Hardest Public Golf Courses in Colorado
The hardest public golf course in Colorado is Lakota Links Golf Course in New Castle, with a slope of 154 and a course rating of 73.0 from the Black tees (7,003 yards). It is a public course, open to all golfers. Next are Breckenridge Golf Club (slope 151) and Plum Creek Golf Club (slope 147).
5 hardest public courses in Colorado, by slope
Every course here has had its public access checked against a named source.
| Rank | Course | City | Access | Slope | Course rating | Tee | Yards | Access checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lakota Links Golf Course | New Castle | Public | 154 | 73.0 | Black | 7,003 | Nov 2026 source |
| 2 | Breckenridge Golf Club | Breckenridge | Municipal | 151 | 73.9 | Gold | 7,266 | Nov 2026 source |
| 3 | Plum Creek Golf Club | Castle Rock | Semi-private | 147 | 73.7 | Black | 7,044 | Nov 2026 source |
| 4 | Redlands Mesa Golf Course | Grand Junction | Public | 146 | 72.5 | Black | 6,873 | Nov 2026 source |
| 5 | Colorado National Golf Club | Erie | Semi-private | 145 | 75.8 | Championship | 7,567 | Aug 2026 source |
How this list is built
Each course is ranked by the highest slope rating from its men's tees. Women's ratings are used only where a course publishes no men's rating. Only regulation 18-hole courses are included; nine-hole courses are left out.
Only courses whose public access Stymie has checked against the club's own site or another named source are listed, and private clubs are left out. That is why this list differs from the hardest golf courses in Colorado, which ranks every rated course.
Courses are checked in order from the highest slope down, and the list stops at the first course whose public access has not been checked yet, so nothing here skips over an unchecked course. Courses that were checked and could not be confirmed as open to the public are left out. 179 golf courses in Colorado have a slope rating on file, and Stymie has checked access for 19 of them so far.
Semi-private courses limit public tee times. Call ahead before you plan a round.
Colorado public course FAQ
What is the hardest public golf course in Colorado?
Of the Colorado courses Stymie has checked for public access, Lakota Links Golf Course in New Castle has the highest slope rating: 154 from the Black tees, with a course rating of 73.0. Breckenridge Golf Club is next at 151. Courses are checked from the highest slope down, so no unchecked course ranks above the ones listed.
What is the hardest municipal course in Colorado?
Breckenridge Golf Club in Breckenridge, with a slope rating of 151 from the Gold tees. It ranks No. 2 on this list of checked public courses.
Can anyone play Lakota Links Golf Course?
Yes. Lakota Links Golf Course is a public course, open to all golfers. Stymie checked its access in Nov 2026 against lakotalinks.com. Tee-time policies change, so confirm with the course before you go.
How is difficulty measured?
By slope rating, which measures how much harder a course plays for a bogey golfer than for a scratch golfer. It runs from 55 to 155, and 113 is standard difficulty. Each course is ranked by the highest slope from its men's tees, and only regulation 18-hole courses are included. Course rating, the score a scratch golfer is expected to shoot, is shown alongside.
More Colorado golf
- Hardest golf courses in Colorado, private clubs included
- Easiest public golf courses in Colorado
- Every rated course in Colorado
- All Colorado golf courses