Construction begins on first golf course at Rodeo Dunes

ROGGEN — Construction has begun on the first of two golf courses planned at Rodeo Dunes, a developing resort property north of Roggen in Weld County

Developers and owners Michael and Chris Keiser announced Friday that Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw have begun construction on the course on the property that consists of 4,000 acres of towering sand dunes with 125-mile views of Colorado’s Front Range.

According to documents filed with the Weld County assessor, Rodeo Dunes LLC, registered to golf course developers from Chicago-based Dream Golf, purchased 10 roughly adjacent parcels from Cervi Enterprises Inc. to design and build the complex, located off Interstate 76 50 miles from downtown Denver and 42 miles from Denver International Airport.

The name Rodeo Dunes pays tribute to the family from which Dream Golf purchased the land. The Cervi family produces rodeo events and has used parts of the land for rodeo training, as well as ranching and livestock.

Crenshaw, a retired PGA champion, routed some of the holes on the property. He and Coore designed the Colorado Golf Club in Parker and the Sand Hills Golf Club in Mullen, Nebraska. The Rodeo Dunes project marks a return to the type of inland-links landscape that defined their work at Sand Hills.

“It’s hard to look at this site and not think of Sand Hills,” Crenshaw said, referring to the design they did in 1995 that was ranked no. 11 on Golf Magazine’s 2023-24 list of Top 100 Courses in the World.

“This is an amazing landscape,” Coore said. “It’s the first time we’ve had a site like this in America since Sand Hills. It’s the type of property that goes back to the very beginnings of golf being played by the sea in Scotland, a link to 500 years of history. Anyone in our profession would consider it an extraordinary opportunity to work on a site like this.”

Given the pure sand base and natural topography, Coore, Crenshaw and their team will do much of the shaping work by hand and small machinery. Virtually no heavy equipment will be involved. 

Some amount of preview play is expected in 2025, with a grand opening slated for 2026. 

An associate, Jim Craig, has completed a routing for the resort’s second course and will begin construction next year, with a grand opening slated for 2028. A short course and a sprawling putting course are also being planned.

“These dunes are so good” Michael Keiser said. “You could not ask for a better site. The land requires minimal shaping. We know what kind of work Bill and Ben do, and their routing is as great as you would expect from them. Rodeo Dunes gives every golfer the chance to experience the timeless joys of links golf.”

on Facebook on LinkedIn