Murphy Creek Golf Course

If this course weren't on the opposite side of town from me I'd play it all the time. Really fun course, great layout and in great condition. Such an outstanding value.

Murphy Creek is a municipal golf course owned by the city of Aurora. The tees, fairways and greens were in outstanding condition. Some of the best conditions I’ve ever seen. It has wide fairways but if you hit the ball in the rough, the rough can be difficult. The greens are huge, so play close attention to the pin location number. You are playing in a prairie environment, however, there are houses lining the course on the back side. The back side is some 200-300 yards longer. It has several weather shelters with clean porta-potties as restrooms. Throughout the course, there are numerous old farm implements used as character to the course.

This course should easily get a 5-star rating because of its conditioning. However, the design of the course brings it down to a 4-star rating.

LIKES:
Very friendly staff and starter.
Greens fees: $52.50 for a senior on a Thursday.
Conditioning of the course. Poa annua grass throughout the course, which was perfect.
Usually, poa annua greens can be bumpy, but there’ greens were very smooth and had a nice pace to them.
You do have a view of the front range.
Has a large driving range.
Sand in bunkers was excellent.

DISLIKES:
The course design is what disappointed me the most.
The course is not pleasing to the eye.
I did not take any pictures because no hole stood out. Not a picturesque course.
I felt the par 3, 17th hole was the prettiest hole on the course.
I did not like the design of the bunkering. High grass on the edges and dirt on the top edges.
This course has holes with numerous blind spots. Holes 1, 3, 6, 7.
The par 5, 3rd hole has a split fairway on your 2nd shot. You just can’t see this very well.
Dirt/gravel cart paths.
No GPS on the carts.
Hole 1 is an uphill hole, with a blind split fairway. You stand on the tee and you’re not sure where to hit
your tee shot.

WILDLIFE:
Starting on the 1st tee and numerous signs thereafter, this course has rattlesnakes on it. We saw one in the grassy area of the waste bunker on hole 5. Just be careful when looking for balls in the rough. Also, to the left of the back tees on hole 18, there is a colony of prairie dogs.

IMPROVEMENTS:
The course needs a better yardage marker system. They have a faded white stake, way off the fairway to indicate 150 yards. One bunker on hole 9, did not have a rake.

For a municipal public course (run and maintained by city of Aurora, CO) this seems like an extra special course every time I play it, maybe once or twice a season. The Links layout with the rustic farming theme, top-notch practice area and range, friendly customer service just make for a special golf experience regardless of how well you play. This is the tale of two courses - when the wind blows upward of 15mph it's just survival mode and when calm it's gettable. Good variety of tee selections including some combo tees. Front 9 seems pretty wide open with no houses around, and back 9 has some houses but I think the fairways are wide enough. It's location is a bit remote since it's so far east but worth the drive and close proximity to the airport. Comfortably walkable, not many elevation changes and close between most greens and tee boxes.

I was the first person out as a single in the morning which allowed me to play at my own pace. The course is gorgeous and provides a number of challenging holes with a lot of risk/reward shots to tempt more seasoned golfers. The day I played was incredibly windy. but with that said, the course was fair and would have been challenging even without the wind.

Great course!

When a track is good enough to hold a Public Links event, it definitely is good enough to call a home course! I absolutely love this place. One of the better practice facilities in the Denver metro with an all grass range, technical short game area with bunker and chipping greens, a very large putting green that coincides well with the regulation surfaces, and a rare wedge shot area for practicing inside 80yards to two different greens. However, none of this will prepare you enough for the inevitable winds that seem to magically change at every turn in the south corner of the property and a prevailing wind that makes 15-17 a stretch to think about before the round even starts! You can play this course 3 days in a row and have 3 different experiences. Sight lines off the tee are fair but it takes a round or two to understand the right plays. Greens can be a bit rough coming out of winter but are fantastic peak season. #9 is one of the best short par4s in the metro but will have you scratching your head for sure the first time and you can cry on your scorecard over a cold beer and a delicious menu at Murphy's Tavern when you finish!

This was the 5th and final stop on our group's trip.

For a muni, this is a great track. The practice area is super nice. The staff was very friendly and they were very accommodating about setting up our group outing.

The course itself is a challenging and fun layout. It's pretty linksy... not a ton of trees, lots of bunkers, fescue lining each hole. The rough is intense! You're gonna want to drive it well or you're gonna have a bad time.

You're playing target golf a lot of the day as the holes are pretty tight. Number 9 is probably my favorite hole. Potentially it's a drivable par 4 (only 255), but to do so you have to carry a ravine at about 220 yds. The green is tucked in between water and bunkers, so you have to hit it straight. Even trying to layup you have to choose a target carefully or you can hit a fairway bunker and/or have a very tough shot in cause the layup leaves you with water right behind the green.

The par 3s on this course are no joke. They are all pretty long and unforgiving. 17 is particularly tough, playing 230 the day we played.

We'd heard a lot about how difficult this course was as we researched our trip. It wasn't quite as bad as we were led to believe, but it's definitely a challenge. I liked the course a lot, and definitely think it's worth your time. It makes a great option if you need to get to the airport afterward.

Murphy Creek is the story of two nines. The front nine for me is a little more open. I like that feeling made some putts and shot 35. The back nine was a different story. The houses feel like they are on top of you and I don’t like that feeling. I made some doubles and bogeys for a 44. Still I broke 80 for the first time in a long time. It will challenge every aspect of your game!

It had been well over a decade since I'd last played Murphy Creek and I'd forgotten just how good this course is. What a gem for a muni in Colorado.

The course can be quite challenging but mixes in fun and playable holes where good scores are possible.

We played very early in the morning, as the second group out, after a night of heavy rains, so the course was wet and hadn't drained much. I suspect the course normally plays more firm.

Favorite holes were the risk/reward holes on the front: the par-5 sixth and the par-4 ninth. Both could lead to eagles or birdies or be absolute card wreckers depending on how safe you play or how well you pull off the shots required.

First time visiting Aurora. Course was recommended by a local golf. Staff was very accommodating and friendly. Paired with two local golfers who helped with the layout of the course. Pace of play was excellent. Grounds were beautiful. I rented some Cobra's that were perfect (even for a left hand player) Would for sure play again if I was in the area.

Visiting Aurora for first time. Course was recommended by Dicks Sporting goods employee. Had the best time. Staff was very friendly. Paired me and my son with two other local golfers. They helped with course layout. Rented Cobra clubs that were in great condition. Pace of play was good. I would definitely play again or recommend the course. Loved the scenery and links layout.

My little family and I were visiting the Denver area over the 4th of July and decided to play Murphy Creek and I'm glad we did. It's a little out of the way, but worth the drive. I liked the front nine best as it has an open, prairie-like feel to it and isn't surrounded by homes like most of the back nine. The condition of the course was great. The staff was friendly and helpful. There was hardly anyone on the course so the pace of play was excellent. The weather was a little warm and breezy but nothing we couldn't handle. We didn't use the driving range or the restaurant/bar, but the clubhouse was nice and looked great. I got a good twilight rate and my sons played for free or used Youth on Course. We did see a few snakes on the course, one of which was a rattlesnake, so be careful. Would like to play again when in the area.

Have played here a few dozen times now since moving to Colorado. Still have a lot of courses to play but this is definitely my favorite course in Colorado so far. Rates are more than fair, conditions right now are top notch, the layout is great and the pace of play is always quick. In California, this course would be well over $100 but I walk here for $41. The front 9 is probably my top 5 favorite 9 holes and the back 9 is great as well but runs through a housing complex so the feel is not quite the same as the front where there aren’t any houses. Greens were immaculate and quick, fairways and tee boxes were perfect. Can’t say enough great things about this course. I think it’s the hidden gem of the Denver area because a lot of natives I know have never played it. It’s a bit out there but worth the drive.

One of the best courses I have played in the Denver area. Fairways and greens were in great shape and a beautiful layout. The truest links-style course I've played.

Definitely a challenging course for high-handicappers like myself, but enjoyed it nonetheless. Will definitely be back.

Loved the layout. Was challenging and fair. I played very early AM and it was still wet from watering so fairways and greens were very soft. If you want a true links experience, play it later in the day so it can dry out.
Great tee box differential from black to blue to white so caters to many levels. Greens rolled smooth and true.
Would recommend or happily take out of town company.

Blown away by the authenticity of this place. From the clubhouse to the design everything screams Scottish links golf here...purists will dig it.

My only caution is because of where this place is located there really isn't any hiding from the wind (which I'm sure is why it was built there). No fault of the golf course, but when I played yesterday it was actually blowing so hard my ball blew off the green multiple times. Stood over many oscillating putts. Tour pros would have hated those conditions. I walked off the course after 11 holes.Not fun. BUT I will be back. Just on a nicer day.

Since moving to Colorado, I have found that a lot of local courses tend to be a bit flat and boring. This course is not that and has a lot of character. The front nine is especially fantastic with no houses whatsoever. The back nine has a little different feel with houses surrounding most holes but is still a good layout and probably a little tougher. The course conditions are top notch and they have just about everything you could ask for in a practice facility. So far out of the 10 or so courses I've played in the greater Denver area, this is the best considering how much course you get for your dollar. It's a must play.

If you think Riverdale Dunes will put it on you you haven't seen this monster. Perfect greens, well manicured fairways, kids play free after 1:30 p.m. and kids tee boxes are cut out of the fairway. Definitely need to play the right tee box for your handicap. Think Riverdale on steroids. Front nine winds through farmland with links style play. Very few trees or water but if your in the rough you need a beacon to find your ball, and if you do find it just take your medicine and chip out. Back nine is less rural and less links style as you play through a community but the conditions are just as good and just as challenging. 17 is a 240 yard par four and when the wind is up, as it almost always is, your a driver into the green (yes even for a 310 average drive). Because this track is at E-470 and Jewell there is no wind break so you always (well almost always) have wind. From the back it is punishing, as you move up in tee boxes the course becomes less menacing. At $60.00 for 18 with a cart this track is, in my opinion, the best course in the state. Super friendly staff and hosted the U.S. Amateur few years back.