If you’re someone who loves to travel for golf, or you happen to be a resident of Denver, well then today is your lucky day.
Dream Golf Resorts has just announced the latest resort in their portfolio: Rodeo Dunes.
This marks one of the largest-scale golf resorts to be announced and built in the last decade, and it’s made all the more interesting by its remote location outside of Denver, Colorado.
Trying to learn more about Rodeo Dunes? Let’s jump into everything we know.
What is Rodeo Dunes Golf Resort?
Rodeo Dunes is the latest golf project from Bandon Dunes founder Mike Keiser, and his Dream Golf Resorts portfolio.
Mike’s brother Chris Keiser and his son Michael Keiser will both be heavily involved, and the resort is being built in partnership with their Dream Golf Resorts portfolio which includes Bandon, Sand Valley, and Cabot among others.
The resort will be built on 2,000 acres of land outside Roggen, Colorado within the Front Range to the Northeast of the city.
Keiser acquired the land from the Cervi family who is the largest producer of rodeos in the United States. This land forms just a fraction of their overall holdings, and the resort was named Rodeo Dunes as an homage to the heritage of the land.
How Many Courses Will Be Built at Rodeo Dunes?
There is room for up to six courses at Rodeo Dunes, and as of now the first two have rough routings completed and are ready to enter the construction phase.
Assuming the first 36 holes go well, there will likely be a large Himalayas-style putting green, as well as a par 3 course – following a similar development schedule as some of Dream Golf’s other properties.
Who is the Architect of Rodeo Dunes?
The first course to be built at Rodeo Dunes will be designed by Jim Craig.
This is notable because it’s going back to the early days of Bandon Dunes Resort when Keiser hired, the then-unknown architect David McLay Kidd to build the first course there.
Jim has been working with Coore and Crenshaw for years and has had his hand in a number of their courses like Friar’s Head, Old Sandwich, and more recently Sheep Ranch.
Everything I’ve heard about Jim points to the fact he’s very talented and tends to see things in a way that others don’t – which could lead to a really unique and interesting course.
The second course has been routed and laid out by Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw, so we’re also seeing more of a household name attached to the project as well.
This feels like a smart move, since Mr. Craig already has a very established relationship with the Coore and Crenshaw team. Having both on the property at the same time, there will be an abundance of resources to help build out the course.
When Will the Rodeo Dunes Courses Open?
With the routings of the first two courses already laid out, construction should begin this year. There is potential for preview play of the first course to be ready by late 2024, with a full opening slated for 2025.
We’ll be updating this page over the following months as more details are released about the course. Having traveled extensively for golf, this is the most excited I’ve been for a new resort opening in a long time.
With the Lido scheduled to open this year at Sand Valley, it’s a pretty exciting time over at Dream Golf Resorts, and that makes it even more exciting for golfers willing to venture a little bit out of the way to experience all that they have to offer.
You can learn more about the Rodeo Dunes project over at the Dream Golf website.
