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.
 

The East Course at The Broadmoor Golf Club in Colorado Springs will do the honors during the resort’s 100th anniversary year as the U.S. Senior Open pays a visit the week of June 25-July 1.

That East Course (pictured) — site of two U.S. Women’s Opens, two U.S. Senior Opens (including next year’s) and a U.S. Amateur — has long been a highly regarded layout, besides being a historic one.

That was reaffirmed this week when Golfweek magazine published a couple of its top courses in the country lists.

The Broadmoor’s East Course has been a fixture on Golfweek’s Top 100 Resort Courses in the U.S., and this month was no exception. The East was ranked 55th on this year’s list, which was headed by the Pebble Beach Golf Links.

All told, seven Colorado-based courses were among those recognized this week in Golfweek’s Top 100 lists. Five were among the Top 100 Residential Courses in the U.S., including two in the top 10: Colorado Golf Club in Parker, which moved up to No. 4 in the nation this year; and Castle Pines Golf Club (No. 9), which hosted the PGA Tour’s International for 21 years beginning in 1986.

Here’s the rundown of the Colorado courses recognized by Golfweek this week, plus the No. 1-ranked course nationally in each category:

Golfweek’s Top 100 Resort Courses in U.S.
1. Pebble Beach Golf Links in Pebble Beach, Calif.
55. Broadmoor Golf Club (East Course) in Colorado Springs (Donald Ross/Robert Trent Jones Sr. design)
76. Red Sky Golf Club (Fazio Course) in Wolcott (Tom Fazio design)

For the complete list, CLICK HERE.

Golfweek’s Top 100 Residential Courses in U.S. 
1. Wade Hampton Club in Cashiers, N.C.
4. Colorado Golf Club in Parker (Bill Coore/Ben Crenshaw design)
9. Castle Pines Golf Club in Castle Pines (Jack Nicklaus design)
23. The Glacier Club in Durango (Arthur Hills design)
54. The Golf Club at Redlands Mesa in Grand Junction (Jim Engh design)
63. The Club at Ravenna in Littleton (Jay Morrish design)

For the complete list, CLICK HERE.

In addition, Golf.com selected its Best New Courses of 2017, and the 12-hole Mulligan Course — designed by Tom Doak — at Ballyneal in Holyoke received a “special citation” mention under the “Spectacular New Short Courses” section.

For the complete list, 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.
 

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.
 

But it’s not just the quantity that’s impressive. It’s also the quality.

The list includes such standouts as Castle Pines Golf Club in Castle Rock (1981), Ballyneal in Holyoke (2006) and Colorado Golf Club in Parker (also 2006).

In fact, it’s safe to say that over the last three-plus decades, the state has had more than its share of stellar new courses.

And while local residents might be biased in saying as much, another national ranking of courses confirms that Colorado has certainly added more highly-regarded layouts since 1980 than is the norm for a given state.

Last week, Golfweek published its list of the best modern courses in the U.S., with the magazine classifying “modern” as opening in 1960 or later.

Six Colorado courses are included in Golfweek’s best 200 modern layouts. With 176 of those courses having opened since 1980, the Colorado venues make up 3.4 percent of that total, almost twice the norm for the 50 states.

Moreover, three Colorado courses are in the nation’s top 40.

Without further ado, here’s Golfweek’s rundown of the Colorado courses in the top 200, with the top pick in the category also included: 1. Sand Hills in Mullen, Neb.; 6. Ballyneal (pictured); 35. Colorado Golf Club, home of this year’s Solheim Cup; 38. Castle Pines Golf Club, where the PGA Tour’s International was held from 1986 through 2006; 124. Ravenna in Littleton; 131. Sanctuary in Sedalia; 188. Redlands Mesa in Grand Junction.

In last week’s top course breakdown, Golfweek also ranked the top 200 classic courses in the country, those opened before 1960. Colorado wasn’t nearly as well represented in that category, which included just two courses from the state.

Here are the Colorado courses in Golfweek’s “classic” list, plus the No. 1 layout: 1. Pine Valley in New Jersey; 86. Cherry Hills Country Club in Cherry Hills Village, which will host the PGA Tour’s 2014 BMW Championship after the 2012 U.S. Amateur was played there; 190. East Course at the Broadmoor in Colorado Springs, home of the 2011 U.S. Women’s Open and 2008 U.S. Senior Open.

Golfweek also picked the “best courses you can play” in each state, and these were the Colorado layouts included, in order: 1. Redlands Mesa in Grand Junction; 2. Cougar Canyon in Trinidad; 3. Fazio Course at Red Sky in Wolcott; 4. Lakota Canyon in New Castle; 5. CommonGround in Aurora; 6. East Course at the Broadmoor in Colorado Springs; 7. Devil’s Thumb in Delta; 8. Norman Course at Red Sky in Wolcott; 9. Haymaker in Steamboat Springs; 10. Bear Dance in Larkspur.