The Broadmoor — Luxury Golfing at the Grande Dame of the Rockies

There are plenty of beautiful golf courses all around the world, but not every one of them has a rich history, like the Cleghorn Golf and Sports Club at Tryon Resort. Cleghorn’s history dates back to 1972. It was designed by the prolific and highly respected George Cobb, and has earned a reputation as one of the best courses in the U.S. That same distinction applies to the Broadmoor Golf Club East in Colorado Springs, Colorado. It’s rich history, magnificent location and world class course make it one of the best destinations for golfers.

Like Cleghorn, Broadmoor is a lovely course, and is steeped in tradition. It was originally built in 1918 against the majestic Cheyenne Mountain and is famed (or notorious) for its optically befuddling green contours. The greens look like they are going uphill, but actually run downhill, making putting even more challenging. Donald Ross deserves credit for those confusing greens, as he designed the original course.

In 1959 the stunning mountainside course (the East Course today) witnessed a certain Jack Nicklaus notch his very first U.S. Amateur win — the youngest to do so in the modern era. Nicklaus wasn’t The Golden Bear we now know in 1959, but his win at Broadmoor proved to be a portent of things to come. The then 19-year-old Nicklaus went on to become one of golf’s greatest ever, alongside Arnold Palmer, Sam Snead, and more recently, Tiger Woods. The latter is the only one still active, which means he can inch closer to The Golden Bear’s record of 18 majors. In fact, bwin Golf’s U.S. Open betting odds have Woods as one of the favorites to win it in June. Woods will have to start winning again, though, if he wants to catch Nicklaus’s revered mark, and maybe zoom past him as the greatest ever. 

In 1965 the Robert Trent Jones-designed West Course was opened, with Ross’s original holes (holes 1–4 and holes 13–18) retained. The redesigned East Course, on the other hand, also kept Ross’s original holes, which are now holes 1–6 and holes 16–18. A third course, the Mountain Course opened in 2006, completing the trilogy course ast Broadmoor. The third course was actually designed by a company owned by Nicklaus. Unfortunately, it was closed in 2016 due to a landslide.

Even with the closure of the Mountain Course, the East-West Course duo remains a crown jewel in Colorado Springs. The views are stunning, with the majestic mountainside providing the perfect backdrop to two equally spectacular golf courses. But even sans the breathtaking surroundings, Broadmoor’s two courses are worth the price of admission. The overall design is classic, and the subtleties of its greens, while rather confusing, are both charming and unique to Broadmoor. Both courses are challenging, too, requiring a variety of shots to get around.

The East Course, however, is invariably superior to the West Course. Small wonder then that is has been used for USGA events, as well as several other high-profile tournaments, like the U.S. Senior Open last year and in 2008, which were won by David Toms and Eduardo Romero, respectively. The East Course also hosted the U.S. Women’s Open in 2011 and 1995, which were won by So Yeon Ryu and Annika Sorenstam, respectively.

What better way to cap off a day of golf than retiring to Broadmoor’s five-star hotel, which sits over 1,000 miles above sea level? It is one of Colorado’s finest, most luxurious hotels, and the perfect place to stay in and relax for the rest of the day.

To Book your trip to the Broadmoor and experience Luxury golf at Colorado’s Premier destination, please visit The Broadmoor!