What Are the Worst Golf Courses in Each State? (Colorado)

Walnut Creek Golf Preserve

It’s always difficult (and a little controversial) to single out the “worst” golf courses in a region — much depends on one’s expectations, what you pay, how far you’re willing to travel, your tolerance for rough conditions, pace of play, etc. But based on local reviews, maintenance issues, safety complaints, and general player dissatisfaction, three Colorado courses recur often in “courses to avoid” conversations. Below is a look at those, the key criticisms, and what golfers say you might want to avoid.

The Contenders

Here are three courses in Colorado that often come up in negative reviews. These aren’t necessarily “unplayable,” but they have serious flaws many golfers find hard to overlook.

Walnut Creek Golf Preserve (Westminster / Broomfield area)

Once known under the name Heritage at Westmoor, this municipal/links-style course is frequently mentioned among courses with issues. GolfPass

What people complain about:

- Poor condition: Tee boxes with little grass, fairways with cracks and burned-out spots, greens that are slow or patchy and inconsistent. Tripadvisor

- Pricing vs. value: Several players feel green fees are too high for what the course provides in terms of condition and amenities. Tripadvisor

- Pace of play & management: On busy days, lack of marshals or enforcement of pace leads to backups and frustration. Also, lack of transparency — for instance, showing up expecting 18 holes open only to find 9 holes are playable. 

- External issues: Noise from nearby planes, which impacts the playing experience, according to some reviewers. Tripadvisor

What still works:

- Some golfers argue that when conditions are good — off-season or after maintenance work — the course offers scenic value, a fair challenge, and beautiful vistas. Wanderlog

- It has some strong features (natural prairie grasses, wetlands, etc.) which, if properly maintained, could be very appealing. GolfPass

Overall, many say the experience often doesn’t live up to the cost.

Wellshire Golf Course

Wellshire Golf Course (Denver)

A classic Donald Ross–designed public course, Wellshire gets praise for design, layout, history — but also plenty of pain points. Denver Westword

Key criticisms:

- Safety concerns: Because of narrow fairways, small greens, and close proximities, there have been multiple reports of errant balls hitting players. One reviewer claims serious injury (orbital socket broken, teeth displaced) as a result of being struck by tee shots. Denver Westword

- Maintenance lag: Some restrooms, bar areas, structural and cosmetic issues have been delayed in repair. The course is owned by the city, and budget or staffing constraints show. glendalecherrycreek.com

- Expectations vs. condition: When people go in expecting a classic, well-maintained Donald Ross layout, sometimes what they find is inconsistent greens, rough that is too thick, or amenities that are past their prime. amusements-parks.com

What’s good:

- The layout is solid; many enjoy the design, the challenge. thednvr.com

- Value is often cited as good (especially for Denver municipal courses) when everything is working. GolfPass

In short, Wellshire isn’t universally “bad,” but the combination of safety, maintenance, and infrastructure concerns drag its average experience down for many players.

Antler Creek Golf Course

Antler Creek Golf Course (Falcon / Colorado Springs area)

This one often shows up in local discussions as a course that has slipped significantly. Reddit

What players complain about:

- Poor condition: Fairways, greens, tee boxes have been reported to be in terrible shape. Some reviews say it’s “the worst shape of any course I’ve ever played right now.” Reddit

- Maintenance neglect: Lack of upkeep is a common refrain. Weed growth, poor grass health, overgrown or uncared-for bunkers and rough. Reddit

- Value concerns: Players feel that what they pay doesn’t reflect what they get — bad surfaces, inconsistency, sometimes amenities not working. Reddit

What still keeps some returning:

- Some like the links-style or “long walk” feel of Antler Creek; when it's in better condition, it can be fun for those willing to accept the “rustic” experience.

- For area players, it's one of the more accessible tracks, which means convenience sometimes offsets condition for committed locals.

What Makes These “Worst”

When you look across complaints, here are the recurring themes:

- Condition vs. price: Many of these courses charge rates comparable to better-maintained ones, and the disconnect between cost and what you're getting is one of the biggest sources of frustration.

- Maintenance delays: Poor turf, patchy greens, weak irrigation or sprinkler systems, unmaintained bunkers — all factors that degrade the experience.

- Safety and fairness: Narrow fairways, small greens, proximity of holes leads to errant shots being dangerous; layout issues that may have worked historically but now feel risky when pace of play, traffic, and usage have changed.

- Management/policy issues: Transparent communications about how many holes are open, pace of play enforcement, staff responsiveness, amenities maintenance — where these break down, perception worsens.

Caveats

Many negative reviews are from certain times of year (late season, drought, winter damage), or after storms. A course might be much better in prime season.

Some courses are municipally owned or run with tight budgets, so expectations should be managed accordingly.

Someone else’s worst course might be your favorite “challenging underdog” if you enjoy ruggedness, punishing rough, or don’t mind some inconsistencies.