When people think of golf, several significant names spring to mind: Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus, Phil Mickelson, Tiger Woods and more. Nicklaus is a six-time Masters champion, with Woods on his heals with five wins — Palmer and “Lefty” Mickelson have four and three green jackets, respectively.
Pikes Peak links pioneer William K. Jewett, originally from Long Island, came to Colorado Springs at the cusp of the 20th century.
Constructed in 1898, Patty Jewett Golf Course is recognized as the third oldest golf course west of the Mississippi, and named after William Jewett’s wife. Jewett, himself, passed in 1935 and was posthumously inducted into the Colorado Golf Hall of Fame in ‘96.
Public Course
“I’d like readers to know we’re a public golf course because our gate sometimes throws people,” says Patrick Gentile, the golf division manager with the City of Colorado Springs. “Also, that the City’s golf enterprise is self-supporting — we collect no tax dollars, and we collect no sales tax from the City. That is a unique feature set up by William Jewett back in 1919 when he deeded the course to the City of Colorado Springs.”
Gentile’s role is to oversee the maintenance and operations with the City’s golf enterprises, which includes Valley Hi Golf Course in addition to Patty Jewett. Highly experienced, Gentile has worked within the golf industry for 39 years — starting at the Broadmoor with their maintenance crew, and eventually managing irrigation across their fairways. Gentile began at Patty Jewett 27 years ago as the golf course superintendent, and within the last decade, he’s overseen both the historic grounds and Valley Hi.
Patty Jewett has a total of 27 greens. Their 18-hole course is a 72 par, with an additional nine-hole course available for play. The course is home to several events, including the Pikes Peak Amateur, which is held the third week in July and has been ongoing for over 70 years.
Neighborhood Hub
Patty Jewett is more than just a golf course, it’s also a neighborhood hub with the Patty Jewett Bar & Grill operating as a restaurant offering to the Old North End and Colorado Springs as a whole. The eatery is managed by veteran restauranteur and hospitality consultant Greg Howard, who’s held leadership positions with the statewide Colorado Restaurant Association.
“Greg Howard has done a really fantastic job with the food and staff at the Bar & Grill,” Gentile says. “It’s not just the golfers who feed into this place. It’s the neighborhood and community. I like to refer to Patty Jewett as the ‘Cheers of golf,’ where everybody knows your name.”
Websites: https://www.pattyjewettgolfshop.com/ + https://pjbarandgrill.com/
Facebook: @PattyJewettGolfCourse + @pjbarandgrill