Located in the tranquil hills of Castle Pines, the Sanctuary golf course was built by the philanthropic chairman of the RE/MAX real estate company, as a not-for-profit facility he would use personally but also donate regularly to charities for their fundraising events. Designed by Jim Engh, the layout occupies an elevated ridge that overlooks the snow-capped peaks of the Front Range of the Colorado Rocky Mountains.

Carving his holes through soaring pines and working hard to preserve the scenic outlooks, Engh’s work at Sanctuary is dominated by some steep fairway gradients and an unusual routing that features a plethora of downhill holes but strangely offers little incentive for aggressive play. The first five holes are all downhill, as are at least six others, yet landing zones are continually pinched or cut to prevent players from hitting their driver. Falling more than 200 feet from the back tee, the par five opener sets the tone for the round as its landing area is so tight that the hole is typically played with a couple of mid-irons followed by a wedge. More effective are the likes of the par five 4th, the only long hole to really entice a driver from the tee, and the 5th, a beautiful par three that drops around 100 feet across a forest. Horseshoeing around a huge ravine, the 12th is a little severe on the average hitter but a cool hole to play for those able to contemplate a drive toward the green.

There is certainly much to admire about the Sanctuary, but unfortunately its site is a little extreme for sensible golf, the shaping is somewhat overdone and the big risk/small reward design philosophy will frustrate those interested in more than just pleasant scenery. Although these negatives fail to detract from the honorable merits of the facility, they do prevent it from being a true top 100-caliber course.