Colorado is home to some incredible golf, but there’s one problem with many “best golf courses in Colorado” lists: a lot of the courses are private.
Castle Pines, Cherry Hills, Ballyneal and Colorado Golf Club may be among the state’s most acclaimed courses, but most golfers aren’t going to be able to simply book a tee time and play them.
So we’re doing things differently.
This guide focuses on great Colorado golf courses that everyday golfers can actually play, from mountain resort courses to excellent public layouts near Denver and hidden gems on Colorado’s Western Slope.
Whether you’re planning a Colorado golf trip or simply looking for your next weekend tee time, here are 10 public golf courses worth putting on your list.
Looking for something new for the bag? Check out our guide to the best golf ball markers for 2026.
The 10 Best Public Golf Courses in Colorado
1. Red Sky Golf Club — Wolcott
If you’re looking for a bucket-list Colorado mountain golf experience, Red Sky Golf Club is difficult to beat.
Located near Vail and Beaver Creek, Red Sky features two highly regarded 18-hole courses, one designed by Tom Fazio and the other by Greg Norman.
The Fazio course climbs through sage, juniper and aspen-covered mountain terrain before finishing with a dramatic descent. The Norman course occupies an old sheep ranch and offers expansive views of the surrounding Rockies.
Both have received national recognition, including appearances in Golf Digest’s ranking of America’s 100 Greatest Public Courses. Public play alternates between the two courses.
Location: Wolcott, Colorado
Designers: Tom Fazio / Greg Norman
Course type: Resort/public access
Best for: A premium Colorado mountain golf experience
Pin Creatures Take: If you’re building a Colorado golf bucket list, Red Sky belongs near the top.
2. The Broadmoor East Course — Colorado Springs
Playing golf against the backdrop of Cheyenne Mountain is pretty hard to beat.
The East Course at The Broadmoor also has some serious golf history behind it. The layout combines original Donald Ross holes with holes later designed by Robert Trent Jones Sr.
It has hosted numerous major championships, including Jack Nicklaus’ first U.S. Amateur victory in 1959 and Annika Sorenstam’s first U.S. Women’s Open victory in 1995.
Golf Digest currently recognizes the East Course as both a Colorado Best in State course and one of America’s 100 Greatest Public Courses.
Location: Colorado Springs, Colorado
Course type: Resort/public access
Best for: Golf history and a premium resort experience
Pin Creatures Take: Come for the mountain views. Stay because those greens might humble you.
3. Redlands Mesa Golf Course — Grand Junction
If you’ve never played golf on Colorado’s Western Slope, Redlands Mesa Golf Course gives you a pretty good reason to make the drive.
Designed by Jim Engh, Redlands Mesa takes advantage of Grand Junction’s rugged landscape with massive elevation changes, rocky outcroppings and elevated tee boxes overlooking the surrounding terrain.
The Colorado National Monument provides an incredible backdrop, giving the course a completely different personality from the pine-covered mountain courses farther east.
Redlands Mesa previously climbed as high as No. 17 on Golf Digest’s 100 Greatest Public Courses ranking and remains part of its current Colorado Best in State list.
Location: Grand Junction, Colorado
Designer: Jim Engh
Course type: Public
Best for: Scenery, elevation changes and something completely different
Pin Creatures Take: This might be one of the most visually unique rounds you can play in Colorado.
4. TPC Colorado — Berthoud
Want to see how your game holds up on a championship-level layout?
TPC Colorado sits alongside Lonetree Reservoir in Berthoud, north of Denver, where the Great Plains meet the Rocky Mountains.
Designed by Art Schaupeter, the course stretches across open terrain with water, strategic bunkering and mountain views throughout the property.
TPC Colorado has hosted professional tournament golf and is currently included in Golf Digest’s Colorado Best in State rankings.
Location: Berthoud, Colorado
Designer: Art Schaupeter
Course type: Public
Best for: Championship-style golf
Pin Creatures Take: Bring your game. And probably a few extra golf balls.
5. The Ridge at Castle Pines North — Castle Pines
You probably aren’t getting an invitation to play the famous Castle Pines Golf Club anytime soon.
Fortunately, there’s another excellent option nearby.
The Ridge at Castle Pines North is a public Tom Weiskopf design that winds through pine-covered foothills south of Denver.
Golfers get elevation changes, rocky terrain and some excellent Front Range scenery without needing a private-club membership.
Golf Digest currently includes The Ridge among its Colorado Best in State selections and specifically notes that it’s the publicly accessible course among the cluster of acclaimed clubs surrounding Castle Pines.
Location: Castle Pines, Colorado
Designer: Tom Weiskopf
Course type: Public
Best for: Denver-area mountain-style golf
Pin Creatures Take: One of the easiest ways to get a taste of the Castle Pines golf experience without knowing a member.
6. The Golf Club at Bear Dance — Larkspur
Located between Denver and Colorado Springs, The Golf Club at Bear Dance checks a lot of boxes for golfers visiting Colorado.
The course spreads across hundreds of acres of mountainous terrain with wide fairways, tall ponderosa pines, creeks, ravines and plenty of elevation changes.
The signature par-4 16th also provides a memorable view toward Pikes Peak.
Bear Dance is included in Golf Digest’s current Best in State rankings.
Location: Larkspur, Colorado
Course type: Public
Best for: Classic Colorado scenery
Pin Creatures Take: If someone asked us to picture “Colorado golf,” Bear Dance would be pretty close.
7. Keystone Ranch Golf Course — Keystone
Now we’re getting into proper high-country golf.
Keystone Ranch Golf Course sits roughly 90 minutes west of Denver and was designed by Robert Trent Jones Jr.
The course occupies land that was once an actual ranch, and its personality changes throughout the round. Some holes wind through forested terrain before the course opens into expansive areas surrounded by native grasses and mountain scenery.
Keystone Ranch is currently included among Golf Digest’s Colorado Best in State courses.
Location: Keystone, Colorado
Designer: Robert Trent Jones Jr.
Course type: Public/resort
Best for: A mountain golf getaway
Pin Creatures Take: Exactly the kind of course you want to play when escaping Denver for a weekend.
8. Fossil Trace Golf Club — Golden
Fossil Trace Golf Club isn’t your typical Colorado golf course.
Located in Golden, the Jim Engh design incorporates the remnants of the area’s mining history into an unconventional layout filled with dramatic terrain and creative architectural features.
The course’s recessed fairways and greens twist through the landscape in ways that make Fossil Trace immediately recognizable.
Golf Digest added Fossil Trace to its 2025–26 Colorado Best in State ranking.
Location: Golden, Colorado
Designer: Jim Engh
Course type: Public
Best for: Unique architecture close to Denver
Pin Creatures Take: Weird in the best possible way. If you’re tired of courses that all look alike, play this one.
9. Breckenridge Golf Club — Breckenridge
Playing golf at more than 9,000 feet above sea level is an experience by itself.
Breckenridge Golf Club features three Jack Nicklaus-designed nine-hole courses. Bear, Beaver and Elk, giving golfers 27 holes to explore.
The layouts combine wooded mountain holes with more open native-grass terrain, all surrounded by the Colorado Rockies.
And yes, the altitude means you might hit a few clubs noticeably farther than you do back home.
We’re counting it.
Location: Breckenridge, Colorado
Designer: Jack Nicklaus
Course type: Public
Best for: High-altitude mountain golf
Pin Creatures Take: Come for the scenery. Leave telling everyone how far you hit your driver at 9,000 feet.
10. CommonGround Golf Course — Aurora
Not every great Colorado golf experience requires driving into the mountains.
CommonGround Golf Course is less than 10 miles east of downtown Denver and provides one of the area’s most accessible quality public golf experiences.
Designed by Tom Doak, the course uses generous fairways, native grasses and strategically positioned bunkers to remain playable for average golfers while still giving better players plenty to think about.
It’s also home to the Colorado Golf Association.
Location: Aurora, Colorado
Designer: Tom Doak
Course type: Public
Best for: Quality golf close to Denver
Pin Creatures Take: You don’t need dramatic mountain cliffs to make a great golf course. CommonGround proves it.
Best Public Golf Courses Near Denver
If you’re flying into Denver and want to build a golf trip without spending half of it in the car, you’re in a great spot.
Several courses from our top 10 are within relatively easy reach of the Denver metro area.
CommonGround is one of the closest options to downtown. Head west toward Golden and you’ll find Fossil Trace. Travel south and you can reach The Ridge at Castle Pines North and Bear Dance, while TPC Colorado sits north of Denver in Berthoud.
That makes it completely realistic to stay in the Denver area and play several distinctly different Colorado courses during the same trip.
Best Colorado Mountain Golf Courses
If mountain golf is the reason you’re coming to Colorado, head west.
Red Sky Golf Club, Keystone Ranch and Breckenridge Golf Club provide three very different ways to experience golf in the Rockies.
Red Sky is the premium bucket-list option. Keystone provides a classic resort golf experience, while Breckenridge lets you experience golf at more than 9,000 feet.
Farther south, The Broadmoor combines mountain scenery with more than a century of golf history.
One thing to remember: mountain golf is highly seasonal. Course opening and closing dates can change based on elevation, snowfall and weather conditions.
Best Affordable Public Golf Courses in Colorado
Colorado golf doesn’t have to mean dropping hundreds of dollars on a resort round.
There are plenty of more accessible municipal and public courses throughout the state.
CommonGround is a great place to start around Denver, while courses such as Saddle Rock Golf Course in Aurora can provide excellent value.
Golf Digest notes that Saddle Rock has hosted the Colorado Open and other statewide competitions and has historically been recognized as a strong affordable public option.
If budget matters, compare tee times throughout the day. Rates can vary significantly based on season, day of the week and time of day.
When Is the Best Time to Golf in Colorado?
For the widest selection of playable courses, summer is the safest time to plan a Colorado golf trip.
Denver and other lower-elevation areas generally have longer golf seasons, while high-elevation mountain courses can have significantly shorter windows.
Late spring and early fall can be excellent along the Front Range, while summer gives you the best opportunity to combine Denver golf with courses in places such as Breckenridge, Keystone and Vail.
Early fall can be especially beautiful once the aspens begin changing color.
Colorado weather can change quickly, though, so always check current course conditions before making the drive.
Planning a Colorado Golf Trip
If this is your first golf trip to Colorado, don’t try to cover the entire state.
Colorado is big.
Instead, pick a region.
For a Denver golf trip, you could build an itinerary around CommonGround, Fossil Trace, The Ridge and Bear Dance.
For a mountain golf trip, consider Breckenridge, Keystone and Red Sky.
For something completely different, head west toward Grand Junction and play Redlands Mesa.
And remember that altitude affects your golf ball. The thinner air at elevation generally allows shots to travel farther than they would at sea level, which makes club selection another part of the Colorado golf experience.
Why We Left Colorado’s Famous Private Courses Off This List
You’ll notice some huge names are missing.
Ballyneal. Castle Pines. Cherry Hills. Colorado Golf Club.
That’s intentional.
Those courses consistently rank among the best golf courses in Colorado—and some among the best in the country, but this guide isn’t supposed to be a list of golf courses most readers can only look at.
We wanted to recommend places you have a realistic opportunity to play.
If that means leaving some of Colorado’s most prestigious private clubs outside our top 10, we’re perfectly fine with that.
Final Thoughts: The Best Public Golf Courses in Colorado
Colorado has an incredible variety of public golf.
You can play championship-style golf beside a reservoir at TPC Colorado, launch drives through the thin mountain air in Breckenridge, experience dramatic Western Slope terrain at Redlands Mesa or play a Tom Doak design minutes from Denver at CommonGround.
And that’s really the point of this list.
These aren’t just great golf courses to read about. They’re courses you can actually put on your golf calendar.
Whether you’re a Colorado local looking for your next round or planning a golf trip from across the country, these 10 courses are an excellent place to start.
Taking your golf trip farther west? Check out our guide to the best golf courses in Las Vegas for more courses worth adding to your bucket list.