Located in Delta, Colorado at the base of the Grand Mesa Devil’s Thumb Golf Course offers both a spectacular golf experience and a panorama of the mountains surrounding the Uncompaghre Valley This prairie style links is nestled into a swath of adobe hills. From wild antelope roaming to the beautiful views and forgiving layout, this is a fun course meant to allow golfers of all skill levels a challenge.
History
In the late 1980s, the city of Delta looked into the possibility of expanding its nine-hole Cottonwood Golf Course to an 18-hole facility. The city asked Phelps Golf Design of Evergreen, Colorado to analyze the property for expansion of the course.
The idea was brought to the city council to build a new course. The Bureau of Land Management and County of Delta were willing to donate acreage for the project. In 1998, the city of Delta selected Rick Phelps to serve as the lead architect to develop conceptual plans and design the course. Niebur Golf joined the team as the course builder working with Phelps Golf Design.
Construction began in the spring of 2000. The developers seeded the course in the spring of ‘01 and had the grand opening July 21, 2001. Bluegrass is the dominant turf on the tees, fairways and first cut of rough. The greens are a bentgrass blend. Lighter-colored fine fescues are used to accent the areas around the bunkers and second cut of rough.
The city has been pleased with Devil’s Thumb, which finished second in Golf Digest’s Best New Affordable Public Course rankings for 2002. This designation as well as all of the subsequent awards are a real tribute to Rick’s design, Niebur Golf and the Devil’s Thumb golf course staff. The course has become a source of pride for the local golfing community.
Awards
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2009: #2 Ranked Golf Course / Western Slope
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2009: #7 Ranked Golf Course Colorado – Colorado Golf Magazine
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2010: #3 Ranked Golf Course / Western Slope – Avid Golfer
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2011: #9 Best Courses to Play – Golfweek
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2011: #2 Ranked Golf Course / Western Slope – Avid Golfer
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2012: #7 Best Golf Courses to Play – Golfweek
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2013: #7 Best Golf Courses to Play – Golfweek
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2014: #4 Best Golf Courses to Play – Golfweek
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2019: #2 Ranked Golf Course on the Western Slope - Avid Golf
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2020 # 2 Ranked Golf Course on the Western Slope - Avid Golf
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2021 #1 Ranked Golf Course on the Western Slope - Avid Golf
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2022 #2 Ranked Golf Course, #2 Best Value in Colorado, #2 Most Underated Course in CO! - Avid Golf
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2023 #3 Ranked Golf Course (Western Slope) & Staff Pick - Avid Golf
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2023 #7 Ranked Public Course in Colorado - golfmilehigh.com
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2024 #2 Ranked Golf Course (Public/Resort) on the Western Slope - Avid Golf
Along with this hidden gem of a course, Delta, Colorado offers access to Gold Medal Fishing, excellent wineries, great hiking, and is a dream area for ATV activities!