Best Fort Collins Golf Courses – City Park 9 [PICTURES]

City Park 9 is, as the name implies, a 9 hole course attached to City Park in Fort Collins. It lies between Mountain Avenue and Mulberry Street on the northwestern side of the city. It is a fun course to play with very mature trees and good conditions.

It is an excellent course that borders the real neighborhoods of Fort Collins. On summer days, the trolley can be seen as it is taken from its traditional spot on Mountain Avenue into Old Town. In the fall, the yellowing aspens in the mountains can be seen from the western vistas. Grandview Cemetery is adjacent so more pieces of Fort Collins history are right there.

The views and ambience are there...how is the golf?

Hole #4 at City Park 9

I love playing at City Park 9. Perhaps it's because I used to live right across the street on Mountain Avenue, but I think it is a special course. It is a very traditional municipal course with few hazards, not much sand and somewhat limited length. Municipal courses often have the problem of lack of space but City Park 9 barely suffers from this condition. There is one spot that is a little weird. Hole #3 is a par 4 that, as the crow flies, is only about 180 yards. However, using the old trees and a dogleg setup makes it play longer. Some people attempt to go for the green, but the old trees tower so high that it is an almost impossible shot.

City Park's difficulty lies in the age of its trees. It is 72 years old in a park that is celebrating its 100th year anniversary, so there has been plenty of time for the trees to turn from saplings to towering ball blockers. If you hit it straight, you'll be fine. The gaff is that most golfers don't hit it straight. Start to let it out a bit and you're be contending with the flora, and sometimes fauna, of the high plains. There is quite a bit of wildlife, despite the fact that it is in the city. Play at sunset and the chances of seeing a fox or some deer are very good.

Overall

It's not a country club, but it is a great course. Get to know the flow and you'll learn the times at which you can have the course almost all to yourself. On hot days, enjoy the shade of the big trees, especially on their practice range.

Must bring gear

Skycaddy, distance app, rangefinder. The distances are measured from the white and red tees, but not the blue, so either guess, or bring something to measure it.