Fossil Trace Golf Club

About Fossil Trace Golf Club

This is Golden's city course, a Jim Engh design that opened in July 2003 on the old Rockwell Mine clay pits at the foot of Table Mountain. It's par 72 and 6,798 yards from the Black tees with a 141 slope, and the ground rolls: big, undulating fairways and greens with bunkers set right where you want to hit it. The course's own advice is not to be fooled by the yardage, and the Gold tees at 4,681 are there if you want them. The course asks that rounds not run past 4 hours 40 minutes.

The back nine is where it gets strange. George W. Parfet started mining clay here in 1877 and his heirs kept at it until 2001. What they left is a sandstone column by the 12th green with Triceratops and hadrosaur footprints and the fossil palm frond that's on the logo. Golf Digest put the 12th on its Most Fun Holes in America list in January 2011. A 1954 Army surplus shovel sits above the 15th green, and 1956 Caterpillar-powered machines sit on 12 and 14. The first fairway has the old incinerator from the neighboring Boys' School, on land that used to be a farm.

Golf Digest named it the 9th most fun course to play in 2025, and Golfweek put it on its Best Municipal Courses list from 2009 to 2014. Walkers get a push cart for free. Know about the 2026-2027 irrigation project: from September 10, 2026 into May 2027 one hole at a time is closed, so you play 17 holes at a lower rate.

It's one of 2 courses in Golden on Yoink, and the closest alternative is Applewood Golf Course, about 2 miles away — handy when your first choice is booked solid.

Booking a tee time at Fossil Trace Golf Club

Tee times are online only, for groups of up to 20. The full 2026 season (March 13 to November 15) opened on January 28, so you can book months out, but anything booked 8 or more days ahead is full price ($140 weekdays, $175 weekends and holidays). Twilight, senior, junior, military and resident rates only apply to times booked within 7 days. Golden residents get a set of tee times held for them up to 7 days out, and any that aren't booked 48 hours before are released to everyone. In winter the window is 7 days. During the 17-hole period from September 10 to October 18, 2026, rates are $125 weekdays and $150 weekends. Rates include a shared cart and range balls. Cancel at least 20 hours ahead or you'll be charged.

How to get a tee time at Fossil Trace Golf Club