Coal Creek

Venue Overview

Coal Creek Golf Course is a public, 18-hole golf course in Louisville, Colorado, owned and operated by the City of Louisville. Designed by Colorado architect Dick Phelps and opened in 1990, Coal Creek quickly became one of the first premier public courses on the Front Range, pairing a links-style front nine with water in play on nearly every hole against a back nine defined by dramatic elevation change and sweeping Rocky Mountain views. The course plays to a par of 72 across roughly 4,825 to 7,017 yards depending on tee selection.

About the Course

Dick Phelps' design gave Coal Creek two distinct personalities in a single round: a front nine that plays like a true links course, with water hazards woven into nearly every hole, and a back nine that climbs into rolling terrain with panoramic Front Range views. That contrast helped Coal Creek earn a reputation as one of the region's most complete public tests of golf almost immediately after it opened in 1990. The course has been rebuilt once already in its history and has weathered two major natural disasters, giving it a resilience story that few Colorado courses can match.

• 18-hole, par-72 course designed by Dick Phelps, opened in 1990
• Plays from approximately 4,825 to 7,017 yards depending on tee selection
• Links-style front nine with water hazards on nearly every hole
• Back nine features dramatic elevation change and Front Range views
• City of Louisville-owned municipal course
• Certified Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary as of 2025, among roughly 3% of golf courses worldwide with the designation

Rebuilt After the 2013 Flood, Reborn as "Colorado's Newest 25-Year-Old Course"

In September 2013, catastrophic flooding sent Coal Creek's namesake waterway over its banks, nearly destroying the golf course — fairways were torn apart and decades of infrastructure were washed away. The City of Louisville responded quickly, hiring Herfort Norby Golf Course Architects and construction firm Landscapes Unlimited to rebuild the course from the ground up, combining roughly $3 million in FEMA-eligible flood repairs with an additional $2.5 million in previously planned improvements. Architect Kevin Norby led the rebuild, working to honor the spirit of Dick Phelps' original routing while modernizing irrigation and playing surfaces throughout. When Coal Creek reopened in the summer of 2015, it earned the nickname "Colorado's newest 25-year-old golf course" — the same soul as the original, rebuilt better. The course faced another test in the December 2021 Marshall Fire, which spared the course's structures but reshaped the surrounding landscape along the first five holes, requiring the removal of 159 fire-damaged trees before the course reopened in phases. In 2016, Golf Inc. Magazine named Coal Creek the runner-up for Best Golf Course Redevelopment in the World — finishing second only to the legendary Trump Turnberry in Scotland, a remarkable honor for a municipal course in a town of roughly 20,000 people. Closer to home, the 2020 Colorado AvidGolfer CAGGY Awards recognized Coal Creek with first-place finishes for both Best Value and Most Underrated Course.

Practice Facilities & Amenities

• Expanded practice facilities rebuilt as part of the 2014-2015 reconstruction
• Golf shop
• The Turn, Coal Creek's on-site restaurant
• Mobile app for bookings and scoring
• Loyalty program
• Monarch Jr. Pass for junior golfers

Lessons & Instruction

Coal Creek's instruction team, as of 2026, includes:

• Bo Lewis — Head Golf Professional, earned his PGA Membership in 2022 after leading instruction teams at premier Seattle-area facilities and working alongside Master PGA Professionals in Frisco, TX; specializes in custom club fittings and course management-focused coaching
• Taylor Walker — First Assistant Golf Professional, a Louisville native who has been part of the Coal Creek team since 2017; his students range from first-time players to D-1 and D-2 college golfers and high school champions
• Joey Parsons — Second Assistant Golf Professional, with Coal Creek for seven years and now entering the PGA apprentice program
• Missy Schreiner, Ph.D. — golf instructor pursuing LPGA Professionals Class A certification, with a Joint Ph.D. in Cognitive Science and Experimental Psychology; has coached Front Range high school teams to state championship success and taught Applied Sports Psychology at the University of Tulsa
• Brandon Shupick — Performance Coach and founder of GolfRX Academy, who began his career at Nike's R&D facility "The Oven" in Fort Worth, TX, working alongside Tour professionals; uses FlightScope X3 launch monitor technology in his coaching

Coal Creek also runs an active junior golf program, regularly cited as one of the top on the Front Range, including PGA Jr. Summer Camps, PGA Jr. League, and Operation 36. Contact the golf shop at (303) 666-7888 to schedule a lesson or ask about current clinic offerings.

Tournaments & Events

Coal Creek regularly hosts premier amateur and professional golf events, and its Couple's, Men's, Senior Men's, and Women's Leagues keep the course active with organized competition throughout the season. The course's mix of championship-caliber design, Front Range scenery, and City of Louisville support makes it a strong host for tournaments, corporate outings, and group events of all sizes.

Planning Your Event Here

Coal Creek's award-winning Dick Phelps design, resilience story, and mountain views make it a distinctive option for tournaments, corporate outings, and group events in the Boulder County area. Contact the golf shop to coordinate a booking. The course is located at 585 West Dillon Road, Louisville, CO 80027 (303-666-7888).

Hosting an Event at Coal Creek? Launch It on Colorado Under Par

If you're organizing a tournament, scramble, or group outing at Coal Creek, you can launch your event for free on Colorado Under Par — Colorado's dedicated platform for discovering and promoting golf, pickleball, and sporting events. Getting your event in front of Colorado's active golf community takes less than five minutes. Launch your event here: coloradounderpar.com/submit-event