Castle Pines Golf Club

Castle Pines Golf Club was the vision of Jack Vickers, a Denver oil executive who acquired thousands of acres of rugged foothill terrain in Castle Rock, Colorado. Vickers enlisted Jack Nicklaus to design a championship course that would rival Augusta National in scenery and drama. The course opened in 1981 at an elevation of approximately 6,300 feet, carved through ponderosa pine forests with dramatic elevation changes.

The International, a PGA Tour event using a unique modified Stableford scoring format, called Castle Pines home from 1986 to 2006 for 21 consecutive years. At the time of its inaugural event, The International featured a $1 million purse, the largest in PGA Tour history. The tournament became one of the most distinctive stops on Tour, with the Stableford format encouraging aggressive play on the mountain course.

Castle Pines returned to championship prominence when it hosted the 2024 BMW Championship, a FedEx Cup Playoffs event. At 8,130 yards from the championship tees, it was the longest course setup in PGA Tour history. Jack Vickers passed away in 2018, but his legacy endures through one of the most dramatic and demanding courses in American golf.

Castle Pines is a mountain golf experience unlike any other. The course sits at approximately 6,300 feet elevation amid towering ponderosa pines with dramatic elevation changes on nearly every hole. At 7,559 yards from the back tees, the course is long on paper but the altitude adds 10-15 percent to shot distances.

The Nicklaus design takes full advantage of the rugged terrain, routing holes through natural corridors in the pine forests with panoramic Rocky Mountain views. The conditioning is immaculate, and the remote mountain setting creates a sense of isolation and grandeur that few courses can match.

Altitude adjustment is critical at Castle Pines. The 6,300-foot elevation adds roughly 10-15 percent to all distances, and many holes feature significant elevation changes that further affect club selection. A shot that travels 150 yards at sea level may carry over 170 yards here, especially on downhill holes.

The ponderosa pines create narrow corridors that demand accuracy off the tee. Wayward drives will find trouble in the trees, thick rough, or natural mountain terrain. Focus on keeping the ball in the fairway rather than maximizing distance.