Your day will begin on a dogleg right par-4 (384 yards from the back tees and 252 from the forward) that offers some challenging shots over water. From most of the tee boxes, you'll be firing over a creek to a generous but elevated fairway. You can use driver but less club is probably better off the tee. To succeed on this hole, you need to land far enough along on the fairway to see where you're going next. Your approach shot takes you over a lake with a waterfall into a little bowl of a green.

Second shot to a small green plays best from left side of fairway. Favor left side of green to avoid right trap.

For the daring player with lots of length, No. 6 is a great temptation. This great double dogleg par-5, playing at 550 yards from the back and 431 from the forward, is built along the side of a hill. "On the left side is a ravine that drops down toward the river," said King. "Right in front of green there's a ravine."

At first the fairway goes slightly right; then it makes a sharp hook to the left. If you hit a long enough drive, you can consider going for the green on your second shot. "You could do it in two shots," said King, "but it's a big risk. Most people lay up in front of the ravine, which drops down 100 feet and catches a lot of balls."

No. 7, a dogleg right par-4 that plays 415 yards from the back tees and 339 from the forward, is a tricky test when you play first time. "If it's your first time on the course, it's hard to see the best way to play it," said King. "But after a couple times, you find the sweet spot to aim for. If you cut off enough of the fairway, it's an easy shot to green."

You can try to cut the dogleg by as much as you want on your drive. But you have to cross a gently sloping gully filled with grasses.

The front nine ends with a par-5 (598 yards from the back and 472 from the front) that definitely requires three shots to reach the green. Watch out for the water about 60 yards short of the green.

From every hole on this course, you have a view of the Front Range, but on much of the back nine, you'll find lots of ridge holes with elevations and views of the river valley as well.

No. 16 (251 yards from the back and 166 from the forward) is clearly the signature hole on the course. In fact, Score Magazine awarded this hole a silver medal for being the best par-3 in Canada. There's a huge elevation drop from the tee box to green – a 130-foot drop. "This hole makes for the most spectacular photo on the course when you're in 16th tee box – you can see for miles. You can see the river."

From up on your lofty perch, you're going to think that the green is a postage stamp. But actually it's very large and also well-bunkered. "You have a very difficult shot straight downhill with rocks and fescue grass the whole way," said King. "You have to fly all the way. If you go too far, you could roll down to river. It's critical to find proper club. Usually players use three to four clubs less than normal. From the blue tees, 188 yards, I'd hit 7- or 8-iron."

If you've had any trouble along the way, you might be able to improve your score on the par-5 No. 18, playing at 535 yards from the back and 425 from the forward. As you hit back toward the clubhouse, you'll find it fairly easy to hit the green in two.

"There's a good chance to make birdie on the last hole," said King. "You do have to hit over a creek about 60 yards from the green in order to make it in two."