Copper Creek Golf Course Review

Texas Outside Rating: 8.5

Golf - Resort Public Course · 18 Holes · Par 69
Copper Mountain, CO
Website · Book A Tee Time
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Copper Creek Golf Course Review

Review and Rating of  Copper Creek Golf Course in Copper Mountain Colorado

Sitting in the valley at Copper Mountain, Copper Creek Golf Course (named after the creek that that comes into play on several holes) offers breathtaking views of the Ten Mile Mountain Range, has some unique and interesting holes, and is reasonably priced.  Make sure you check their online reservation system for some great rates. Copper Creek Golf Course was designed by Pete and Perry Dye and opened in 1982 as one of several amenities at Copper Mountain. 

Copper Creek Golf Course is a par 69 layout that is short by today's standards with 4 tee boxes and yardages ranging from 5880 ti 4281 yards - which may deceive you into thinking Copper Creek is a walk in the park.  From the back tees, the course can be challenging thanks to water, elevation changes, bunkers, undulating greens, and some very tight fairways.  To score well club selection and course management are critical!  You might want to keep the big dog in the bag.

The front nine plays in the valley and through some of the Copper Mountain Resort lodging options.  This nine is a par 35 with two par 3s, a par 5, and 6 par 4s and it is a little longer and has water that can come into play on several holes, tight fairways, and some challenging carries.  Some of the holes we really liked included:

  • #5 is a short 339 yard par 4 with a carry over Copper Creek to one of the wider landing zones which you don't want to miss  or overshoot and the next shot is to a green set way off to the left side with deep swales and big mounds guarding the front, a bunker on the right front, and water surrounding most of the left side of the green
  • #9's green is drivable (264 yards from the tips) from a significantly elevated tee box - short and you're in a tough front bunker and if you're long you've got rough, hill, and tree problems

The back nine of Copper Creek Golf Course is very different as it climbs and then descends back down the side of the mountain.  This nine is a par 34 with yardages ranging from 2915 to 4281 and it's home to 4 par 3s, 2 par 5, and 3 par 4s.  Elevation changes (both up and down), 14 bunkers ranging from small deep pot bunkers to a couple monsters, some short drivable holes, and a few tight fairways means that accuracy over distance is critical.  Several of the Copper Mountain ski runs provide a scenic backdrop for several holes. 

When we played in July, the conditions of the fairways at Copper Creek were not the best - some bare spots, some damage, and lots of yellow dandelions which I wasn't sure if that was a feature or a problem.  One of the staff told me it was a problem because the winter and spring months were tough on the course.  Don't get me wrong, the fairways are good and very playable - I think our expectation was high!  The fairways range from very tight to some wide landing zones - miss the fairway and you're most likely wet or lost in the native areas. You'll need to manage the slope and downhill roll.

The greens are a variety of shapes and sizes - from small to above average. The greens at Copper Creek Golf Course were a joy to put - true, fast, and smooth.  Undulation, tiers, and slope present some putting challenges. 

The bunkers were wet from a recent rain when we played but the sand looked and felt soft and playable, maybe a tad thin.  The bunkers range from small deep pot bunkers to a couple huge monsters.  Most of the faces are manageable unless you end up right in front of them.  All but 5 of the bunkers (most of which are very big) are guarding the greens.

Bottom line - a scenic and enjoyable course to play for all skill levels and some very interesting and fun holes.

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Course Slope & Ratings

Tee Box Yardage Rating Slope
Black 5,880 65.9 117
Blue 5,517 63.9 111
White 4,972 61.9 101
Gold 5,700 65.1 115
Red 4,289 63.1 121

Course Information

Course Architect:
Perry Dye / Pete Dye
Greens Condition
8.7
Greens Difficulty
8.0
Fairway Condition
7.0
Bunker Condition
7.5
GPS:
No
Walkable:
Hilly
Course Map
Beware of water on 7 holes and the 25 sand traps.

Texas Outside Rating

Overall Rating:
8.5 out of 10
Beauty:
9.0
Difficulty:
8.0
Variety:
9.0
Fun to Play:
8.7
Value:
8.5
Condition:
7.5
Front Nine Rating:
8.5
Back Nine Rating:
8.7
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FEES & AMENITIES

Approximate Weekend
Rates: $40.00 to $92.00

Service is good, the pro shop has everything you need, and the grill has a variety of good food and great patio looking up at several Copper Mountain ski runs. The practice facilities are adequate.

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Here's How Texas Outside Determines the Scorecard Rating

The Texas Outside rating scale ranges from 1 to 10 – a perfect 10 course would be something like this:  links along a cliff overlooking the Pacific ocean and bordered by tall trees; lush fairways on rolling hills with lots of natural hazards; water (which is crystal clear) on most of the holes; immaculate greens (but they are undulating and tough); lots of variety and character (each hole is completely different and includes blind shots, elevation changes, doglegs, and significant challenges); perfectly manicured traps with the whitest and prettiest sand you’ve ever seen; a nice club house with great food and a 19th hole; a GPS; plenty of beverage carts or your own cooler and ice; and it only costs $40 bucks! What this means is that you probably won’t find any 10s in Texas – try Cabo San Lucas, Pebble Beach, or some of the Hawaii courses! 
Texas Outside rates courses on the following:

  • Beauty – tall trees, rolling hills, beautiful houses, waterfalls, and similar stuff would score high; a 1 would be flat, bushes or cactus instead of trees, and some grass but mostly weeds
  • Difficulty – a straight, 300 yard par 4 with no traps or hazards, no out of bounds or water would probably get a 1; if it is a 460 yard par 4 over two ravines, with water along one side, natural hazards on the other, strategically placed traps or that dreaded tree right in the middle of the fairway, we are talking a 10. 
  • Variety – what would you give a course where all the holes looked and played exactly the same (“I thought we just played that hole!”); were side-by-side, which is good for finding or dodging other people’s balls, but not much fun; and you can see the flag from every tee box?  That’s right, it gets a 1.
  • Fun Scale – a 10 is where you walk off the course and say “now that was fun” and you can’t wait to get back, or you immediately turn around and play another 18 holes
  • Value – a 5 is $50 to $60, a 10 is $20 to $30, and 1 is $200 or so – of course all of this is dependent upon how you liked the course.  For example, if a run down, boring municipal course, with six players on each hole was only $10; it would still get a value rating of 1.
  • Condition – this one’s pretty easy – what condition are the fairways. A 10 commands very lush perfectly manicured fairways, compared to a 1, which has fire ants, weeds, and more dirt than grass!
  • Condition of Greens and Difficulty – very hard to read greens with lots of undulation and tough pin placement, rate very high on the difficulty scale.  Condition is self-explanatory.  

All of the above determines the overall score for the golf course.  In other words, we like courses that are pretty, fun, very challenging with a lot of variety, and fairways and greens in excellent condition – all for $40.  We also tend to play the courses that are affordable for the masses, which means in the $30 to $80 range. We rate hard and we haven’t found a 10 in Texas yet – don’t worry we haven’t given up and we’re still looking.