Green Valley Ranch Golf Club - Denver, CO
#14 - Green Valley Ranch
4900 Himalaya Rd.
Denver, CO 80249
303-371-3131
Design: 3.5 stars
Difficulty: 3.5 stars
Maintenance: 4 stars (winter)
Value: 5 stars (winter)
While my friends and relatives on the East Coast were enduring one of the worst March snowstorms in history last week, I took advantage of the 75-degree weather in Denver to re-acclimate my swing to the high country. Some of the courses in the foothills like Arrowhead and Fossil Trace still had some sog, so I headed east onto the plains to play Green Valley Ranch.
We got off on the right foot. They charged me $29 for the round, including cart, range balls, and my photographer/partner/wife, who is usually subject to the B.S. “rider fee.” So far, so good. The sun was shining, but the wind was howling, and my balls were swinging wildly right-to-left on the range. It didn’t seem like the kind of day I was going to go low. (It’s nice to get that expectation out of the way early)
Putting on #3, Green Valley Ranch Golf Club
The course was designed by Dye International, so I expected some intriguing elements. I found very few on the front-nine. The front plays blandly across a prairie that is tightly bounded by housing sprawl. Now, as golfers in the 21st century, we should expect that, but I had researched the course ahead of time and seen no photos of backyards, bbqs, and hot tubs, but rather many images of nature, and the dubious Audubon International certification stamped across the promo stuff. I finished off on #9 with a taste of bitterness in my mouth (and not just because I ruined a pretty good nine with a double-bogey on the last).
Standing on the tee at #10, however, the view was different. The par-4 doglegs left through thick trees with the housing tract barely visible and the snow-capped Rockies rising above the haze in the distance on approach. A nice hole, finally.
The par-5 12th plays back into some houses, but I barely noticed as I navigated the cape hole-style tee shot, and uphill, heavily bunkered approaches. The over-the-water par-3 13th was a thrill, and the short par-4 14th was a strategic challenge. With more risk/reward, deeper bunkers (with Dye railroad ties), and a more natural feel, it already seemed like this was a wholly new course from what I encountered on the front. But the final stretch was still ahead of me.
13th green, Green Valley Ranch
The par-4 16th is short, nearly drivable at 5280 feet of elevation, but the fairway is squeezed off 80 yards out, and tall trees protect the approach. A simple mid-iron to 100 yards out is the ideal shot, but it is still tempting to try and blast one in there. #17 is a long one-shotter from the back tees, playing over and through a fairly pristine wetlands (finally the Audubon stamp makes sense). The closer is a long par-5 that doglegs right on approach. A tough shot over wetlands to a green with a massive bunker on the approach side is the only way home in two, but the green opens up nicely for those who play it in regulation.
The course was in very nice shape for winter. The rough was manageable, the sand was playable, the greens were slow but receptive. I needed an occasional lift in the fairway, but was otherwise really happy with the conditions. The guys in the shop were friendly and helpful, the practice area is a notch above average, and the pace of play (in March) was quick. The front was flat and bland, but the great backside more than made up for it. I’ll be back when the grass is green.
-Bryan Fryklund
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