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 | 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 | Oct 27, 2015 | Golf Courses, Reviews
The entire list of World Golf’s amenities is much too long to address everything at once. In short, it’s a one-of-a-kind golf oasis on the southeast side of Colorado Springs. The World Golf complex touts a multi-level driving range, a practice green, a miniature golf course, a pro shop, a restaurant, a golf simulator, and an executive nine-hole course, which we’re highlighting in this space.
The course, the Sand Creek part of the complex, is one of two executive courses in the Springs — that we know of. It’s cheap, plays fast, and offers shooters A LOT of scoring opportunities. But it’s the nuances that allow Sand Creek to avoid being written off as a novelty.
Chasing the sun on the no. 8 green.
This is not a serious round of golf. That ought to start setting in as you’re standing on the first tee box, making a crucial decision that’ll impact your entire round: red flags or yellow flags. Each green sports two cups; one is standard diameter, the other is big enough for a beach ball. All of this isn’t to say that you can’t take your round at S.C. seriously, it’s just not as fun. On the other hand, if you end up with an ace on your scorecard playing the oversized cups, the onus is on you and your group to decide the legitimacy — I won’t judge.
No. 1 is one of seven par-3s — two back-to-back par-4s complete the layout. These holes are stacked right on top of one another, it’s not that hard to get mixed up on the tee box so pay mind to the layout on the scorecard. Aside from the blind landing on the no. 1 green, S.C. is a target-shooter’s dream come true with few hazards and multiple approaches to most of the greens.
The greens are pretty straight-forward, no crazy undulations or awkward hole placements. And there aren’t any hard dog legs or blind approaches. Actually, you won’t find anything out of the ordinary at S.C., that is until you notice the pirate ship resting near the creek bed from the no. 3 tee box. It’s hard to say how it got there, or more importantly, why, but like I said, nuances…
“I think I holed it.” Twilight dreaming on the drivable no. 4 par-4.
Long hitters get their kicks on the no. 4 and no. 5 par-4s, both offering great eagle opportunities — albatross if you bring the big stick. No. 4 starts at an elevated tee box, the fairway starting after about 50 yards of thick brush and a the namesake creek — at this point just a ditch, really. No. 5 runs the opposite direction, parallel to no. 4, with an elevated green set to the right of a water hazard, separated from the fairway by the creek.
Finishing with four consecutive par-3s, one can see how some players may find the round lacking and unsubstantial. But you’re also only paying for what you get. Non-member green fees run $11 for nine; World Golf also offers multiple memberships and “Unlimited” packages that offer additional savings around the complex (find more details via the course website).
World Golf and Sand Creek is a golf complex like no other in the Springs. A huge, stadium-lit practice range, an indoor golf simulator, a pro shop offering fittings, repairs, lessons, and new and used clubs, miniature golf, and more only add to its lure. There is truly something for everyone here. You have plenty of reasons to book a tee time.
