Find Your Swing

Never picked up a golf club before? Feel like it’s time to learn? Congratulations—you’re in the right place. Colorado is full of gorgeous, world-renowned courses (read: crazy difficult!), but our state is also home to a long roster of well-regarded instructors and plenty of options for playing while you’re still learning.

Where to Play

These courses are all suitable (read: shorter and much less highfalutin) for beginning to intermediate players.

1. If you are... A good putter

   And like... Fast, sloped greens

   Play at... City Park Golf Course, Denver, cityofdenvergolf.com/citypark.htm

   Course's signature hole 8th tee box, which has a view of Denver's skyline and the mountains

   Price $26–$35

2. If you are...A fan of wide-open fairways and no bunkers

   And like... The idea that there are no forced carries, meaning if you’re still struggling with getting the ball airborne, it’s OK

   Play at... CommonGround Golf Course, Par 3, Aurora, commongroundgc.com

   Course's signature hole 9th tee, which gives you a good look at the pretty, tree-lined fairway

   Price Adult: $10 (if you bring a child, it’s $5 for each of you)

3. If you are...A beginner looking to walk the course

   And like... A shorter course with only two out-of-bounds areas, one water hazard, and less-than-average bunker play

   Play at... Park Hill Golf Club, Denver, parkhillgc.com

   Course's signature hole 16th hole, which is a killer dog leg with a fun-to-putt, undulating green

   Price Weekend: $35 to walk; $45 with cart. Weekday: $25 to walk, $35 with cart

4. If you are...An intermediate player working on finding the fairway

   And like... To have some greenside bunkers and water come into play

   Play at... Indian Tree Golf Course, Arvada, indiantree.apexprd.org

   Course's signature hole 13th hole, which is a par 3 that used to be a short par 4—from the back tees it’s 225 yards with a forced carry over water

   Price $33 to walk; $48 with cart

5. If you are...A beginner or intermediate, who likes playing the irons and wants a variety of course choices in the same location

   And like... The idea of bringing your family along—the junior programs are a stand-out here

   Play at... The Courses at Hyland Hills; North and South Par 3s, and the Blue Course, Westminster, golfhylandhills.com

   Course's signature hole 7th green on the South Par 3 course; it's dubbed the Sunburst hole for the sand trap that encircles the green

   Price Adults: $20 for Blue Course, $9 for South Par 3, $5 for North Par 3 // Juniors: $7 for Blue Course, $4 for South and North Par 3s

6. If you are...Working on your drives and want generous tee-off areas and wider fairways

   And like... Fewer bunkers, flatter greens, and easy walkability

   Play at... Riverdale Golf Courses, Knolls Course, Brighton, riverdalegolf.com

   Course's signature hole 7th tee box, which gives you an elevated position to see the long par 5 in front of you

   Price $24 to walk the course

7. If you are...Hoping to improve your short game on holes that are 65 to 127 yards in length

   And like... Large, undulating greens

   Play at... Green Valley Ranch Golf Club, Par 3, Denver, gvrgolf.com

   Course's signature hole 6th hole, which has a downhill green

   Price Adults: $10. Juniors: $6

8. If you are...An intermediate player ready for the challenge of longer par 5s and greenside bunkers

   And like... The idea of getting a history lesson with your game

   Play at... Fossil Trace Golf Club, Golden, fossiltrace.com

   Course's signature hole 12th green, which offers a chance to see 64-million-year-old trace fossils of palm fronds and triceratops footprints

   Price $75–$79 with cart

9. If you are...Wanting to play 18 and figuring an executive-length course will have you home before dinner

   And like... The idea of mostly par 3 holes with a few 4 and 5 pars thrown in for good measure

   Play at... Springhill Golf Club, Aurora, golfaurora.com

   Course's signature hole 4th hole, a par 5 with lakes on both sides of the fairway

   Price Weekend: $26. Weekday: $22