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Murphy Creek Golf Course...
A Special Place, A Simpler
Time
Around
of golf at the Homestead at
Murphy Creek will have golfers
feeling as if they have taken a
journey back in time. A journey
back to the way Old Tom Morris
intended golf to be -
straightforward and
unpretentious. When guests arrive
at Murphy Creek they are greeted
by the old town clock. Behind the
clock sits the old homestead, the
1920s-style clubhouse complex
with its multiple buildings,
green roofs and white lap siding.
Enter the golf shop, and the
journey to Murphy Creek has
begun.
Murphy
Creek is a brand new golf course
located in southeast Aurora,
Colorado, that opened at the end
of July. This 7,456-yard
championship course with multiple
tees to accommodate all golfers
was designed by Ken Kavanaugh of
Tucson, Arizona. Kavanaugh and
the project team set out to
create more than just a golf
course. The team's goal was to
provide a golf experience that
surrounds the golfer with
wonderful golf and
nostalgia.
The
clubhouse complex creates the
feeling of the old family farm of
the 1920s, and this theme is
prevalent throughout the course.
The steel-wheeled antique farm
implements found around the
course are reminders of the hard
times the eastern plains
experienced during the Dust Bowl
era. The cart storage building is
reminiscent of an old dairy barn
and the large silo next to the
driving range tee welcomes
golfers and provides unique range
ball storage. The full-service
restaurant has vaulted ceilings,
a tall, wonderfully inviting
fireplace, and some of the most
comfortable vintage furniture
ever seen in a golf course
clubhouse. The pro shop is
beautiful, carrying an extensive
assortment of golf equipment and
stylish merchandise.
Once on
the course, golfers find that
Murphy Creek has the look and
feel of a turn-of-the-century
course. It is also an experience
in contrasts that begin with the
course's five sets of tees, which
are subtle and understated. The
fairways are wide and forgiving.
The greens vary in size with
gentle contours that invite a
birdie putt. If your ball should
stray, however, the fescue rough
is natural and untamed. The
bunkers are numerous, haunting,
strategic, and heroic. To round
out the golf experience, there
are water hazards, wetlands and
wildlife. The water holes at
Murphy Creek are truly stunning.
From waterfalls to a beach
bunker, Kavanaugh's creativity is
clearly seen at Murphy
Creek.
After a
terrific round of golf, golfers
can sit on the patio at the
clubhouse and enjoy great food
and drinks, review the round with
friends, and admire the beautiful
artwork in the golfers' plaza.
Murphy Creek's public art is a
scene of famous golfers with
life-size bronze sculptures of
Mildred "Babe" Didrikson
Zaharias, perhaps one of the
greatest woman athletes of the
20th century, and Old Tom Morris,
famous green keeper at St.
Andrews and four-time British
Open Champion. Bronzes of
professional golfing great, Ben
Hogan, the consummate amateur
Bobby Hones, a typical caddy from
the 1920's, and the noted golf
course architect Donald Ross will
join these pieces, over time.
This amazing collection of golf
icons sculpted by Nancy Golden of
Evergreen, Colorado, is known as
A Quintessential
Gathering.
The
adjacent tournament pavilion is
an ideal setting for corporate
outings and large shotgun
tournaments. Murphy Creek also
boasts a superior practice
facility with three separate
chipping greens, a convenient
practice green and a very large
driving range with bunkers and
target greens.
"Head
Pro Leslie Core, Superintendent
Dean Lindsey and the entire
Murphy Creek team have done a
tremendous job opening Murphy
Creek," says Aurora Manager of
Golf Dennis Lyon. "Golfers are in
for a wonderful treat when they
play golf here. The City of
Aurora is extremely proud to
offer this high-caliber course to
the public."
Plan
your next round or tournament at
Murphy Creek, where golf is
played in "A Special Place, and A
Simpler Time." Murphy Creek is
located at Gun Club Road and
Jewell Avenue, off E-470 and
Jewell Exit in Aurora, Colorado.
For information about booking
tournaments or lessons, contact
the golf shop at (303) 361-7300.
Call 303-397-1818 for four-day
advance reservations.
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