Buffalo Run Golf Course - Commerce City, CO
Buffalo Run Golf Course
15700 East 112th Ave.
Commerce City, CO 80022
303-289-1500
Design: 3.5 stars
Difficulty: 3.5 stars
Maintenance: 4 stars (spring)
Value: 5 stars
Buffalo Run is a place where the buffalo probably did run once, long ago, well before things like international airports (DIA) and housing projects sprang up like so much sorghum. The course sits on the northeastern, non-commercial side of Commerce City, out on the sort-of open prairie. A massive sub-division made up of mixed layers of housing (from condo to trophy home) surround the course, with some of the largest (and frankly, loveliest) homes bordering the last few holes of the back nine. A reasonable survey performed by yours truly of the houses adjacent to the course in this area turned up no sign of life. It seems that prairie McMansions may have been included in the first few waves to go down in the economic tsunami.
The 18th hole at Buffalo Run
But…to golf!!
The course is a newish design, constructed in the mid-90s, and its sensibilities reflect this. Most of the layout rolls along naturally with the prairie surrounding, and there are few, if any, garish contrivances that whiff of golf-design excess. Most of the holes are solid and challenging, but you won’t find many jaw droppers. This is not to discount the experience, however. It’s a fun course, really playable, with some nice amenities. Also, the aforementioned subdivision is generally far enough away from tees and greens that one doesn’t experience that claustrophobic feeling that some courses give when too much housing is crammed onto too little land. It seems the endless prairie allows for both course and houses to coexist.
One of my first impressions was that the fairways were wide and accepting, but it didn’t take long to learn that this is not truly the case. Perhaps the absence of trees or other really obvious obstructions lend to this
#16 at Buffalo Run
impression, or maybe it’s just the sense of the vast prairie all around. However, the Superintendent keeps the meandering fairways much narrower than it appears. The primary rough isn’t too punishing, but plenty of artful mounding just off of many fairways means that shots that drift just a bit offline lead to really awkward lies on the subsequent shots. Additionally, there’s plenty of native grass outside of the rough that seems to eat balls.
I enjoyed the short par-4 14th, which plays only 300 yards from the blue tees. A pair of staggered bunkers directly between the tee and green require a carry of about 260 yards, which is right at that number that can cause you to ponder your options. There’s non-punishing fairway on the other side of the bunkers, and the wind was in my favor, so I blasted away and lost my ball into the evening sun. My ball, it turned out, was in a collection area, about pin high, which was a happy surprise. Evaluating my 30-foot eagle chip, however, it was clear that the severely crowned green was still going to be a challenge to getting in under par. And it was. I had to sink a six-foot putt for par. But I left the hole admiring the design. My drive had probably rolled onto the green, but been rejected by the slope, a nice design strategy.
Anybody home?
The one obvious superhole is the closer: a shortish par-5 with a green that curves slightly around a small pond on the left. Any reasonable drive should put the green into play in two, but the landing area is tight and mounding and bunkers around the green ensure you’ll have to work for your score. I was just off the green on a mound in two, but my downhill eagle chip didn’t stop until it fell into the bunker behind the hole. Blast, putt, putt, for a disappointing, but interesting bogey.
The clubhouse and facilities at Buffalo Run are top notch for a public course, and the practice area is really nice, as well, with a grass range, putting green, practice bunker and pitching green. The electric carts have in-cart GPS, as well as a little readout on the back of the cart with the distance to the pin, which is nice when you’re quickly selecting a club.
This is a nice course and a nice experience, especially when it’s going for just $28 with the Colorado Golf Passport from Colorado Avid Golfer magazine. Full spring price, however, was just $38, which is also totally worth it for a satisfying round.
-Bryan Fryklund
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