You’re standing on the fourth tee box at The Golf Club at Bear Dance, looking down a 50-foot drop toward a fairway that feels miles away. It’s quiet. Not the "golf course quiet" where you hear a lawnmower three holes over, but that heavy, pine-scented stillness of the Larkspur wilderness. Then you see it. The bunker. It’s shaped like a giant bear paw, complete with turf-covered "claws."
Some people call it gimmicky. I call it a warning.
Bear Dance isn't your typical resort course where the rough is manicured into submission and every bounce goes toward the hole. It’s rugged. It’s a 7,726-yard beast that sits right in the transition zone between the Front Range and the Rocky Mountains. If you come here expecting a leisurely Sunday stroll, the 14,000 feet of elevation change—and the elk that occasionally block your line of sight—will have a word with you.
The Reality of Playing the Home of Colorado Section PGA
Let’s get the "status" stuff out of the way. This is the headquarters of the Colorado Section of the PGA. That matters. It’s not just a vanity title; it means the conditions are kept to a standard that satisfies the guys who teach the game for a living. Since it opened in 2002, designed by the team of Corey Auerbach, Brian Allred, Stuart Bruening, and Jim Seeley, it has consistently avoided the "over-developed" feel of Denver-area courses. There are no houses lining the fairways. Zero.
You’re playing on 750 acres of land. For context, a standard 18-hole course usually takes up about 150 acres. You’ve basically got a massive nature preserve that happens to have pins tucked into corners of oak thickets and ponderosa pines.
The lack of residential encroachment is probably the biggest reason why The Golf Club at Bear Dance feels so much more authentic than its neighbors. You aren't worried about shattering a sliding glass door on a pushed slice. Instead, you're worried about your ball disappearing into a ravine that looks like something out of a National Geographic special.
Why the yardage is a total lie
If you look at the scorecard and see nearly 7,800 yards from the tips, you might panic. Don't. You’re at approximately 6,800 feet above sea level. The air is thin. Your 7-iron is going to fly 10 to 15 yards further than it does in Florida or California.
But distance isn't the defense here. It's the angles.
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Take the par-4 6th hole. It’s not incredibly long, but the fairway is bisected by a massive rock outcropping. You have to choose: play it safe to the right and leave a longer, blind approach, or take on the "bear" and try to thread it left. Most people get greedy. Most people end up hitting their second shot off a granite boulder. It’s a psychological test disguised as a golf hole.
Navigating the Front Nine Chaos
The opening stretch is actually somewhat forgiving, which is a trap. Holes 1 through 3 let you find a rhythm, but the moment you hit the 4th, the "Bear" starts to wake up.
The 4th hole is that famous "Bear Paw" par 4. It’s iconic for a reason. From the elevated tee, the view of the valley is stunning, but the landing area is pinched by that massive paw-shaped bunker complex. If you land in the "toes," you're looking at a near-impossible sand save. The green is tucked behind a slope, making the approach shot feel much tighter than it actually is.
I’ve seen scratch golfers card a 7 here because they couldn't stop looking at the scenery.
- Elevation check: You'll experience extreme uphill and downhill lies.
- The Oak Thickets: If your ball goes in the scrub oak, it’s gone. Don't bother looking. Just drop and move on.
- The Wind: Because the course sits in a valley, the wind can swirl. A 10-mph breeze on the tee might be a 20-mph gust by the time your ball reaches its apex.
Honestly, the 7th hole is where the round usually falls apart for most. It’s a long par 5 that requires three very smart shots. There’s a creek crossing the fairway that swallows "layup" shots that were just a bit too bold. You have to be precise, or the mountain will eat your ball.
The Back Nine: A Walk Through the Wild
If the front nine is about precision, the back nine is about survival. It feels much more isolated. You head deeper into the woods, and the elevation changes become even more dramatic.
The 11th hole is a par 3 that looks like it belongs in the Pacific Northwest. Huge trees, a steep drop-off to the left, and a green that slopes aggressively toward the trouble. If you miss left, you’re basically playing from a different zip code.
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Then there’s the 16th. A short par 4 that tempts you to drive the green. It’s only about 300 yards from the middle tees. But here’s the thing—the green is tiny and surrounded by trouble. It’s the ultimate "risk-reward" hole that usually results in more "risk" than "reward." I’ve seen people use a 5-iron off the tee just to stay in play, and honestly, that's usually the smarter move.
What Most People Get Wrong About Bear Dance
The biggest misconception? That it’s a "mountain course."
Technically, it’s a foothills course. That’s a subtle but important distinction. A true mountain course (like something in Vail or Aspen) often has "flat" fairways carved into the sides of hills. Bear Dance follows the natural contours of the land. This means you rarely have a flat lie.
You’ll be hitting a long iron with the ball two inches above your feet while aiming at a green that’s 30 feet below you. It requires a level of shot-making that most modern golfers, who are used to perfectly level tee boxes and flat fairways, just aren't prepared for.
Also, people think it’s overpriced. It’s not cheap, sure. But when you consider it’s a public-access course that rivals private clubs in the Denver metro area like Castle Pines (well, maybe not that high, but close), the value is there. You’re paying for the privacy. You’re paying for the fact that you won’t see a car or a house for four and a half hours.
The Maintenance Factor
Because it’s the PGA Section home, the greens are usually rolling at a 10 or 11 on the stimpmeter. They are fast. And they are tricky. The "mountain effect" is real here—balls tend to break away from the higher peaks, even if the putt looks like it should go the other way.
If you aren't sure, look at where the nearest mountain is. The ball wants to go down the valley. Every. Single. Time.
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Practical Tips for Your Round
- Hydrate more than you think. You’re at nearly 7,000 feet. If you wait until you’re thirsty, you’re already dehydrated, and your swing will start to get sloppy by the 14th hole.
- Club down. Don't be a hero. The ball travels further here. Trust the numbers, not your ego.
- Bring a camera, but use it on the tee. Once you’re in the fairway, focus. The course is distracting, and the moments of lost concentration are where the double-bogeys happen.
- The Carts are necessary. This is not a walking course. Unless you are a marathon runner with a masochistic streak, take the cart. The distance between some greens and the next tee box is significant and mostly uphill.
The Vibe at the Clubhouse
The clubhouse is exactly what you want from a Colorado golf experience. It’s a massive wood-and-stone structure that looks like a high-end ski lodge. The "Bear’s Den" restaurant is actually worth eating at, even if you aren't golfing. The patio overlooks the 18th green, which is a fantastic spot to watch people struggle with the final approach shot of the day.
It’s a "players" course. You’ll see a lot of high-level amateurs and pros practicing here. There’s a sense of respect for the game that you don't always get at the local muni.
Is it friendly for high handicappers?
Honestly? It's tough. If you struggle to keep the ball in the fairway, you are going to lose a lot of golf balls. The "forced carries" (where you have to hit the ball over a ravine or a patch of scrub oak) can be intimidating.
However, they do have multiple tee boxes. If you play from the forward tees, the course becomes much more manageable. Just don't let your ego talk you into playing the "Longhorn" tees if you can't carry your driver 250 yards consistently. It will be a very long, very sad afternoon if you do.
Why The Golf Club at Bear Dance Still Matters
In an era where many new golf courses are designed to be "user-friendly" and "accessible," Bear Dance remains unapologetically difficult and wild. It preserves a piece of the Colorado landscape that is rapidly disappearing under suburban sprawl.
When you play here, you’re getting a snapshot of what this area looked like a hundred years ago. It’s quiet. It’s rugged. It’s frustrating. It’s beautiful.
It’s basically Colorado in a nutshell.
If you’re planning a trip, try to book a morning tee time. The shadows in the afternoon can make reading the greens nearly impossible, and the mountain storms tend to roll in around 3:00 PM during the summer. Plus, the wildlife is much more active in the early hours. Seeing a herd of elk crossing the 10th fairway is a better "golf memory" than any birdie you'll ever make.
Actionable Next Steps for Your Visit:
- Book Early: Tee times at Bear Dance fill up weeks in advance, especially on weekends. Use their online portal exactly at the 14-day mark if you want a prime morning slot.
- Check the Weather: Don't just look at the Denver forecast. Larkspur has its own micro-climate. It can be 85 degrees in Denver and 70 degrees with a thunderstorm at the course.
- Warm Up: The range is excellent. Use it. You need to get a feel for how the thin air is affecting your distances before you hit that first tee shot.
- Buy the Yardage Book: Even with GPS, the yardage book helps you see the hidden slopes on the greens that digital screens often miss. It's worth the five bucks.