CommonGround - Colorado - USA

The 18-hole golf course at CommonGround once belonged to the Mira Vista Golf Club, opening for play in 1972. The state golfing authorities, the Colorado Golf Association and the Colorado Women's Golf Association, acquired the property and developed it as a pay and play golf complex in 2009.

Located a mere eight miles to the east of downtown Denver, the course is another minimalist offering from Tom Doak, who totally redesigned the site by removing intrusive trees, restoring native grasses, adding strategic bunkers and constructing massive, undulating greens.

Just as important as the 18-hole course, Doak also installed a driving range, putting green and short game area, along with a 9-hole par three layout, called the Kid’s Course, because it’s mainly designed to allow children to learn the game of golf.

Now CommonGround operates an affordable public facility that is purpose built to support the mission statement of both Associations: "to represent, promote, and serve the best interests of golf in the state of Colorado."

Renaissance Golf Design provided the following comments:

“We were looking for a project that would allow us to give something back to the community and that was accessible to the average golfer. Our motivations were very similar to those of the Colorado Golf Association and the Colorado Women's Golf Association – to create a course that is accessible and fun for all ranges of abilities... from beginners to competitors in the state championships. We designed it to be easily walkable, to promote health and exercise, and to be affordable to all, like the great courses of Scotland and Ireland which are the foundation of the game and the inspiration for everything we do.”