Good suggestions all around. My main goal is to play a course, any course in Colorado to add it to my list of states played. My secondary goal is to play a fun course that I will enjoy. But I am more than willing to play the crappiest 9 hole, just to say I played in Colorado.
I am a beginner bagger whose goal is to play as many courses as possible. I am not yet to 100 but I hope to be by the end of next year.
I totally understand the feeling! Anytime I go anywhere my first goal is to figure out a way to squeeze a round in at a new course.
If looking for shorter/quicker courses:
Ken Karyl is a nice 9 holer
there is a big cluster of High school and elementary school courses on the south side of town, none very good but they're there
Jonny Roberts is your best bet for a decent short course on the north side of town, and has perhaps the longest history of any Denver area course, although I never understand the oft heard sentiment:
IMO there is no course in the Denver area that is a must play other than Johnny's
IMO Jonny is more of an Avoid-Play any time other than winter - when the course isnt totally overcrowded
Dry Dock is a decent 9 hole double loop at a brewery, good bet if youre on east side of town
Lakewood dry gulch is the worst course around in terms of run ins with disc thieves and is just not much fun and very hard
Village Greens, Expo or Centre Hills probably your best bet if your gonna be IN town but these are more like regular length par 3 courses. Expo just got baskets switched out and they may still be working on it - definitely check Udisc or Facebook to see if its open.
Adams Hollow is nice if youre way up north. It has also been closed for construction recently so make sure to check the status before making the drive out there.
Camenish is still around and is actually 2 courses - Badlands upper and Badlands Lower - both fun but can be hard to navigate and not very short/quick. might run across some strange folks over there also...
Honorable mention goes to Fehringer, Westfork and Westcreek - all a bit longer and pretty much wide open