Riverdale Golf Course

The South Platte River winds through this Front Range layout like a serpent, creating natural water hazards on seven holes while the Rocky Mountain foothills provide a stunning backdrop that never gets old. What separates this public track from Denver's crowded municipal options is the way architect Dick Phelps used the cottonwoods and native scrub to frame each shot, demanding course management over raw distance. The par-4 16th alone—a dogleg right around century-old trees with the river guarding the green—justifies the drive from downtown.