Collegiate Peaks Golf Course

Collegiate Peaks has some of the most majestic mountain views on a course I have seen in a long time! Good thing there was a lot of look at because the pace of play was absolutely brutal - nearly three hours to play nine holes. The course is pretty challenging, though, with a 141 slope. All the workers were super friendly and courteous, so big credit to them.

I believe the teeing grounds and fairways are zoysia and were in good shape. There were a few small dead spots in the fairways but everything was playable. The greens rolled fast and true and helped me get a lot of putts to the hole as I had a fantastic day putting. The ball really flies at this elevation, so club down. The course is very flat with little elevation change. Lost of small streams and ponds come into play all over the layout, which adds to the scenery.

Hole 3 has a great fee shot view over a bubbling stream and through a narrow chute of trees. Very cool tee box. The green on 8 is an unusual “T” shape, so hitting it to the correct spot is the big challenge. Hole 9 is an odd dogleg left that requires a pair of 160-yard shots. Also, driver is “forbidden” off the tee box!

On to the big downer… The reason rounds take so long is that if you do play 18 holes, there is a completely new set of tees on your back nine. However, the issue is that they alternate in people making the “turn” and playing hole 10 with people starting their day on hole 1. In essence, what you have are tee times that are five minutes apart. That is a horrible setup and completely bogs down play. In addition, $52 to play nine holes is WAY too much, and $75 for 18 holes isn’t that much better.

Very pleasant place to play. Nine holes with water on every hole. Some lakes and some creeks. The sound of running water from the creek is very pleasant. Greens are very challenging and deceptively fast.

$40 for nine hole walking seems a little steep to me, but it was a weekend. I think the 18 hole rate was more reasonable. There are two sets of tees, one for the front nine and one for the back, so the holes would play a little differently if you play 18.

Really enjoyed the course. Will play again if I’m in the area.

I paired this course with 9 at Salida in the same day and it was worth doing. CP is more scenic, but I preferred the layout at Salida. Both courses are well priced and entertaining. They are also quite flat, but if you are in the Arkansas Valley and love golf both are worth checking out.

The course was challenging to me. It is near 8000 elevation. I wasn't use to higher elevation. Since I was visiting from another state that didn't have any mountains? The ball travels farther. I was hitting the ball in the fairway. I didn't know about the water canals that went through all of the fairways. The rough was 3 inches thick. Many balls were lost there. I had to wait on a fairway for an elk to clear the fairway. The greens had different slopes on them. In the morning it was cool. I didn't know that it was getting hotter. It is real nice to play at this golf course seeing the mountains in the backgrounds of the course.