“I love you. You annoy me more than I ever thought possible. But I want to spend every irritating minute with you.” — Anonymous
This is exactly how we at CGB feel about Patty Jewett (900 E. Española St., pattyjewettgolfshop.com), one of our favorite courses in the Springs. There is a lot to dislike about this muni course — notorious frost delays, slow play (what’s a marshall?), the laughable seasonal pricing, etc. Still, there is a lot to love.
Pikes Peak from the no.6 tee box.
The views are one thing, add a 27-hole, well-maintained layout with an excellent clubhouse, restaurant and patio in downtown Colorado Springs on top of that. But that doesn’t mean this course should get a pass for its obvious flaws.
The main issue with Patty Jewett comes down to the consistently slow play. A weekend round in the fall took a CGB threesome six hours to finish, without a marshall in sight. It’s hard to blame it all on the foursome of old timers that’ll probably be in front of you, I’ll blame the bureaucracy for poor course management. And don’t even get me started on Patty’s infamous frost delays — once we waited over an hour and a half to tee off in the late fall.
A twilight view from Patty’s no.17 tee box.
The layout is gorgeous, though, and the turf conditions … Patty knows what we like. It’s hard to put down one of the most beautiful courses in the city. Rebuilt bunkers and cart paths, and aesthetic work along the creek bed proves the course maintenance is on point, and work the continues. And depending on drought conditions, obviously, it’s hard to find fairer fairways or greener greens in the Springs metro area.
As for play, Patty is just challenging enough for average golfers — those on top of their game will find plenty of scoring opportunities. It’s not the longest course around, but there are plenty of chances for big swingers to let loose too. The hazard situation falls in the moderate to difficult category depending on which portion of the course you’re playing and skill level. A signature hole — and hazard — is the Peak course’s the 368-yard No. 9 par-4 — plan on hitting two and take shot over the water.
Twilight at the no.9 tee box on the Peak course.
Patty’s pleasures come at a premium — at least for golfers on a budget — $16 for 9, $31 for 18 during peak season; carts fees are $13 and $26, respectively. And you won’t find any reprieve with their offseason pricing — you save a whopping $2 dollars on 18, and an entire dollar on 9. There are a couple other cost-saving options including membership deals and twilight rates as well. See the pricing on this page for more on that.
With tremendous views and impeccable turf conditions, poor course management and questionable pricing, we hate to love Patty Jewett — or maybe it’s the other way around. Either way, this course will remain a CGB go-to for the foreseeable future, warranted or not.