Catching Springs Fever

Major changes are afoot at three Colorado Springs golf resorts

Jon Rizzi | Colorado AvidGolfer

The Broadmoor

After renovating the East and West Courses in preparation for major USGA Championships in 2008 and 2011, the 96-year-old jewel has been undergoing a $60 million renovation that already has seen the Golden Bee expand, Cloud Camp open atop Cheyenne Mountain, The Tavern’s Garden Room redefine itself and a new activity center rock the Broadmoor West building. The biggest change, however, will come in late May when Broadmoor West debuts a completely redesigned structure, which will feature larger rooms (and 31 more of them) and a remodeled exterior suggestive of the historic Main Building. Artist rendering pictured above. Ristorante del Lago, an Italian restaurant, will replace Charles Court, and the enlarged West Lobby Bar will include a fireplace and expansive outdoor terrace.
broadmoor.com

Cheyenne Mountain Lodge

The $20 million renovation that commemorated the resort’s 25th anniversary in 2011 upgraded the finishes, furnishings and Mountain View Terrace Restaurant. Last year, it was the golf course’s turn. The adjacent Pete Dye-designed Country Club of Colorado, which predates the opening of the lodge by 12 years, underwent a $4 million facelift under the aegis of Evergreen-based Phelps-Atkinson Course Design. “We took out two bunkers and added a total of seven new ones,” says principal Rick Phelps. “All of them are in the flat-bottomed, steep-faced early Dye style.” Phelps also added about 150 yards to the 40-year-old course (it now tips at 7,150), rebuilt tees and greens and, among many other modifications, made the water-carry par-3 17th (picture above) even more intimidating by “removing the bench of grass by the white tees, so it tapers right into the cattails.” The club also completely replaced the original irrigation system.
cheyennemountain.com

Garden of the Gods Club & Resort

Six years after selling the club founded by her father to developers who fostered a resort component, Lyda Hill is now part of the LLC that reacquired the facility in August. The investment group, led not by Hill but by executives—and members—Brenda Smith and Judy Mackey, plans to invest heavily in improvements to the dining and lodging facilities, as well as the 27-hole Kissing Camels Golf Club. The chief priority, however, is to build a 14,000- to 16,000- square-foot wellness center that will adjoin the club’s spa by late 2014 or early 2015. The staff will include doctors and practitioners in naturopathic medicine, acupuncture and massage therapy. This approach “can quickly grow the club’s membership base while introducing the resort to wellness-focused travelers who appreciate a sophisticated vacation experience,” says Jeff McIntyre, a principal at Gemstone Hotels and Resorts, the Utah-based company hired to manage the property.
gardenofthegodsclub.com

Colorado AvidGolfer is the state’s leading resource for golf and the lifestyle that surrounds it. It publishes eight issues annually and proudly delivers daily content via www.coloradoavidgolfer.com. Jon Rizzi is the founding editor and co-owner of this regional golf-related media company producing magazines, web content, tournaments, events and the Golf Passport.