The heat of the day must have made details of Saturday's round at Ute Creek a little fuzzy - I'll start at the beginning and see what comes back. Checking in at the pro shop, I was surprised at how well stocked it was - they stock all the latest in everything from drivers to wedges, balls, apparel, etc. If you need it on the course, they probably have it. We then hit their huge putting green for some practice. The surface was awesome - near perfect bent grass with plenty of different breaks and about a dozen holes. The facility also has a separate chipping green by the driving range.
If you play this course, make sure you check the card for your correct tee. The back tees are black, followed by gold, then blue, and the standard red is the forward tee. We played the blues (6196yds), which they recommend for handicaps 13-25. Every tee box was in awesome shape - completely level and lush with minimal damage. There are sand/seed mixtures on all par 3s and in every cart.
Walking the holes, it's easy to see that this course has seen a lot of water. Colorado's front range has seen unusually wet weather this past few weeks, which is both good and bad for a course. The fairways were definitely lush and nice for the most part, but the excess water has made the low sections quite soggy. There was also a good bit of ground marked under repair due to cart traffic.
Ute Creek is light on trees, so I think they chucked out bunkers to compensate. Strategically placed fairway bunkers catch misplayed shots both in distance and direction. There weren't many greens that didn't have a sand guard either - a wide variety as well - some deep, some shallow, none level! We played early so most of the sand was wet, with a few holding casual water. I think it would play very fluffy when dry. I didn't notice much water in play on par 4s and 5s, but most if not all par 3s had either a forced carry or water on one side of the green.
Since an early July trip to Wisconsin, I've been geeked on bent grass greens, and those at Ute Creek lived up to the standard. A few of the par 3s were a little beat from ball marks and recent hail storms, but most were very nice - soft and true rolling. Most putts I saw were pretty straight, but there are some nasty multi-tiers out there.
The roughs weren't overly long, but the thickness made it hard to get the club through clean. Word of advice: the fairways are big - play smart and stay on em! There is some knee high weeds that are in play, but it's pretty thin so if you can find the ball, you can usually get out fairly well.
Overall, it's a really nice course. Ute Creek has a simple layout but you really have to play smart golf to score well.
However, the people ended up being the gripe of this outing. The two we played with weren't terrible, but they weren't up for friendly chatting either. Our group was razzed by the old course marshall because the group ahead had already cleared the par 3 as we were walking/driving to it. Side note: we finished the round in a hair over 4 hrs, which included waiting for our partners to get food/drinks at the turn. This said, we had a group forgo playing #10 so they could get in front of us. They drove by with a-hole comments about not letting them play through. I'm usually the first to know when we're moving slow, but I never saw a push on us through the front. After that, our other two decided to break off and go ahead since they were "pros" in carts and we were walking. I think we played better/faster once they left anyway. If Saturday was an indication of regular drink service, bring a flag or bring your own drinks. We saw the drink cart twice during the 18 and since we didn't flag her down, she didn't stop. I don't mind since I don't buy from them, but you might. We paid $41 for 18 holes walking, which I thought was fine for the condition of the course.

Played the Vista today with Art - this is a 9 holer so we played blues for the front and whites for the back. Condition wise, this course is actually pretty nice. They have nice practice greens for putting and chipping, albeit a bit small. The range is fairly wide and deep, but it could use a net on the left side where it runs parallel to the 2nd par 5. There were a bunch of balls in the approach rough and I worried about walking around there.
The tees were really the only aspect of the course that I had a problem with. They were quite uneven, forcing you back a few yards to find a decent spot. From the tees, we traveled lush and well-cut fairways. There were a few soggy spots with casual water, and a touch of winter kill left, but it wasn't really an issue. Off the fairways lies a medium length, super thick rough that really eats up the club. There are trees around, but it's pretty tough to get yourself in trouble with errant shots. I like how this course put fairway bunkers on a good number of the longer holes (I was in enough of em today...). For having so much water retained in the course, the bunkers were soft and dry. I think the water also helps the approaches - I could see where people were pitching from, but the turf was recovering well. The greens were decent with a few bare spots from time to time. I did notice that they were a little bumpy - enough to alter your roll in places.
Although I expected slower play on a course like this, I didn't think that we'd be backed up on nearly every hole. Art and I played as a twosome behind another slow twosome, and when they turned, they were paired with another slow twosome, so we were still two rolling behind a super slow four that didn't seem to want to be played through. All this extra time allowed the beverage cart to swarm like a vulture, checking on us about every two or three holes. From the pictures on the course website, they seem to be very proud of their cart staff...the only person I saw more than her today was Art! The guy working the pro shop was very nice and helpful, but the course owner didn't seem to give a rat's ass that we were reviewing/trying to promote his course. Finally, I thought the price for range balls was steep - I paid $3.75 for a small bucket, which I estimate to be somewhere between 15 and 20 balls - the city run courses around here charge $3.50 for twice that count.
All in all, I like the course, but I probably won't play it often due to the drive distance and the slow weekend play.

Although my score didn't reflect it, I had a blast playing Hyland Gold today. This course is incredibly varied in layout. Art and I played the full 18, and I don't think I could closely compare any of the holes to each other. Bring a full bag of tricks when you play because this course has everything.
The front starts out in a more open and straight forward setting, but as you go along, new course aspects increase the difficulty. The course works its way into the woods mid-round, so you get a handful of holes in tight spaces before it pops out and gives you forced water approaches on some par 3s and 4s. It was like going on a hike!
The course wasn't in perfect shape, but it was certainly better than most I regularly play on. The fairways had some evidence of winter kill, but the areas had been scored for growth so as soon as we can get some decent sun, they should start coming back. The rest was very lush, but cut nicely with clean cuts to the rough. Even approach areas we well repaired. The rough was thick and playable - stood the ball up nicely most times. I wasn't at all up close and personal with the sand today (sweet!). From what I remember, the sand looked nice, but I don't think the edges were cut - could be wrong. The greens were probably the best and worst part! Impeccable in condition, the greens were lush and FAST. Throw in the fact that every putt will have some sort of grade and break to account for, and you've got your work cut out with the little stick.
We played 18 in just under 4 hours, and were never held up (although we were pushed for the first few holes). Hyland also has a separate 9 hole course and a par 3 course, which probably keeps a lot of people off the Gold. I'm super stoked on this course, and hopefully I'll play a little better next time.

For course specifics, read the review by Pete300 - he covers distance, fees, etc thoroughly.
I played Twin Peaks with Art this past Sunday in cold, drizzly conditions. The staff in the pro shop were quite friendly, and told us that the course was in great shape. As we walked the first fairway, I thought, "If this is great shape, I wonder what normal conditions hold?" Fairways were generally nice, but were littered with large bare, tight areas. The rough was cut quite short, was was a little thin. Looking off certain tees, it was hard to tell where the fairway ended and rough began. This reminds me to address the layout. Now I know this is a links course, but there are definitely ways to avoid making it seem like you're playing 3 or 4 holes over and over. Most went out to the 150 pole, then dogged left or right to a slightly elevated green protected with a round of hills and a bunker in front. There are trees around, but overall the course is pretty open. Water came into play on a few holes to ease the monotony of tee and second shots. One major pond on #2 was still drained from the winter. One of the par 3s on the backside required a tee shot over what looked like a construction site. Forgot to ask in the proshop about what they were working on. I thought the greens were in pretty good shape. I didn't see many flat puts, and although the grass was a little thin, the ball rolled well.

Maybe on a drier, more sunny day I'd feel better about this course, but yesterday left me wishing we didn't drive the 40 minutes to Longmont to play when we could have stayed in town and had some variety in the experience.

Highland Hills is a completely different animal than the other Greeley municipal, Boomerang GC. We got open spaces at Boomerang, but Highland Hills (H.H.) offers a park setting featuring an abundance of mature Cottonwoods. The holes run pretty straight for the most part, with a few doglegs sprinkled in. I thought the course was in really good condition when we played on OCT 17th. We did have a frost delay that set us back about 30min, but once it was gone, we were able to play a really nice course.
The tees were in pretty good shape - very lush like those at Boomerang. It seemed like there were a few more damaged areas, but most everything had been sand/seeded to aid recovery. Like I said in the Boomerang review, check yardage plates in the boxes of par 3s...it could affect the club if the tees have been moved around.
Fairways were also in nice shape. We were sent off the back nine first, and I noticed that fairways were pretty flat compared to those on the front. Fairways on #1-9 were rarely even close to being flat. Some holes had either constant ascension or were fully decending, some rolled, and some dropped severely and came right back up - very interesting, but nothing difficult to handle. I suppose that fairways on H.H. were a bit more narrow than other fairways I've seen, but I never felt like I had to be dead straight to stay alive. I DID however feel like a slice or a hook into the rough would be bad news...and it was!
The rough combined with fallen leaves to make finding balls nearly impossible! (Thanks to our playing partner Norm who, with a sharp eye and a golf cart, kept me loss-free that day). The rough is thick but playable - what makes it difficult is the trees. Huge cottonwoods and other species line every hole on both sides, making scrambling difficult. Be prepared to swallow your pride and punch back to the fairway if you get in the trees.
Other hazards at H.H. include sand and water. The water is really a non-factor on this course. I think there were less than 3 holes where water was even close to affecting play, and only one where you actually had to cross it. Unlike water, there is a standard dose of both fairway and green-side traps here. I think fairway traps were used primarily to keep balls out of the open back yards on the dog legs, but deep green-side bunkers were thoughtfully placed to make approaches a challenge. I was lucky enough to avoid them, but it looked like the sand was quite fine and clean.
The greens have to be the most challenging piece of turf at H.H. They definitely have breaks - I don't think I saw a straight roll all day. Many have grades big enough to where you'd like to place approaches below the hole. A miss from above could carry a ball well away on several holes. We saw a few scars and a bare spot on the highest parts of one or two greens, but they're still in great shape overall.
One aspect of the experience that I often forget to mention is the people of the course. Ninety-nine percent of the golfers and staff at H.H. were very nice. Pro shop staff, starters, bartenders, our playing partner Norm, the guy we chatted with for 30min during the delay - all great people. However, a note for the roid-rager who played behind us: stop yelling at your wife and how about a "fore" before you drive a ball to our heels, eh?

Overall, I had a great experience.

I think I have a positive bias for this course because I shot a personal best 85 here last weekend, but regardless of score, Boomerang is a really nice set of 18. If you look at the layout on the scorecard, you can see how the course got its name. The front nine heads out towards and through a small housing development before coming right back, with #1 and #9 being parallel and right next to each other. The back makes a perfect square around a huge cornfield/marshland. Being out in the Colorado Eastern Plains, the land is pretty flat so elevation gains/losses are minimal.
Like Pete300 said in his review, we played in some nasty conditions on the front, but for October, this course was in GREAT shape. The vast majority of the tees were nice and lush. A couple par 3s had a bunch of beaver tails hanging around, but good repair work was done with sand/seed. Speaking of tees, the boxes on this course are huge, allowing for a variety of placements that could alter the yardage severely - look around the tee box for yardage plates to be sure of your distance out.
Likewise, fairways were very nice. I think the grass length was a bit taller than average, but still made for nice shots. Most of the holes on Boomerang are relatively straight, so to add to the challenge, fairways can be a bit on the narrow side.
If you just miss the fairway, you're dealing with a mid-length and very thick rough. This grass will quickly slow anything that comes in hot. However, I found it rare that the rough ever ate a ball or made a shot too nasty. There are playable areas beyond the rough. Most of it consisted of tall, thin wheat grass types of vegetation. It's very playable though.
Bunkers do exist in the roughs (and throughout the course), but they're mostly very small, very shallow pot bunkers, save for a few nasty ones guarding greens. The real hazards on this course are the marsh and ponds. The front has holes where cornfields could eat errant shots, as well as a few where water is a major concern. I was surprised at how full the ponds still were - many water hazards on Fort Collins courses are drained, save for huge ponds/lakes. On the back nine, water and marsh are constant on the right sides of holes - leave that slice of yours at home!
The greens are mostly flat with a few rollers around the edges. I did see a few 2-tier greens, but the pins were really easy. The greens were in excellent shape. Although I fixed a handful of ball marks that weren't ours, the greens didn't show signs of abuse. They definitely weren't rolled that morning either.
Like Pete300 said we were already getting the discounted rate, but regardless of the weather that day, I would have paid full to play such a nice course. I'd like to get back yet this year on a decent day.

Other than the 5+ hour play time Pete300 and I experienced due to backups, I thought playing Pelican Lakes was a great experience. I now see how a true championship course differs from a run of the mill municipal. You really have to play to the course in order to score well. The condition of the course is very good. Lush, flat tees overlook nice, yet challenging fairways. Many fairways narrow to bottlenecks surrounded by traps, so you really have to think about your shots and maybe decide that you shouldn't go big stick on all the long 4s and 5s. There were some areas roped off for reseeding, but most were small and not really in the way. Approach areas were heavy on divots, but what I liked is that it was rare to see divots that weren't replaced or at least sand n seeded. If you didn't hit the fairway, you're met with a short but very thick rough that will quickly decelerate any worm burners that came through. Lies weren't too bad though, provided the ball gets up in the air. The greens were the most amazing. I've never played on more rolling and undulating greens - pin placements were pretty easy, but you were in trouble if you were looking at long distance putts. Green conditions were pretty good too - putts rolled pretty quick, but the greens were soft for sticking approaches. There were instances of divot scars, but like the fairways, I saw few that were never repaired. As for hazards, you get water on both sides of holes, and many traps in fairways and protecting greens. Some OB weedy areas come into play, but it seemed like you'd really have to be left or right to find trouble. As stated earlier and by Pete300, the only bad part of the day were the backups on the tees - looked to be a pure lack of ready-golf on the part of those in front of us. Being a paycheck to paycheck kind of guy, I'd have trouble playing this course more than a couple times per year, but if you can swing the green fee and want to play an awesome, awesome course - Pelican Lakes is the one. Check out their website for aerials of every hole with tips from the pro. Many thanks to Golf Director Bob McNamee and the staff for the wonderful hospitality.

I played with Pete300 this weekend, so in addition to his facts, I just wanted to inject a few observations. First, if you're looking for a scenic course in the Colorado Springs area, this is the one. The views to Pikes Peak are amazing - almost makes you forget about the bad round you're playing! The staff seemed very friendly - both the pro shop attendees and the starter were very cheery and helpful. I remember the starter saying that winds are a constant on this course, so be ready to compensate. I also remember being pretty tired after walking only the front 9 - there's a bit of elevation change throughout the course, and the altitude of over 6,000 ft will affect those from out of the area.
The course itself provided a decent challenge. The wind is constant, pushing you towards the plentiful marshy areas (play left on the front nine). I found myself in a few hard-sand bunkers, but I thought the greens were the biggest challenge. They were in good shape - some quick and some slower, but all rolling!
I'd like to get back sometime to see what the back nine has to offer.

I played Saddleback for the first time today and was split as far as the experience goes. The course is excellent - tees, fairways, greens were all in great shape. The rough is very lush can be difficult to make great shots from. The course is more open than not, so trees, although smaller and existent, don't factor in much. However there is plenty of sand protecting greens and fairways - the bunkers were pretty solid when we played. I think they got a good soaking during the night and early morning. Playability is good here, it's almost difficult to put yourself OB on most holes. Play blues or back, as the white tees only total 5539 yards.
Though the course is great, today the play was absolutely ridiculous! We followed some course vs course Ryder Cup type tournament. Both the group ahead of us and the group ahead of them weren't playing ready golf, and were playing with penalty-type slowness. At one point, we had 4 groups on one tee with no one holding things up ahead. It took between 5 and 5 1/2 hrs to play 18, which with 90 degree heat, really took away from the enjoyment of the game. Hopefully, things don't back up like that all the time...

For my money, I'd take an 18 at Southridge over any other in the area. The course isn't overly long at 5837yd from the whites, but every hole on this course is unique. Holes go uphill and downhill. There are both right and left doglegs. There are both long and short straight shots. There's a lot of sand and a good amount of water. Holes aren't super narrow so if you tend to be a scrambler, you can still score well here.
The course is very well taken care of. Tees are flat and are mostly without divots. Fairways rarely show signs of abuse or failure to replace divots, and the greens are well taken care of.
Southridge has a nice range with high nets so you can blast those drivers, a large putting green with some break to it, and a small chipping green. Word of advice though: if you get the first tee time of the day, don't plan on getting range time - every time I've had the early (6:30a) start, the proshop doesn't open until 6:10 or 6:15, and the guys working don't seem stoked to have people waiting on them. Other than that, Southridge is awesome, a definite must if you're in town.