Fossil Trace Golf Course

Venue Overview

Fossil Trace Golf Club is an award-winning public golf course in the historic city of Golden, Colorado, and one of the most distinctive rounds you will ever play, quite literally 64 million years in the making. Designed by acclaimed architect Jim Engh and opened in 2003, this City of Golden course is regularly named among the best in Denver and honored as a Golf Digest "Must Play." Nestled against the foothills just 20 minutes west of downtown Denver, it delivers a mountain-course feel in an urban setting, with Engh's signature funneling greens and bold bunkering, all wrapped around a truly one-of-a-kind attraction: genuine dinosaur footprints and prehistoric fossils that give the course its name. Add strong instruction, an on-site restaurant, and a reputation as a top charity-tournament venue, and Fossil Trace is a bucket-list public course and a memorable home for outings and events.

About the Course

Fossil Trace is an 18-hole, par-72 course designed by renowned architect Jim Engh and opened in July 2003 as a City of Golden municipal course. Playing to 6,831 yards from the back tees, with eleven sets of tees from as short as 4,662 yards, it winds through rolling topography and the remains of a historic clay mine, framed by the foothills and Table Mountain. Engh's signature style, recessed fairways, bold bunkering, and funneling greens, creates a modern, imaginative test in a genuinely inspirational setting. It is open to the public. Course features: 18-hole, par-72 course designed by Jim Engh, opened in 2003 6,831 yards from the back tees, with eleven sets of tees from just 4,662 yards A City of Golden municipal course, set at roughly 6,500 feet Engh's signature recessed fairways, "muscle" bumpers, and funneling "soup-bowl" greens Genuine dinosaur footprints and prehistoric fossils along holes 11 through 15 Remnants of 19th-century clay-mining equipment throughout the layout Foothills and Table Mountain views, with a mountain feel in an urban setting Repeatedly honored as one of the best public courses in Denver and Colorado

64 Million Years in the Making

Fossil Trace is unlike any other course on Earth, because parts of it are exactly that old. Holes 11 through 15 sit on ground where dinosaurs once walked, and the course's most celebrated hole, the par-5 12th, plays through towering, fossil-encrusted sandstone monoliths that split the fairway and hide the green. Adjacent to the 12th green you can see genuine Triceratops footprints and a palm-frond trace fossil, the very palm leaf featured in the course logo, so significant that the Colorado School of Mines studies them, with two walls even lit for evening research. Petrified footprints dot the cart paths, massive relics of the property's 19th-century clay-mining past stand throughout the layout, and a clubhouse exhibit tells the whole story. It is a golf experience and a natural-history tour rolled into one.

The Playing Experience

Fossil Trace is a Jim Engh original, and that means fun, imaginative, thinking golf. Engh recessed many of the fairways below the surrounding landscape, so the course feels secluded, and built in his trademark features: "muscle" bumper hills that kick good drives back toward the short grass, and funneling "soup-bowl" greens with sidewalls so bold that a ball can roll off the edge and back toward the hole. The design constantly tempts you to go for it, while always leaving a smarter bail-out for the careful player. The back nine, running beneath sandstone bluffs and rock monoliths, is one-of-a-kind, and the uphill par-3 11th is home to the longest green in Colorado. Between the tough par-4 4th, the mighty 660-yard par-5 9th, and the fishhook par-5 18th, a celebrated "bet-settler," there is drama all the way around. At roughly 6,500 feet the ball flies, and with eleven sets of tees, it is a genuine treat for every level.

Practice Facilities & Amenities

Fossil Trace is a complete, welcoming golf facility: A driving range with practice tees and a putting and short-game area A full-service pro shop and online shop The on-site Three Tomatoes Restaurant, with deck dining overlooking the 10th and 18th holes A clubhouse exhibit detailing the course's dinosaur tracks and history The Fossil Trace app, web cam, and hole-by-hole flyover, with walking permitted

Golf Lessons & Instruction

The Fossil Trace Golf School offers instruction for every age and ability, led by a team of PGA professionals (as of 2026): Director of Player Development Nick Borgeson, PGA, who also directs the club's fitting program; Matt Metzger, PGA; Director of Operations and Events Katie Johnson, PGA; and Chris Glaser, PGAA. Their programs cover the full spectrum of the game: Private lessons, one-on-one or in small groups, offered as single sessions or multi-lesson series, with swing video through the OnForm app Junior programs starting at age four, from Lil' Tykes and half-day camps to the Operation 36 Junior Academy and PGA Junior League Adult programs for every level, including Get Golf Ready and the on-course Operation 36 Adult program PGA HOPE, a free program introducing golf to veterans and active-duty military Professional club fitting with launch-monitor technology Contact the golf school to book a lesson or sign up for a program.

Tournaments & Events

Repeatedly recognized as one of the best charity-tournament venues in the Denver area, Fossil Trace is a standout host for outings and events. Its award-winning course, on-site dining at Three Tomatoes, and unforgettable setting make every tournament memorable, and its dedicated events team handles the details. Event types hosted: Charity and nonprofit fundraising tournaments Corporate and group outings Competitive and league play Group golf experiences Contact the course to inquire about availability and outing packages for your next event.

Planning Your Event Here

Fossil Trace works well for organizers who want a truly memorable, award-winning public course just 20 minutes west of downtown Denver in Golden. Its eleven sets of tees suit mixed-ability groups, its reputation as a top charity-tournament venue speaks for itself, and the one-of-a-kind setting makes any event unforgettable. Event availability and outing packages are coordinated directly with the golf staff. Reach out to the course at 303-277-8750 to plan your outing.

Hosting an Event at Fossil Trace Golf Club? Launch It on Colorado Under Par

If you're organizing a tournament, scramble, or group outing at Fossil Trace Golf Club, 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