Featured Course: Wellshire Golf Course Features Solid Value, Local Charm

By Nathan Jansch
Rockiesgolf.com Course Reviewer

May 25, 1999

Wellshire public golf course opened in 1927, under the architecture of Donald Ross, and has become a landmark location in Denver golfing history. Its central location and well kept greens have made it a favorite of many a golfer in the metro area.

While it pails in comparison to the exclusive private courses of Denver, Wellshire has built a reputation of being one the finest courses of the public circuit.

At 6608 yards, it proves to be shorter than many other local courses. The front nine, with a difficult 7th hole, provides an enjoyable open, but nothing that will leave you awe inspired. The back nine is more of the same, with open and straight forward 12th and 13th holes, but is saved with a very pleasant 17th and 18th. The mens 18th tee lies behind a meandering creek and gully, requiring a firm shot as you head back to the clubhouse.

This creek, which also runs through holes 9 and 11 provides the course with one of its most distinctive features, its water driving range situated just off of the 18th green. The holes themselves offer mostly unfettered and expansive fairways, providing a large amount of room for error for the occasional (or somewhat frequent) slice.

At times (especially in spring), however, holes 1 and 10 suffer from an accumulation of water in the vallied middle portion of the fairway, causing the golfer to judge his tee shot carefully. Without these obstacles, the holes could possibly be reached in two by the longer player (especially 10, 469 yard par 5).

Holes 2-4 present an easy beginning portion to the course, with a par three and two consecutive par fours. Five is the number three handicap and plays up to its billing.

The long, narrow fairway, combined with it being lined by houses on the left drives the nervous golfer to produce many an errant shot. Six plays relatively easy, but can be difficult for the longer driver. The severe dog-leg left forces many to either cut the corner and place oneself in the trees, or place their tee shot onto the right side fairway, both creating difficult second shots to the green.

For many, these problems can be avoided by playing smart and resisting the urge to try to drive every par four. A light fairway wood or long iron can just as easily place you in prime position for an easy second onto a fairly open green. Seven, as mentioned above, is the hardest hole of the course, with a difficult down and up dog-leg left. The elevated tee hits down to a medium sized landing area. But it isnt the tee shot that creates the problems. The greatest challenge, comes on the second shot as you make your way back up a significant slope, with unbalanced footing and a full row of houses on the left.

For the longest drivers, the straight forward 8th, at 316 yards, can be driven with a roll onto a slightly raised green. Nine is a short par three back to the clubhouse, with an easy five iron over the creek and onto an open green, sided on the right with two shallow bunkers.

The clubhouse, itself, lies closely to the left of the green, causing for a poorly hooked tee shot to find its way onto the patioed eating area of the club house.

The back nine starts out similarly to the front, with a 5, 3, 4, 4 combination. The tee of the 12th is quite unfortunately the most unsightly feature on the course. With a ten foot chain-linked fence lining its right hand side, which guards it from the back side of 2nd and 11th greens, and with it overlooking a dirt service road, the 12th tee has little redeeming quality.

While being unattractive at the start, the 12th is the second most difficult hole on the course, however, so you cant be blind to it all together. At 471 yards (par four), this holes main challenge is its length. A well struck tee shot still leaves a long 5 iron to the green and without a backdrop on the back side, sitting a perfect shot on the long and narrow green is a hard feat for most.

The middle of the back nine runs along Hampden Ave. making it not uncommon for the unlucky slice to find its way onto the asphalt out of bounds. The course itself, does make up for these woes, however.

Lined with old growth trees, these holes have been successfully separated from the street to the south, while not making it impossible to save par if one should venture to the right of the fairway.

Unlike many of the newer courses in the suburbs of Denver, Wellshire golf course is blessed with a great number of trees and an unique sense of history. It doesnt necessarily have the best features, nor does it have any marquis holes to set itself above and beyond the rest, but unlike the cookie-cutter, treeless, and lifeless courses that have sprung up in recent years on the fringes of Denver's communities,

Wellshire does provide a convenient and pleasurable round, especially for the average golfer on a budget.

Wellshire Golf Course
3333 S. Colorado Blvd.          Holes: 18
Denver, CO 80222                Par: 71/73
303-757-1352                    Cost: $16 nine holes/ $21 eighteen