Colorado-based layouts featured prominently among Golfweek’s rankings of top ‘modern’ courses in U.S.
By Gary Baines – 6/21/2024
Golfweek, one of the most prominent publishers of course rankings in the U.S., released another batch earlier this month. And while Colorado layouts were featured in various categories, they were particularly prominent among the “modern” courses.
Golfweek published rankings of the top modern courses in the U.S. (built in 1960 or later), classic courses (1959 or before) and public-access layouts this month.
In the modern-course rankings, three Colorado layouts were included in the top 60 in the nation: Ballyneal in Holyoke (fourth), Colorado Golf Club in Parker (27th) and Castle Pines Golf Club in Castle Rock (57th).
Castle Pines GC, of course, will be in the national spotlight later this summer as it’s hosting the BMW Championship PGA Tour playoff event Aug. 22-25. And Colorado Golf Club has been home to the 2010 Senior PGA Championship, the 2013 Solheim Cup and the 2019 U.S. Mid-Amateur, plus part of the stroke-play portion of the 2023 U.S. Amateur. And Ballyneal is a highly regarded Tom Doak design in northeast Colorado.
Colorado Golf Club in Parker.
Cherry Hills Country Club, which hosted last year’s U.S. Amateur, is the top-rated Colorado course in Golfweek’s classic-course category, checking in at No. 63 in the country. Redlands Mesa in Grand Junction was rated the top Colorado public-access course, at No. 83.
Here are Golfweek’s recently released rankings, with the overall top-10 in each category and the Colorado courses included.
GOLFWEEK’S TOP 200 MODERN COURSES IN THE U.S.
(Note: Must Be Built In 1960 Or Later)
Published June 10
Top 10
1. Sand Hills, Mullen, Neb.
2. Friar’s Head, Baiting Hollow, N.Y.
3. Bandon Dunes (Pacific Dunes), Bandon, Ore.
4. Ballyneal, Holyoke
5. Ohoopee Match Club, Cobbtown, Ga.
6. Wade Hampton Club, Cashiers, N.C.
7. Sebonack, Southampton, N.Y.
T8. Bandon Dunes (Old Macdonald), Bandon, Ore.
T8. Kohler Whistling Straits (Straits), Mosel, Wis.
10. Muirfield Village, Dublin, Ohio
Colorado Courses Included in Rankings
4. Ballyneal, Holyoke
27. Colorado GC, Parker
57. Castle Pines GC, Castle Rock
GOLFWEEK’S TOP 200 CLASSIC COURSES IN THE U.S.
(Note: Must Be Built In 1959 Or Earlier)
Published June 10
Top 10
1. Cypress Point Club, Pebble Beach, Calif.
2. Pine Valley, Pine Valley, N.J.
3. Augusta National, Augusta, Ga.
4. Shinnecock Hills, Southampton, N.Y.
5. National Golf Links of America, Southampton, N.Y.
6. Oakmont CC, Oakmont, Pa.
7. Merion (East), Ardmore, Pa.
8. Chicago GC, Wheaton, Ill.
9. Fishers Island Club, Fishers Island, N.Y.
10. Pebble Beach Golf Links, Pebble Beach, Calif.
Colorado Courses Included in Rankings
63. Cherry Hills CC, Cherry Hills Village
183. Denver CC
190. The Broadmoor (East), Colorado Springs
GOLFWEEK’S TOP 100 U.S. PUBLIC-ACCESS LAYOUTS
Published June 17
Top 10
1. Pebble Beach Golf Links, Pebble Beach, Calif.
2. Bandon Dunes (Pacific Dunes), Bandon, Ore.
3. Pinehurst No. 2, Pinehurst, N.C.
T4. Bandon Dunes (Old Macdonald), Bandon, Ore.
T4. Kohler Whistling Straits (Straits), Mosel, Wis.
6. Bandon Dunes (Bandon Trails), Bandon, Ore.
7. Bandon Dunes (Bandon Dunes), Bandon, Ore.
8. Shadow Creek, North Las Vegas, Nev.
9. Bethpage State Park (Black), Farmingdale, N.Y.
10. Kiawah Island (Ocean), Kiawah Island, S.C.
Colorado Courses Included in Rankings
83. Redlands Mesa, Grand Junction
94. Red Sky (Fazio), Wolcott
About the Writer: Gary Baines has covered golf in Colorado continuously since 1983. He was a sports writer at the Daily Camera newspaper in Boulder, then the sports editor there, and has written regularly for ColoradoGolf.org since 2009. The University of Colorado Evans Scholar alum was inducted into the Colorado Golf Hall of Fame in 2022. He owns and operates ColoradoGolfJournal.com