Common Ground Golf Course

What Common Ground Golf Course does

CommonGround Golf Course is a Tom Doak-designed, public daily-fee golf facility located in Aurora, Colorado, at 10300 E. Golfers Way in the Lowry neighborhood, approximately 15 minutes from downtown Denver. Opened in 2009 and owned by the Colorado Golf Association (CGA), the property operates an 18-hole championship course (Par 71, 7,229 yards from the back tees) with four tee sets, plus a 9-hole Par 3 course (holes ranging 70-140 yards) designed for beginners and short-game practice. The facility includes a driving range, an 11,000 sq ft practice green, 110 acres of protected wetland, and a clubhouse with bar, grill, and event catering. Free caddies are available Memorial Day through Labor Day via the Solich Caddie & Leadership Academy, a youth development program founded by the CGA at CommonGround in 2012. The course has hosted USGA qualifiers, NCAA championships, CHSAA state events, JGAC and AJGA junior events, and is Audubon-certified across environmental planning, site assessment, and wildlife/habitat management.

The business operates a direct-to-consumer, multi-revenue-stream model. Core green fees are tiered: CGA members pay $63-$68 for 18 holes, daily-fee players $95, twilight $62, juniors from $5 (Youth on Course) to $20, and seniors/military $52 on weekdays. Annual passes ($3,500 individual, $2,250 senior weekday, $300-$650 junior) and $600 ten-round punch cards create recurring and pre-paid revenue. Ancillary streams include cart rentals ($23/18 holes, $1,100 unlimited), driving range baskets ($8-$15), F&B, golf instruction via ExperienceGolf, league play across five formats, and full-service tournament and corporate event hosting (minimum 120 players for full-course shotgun). Customer segments span CGA members, daily-fee public players, juniors, seniors, leagues, and corporate/tournament groups. Distribution runs through the company website, a proprietary mobile app (GPS, scorecard, live leaderboards, tee time booking), phone reservations (303-340-1520), the Tee it Up third-party platform, and the CGA membership channel. Marketing relies on organic digital presence, championship-hosting visibility, 9NEWS environmental coverage, and CGA Presenting Sponsors Kaiser Permanente and UMB Bank. The core staff of 8+ includes a PGA Director of Golf (Ben Pennymon), Director of Agronomy (Mitch Savage, GCSAA), four Assistant Golf Professionals, an F&B Manager, and an Event Manager, with 2026 hiring indicating further capacity expansion.

The facility is not venture-backed, has no disclosed funding rounds, no M&A activity, and no subsidiaries; it operates as a CGA-owned private entity. Strategic positioning leans on three durable assets: the Tom Doak-designed course as architectural brand equity, the CGA affiliation as governance and community anchor, and a championship-hosting track record that compounds marketing reach. Revenue mechanics are diversified across transactional play, subscriptions (annual passes), per-use ancillaries, and event/professional services, with no single customer segment dominating disclosed economics.

Name

Common Ground Golf Course

Legal name

CommonGround Golf Course

Website

https://commongroundgc.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2009

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

CommonGround Golf Course is a Tom Doak-designed, CGA-owned public daily-fee golf facility in Aurora, Colorado, operating an 18-hole championship course, a 9-hole Par 3, and ancillary F&B, instruction, and tournament services for CGA members, daily-fee players, juniors, and corporate event hosts.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Public Golf Course Operations

NAICS

Golf Courses and Country Clubs (713910)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Golf Courses & Golf Facilities (MPAKAEAD)

akta.pro secondary industry

Golf Clubs & Tournament-Host Clubs (Professional/Elite Golf Clubs) (MPAKABAE)

Keywords

• Public golf course
• Daily fee golf
• Golf instruction
• Tournament hosting
• Golf membership

Headquarters

HQ city

Aurora

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Green Fees: Core revenue from 18-hole and 9-hole green fees with tiered pricing for CGA members, daily fee players, twilight rates, juniors, military, and seniors.
2. Annual Passes: Individual passes ($3,500), Senior Weekday passes ($2,250), Junior passes ($300-$650), and Par 3 passes ($1,250) providing unlimited golf and range balls.
3. Punch Cards: Ten 18-hole green fee punch cards ($600) for CGA members, non-transferrable.
4. Cart Rentals: Per-person cart rentals at $23 for 18 holes, $12 for 9 holes, $16 for twilight. Pull carts $15. Optional cart punch passes available.
5. Practice Facilities: Driving range basket sales: Large ($15/90 balls), Medium ($12/60 balls), Small ($8/30 balls).
6. Food and Beverage: Beverage cart service, clubhouse bar, and catering for events and tournaments.
7. Tournament and Event Hosting: Revenue from hosting tournaments, corporate outings, and league play events with coordination services, custom scorecards, and catering.
8. Golf Instruction: Junior and adult coaching programs, private instruction, and group lessons provided by ExperienceGolf.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

CommonGround Golf Course operates a public daily-fee golf facility featuring an 18-hole championship course designed by Tom Doak (Par 71, 7,229 yards) and a 9-hole Par 3 course (70-140 yards), located in Aurora, Colorado. The facility sells green fees, annual passes, cart rentals, driving range baskets, food & beverage, golf instruction (via ExperienceGolf), tournament/event hosting, league play, and caddie services, with online and mobile-app tee-time booking and CGA membership discounts.

Product overview

CommonGround Golf Course operates as a daily-fee golf facility offering multiple interconnected products and services. The core offerings include an 18-hole Championship Course designed by Tom Doak (Par 71, 7,229 yards) and a 9-hole Par 3 Course for players of all skill levels. The CommonGround Mobile App provides digital tools including GPS, scorecards, and tournament features. Supporting services include a Learning Center with coaching programs operated by ExperienceGolf (private, group, and junior instruction), the Solich Caddie & Leadership Academy for youth development, tournament and group event hosting capabilities, and organized league play (Co-Ed, Senior, Ladies Social, Men's Club, Women's Club). Additional revenue streams include golf shop merchandise sales and food & beverage operations including catering services.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Championship Course An 18-hole, Par-71 championship golf course designed by Tom Doak featuring 7,229 yards from the back tees, strategic bunkering, water features, native grass areas, and 110 acres of protected wetland. Open to all skill levels with four tee options and tee times bookable up to 90 days in advance for a $20 fee.
• Par 3 Course A 9-hole Par 3 short course with holes ranging from 70 to 140 yards, designed for beginners, families, and experienced players looking to sharpen their scoring game. Walking-only course with no carts allowed; adults pay $10 and juniors (under 18) play free.
• CommonGround Mobile App A smartphone application for golfers offering an interactive scorecard, golf games (Skins, Stableford, Par, Stroke Scoring), GPS with shot measurement, automatic stats tracking, hole descriptions and playing tips, live tournaments and leaderboards, tee time booking, and food and beverage menu access.
• Learning Center Golf Coaching Programs Golf instruction programs operated by ExperienceGolf offering private, semi-private, and group lessons for all ages and abilities, including the Operation36 junior coaching curriculum, adult coaching programs, and individual instruction with PGA and LPGA certified instructors.
• Tournament and Group Event Hosting Full-service tournament and event coordination for corporate outings, charity events, and group tournaments of all sizes (from 8 players to 120+ exclusive shotgun starts), including custom scorecards, cart signs, professional scoring, tee gifts, prize credit, food and beverage catering, hole contests, and photography services.
• Golf Leagues Organized league play including Co-Ed Golf League, Senior League, Ladies Social League, Women's Club, and Men's Club, featuring weekly events in various formats with prize pools paid in golf shop credit and CGA membership benefits.
• Food & Beverage and Catering Clubhouse dining and bar service including a full beverage cart service on the course, bar service in the clubhouse, and a catering menu for events and tournaments.
• Golf Shop and Pro Shop On-site golf shop offering merchandise sales, special orders, golf equipment, and customer service support staffed by PGA professionals as part of golf operations.
• Solich Caddie & Leadership Academy Caddie Service A two-year caddie training and leadership program founded in 2012 by the Colorado Golf Association at CommonGround, providing free caddies for players during the summer season (Memorial Day through Labor Day) and creating youth leadership development opportunities.

Quantifiable outcome

• 25% green fee savings for CGA members year-round
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Solich Caddie & Leadership AcademycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2012Founded by the CGA in 2012 at CommonGround, the Academy creates opportunities for young people to develop leadership skills and enhance character through caddying. During summer, players can take a Solich caddie for FREE at CommonGround. Caddies start in the Academy upon completion of 8th grade.
• Colorado Golf Association (CGA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOwned by the CGA, CommonGround is the home facility for the Colorado Golf Association and its nationally recognized programs. CGA members receive 25% discount on green fees, 7-day advance tee time reservations, and access to member benefits including GHIN handicap. The CGA founded the Solich Caddie & Leadership Academy at CommonGround in 2012.
• ExperienceGolfcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerExperienceGolf is the exclusive provider of instruction programming at CommonGround Learning Center. They offer junior coaching programs (Operation36 curriculum), adult coaching programs, and individual/private instruction. Elena King serves as Director of Instruction with a team of LPGA and PGA certified instructors.
• Tom Doak / Renaissance Golf DesigncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWorld-renowned golf course architect Tom Doak designed CommonGround. Known for minimalist design philosophy working with natural land features. Doak studied at Cornell and spent a year caddying at St. Andrews. His minimalist approach minimizes earthmoving and preserves natural areas.
• Kaiser PermanenteminorGTM or Marketing PartnerKaiser Permanente serves as a CGA Presenting Sponsor.
• UMB BankminorGTM or Marketing PartnerUMB Bank serves as a CGA Presenting Sponsor.
• Big Brothers / Big SistersminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity partner organization that hosts golf programs at CommonGround Golf Course.
• Ronald McDonald HouseminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity partner organization that hosts golf programs at CommonGround Golf Course.
• Special OlympicsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity partner organization that hosts golf programs at CommonGround Golf Course.
• PGA in School InitiativeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPGA program to teach young children the game of golf, partnered with CommonGround.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Fossil Trace Golf Club: Daily-fee public championship course in Golden, Colorado, designed by Harrison Minahan. Directly comparable as a Denver-metro premium public course serving CGA members, golfers, and corporate outings with similar pricing and event-hosting positioning.
• Streamsong Resort: Florida destination resort with multiple daily-fee championship courses (Coore-Crenshaw, Tom Doak). Comparable as a multi-course daily-fee resort designed by elite architects, appealing to destination golfers and tournament hosts seeking premium conditioning.
• Chambers Bay: Public-access daily-fee championship course in University Place, WA, host of the 2015 U.S. Open and 2010 U.S. Amateur. Comparable as a publicly accessible championship venue used for elite amateur tournaments with strong environmental/sustainability positioning.
• Murphy Creek Golf Course: Municipal-style daily-fee golf course located in Aurora, CO—same city as CommonGround. Operated by the city, it provides the closest local competitive alternative for daily-fee public golfers in CommonGround's immediate service area.
• TPC Colorado at Heron Lakes: Daily-fee championship course in Berthoud, CO (Denver metro). As a TPC network property with similar upscale daily-fee positioning, it is a key competitive comparable for member-golfer acquisition and corporate outing share in the Colorado market.
• Blackstone Country Club: Public-access daily-fee golf facility in Aurora/Parker, CO. Comparable as a same-metro public course offering championship-level golf, member programs, and event hosting for the Denver golfer.
• Arrowhead Golf Club: Daily-fee public course in Littleton, CO with strong scenic/recreational positioning. Comparable as a Denver-area championship daily-fee competitor targeting resort-style play and corporate events.

Broad incumbents

• Sand Valley: Wisconsin destination resort featuring multiple daily-fee championship courses (including a Tom Doak design, Mammoth Dunes). Comparable as a daily-fee championship venue with strong membership-program, tournament-hosting, and architectural pedigree narrative.
• Erin Hills: Public-access championship course in Wisconsin and 2017 U.S. Open host. Comparable as a world-ranked, championship-caliber public course that hosts USGA national championships—paralleling CommonGround's tournament-host positioning at a significantly larger scale.
• Bandon Dunes Golf Resort: Destination resort in Oregon operating multiple daily-fee courses, including Tom Doak designs (Pacific Dunes). Comparable as a premier public-access championship venue with Tom Doak design DNA, multiple event-hosting history, and destination tourism positioning.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/CommonGroundGC1
• Facebookfacebook.com/CommonGroundGC
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/commonground-golf-course

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Common Ground Golf Course