Boomerang
Golf Links: A Taste of Northeastern Colorado

By Diana Rowe Martinez,
Regional Staff Writer

GREELEY, CO - Northeastern Colorado serves up a challenging course in Greeley's Boomerang Golf Links. Opening in 1992 and designed by Architect Bill Neff, this course is rather deceiving. Just because it isn't a Denver metro highly talked about course, does not automatically rule this course out of the courses to be played. Boomerang is a public, 18 hole, par 72, with a whopping 7,214 yards of space to beat around your golf ball.

If you're looking for a quiet and relatively straightforward golf game, Boomerang is not for you. Whether you are a pro or an amateur, the four tee choices will present enough challenge and enough opportunity to keep everyone happy. The forward tees are great for seniors or beginners with 5,285 yards, but again don't let the numbers fool you.

The fairways are wide and open for the most part, but surprises can be found all along the way. Nearly every hole allows you to drink in a great view of the Front Range in a links style that can only be Colorado. The entire course boomerangs around a group of ponds and weaves around course obstacles.

The front nine will make you buckle down and concentrate on your game with its set of very competitive and challenging group of holes. Hole #1 is exemplary of the wide-open, deceiving fairways. A 427 yard, par 4, this fairway slopes toward the lake on the right. You guessed it…a drive too far right will be pulled into the water and is typical of the surprises awaiting you at Boomerang. The greens increase the challenge by being wide and long.

Other challenges present at Boomerang are similar to those at Hole 4's 381 yard, par 4. A parable hole if your drive plays left instead of right where fairway balls bounce without exception into the lake bordering the right fairway. If you make it through dry, watch the green as the lake fingers out onto the fairway in front of the green.

Tall buffalo grass waves in the wind taunting the errant golfer all along this links style course. Sure, it's wide open and seems to be smooth sailing, but any golfer that doesn't have a straight drive or subsequent shots may find themselves in the thick of a totally different problem. Like, where the heck did the ball go? And this time of year trudging through tall grass might dredge up rattlesnakes, instead of that evasive and expensive Pinnacle.

The back nine holes continue your golf saga on this northern Colorado course. The tees are well manicured even for late June when I played, and the water and tall grass continue to test your game. Yet, the back nine isn't as challenging as the front. An opportunity for the golfer to make up for the extra strokes in the front.

• Discuss this story at GolfBoards.com • Past TravelGolf.com Course Reviews • Past articles by Diana Rowe Martinez

Hole 10 begins much the same way as Hole 1 with a par 4, wide and open fairway, but instead of water challenges, your drive is off a long tee box and the green is well guarded by bunkers. Hole 11 plays a short 400-yard par 4 with a good birdie opportunity. The downhill par 5 at Hole 12 is a straight drive and another birdie hole even with the bunkers short of the narrow green. A 349-yard par 4 at Hole 15 is drivable for long hitters. There are loads of opportunities on the back nine to come out with a good game, even if you flailed on the front nine.

The finishing hole is a straight tee shot to a narrow landing for a long par 5, and a long haul at 565 yards. No. 18 will pay you back for the easy ride you've gotten for the last few holes. This hole requires a straight tee shot to narrow landing. Errant balls will pay the price. Favor the left of the fairway on approach. The two-tiered green requires a precise and accurate shot, but still, this hole does give up another birdie opportunity.

The deck wraps around the backside of the clubhouse and offers a great view of the Northern Colorado Front Range and the golf course. While you're chatting about the great putt you made or the par that got away, you can enjoy your favorite food and beverage with family and friends.

When in Rome, or in this case Colorado, you have no choice but to take in the Broncos [Football] Training Camp. The Bronco players check in to UNC at Greeley on Friday, July 27th. The public can watch these twice daily practices for free. These two-hour practices begin at 8:45am in the morning and again in the afternoon at approximately 2:30pm. The UNC West campus practice fields are easy to get to from Denver. Go north on Highway 85 or West on US 34 from I-25. Once in Greeley, turn north on 8th Avenue then turn left on 23rd Street that will take you to the UNC campus. The practice fields are behind the Harrison building, and even quicker to get to when you leave your golf game to enjoy someone else struggle with a sport.

Boomerang Golf Links, a short drive north of Denver in Greeley, is well worth the drive. See Greeley while you're here--there's more to it than the meat packing plant and there's as much to do here as in Denver, as only can be delivered in Greeley-style.

Boomerang Golf Links
7309 4th Street
Greeley, CO 80634
Phone: (970)351-8934
Fee Range: $20-$26
Black: 73.2/130
Red: 68.3/120

Directions: From I-25 take the Greeley/Loveland exit (Exit 257). Follow Hwy. 34 east and take the Business Loop as it turns north. Follow Business Loop (becomes W. 10th St.) to 71st Ave. and turn left (north). Take 71st Ave. north to 4th St. At 4th St., turn left and follow to course.

Places to Stay

Best Western Ramkota Inn
701 8th Street
Greeley, CO 80631
Phone: (970) 353-8444
Voted Weld County's #1 Hotel, offers 148 guest rooms, whirlpool suites, in-room coffee makers, indoor heated pool, and a grill and tavern in a western atmosphere that'll make you feel right at home. Reasonable rates at $50-$75 per night.

Greeley Guest House
5401 W. 9th Street
Greeley, CO 80634
Phone: (970) 353-9373 or (800)314-3684
www.greeleyguesthouse.com
An elegant country inn with oversized, beautifully furnished guest rooms with king and queen bed, or elegant suites with 2-person Jacuzzis with bonus spectacular mountain views. All include gas fireplace, microwave, small refrigerator, complimentary snacks, breakfast each morning and fresh baked cookies served daily. Rates begin at $109 per night and advance reservation is required.

Where to Eat

Bruce's Bar & Restaurant
345 1st St.
Severance, CO 80546
Phone: (970) 686-2320
If you've never been to Bruce's, you've never experienced the West and you've certainly not tasted the best Rocky Mountain oysters the state has to offer. Bruce's has been around forever and their décor has too, but believe me, the drive is certainly worth it to sample the food and listen to the live country music. Reservations are suggested on weekends.