Four Things to Know About New Colorado Golf Destination Rodeo Dunes

There’s just something about dunes and golf that energizes the Keiser family.

Following in the footsteps of their father Mike, the developer/owner of the world-renowned Bandon Dunes, Michael and Chris Keiser — who developed and own Wisconsin’s picturesque Sand Valley  — are now launching a new project on the eastern plains of Colorado.

Rodeo Dunes, set on more than 2,000 acres of pure sand just 50 miles from downtown Denver, is the latest Dream Golf creation from the Keiser brothers and, like its sister properties, will be a publicly-accessible resort.

“The moment I set foot on this land, I knew this was the place,” says Michael Keiser.  “The dunes are perfect – tall and rolling, with unlimited possibilities for great golf holes.”

What else can golfers expect from Rodeo Dunes? Here are three things you need to know:

Construction on Rodeo Dunes will begin this summer, and the property expects to welcome golfers by the 2025 season. Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw have already completed one routing, and return to an inland links landscape that mirrors their groundbreaking design: Sand Hills in Nebraska. The second course will mark the debut of longtime Coore & Crenshaw associate Jim Craig, while a short course and Himalayas-style putting course are expected to follow. Overall, the 2,000 acres has the space to support up to six courses.

Much like its fellow Dream Golf properties, Rodeo Dunes was born based on its location. Michael Keiser visited the site in eastern Colorado multiple times over the course of nearly four years, working with the landowner, Mike Cervi — an 86-year-old rancher and rodeo operator who, along with his sons, lived on the property — to  The minimalist touch from both Coore & Crenshaw and Craig aligned better than housing developments and strip malls with Cervi’s goal to keep the area as natural a setting as possible.

The words from Michael Keiser indicate that the Coore-Crenshaw duo and Craig will have optimal land to work on — and they’re masterful when given the opportunity to do so. Coore and Crenshaw were behind Bandon Dunes’ Sheep Ranch and Bandon Trails, plus a similar sandy layout in the Red Course at Streamsong Resort, among a host of other award-winning designs. While Rodeo Dunes is Craig’s first solo mission, he was largely responsible for the Sandbox short course at Sand Valley, and played a major role in Coore & Crenshaw gems East Hampton, Old Sandwich, Friar’s Head, and Sheep Ranch. Craig’s recently been working as lead associate on McArthur Golf Club and The Chain short course at Streamsong in Florida, so he brings plenty of experience with him to Colorado.

Long have Dream Golf properties been fairly remote, but Rodeo Dunes changes that a bit with its proximity to Denver. The course, located off Interstate 76 near Roggen, is 50 miles from downtown and 42 miles from Denver International Airport — roughly 35 minutes northeast. With 85-foot dunes, gorgeous views of the Front Range Mountains, and the household golf destination names to supercharge any course, Rodeo Dunes is slated for success.