Rifle Creek Golf Course

The Rifle Creek Golf Course is located in the city of Rifle, Garfield County, Colorado. It is situated at an altitude of 1,630 meters, set in the narrow valley of the Rifle Creek, at the foot of the 90-mile long Grand Hogback Range, offering a majestic view of the Colorado mountains. Nearby, the artist Christo presented his project “Valley Curtain” near Rifle Gap which hung a curtain over the valley. From Rifle, the Rifle Creek Golf Course can be reached in ten minutes via Railroad Avenue and CO 325 N. It opened in 1960 as an athletically challenging 18-hole course with par 72, designed by golf course architect Richard M. Phelps. He created two different 9-hole sequences that divided the 5,701-meter long course. The first nine holes on the championship course are characterized by thick groves of trees, water hazards, such as Rifle Creek that traverses the course, ponds, and sophisticated greens. The second nine holes, however, are characterized by narrow valleys typical of the Grand Hogback area. They have many narrow passages, diagonal greens, significant differences in altitude, and elevate tees. Due to the its varied design and impressive location, the Rifle Creek Golf Course is considered to boast one of the most beautiful landscapes of any golf course in Colorado.