As you are heading out to Buffalo Run Golf Club, the terrain feels like something you would find in Iowa or the corn belt. Vast fields filled with drooping husks of dead corn line the road on both sides. But don't let your eyes fool you . . . this links-style golf course is located just 15 minutes from the Denver International Airport in Commerce City, Colorado.

Buffalo Run Golf Club was opened in 1996 and was originally designed by Keith Foster. If this name is not familiar to you, please consider this - in 2007 the PGA Championship was played on a golf course that Keith Foster has helped bring into the modern age, Southern Hills. Though originally designed by Perry Maxwell, the case could be argued, however, that the design credit should go to Keith Foster. He has done extensive work on Southern Hills in recent years.

Buffalo Run is a true links-style golf course. The golfer will be hard pressed to find a tree to block a shot let alone to provide shade on a hot summer day. We played this golf course on a brisk October morning with the temperature a chilling 46 degrees. After a wonderful breakfast in the western-style clubhouse we headed out for our first hole of the day.

This golf course has the ability to play between 5227 to 7411 yards depending on which set of tees you choose to play. As you make your way around the golf course you will find that a shorter tee will make for a more enjoyable day on this golf course.

The second hole on the golf course gives the players a great chance to make a quick birdie and get the day started off right. This short par-5 is only 532 yards from the longest tee and can easily be reached in two shots. The fairway is wide open but there is gorse-like grass that lines the fairways and if you hit in, it will make the ball almost impossible to find.

From the tee the fairway slopes from right to left so the best play from the tee is toward the right side of the fairway. Longer hitters might be able to find the pond on the extreme left side of the hole but for the average golfer this hazard is well out of reach.

The approach shot is to an elevated and very undulating green. Depending on your yardage to the hole, you will need to try for this green in two shots. If you do have to lay up you will need to maneuver around several deep bunkers on the right-hand side.

The greens at Buffalo Run really define this golf course. Typical of links-style golf courses, they are very fast and have lots of undulations. It sometimes felt like I was riding a roller coaster and not putting. On this day a greens keeper told us the greens were a bit slow because they had recently top-dressed them. My jaw hit the ground, I tripped over it and fell into a sand trap - I couldn't believe what I'd just heard. These were some of the fastest greens I had played this year and I couldn't even imagine putting them when they were faster.

Many of the bunkers on the golf course are deep and have edges that are less than crisp. This adds to the atmosphere of this wonderful golf course. The unkempt edges of the bunkers really transport the golfer to a setting you might find in the old Scottish and British golf courses.

The longest par-3 on the golf course is the 13th hole. This hole plays 260 yards from the back tee but you must carry a bunker that sits about 20 feet from the front of the green. The bailout area from the tee is toward the right side of the green but the terrain around the green will funnel balls away from the pin and not toward it.

Many of the greens at Buffalo Run allow the player to run the ball up toward the hole. The ground is fairly hard so this is a different way of playing golf than most Americans are used to. If you happen to miss the green don't be afraid to pull out the putter to get the ball close to the hole. Chipping is not always the best option and you need to be creative to score well on this golf course.

Buffalo Run is a classic links-style golf course that has character and teeth. From the back tees this is more than enough golf course for any level of player. The GPS system is a great touch and speeds up play. There are many risk/reward holes on this golf course. It's sure to be one of the most popular golf courses in Colorado in the coming years.

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