course you have to see for yourself.