Fossil Trace Golf Club
Golden, CO
Fossil Trace Golf Club is a municipal 18-hole, par-72 golf course in Golden, Colorado, playing 6,812 yards with a course rating of 72 and slope of 141. It is ranked #30 on Golf Digest's Best in Colorado (2025-26). It was designed by Jim Engh.
🏛 Designed by Jim Engh
Fossil Trace opened in July 2003 on a site with dinosaur tracks and trace fossils dating back about 64 million years, including triceratops footprints visible near the 12th green. The course also runs past remnants of clay mining equipment left from the property's earlier industrial use, and the clubhouse houses an exhibit on the site's prehistoric and mining history.
Accolades
- Ranked #30, Best in Colorado (Golf Digest, 2025-26)
- Ranked #34, Top Courses in Colorado (Top 100 Golf Courses, as of Oct 2026)
📍 Illinois Street, Golden, CO 80401
Course layout
Hole lines and layout © OpenStreetMap contributors. Tap a hole line for par and yardage.
Scorecard, hole by hole
- Par 72 over 18 holes: 5 par 3s, 8 par 4s, 5 par 5s
- Longest hole: No. 9, 659 yards, par 5
- Shortest hole: No. 5, 96 yards, par 3
- Hardest hole by handicap: No. 9 (par 5, 659 yards)
- Biggest elevation change: No. 13, about 80 ft downhill from tee to green
- Water in play on holes 5, 6, 10, 15, 16, 17 and 18
- Doglegs: 1 left, 3 right, 1 double
| Hole | Par | Yards | Hcp | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 5 | 575 | 3 | double dogleg, 2 bunkers, plays about 60 ft downhill |
| 2 | 4 | 320 | 13 | 2 bunkers, plays about 40 ft downhill |
| 3 | 3 | 151 | 15 | 4 bunkers, plays about 20 ft uphill |
| 4 | 4 | 480 | 5 | 1 bunker, plays about 25 ft downhill |
| 5 | 3 | 96 | 17 | water in play, 3 bunkers |
| 6 | 4 | 409 | 9 | water in play, 3 bunkers, plays about 40 ft uphill |
| 7 | 4 | 377 | 11 | 1 bunker, plays about 20 ft uphill |
| 8 | 4 | 412 | 7 | 4 bunkers, plays about 25 ft downhill |
| 9 | 5 | 659 | 1 | 1 bunker, plays about 20 ft uphill |
| Out | 36 | 3,479 | ||
| 10 | 4 | 333 | 10 | dogleg right, water in play, 2 bunkers, plays about 35 ft downhill |
| 11 | 3 | 186 | 16 | 4 bunkers |
| 12 | 5 | 585 | 4 | dogleg left, 2 bunkers, plays about 40 ft downhill |
| 13 | 4 | 394 | 8 | 2 bunkers, plays about 80 ft downhill |
| 14 | 3 | 231 | 14 | plays about 20 ft uphill |
| 15 | 5 | 565 | 2 | water in play, 2 bunkers, plays about 40 ft downhill |
| 16 | 3 | 160 | 18 | water in play, 1 bunker |
| 17 | 4 | 356 | 12 | dogleg right, water in play, 2 bunkers |
| 18 | 5 | 523 | 6 | dogleg right, water in play, 2 bunkers |
| In | 36 | 3,333 | ||
| Total | 72 | 6,812 |
Scorecard from the Black tees (6,812 yards). Doglegs, water and bunkers are read from the OpenStreetMap hole lines and mapped hazards © OpenStreetMap contributors. Elevation: Open-Meteo / Copernicus DEM, approximate.
Nearby golf courses
| Course | Miles | Holes | Par | Rating / slope | Access |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Club at Rolling HillsGolden | 2.1 | 18 | 71 | 74.1 / 144 | Private |
| Applewood Golf CourseGolden | 3.3 | 18 | 71 | 67.8 / 120 | Public |
| West Woods Ranch Golf ClubArvada | 5.6 | 18 | Public | ||
| Bear Creek Golf ClubDenver | 6.5 | 18 | 72 | 75.2 / 148 | Private |
| Fox Hollow Golf CourseLakewood | 7.0 | 27 | 71 | 72.7 / 135 | Municipal |
| Lakewood Country ClubLakewood | 7.5 | 18 | 71 | 72.9 / 142 | Private |
| The Homestead Golf CourseLakewood | 7.7 | 18 | 65 | 63.4 / 112 | Municipal |
| Hiwan Golf CourseEvergreen | 8.8 | 18 | 70 | 72.0 / 142 | Likely private |
| Red Rocks Country ClubMorrison | 8.8 | 18 | 71 | 73.4 / 144 | Private |
| Foothills Championship CourseDenver | 8.9 | 18 | 72 | 71.6 / 127 | Public |
Straight-line distance from this course.
⛳ See all 63 public golf courses near Denver, CO · this course on the golf map
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