Broadmoor (East)

[Tim Book]

I am traveling from San Diego to Denver next week for a youth lacrosse tournament.  Strongly considering cashing in all my available wife currency to "sneak" down to the Broadmoor and play the (East) course.  What should I expect?  Is it worth cashing in all my "chips"?  My sense is that it would be the best time of year for a visit?  Any advice would be helpful.

[mike_beene]

I think it is very much worth it. A tough set of greens that are very fast when putting away from Cheyanne Mountain.I could spend all day on the range and at the chipping area.The bells chime and echo through the mountains.Sure it is a split personality with 9 Ross and 9 Trent Jones.Plus walking the lake and shopping at the hotel would overcome any wifely objections.

[Bill_McBride]

I think it is very much worth it. A tough set of greens that are very fast when putting away from Cheyanne Mountain.I could spend all day on the range and at the chipping area.The bells chime and echo through the mountains.Sure it is a split personality with 9 Ross and 9 Trent Jones.Plus walking the lake and shopping at the hotel would overcome any wifely objections.

Mike is correct on the Ross/RTJ split nines.  If you want to play all the original Ross holes you have to play 36 and both courses.   

I don't know what has happened to the Palmer course that was slightly distant from the main Broadmoor complex.  There were some good holes with carries over a ravine when I played there twenty years ago, but I think there has been a major renovation since then.

One cool thing there is the fact that all putts break away from the carillon of bells on the mountain - even if they appear to be uphill.  Downhill putts with the carillon behind are prone to rolling forever.  Side hill putts break uphill depending on the bells. 

[Ken Fry]

Tim,

I was there for my honeymoon 12 years ago and was lucky to play the complete Ross 18.  The views are spectacular but the golf course doesn't wow you visually.  It's great fun to play and adjusting to the ball flight at altitude is interesting.  The architecture and greens are what you would expect from an old Ross course.

Bill,

Not long before we arrived at the Broadmoor, the South course had a massive landslide and a number of holes were damaged beyond repair.  My understanding was Nicklaus' group came in and redid the course, now named the Mountain Course.  What was done to counter the threat of landslides and how the course was re-routed I'm not sure about.

Ken

[Tommy Williamsen]

Tim, keep the ball on the fairwy and beow the pin.  The rough is pretty penal and sloping greens very quick.  I think it is very difficult course.  The mt course is absolutely fun.  It seems to me that Nicklaus did a redesign there.  I played it a coule of years ago and foud it delightful especially after being beat up on the East course.

[Andy Troeger]

Tommy,

Nicklaus did do a redesign, but I found his course to be exceptionally difficult. The East is hard too, but at least you can generally find and play your golf ball. In order to stabilize the ground on the Mountain Course, they had to keep the grass pretty long (at least originally), so even though its pretty, balls off the fairway by much were hard to find. There are still quite a few forced carries too.


Tim, I have not played the West, but the East is worth playing most certainly, but I'm not sure I'd cash in all my chips for it. Depends on how soon you can replenish them! :-)

[mike_beene]

The upper(Trent Jones) holes on the West are a little severe both to play and especially to walk.The Nicklaus Course is fun of you are hitting the ball OK but if you are scattering it ,not so much(I have experienced it both ways).The mountain clubhouse is a good sit outside and eat a burger lunch place.I would play the East first and second play would be West.Mountain is third in lime but still a beautiful and pleasant walk. If you can,play morning because later in the afternoon there will usually be a lightning delay.Lightning up there will get your attention and it comes over the mountain quickly.

[Tommy Williamsen]

Tommy,

Nicklaus did do a redesign, but I found his course to be exceptionally difficult. The East is hard too, but at least you can generally find and play your golf ball. In order to stabilize the ground on the Mountain Course, they had to keep the grass pretty long (at least originally), so even though its pretty, balls off the fairway by much were hard to find. There are still quite a few forced carries too.


Tim, I have not played the West, but the East is worth playing most certainly, but I'm not sure I'd cash in all my chips for it. Depends on how soon you can replenish them! :-)

Interesting, I didn't find the mt course nearly as difficult.  It was fun, in that there were a lot of options off the tee.  I found the east course a little long for me.

[Stephen Davis]

Tim,

I am about 2 miles from the Broadmoor and the course is looking very good despite our late spring. Greens appear to be in very good shape and up to their usual standard. It is certainly a beautiful area and they are right about the carillon bells, they are wonderful. Also, Nicklaus did do a renovation of the Mountain course in 2007 (I believe that was the correct year). The order of play would be East, West and then Mountain. Also, make sure you make time to eat at one of the amazing restaurants there (I would suggest the Summit for a more casual meal and the Penrose Room for a more formal meal that will likely be one of the best meals of your life!)

[Tim Book]

Stephen, thanks for the advice.  I imagine my time watching lacrosse will limit me to getting back up to Denver as quickly as I can.  Hopefully time will allow me to experience as much of the Broadmoor as I can.

[Doug Wright]

Tim,

Broadmoor East is one of my favorite courses here in Colorado, really a classic layout that works despite the Ross/RTJ combination. As others have said, the greens are some of the toughest around and can be absolutely maddening, especially on a first play. The course plays longer than it seems it should (holes 10-14 especially) so if you play it be sure to play appropriate tees to have an enjoyable round.

Having said that, if I were you I'd think about doing something else--staying in the Denver area and playing 36 in the time it would take you to go to the Springs for 18 at Broadmoor East. Depending on where you are staying, it's a 60-90 minute drive to the Broadmoor from Denver (and more if you get caught in Colo Spgs traffic going down or traffic in Denver on the return). There are a multitude of varied quality options in the Denver metro area that, taken together, would trump a trip to Broadmoor East in my view. These include CommonGround (Doak/Urbina/Iverson), Riverdale Dunes (Pete/Perry Dye and Young Tom Doak), Fossil Trace (if you haven't played a Jim Engh course and appreciate quirk), Bear Dance (a "mountain golf" experience much closer to Denver than the Broadmoor), Murphy Creek (Ken Kavanaugh), and others. The Broadmoor is a wonderful place that should get more than a drive by, and I'd suggest taking your wife/family there on a proper trip where you can play golf and they will have a great time on the property. 

PM me if you'd like to know more.

PS, Avoid the Broadmoor Mountain course IMO. It's one of those courses that was thrown onto a terrible piece of property for a golf course and has some very poor golf holes as a result. 

[Bill Vogeney]

I agree with Doug's assessment. The Broadmoor East is gorgeous, but it sort of a hodgepodge. See if you can get on Colorado Golf Club, the Crenshaw/Coore course.  CommonGround is fantastic. [

Bill Vogeney (new to the forum, don't throw me out!)

quote author=Doug Wright link=topic=55914.msg1297805#msg1297805 date=1370874461]
Tim,

Broadmoor East is one of my favorite courses here in Colorado, really a classic layout that works despite the Ross/RTJ combination. As others have said, the greens are some of the toughest around and can be absolutely maddening, especially on a first play. The course plays longer than it seems it should (holes 10-14 especially) so if you play it be sure to play appropriate tees to have an enjoyable round.

Having said that, if I were you I'd think about doing something else--staying in the Denver area and playing 36 in the time it would take you to go to the Springs for 18 at Broadmoor East. Depending on where you are staying, it's a 60-90 minute drive to the Broadmoor from Denver (and more if you get caught in Colo Spgs traffic going down or traffic in Denver on the return). There are a multitude of varied quality options in the Denver metro area that, taken together, would trump a trip to Broadmoor East in my view. These include CommonGround (Doak/Urbina/Iverson), Riverdale Dunes (Pete/Perry Dye and Young Tom Doak), Fossil Trace (if you haven't played a Jim Engh course and appreciate quirk), Bear Dance (a "mountain golf" experience much closer to Denver than the Broadmoor), Murphy Creek (Ken Kavanaugh), and others. The Broadmoor is a wonderful place that should get more than a drive by, and I'd suggest taking your wife/family there on a proper trip where you can play golf and they will have a great time on the property. 

PM me if you'd like to know more.

PS, Avoid the Broadmoor Mountain course IMO. It's one of those courses that was thrown onto a terrible piece of property for a golf course and has some very poor golf holes as a result. 
[/quote]

[Tim Book]

Thanks to all for the information.  I was able to get down to the Broadmoor on Friday.  Almost all comments were spot on.  I couldn't get a putt to the hole while putting uphill and I couldn't stop one putting downhill.  The tone and feel of the Ross holes were superior to the RTJ Sr. holes.  I can imagine the the original 18 had to be special for its time.  Really enjoyed the par 3 4th with the grass swale behind the green as well as the 3 finishing holes.  The setting of the 18th green was incredible.  Nice to have a piece of Ross west of the Mississippi.

[Bill Vogeney]

Tim, that 4th hole really is an incredible green complex. When the greens are REALLY fast, if you are above the hole or even hole high, you can't imagine how fast and how much break is on the putt. I think the original Ross holes are 1-6 and 16-18 on the east.

Vog

Thanks to all for the information.  I was able to get down to the Broadmoor on Friday.  Almost all comments were spot on.  I couldn't get a putt to the hole while putting uphill and I couldn't stop one putting downhill.  The tone and feel of the Ross holes were superior to the RTJ Sr. holes.  I can imagine the the original 18 had to be special for its time.  Really enjoyed the par 3 4th with the grass swale behind the green as well as the 3 finishing holes.  The setting of the 18th green was incredible.  Nice to have a piece of Ross west of the Mississippi.