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 | 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 | 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.
by Craig Lemley | Oct 27, 2015 | Golf Courses, Reviews
“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.
