Sanctuary Golf Club in Sedalia, Colorado is a private, invitation-only golf course that you can only play through charity events, personal invitations, or expensive auction purchases—with no traditional memberships available.
This Jim Engh-designed masterpiece limits play to just 9,000 rounds annually and has raised over $120 million for charity while offering one of the most exclusive golf experiences in America.
Keep reading to discover exactly how to gain access, what makes this course so special, and why it's considered a bucket-list destination for serious golfers.
What Makes Sanctuary Golf Club Colorado's Most Exclusive Golf Destination
You'll find Sanctuary Golf Club tucked away at 7549 Daniels Park Road in Sedalia, where the Rocky Mountain foothills create a dramatic backdrop just south of Denver.
This isn't your typical private club—there are no memberships to buy, no waiting lists to join, and no traditional access routes that money alone can secure.
The Liniger Vision: Exclusivity by Design
Re/Max empire founders Dave and Gail Liniger built Sanctuary in 1997 with a revolutionary philosophy.
They mandated zero residential development around the course, ensuring that nothing would disturb the natural tranquility that makes this place special.
This decision alone sets Sanctuary apart from virtually every other premium golf destination in Colorado.
The exclusivity runs deeper than aesthetics.
Sanctuary limits play to just 9,000 rounds annually—a fraction of what most courses accommodate.
To put this in perspective, many public courses see 30,000+ rounds per year, while Sanctuary deliberately restricts access to preserve both the pristine conditions and the wildlife habitat.
Access Through Purpose
Here's how Sanctuary actually operates: the course opens exclusively for 25-29 charity events each year.
No tee times, no regular play, no exceptions.
This model has generated over $120 million for charitable causes through 2021, making every round of golf a contribution to worthy organizations.
When you do play Sanctuary, you're likely experiencing it for the first time alongside other first-time players.
The absence of regular members means each visit feels like discovering a hidden treasure rather than playing someone else's home course.
Architectural Mastery Meets Impossible Terrain
Jim Engh's design reputation centers on one remarkable skill: transforming landscapes that seem unfit for golf into playable masterpieces.
At Sanctuary, he took terrain that most architects would consider impossible and created something that consistently ranks among Colorado's elite courses—currently sitting at 7th in the state for 2025-26.
This ranking reflects more than just design brilliance.
Sanctuary competes with courses that welcome thousands more players annually, yet maintains conditions and an experience that rivals the most exclusive destinations in America.
The combination of limited access, charitable mission, and world-class design creates something truly unique in the golf world.
Course Design and Architecture That Defies Convention
Jim Engh didn't just design a golf course at Sanctuary—he created an architectural statement that challenges every convention about what's possible on impossible terrain.
This par 72 layout stretches 7,052 yards with a 72.3 rating and 142 slope, numbers that only hint at the complexity awaiting you.
Art Deco Meets Rocky Mountain Wilderness
Engh's signature design philosophy transforms the rugged landscape through Art Deco principles: parallel lines carved into mountainsides, sweeping curves that follow natural contours, and repetitive patterns that create visual harmony across dramatic elevation changes.
This isn't golf course design—it's landscape sculpture that happens to be playable.
The course accommodates everyone through five distinct tee sets, but don't mistake this for easy golf.
Even from the forward tees, you're navigating terrain that rises to 6,590 feet at the first hole's aptly named rattlesnake tee, where the thin air affects every shot.
Visual Drama at Every Turn
From elevated tees, you'll experience 180-degree mountain panoramas spanning from Pikes Peak in the south to Longs Peak in the north.
These aren't just pretty views—they're integral to the golf experience, creating perspective and reference points as fairways twist through narrow valleys and leap over natural chasms.
Engh's famous “squiggly bunkers” serve dual purposes: they're visually striking art pieces and strategic hazards that punish wayward shots.
Combined with enormous, transplanted pine trees positioned with surgical precision, these features create both beauty and challenge.
Water Features as Strategic Elements
Three waterfall installations at the 9th, 14th, and 18th greens aren't mere decoration.
They represent Engh's philosophy of enhancing rather than fighting the natural environment, creating focal points that influence shot selection and add auditory elements to an already sensory-rich experience.
The fairways themselves tell the design story: narrow ribbons that tumble through valleys, demanding accuracy while rewarding bold play.
The greens are enormous canvases of undulation, where reading putts becomes as much about understanding mountain drainage as traditional green-reading skills.
This architectural approach creates golf that feels more like adventure than sport, where each hole presents a unique problem requiring creative solutions rather than repetitive execution.
The Legendary First Hole and Signature Course Features
Before you even swing a club at Sanctuary, the course sets expectations through theater.
You'll drive through a cave-like tunnel that builds anticipation before emerging at the first tee, where one of Golf Digest's America's 99 Greatest Holes awaits.
The 604-Yard Statement Opener
This par-5 doesn't ease you into the round—it announces what Sanctuary is about.
From the tee box, you face a 250-foot plunge to the fairway below, with panoramic Castle Rock views stretching across the horizon.
The combination of elevation drop and visual drama creates what many consider the most exciting opening tee shot in golf.
The hole works because it's more than spectacle.
That dramatic drop gives you significant distance advantage, but accuracy remains paramount as the fairway narrows through the valley floor.
It's a perfect introduction to Sanctuary's philosophy: reward bold play, punish carelessness.
Playing Golf in a Wildlife Sanctuary
Sanctuary earned its name through function, not marketing.
The course operates as an active wildlife refuge where encounters with nature are expected, not accidental:
- Black bears and elk appear regularly during rounds, often unbothered by golfers
- Deer and coyotes move through fairways as part of their daily routines
- Numerous bird species take advantage of the protected habitat
These aren't zoo-like encounters.
You're playing golf in their home, which adds an element of wilderness adventure to every round.
The experience becomes as much about wildlife observation as golf execution.
Course Characteristics That Demand Precision
Sanctuary's playability centers on three key features that define every shot:
Fast, Large Greens: These putting surfaces play significantly faster than typical mountain courses, requiring precise distance control on approaches.
Their size creates multiple pin positions but also increases three-putt possibilities.
Narrow, Tree-Lined Corridors: Fairways squeeze through heavily wooded areas where recovery shots become exercises in creativity rather than power.
Miss the short grass, and you're often punching out sideways.
Strategic Elevation Changes: The course is officially rated as unwalkable, not due to distance but because of elevation changes that would exhaust even fit golfers.
Carts aren't just recommended—they're essential for managing the terrain.
These characteristics combine to create golf that rewards course management over raw power, making Sanctuary as much a mental challenge as a physical one.
How to Actually Play This Invitation-Only Course
Forget everything you know about accessing premium golf courses.
Sanctuary operates on a completely different model that makes traditional membership irrelevant and personal connections secondary to charitable giving.
Your Three Pathways to Sanctuary
- Charity Event Participation — Your most realistic option
- Direct Personal Invitation — Extremely rare and typically connected to major donors
- Charity Auction Purchases — Available but expensive due to exclusivity
The charity event route dominates access because Sanctuary donates the course to non-profits, who then charge participants tournament fees.
This model creates a win-win: you get to play an impossible-to-access course while supporting worthy causes.
The Charity Tournament Strategy
Research organizations that regularly host events at Sanctuary.
These non-profits build relationships with the course and return annually, making them your best bet for consistent access opportunities.
Tournament fees vary widely depending on the charity and event format, but expect to pay premium prices that reflect both the exclusive venue and charitable cause.
Since there's no membership structure, every player experiences Sanctuary as a first-timer.
This creates an unusual dynamic where even seasoned golfers approach each hole with fresh eyes, discovering features and challenges that regular members might take for granted elsewhere.
Auction Route Reality Check
Charity auction tee times surface occasionally but command premium prices that often exceed what you'd pay for multi-round packages at other exclusive venues.
The bidding reflects Sanctuary's scarcity—when only 9,000 rounds per year are available, demand consistently outstrips supply.
What to Expect When You Arrive
Sanctuary maintains tour-quality conditions under the expertise of PGA Head Professional Rudy Zupetz and Superintendent David Hare.
The limited play schedule allows for maintenance standards that most courses can't achieve with higher traffic volumes.
Course capacity management ensures your foursome feels like you have the entire property to yourselves, even during peak events.
This isn't accidental—it's designed to create the exclusive atmosphere that defines the Sanctuary experience.
Essential Safety Awareness
Wildlife encounters require specific precautions, particularly watching for rattlesnakes throughout the course.
The natural habitat that makes Sanctuary beautiful also demands respect for the creatures that call it home.
Stay alert, especially in tall grass and rocky areas where snakes may be sunning or hunting.
Awards, Recognition, and the Ultimate Golf Experience
Sanctuary's accolades tell only part of the story. Golf Digest named it “USA's Best New Private Course” in its 1997 opening year, then ranked it among the nation's 100 Greatest courses for a full decade across two separate periods (1999-2002 and 2005-2010).
The peak recognition came in 1999-2000 when Sanctuary reached 48th nationally—remarkable for a course barely two years old.
The Lasting Impact Problem
Here's what the rankings don't capture: Sanctuary creates a reference point that fundamentally changes how you evaluate golf experiences.
Visitors consistently report that they “forever judge all golf, staff and facilities against Sanctuary”—a psychological phenomenon that speaks to the course's impact beyond mere scorecards.
This isn't hyperbole from marketing materials.
It's a documented pattern where golfers find other premium experiences lacking after playing Sanctuary.
The combination of exclusivity, natural beauty, and tour-quality conditions creates expectations that most courses simply can't meet.
Dreamscape Golf Architecture
The experience transcends traditional golf course descriptions.
Players describe “walking through a dreamscape” where surreal beauty makes you question what's real and what's enhanced.
This reaction stems from Jim Engh's ability to create golf holes that seem impossible yet play fairly—fairways carved through terrain that appears unsuitable for golf, elevated tees that provide views typically reserved for helicopter tours.
The Rocky Mountain backdrop amplifies every shot's visual drama, but it's the integration of challenging play with breathtaking scenery that creates the lasting impression.
You're not just playing golf—you're navigating a landscape that rewards both strategic thinking and aesthetic appreciation.
Tour-Quality Standards in Limited-Play Environment
Sanctuary maintains course conditions that rival PGA Tour venues because traffic limitations allow for maintenance practices impossible at higher-volume facilities.
The 9,000-round annual limit means:
- Greens remain pristine throughout the season without overplay stress
- Fairways maintain consistent conditions regardless of weather patterns
- Bunkers stay perfectly manicured between the limited charity events
This creates golf that feels professionally curated rather than publicly accessible, where every detail reflects the exclusivity of the experience.
Colorado's Singular Golf Destination
Among Colorado's mountain golf options, Sanctuary occupies a category of one.
While the state offers numerous high-altitude courses with mountain views, none combine Sanctuary's restricted access, charitable mission, architectural innovation, and wildlife integration into a single experience unavailable anywhere else in the state—or arguably, anywhere else in American golf.
Beyond Golf – Sanctuary as Colorado's Premier Wedding and Event Venue
Sanctuary's exclusivity extends beyond golf into Colorado's wedding venue market, where the same elements that create an extraordinary golf experience translate into unforgettable celebrations.
The venue accommodates up to 200 guests across multiple spaces designed to showcase the Rocky Mountain setting while providing practical solutions for Colorado's unpredictable weather.
Three Distinct Venue Spaces
Outdoor Pavilion: Flagstone-paved and covered, this ceremony space frames Pikes Peak as your backdrop—essentially turning Colorado's most recognizable mountain into wedding décor.
The heated roof system addresses Colorado's notorious afternoon thunderstorms, allowing outdoor ceremonies without weather anxiety.
Great Room: Floor-to-ceiling windows envelope this reception space, making mountain views an integral part of your celebration rather than just a pretty backdrop.
The expansive glass creates natural lighting during day events and dramatic sunset views for evening receptions.
Clubhouse: Authentic Colorado architecture featuring rock fireplaces, exposed wooden beams, iron chandeliers, and soaring ceilings creates the rustic elegance that defines mountain luxury.
These elements aren't added for effect—they're integral to the building's design philosophy.
Weather-Proof Mountain Elegance
The heated pavilion roof solves Colorado's biggest wedding challenge: afternoon storms that can derail outdoor ceremonies.
You get the mountain backdrop and outdoor atmosphere without gambling on weather conditions that change rapidly at 6,000+ feet elevation.
This weather protection extends beyond mere comfort—it allows for reliable scheduling and guest planning that outdoor mountain venues typically can't guarantee.
Comprehensive Service Integration
Sanctuary includes wedding essentials that typically require separate vendors:
- Table linens and elegant cake stands eliminate rental coordination
- Day-of wedding coordinators handle execution details
- Valet parking manages the logistics of mountain venue access
- Professional event staff ensure seamless transitions between ceremony and reception
Culinary Flexibility Meets Local Character
Catering options span from Colorado BBQ buffets that embrace the mountain setting to sophisticated passed hors d'oeuvres suitable for formal celebrations.
Custom menu creation allows for personalization while Rock Yard Brewing selections add local craft beer authenticity that reflects Colorado's brewing culture.
This range accommodates different celebration styles without compromising on quality or local flavor that makes mountain weddings distinctive.
Booking Your Mountain Wedding
Contact Sanctuary directly at (720) 259-0981 or events@sanctuarygolfcourse.com for availability and pricing.
Given the venue's exclusivity and limited event calendar, early planning becomes essential for securing preferred dates at sanctuarygolfcourse.com.
The same scarcity that makes Sanctuary special for golf creates similar demand for weddings—book early to secure one of Colorado's most exclusive celebration venues.
Conclusion
Playing Sanctuary Golf Club represents more than just a round of golf—it's access to one of America's most exclusive experiences where world-class architecture meets charitable purpose in Colorado's stunning mountain landscape.
Whether you're seeking the ultimate bucket-list golf adventure or planning a wedding with unmatched Rocky Mountain views, Sanctuary delivers experiences that redefine what premium venues can offer.
The combination of Jim Engh's visionary design, limited access through charity events, and tour-quality conditions creates memories that will forever change how you judge golf courses and event venues.
