Changing the Horse in Mid-Springs

The addition of plush lodging, guest tee times and a superb steakhouse elevates The Club at Flying Horse to a must-visit

Jon Rizzi

Self-possessed refinement and exquisite attention to detail have defined The Club at Flying Horse since it opened in northeast Colorado Springs 11 years ago.

Complete with turrets, porticoes and a grotto, the club’s 43,000-square-foot, palazzo-style clubhouse appears to have been airlifted directly from the Tuscan countryside. Its equally impressive Athletic Club & Spa treats members with world-class facilities for tennis, swimming, basketball, fitness, yoga, Pilates, massage and much more.

Naturally, of course, there’s golf on Flying Horse’s challenging 7,301-yard Tom Weiskopf Signature layout and in the club’s Indoor Learning Center.

Enhanced by views of Pikes Peak, The Club at Flying Horse boasts all the ambience and amenities of a high-end resort.

The clubhouse patio at Flying Horse 

And as of last November, it has also become one.

Comprising a 40-room boutique hotel and four 1,650- square-foot, two-bedroom Villas, The Lodge at Flying Horse reflects the same welcoming atmosphere and anticipatory sense of hospitality that makes the club so special. Classic Homes, which owns the club and developed the surrounding 1,500-acre Flying Horse community, spared no expense in creating intimate accommodations that would attract corporate clients and high-end groups desiring an alternative to cookie-cutter conference centers.

At the same time, the Lodge also appeals to couples, families, golfer groups, weekenders, wedding parties and other visitors to the area.

“Whether you’re here on business or pleasure, you want to feel at home,” explains Managing Director Fredo Killing, who has overseen the property’s development from the ground up and masterminded Flying Horse’s lodging component.

Courseside villas along the back nine.

On the corporate side, that “hominess” translates to two high-ceilinged, 1,520-square-foot conference rooms, Milano and Turin, with fireplaces, floor-to-ceiling win-dows, crown molding and the flexibility of accommodating 26 to 90 people. State-of-the-art HD audiovisual equipment and screens come standard, as do sleek ergonomic chairs, outlets and USB ports at every space, free Wi-Fi and floor-to-ceiling windows that presenters can discreetly screen during audiovisual presentations—or if those mountain and golf course views become too distracting. The rooms adjoin 10,000 square feet of outdoor space for alfresco lunches or post-meeting libations.

The Lodge also offers a smaller executive meeting room, Verona, with natural light and an 84-inch built-in presentation monitor. The Lodge conference rooms complement the Clubhouse’s five meeting spaces, including a grand ballroom. All-inclusive meeting packages include breakfast, lunch buffets and other prix-fixe options.

“We won’t nickel-and-dime you like an airline or a hotel,” Killing promises. “The price we give will include everything; all you have to pay is the tax.”

A Lodge bedroom at Flying Horse 

Staying at the Lodge certainly won’t tax anyone.

The attention to detail begins before you even enter your room. Rich knotty alder baseboards and crown moldings trim the Lodge’s warmly painted corridors, which the architects have deftly staggered to eliminate the perception of endless, alley-like hallways. To avert awkward guest encounters, no room door opens directly opposite another one across the hall.

The rooms are blissfully hermetic. None borders a vending area and all benefit from double walls on both sides with an airlock in between. Two feet of soundproofing lie between the first and second floors, so you can crank the 55-inch flatscreen or your iPod without bothering your neighbors. When you shut the door, it seals to the threshold to block hallway light and noise. Doorbells and electronic privacy alerts prevent those inopportune knocks from housekeeping.

At 580 square feet, the smartly appointed rooms are more square than rectangular, creating a sense of spaciousness that’s amplified by 13-foot-high ceilings.  The upmarket furnishings enrich the space with delicious options. Do you collapse into a cosseting wingback or onto the pillow-top mattress set on a heavy wooden bedframe? If you want to read a book, work or check email, lights, outlets, and USB ports appear everywhere, obviating the irritation of reaching behind nightstands and headboards to turn on switches and plug in devices.

The gorgeous view from a courseside villa

Flying Horse even does in-room coffee right with Nespresso machines. Savor an americano from your covered balcony overlooking the ninth fairway or Pikes Peak, head over to the Athletic Center for a morning workout and return to shower in your room’s granite-walled bathroom, where another detail awaits: the shower control knob is set away from the water stream, keeping you from experiencing that initial burst of cold water from the either the rainfall or standard showerhead.

Similar details define the Villas, which opened last May. Situated along the 16th and 18th greens, the 1,650-square-foot structures feature four independent two-bedroom suites with a rounded 600-square-foot great room parlor separating each bedroom. Private terraces, fireplaces, walk-in closets, and oversized bathrooms and showers come standard in all Villas, each of which boasts the kind of appointments—hardwood floors, knotty alder cabinetry and molding, private terraces, 60-inch HDTVs, granite countertops, oversized bathrooms and showers—found in high-end residences.

Conference rooms available for use at Flying Horse 

Both the Lodge and Villas evoke the feeling of belonging. Moreover, guests have access to the same suite of amenities—including spa treatments and tee times—as Flying Horse members do. Members still have their own dining area, but The Steakhouse at Flying Horse is open to the public.
But if you understandably don’t want to leave the comforts of the Lodge, one quick call and the restaurant will prepare a memorable meal for home—er, room—delivery.

For rates and more on The Lodge at Flying Horse, call 719-487-2662 or visit lodgeatflyinghorse.com.

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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.