by Craig Lemley | Dec 7, 2016 | Products
A savage awaits inside every golfer. Behind the tucked-in collard shirts, matching prints, and practiced etiquette lies a vice-driven animal ready to raise hell at the local muni course. There’s a time and a place to leave a little dignity on the course — you probably want to keep it together during a Sunday round with your in-laws — but when that time comes, go hard or go home.
Depending on the size of your crew, the need for libations may exceed your beverage cart budget. We’re not necessarily condoning breaking the “no outside beverages” course rule, but, hypothetically, if you’re looking to liven up your round on your own, there are some prodcuts out there to help.
Golf Shots
Intoxicated or not, a good golf shot is all we can ever ask for — it’s what makes the three-putts worth it. Whether your game is on or not, Golf Shots ($14.95) provides the best way to celebrate — or commiserate. Each ball holds 1.5-oz of liquid, with a flat bottom for easy refills. No more sneaking bottle shots when the marshal’s not looking.
Pitch-N-Puff
Mary Jane is a captain of the CGB crew, a favorite in our groupings. Hitting greens all day is great for your score, and for your state-of-mind. But if you’re still stashing glass and baggies in your bag or rationing joints the whole day, Puffingtons’ Pitch-N-Puff ($15) is a must. Disguised as a ball (the storage container) and a tee (the one-hit pipe) — stereotypical, yes, but useful given the stigma — this product will definitely take your game to a higher level.
The Covert Cooler
It’s important to stay hydrated on the course, but beers per hole can get a little expensive. Offset some of your tab with the cart girl and outfit your crew with The Covert Cooler ($19.95 and up). Large enough to hold nine cans with ice packs, it’s still slim enough to fit in the large shoe pocket in your bag. A couple of Covert Coolers should keep your thirst at bay until the turn.
JBL speakers
CGB believes golf and hip-hop go hand in hand. Though music on the golf course is still considered a contentious issue, we’ll never stop jamming from tee to green. Our go-to choices come courtesy of JBL’s line of portable speakers ($39.95 and up). Bluetooth connectivity keeps any wires out of the mix, and the cylindrical designs can fit perfectly in your cart’s cupholders. Sync multiple speakers together so everyone knows what hole the party’s at.
Loudmouth Golf
If it’s good enough for Bill F*cking Murray and John Daly, it’s good enough for us. Nothing says “I’m here to party” like any of Loudmouth’s subtle prints.
Editor’s note: CGB receives products direct from manufacturers for advertorial purposes. All reviews posted on this site are not associated with advertising agreements unless otherwise noted.
by tbromley2 | Nov 11, 2016 | Golf clubs, Reviews
We weren’t expecting the kind of fire power that arrived at the CGB doorstep courtesy of Bomtech Golf. As of late, the company best known for “pulling the pin” in the driver game has been introducing a variety of clubs, including a full set of wedges your buddies won’t be able to keep their hands off of.
Unwrapping the 52-, 56- and 60-degree wedges — sadly, we didn’t make the short list for the company’s intriguing 72-degree — was nothing short of an “oh my God” moment, dulled only by the question of who in the CGB crew would get to claim the first hacks.
After 54 holes with the Grenade wedges in our arsenal, here are our notes:
Look: 4/5
A sleek, polished finish showcases the clubs’ forging lines with subtle brand logos. We’d like to see multiple finish options made available — brushed steel, matte black, etc. — but appreciate the simplicity of the design. At address, the club face is very inviting to the user, boosting green side confidence more so than other wedges, especially the 60-degree. The subtly is akin to the Callaway PM-Grind when comparing size, but with a more traditional head shape.
Feel: 4/5
Understand that feel is all user specific — some prefer a harder club face, as in this case. The feel and response is immediate with the Bombtech wedges, but the softer face contributes to a lack of spin generation inside 60 yards. Average players struggle to generate large amounts of spin to begin with, so we’ve come to expect a bit more “bite” from wedges marketed to weekend golfers. (Translation: We need all the spin generation help we can get.)
Forgiveness: 5/5
As mentioned before, it’s hard not to notice how large these club faces are — there’s a lot to love. The larger face enables flush contact in a variety of lies and makes bending full shots a breeze. (What’s better than seeing that kind of response inside of 130 yds?) The club angle seems steeper at address, promoting a more consistently square point-of-contact — a common struggle for most on touchy green side plays.
Overall: 4.5/5
First off, 3 forged clubs for $99!? ‘Nuff said. If you’re looking for a deal on some head turning, game changing wedges, your search is over. And if Bomtech ever delivers different finishing options — and maybe some shaft and grip upgrades, while we’re asking — and a $99 starting price, our arguably overpriced stock Vokey wedges are heading straight to EBay.
Bombtech Golf is a lot more than just a driver manufacturer, that much is very clear. The Grenade wedge set has proven to be a pleasant surprise, and earned a permanent place in the CGB bag. These clubs are definitely worth giving a shot if you’re wanting more bang for your buck, literally. Pull the pin.
Editor’s note: CGB receives products direct from manufacturers for advertorial purposes. All reviews posted on this site are not associated with advertising agreements unless otherwise noted.
by Craig Lemley | Aug 9, 2016 | Golf Courses, Reviews
There’s a reason why links is the oldest golf course design style, they got it right the first time. Depending on who you ask, the definition of a true links course may be up for debate — proximity to the ocean is a deal-breaker for some — but the most important characteristics of the design easily translate to many dry, desert-like landscapes. Colorado Springs (read: as land-locked as it gets) is home to a shining example of links-style design with Springs Ranch Golf Club, a true gem on the east side of town.
Springs Ranch (3525 Tutt Blvd, 719/573-4863, springsranchgolfclub.com) may be competing with two other golf courses located near the Powers corridor, Cherokee Ridge and Sand Creek, but its dedication to the natural landscape makes this course one of the most unique in town, now in the cleanup stages of a significant update. Native hazards are the greatest challenge players face, dominating the majority of the surrounding area. Pot bunkers are dotted throughout the layout set on top of the undulating dunes of the high desert. The scant amount of trees pose little threat and the sole water hazard is all but an afterthought.
“Undulations” may sound like a red flag, but the movement of the course isn’t nearly as drastic as some others we’ve played. Your worries should be focused on the natural hazards and pot bunkers. Overall, Springs Ranch is a very playable course; invitingly wide and with a number of scoring opportunities, yet still more challenging than it looks.
The recent course construction and severe storms — followed by an extreme hail storm so bad it prompted local course closures — left the course in a lot rougher shape it would be otherwise when we found it. The bunkers were left with a layer of gravel and sediment after a series of heavy storms — raking made them even worse — and a number of the greens were sporting significant hail damage.
The new layout can be a bit confusing as you make your way to no. 11. Even though the new layout is marked somewhat sufficiently, noticing a foursome on 18 teeing off over the cart path you’re traveling on is pretty unnerving. No. 16 and 18, the two other newly-updated holes, flow pretty easily.
Sand Creek snakes its way throughout Springs Ranch and is the most dominating feature of the no.12 par 4. Easily one of the most prominent hazards on the course, the deep ravine defends the green once players reach the end of the left-to-right curving fairway. Big hitters have a chance to carry the creek, but only if they’re really big hitters. A layup is the safest play for a look at GIR.
Home to the course reservoir, no.9 is another standout. The water becomes a big factor on the approach to the green depending on the placement of the pin — easy breezy if the flag is on the left of the green, more troublesome on the right. Playing too far right from the tee will cause you some trouble from the get-got. The conservative plays are all left-of-center, maintaining a clear path to the green regardless of pin placement. Fly the green and you’ll be looking at another awkward lie to get up and down from the hill on the back side.
Really, Springs Ranch isn’t about signature holes as much as it is a seamless, natural flow. The fluidity of the holes adds emphasis to its surroundings, allowing players to take in the expansive views of the front range and the features of the high desert, and really focus on the scoring opportunities at hand. Weekday course rates range from $16 (9 holes, walking) to $40 (18, with a cart) during peak season, $18 (9 holes, walking) to $45 (18, with a cart) on weekends. Twilight specials are offered as well, $12 for all you can play starting two hours before sunset (no carts) but you can find much better deals in the area.
Whether you’re a links traditionalist or simply a fan of classic course play, you’ll appreciate Springs Ranch’s ode to the origins of course design. In a place like Colorado, known for our mountains more than anything else, it’s refreshing to find a course unafraid to fully embrace a different kind of high altitude landscape, and add to the diversity of Colorado golf.
by Craig Lemley | Jun 16, 2016 | Golf Courses, Reviews
Calling it a small town is a borderline understatement when describing Fowler, Colorado. About 40 miles southeast of Pueblo, the town of no more than 2,000 is home to Cottonwood Links Golf Course (1 Cottonwood Ln., Fowler, 719/263-4500, see Facebook page), literally on the other side of the railroad tracks.
Cottonwood is the definition of good ol’ boys golf; rural charm with unabashed dedication to the locals. There are no frills on this 9-hole layout. If you’re looking for dress codes, caddie service and manicured surroundings, this is not the course for you. But if you’re looking for a laid-back challenge with a true mom-and-pop feel in a nondescript part of the state, you may not find any better. You’ll get the idea once you step into the clubhouse, one large room setup to seat dozens and a single bathroom accessed via the door to the cartbarn in the back of the building. If that doesn’t do it for you try the driving range, no more than 100- to 150-yards deep, where you can warm up your woods only if you’re shagging your own balls from the trees (and there’s no one on the hole behind the them). Still not convinced? How about BYOC, Bring Your Own Cart, as there’s no guarantee they’ll have a loaner for you.
(Editor’s note: The visits on which this writing is based occurred during a large scramble tournament. The course did have enough carts for all players, though, it’s unclear how many were loaned to the event by private owners.)
Ready… Set… Scramble! Convey readying for the second day of the Gary Sharp Invitational in Fowler, CO.
Though billed as a links course, Cottonwood feels more parkland than anything else — there are plenty of trees in and around the areas of play, and the fairways are in close proximity to each other in the heart of the course with a fair share of natural hazards. (Side bar: Bring bug spray. Trust us, you don’t want to be without and end up the butt of the locals’ jokes when the mosquitos are swarming.)
A wide, inviting par 5 opens the round at no.1, running parallel the road leading to the clubhouse. Long hitters can easily reach in two as the green is set just slightly left of the tee box with no real hazards defending your approach. Shorter hitters should stay center to right-of-center from the tee to follow the fairway all the way to the green. More scoring chances follow at the no.2 par 3 — a sloped green trickier than its par 3 counterpart found at no.4 — as well as the the 520-yard no.5, another, mostly hazard-less, par 5. Make the most of them.
It’s not that the previously noted holes are your only chances at sub-par scores, but its tough to end your round with a long stretch of par 4s, capped by a notable finishing hole sporting a water hazard and blind, elevated green. No. 9 must be considered the toughest hole on the course, the tee boxes placed just so everything that you need to worry about is out of sight. View of the water is guarded by tall natural grasses that blend in with expanse of O.B. bordering the right side of the hole that also blocks the view of the flag. Most hitters will want to take a long iron to the center or left-of-center to layup as close to the water as possible, another long to mid iron should see you to the green in regulation.
Looking back towards the no.7 tee box from the green (hidden by a dog leg). Play right from the tee and you’ll have to fly these large trees to reach the green.
With small town charm comes small town prices, consider them one and the same. 9-holes run $16 for non-members; 18-holes for $22; cart fees range from $12 to $16. Even though there are probably very few reason why you’d ever find yourself in Fowler, Colorado, the rural charm of Cottonwood Links is a good reason to stay a little longer if you do.
by Craig Lemley | May 1, 2016 | 19th Hole, Reviews
We were all thinking the same thing as we pulled into the Top Golf parking lot in Centennial, Colorado (10601 E. Easter Ave., topgolf.com): This is f**king crazy. They say you learn a lot from first impressions. In this case, it’s certainly true. You get a sense of Top Golf’s grandiose style when you walk past the valet parking — yeah, at a driving range — and find a spot in the lines winding their way around the main lobby.
This wasn’t our first introduction to the lines at Top Golf, several weeks prior to this visit we were turned away by the long lines and what one of the ushers told us would be a 3-hour wait. This really is the only gripe I have with the uber-popular chain. To not take reservations for parties with fewer than six players, as we were told during our first visit, seems a little unreasonable when you’re looking at 4+ hour wait-times during busy times. And the two-line system they have set up for first-timers — one to become a member, which you have to do, and another to actually book a bay — is a little confusing, not to mention a little overwhelming.
Anyway, on to the good stuff. We started with a satisfying burger and fries and some beers before making our way to our bay, an order or guac and more beers placed at the bar followed us close behind. Nothing really stands out about the food — to be fair, we hardly looked at the menu to see all of the offerings — but the that’s not why we’re here anyway.
Three levels of bays stretch almost as far as you can see, each stocked with TVs, climate-controlled patio furniture, and loaner clubs. The setup is a lot like what you’d get if you mixed a nightclub VIP room with a bowling alley lounging area, music included. Another common area is located in the lower level, with a pool table and other alternative entertainment options (if you’re into that kind of thing.) We never made our way to the top level but I wouldn’t be surprised to find another common entertainment area there, too — this place is built to make you want to stay awhile.
The range itself, to be honest, isn’t all that impressive if you’re expecting a traditional practice range, but then again, nothing about Top Golf is traditional. A smattering of colored targets extend to the back fence, which is short of 300 yards. After dark, the lights come on — read: glow golf meets cosmic bowling. For the budget inclined, Top Golf’s fee structure is hourly, increasing based on the time of day; $25 before noon, $35 from noon to 5p.m., $45 from 5p.m. to close — there’s also a one-time $5 lifetime membership fee. Get the most bang-for-your-buck with a bigger group of players.
As for Top Golf’s games, gone are the days of settling friendly closest-to-the-pin disputes with screaming and threats, this is calculated competition. Top Golf balls have internal microchips that send distance, landing, and respective points to a game screen inside the bay. Much like bowling, players get a real time scoring with each swing — the only controversy comes when someone disputes/edits the scores.
You know it’s been a good day with your crew when you feel the need to make something of an embarrassing confession. That said, there are some rules to be followed at Top Golf, one of which includes sniping the ball collector. (For the record, everyone watching loved it, and we didn’t cause any damage.) Also, no tees. After a friendly scolding timed perfectly with the end of our game, we had our first Top Golf experience under our belts.
by Craig Lemley | Apr 6, 2016 | Golf Courses, Reviews
There’s something inexplicably special about municipal golf courses. You get a sense that you’re a part of something — not just paying dues — and you know the ins and outs of every hole better than anyone. You’re on first-name basis with the staff, and with members of the foursome of 90-year-olds who always claim the best tee times, and you know exactly which hole is going to sink your round before you even make it to the first tee — that’s life on the muni course.
We love municipal courses, and Valley Hi (610 South Chelton, 719-385-6911, pattyjewettgolfshop.com), one of Colorado Springs’ two city-run courses, is no exception. But like most munis, there are two stories to tell.
Again, like many of its counterparts, poor course management seems to plague Valley Hi — the starter told our CGB threesome we’d have to wait five hours for a tee time one early spring Saturday. (In all fairness, the neighboring muni course was holding a tournament the same day and blocked out tee times, surely adding to the traffic — but still.) Luckily, we only waited about an hour before finagling a spot at the first tee. Leaving, though, we did noticed at least four groups waiting to be on deck.
The management umbrella also covers Valley’s pricing, one of the issues we have with Patty Jewitt as well. Both courses use the same “fee structure” — green fees start at $29.00 for 18, $15 for 9; carts, rentals, etc. add considerably to that cost — and offer very scant money-saving options.
But once you’re on the course, you won’t run into many unwelcome surprises. It’s a hitter’s paradise with wide fairway entries and unassuming hazards, and the greens are fairly easy to read. The 6,940-yard (from the tips) 18-hole layout gets a little crammed — errant shots easily end up on adjacent holes — but this course is built for big swings, slice, hook, or otherwise. On a recent outing, one player in our group played a 40- or 50-yard slice with his driver all day long and never found himself in too much trouble or searching for a lost ball.
The scoring opportunities at Valley start early in the round at the no.1 par 5, followed immediately by the par 3 no.2. Long hitters can reach the 580-yard par 5 in two, but the flat green is still friendly to those making it in three — especially in the front pin placement, about five-yards in from the end of the fairway. No. 2, a hazard-less 209-yards from the tips, sports an elevated tee box and a more undulated green set in the middle of a left-to-right downhill slope. Play the left side high to take advantage of a bounce off the hill towards the cup.
Although Valley’s layout may seem pretty straight forward, distances can be very deceiving. And it’s not a course where you’ll be thinking about needing to play safe. Complacent players will find themselves in trouble on holes with water and other strategic hazards. Trust your instincts — or just lay up.
Playing safe is exactly what you’ll want to do on the 520-yard no.17 par 5, the only hole on the course with two water hazards and a very reachable city street behind the green. Set those fears aside for your first shot, though, the fairway is wide and runs long.
The safest line for your approach is from the left side of the fairway, taking a pond at the far right end of the fairway out of play. Long hitters can reach this green in two, but a creek dividing the fairway from the green will leave most needing to consider a safer shot.
As for conditions at Valley Hi, they’re, well, conditional — on how much the city’s going to invest, or not, into this course during any given year. As of now, Valley, though city-owned for a lesser amount of time, can’t claim the same beauty found at its sister course, Patty Jewitt. Terribly pocked cart paths, a depressingly dirty practice range, and no sign of works in progress on the course doesn’t bode well for those expecting a Patty-like experience any time soon. On the other-hand, Valley’s turf conditions are amongst the best in the area in the late summer and early fall.
Country clubs are country clubs — you’re part an elite class of people as long as you have the money to join, and that’s pretty much all that matters. But muni courses are are something more special, like the neighborhood you grew up in. A round at Valley Hi will pay tribute to that.
