When Golf Digest began its annual Best New Course awards in 1983, the review panel selected Castle Pines as the Private Course winner. But Bill Davis, co-founder of Golf Digest and founding father of all its course rankings, didn't care for the course and vetoed its inclusion. So, no private course was honored that year. Davis soon recognized his error, and in 1987—its first year of eligibility—Castle Pines joined America's 100 Greatest and has remained there ever since. Club founder Jack Vickers, a Midwest oilman, had urged architect Jack Nicklaus to produce a mountain-venue design worthy of a major championship. Jack did, but when a championship never resulted, Vickers established his own, The International, which for many years was the only PGA Tour event played under a unique Stableford format. The tour returned to Castle Pines in 2024 for the FedEx Cup's BMW Championship. Like Muirfield Village, the only other solo Nicklaus design in the top 50, Castle Pines has undergone a steady procession of hole alterations to keep pace with changing technology and changing tastes. It's been lengthened to over 8,000 yards, but in Castle Rock's thin air, that still only equates to about 7,300 yards.