by Craig Lemley | Nov 20, 2019 | 19th Hole, News
An artist rendering of the new Crush Golf facility in Colorado Springs, opening summer 2020.
With the explosion of TopGolf and Drive Shack popularity across the US, we here in Southern Colorado have been patiently waiting for our turn at a brightly lit, titillating year-round golf venue. Come summer 2020, the wait will be over.
In a November press release, developers of the ever expanding Polaris Pointe retail complex on the north side of Colorado Springs announced the upcoming opening of Crush Golf and sister facility AirCity360. Currently under construction, Crush Golf will span 54,000 sqft, housing 75 heated driving range “suites” with Trackman Golf tech, a 250-yard driving range, dining and meeting facilities. Crush Golf with be the “first of its kind golf facility in the Pikes Peak Region,” according to the release, offering southern Colorado golfers a way to cure their FOMO with our neighbors to the north (Top Golf has already staked a claim in the Denver area with two locations).
Crush Golf’s sister facility, AirCity360, is said to be an all-family entertainment venue with everything from a roller coaster, climbing wall and “Ninja360” course to dodgeball, trampolines and much more. The two facilities join a host of other attractions in the Polaris Pointe center, including go-karts, shopping centers, restaurants and more to make it one of the premiere entertainment centers south of Denver, located east of I-25 and Northgate Boulevard.
by Craig Lemley | Dec 11, 2017 | Golf Courses, Reviews
Overland Park Golf Club, courtesy GolfNow.
1895 America: Prohibition is in its infancy, the venerable “America the Beautiful” is published for the first time, and golf makes its debut in Colorado.
Overland Country Club, the original Denver Country Club now known as Overland Park Golf Club (1801 S. Huron St., Denver), began as a horse racing, sporting and a nine-hole golf retreat for the area’s wealthy in 1895. Now a Denver Golf municipal property, the oldest operating course west of the Mississippi is home to a unique Colorado golf experience. Located close to downtown Denver, the property is home to an 18-hole William H. Tucker design, water and traditional driving ranges, and a 36-hole miniature course named Aqua Golf boarding Overland Lake.
Big, beautiful, menacing trees and narrow fairways will cause you the most trouble on this par 72 track, accuracy from the tee being paramount. But the Overland’s predominantly parallel fairway layout makes scrambling a little easier. Enjoy the downtown Denver skyline throughout your round, and beautiful autumn hues as the leaves change color each fall on Colorado’s oldest course.
A snow-capped Pikes Peak overlooks the bridge to the 9-hole 7th fairway at Patty Jewett in Colorado Springs.
A mere three years younger than its northern counterpart — and a short commute from Overland — Patty Jewett Golf Course (900 East Española Street, Colorado Springs) holds the title of the third oldest golf course operating west of the Mississippi, second oldest in the state. The course has grown 18-holes larger since debuting nine holes in 1898, the Willie Campbell design is now played as a par 72 18-hole or par 36 nine-hole. A Springs’ municipal property, minuets away from downtown, Patty’s rich history is apparent the moment you enter the gate. A long driveway under a canopy of 100-plus-year-old trees leads to the impressive clubhouse, seeping with history itself and home to one of the best dining patios in the city.
Each of Patty’s courses has its own personality, challenging enough for average golfers but ripe with scoring opportunities in another wooded, country club-like layout. The famous Pikes Peak, “America’s Mountain,” dominates your view to the west, unobstructed by any urban skyline and often framed perfectly from western facing fairways. Patty does have its flaws, as we’ve noted in a previous review, but this track remains one of CGB’s go-to rounds.
Aside from their history, both Overland Park and Patty Jewett showcase the quality of Colorado municipal properties. County club-like conditions peak in the late spring and summer months and carry into the region’s famously colorful fall, when trees show a range of reds, oranges and yellows. Winter golf in Colorado is an experience all its own, and both Overland and Patty are open year-round.
Courses like Overland Park and Patty Jewett have witnessed the game of golf change through generations of players, and will continue to for the foreseeable future. Visiting one of the country’s oldest courses isn’t something an average golfer gets to do very often, let alone playing two easily over a weekend. A round at Patty Jewett and Overland Park is an act of historic preservation a golfer won’t soon forget.
A version of this article first appeared on GolfNow‘s blog The Daily Tee, to which CGB is a contributor.
by Craig Lemley | Jun 14, 2017 | Golf Courses, Reviews
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.
by Craig Lemley | May 26, 2017 | Golf Courses, Reviews
Pre Amendment 64, which legalized recreational marijuana, if Colorado were known for one thing, it would be our 29,000-plus acres of skiable terrain, which justifiably makes us “Ski Country USA.”
But happy as we are hitting the high country during the winter months to make some leisurely lines on the slopes, the snow-sports scene takes a backseat to every other fitness-focused activity you can think of during the summer season. (Oh, you climb the Incline every weekend? How novel.)
It’s easy to forget — that is, if you knew it already — that Colorado is also home to an impressive array of golf courses, more than 200 of them, including some of the highest-rated private and public courses in the country. Southern Colorado hosts a number of premiere tracks unlike any others. Really, where else can you tee off from close to 9,000 feet above sea level? From Monument and Woodland Park, to Colorado Springs and Cañon City, long links-style layouts to 9-hole par-3s, the grass really is greener in Colorado.
Quintessential Colorado
Snow-capped mountains, forested foothills, bubbling creeks, big game and other wildlife: The golf at Shining Mountain Golf Club (100 Shining Mountain Lane, Woodland Park, shiningmountaingolf.com) is just the icing on the cake. One of the state’s most accessible mountain courses from a metro area, about 30 miles west of Colorado Springs on Highway 24, Shining Mountain’s 18-hole, par-70 layout is a must-play for the views alone. Tight, undulating fairways hug the hills and surrounding marshlands under Pikes Peak’s north face, defining the beauty of Colorado at every turn. Shining Mountain’s signature hole could be the par-3 17th, its elevated tee boxes looking out to a large green protected by a small pond, and set against the gorgeous backdrop of the valley, forest and the towering Rocky Mountains.
Municipal courses
Notably lacking in quality in southern Colorado, municipal courses are to the average golfer what a grade school is to any Average Joe: nostalgic. City-run courses become a part of the local community; a neighborhood gathering place, a go-to bar spot, an event venue — not just a place to swing the sticks. No place exhibits this more than Patty Jewett Golf Course (900 E. Espanola St., pattyjewettgolfshop.com), one of the Springs’ two municipal courses. The 27-hole layout is both welcoming and challenging to players of any skill level, and delivers iconic views of the Front Range from anywhere on the property. Prime conditions and a clubhouse with a warm, appealing patina complete an affordable country club feel.
Conditions are also king at Pueblo’s Walking Stick Golf Course (4301 Walking Stick Blvd., Pueblo, walkingstickpueblo.com), one of Pueblo’s three muni courses. The 18-hole, par-72 layout has historically rated as one of Colorado’s best courses to play on a budget, offering players a full-service, desert-links style design for less than $40 per round during peak season. The picturesque track sports rolling fairways, pot bunkers and troubling natural hazards, paying off with big, inviting greens and plenty of scoring opportunities.
More area links
Rooted in tradition, the prevailing golf course design you’ll find anywhere is links, and southern Colorado is no different. Historically, links courses are coastal, with scant trees, expansive natural hazards and undulating terrain. Sans the nearby beach, King’s Deer Golf Club (19255 Royal Troon Drive, Monument, kingsdeergolfclub.com) stays true to a modern links design — a formidable, 18-hole, par-71 challenge surrounded by lush, gorgeous marshlands and abundant natural hazards. Target golfers and scramblers are the only ones to master this realm, but long hitters may find some low scores too.
On the east side of Colorado Springs, Springs Ranch Golf Club (3525 Tutt Blvd., springsranchgolfclub.com) hones its own links design. The newly remodeled layout criss-crosses Sand Creek several times, taking advantage of the natural dunes and expansive views of the surrounding landscape. Trouble isn’t hard to find on any golf course, but Springs Ranch is the perfect place to get aggressive and shoot right at the pin.
Cap your Colorado links mini-tour at Cañon City’s Four Mile Ranch Golf Club (3501 Telegraph Trail, Cañon City, fourmileranch.com). This up-and-coming golf community centers on the 18-hole, par-72 layout. Don’t let the humble clubhouse (I mean trailer) fool you, Four Mile is a course you won’t soon forget. Undulating is an understatement — this is a raging sea of conditioned turf that’s both forgiving and infuriating. Blind shots are a signature at Four Mile, grip it and rip and trust the funneling greens will reward your ambition.
Military and private courses
At the foot of Cheyenne Mountain, across U.S. Highway 115 from Cheyenne Mountain State Park, awaits Cheyenne Shadows Golf Course (1050 Titus Blvd. #7800, carson.armymwr.com), Fort Carson’s resident track. Open to civilians, the 18-hole, par-72 layout boasts dramatic views of the surrounding landscape, and is approachable by any player. The Air Force Academy is home to the much-lauded Eisenhower courses (usafasupport.com/golf-course.html), two 18-hole tracks playing amongst the trees and foothills for service members and their guests. Meanwhile, Peterson AFB hosts Silver Spruce Golf Course (40 Glasgow Ave., 21fss.com/silver-spruce-golf-course). Its well-maintained 18-hole and 9-hole, par-3 courses are also open to the public.
The Springs’ private courses are much like anywhere else: pricey and exclusive. But if you have a chance to chase birdies at the Colorado Springs Country Club, Garden of the Gods Country Club, Cheyenne Mountain C.C., or even The Broadmoor, you’d be a fool not to take it. Exceptional conditions and five-star treatment is what the country club life is all about, and every golfer should experience it at least once.
Practice, practice, practice
It’s hard to enjoy a round if you’re thinking about breaking every club in your bag, no matter where you are. But there are a number of facilities here to help lower your scores. World Golf & Sand Creek G.C. (6865 Galley Road, worldgolfsandcreek.com) on the east side of town is the site of a large, stadium-lit driving range, a practice green — and mini golf — a golf simulator and a short 9-hole track. And Cherokee Ridge Golf Course (1850 Tuskegee Place, cherokeeridgegolfcourse.com), home to a regulation 9-hole and another 9-hole, par-3, is another suitable, inexpensive place to hone your hacking. The First Tee (525 N. Academy Blvd., thefirstteepikespeak.org) hosts youth programs at its impressive indoor practice facility, also open to the public year-round for practice sessions.
Shoot ’em straight.
Editor’s Note: This content was originally published in the Colorado Springs Independent newspaper, used with permission.
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.
