This track presents a mighty mix between short 4s which make you decide between risk/reward and those formidable 4s and 5s requiring sturdy pokes. All along the way, panoramic vistas try to distract ... Continue »

This track presents a mighty mix between short 4s which make you decide between risk/reward and those formidable 4s and 5s requiring sturdy pokes. All along the way, panoramic vistas try to distract you from finding the short grass and stroking it smooth. Definitely worth the greens fee and drive out to "west" Kansas! :D

Played here in early August: I met up with a friend in Denver and we were looking for a quality course close to the airport for a Friday afternoon round before hitting the road. Our flights arrived i... Continue »

Played here in early August: I met up with a friend in Denver and we were looking for a quality course close to the airport for a Friday afternoon round before hitting the road. Our flights arrived in the morning and we had time to get some lunch before heading over to the course for our 2pm tee time. Thankfully there is no shortage of decent courses within a short drive of the airport based on some research and limited personal experience. We found the tee time at Green Valley Ranch for $51 and decided to give it a try. The course works its way through a housing community and homes can be seen from every hole, but I don’t think they will normally come into play. They are set back far enough from the course so that I didn’t feel like every homeowner was watching me hack it up. Barking dogs and loud music could still be distractions, but I personally don’t think the homes ruin the experience. This area of Denver is pretty flat and like a couple other courses that I’ve played nearby, there is not much elevation change except for a few holes on the back nine. I was expecting it to setup like an inland links course, at least visually, and there are some holes lined by fescue and mounding. However, quite a few holes have a wetlands feel to them with many forced carries and well placed trees. Overall, I think the designer created a lot of interesting holes with a boring piece of land. We played the Black/Blue combo tees which play 6807/71.7/131. I even think there is a championship set of tees that are not listed on the scorecard so there might be ten different sets of tee boxes allowing anyone to try their hand at the course. I thought the course was a little tougher than the rating and slope, but that is probably because it was my first time playing here. There are plenty of natural hazards as well as man made hazards and fairway bunkers. That made it tough for me to pick clubs and lines off the tees. However, it is still my type of golf course as the fairways are wide and there is plenty of room to track down a wayward tee shot without always having to drop. I didn’t find it very difficult off the tee at all. Plus, many holes allowed for multiple options off the tee which is always fun. I like having to hit accurate approaches in order to walk away with good score, and that is what I thought the course required. It seemed that every green had a big ridge or spine so it was tough for me to keep the ball from trickling out an extra five or ten feet. The greens certainly required some spin on the approaches and short game shots to get it close. Throw in a few collections areas around the greens and it got a lot tougher once I left the tees. Because of all this I’d call it a second shot course. I struggled to save par with an average iron, but I still had an outside chance to do so with a great chip or a 20 footer. The course condition was a reflection of what we found the rest of the trip in the Denver area. Everything was in fantastic shape. Apparently the area has received a lot of rain so everything was green and lush in the middle of summer. The tees and fairways were like carpet and many didn’t have a blade of grass out of place. The greens rolled with some speed and nothing bumped off line. The rough was grown up a bit and thicker so I had to try to dig some shots out of there. Considering that there were a lot of groups out when we played (4.5 hours to play) I expected there to be more ball marks and divots but that wasn’t the case. Like some of the other courses that I’ve played in the area over the years, I think Green Valley Ranch is a little overpriced but it turned out to be a good choice near the airport.

Beautiful condition and very very challenging.

Beautiful condition and very very challenging.

This course is home to the Men's and Women's Colorado Opens. Course is very difficult and pins can be placed in ridiculous spots. The long par 5's are offset by several short and almost driveable par ... Continue »

This course is home to the Men's and Women's Colorado Opens. Course is very difficult and pins can be placed in ridiculous spots. The long par 5's are offset by several short and almost driveable par 4's. The complex is fantastic and really upscale. It could easily pass as a country club. But in all honesty I didn't ENJOY the course. Maybe it just wasn't for me. Definitely worth the try though.

tough greens-fast and firm, some water-just enough to make thongs intresting, some trees-not as much as I would like. I would recommend this course to all.

tough greens-fast and firm, some water-just enough to make thongs intresting, some trees-not as much as I would like. I would recommend this course to all.

Played Sunday 3/22/09 mid afternoon. Challenging course. Greens were still really rough. Wind picks up about 4pm, so take that into account. Recommend.

Played Sunday 3/22/09 mid afternoon. Challenging course. Greens were still really rough. Wind picks up about 4pm, so take that into account. Recommend.