Pikes Peak and Garden of the Gods play peanut gallery at the no.1 fairway.
7 a.m. Sunday morning, the tapping of cup cutters and rumbling mowers in the distance. The night before weighs heavy on the landscape, manicured and lush. The grounds lay dormant, flags are placed, and the staff is hurriedly preparing for the day. This is Sunday at the Colorado Springs Country Club (3333 Templeton Gap Rd., cscountryclub.com).
In case you didn’t know, CGB isn’t used to the country club lifestyle (born and raised on the muni course, baby). We visited this private 18-hole track upon invite from the course.
The lure was apparent within several minutes of being in the clubhouse — our breakfast happily served prior to the kitchen opening (in the form of one of the best breakfast sandwiches I’ve ever had), and a custom Callaway Epic driver setup mimicking that on our wishlist insisted upon us before hitting the first tee. We could get used to this.
I can try to wax poetic about the conditions at the club, but no amount of words can describe what every greenskeeper strives for better than one: perfection. The par-71 track seems unassuming from anywhere but inside, shielded from the bustling neighboring community. It’s an oasis any golfer could spend a lifetime in.
Zigzag through the first four holes on the front 9, taking advantage of the opening par 5, a 552-yard (from the tips) dog-leg protected by a few strategic bunkers and mature pine trees. The large, inviting greens can be deceptive, but constantly roll away from the bluff overlooking the course from the northeast. You’re welcome. Scoring opportunities are spread throughout the course, including no.7 and no.8, a 390-yard par-4 and 162 yard par-3, respectively, but biding time until the back nine can pay off.
B-E aggressive at no.10 and 11, a par-4 and par-5, to start the back 9 off in the right direction. Accuracy around the green is paramount in conditions like these — don’t count on bounces and rolls too much. Play left off the tee on no.10 for the clearest path the dance floor; grip it and rip it (as straight as you can) as you make your way uphill on no.11. Birdie or better on both and you’re feeling pretty good, but the biggest payoff of the entire round is just around the corner at no.12.
The no.12 par-3 is quite a beauty, and a beast.
Make sure you have some time between you and the group behind you, or make time. You’ll need a moment, or five, to take in the postcard-worthy design of the 185-yard par-3. This hole deserves all the spotlight it can get, yet sits humbly out-of-view from the rest of the course with a slightly elevated green protected by deep beach bunkers — it’s reflection is captured in a pristine pond separating it from the tee boxes. Regardless of pin placement, this hole is tough. It’s hard enough not to be distracted by the scenery, and large hills behind the green are stingey with favorable bounces, oh, and anything short is bunker or water bound, so pull the right club.
The rest of the back 9 plays similar to the front, though, with fewer parallel fairways and more scoring opportunities. Our CGB twosome had already been musing (sort of seriously) about making a membership happen, way before we reached the final upsell attempt at no.18. The 355-yard par-4 is home to another small pond, a fountain, and THE view of the clubhouse. An aggressive shot from right or left of the fairway can set up an even more enjoyable birdie attempt to close your round.
A members-only club, Colorado Springs C.C. breathes exclusivity, an alluring facet of the lifestyle. And though still one of the more affordable, true country club options in the Springs, it provides the kind of experience every golfer has yearned for, and deserves to live at least once. Even if it’s just for an early morning breakfast sandwich at the driving range.