Castle Pines Golf Club

The verdict

Castle Pines was a statement from the start. Founder Jack Vickers commissioned Jack Nicklaus to build a championship course in the pine forest at Castle Rock, and when it opened in 1981 it brought a major league tournament to Colorado in the form of The International. For two decades the event's modified Stableford format, which awarded points for birdies and eagles and punished big numbers, made it one of the most watchable stops on the Tour, perfectly suited to a course that tempts aggression at altitude.

For the traveling golfer it is one of the most spectacular settings in American championship golf, the holes tumbling down through tall ponderosa pines with the Front Range beyond. At over 8,000 yards on the card it sounds absurd, but the thin air at 6,400 feet adds roughly ten percent to every carry, so the real challenge is the elevation change, the trees and Nicklaus's demanding greens rather than the raw number. It is a private club, so the realistic route is a member's invitation, but its return as a BMW Championship venue has reminded everyone just how good it is.

The holes worth the trip

Castle Pines starts in dramatic fashion. The opening par 5 plunges downhill off an elevated tee, the fairway falling away through the pines toward the mountains, a thrilling first swing and a sign of the elevation changes to come. From there the round rides the contours of the forested hillside, with holes that drop and climb and a routing that uses the natural land beautifully.

The Stableford era rewarded players who took the course on, and you can see why: there are reachable par 5s and tempting short par 4s where the altitude shrinks the yardage, balanced by Nicklaus greens that demand the right angle and severely punish a miss on the high side. Water and deep bunkering frame the bolder gambles, so the points minded golfer must judge when to attack and when to settle.

The closing stretch brings the test home through the trees to a demanding finish. Played from a sensible tee it is a joy, a parkland mountain course of rare scale and beauty; played from the back it is a true championship examination that has held up to the best in the world across two different eras of Tour golf.

Where to stay nearby

Castle Pines sits between Denver and Colorado Springs, so a visiting golfer can base themselves in either city or in the Castle Rock area between them, all within an easy drive of the club and the wider Front Range golf.

Because the club is members only, the practical move is to build a Colorado trip around the region's excellent public and resort golf, from the Broadmoor courses to Denver's best municipal layouts, and pair it with the mountains and the cities' dining. Denver International Airport keeps the whole area well connected.

Looking for a base? See our recommended hotels and resorts around Denver and Castle Rock.