Just about every major national golf publication does course rankings of one sort or another these days.

There are general course rankings — nationally, internationally and by state — as well as ones for modern courses, classic courses, residential courses, resort courses, “courses you can play”, military courses, casino courses, courses in Mexico and the Caribbean … The lists go on and on.

But it wasn’t always so.

It was Golf Digest that got things rolling in a big way on the course ranking front. Since 1966, the publication has compiled a biennial ranking of “America’s 100 Greatest Golf Courses”, which is the self-proclaimed “gold standard in the golf community.”

Golf Digest panelists play and evaluate courses based on seven criteria: shot values, resistance to scoring, design variety, memorability, aesthetics, conditioning and ambience.

With two years since its last rankings, Golf Digest last week published its 2019-20 edition of America’s 100 Greatest. And Colorado was well-represented, with two courses in the top 50 and three in the top 75.

Pine Valley in Pine Valley, N.J., checks in at No. 1 for the 14th time since 1985.

The rest of the top 10 are Augusta National in Augusta, Ga., home of the Masters (2), Cypress Point in Pebble Beach, Calif. (3), Shinnecock Hills in Southampton, N.Y. (4), Oakmont in Oakmont, Pa. (5), Merion (East) in Ardmore, Pa. (6), Pebble Beach Golf Links in Pebble Beach, Calif. (7), National Golf Links of America in Southampton, N.Y. (8), Sand Hills in Mullen, Neb. (9) and Fishers Island in Fishers Island, N.Y. (10).

As for Colorado-based courses, Ballyneal (above) in Holyoke checked in at No. 46, Castle Pines Golf Club in Castle Rock at No. 48, and Cherry Hills Country Club in Cherry Hills Village at No. 72. Here a short rundown on each:

46. Ballyneal in Holyoke — The minimalist Tom Doak design, which opened in 2006, has reached its highest point in the Golf Digest rankings, having been 50th two years ago. It’s been included among the America’s 100 Greatest since 2011.

Here’s Golf Digest’s take on Ballyneal: “If No. 9 Sand Hills Golf Club stands for the notion that there’s nothing more glorious than a round of golf beyond the range of cell phone reception, then Ballyneal (Tom Doak’s northeast Colorado answer to Nebraska’s Sand Hills) proves that isolated golf is even better when Spartan in nature. With no carts and with dry, tan fescue turf on fairways and greens, Ballyneal is even more austere than Sand Hills. It provides absolutely firm and fast conditions, and with many greens perched on hilltops, the effect of wind on putts must be considered. Other than No. 15 Friar’s Head, Ballyneal is the only course to have constantly risen in our rankings over the past 10 years.”

48. Castle Pines Golf Club in Castle Rock — Designed by Jack Nicklaus in 1981, Castle Pines (left) hosted the PGA Tour’s International from 1986 through 2006. The course has been ranked continuously in the America’s 100 Greatest since 1987, peaking at No. 28 in 2009-10. It was in the No. 42 slot two years ago. Jack Vickers, the club’s founder, passed away in September.

Here’s Golf Digest’s take on Castle Pines: “When Golf Digest began its annual Best New Course awards in 1983, the review panel selected Castle Pines as the Private Course winner, but Bill Davis, co-founder of Golf Digest and founding father of all its course rankings, didn’t care for the course and vetoed its inclusion. So no private course was honored that year. Davis soon recognized his error, and in 1987 — its first year of eligibility — Castle Pines joined America’s 100 Greatest and has remained there ever since. Club founder Jack Vickers, a Midwest oilman, had urged architect Jack Nicklaus to produce a mountain-venue design worthy of a major championship. Jack did, but when a championship never resulted, Vickers established his own, The International, which for many years was the only PGA Tour event played under a unique Stableford format. It’s a pity that The International is no longer on the Tour’s schedule.”

72. Cherry Hills in Cherry Hills Village — The William Flynn-designed course, which opened in 1922, has hosted three U.S. Opens, two PGA Championships, a U.S. Women’s Open, a U.S. Senior Open, two U.S. Amateurs, a BMW Championship and nine USGA championships overall. Cherry Hills (left) has been included almost continuously — aside from 1971-72 — in America’s 100 Greatest since its inception in 1966. Its highest ranking was 21st in 2003-04 and it was slotted at No. 73 two years ago.

Here’s Golf Digest’s take on Cherry Hills: “When Cherry Hills opened in the early 1920s, it was a ground-breaking design, with the nation’s first par-5 island green and closing back-to-back par-5s, although in championship play the 18th is played as a par-4. In the 1960 U.S. Open, winner Arnold Palmer popularized the idea of a drivable par 4 by going for the first green in every round. Curiously, when Palmer and partner Ed Seay remodeled Cherry Hills in 1976, they lengthened the first hole so no player could duplicate Arnie’s feat. Nearly 40 years later, modern equipment has once again made the first hole reachable from the tee.”

For the entire list of America’s 100 Greatest Golf Courses, CLICK HERE.

Meanwhile, another ranking was also recently published, with Golf Advisor listing its top 50 golf courses in the U.S., determined by ratings and reviews received by Golf Advisor in 2018.

One Colorado course made the grade, with Pole Creek Golf Club in Tabernash slotted in at No. 44.

Golf Advisor’s top course for the rankings was the Black Course at Bethpage State Park in Farmingdale, N.Y.

For the complete Golf Advisor list, CLICK HERE.

Most notably, Ballyneal (pictured), the Tom Doak-designed layout in Holyoke, was ranked fourth among the Best Modern courses, which Golfweek classifies as having opened since 1960.

Only Sand Hills in Mullen, Neb. (No. 1), Pacific Dunes in Bandon, Ore. (No. 2) and Friar’s Head in Baiting Hollow, N.Y., were ahead of Ballyneal in the rankings. And, for the record, Doak was the designer or co-designer of four of the top six on the list, with Coloradan Jim Urbina officially co-designing No. 5 Old Macdonald in Bandon and helping considerably with Pacific Dunes and No. 6 Sebonack in Southamption, N.Y., where Jack Nicklaus was the co-designer.

Also among Golfweek’s Best Modern courses are Colorado Golf Club in Parker, site of next year’s U.S. Mid-Amateur Championship. The Bill Coore-Ben Crenshaw layout checks in at No. 33.

And Castle Pines Golf Club, home to the PGA Tour’s International from 1986 through 2006, was No. 52. The Nicklaus-designed Castle Pines GC opened in 1981.

Meanwhile, in Golfweek’s Best Classic top 100 is Cherry Hills Country Club, host to three U.S. Opens, two PGA Championships and a U.S. Women’s Open. Cherry Hills falls at No. 89, according to Golfweek.

Pine Valley in New Jersey is No. 1 on the Best Classic list, which is limited to courses which opened before 1960.

Golfweek also lists its take on the “Best Courses You Can Play” in each state. Here’s the magazine’s top 10 for Colorado:

1. Redlands Mesa, Grand Junction
Ҭ2. The Broadmoor (East), Colorado Springs Ҭ
3. Red Sky (Fazio), Wolcott Ҭ
4. Haymaker, Steamboat Springs
Ҭ5. CommonGround, AuroraӬ
6. The Broadmoor (West), Colorado Springs Ҭ
7. Bear Dance, Larkspur Ҭ
8. Red Sky (Norman), Wolcott Ҭ
9. The Ridge at Castle Pines NorthӬ
10. Lakota Canyon, New Castle

For the full Golfweek lists, click MODERN, CLASSIC, YOU CAN PLAY.
 

This week, Golf Digest introduced a new golf course ranking as it named its 200 Greatest International Golf Courses, a mixture of the publication’s America’s 100 Greatest and the World’s 100 Greatest.

Three Colorado courses were not only included in the 200 Greatest International list, but all made it into the top 150.

Castle Pines Golf Club (pictured), home to the PGA Tour’s International from 1986 through 2006, checked in at No. 82, according to Golf Digest. Ballyneal in Holyoke was ranked No. 101. And Cherry Hills Country Club, which has hosted three U.S. Opens, two PGA Championships and one U.S. Women’s Open, was placed at No. 148.

Pine Valley in New Jersey earned the coveted No. 1 spot, with Augusta National in Georgia closest on its heels.

Here are the blurbs Golf Digest published with each of the Colorado sites:

82. Castle Pines Golf Club in Castle Pines (designed by Jack Nicklaus) — “When Golf Digest began its annual Best New Course awards in 1983, the review panel selected Castle Pines as the Private Course winner, but Bill Davis, co-founder of Golf Digest and founding father of all its course rankings, didn’t care for the course and vetoed its inclusion. So no private course was honored that year. Davis soon recognized his error, and in 1987 — its first year of eligibility — Castle Pines joined America’s 100 Greatest and has remained there ever since. Club founder Jack Vickers, a Midwest oilman, had urged architect Jack Nicklaus to produce a mountain-venue design worthy of a major championship. Jack did, but when a championship never resulted, Vickers established his own, The International, which for years was the only PGA Tour event played under a unique Stableford format. It’s a pity that The International is no longer on the Tour’s schedule.”

101. Ballyneal in Holyoke (designed by Tom Doak) — “If Sand Hills Golf Club stands for the notion that there’s nothing more glorious than a round of golf beyond the range of cell phone reception, then Ballyneal (Tom Doak’s answer to No. 9 Sand Hills) proves that isolated golf is even better when Spartan in nature. With no carts and with dry, tan fescue turf on fairways and greens, Ballyneal is even more austere than Sand Hills. It provides absolutely firm and fast conditions, and with many greens perched on hilltops, the effect of wind on putts must be considered.”

148. Cherry Hills Country Club in Cherry Hills Village (designed by William Flynn) — “When Cherry Hills opened in the early 1920s, it was a ground-breaking design, with the nation’s first par-5 island green and closing back-to-back par 5s, although in championship play the 18th is played as a par-4. In the 1960 U.S. Open, winner Arnold Palmer popularized the idea of a drivable par 4 by going for the first green in every round. Curiously, when Palmer and partner Ed Seay remodeled Cherry Hills in 1976, they lengthened the first hole so no player could duplicate Arnie’s feat. Nearly 40 years later, modern equipment has once again made the first hole reachable from the tee.”

Here are the top 10 courses on Golf Digest’s 200 Greatest International Golf Courses list:

1. Pine Valley GC in Pine Valley, N.J.
2. Augusta National in Augusta, Ga.
3. Royal County Down GC (Championship) in Newcastle, Northern Ireland.
4. Royal Dornoch GC (Championship) in Scotland.
5. Royal Melbourne GC (West) in Black Rock, Australia.
6. Cypress Point Club in Pebble Beach, Calif.
7. Muirfield in Gullane, Scotland
8. Shinnecock Hills GC in Southampton, N.Y.
9. The Old Course at St. Andrews in Fife, Scotland
10. Oakmont CC in Oakmont, Pa.

For the entire list, CLICK HERE.

The Tom Doak-designed Ballyneal (left) in Holyoke appears on both lists, while William Flynn-designed Cherry Hills Country Club is one of the top 100 domestically.

Among the Top 100 Courses in the U.S., Ballyneal checked in at No.42. Cherry Hills, which has played host to three U.S. Opens and two PGA Championships, was slotted in at No. 73.

For the record, here was Golf.com’s top 10:

1. Pine Valley in Pine Valley, N.J.
2. Cypress Point in Pebble Beach, Calif.
3. Augusta National in Augusta, Ga.
4. Shinnecock Hills in Southampton, N.Y.
5. National Golf Links in Southampton, N.Y.
6. Oakmont in Oakmont, Pa.
7. Pebble Beach in Pebble Beach, Calif.
8. Merion (East) in Ardmore, Pa.
9. Sand Hills in Mullen, Neb.
10. Pinehurst (No. 2) in Pinehurst, N.C.

Worldwide, Ballyneal checked in at No. 86. Again here, Pine Valley was No. 1. Here’s the entire top 10:

1. Pine Valley in Pine Valley, N.J.
2. Cypress Point in Pebble Beach, Calif.
3. St. Andrews (Old Course) in St. Andrews, Scotland
4. Royal County Down in Newcastle, Northern Ireland
5. Augusta National in Augusta, Ga.
6. Shinnecock Hills in Southampton, N.Y.
7. National Golf Links in Southampton, N.Y.
8. Oakmont in Oakmont, Pa.
9. Pebble Beach in Pebble Beach, Calif.
10. Muirfield in Gullane, Scotland

Here were Golf.com’s snippets that accompanied each of the Colorado courses on the lists:

Ballyneal: “Tom Doak’s 2006 design in the remote, treeless prairie of northeastern Colorado plays like a links, hard and fast, with sandhills, fescues and a different wind every day. The 335-yard, par-4 7th is one of golf’s great short holes, drivable for some, and with its skillfully placed bunkers and wickedly contoured, E-shaped green, interesting for all others, no matter the distance of the second shot.”

Cherry Hills: “One of William Flynn’s only designs west of the Mississippi River has hosted three U.S. Opens, including one of the best ever, when Arnold Palmer charged from seven back to win in 1960. Amid Rocky Mountain backdrops, the main defense comes from the tough-to-read, sloping greens.”

Golf.com’s panel of judges includes 100 people internationally, covering 18 countries. There are major championship winners, Ryder Cup players, architects, leading amateurs, administrators, journalists, photographers, and more than a dozen “connoisseurs who’ve managed to play all of the world’s Top 100 courses.”
 

On that day, six golfers plan to take part in “Racing the Sun”, in which they plan to play four courses — all in different time zones. Ballyneal (pictured) in Holyoke, which earlier this year was ranked 50th on Golf Digest’s list of “America’s 100 Greatest Golf Courses”, will be stop No. 3 on the trip.

The schedule calls for playing 18 holes at Valhalla in Louisville, Ky., Prairie Dunes in Hutchinson, Kan., Ballyneal, and Shadow Creek in Las Vegas. The group will tee off at Valhalla at 5:50 a.m. ET, and expects to complete its round at Shadow Creek at about 8:30 p.m. PT. The six players, including Youth on Course donors and the organization’s executive director, hope to average 2 hours, 15 minutes per round while walking with caddies. They’ll travel between venues on a chartered jet.

Racing the Sun will raise money for Youth on Course, a non-profit based in Pebble Beach, Calif., that arranges — thanks to subsidies — for kids to play rounds of golf for $5 or less. In addition, Youth on Course funds college scholarships, a caddie program and internships.

To learn more about the program, CLICK HERE.

Ballyneal in Holyoke again was among the very best modern courses as the Tom Doak design checked in at No. 4 among courses that were built after 1960, according to Golfweek raters. The only sites ahead of Ballyneal on the Golfweek modern list were Sand Hills in Mullen, Neb. (No. 1), Pacific Dunes in Bandon, Ore. (No. 2) and Friar’s Head in Baiting Hollow, N.Y.

In fact, four of the top seven in the modern category were at least co-designed by Doak, with Old Macdonald in Bandon (No. 5) and Sebonack in Southampton, N.Y. (No. 7) joining Pacific Dunes and Ballyneal (pictured).

Other Colorado courses among the top 100 modern layouts were Colorado Golf Club in Parker (No. 33), which will host the 2019 U.S. Mid-Amateur, and Castle Pines Golf Club (No. 48), home to the PGA Tour’s International from 1986-2006.

As for Golfweek’s top 100 classic courses — which opened before 1960 — in the country, Cherry Hills Country Club made the grade. The club — which has hosted three U.S. Opens, two PGA Championships and a U.S. Women’s Open — checked in at No. 91. No. 1 in the classic category was Pine Valley in New Jersey.

For the complete Golfweek classic list, CLICK HERE. For the modern top 100, CLICK HERE.

(April 19 Update): Golfweek also published a list of the “best courses you can play” in each state”. Here’s its rundown for Colorado:

1. Redlands Mesa in Grand Junction
2. The Broadmoor (East) in Colorado Springs
3. Red Sky (Fazio) in Wolcott
4. CommonGround in Aurora
5. Haymaker in Steamboat Springs
6. The Broadmoor (West) in Colorado Springs
7. Lakota Canyon in New Castle
8. Red Sky (Norman) in Wolcott
9. Bear Dance in Larkspur
10. Ridge at Castle Pines North

Golfweek rated the states on the basis of their top five public-access golf courses, and Colorado placed 18th out of 50. For that ranking, CLICK HERE.
 

The golf course ranking business is ever-expanding — and apparently ever-popular — but every two years it returns to its roots. And that time is now.

The grandaddy of all the rankings — both the first and the most respected — was published this week as Golf Digest unveiled its biennial “America’s 100 Greatest Golf Courses”. America’s 100 Greatest has been a fixture since 1966.

As usual, Colorado figures prominently in the rankings. While no local course is in Golf Digest’s very top rung — Pine Valley in New Jersey, Augusta National in Georgia and Cypress Point in California are 1-2-3, respectively — the Centennial State has more than its share of the nation’s greatest courses.

Specifically, Colorado is home to three layouts in the top 100 — and in the top 75, for that matter. The only states with more than three courses in the top 75 are New York (11), California (8), Illinois (5), Ohio (4), New Jersey (4) and Oregon (4, all in Bandon). Three states besides Colorado put three courses in the top 75: Michigan, Wisconsin and Massachusetts.

The three Colorado courses that made the cut should come as no surprise to the followers of national/international golf rankings. Castle Pines Golf Club (pictured above), home of the PGA Tour’s International from 1986-2006, checks in at No. 42, according to Golf Digest. Ballyneal (left) — the minimalist Tom Doak design in a remote area of northeastern Colorado, in Holyoke — was placed No. 50, its highest mark ever. And Cherry Hills Country Club, host to three U.S. Opens and two PGA Championships, was ranked No. 73.

Castle Pines, the Jack Nicklaus design that opened in 1981, has been an America’s 100 Greatest fixture since ’87, and has reached as high as No. 28. Cherry Hills, nearing its 95th birthday, was ranked from 1966-70 and ever since ’73, reaching No. 21 at one point. Ballyneal has risen in Golf Digest’s list since making its debut in 2011.

Here are the top 10 courses on America’s Greatest 100 list this time around:

1. Pine Valley in Pine Valley, N.J.
2. Augusta National in Augusta, Ga.
3. Cypress Point in Pebble Beach, Calif.
4. Shinnecock Hills in Southampton, N.Y.
5. Oakmont in Oakmont, Pa.
6. Merion in Ardmore, Pa.
7. Pebble Beach in Pebble Beach, Calif.
8. National Golf Links of America in Southampton, N.Y.
9. Sand Hills in Mullen, Neb.
10. Winged Foot (West) in Mamaroneck, N.Y.

For the entire Golf Digest list, CLICK HERE.

While America’s Greatest 100 is the most famous golf course ranking, there are many others done on a national and international basis by respected publications and raters. Here’s a sampling of how Colorado courses have fared in such rankings in recent months, along with the top-rated course in each case:

Golf Channel travel insider Matt Ginella’s
Top 50 Courses You Can Play in the U.S. (Dec. 8, 2016)

Ranked No. 1
Pebble Beach Golf Links in Pebble Beach, Calif.

Colorado Course
50. The Broadmoor GC’s East Course in Colorado Springs

Golfweek Best Resort Courses (Nov. 1, 2016)

Ranked No. 1
Pebble Beach Golf Links in Pebble Beach, Calif.

Colorado Courses
48. The Broadmoor East Course in Colorado Springs
66. Red Sky Fazio Course in Wolcott
123. The Broadmoor West Course in Colorado Springs
152. Telluride GC
153. Red Sky Norman Course in Wolcott
174. Country Club of Colorado in Colorado Springs

Golfweek Best Residential Courses (Nov. 1, 2016)

Ranked No. 1
Wade Hampton Club in Cashiers, N.C.

Colorado Courses
5. Colorado Golf Club in Parker
9. Castle Pines Golf Club in Castle Pines
32. The Glacier Club at Tamarron in Durango
60. Golf Club at Ravenna in Littleton
66. Redlands Mesa Golf Club in Grand Junction
154. Cherry Creek Country Club in Denver
177. Aspen Glen in Carbondale

Golf.com’s Top 100 Courses You Can Play (2016/17)

Ranked No. 1
Pebble Beach Golf Links in Pebble Beach, Calif.

Colorado Courses
51. Red Sky Norman Course in Wolcott
67. The Broadmoor East Course in Colorado Springs
93. Golf Club at Redlands Mesa in Grand Junction

Golfweek’s Best Campus Courses (Aug. 30, 2016)

Ranked No. 1
The Course at Yale in New Haven, Conn.

Colorado Course
24. Eisenhower Blue Course at Air Force Academy
 

With officials from RainDance National in Windsor and TPC Colorado in Berthoud saying they hope to have planned courses open in the next few years, Ballyneal announced last week an addition to its private golf club complex in Holyoke.

A new 13-hole short course — designed by Tom Doak and Renaissance Golf, as was the original 18-hole championship layout at Ballyneal — is being constructed. Officials say the short course is expected to be completed this fall, with a formal opening scheduled for July 2017.

Ballyneal opened a decade ago and is currently ranked No. 4 in Golfweek’s list of the “Best Modern Courses” in the U.S. (opened 1960-present).

Ballyneal’s short course is being built on the largest of the “chop hills” on its property in northeast Colorado, within the front-nine loop of the existing course.

“There are so many dramatic possibilities out there, we’ve got to build three or four holes that rival certain ones on the original 18,” Doak said in Ballyneal’s news release.
 

Ballyneal in Holyoke, designed by Tom Doak, holds down the No. 1 slot on the list, which includes public, private and resort courses. Earlier this year, Ballyneal (pictured) was ranked No. 4 among Golfweek’s Best Modern Courses in the U.S.

Here are the top 40 in Colorado, as ranked by Top 100 Golf Courses:

1. Ballyneal
2. Cherry Hills CC
3. Colorado GC
4. Castle Pines GC
5. Sanctuary
6. Broadmoor (East)
7. Ravenna
8. CC of the Rockies
9. Maroon Creek
10. Denver CC

11. Redlands Mesa
12. Red Sky (Fazio)
13. Red Sky (Norman)
14. Cornerstone (now closed)
15. Aspen Glen
16. Roaring Fork
17. CommonGround
18. Catamount Ranch
19. Adam’s Mountain (renamed Frost Creek)
20. Broadmoor (West)

21. Breckenridge
22. Lakota Canyon
23. Cordillera (Valley)
24. Ironbridge
25. Ridge at Castle Pines North
26. Pradera
27. CC at Castle Pines
28. Raven at Three Peaks
29. Haymaker
30. Columbine CC

31. Devil’s Thumb
32. Murphy Creek
33. Cougar Canyon (now closed)
34. Flying Horse
35. Riverdale (Dunes)
36. Bear Dance
37. Fossil Trace
38. Four Mile Ranch
39. Eagle Springs
40. Cherry Creek CC

For more on the recent Top 100 Golf Course rankings, CLICK HERE.

But while the inventory of Colorado courses has shrunk slightly, what we have in the state continues to be highly regarded, not only by Coloradans but on a national scale.

That was apparent once again last week when one of the more respected “best of” course rankings was published. Golfweek.com put out its list of Best Modern Courses (opened 1960-present), Best Classic Courses (opened prior to 1960), and best “courses you can play” state by state.

The modern and classic rankings come out every two years, and this time around one additional Colorado course — the Jack Nicklaus-designed Country Club of the Rockies (pictured) in Edwards — made it into the nation’s top 100 modern courses, checking in at No. 82.

Overall, four Colorado courses made the top 100 modern, with another three among the top 200. The Tom Doak-designed Ballyneal in Holyoke remains the standard-bearer for the state in this category, staying at No. 4 nationally, behind only Sand Hills in Mullen, Neb. (No. 1, designed by Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw), Pacific Dunes in Bandon, Ore. (No. 2, designed by Doak) and Friar’s Head in Baiting Hollow, N.Y. (No. 3, designed by Coore and Crenshaw). Doak, by the way, designed or co-designed four of the top seven modern courses.

Among Golfweek’s classic course rankings, two Colorado venues made the top 200 nationally, with Cherry Hills Country Club, host of three U.S. Opens and two PGA Championships, leading the way at No. 82. Pine Valley in New Jersey was tops in that category, followed by Cypress Point in Pebble Beach, Calif., and Shinnecock Hills in Southampton, N.Y.

In the best “courses you can play” state by state, the Golf Club at Redlands Mesa in Grand Junction led the way in Colorado. Rounding out the top five were The Broadmoor’s East Course in Colorado Springs (second), Red Sky’s Fazio Course in Wolcott (third), the CGA-owned CommonGround Golf Course in Aurora (fourth) and Haymaker in Steaboat Springs (fifth).

Here’s a rundown of where all the Colorado courses were placed by Golfweek in the new rankings published last week:

Golfweek Best Modern Courses (opened 1960-present)

4. Ballyneal in Holyoke (Tom Doak design)
34. Colorado Golf Club in Parker (Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw design)
46. Castle Pines Golf Club in Castle Pines (Jack Nicklaus design)
82. Country Club of the Rockies in Edwards (Jack Nicklaus design)
179. Golf Club at Ravenna in Littleton (Jay Morrish design)
184. Redlands Mesa in Grand Junction (Jim Engh design)
197. Sanctuary in Sedalia (Jim Engh design)

For a complete list of the top 100 modern courses, CLICK HERE.

Golfweek Best Classic Courses (opened before 1960)

82. Cherry Hills Country Club in Cherry Hills Village (William Flynn design)
171. Broadmoor Golf Club in Colorado Springs, East Course (Donald Ross and Robert Trent Jones design)

For a complete list of the top 100 classic courses, CLICK HERE.
 

Golfweek Best State-by-State Courses You Can Play–Colorado

1. GC at Redlands Mesa in Grand Junction (Jim Engh design) 
2. The Broadmoor (East Course) in Colorado Springs (Donald Ross and Robert Trent Jones design)
3. Red Sky (Fazio Course) in Wolcott (Tom Fazio design)
4. CommonGround in Aurora (Tom Doak design)
5. Haymaker in Steamboat Springs (Keith Foster design)
6. Devil’s Thumb in Delta (Rick Phelps design)
7. The Broadmoor (West Course) in Colorado Springs (Donald Ross and Robert Trent Jones design) 
8. Lakota Canyon Ranch in New Castle (Jim Engh design)
9. Red Sky (Norman Couse) in Wolcott (Greg Norman design)
10. The Ridge at Castle Pines North in Castle Pines (Tom Weiskopf design) 

For a complete rundown of the top courses you can play state by state, CLICK HERE.