Columbine Country Club

Unique for Colorado in 1955 was the establishment of a championship golf course surrounded and interspersed among its fairways by some 200 home sites. The 17 founding members selected as a beautiful, natural setting the 295-acre Heckendorf Farm located along the South Platte River Valley west of the city of Littleton. The area offered an open view of the mountains, a plateau, and a winding river valley, all of which reflects a feeling of quiet spaciousness. The State flower was used to name the project “Columbine Country Club.

A spirit of pioneering, neighborliness and fun characterized the early community, which grew at a moderate pace. As in later years, the elected leaders met often to solve new problems as they arose. The changeover from a farm to a suburban atmosphere was not immediate. Deer were frequent visitors to the golf course, and occasionally livestock from neighboring farms got loose and wandered over the golf fairways.

The success of the community attracted the interest of neighboring communities, particularly Littleton and Denver. There were rumblings of annexation to increase the tax base of these cities. The Bow Mar development was likewise threatened, and incorporation there was initiated as a protective measure. Columbine homeowners began holding meetings on the subject and the eventual vote to incorporate the entire area was overwhelming.

On August 15, 1959, the Secretary of State of Colorado signed the incorporation papers of the Town of Columbine Valley. Harding Lawrence of 28 Wedge Way was elected the Town’s first Mayor. A Town budget had to be prepared in accordance with State law; taxes were levied; ordinances pertaining to police powers, building codes, traffic, dogs and the like had to be compiled, published and enforced in a newly created Municipal Court. The price of protection from annexation was great but was also to prove rewarding in many aspects.

Probably the most catastrophic event to affect Columbine Valley was the great flood of the South Platte River on June 16, 1965. Approximately 25 Columbine homes were either destroyed or severely damaged by this “100 Year” flood. The financial loss was estimated to be $2 million in Columbine Valley, with no flood insurance. The PGA Championship was originally scheduled for 1966 but due to the overwhelming damage to the course from the flood, the tournament was rescheduled for the following year in 1967. Renovation of the golf course and the adjacent homes was rapid, new trees were planted, the course was whipped into shape and a successful PGA tournament was held in a serene and beautiful setting here at Columbine Country Club. Don January beat out legends of the game like Gary Player, Arnold Palmer and Jack Nicklaus to win the 1967 PGA Championship with the low score of 281.

The outward appearance of the Town is one of quiet, peaceful existence. It is said that the person who works in downtown Denver, no matter what the daily frustrations may be experienced a feeling of relief and restfulness as he enters the gates of Columbine at the end of the day. This is the way the community was planned, the way it has developed, and the way it should be.