Beat the heat and experience the beauty of the season at these courses

By David Young

Fall is one of the best times of the year in Colorado because leaves are changing, pumpkin beer is flowing and the temps drop below 90, making it easy to be outside. It’s the perfect time of year to play a round of golf nearly anywhere across the state.

Whether you are looking to play 18 to the backdrop of quaking leaves or just want a cooler round with fewer crowds, Colorado fall golf is a must for the avid or casual golfer.

We’ve taken the time to check out some of the state's best golf tracks from the Western Slope to the Front Range and a few places in between.

Here are some of the Centennial State’s best fall options.

Front Range

Fossil Trace Golf Club

Dubbed “Colorado’s Home Course” for a good reason, Fossil Trace is a golf round through history as it is set among prehistoric dinosaur fossils. The award-winning Jim Engh designed the course. Despite being just 20 minutes outside of downtown Denver in Golden, it offers stunning views of the foothills, especially in the fall. The main appeal of course – in addition to several nearby breweries – are the fossils, which formed millions of years ago when the course was home to a tropical lake and dinosaurs. Today, golfers can see triceratops footprints and other prehistoric fossils on the fairway adjacent to Hole 12. Learn more about the history in the clubhouse, which has an exhibit about the history of the region.

TPC Colorado

One of Colorado’s newer courses is TPC Colorado in Berthoud, where The Ascendant Pro Tournament takes place on the Korn Ferry tour. The challenging course designed by Arthur Schaupeter is a test for the best golfers, and also offers spectacular views of the mountains, including two reservoirs and Longs Peak. The massive clubhouse and course showcase some of the best vistas along the Front Range. The newer course, which opened in 2018, is more of a links-style golf course and does not have many trees. The lack of shade is another reason this course is best played in fall.

Central Mountains

Copper Creek Golf Course

Right in the middle of the I-70 corridor through the mountains, just past Breckenridge and shy of Vail Pass, sits Copper Creek Golf Course. At the base of the Copper Mountain ski area, this challenging Pete and Perry Dye-designed course winds through ski lifts and ponds, offering spectacular views in every direction. At roughly 9,700 feet in elevation, the narrow fairways and small greens make for a challenging, fun round. The surrounding Tenmile Range peaks are dotted with fall colors, and the lack of shade on some parts of the course makes it an ideal fall golf course. Also, JJ’s Rocky Mountain Tavern between the pro shop and tee box is a great spot for a post-round burger and beer.

The River & The Ranch Courses

The River and The Ranch golf courses are located in Keystone, right in the heart of Summit County, making them ideal fall courses for experiencing the changing leaves. The two distinct courses weave through the mountains, offering fun and challenging golf with the fall backdrop. The River Course is 4,758–6,886 yards and was designed by Michael Hurdzan and Dana Fry. Keystone Ranch is, as the name implies, on a 1900’s historic ranch and stretches 5,041–7,017 yards. It is designed by Robert Trent Jones, Jr. Combined, the two courses create 36 holes of ideal fall golf. Since they are mountain courses, they do tend to close earlier in October due to snow, so make sure to check these out first.

Western Slope

Lakota Links

Voted one of the top three golf courses in the state by local golfers, Lakota Links is a perfect course to play in the fall. Located in New Castle at the base of the Flat Top Wilderness Area, the links-style course weaves its way through the western Colorado landscape of arroyos and canyons. The natural terrain offers little in the way of shade, which is why the cooler fall temperatures pair perfectly with this course. Lakota Links was designed by nationally renowned architect James Engh and pairs challenging, creative golf holes with breathtaking mountain views. The high tee boxes are fun to hit off of in Colorado’s thin air.

Gypsum Creek Golf Course

This 18-hole championship golf course, designed by Pete Dye, sits in the Gypsum Valley, which was carved by the creek. The challenging terrain weaves its way through steep mesas and valleys. Don’t miss the fairways here because the native sage will instantly eat up balls. The scenic course, about 30 minutes west of Vail, is ideal for fall with an elevation of about 6,500 feet. Expansive views of the surrounding countryside include the Red Table Mountains. It also parallels the creek and the adjacent ponds are full of fish. Located just 25 miles from Vail, Gypsum Creek Golf Course is a bit of a hidden gem in the rough.

Bonus Course (or slightly out of bounds)

Canyons Golf Course

If you have the chance to play a fall round outside Colorado, we highly recommend the Canyons Golf Course in Park City, Utah. This unique mountain golf course is located on and around the ski runs at Park City. The views of the Utah mountains and the surrounding valley below are unparalleled during the cooler fall months. And the challenging course, designed by renowned course architects Gene and Casey Bates, includes more than 550 feet of elevation change. This allows golfers to hit off the nearly 300-feet high tee boxes through the thin mountain air to greens below. There’s also a fun island green, surrounded by the Willow Draw Stream. If you do make it out to this course, check out the Park Pendry Resort located right at the base of the mountain, just a long wedge shot from the first tee box.