Centennial Golf Club: A Testing Course for a Golfer's Irons
By Diana Rowe Martinez, Senior Writer
LITTLETON, CO - You'll find another Dick Phelps course design at the intersection of Federal and Bowles in Littleton. The front nine has been around since 1983 and the back nine opened in 1997. A three-time winner of the National Gold Medal Award for Excellence in Park & Recreation Management, Centennial Golf Course will test the golfer's irons.Three tee boxes, from the back 4,706 yards to the forward at 3,466 yards, net a surprisingly challenging par 63. The variety of yardage along the course will have you pulling out a different club each hole. The course is well maintained and offers all the usual amenities from practice greens, driving ranges, snack bar with liquor, to a fully stocked golf shop.
You'll find the front nine's challenge will be avoiding water, trees and homes, a.k.a. hitting straight. The front nine holds six provocative par 3' s, yardages ranging from 220 to 96 yards.
Centennial's first hole is a straight par 4 at 306 yards with trees bordering both sides of the fairway. Beyond the trees, on the far left is Federal and right is the lake. Hole 2 is a picturesque 138-yard, par 3 with the lake coming into play on the right and houses left.
A favorite of Ted Moore, a Centennial employee, the par 5 at Hole 3 is a challenging 545-yarder with a dogleg right. Yet another lake sits at the dogleg on the right at the 150-yard marker. From there, it's a fairly straight shot to the green with the lake continuing on the right and houses on the left. Your best drive is right down the middle, unless you can walk on water or cut down a few trees for a better second shot.
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The par 4 at Hole 7 is a seemingly perfect birdie opportunity at 327 yards. However, a right dogleg with an out of bounds grassy area on the right makes this hole a bit tougher than it looks. Again, trees line the fairway on both the right and left. A blind drive over the edge of the right trees will put you close to the green. But beware of overachievers--a lake sits directly behind the green.
But Centennial's real coup of this course is their new back nine. Where the front nine is busy with homes lining most of the course, the back nine gives the golfer plenty of open space to get back to nature. Plush, green, and full of challenges, this back nine will top the list of favorites.
The back nine offers five par 3's, three par 4's and one very
difficult, finishing par 5. . On this back nine especially, the
architect designed a well thought out course, bringing into play
the beauty of the land, working nature into the game enough to
make this lower yardage course a challenge to all players.
Hole 10's par 4 is a straight 354 yarder, but a lake sits midway on the right of the fairway. Bunkers protect both front left and the right side of the green. Once again, overachievers will be rewarded--this time with thick brush and woods behind the green.
The next hole opens nicely to a wide, slightly downhill, undulating and sloping fairway. Needless to say, the slope leads to a lake on the right that follows the fairway all the way to the front lip of a long green. Woods guard the left side, to about the 150 yard marker, replaced by a grassy meadow.
A favorite of most golfers, according to Centennial's Ed Leuppe, is the par 3's at Hole 12 and 13. Yardage of 201and 222 might seem achievable, but once again trees border right up against the fairway. A shot has to be straight or you'll find yourself scouting in the woods for lost balls.
Another well thought out hole is the par 4 at 14. At 386 yards, a sharp dogleg right at 130 yards seems like a slicer's paradise. That would be the case if it weren't for the well placed bunkers at the dogleg and up the right of the green. A shot straight from the tee box to lay up is workable, but too much will bring the creek and woods into play directly ahead and on the left of the green.
A great finisher is the 565-yard par 5 18th. A lake sits at the right of the tee box and barbwire fenced woods on the left. Another lake starts on the right at about the 200-yard marker, at the beginning of the sharp dogleg in that same direction. When the lake ends, a grove of trees begins. A gully lays to the left. A ball sitting here is playable, but it is a blind shot. Bunkers lay to the left of the green and behind.
Although Centennial's course may not have the yardage of a standard
course, it has more challenges than a golfer might expect. I personally
enjoyed this course and walked away with a better understanding
and respect of all my clubs.
What are the working golfer's primary complaints? Not enough time to play, right? Not enough money? The affordable 18-hole round at Centennial will easily play in 3 1/2 hours, and is an excellent course to test your short game--and your temperance.
Centennial Golf Club
5800 S. Federal Blvd.
Littleton, CO 80123
(303) 794-5838
Pro: Bill Ramsey
Green Fees:
District Residents:
$9 for 9 holes
$16 for 18 holes
Non-District:
$13.50 for 9 holes
$25 for 18 holes
Carts:
$6 for 9 holes
$11 for 18 holes
