Photos: Keiser brothers introduce their latest course project, Rodeo Dunes in Colorado, on sandy and stunning site

Check out the photos and renderings of Rodeo Dunes, which will begin with two 18-hole layouts.

Sure, it might have involved a bit of trespassing, but Michael Keiser has proved that not all who wander are lost.

That classic J.R.R. Tolkien line is apt, as Keiser’s head apparently is always on a swivel as he searches for sand and hills and available land suitable for great golf courses. Developer and co-owner of Sand Valley Golf Resort along with his brother, Chris Keiser – and the son of Bandon Dunes Golf Resort founder and owner Mike Keiser – Michael brims with energy in his hunt for a next interesting golf opportunity.

Now on the slate is the public-access Rodeo Dunes in Colorado. The developers officially announced Tuesday that construction soon will start in earnest on 36 holes across 2,000 acres of idyllic sand dunes less than an hour northeast of Denver. Preview play might be available on one of the courses by the end of the 2024 with that course fully opening in 2025, Michael Keiser said, adding that the timeline is still loose but the second course likely will follow a year later. The order of which course opens first is still to be decided.

Rodeo Dunes
The site for Rodeo Dunes in Colorado includes natural blowouts and sandy expanses. (Courtesy of Rodeo Dunes/Brandon Carter)

Both course routings have been completed, or at least as complete as they can be before construction progresses with possible changes. And they likely won’t be the only two courses there for long – there’s room to build as many as six full courses at the site. A short course and Himalayas-style putting green are expected to be added soon, and Michael Keiser said eventually there might be accommodations but that nothing is set in stone. The property will operate as part of Dream Golf, a collaboration with Bandon Dunes, Sand Valley and Cabot.

The Keiser brothers will lean on the famed design team of Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw to design one of the 18-hole layouts, a running relationship that has proved extremely successful for the Keiser family and partners with previous tracks such as Bandon Trails and the Sheep Ranch in Oregon, the eponymous Sand Valley course in Wisconsin and Cabot Cliffs in Nova Scotia.

The other 18 goes to a new signature designer but a familiar face: Jim Craig. A longtime course shaper for Coore and Crenshaw, Craig gets his first crack at a routing of his own in Colorado. Michael Keiser established a bond with Craig during construction of Sand Valley, and Keiser said he couldn’t be more excited to give the Texan a breakthrough opportunity at Rodeo Dunes.

“He’s a bit of a savant,” Michael Keiser said of Craig, who in his 25 years working as an associate for Coore and Crenshaw has contributed to layouts such as East Hampton and Friar’s Head in New York, Old Sandwich in Massachusetts and the aforementioned Sheep Ranch. “He sees things other people don’t see. And I’ve learned to trust that. … He has a very special mind. You’re not always going to say, this hole reminds of ‘blank.’ You’re going to say, I’ve never seen a hole quite like that before.”

When the Keisers first became interested in the ranch land that will become Rodeo Dunes, Craig would drive up from Texas to walk the site and offer his opinions at Michael’s request. His enthusiasm was a major part in landing his first solo design, Michael Keiser said.

Craig is a soft-spoken man of long labor and relatively few words, but his sharp wit shines through in conversation. He said that after landing the job at Rodeo Dunes, he feels like Forrest Gump during the movie character’s first meeting with Lieutenant Dan at a U.S. Army camp in Vietnam. Craig quotes the line, “I sure hope I don’t let him down.”

Rodeo Dunes
The Rocky Mountains are in view from the site of Rodeo Dunes. (Courtesy of Rodeo Dunes/Brandon Carter)

It will be a big job, for sure, as Michael Keiser has a goal of greatness. He said he’s taking inspiration from Sand Hills Golf Club in Nebraska, also designed by Coore and Crenshaw and ranked No. 1 on Golfweek’s Best list of modern courses in the United States.

“We will strip everything out but the bare essentials to have the purest form of golf that I think we’ve ever done,” Michael Keiser said. “Our goal is to present golf in its purest form the way I think Sand Hills has done as well as anyone in this country. Bandon Dunes is that in so many ways, but if I was to come down to it, Sand Hills is even more of the model because I think it’s even more raw and pure. So our goal is to build Sand Hills for the public, with multiple courses.

“I say all this humbly. We always start with who we aspire to be. … There’s never going to be another Sand Hills. Ever. Period. Full stop. But everything they’ve done well there is what we’re trying to be.”

The land certainly appears to lend itself to such aspirations. Michael Keiser said the natural site will require minimal shaping, making construction relatively easy now that the two routings have been roughly determined. The site is full of sandy blowouts and dunes that reach 80 feet in height, which takes us back to that trespassing interlude mentioned above.

Michael and Chris were stuck in an airport years ago, discussing what would make ideal sites for more golf. They mentioned the private Ballyneal Golf Club, a Tom Doak layout in Colorado that ranks No. 4 among all modern U.S. courses. Could there be much more land like that available in Colorado, they wondered. Michael Keiser studied Google Earth and topographic maps for clues, and curiosity eventually led him onto an airplane then onto Interstate 76 northeast of Denver. He found a site that had caught his eye, and he couldn’t believe the dunes.

Michael said exuberance got the best of him and he took off jogging through the golden hour as the sun set, trying to see what was beyond each of the ensuing hills. The place stretched for miles, full of potential golf holes. But as vast at that sky might have been, Keiser wasn’t alone.

“I was trespassing on the site, which is probably a dangerous mistake in hindsight, in cowboy country,” Keiser said. “I did get caught by a rancher, who turned out to be a very pleasant fellow. But he wasn’t thrilled that I was trespassing. He was 200 yards away, and I’m walking toward him and we’re both thinking, ‘How’s this going to go? This might not be good.’

“I just walked right up to him and asked, ‘Are you a golfer?’ And he was sort of startled, and he said ‘Yeah, I do play sometimes.’ So I said these dunes are fabulous for golf, and he looked at me cross-eyed. But we had a nice chat. He was a really friendly guy, and he kindly escorted me off the property. That’s how it all started.”

Turns out the land was owned by the Cervi family, owners and hands-on operators of a major rodeo production company – real cowboys. Michael said it took years for him, a Chicago developer, to fully earn their trust. But after they “realized I wasn’t crazy, or too crazy,” the Cervis agreed to sell a portion of ranch land for golf development, and the family will continue as partners in Rodeo Dunes, Michael said.

Rodeo Dunes
Colorado has proved to be a lucrative state with plenty of sand sites, perfect for firm and bouncy golf courses. (Courtesy of Rodeo Dunes/Brian Krehbiel)

It’s a busy time for the Keiser brothers, who soon will open the much-anticipated Lido course constructed by Doak, the third traditional 18-hole layout at Sand Valley, with member play beginning in May and opportunities for resort guests to play it at the end June. They also are opening Doak’s Sedge Valley course at Sand Valley, with limited preview play possibly beginning this year and the full opening coming sometime in the spring of 2024. And no doubt there are other potential projects around the country – speculation swirls constantly about where the Keiser family might build next.

Michael Keiser, with a fair dose of boyish enthusiasm, said it’s all about finding even more fun places to hit a golf ball, even if it happens to be found in a rancher’s field.

“The site feels like you’re in Ireland,” he said of Rodeo Dunes. “We’ve had a drought for two years so it isn’t green now, but when I first stepped on the property it was emerald green. The contours and the topography are very Irish. I mean, it feels like you’re at Lahinch. That’s the size and topography and scale and amplitude of those sand dunes. …

“My dad started with the idea of elite private golf, stripping it down to the pure golf, and bringing it to the public. That’s what we’re trying to do.”

Photos: Major championship site Cherry Hills near Denver wraps up decade-long restoration

These photos of a restored Cherry Hills will have you dreaming of Colorado golf.

It’s happy 100th to Cherry Hills Country Club near Denver.

The club in Cherry Hills Village, Colorado – where Arnold Palmer won his only U.S. Open in 1960 – has completed a decade-long restoration of its William Flynn-designed course that opened in 1923. Among many large events, Cherry Hills has been the host site of three U.S. Opens, two PGA Championships, one U.S. Women’s Open and two U.S. Amateurs, and it will again host the Amateur in 2023.

Architect Tom Doak and his Renaissance Golf Design team, largely under the direction of Renaissance associate Eric Iverson on the ground, have restored several greens to their original size matching Flynn’s intent, and bunkers were reworked to reintroduce their original intent. The cross bunkering on the 17th hole, for example, was restored on what was the first par 5 to feature an island green in the U.S.

Perhaps most striking: Little Dry Creek, which in no way is actually dry, was brought more into play on several holes.

The club commissioned Doak in 2007 to develop a restoration plan to focus on strategy while adding length where necessary for future championships. Before completion of the restoration, Cherry Hills tied for No. 70 on Golfweek’s Best 2022 list of classic courses built before 1960 in the U.S. and was the third-ranked private course in Colorado.

Cherry Hills
Nos. 7 and 14 of the restored Cherry Hills Country Club in Denver (Courtesy of Cherry Hills/Brian Walters)

“The transformation that Tom Doak and Eric Iverson of Renaissance Golf Design have brought to William Flynn’s classic design brings extraordinary pride to our membership,” Cherry Hills president David Keyte said in a media release announcing the completion of the project. “In 2022 we celebrated 100 years as a club, and in 2023 we will be celebrating the centennial of our first round of golf at Cherry Hills, which coincides with us hosting the U.S. Amateur, which is very exciting. The restored shot values on display next summer will certainly remind the golfing world of Cherry Hills’ timelessness and stature as a world-class championship venue.”

More from the media release:

“The Renaissance team also reintroduced the famous cross bunkering on the 17th hole (which features the first island green on a par 5 built in the U.S.) and other strategic bunker work on the first, second, fourth, fifth, seventh, ninth, 14th and 16th holes. The green complexes on holes three and 13 were completely restored while other greens have been brought back to their original forms to ensure all green complexes match the original Flynn plans. A major tree-management program was also implemented, and several holes were lengthened to accommodate the advances in the modern game. This includes new tee boxes on holes five, nine, 10, 11, 13, 14 and 16.

“Flynn’s ingenious routing of Cherry Hills is truly unique among Top 100 courses. The opening nine weaves as a figure eight on the inside of the property while the second nine wraps in a counterclockwise circle around the perimeter. Cherry Hills is one of only a handful of courses with this unique “Muirfield Plan” routing, named after famed Muirfield in Scotland.”

One major part of the restoration was the return to the original orientation of Little Dry Creek, which runs through the property and was re-engineered to reduce flood potential and manage water flow. It was rerouted from its recent banks to come more into play next to the seventh green, tightly alongside the redesigned eighth hole, in front of No. 14 green, closer to the front of the 15th green that was restored to Flynn’s original dimensions, then down the 16th fairway and alongside that green.

“You can see from all the hole drawings that Flynn routed the holes and implemented strategy based on Little Dry Creek,” Iverson said in the media release. “The way the creek plays now on these key holes brings exceptional strategy and challenge to these iconic approach shots. Holes 14 and 16, for example, are two of the finest and most difficult par 4s in the country, but now with the creek coming in closer to each green, the shot values and premium on the angles into the green are off-the-charts.”

Flynn’s other designs include Shinnecock Hills on Long Island, New York; The Country Club at Brookline, Massachusetts; the Kittansett Club in Marion, Massachusetts; and significant contributions to Pine Valley in New Jersey and Merion in Pennsylvania.

Check out a selection of shots of Cherry Hills by photographers Brian Walters and Evan Schiller below.

Red Rocks Country Club near Denver completes course renovation, adds huge practice putting green

A huge practice green was added to serve as a 19th hole and casual gathering spot.

Red Rocks Country Club in Morrison, Colorado – just southwest of Denver – has reopened its golf course after a renovation by Kevin Atkinson of Atkinson Design Group and Landscapes Unlimited.

The greens, tees and bunkers were rebuilt throughout the private 6,800-yard course, and Landscapes Unlimited oversaw grassing, irrigation and work to the cart paths. All the efforts were part of a multi-phase program within a master plan.

One major addition was a 45,000-square-foot putting green near the clubhouse that serves as a 19th-hole and gathering spot.

“Collaborating with Kevin and Red Rocks’ team to reimagine the course layout, construction and infrastructure resulted in a stout golf experience for members and guests,” says Dave Linngren, vice president of the West Region for Landscapes Unlimited, a Nebraska-based firm that works in course development, construction and renovation.  “Each hole requires strategic management but is neither designed nor constructed to unfairly bite golfers.”

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Denver vs Los Angeles Chargers Prediction, Game Preview

Denver vs Los Angeles Chargers game preview, prediction, and breakdown for the Week 6 game on Sunday, October 16

Denver vs Los Angeles Chargers prediction, game preview, how to watch. Week 6, Sunday, October 16


Denver vs Los Angeles Chargers How To Watch

Date: Sunday, October 16
Game Time: 8:15 ET
Venue: SoFi Stadium, Inglewood, CA
How To Watch: FOX
Record: Denver (2-3), Los Angeles Chargers (3-2)
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Denver vs Los Angeles Chargers Game Preview

Why Denver Will Win

Is this when the offense finally perks up?

After the brutal 12-9 loss to the Colts when the offense struggled and the passing game didn’t click in the red zone, now the Broncos get a Charger defense that’s just okay at holding up inside the 20 and gives up the second-most points in the NFL.

It starts with the ground game. Take the pressure off Russell Wilson to connect with a receiving corps that isn’t on the same page as the quarterback and just start running and keep going. The Chargers allow an NFL-most 5.8 yards per carry, are coming off a hammering by the Browns, and …

Week 6 CFN NFL Expert Picks

Why Los Angeles Chargers Will Win

Yeah, the Broncos just don’t score.

They passing game isn’t consistent, the ground game hasn’t done enough with its opportunities, and the O is the worst in the NFL in the red zone. There isn’t the power to run it in, and again, the passing attack isn’t sharp.

The Chargers have to be patient. The Denver O might not be good, but the defense is tremendous at keeping teams from winging it around. As long as there’s a balance like there was last week against the Browns, and the attack takes advantage of every scoring opportunity, all will be fine.

Get to 17 points and take your chances. But ..

Week 6 NFL Schedule, Predictions, Game Previews

What’s Going To Happen

The Charger defense is way too leaky.

Denver’s offense will get a touchdown on a first quarter drive, Wilson will be good, and then it’ll all stop. The early scoring won’t translate into the second half when Justin Herbert comes up with two touchdown passes set up by another good day from the ground game.

CFN Week 7 College Football Expert Picks

Denver vs Los Angeles Chargers Prediction, Line

Los Angeles Chargers 24, Denver 20
Line: Los Angeles -4.5, o/u: 45.5
ATS Confidence out of 5: 2
Denver vs Los Angeles Chargers Must See Rating: 3

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Indianapolis vs Denver Prediction, Game Preview

Indianapolis vs Denver game preview, prediction, and breakdown for the Week 5 game on Thursday, October 6

Indianapolis vs Denver prediction, game preview, how to watch. Week 5, Thursday, October 6


Indianapolis vs Denver How To Watch

Date: Thursday, October 6
Game Time: 8:15 ET
Venue: Empower Field at Mile High, Denver, CO
How To Watch: Prime Video
Record: Indianapolis (1-2), Denver (2-2)
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Indianapolis vs Denver Game Preview

Why Indianapolis Will Win

Now what will Denver do to run the ball?

Leading rusher Javonte Williams is out for the year for the year with a knee injury, Melvin Gordon is having problems hanging on to the ball, and Latavius Murray isn’t around yet to give it a shot.

The Colts don’t need the help – they’re already great at holding up against the run even after Derrick Henry and the Titans rumbled relatively well last week.

This isn’t an explosive Indianapolis offense – to be nice – but Matt Ryan hasn’t been bad, the defense has carried the weight, and this week the opponent fits.

Denver is 30th in the league in scoring, Russell Wilson and the passing game are struggling to get going, and again, the ground game might not be there.

But on the other side …

Week 5 CFN NFL Expert Picks

Why Denver Will Win

Now what will Indianapolis do to run the ball?

It’s not like fantasy football owners didn’t see this coming – Jonathan Taylor hasn’t been right, and now he’s out with a high ankle sprain.

The Colts haven’t been able to generate enough of a push on the ground – it’s not for a lack of trying – and now it’ll be up to Nyheim Hines and a rotation to get one of the league’s worst ground attacks moving.

Yeah, Denver is spinning its wheels a bit, and yeah, it’s not scoring enough, but it’s the Greatest Show on Turf compared to the Colts and the lowest scoring offense in the NFL.

So it should come down to …

Week 5 NFL Schedule, Predictions, Game Previews

What’s Going To Happen

Who can make the most out of its chances?

Getting points will be like pulling teeth, and that’s partly because of each offense’s woes in the red zone. Indianapolis is miserable inside the 20, and it gives up touchdowns too easily when teams get their chances.

Denver is the worst red zone team in the NFL  – at least when it comes to scoring touchdowns – but it’s No. 1 defensively.

Indianapolis will settle for field goals, Denver will come up with one extra touchdown off a deep drive.

CFN Week 6 College Football Expert Picks

Indianapolis vs Denver Prediction, Line

Denver 20, Indianapolis 16
Line: Denver -3.5, o/u: 42
ATS Confidence out of 5: 3.5
Indianapolis vs Denver Must See Rating: 3

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Tyler Lockett knew Russell Wilson’s hand signals in Week 1

Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Tyler Lockett knew some of Denver quarterback Russell Wilson’s hand signals and let Seattle defenders know.

The Emerald City rejoiced after the Seattle Seahawks prevailed over the Denver Broncos in Week 1 and came away with an unexpected 17-16 victory over their former franchise quarterback. There were numerous enjoyable aspects of the win, but more can be discovered by listening to what some of the players were saying during the game.

For example, Seahawks wide receiver Tyler Lockett, who was mic’d up, knew his old quarterback’s hand signals and told a few of his teammates on defense about them.

“If you see this,” Lockett said while gesturing to rookie cornerback Tariq Woolen, “it’s a go (route.)”

Lockett has played with Wilson for seven years, so it figures that he should be familiar with some of his former QB’s signals and overall tendencies behind center.

“They got our same, same stuff,” Lockett told fellow Seahawks wide receiver DK Metcalf after a play. “I literally called it when he did this,” he said while gesturing to his arm.

Lockett was utterly jubilant along with the rest of the Seahawks sideline and home crowd when Broncos kicker Brandon McManus missed the 64-yard field goal that decided the outcome of the game. 

“Change them signals,” Lockett told Broncos wideouts Courtland Sutton and KJ Hamler after the game. “I know this and I know this,” he stated while making the same arm gesture as before.

Seattle has already been written off by many as a non-playoff contender and a speedbump in the road of multiple other teams this season, but it is thrilling to witness moments that reveal that certain veteran Seahawks players still believe that the sky is the limit for the blue and green.

Hopefully, there will be more of these as the season progresses. 

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Notre Dame releases nonconference schedule for 2022-23 season

Which game are you most looking forward to?

As much as Notre Dame is looking forward to playing Big Ten competition, the nonconference schedule is just as exciting. We know this because that schedule for the 2022-23 season has been announced. When you look at quite the number of high-profile opponents the Irish have scheduled, this is the exact measuring stick you want to see what kind of team you have.

The season officially begins with a trip to Colorado and the 2022 Ice Breaker Tournament. The Irish will begin that with a game against defending national champion Denver, followed by one at the Air Force Academy. This will be the Irish’s sixth time in this tournament, which they won in 2012 and 2018.

Of note, the opening home slate against Northern Michigan will be played on two nonconsecutive days so that neither game conflicts with the football team’s home game against Stanford that weekend.

And, of course, it’s always nice to schedule both Boston schools with the rich traditions they have.

Here is the full nonconference schedule:

PFF: Bills’ Von Miller, Greg Rousseau top in the NFL in key defensive stats

PFF: #Bills’ Von Miller, Greg Rousseau top in the NFL in key defensive stats:

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The Buffalo Bills are looking to build on a league-leading defensive performance in a number of statistical categories during their 2021 campaign.

They’ll have a chance to do just that, and two of the players on their roster entering the 2022 season could help them do so as they were at the top of their position group in some significant defensive stats, according to Pro Football Focus.

Bills rookie Greg Rousseau had the most defensive stops (35) against the run last season among edge rushers while his new teammate Von Miller’s tackles for loss/no gain (17) was also the most among edge rushers.

Rousseau headlined the Bills 2021 draft as the 30th overall selection in the first round and was a big addition both physically as well as in terms of defensive performance.

While he did experience some drop-off in performance late in the season, he still was able to post this important stat after a year off during a college career in which he excelled in applying pocket pressure.

The reason it matters for Buffalo is that they were and are looking to improve their run defense, and this effort by Rousseau in his first year helps to provide them with improvement in that area.

As for Miller?

If you’ve watched professional football, you know the story there. He’s been one of the best players in the NFL throughout much of his career.

That he was the top player in the loss/no gain category bodes well for the Bills, as it adds to a defensive unit that already was at the top of the league while also giving them a big one-two punch with his ability to pressure the pocket and Rousseau’s ability to stop the run.

But what might also help them is Miller’s impact on the team’s young talent.

The pro bowler has quickly taken to helping players like Rousseau that are looking to build and expand on their rookie campaign, as well as players like A.J. Epenesa and Boogie Basham who could take the next step towards contributing with greater consistency and making more of an impact in games.

The addition of Miller and the first-year on-field impact of Rousseau are reasons for optimism that the team could put forth a championship-caliber defense in this season’s pursuit of a Super Bowl victory.

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Joe Buck and Troy Aikman excited for MNF debut with Seahawks, Broncos

NFL commentators Joe Buck and Troy Aikman are excited at the prospect of providing commentary on this particular matchup, which they are scheduled to do.

Now that the schedule for the 2022 NFL season is set, the general league conversation has turned to the most anticipated games. It is only May, but the hype for this upcoming season is already palpable largely because of all that has happened over this hectic offseason.

The game that jumps out immediately for Seattle Seahawks fans is their Week 1 contest against the Denver Broncos on Monday Night Football, in which quarterback Russell Wilson will return to the Emerald City.

NFL commentators Joe Buck and Troy Aikman are excited at the prospect of providing commentary on this particular matchup, which they are scheduled to do.

“I was thrilled with the schedule to see that as the opener,” Aikman said. “When you start looking at what potential games there are going to be, that was one that I certainly circled and thought, ‘Man, that’d be a great game if we were able to get it on Monday night.’ And to have it right out of the box is fantastic.”

It will certainly be interesting to see how Wilson fares with his new team and how the Seahawks will respond without a clear-cut franchise QB for the first time in a decade.

Buck expects the crowd to be raucous when Wilson takes the field on September 12, provided he doesn’t suffer a preseason injury that keeps him out of the game.

“I can’t imagine it being anything other than just a great celebration for a great athlete and all that he meant to the 12s there in Seattle,” Buck said. “I think it’ll be awesome.”

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College Performers of the Week powered by Rapsodo: Denver men’s golf

Four Pioneers finished inside the top 10 at the Summit League Championship.

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Last week it was the Denver women who claimed team of the week honors. This week it’s the Denver men.

The Pioneers just squeaked by to earn the team of the week after claiming their third consecutive Summit League Championship with a one-shot victory over runner-up North Dakota State. Denver had four players finish inside the top 10, including individual runner-up Carson Griggs, who shot rounds of 69-71-68 to finish at 8 under and tie his best finish of the year, five shots behind champion Nate Deziel of North Dakota State.

Denver is the first team to win three straight Summit titles since Western Illinois did so from 2006-08.

Golfweek/Sagarin Rankings: Men’s team | Men’s individual