Aurora Hills GC, Aurora. Henry Hughes, 1969.

This is the sort of municipal course that gives munis a bad name. Most of the holes are completely forgettable—the only ones that aren’t are memorably bad. There’s the 430-yard par-4 fourth where the nearly 90-degree dogleg turns at 200 yards and cutting the corner requires carrying trees that protect the third tee. Worse is the 10^th—a par 5 that makes a right turn around a lake with a canal (which is actually out of bounds!) all the way down the other side.

But most of the holes are just back and forth tree-lined yawners. Bunkers in front, round greens. It’s golf, but it isn’t engaging in the way great (or even good) golf courses can be.

On the other hand, this course is the site of my first birdie (a holed wedge shot on the par-3 17^th hole) and first eagle (on the par-5 eighth), so I have a bit of a soft spot for it for that reason. Not enough of a soft spot that I ever want to play it again, mind you.

Colorado 10th Decile [1998]