The Club at Flying Horse

Colorado Springs, CO

website: flyinghorseclub.com

• Playability: ⛳️⛳️⛳️⛳️
• Difficulty: ⛳️⛳️⛳️⛳️
• Views: ⛳️⛳️⛳️⛳️⛳️
• Course Conditions: ⛳️⛳️⛳️⛳️⛳️
• Value: ⛳️⛳️⛳️
• Facility: ⛳️⛳️⛳️⛳️⛳️

Driving south on Highway 83 will leave a lot to be desired, but once you emerge from the trees of the black forest you will find a whole bunch of new, high end construction sitting around a gorgeous 18 holes of golf. Flying Horse “North” is now open, so we can call the original Flying Horse “old”, even though this Tom Weiskopf course was only built in 2005. One of the truly great designs in Colorado, Flying Horse is a must play course for an unbelievable all around Colorado golf experience.

The playability of Flying Horse is one hole away from earning the full 5 flag rating. Before we talk about how great this entire layout is with beautiful views and challenging holes surrounded by great scenery- we must discuss the 17th hole at this course. We’ve played (roughly) 1200 holes of golf in this beautiful state, and this one may be the worst of them all- especially on such a great golf course. When we discuss playability it usually comes down to one simple question- is the course fair for everyone with risk/reward opportunities or does the layout belong in a carnival? The 17th hole at Flying Horse feels like it was an afterthought. Built into the side of a hill in a split fairway, you really cant hit driver off the tee or you will be through the fairway. On top of that everything filters to the right and into the rough. This will leave you a completely blind 175 yard plus shot into an extremely thin green surrounded by hazard and bunkers. Is the hole hard? yes. But it’s also awfully designed and leaves a blemish on this beauty. Enough bashing because this is actually Big Drive Spence’s favorite course around. It probably helps he always seems to play well here. The par 5’s are challenging but easy to reach in 2 with a good drive. The par 3’s are beautiful, and the par 4s (save for 17 and 11’s green) are challenging but offer some great views alongside risk/ reward opportunities.

Tipping out at 7300+ yards and playing as short as 5100 yards, Flying Horse offers a good challenge of golf for all abilities. The greens are fairly large in size, making the GIR a key stat if you play out here. There are a good amount of areas you can’t hit it into (water hazards and ESA protected lands) but for the most part the fairways are quite wide and forgiving. An above average driver of the ball will find themselves with short irons into par 5s and wedges into most greens. The putting surfaces are slick, which can give a lot of average golfers trouble when it comes to the short game- earning a 4 flag review.

The views at Flying Horse received a full 5 flags and deservedly so. Starting out with the over 43,000 sq. foot clubhouse that resembles a castle starts you out on the right foot when it comes to this property. Adding in the new spa and villas around the course gives off the luxury resort feel driving in to the gated community. The clubhouse has an elegant, ranch style feel to it with fireplaces and great stone work. Getting to the driving range- located at the top of the hill, you feel like you’re hitting right into the base of pikes peak and is a great place to warm up before your round or just take in the scenery. There aren’t too many views around the golf course other than the massive luxury homes, but the landscape and design of the course truly make it one of a kind. As I talked about on the last podcast- any river running down the side of a hole next to the green is an immediate win for me. The tough 13th at Flying Horse has just that. Surrounded by  shrubbery and native grass this golf course just has a really upscale level vibe all around.

Not too much to say about the course conditions other than this property is always in pristine shape. Mostly private courses have the luxury of having a large maintenance budget along with less play- always helping in the course conditions piece. You won’t find any bare spots in the fairway, everything is very green, and the putting surfaces are in immaculate shape- 5 flags all around for this track.

Value is tough to judge at a place like this, because it’s considered a private course. However, they’ve recently built villas and a lodge for guests to stay- which includes the ability to play the golf course. Although we couldn’t find a price for green fees, a one night stay in the lodge is $189, and I’m going to guess golf is around the $150-$200 range. A golf membership at Flying Horse will set you back between 25-35k with $530/ month in dues. (from ColoradoAvidGolfer) Even around this suspected price, Flying Horse is worth the trip and night’s stay at the hotel to play a true championship golf course.

The facility here also earned a well deserved 5 flag review. A miraculous clubhouse, great looking villas, a stellar driving range, perfectly manicured putting green, a full service outside bar at the driving range/ turn, and a solid short game area- what else could you ask for in a golf club? Flying Horse is luxurious all around.