ON-COURSE LI V ING: GOLF’S HOTTEST ’HOODS
Elevating the Game.
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U.S. SENIOR OPEN GUIDE • HOLES to Watch • PLAYERS to Follow • Items to BUY • Where to EAT • Where to WATCH
Centennial SALUTE
How to Be LONG in the TOOTH and LONGER OFF THE TEE
For its 100th Anniversary, THE BROADMOOR celebrates with the best senior golfers in the world
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LEXUS IS A PROUD SPONSOR OF THE U.S. SENIOR OPEN
GUIDE TO THE 2018 U.S SENIOR OPEN
CONTENTS | June 2018
29 Introduction
30 A Lasting Legacy
What makes the East Course great; the Broadmoor’s Heritage Hallway.
32 Field of Dreamers Who could win—and why.
38 Hole By Hole
A course with 18 servings.
50 Viewers’ Guide
How to get the most from your U.S. Senior Open experience.
54 Wear to Watch
Clothing and collectibles at the Open. By Suzanne S. Brown
58 Golf and Grille
The Grille adds another star to The Broadmoor’s lineup. By Gary James
65
DEPARTMENTS 10 Forethoughts
The Best Way to Break 100 By Jon Rizzi
72 Gear The power of Pyramid Putters. By Drew Kort SIDE BETS
12 ’net Score
Come play in our Tournament Series,
Private Club Days and other great events.
18 The CGA
74 Nice Drives
The reimagined 2018 BMW M5 and Lexus LC500 establish new flagships for their brands. Plus: the BMW X3. By Isaac Bouchard
FEATURE
93
Father’s Day Visits with Jim and Charlotte Hillary, Keith and Drew Schneider; Matt, Emma and Davis Bryant; and Mike, Jennifer and Steven Kupcho. By Jon Rizzi
The Women’s Golf Experience rocks.
21 The Gallery
Pueblo’s Hackers Holiday, Doug Habgood, Colorado State’s USGA Champions, Matt Kuchar, more
124 Blind Spot
Special Sections
79 GETTING HOME
Inside The Enclave at Green Valley Ranch, Grand Elk,Flying Horse, Frost Creek, 5390’ and Desert Mountain Seven
Russ Miller and Freddie Dickman
PLAYER’S CORNER
103 COLORADO GETAWAYS
65 Travel
Golf in the Sandhills. By Ted Johnson
Trips to Grand County, Steamboat, Colorado Springs, Gunnison and Cortez
70 Instruction
The search for more distance never gets old, even as we do. By Jason Witczak
ON THE COVER The U.S. Senior Open flag at The Broadmoor. Photograph by Mic Clik
COLORADO AVIDGOLFER | June 2018
6
70 coloradoavidgolfer.com
A G R E AT S TAT E D E S E R V E S A G R E AT O P E N
CoBank is proud to be the title sponsor for the Colorado Open Championships. As the state’s largest financial services institution, we look forward to continuing a great Colorado tradition – where legends begin. COBANK COLORADO SENIOR OPEN: May 30 - June 1, 2018
800-542-8072 www.cobank.com
COBANK COLORADO OPEN: July 26-29, 2018
COBANK COLORADO WOMEN’S OPEN: August 29-31, 2018
RANGE ROVER
WELL-APPOINTED NO MATTER THE OCCASION
June 2018 | Volume 17, Number 3 publisher
A llen J. Walters editor
Jon Rizzi SALES, MARKETING & ADVERTISING associate publisher
Chris Phillips
digital and social media manager
A lex J. Rajaniemi
office and operations manager
Cindy Palmer
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Melissa Holmberg ART & EDITORIAL art director
Jani Duncan Smith editor - at- large
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Mar tin Yeager editorial interns
A lec Barr y, Drew Kor t contributors
Sam Adams, Andy Bigford, Suzanne S. Brown, E.J. Carr, Clarkson Creative, Tony Dear, Denny Dressman, Sue Drinker, Dick Durrance, Chris Duthie, Scott Gardner, Gar y James, Ted Johnson, Kaye W. Kessler, Kim D. McHugh, Phil Mumford PRINCIPALS Ray L . Baker, C. Don Baker, Dick B. Baker advertising inquiries : cindy@coloradoavidgolfer.com editorial inquiries and letters : jon@coloradoavidgolfer.com customer service and subscriptions :
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Colorado AvidGolfer (ISSN 1548-4335) is published eight times a year by Baker-Colorado Publishing, LLC, and printed by American Web, Inc. Volume 17, Number three. 7200 S. Alton Way #A-180, Centennial, CO 80112. Colorado AvidGolfer is available at more than 250 locations, or you can order your personal subscription by calling 720-493-1729. Subscriptions are available at the rate of $17.95 per year. Copyright Š 2018 by Baker-Colorado Publishing, LLC. All rights reserved. Reproduction without permission is prohibited. Postmaster: Send address changes to Colorado AvidGolfer, 7200 S. Alton Way #A-180 Centennial, CO 80112. The magazine welcomes editorial submissions but assumes no responsibility for the safekeeping or return of unsolicited manuscripts, photographs, artwork or other material. magazine partner of choice :
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Forethoughts
The Best Way to Break 100
Please join us in celebrating the spirit of trailblazing in honor of our anniversary at Alpine Bank–45 years of building Colorado communities with you. For inspiring tales of trailblazing by Alpine Bank, community leaders and entrepreneurs, visit alpinebank.com. #TrailblazingWithYou
T R A I L B L A ZI NG F O R 4 5 Y E AR S
PHOTOGRAPH BY MIC CLIK
W I T H YOU F OR 45 YEARS
UNLESS WE’RE talking about a golf score or diastolic heart rate, the number 100 usually carries a positive connotation. This month The Broadmoor turns 100, with the Centennial Gala Celebration beginning June 1, exactly 100 years to the day Spencer Penrose first welcomed VIPs from across the state and around the country to a special opening of his magnificent new hotel in Colorado Springs. There’s no doubt this year’s guests will receive the same impeccable treatment lavished on their 1918 forerunners—a weekend of grandeur and entertainment, special events, delectable cuisine, superb wine, abundant merriment and dancing. I’ll be there for it. As I will for the U.S. Senior Open, the dates of which, June 28-July 1, roughly coincide with the 100-year anniversary of the opening of the Donald Ross-designed course, the highest 18-hole layout ever constructed at the time. That inaugural round, played on July 4, 1918, set the tone for the caliber of championship golf that would transpire at The Broadmoor during the next century. On that day, three future World Golf Hall of Famers—professionals Jim Barnes and Jock Hutchison and renowned amateur (and 1916 U.S. Open champion) Chick Evans—joined 1913 Western Amateur champion Warren K. Wood in an exhibition match. The pros defeated the ams, 2 and 1, and in the process raised $12,250 for the American Red Cross effort in World War I. In 2018 dollars that donation would equal around $203,250, or $516,750 less that what Kenny Perry received for winning last year’s U.S. Senior Open championship. He shot a 16-under-par 264 on the Donald Ross-designed course at Salem Country Club. Don’t expect that kind of birdiefest this year. Perry and the other 155 players in the field will compete over a course that yielded a total of seven under-par final scores at the last three USGA championships contested at The Broadmoor: three at the 2008 U.S. Senior Open and a measly two each in the 2011 and 1995 U. S. Women’s Opens. Mercifully, no player exceeded the century mark in any round—though some flirted with it. Starting on page 29, this issue devotes a 35-page section to the U.S. Senior Open at The Broadmoor. It’s the least we could do for the first major national golf event Colorado has hosted in what seems like 100 years, but has only been four. Four years can indeed seem like an eternity. That’s not a political statement; it’s a personal one. Four years from now, God willing, my father will turn 100, which makes every Father’s Day until then that much more special—including the one this month. My father never really got into golf the way many dads have. Those fathers have passed along their passion to their sons and daughters—some of whom have excelled at the game. In that spirit, this issue features profiles of four Colorado fathers—Jim Hillary, Keith Schneider, Matt Bryant and Mike Kupcho—and their prodigious progeny. Read all about them starting on page 93. Their stories precede our annual 21-page Colorado Getaways section featuring travel to Grand County, Steamboat Springs, the Western Slope and Colorado Springs. To this last destination, we’ve devoted another 10 pages, since you’ll probably be there to watch golf at the end of this month. Of this I am certain, 100 percent.
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COLORADO AVIDGOLFER | June 2018
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’net Score INFO | BLOGS | DIALOG
Colorado National Golf Club
Championship Season IT’S CHAMPIONSHIP season across the country. The Stanley Cup Final, the NBA Finals and the U.S. Open all coincide this month. And let’s not forget the Schomp BMW Cup June 4-5! Our championships are just getting underway as well. The 2018 Tournament Series presented by Michelob Ultra begins July 23 at Colorado National and SPOTS ARE GOING FAST. Get a buddy or two (or three!) and test your team against some of the best courses in the state! Check out our event page for the latest updates on player gift bags, contests, prizes and more from each event. Come play with us: coloradoavidgolfer.com/cag-events/tournament-series
Raise a Toast WE’D LIKE TO congratulate our twelve prestigious Gentleman Jack 19th Hole CAGGY Award Winners. Spanning both private and public clubs, they embody the best of Colorado golf from every region of the state. To honor them, each of these clubs received a custom-engraved bottle of Gentleman Jack recognizing its 2018 CAGGY Award: Arrowhead Golf Club, Ballyneal Golf and Hunt Club, The Golf Club at Bear Dance, The Broadmoor, Cherry Hills Country Club, Colorado National Golf Club, CommonGround Golf Course, Mariana Butte Golf Course, Pole Creek Golf Club, The Club at Redlands Mesa, Red Sky Golf Club and Telluride Ski & Golf Club. Follow us: instagram.com/coloradoavidgolfer
Give Us a Read
The Club at Pradera
Where the Green Grass Grows
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EACH YEAR we offer our readers the opportunity to play some of the most prestigious private clubs in the state, and this year is no different. Our Private Club Days will kick off July 9 at Perry Park Country Club in Larkspur (which sells out at a scorching rate) before heading to The Pinery and The Club at Pradera later in the summer. Don’t miss out. These events were jam-packed last season. Sign up to find out what it’s like to be a member for a day at three of Colorado’s most renowned private clubs: coloradoavidgolfer.com/cag-events/private-club-days COLORADO AVIDGOLFER | June 2018
HAVE ANY IDEAS, tips, concerns or compliments? We’re always searching for better ways to get you the customized content you want—so send us a message on Facebook and let us know what you’re itching to see. The more we know, the better your Colorado AvidGolfer experience will be, so don’t be shy. Give us a shout!
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Experience Colorado’s greatest golf with rounds from $60/person. Choose from a variety of resort accommodations with Stay, Play and Save lodging and golf packages starting at $191/night including free golf on afternoon of arrival and unlimited same-day play with every paid round. For more information and to book your next round, visit GolfKeystone.com
Does your health coverage LEAVE YOU IN THE ROUGH? Picking a health plan for your business can be confusing. How do you know you’re getting the highest-quality plan for the lowest possible cost? To help you make a better decision, we suggest that you consider 4 essential questions when evaluating health plan options. Find them at healthycare-colorado.kaiserpermanente.org
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I LOVE THE GOLF BALL, THE GOLF BALL IS AMAZING. — Sergio Garcia on Chrome Soft
For complete details, to purchase and for Golf Passport PLUS information, go to coloradoavidgolfer.com/golf-passport or call us at 720-493-1729 ext. 18 GET YOUR GOLF PASSPORT ONLINE OR FROM:
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64 COLORADO COURSES ALL PRICES INCLUDE CART
GOLF COURSE
1/1- 5/31 6/1-8/31 9/1-12/31
AVAILABLE TEE TIMES
WEEKENDS
ROUNDS
Antler Creek, Falcon EXCLUSIVE
$28
$35
$35
M-Th any time, F-S-S after 12
Yes
3
Applewood, Golden
$30
$30
$30
M-Th any time, F-S-S after 1
Yes
3
$36/$43
$36/$43
$36/$43
M-F after 1, S-S after 1
Yes
1 P/S = 3
Breckenridge, Breckenridge*
$75
$99
$75
SS: M-Sun any time, PS: S-Th after 12
Yes
3
The Bridges, Montrose*
$35
$49
$35
Any day after 11
Yes
3
Broadlands, Broomfield
$40
$45
$40
SS: any time, PS: M-Th after 12
Yes (SS)
3
Broken Tee, Englewood
$34
$34
$34
M-Th after 12
No
3 P/S = 9
Buffalo Run, Commerce City
$41
$41
$41
M-F any time, S-S after 2
Yes
3
Cedaredge, Cedaredge
$35
$40
$35
Any day, any time
Yes
Unlimited
Cheyenne Mountain Resort, Colorado Springs EXCLUSIVE
$75
$98
$75
M-Th any time, F-S-S after 1
Yes
3
Coal Creek, Louisville, EXCLUSIVE
$40
$50
$40
M-F after 11
No
3
Colorado National, Erie
$45
$49
$45
M-Th any time, F-S-S after 1
Yes
3
CommonGround, Aurora EXCLUSIVE
$50
$50
$50
M-Th any time, F-S-S after 12
Yes
3
Country Club at Woodmoor, Monument EXCLUSIVE
$36
$45
$36
Any day after 11
Yes
2
$31/$36
$36/$41
$31/$36
Any day after 10
Yes
2
Eagle Ranch, Eagle EXCLUSIVE
$35
$55
$35
Any day after 11
Yes
2
Eagle Trace, Broomfield
$30
$30
$30
M-Th after 11, F-S-S after 12
Yes
3
EagleVail, Avon*
$59
$59
$59
SS: any time, PS: any day after 1
Yes
3
Family Sports, Centennial
$19
$21
$19
M-Th any time, F-S-S after 11
Yes
Unlimited
$36/$51
$36/$51
$36/$51
M-Th before 8 or after 1, F-S-S after 1
Yes
4
Four Mile Ranch, Cañon City
$35
$38
$35
M-F any time, S-S after 1
Yes
3
Fox Acres, Red Feather Lakes
$50
$60
$50
M-Th any time, F-S-S after 11
Yes
Unlimited
Fox Hollow, Lakewood
$48
$48
$48
M-Th after 1, F-S-S after 2
Yes
Unlimited
Golf Granby Ranch, Granby
$35
$55
$55
M-Th any time, F-S-S after 11
Yes
Unlimited
$32/$39
$45/$54
$39/$45
M-Th after 11, F-S-S after 12
Yes
1
$35
$55
$40
Any day after 12
Yes
3
$39/$49
$49/$59
$39/$49
Any day after 12
Yes
1 P/S = 3
$67
$87
$67
Any day, any time
Yes
Unlimited
Heritage Eagle Bend, Aurora
$34/$40
$50/$56
$34/$40
M-Th any time, F-S-S after 11
Yes
3
Highlands Ranch, Highlands Ranch
$49/$60
$59/$70
$49/$60
M-Th any time, F-S-S after 12
Yes
SS:2, PS:1 = 5
Homestead, Lakewood
$38
$38
$38
M-Th after 1, F-S-S after 2
Yes
Unlimited
The Greg Mastriona at Hyland Hills Gold Course, Westminster EXCLUSIVE
$45
$45
$45
M-Th any time, F-S-S after 12
Yes
3
The Greg Mastriona at Hyland Hills Blue Course, Westminster EXCLUSIVE
$24
$24
$24
Any day, any time
Yes
Unlimited
NEW Aurora Hills, Aurora EXCLUSIVE
Devil’s Thumb, Delta
Foothills, Denver
Grand Elk, Granby Grand Lake, Grand Lake Green Valley Ranch, Denver EXCLUSIVE Haymaker, Steamboat Springs
20 EXCLUSIVE OFFERS Visit coloradoavidgolfer.com for complete details.
GOLF COURSE
1/1-5/31
6/1-8/31 9/1-12/31
AVAILABLE TEE TIMES
WEEKENDS
ROUNDS
The Greg Mastriona at Hyland Hills Par 3 Course, Westminster EXCLUSIVE
$12
$12
$12
Any day, any time
Yes
Unlimited
Indian Tree, Arvada EXCLUSIVE
$38
$38
$38
Any day after 12
Yes
3
Inverness, Englewood* EXCLUSIVE
$60
$80
$60
M-Th any time, F-S-S after 12
Yes
3
NEW Ironbridge, Glenwood Springs
$69
$79
$79
M-Th any time, F-S-S after 11
Yes
4
Keystone Ranch, Keystone*
$80
$110
$80
Any day after 11
Yes
Unlimited
King’s Deer, Monument EXCLUSIVE
$25
$40
$25
M-Th any time, F-S-S after 12
Yes
2
Legacy Ridge, Westminster
$45
$45
$45
M-Th any time, F-S-S after 1
Yes
Unlimited
The Links, Highlands Ranch
$36/$41
$40/$45
$36/$41
M-Th any time, F-S-S after 12
Yes
1 P/S = 3
Littleton Golf & Tennis Club, Littleton
$29/$31
$34/$36
$29/$31
M-Th after 11, F-S-S after 1
Yes
3
$58
$68
$55
M-Th after 11, F-S-S after 12
Yes
Unlimited
$40/$54
$40/$54
$40/$54
M-Th before 8 or after 1, F-S-S after 1
Yes
4
$38.50/$46
M-F after 12, S-S after 1
Yes
1 P/S = 3
Lone Tree Golf Club & Hotel, Lone Tree The Meadows, Littleton Murphy Creek, Aurora EXCLUSIVE
$38.50/$46 $38.50/$46
Omni Interlocken, Broomfield*
$60
$72
$60
M-Th any time, F before 12, S-S after 12
Yes
3
Pelican Lake Golf Club, Windsor*
$45
$60
$50
M-Th any time, F-S-S after 12
Yes
3
Perry Park Country Club, Larkspur EXCLUSIVE
$79
$79
$79
T-Th after 11:30
No
2
Pole Creek, Tabernash
$58
$58
$58
M-Th after 11, Su after 11
Sunday
Unlimited
Quail Dunes, Fort Morgan
$20
$25
$20
Any day, any time
Yes
4
Raccoon Creek, Littleton
$39/$45
$39/$45
$39/$45
M-Th any time, F-S-S after 12
Yes
4
Raven at Three Peaks, Silverthorne*
$55
$99/$50
$55
SS: any day after 12 PS: M-Th after 12, F-S-S after 4
Yes
Unlimited
Redlands Mesa, Grand Junction
$55
$55
$55
Any day after 11
Yes
3
The Ridge at Castle Pines, Castle Rock* EXCLUSIVE
$54
$65/$79
$54
M-Th any time, F-S-S after 1
Yes
1 P/S = 3
The River Course at Keystone, Keystone*
$80
$110
$80
Any day after 11
Yes
Unlimited
$40.50/$48
M-F after 12, S-S after 1
Yes
1 P/S = 3
Saddle Rock, Aurora EXCLUSIVE
$40.50/$48 $40.50/$48
South Suburban Par 3, Centennial
$9
$9
$9
M-Th any time, F-S-S after 12
Yes
Unlimited
Sumo Golf Village, Florence
$25
$30
$25
Any day after 12
Yes
2
Tiara Rado, Grand Junction
$40
$45
$45
M-Th any time, F-S-S after 11
Yes
3
Todd Creek, Thornton EXCLUSIVE
$40
$45
$40
M-Th after 10, F-S-S after 12
Yes
Unlimited
Vail Golf Club, Vail
$59
$99
$69
M-Th any time, F-S-S after 1
Yes
2
Walking Stick, Pueblo
$36
$36
$36
M-Th any time, F-S-S after 12:30
Yes
Unlimited
Walnut Creek Golf Preserve, Westminster
$45
$45
$45
M-Th after 11, F-S-S after 1
Yes
Unlimited
Yampa Valley, Craig* EXCLUSIVE
$30
$30
$30
M-Th after 11, F-S-S after 12
Yes
2
CommonGround offer: Must be CGA, CWGA or Golf Passport Plus member to get rate. Family Sports: 9 Hole Executive Course South Suburban:Par 3- Cart not included
M-Th = Monday-Thursday; F-S-S = Friday-Sunday; Sun-Th= Sunday-Thursday; S-S= Saturday-Sunday P/S= Per Season; SS= Shoulder Season; PS= Peak Season SS= Shoulder Season; PS= Peak Season * Some seasons may vary
The CGA SERVING ALL COLORADO GOLFERS
Making Solid Contact Aspiring female golfers find the sweet spot at the popular Women’s Golf Experience events. LEARNING GOLF can be fun and empowering if you are surrounded by like-minded individuals at a nice golf course and led by qualified professionals. Food and drink afterwards also help. This was the concept of Women’s Golf Experiences, the flagship CGA program for women now in its ninth year. The program started slowly, with just one event at CommonGround Golf Course in the spring of 2010. The idea was to reach out to the women members (and their friends) who rarely, if ever, played in state-sanctioned tournaments, but who would be interested in group golf instruction from PGA and LPGA professionals, as well as a healthy amount of social interaction, lunch, gifts and prizes during a friendly half day at a golf course. The program has taken off. All you have to do is look at what’s on tap in the way of Women’s Golf Experiences in 2018. From May through July, a record-number seven events will take place. While the CWGA joined forces with the CGA as of January 1, the Women’s Golf Experiences will continue and the impetus behind the events remains the same. ”They’ve been such a success that we’ve expanded them geographically all over the COLORADO AVIDGOLFER | June 2018
state; we’re going to Montrose and Cheyenne Shadows this year,” noted Laura Robinson, the former CWGA executive director and now the CGA’s managing director of membership and integration. “We’ve also added a new type of experience—play days—where the women go beyond the range and putting green onto the course to play nine holes,” she elaborated. Indeed, after May Experiences at Overland and Saddleback, and one on June 2 at CGAowned CommonGround, there will be a visit to Cheyenne Shadows at Fort Carson on June 9 and to The Bridges in Montrose on June 23. And, after selling out the inaugural ninehole Experience play day last year at Harvard Gulch Golf Course in Denver, the CGA will host two of those events this year: on July 14 at Indian Tree Golf Course in Arvada and on July 29 at Harvard Gulch. ”People really like being able to apply what they’ve learned in a clinic to a play day,” Robinson said. And according to Matthew Walker, the program manager, women truly value the networking opportunities. They can meet other women at their own playing ability level or who live nearby. They can share their stories
18
and learn that what they are going through is not uncommon. Participants at every Women’s Golf Experience event receive instruction from PGA or LPGA professionals, along with lunch and gifts, and there’s a drawing for door prizes. The clinics feature four separate 45-minute segments— full swing, chipping, putting and rules. And at the play days, a 45-minute short-game clinic precedes a nine-hole round on a par-3 course, on which instructors station themselves to provide tips on course-management strategy. Each Experience event is open to both CGA members and non-members: clinics each cost $65 and $85 respectively; play days run $40 and $45. ”Those participating include women of all ages and playing abilities. We often see mothers and daughters sign up together, and CGA members bring non-member friends to learn at the same time,” said Robinson.
For more information on Women’s Golf Experience events, visit coloradowomensgolf.org or call 303-366-4653.
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The Gallery
ROLLING ALONG: For almost 60 years, Pueblo CC has staged the Hackers Holiday, once needing flashlights (below) to decide the outcome.
NEWS | NOTES | NAMES
In the Name of the Founder
All Hail the Hackers AS DARKNESS BEGAN to fall on Pueblo Country Club on June 25, 2016, the golf course was aglow. Not from one of those brilliant southern Colorado sunsets, nor by a celebration radiating from the Italian Renaissance-inspired clubhouse at the 115-year-old club. It was the final day of the 56th annual Hackers Holiday member-guest tournament, and rain delays had prevented a winner from being determined. So, with sunlight drained from the sky and the final two pairings tied after two playoff holes, participants and their guests ringed the club’s second green. Using the flashlights on their cell phones, they generated enough light to decide the championship with a chip-off.
Cherry Hills has its Hillsdilly, Lakewood its Sliceroo, but the Hackers Holiday may just have the most dedicated bunch of participants of any member-guest tournament in Colorado. Pueblo Country Club’s longtime head PGA Professional, Colorado Golf Hall of Famer Pat Rea, started the tournament in 1960. Rea retired in 1997 and died in 2013, and his impact on the Hackers and its most loyal partakers remains strong to this day. “Pat and his wife Dixie ran a very professional operation and were dedicated to making this a topcoloradoavidgolfer.com
notch tournament,” says Jim Swanson, a 45-time participant and former committee chair for the event. For years, the competition took on different looks with themes that were accompanied by extravagant decorations, costumes and props. In 1992, the “It’s a Small World After All” theme brought a customized hot air balloon to the property. Players and children dressed as citizens from numerous countries, and the fireworks and patriotic entertainment “truly rivaled a Disney production,” boasts Swanson, the chairman that year. After that, the Vegas Casino, Wild, Wild West and Butterflies and Birdies themes seemed tame. Strong ties to the surrounding Pueblo community sustain the event’s popularity. Residents and businesses support the Hackers. John Mendoza, a well-known local artist, has provided original oil paintings, print placemats and even prints for each player. This integration helps the gathering maintain its small-town roots. With the exception of years affected by the economic downturn, the field has filled almost instantly. Members regularly lined up on the club’s grounds preceding registration to ensure a spot for themselves and their guests. “One year, Henry Beck slept in the lobby to be sure he was the first in line when the door opened,” remembers Swanson. The tournament will reach its full capacity of 72 teams again this June, and the 144 players will come from all over the country to tee it up. While the Hackers reputation has grown, the core participants remain a tightly-knit group. Duos like Swanson and his partner Dr. Leroy Bowser are pushing 50 appearances, and several other teams have competed more than 30 times. There may not be a large population of golfers in Pueblo, but it’s a population that instinctively values the game’s camaraderie and sets aside four days in late June every year. When asked what makes the event such a big deal year after year, head pro Bob Stallman replies: “Because it’s the Hackers.” —By Drew Kort
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WHILE COLORADO’S teachers were staging a walkout on April 27, the Patrick H. Hamill Learning Center at The First Tee of Green Valley Ranch was in full session—only Patrick H. Hamill had yet to learn about it. Unbeknownst to Hamill, the board of the Colorado Open Golf Foundation— which oversees The First Tee of GVR as well as the three CoBank Colorado Open Championships—decided to dedicate in his honor the main building that houses The First Tee offices and “kids clubhouse.” Not only did Hamill, the chairman and CEO of Oakwood Homes, found the Colorado Open Golf Foundation and The First Tee of GVR 15 years ago, last December he also established a $1 million endowment for the latter. The surprise unveiling came during a board meeting at the building. “We didn’t have to fake him out, he’d arrived in a golf cart from the course, so he didn’t see the tarp on the front of the building,” reports Kevin Laura, president and CEO of The First Tee of GVR. With 20 board members and a number of First Tee kids in attendance, the tarp came down, revealing the surprise. “There’s a few people here who are in trouble,” a humbled Hamill joked. “Classic Pat. He knew that if I’d have asked him, he wouldn’t have wanted it,” Laura says. “Without him, none of this would be here,” he says, referring to The First Tee, the Colorado Open Championships and Green Valley Ranch Golf Club. thefirstteegreenvalleyranch.org June 2018 | COLORADO AVIDGOLFER
The Gallery
Matt Kuchar
ON JUNE 30 PGA Tour star Matt Kuchar will put on an hour-long exhibition exclusively for kids and their accompanying adults. Hosted by The First Tee of Green Valley Ranch and sponsored by CoBank, the free event will begin at 11 a.m. CoBank has sponsored these junior exhibitions ever since becoming the title sponsor of the Colorado Open Championships in 2016. Previous guests have included David Duval, Lexi Thompson, Mark O’Meara, Hale Irwin, Ryan Palmer and Paula Creamer. This year the kids will welcome the popular seven-time PGA Tour championship affectionately greeted as “Kuuuuuch.” This will be an exhibition, not a clinic, so children do not need to bring clubs. There’ll be free pizza and water and a kids-only autograph session following the exhibition. Kids can play GVR’s par-3 course after the festivities. Kuchar’s exhibition, which takes place a month before the 2018 CoBank Colorado Open July 2629, will be the first of two CoBank-sponsored events this summer. The other will take place Aug. 23 with Annika Sorenstam at The Broadmoor. “These by Kuch and Annika areType unbelievably to /the says Kevin Laura, the Client exhibitions ABH Media Print Ad inspiring Trim Flat kids,” width x height 7.375” x 4.8542” CEO of The First Tee of GVR and CoBank Colorado Opens. “They demonstrate CoBank’s sense of reJob # 103618 Pub / Vendor CAG Live Area width x height None sponsibility to being a good corporate citizen. Their generosity always pushes us to raise the bar and Finish / Fold Title Phil Qty 7.375” x 4.8542” width x height x depth get biggerChef stars.” For more information and to register, visit thefirstteegreenvalleyranch.org or call 303-486-8827. Version Color CMYK Bleed Overall None
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strokes separated 14-year-old Sophia Choi of Littleton from the rest of the 15-player field in the AJGA Preview at Waubeeka, held in Williamstown, Mass. One of 15 events held as part of the Junior Golf Hub Preview Series, the series that exclusively welcomes AJGA members who have not yet played or been accepted to an AJGA tournament. A member of the Hale Irwin Elite Player Program at CommonGround Golf Course, Choi set a competitive course record for Waubeeka Golf Links with a 2-over-par 73 in the final round May 6. Round 2 Last season, she won five Junior Golf Special Tech.Alliance of Colorado events, including Artist PM the 11-13 Junior Series Championship. AE Built at 100% Printcoloradojuniorgolf.com
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The Gallery
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PHOTOGRAPH BY MIC CLIK
Doug Habgood
AFTER DRIVING FOREVER on I-70, Doug Habgood felt like Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz. He wasn’t in Kansas anymore. “Are those the mountains?” he asked his wife, Kirsten. The year was 2003 and the 30-year-old Philadelphia native, who’d gone to college in South Carolina and worked in tournament event management in Florida, had never been to Colorado. But Sean Sovacool of the Bruno Event Team, which had just gotten the contract to run the 2004, 2005 and 2006 U.S. Women’s Opens, offered him the job as championship director for the 2005 event at Cherry Hills Country Club. “I initially didn’t want to go to Colorado,” Habgood confesses. “I thought it would be too cold.” Habgood quickly warmed to Denver and Colorado, forging relationships with business leaders, club and committee members, media and marketing partners, sponsors, volunteer coordinators and, of course, the golf staff. After overseeing the highly successful 2005 event at Cherry Hills, he repeated the feat at the 2008 Senior Open and 2011 U.S. Women’s Open at The Broadmoor. Then it was back to Cherry Hills for the 2014 BMW Championship—the PGA TOUR’s Tournament of the Year—and again to The Broadmoor for this year’s 2018 U.S. Senior Open. “Each one had its own charm,” he reflects. Reminiscing about the ’05 Women’s Open, he says, “It was such a time for women’s golf. Annika came to Cherry Hills with the year’s first two majors, which brought a bunch of coverage. Michelle Wie was 15 and in the final group on Sunday. And Lorena Ochoa came out of nowhere and then hit it in the water on 18. I remember walking through the clubhouse and could hear her sobbing in the locker room.” Spending the bulk of his time at The Broadmoor has also rubbed off on him and his Bruno team members. A memorable exchange came during a 2011 department-head meeting in which The Broadmoor’s then-CEO and President (now Chairman of the Board) Steve Bartolin said, “Okay, I understand Annika’s coming in.” To which Habgood responded: “Yeah, she’s coming in private and then we’re going
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Bearing Down CONGRATULATIONS to the University of Northern Colorado men’s golf team for winning the Big Sky Conference Championship and earning a spot in the NCAA Regionals. Led by senior Andrew Romano, who won the individual championship in a playoff, the Bears finished three strokes ahead of Southern Utah at Boulder Creek Golf Club in Boulder City, Nev. to punch their ticket to College Station May 14-16. The berth represents another achievement for the 2017-2018 team. Junior Joshua Matz was named Big Sky Player of the Year, while Romano and teammate Coby Welch (who this year shot a school-record 63) earned second-team All-BigSky honors. For his efforts, head coach Roger Prenzlow received the Big Sky Coach of the Year. In his fifth season with the Bears, the Boulder native has now taken the Bears to two conference championships. The first came in 2014, when UNC dominated the America Sky Conference and made the school’s first-ever NCAA Regional appearance, also earning him Coach of the Year honors. uncbears.com
© 2017
to have a dinner with her and then we’ll have a press conference.” That prompted a string of questions. When does she land? What is her tail number? Who’s picking her up? In what vehicle? Who’s going to be at the front door? What room is she in? “I ran from that meeting, got all that information and brought it back,” Habgood recalls. “It was just a lesson in how they operate. You don’t just casually say, ‘Hey, I’ll let you know when they touch down.’ They want you on the ground with the trunk up.” Seven years later, “we’ve become a part of their culture. With the events we have here, we’ve even incorporated their human resources into our volunteer training.” Each of these events takes years of groundwork. “A lot of people think you can just fly the flag and this thing will build itself,” he explains. “But if you spend a couple days with our staff, you’ll know there’s a lot of heavy lifting and strategy and trial and error.” Getting roads closed; coordinating parking; arranging accommodations and transportation for players and their entourages; setting up for television crews; catering to VIPs; generating ticket sales— literally thousands of tasks all fall under his purview. It’s three or four years of planning for one week. But the quality of that week is what everyone remembers. “What I try to remind our people,” he says, “is that we’re really creating memories for families, for kids and caddies, and players, and the guy that qualifies from Toledo who has never been to The Broadmoor or the guy whose son has never been to a golf event and gets to take a picture with Tom Watson. We can’t script any of that but we’re a part of it, and that’s kind of the cool thing about live sports and why we try to promote that it’s different when you’re on the grounds than when you’re sitting on the couch.” Unless you’re working at a regular stop on the tour, the life of a championship director is inherently nomadic. Not only have his peers wondered how he’s managed to stay in Colorado for 15 years, they’ve envied where he’s officed. “I’ve been at Cherry Hills, in their clubhouse, for several years at a time. And I’ve had a view of The Broadmoor every morning,” he says. “I haven’t exactly been out in the sticks, and I don’t take it any of it for granted.” During his years in Colorado, Habgood rose to become Bruno’s executive VP of Golf for its events in the Western half of the country. With no future Bruno-run tournaments officially scheduled in Colorado after this year’s Senior Open, he’ll become the tournament director of the Principal Charity Classic, an annual PGA Tour Champions event at Wakonda Club in Des Moines, Iowa. Fifteen years after first coming to Colorado, he and Kirsten, who now have three daughters, will put the mountains in the rearview. But, he hints, a return trip for another big event could very well be on the horizon.
Owned by the Colorado Golf Association, and designed by world-renowned architect Tom Doak, CommonGround Golf Course lies at the intersection of Mission and Masterpiece. Photo: EJ Carr, ejcphoto.com
commongroundgc.com | 303-340-1520 COLORADO AVIDGOLFER | June 2018
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Golf By Numbers
9 years after starting it, Vince and Tracy Cologne have sold the Rocky Mountain Junior Golf Tour to the owners of the Texas Junior Golf Tour. Craig Rosengarden, president of Avid Media Ventures, Inc., who partnered with long-time golf industry executive Joe Munsch to purchase the TJGT in 2016, says the RMJGT and TJGT will join forces to offer more than 100 top-tier events across eight states, promising “big things on the horizon for the RMJGT and its members.” rockymountainjuniorgolftour.com HEADLIGHTS: Breast cancer survivor Blackstone puts the “fun” in fundraiser.
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years ago, when LPGA Professional Ann Wolta Blackstone was facing chemotherapy and a mastectomy during her second battle with breast cancer, she decided to start a golf tournament to provide financial help to fellow survivors. In the last nine years, her Indian Tree Rally for the Cure Golf Tournament has raised more than $100,000 for Komen Colorado, which gives grants to Colorado women and men who need help fighting their breast cancer battles. “I am very passionate about the cause!” says Blackstone, who teaches at Southglenn and Indian Tree and coaches the St. Mary’s Academy golf team. “But we like to keep it fun! Last year, I drove around in a ‘boob-mobile’ and had men wear bras on one hole just to see what women go through just to play the game.” You can support and share in her passion at this year’s tournament June 22 at Indian Tree Golf Course in Arvada. indiantreerallyforthecure.com coloradoavidgolfer.com
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The Gallery
Stan Fenn & Doug Perry
FOUR-BALLERS: CSU’s Katrina Predergast and Ellen Secor are USGA champions.
Ramming It Home
Listen online or on your radio
AFTER 14 HOLES in the final match of the U.S. Women’s Amateur Four-Ball Championship, the Colorado State University team of Katrina Prendergast and Ellen Secor was down by two holes to Lei Ye of China and Yachun Chang of Taiwan. The two 20-year-old Rams won that hole and the next and the next, going one up with only the 370-yard 18th to play at El Caballero Country Club in Tarzana, Calif. When Ye low-sided her birdie putt attempt, the team from Fort Collins became first-time USGA champions. The ninth-seeded CSU pair had advanced through the championship’s first four match-play rounds without once trailing. When they fell behind on the seventh hole of the final, they responded by winning the eighth and ninth, much the same way they did after dropping the 13th and 14th. After Prendergast sank what turned out to be the winning birdie putt on 17, Secor screamed, “Catch Ram Fever!” “Going into it, we really wanted to win,” Prendergast says. “As long as we played our games, we knew we could do it.” “They did a great job,” says CSU women’s golf coach Annie Young, who won the 2002 U.S. Women’s Amateur Public Links champion and played on the winning 2004 Curtis Cup team. “They worked hard and showed they know how to play under pressure. It’s a life-changing event to get that win. Not many people can say they are a USGA champion.” Young accompanied the pair to Austin, Tex., the following weekend to compete as individuals in the NCAA Regionals. Alas, neither golfer advanced. Prendergast shot a 3-over-par 219 to finish tied for 24th; Secor, who was 10-over par after the first round, finished T69 with a 16-over 232. csurams.com
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GET READY: TPC Colorado will host the Colorado PGA Championship in September.
Golf By Numbers
months from now, the wait will be over. In mid- to late-August, a “soft” opening of TPC Colorado in Berthoud will take place according to PGA General Manager Larry Collins. Stretching to as long as 7,962 yards to accommodate Web.com and other tour events, the Art Schaupeter layout won’t be defined as much by length (it contracts 500-700 yards with each set of tees), as by its features (sod-faced and pot bunkers, fescue rough, varying fairway and green sizes) and stunning scenery (the adjoining marina and unimpeded views of Longs Peak). TPC Colorado will host the Colorado PGA Professional Championship September 10-12. Check back next month for a closer look at Colorado’s first new course in 10 years. tpc.com/colorado COLORADO AVIDGOLFER | June 2018
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THE BROADMOOR (EAST)
JUNE 25 – JULY 1
YOUR GUIDE TO THE
U.S. SENIOR OPEN 2018
THE BEST HOLES to Watch PHOTOGRAPH BY DICK DURANCE, COURTESY OF THE BROADMOOR
PLAYERS to See Stuff to BUY Places to EAT Activities for KIDS
WHERE EAGLES FLY: Hole 3, 601 yards, par 5
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June 2018 | COLORADO AVIDGOLFER
HERITAGE HALL
A Tough Old Gal AT THIS YEAR’S U.S. Senior Open, 156 guys are going to get beaten up by a 100-year-old grande dame. It happened ten years ago at The Broadmoor, when only three players in the 2008 U.S. Senior Open finished in red numbers—and the course won’t play any easier now than it did then. In fact, the USGA was so pleased with the scores in 2008 that it has basically set up the course at the identical length (7,264 yards) and par (36-34-70). This means that, like in ’08, players will again need to score on the par-36 front nine because the par-34 back won’t yield many birdies. “Two, three, six and nine are legitimate birdie holes—and there were 15 eagles made on number 3 in ’08,” The Broadmoor Director of Golf Russ Miller says. “On the back, pars are good. Ten through 15 is the gauntlet.” The stats bear him out. Eight of the nine most difficult holes in 2008 came on the back nine, with 10, 12 and 11 ranking 1-2-3, followed
PUTTING FOR D’OH!
Average number of putts per round at the last four Donald Ross-designed Senior Open sites: Year Site
Putts Winning Score Per Round (Relative to Par)
2008 The Broadmoor 2011 Inverness Club 2016 Scioto Country Club 2017 Salem Country Club
31.43 29.78 29.68 29.97
-6 -15 -3 -16
by 17 and 15. “And 14, the par 3, is sneaky hard,” says Miller, “especially with wind in your face.” Then there’s the Senior U.S. Open rough. Graduated rough heights, rising from 1.25 inches to 2.75 to 3.5 will only appear on holes 5, 10, 11, 13, 15 and 17. The rest will go straight from 1.25 to 3.5. “And on number 2, the short par 4, it goes straight from fairway to 3.5,” says Director of Grounds and Maintenance Fred Dickman. So, who does this setup favor? It’s not neces-
sarily the guy who keeps it in the fairway or takes the fewest putts (‘08’s winner, Eduardo Romero, ranked 28th and 17th respectively) but the player who drives it the farthest and hits the green in regulation (categories in which Romero was second and first). Look for Brandt Jobe, John Daly, Scott McCarron to hit wedges and short irons from the rough onto the green. Even if players can outhit trouble, they’ll still have to contend with The Broadmoor’s vexing back-to-front breaking greens, which have protected par with their imperceptible breaks and diabolical pin placements since Donald Ross designed them 100 years ago. And even though Ross designed just the first six and last three holes on the East Course layout of the Open, the greens on the Robert Trent Jones holes (7-15) blend seamlessly in style and also break away from the Cheyenne Mountain and, specifically, the Will Rogers Shrine of the Sun. Players who don’t keep the hole between themselves and the shrine will be in for long days.
PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY OF THE BROADMOOR
It’s Hall That and More THE GOLF PEDIGREE enjoyed by The Broadmoor will be on full display as the renowned Colorado Springs resort celebrates its 100th birthday during the 2018 U.S. Senior Open. This April, a completely refurbished clubhouse debuted with rich green walls and high coffered ceilings in the entry and vintage golf photos lining the staircase leading to the second story reception rooms overlooking the 18th hole. Outside the reconfigured, more spacious golf shop—where patrons can buy both Centennial and U.S. Senior Open merchandise—stands a brace of vintage golf clubs. Among them: hickory-shafted irons crafted by course architect Donald Ross; COLORADO AVIDGOLFER | June 2018
irons and putters used by West Course architect Robert Trent Jones; and Jack Nicklaus’ persimmon driver. Framed blueprints of each of Ross’s original holes hang across from the bag of longtime Broadmoor head professional Dow Finsterwald, a fourtime Ryder Cup player and 1977 team captain. The most dramatic change is the corridor leading to the golf grille. In the same way that the gallery of celebrity guest photos have long attracted visitors to The Broadmoor’s West Building, now The Broadmoor Golf Club has its Heritage Hallway. Display panels brimming with photographs, information and artwork border both sides, beginning with the design of The Broadmoor courses and
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club’s history: its golf professionals (including colorful “Long Jim” Barnes and “Big Ed” Dudley); its legendary women (such as Judy Bell and Barbara McIntire); its tradition of big-time championships (eight USGA events, six Trans-Miss amateurs, five NCAAs, the Broadmoor Invitation); and a tribute to Nicklaus and Annika Sorenstam, who each won their first national championship at The Broadmoor. Behind the glass cases gleam replica trophies from the major championships held on the property, including the one for the U.S. Senior Open. There’s a photo of 2008 winner Eduardo Romero and a place for the champion who will soon join him in this prestigious pantheon. coloradoavidgolfer.com
A GRAND CELEBRATION OF THE
AMERICAN WEST.
A LEGENDARY GETAWAY. A LEGENDARY GOLF EVENT. With a storied histor y of golf, seven USGA Championships have been played here, and in June The Broadmoor welcomes the eighth with the 2018 U.S. Senior Open Championship. Coinciding with our Centennial Celebration, it will be a memorable event for the whole family, the pinnacle of scenery, sport, luxury and legendary service. 2018 U.S. Senior Open packages start at $1,160 per person for a four-night stay, including daily Senior Open tickets.* *Children under 17 admitted free when accompanied by an adult with a ticket. 4 to 7-night packages available. Rates do not include applicable taxes and fees.
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1 LAKE AVENUE, COLORADO SPRINGS, CO 80906
PLAYERS
Field of Dreamers Of the 156 competitors in the 39th U.S. Senior Open field, these guys have the best chance of winning. Then again, who saw Eduardo Romero coming in ’08?
1. PAUL BROADHURST Englishman won the British Senior two years ago.
2. MARK CALCAVECCHIA Enjoying solid season; won Boca Raton Championship.
3. FRED COUPLES As of May 6, fan fave had played in only one 2018 senior event.
4. JOHN DALY Even if he doesn’t hit the fairway, his length could save him.
5. JOE DURANT Accurate driver with six top 10s in his first nine events this year.
6. JERRY KELLY High rankings in driving accuracy and made putts are good signs.
7. FRED FUNK Now 62, he exorcised 2008’s runner-up finish by winning ’09 event.
8. JAY HAAS Troubles on holes 10, 11 and 18 dropped him to 9th in ’08.
9. LEE JANZEN Won two U.S. Opens, the last one 20 ago.
10. MIGUEL ANGEL JIMÉNEZ Watching him warm up is worth the price of admission.
11. BERNHARD LANGER 10-time senior major winner shows no sign of slowing down.
12. TOM LEHMAN Top 10 in driving accuracy and GIR, but 59th in putting.
13. DAVIS LOVE III First U.S. Senior Open for the two-time Ryder Cup captain.
14. JEFF MAGGERT This grinder extraordinaire won the 2015 U.S. Senior Open.
15. BILLY MAYFAIR Can still go low but has yet to win a Champions event.
COLORADO AVIDGOLFER | June 2018
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PLAYERS
16. SCOTT MCCARRON Long hitter has followed stellar ‘17 with steady ’18.
17. ROCCO MEDIATE The 2016 Senior PGA winner can scramble with the best.
18. COLIN MONTGOMERIE Won this event in 2014, one of his three senior majors.
19. JOSÉ MARÍA OLAZÁBAL The two-time Masters champ can handle these greens.
20. MARK O’MEARA At 41, won two majors. At 51, missed USSO cut. At 61?
21. JESPER PARNEVIK His inaccuracy off the tee this year could send him home early.
22. COREY PAVIN Short hitter who makes up for it around and on the greens.
23. KENNY PERRY Defending champ looks to repeat on another Donald Ross course.
24. VIJAY SINGH Won this year’s Toshiba Classic, his first Champions Tour victory.
25. JEFF SLUMAN ’88 PGA Champ shot a 67 here on Sunday in ’08, finishing T-18.
26. STEVE STRICKER Already a two-time winner on the PGA Tour Champions this year.
27. DAVID TOMS Ranks first among seniors in sand saves and scoring average.
28. SCOTT VERPLANK Injuries have prevented him from winning as a senior.
29. TOM WATSON Watch the fan favorite shoot his age (68) in at least one round.
1. HALE IRWIN Could he add to his seven senior major wins in what might be his last Open?
2. STEVE JONES After a two-year absence, the 1996 U.S. Open champ has returned to competition.
3. GARY HALLBERG Eagled the par-5 ninth in ’08 on way to an openinground 69.
LOCAL FOURSOME:
COLORADO AVIDGOLFER | June 2018
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4. BRANDT JOBE Tops PGA Tour Champions in driving distance but hasn’t committed to Open. coloradoavidgolfer.com
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HOLE-BY-HOLE ► HOLE 1 429 YARDS • PAR 4 This solid opening hole sets the tone for the rest of the course—to avoid bogeys, players need to keep the ball between themselves and the mountain, ensuring an uphill putt. Easier said than done. More players (60 percent) in the 2008 Senior Open hit this fairway than any other on the front nine. Even though most hit wedge in, that didn’t translate to greens in regulation. The elevated green falls hard back to front, so players have to get it deep enough so it doesn’t roll back, while at the same time keeping the ball below the hole. It all depends on pin placement.
▼ HOLE 2 339 YARDS • PAR 4 The risks outweigh the rewards on this drivable dogleg-left. Unlike the graduated roughs on other holes, there will only be one 3¼inch cut, which explains why you probably won’t see any eagles here (there weren’t any in 2008, either). Guarded by two bunkers that will catch short shots, the smallest green on the course slopes from right to left, working against the mountain and making putts all the more difficult to read and to sink.
► HOLE 3 560/601 YARDS • PAR 5 Plans originally called for this hole to play as a long par 4, with the 17th becoming a par 5. The USGA, however, liked the 15 eagles this hole produced in 2008 and kept it as a par 5. Players who try to reach the green in two not only need to carry the water fronting it, but they need to stay left off the tee and right with their approaches: the right side of the green is open; the left is big trouble, with sand, trees and a sloping green. A swale behind the green will complicate matters for over-clubbed players who haven’t adjusted to altitude.
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HOLE-BY-HOLE ► HOLE 4 165 YARDS • PAR 3 An extremely fast, tricky green and the presence of water make this the most intimidating one-shotter at the Open. When the pin is in front, as it will more than likely be on Sunday, expect to see some shots spin back into the pond (as then-leader Meg Mallon’s did in the 1995 U.S. Women’s Open, leading to a triplebogey). Perhaps the toughest green on the course to putt, players will have to make sure they stick their shots in the same quadrant as the flagstick while also keeping the pin between their ball and Cheyenne Mountain. Up-and-downs are as rare as aces on this hole.
▼ HOLE 5 433 YARDS • PAR 4 In 2008, Tom Purtzer somehow eagled this straightaway hole that runs more uphill than it appears. With fairway bunkers lurking right and left, hitting the skinny fairway is imperative. Bookended by three bunkers, the green will receive high shots well. Although it appears to be flat, Director of Golf Course Maintenance Fred Dickman says it’s the toughest green to find a flat spot to get a true Stimpmeter reading: “It definitely pitches from back to front—and breaks really hard away from the mountains.”
► HOLE 6 402 YARDS • PAR 4 Players will take it over the fairway bunkers off the tee, but cutting too much of the dogleg on this visually intimidating hole risks a trip to the beach or the wrist-breaking rough. The second shot is critical into this very large, difficult, tiered green. The bunkers in front prevent running the ball up, and the swale behind the green is just nasty, especially as the quick putting surface breaks from back to front and left to right. Staying below the hole when the flag is in front is nearly impossible.
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FRED COUPLES DAVIS LOVE III
TOM WATSON
Be A Part Of Golf History The U.S. Senior Open Championship returns to Colorado Springs during The Broadmoor Centennial Celebration. Don’t miss your chance to see the greatest champions in golf, such as Fred Couples, Davis Love III and Tom Watson along with Honorary Chair John Elway.
Order today at 2018ussenioropen.com 39TH U.S. SENIOR OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP | JUNE 25 - JULY 1 | THE BROADMOOR
HOLE-BY-HOLE ► HOLE 7 426 YARDS PAR 4
▼ HOLE 8 178 YARDS • PAR 3
Normally serving as the club’s 11th, this second consecutive dogleg-left appears longer and more cuttable than its predecessor due to fewer fairway bunkers. But take note: this hole ranked as the hardest hole on the front nine in the 2008 Senior Open and the sixth-hardest on the course. Expect players to place their drives in the right center of the fairway in order to have a flat lie. The deceptive uphill approach insists on a shot that will avoid the nest of bunkers guarding the right side of the multitiered, elevated green that is the largest on the course.
One of the more severe greens on the “upper” holes designed by Robert Trent Jones, it features a shelf on the right side that drops into a bowl front left. Club selection is critical, because players need to be as close to pin-high as possible. The twotiered green slopes drastically from back to front, so even the usually preferable uphill putt takes a good rap with a delicate touch to climb to the back tier and get it close. Then again, the slope turns any putt from above the hole into an adventure. Small wonder it averaged the highest number of putts (1.92) in 2008.
◄ HOLE 9 535 YARDS • PAR 5 In the 2008 event, Gary Hallberg scored one of only two eagles given up by this reachable but vexing dogleg left. A scant 30.6 percent of the 2008 field found the fairway off the tee, making a second shot to the pond- and bunker-fronted elevated green all the more risky. Even if a player drives it into the short grass, the left-to-right tilt of the fairway often results in a second shot from a downhill lie. To avoid the little approach area in front of the green that runs back towards the pond, a number of competitors flew the severely pitched green— or couldn’t hold it—with their second shots in ’08.
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HOLE-BY-HOLE ► HOLE 10 501 YARDS PAR 4 The toughest stretch of the course begins with the most difficult hole from ten years ago—a downhill, sharp dogleg left shaped by a lateral hazard running along the left side of the fairway. Off the tee, a draw over the left bunker is optimal, putting players in position to shoot for the stick. If they land in one of fairway bunkers, they’ll be scrambling to save par. The second largest green on the course, it tends to be unreceptive and falls off to the right. And you wonder why players don’t like starting their rounds on this side?
▼ HOLE 11 478 YARDS • PAR 4 Normally the seventh hole on the East Course, this long two-shotter ranked third in difficulty the last time this event came to town. It presents some alignment difficulties off the tee, and the cost of rough (.526 strokes) was the highest of any hole on the course. Expect nothing different this time. It won’t yield many low numbers due to its length and three-tiered green. Players who can stick a short iron on same tier as the flag will be sitting pretty.
► HOLE 12 240 YARDS • PAR 3 At only 28 yards at its deepest, with bunkers guarding it left and right, this shallow green places a high premium on longiron accuracy. It ranked as the most difficult oneshotter at both the 2008 U.S. Senior and 2011 U.S. Women’s Opens, its 3.494 stroke average in 2008 ranking second on the entire course in relation to par. Players need to avoid sucker pin placements left and rear and aim for the fat part of the green. High, soft shots will roll toward the pin if they hit the right spot. The deeper the pin placement, the harder the par.
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HOLE-BY-HOLE ► HOLE 13 493 YARDS • PAR 4 This first dogleg-right on the course was Fred Funk’s undoing in 2008 and could dash a few hopes 10 years later. The uphill hole favors players who can draw or fade it into the tight fairway and avoid the bunkers to the right and left at the elbow. Once in the fairway, players face a long approach into an elevated green, the right side of which is protected completely by a large sand bunker. Competitors will aim for the left side of the green, which pitches to the right, away from the mountain, but they need to avoid the swale that adds pressure to the placement of the approach to the green, the largest on the course.
▼ HOLE 14 427 YARDS • PAR 4 Although it boasts one of the course’s smaller greens, this elegant, uphill hole provide a nice birdie opportunity—as long as a player’s tee shot doesn’t find one of the five fairway bunkers, the deep stuff bordering the fairway, or the trees to the right. The green doesn’t cant as severely as most of the others, and the surrounding bunkers sit away from it. A wedge or short iron into the green should present the opportunity for a makeable putt.
► HOLE 15 459 YARDS • PAR 4 Shorter hitters will find themselves with an uphill lie, as the fairway levels off 300 yards from the tee. The fairway pitches hard to the right, where thick rough and a bunker lie in wait, so watch those looking to make a move try to drive the ball deep into the left-center part of the fairway. From there, it can be an easy short-iron or wedge into the slick, well-guarded elevated green, which falls away from the mountain, sloping left to right and making back hole locations almost unreachable.
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HOLE-BY-HOLE ► HOLE 16 180 YARDS • PAR 3 On the first of the final three Ross holes, the severe left-to-right, backto-front slope of the green pressures players to work the right side in hopes of an uphill putt. But players in desperate need of a birdie will work hard for it. With the hole’s only bunker protecting the right side, expect a sucker pin to tuck behind it on at least one or two days. Staying below the hole—or close to it—is mandatory. Although it ranked as the course’s “easiest” par 3, the 16th should prove pivotal.
▼ HOLE 17 510/545 YARDS • PAR 4 What was originally planned as a 600-yard par 5 (à la the 2011 U.S. Women’s Open) will again play as a long par 4. To have any chance at scoring here, competitors need to drive it long and straight, avoiding the five fairway bunkers encroaching from the landing area. Missing right will result in big trouble, with trees and out of bounds extending virtually the entire length of the hole. Saving par from there is almost impossible, given the illegible, two-level green that slopes back to front and breaks subtly away from the mountain. Watch for a rear right pin placement, as the green fights the grade, heading slightly uphill.
► HOLE 18 433 YARDS • PAR 4 One of golf ’s most recognizable finishing holes will look and play differently than it did during the 2008 U.S. Senior Open. Bunkers sit at the right elbow of the fairway, which has been shifted slightly to bring those bunkers into play. A new tee box to the far right creates a more intimidating angle to the narrow fairway bordered by OB on the right and pines on the left. With the pond 334 yards from the tee, look for players to tee off with a 3-wood or higher. The elevated green will kick back anything short. For this reason, rear pin placements are hard to reach, and front flags are tough.
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VIEWER’S GUIDE
What a Week! IN ADDITION to practice rounds on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday and the four days of competition that follow, U.S. Senior Open week will include the following activities. Gates open at 7 A.M. and close at 7 P.M.
MONDAY, JUNE 25 7 A.M. Practice Round 1 10 A.M. Warrior Challenge: Watch a team of three wounded veterans take on a Senior star in a fourhole, best-ball competition on the West Course. 7 P.M. Nashville Comes to the Broadmoor: Amy Grant and Vince Gill, co-founders of Challenge America, will headline a military appreciation concert featuring appearances by top golf professionals and the presentation of a mortgage-free home to a wounded veteran by the Colorado PGA, Mile High Golf Trail and Military Warriors Support Foundation.
TUESDAY, JUNE 26 8:30 A.M. Drive, Chip and Putt: The first local qualifying DC&P event ever conducted at the site of a major championship will take place at the 18th hole of the West Course. Last year, Caden Ford of Colorado Springs progressed through the local, sub-regional and regional qualifying rounds to compete in the national finals at Augusta National Golf Club on the Sunday before the Masters. 2:00 P.M. Hail to Hale: World Golf Hall of Famer Hale Irwin, winner of three U.S. Opens and two U.S. Senior Opens, will give an exhibition at The Broadmoor driving range. continued on page 52 ►
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View to a Thrill
Where to take in the action at the 39th U.S. Senior Open FEATURED BLEACHERS
Patrons can find bleachers on the first tee; the fourth, 10th and 15th and 16th greens; and between holes 12 and 13, 13 and 14, and 17 and 18; and on the 18th fairway. There are additional bleachers at the 18th green that are set back to afford views of the first and fourth tees.
HOT SPOT
The stacked bleachers at the 16th green—the last par 3 hole—also afford views of the 6th green and 17th tee. Adjacent concessions and restrooms naturally increase crowd size. “That will be the rowdy spot,” predicts Tournament Director Doug Habgood.
WHAT ABOUT A PLAYOFF?
If 72 holes aren’t enough to decide the tournament, fans already at the 18th won’t have far to go. The tied players will square off in a two-hole aggregate playoff on the tough par-3 4th and the visually intimidating par-4 18th, adjacent holes that both have water coming into play. In the event of a tie after two holes, the competitors return to 4 to begin sudden-death play.
BRING THE KIDS
Children under age 17 receive free admission with a ticketed adult. The Youth Golf Experience tent, located on the first hole of The Broadmoor West Course, will be open June 25-July 1. Conducted by the Junior Golf Alliance of Colorado, the Experience involves kids in various fun golf activities. They’ll learn about junior golf in Colorado and receive a Birdie Ball sporting U.S. Senior Open and JGAC logos.
SERVING SERVICE
The Colorado PGA is co-sponsoring a hospitality area called “The Bunker,” located right behind the 18th green at the Clubhouse, where active-duty military, veterans and immediate family can get complimentary food and beverage
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RISING TO NEW HEIGHTS
Our championship Jack Nicklaus Signature golf course underwent a million-dollar greens renovation last year and is undoubtedly one of the most spectacular courses in the entire state. Our iconic mountain clubhouse includes an outdoor terrace with breathtaking Rocky Mountain views. Our dining experience is second to none with menu creations that are sure to make a lasting impression and our social calendar is filled with both time-honored traditions as well as events unique to our club. Members and their guests enjoy live music events, wine dinners, family events and holiday festivities throughout the year.
MEMBER ACTIVITIES AND CLUB BENEFITS: - Spectacular golf course with breathtaking views and mountain terrain that will make you feel like you are hours away from home. - Our Game Improvement Facilities include two chipping greens with greenside bunkers, a short-game area with small target greens, and a 20-acre driving range with Titleist NXT practice balls. - Casual and formal dining experiences with exquisite food and exceptional service in a relaxed environment. - An iconic, award winning Clubhouse at the summit with endless mountain views from our outdoor terrace. - A strong sense of community because the Club is the perfect place to enjoy Club traditions and events, family dinners, wine tastings, live music, holiday parties and more. It’s also a place to simply sit outside with friends to enjoy a glass of wine or beer, and watch the sunset over the mountains. - The club offers the perfect setting for our members to host memorable events such as weddings, anniversaries, birthdays, holiday parties or corporate events. - Exceptional service from a well-trained and friendly staff. - Don’t miss The Taste: our annual food and wine festival with live music each June.
www.ccatcastlepines.com For more information, please contact Mark Lewicki:
303-660-6807 mlewicki@ccofcastlepines.com
VIEWER’S GUIDE WEDNESDAY, JUNE 27 *8:00 A.M Women’s Leadership Summit: Sponsored by Wells Fargo and hosted by the Colorado PGA REACH Foundation, the “Inspire Greatness” Summit will take place at Cheyenne Mountain Country Club (9 Lake Avenue, just east of The Broadmoor). The event will convene top women leaders to inspire future entrepreneurs and business leaders. Speakers and panelists include Schnitzer Steel CEO Tamara Lundgren, G100 Companies Managing Director Mary Thompson, Kilovolt Consulting President Suzanne “Zan” Vautrinot, Boecore Founder & CEO Kathy Boe, and the PGA of America’s Sandy Cross. *The Summit begins with an optional viewing of the final Practice Round and putter fittings for all attendees. After lunch (11:30-12:30), the keynotes and panels begin run until 4:30, followed by a social networking hour.
What a Difference a Decade Makes WHILE THIS YEAR the course will set up in much the same way it did for the 2008 U.S. Senior Open, there are numerous ways this year’s event will differ from its 2008 edition: 2008: No cellphones allowed. 2018: Fans are encouraged to engage on social media while they’re at the event. The USGA has a big social media team. They can respond to comments, suggest groups to watch depending on your location, tell you what happened on a certain hole. It’s all about engagement and enriching your experience. HOWEVER, you must keep your phone silenced at all times and not use its camera or video function (or any camera for that matter) during the competitive rounds (Thursday-Sunday). 2008: NBC had three TV trucks and towers on the key holes of the back nine.
1:00 P.M. A Calca for Calc: Join the calca (Italian for crowd) at the Merchandise Tent as 1989 British Open champion Mark Calcavecchia signs autographs.
2018: Fox will have three trucks but towers on all 18 holes. With the graphics on golf telecasts now so sophisticated, many of those perches are for crewmembers to track the flight of shots in vivid color for viewers at home. There are also “shooters” in the towers—USGA volunteers who laser the distance each ball sits from the hole. The device instantly beams the data to the TV crew, which synchs it with an existing digitized topographic rendering of the green. Seconds later, millions of viewers know the proper distance, slope and line of the putt.
2:00 P.M.: Tom’s the Bomb: World Golf Hall of Famer Tom Watson, winner of eight majors and six senior majors (including three U.S. Senior Opens), will give an exhibition at a location to be determined at The Broadmoor.
THURSDAY, JUNE 28 7:00 A.M. Round 1 tee times begin for 156 competitors.
FRIDAY, JUNE 29 7:00 A.M. Round 2 tee times begin 9:00 P.M. Pyrotechnic Party; Celebrate The Broadmoor’s 100th Birthday with a fireworks display on the 18th green.
SATURDAY, JUNE 30 9:00 AM Moving Day: Round 3 tee times begin for the low 60 scorers (and ties).
2008: Corporate hospitality tents line the 17th fairway and stand at the 17th and 18th tees. 2018: Instead of the usual corporate hospitality tents, The Broadmoor has made available a number of existing structures for corporate entertaining. Those include the Donald Ross, Robert Trent Jones and Dow Finsterwald rooms directly above the golf shop (which is open to the public) and overlooking the course, as well as the frontline of plush Broadmoor Cottages flanking the east side of the 18th hole.
SUNDAY, JULY 1
2008: Parking is complimentary and ride-share apps didn’t exist.
9:00 A.M. Home Stretch: Round 4 tee times begin, with the 39th U.S. Senior Open champion crowned on the 18th green later that afternoon.
2018: Parking remains free at 2260 Executive Circle. From there, it’s a complimentary four-mile shuttle ride to the front gate. Shuttles will also deliver patrons from the ADA Parking Area (Lot A at 2260 Executive Circle). You will be towed if you park in the neighborhood surrounding The Broadmoor or in Lot B (1601 Mesa Avenue), which is exclusively for spectator pick up and drop off. Uber and Lyft rides must terminate there as well.
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D I S C O V E R
VA IL’S P REMI ER LIF ESTYLE C LUB You belong here. At the Sonnenalp Club, we are more than a tee time… we are a club that fulfills all of your lifestyle needs. Located just minutes from renowned Vail, Colorado in the charming town of Edwards, the Sonnenalp Club is ideal for those who seek the purest in golf, dining, family, health and wellness. Memberships available. For more information and to schedule a tour, contact 970-477-5375 or membership@sonnenalp.com.
Located at 1265 Berry Creek Road in Edwards, Colorado, just 12 miles west of Vail 970-477-5375 • www.sonnenalpclub.com
FASHION
PHOTOGRAPH BY CHAD CHISHOLM
Wear to Watch the Open Load up on clothing and collectibles celebrating the 39th U.S. Senior Open and The Broadmoor’s Centennial.
▲
By Suzanne S. Brown SHOWING HIS STRIPES
Travis Mathew’s signature stripes combined with performance fabric and a logo on the sleeve add appeal to this shirt, $90. ▲
PLAID ALL OVER ◄
Inspired by the plaid carpet in The Broadmoor’s pro shop, the insulated drink tumbler features the Senior Open logo, $19. COLORADO AVIDGOLFER | June 2018
SOCKS APPEAL
Detailed with the U.S. Senior Open logo and in bright red or navy blue, JL The Brand socks add sartorial appeal to your resort wardrobe, $30.
▲
MAKE YOUR MARK
Have a “senior moment” before every putt with this two-sided commemorative 1¾-inch ball marker, $9.
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USSO MERCHANDISE PHOTOGRAPHS BY MIC CLIK
►
MINT CONDITION
Ladies Cutter & Buck full-zip jacket with Senior Open logo, $92.
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We believe that you deserve more than empty promises. You deserve a relationship with your financial partner that isn’t just transactional. You deserve a partnership built on integrity and trust. You deserve someone who is accessible and responsive, someone focused on helping you achieve your goals. And for all of this you can depend on UMB.
Member FDIC
FASHION U.S. Senior Open merchandise is available the Broadmoor’s Centennial Shop, the Broadmoor Golf Shop and in the Merchandise Tent during the tournament June 25-July 1. It is not available online, per USGA rules.
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◄
ON THE BALL
With its eyecatching pentagon pattern and performanceenhancing construction, Callaway’s Truvis has been a big hit. For the Senior Open, the company is offering custom designs in white and green with the Senior Open logo. $16 a sleeve; $64 for a dozen.
GOING LONG
When the weather calls for long sleeves, it’s time for Travis Mathew’s men’s quarter-zip pullover in navy blue with logo, $90.
LOFTY PROSPECT
Callaway has designed 18 (not 12, as reported last month) collectible limited-edition Mack Daddy wedges etched with a Broadmoor Centennial logo. The club comes in a black or chrome finish, $175.
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THE COASTERS
Set of four tumbled marble coasters featuring historic scenes from the Broadmoor Golf Club. The set comes with a display stand and is packaged in a wooden box, $95.
SHIRT TALE
From Fairway & Greene, the men’s cotton blend polo features paisley dots and a logo on the chest, $102.
TOASTING THE CENTENNIAL
The Moscow Mule mug is made of hammered copper and holds 16 ounces, $30 each.
◄
ZIP IT ▲
TRAY CHIC
20-inch oak serving tray engraved with the Broadmoor Centennial logo and hotel, $265. ◄
SCENIC SPOTS
The 16-inch ceramic plate is hand-painted with images of The Broadmoor and nearby attractions, $361.
POLO PERFECT
A paisley print and performance fabric offer both fashion and function in this Cutter & Buck men’s shirt, $77. COLORADO AVIDGOLFER | June 2018
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Suzanne S. Brown is the former fashion and features editor for The Denver Post. She also contributes to Mountain Living and Colorado Expression. coloradoavidgolfer.com
CENTENNIAL COLLECTIBLES PHOTOGRAPHS BY CHAD CHISHOLM
The women’s shortsleeved striped polo in performance fabric from Greg Norman, $72.
◄
USSO MERCHANDISE PHOTOGRAPHS BY MIC CLIK
Centennial collectibles are available at the Broadmoor’s Centennial Shop, golf shop and online at shop.broadmoor.com
ELEVATING THE GAME
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FAREWAYS
Golf and Grille
OPEN SEATING: The revamped Grille still serves views of the course; “Centennial Cocktails” from the upgraded bar (below) and a U.S. Senior Open burger with Stilton, pepper bacon and fried onions.
The Broadmoor’s renovated eatery is elegant, clubby and oh-so-tasty. By Gary James ONE HUNDRED YEARS of spectacular hospi-
tality and perpetual five-diamond, five-star ratings don’t result from resting on one’s reputation—a fact The Broadmoor makes abundantly clear in every aspect of its operation. This year’s centennial celebration brings with it a complete remodel of the golf clubhouse—elevating the finishes and appointments, expanding the golf shop and installing displays that spotlight the resort’s countless contributions to the game. The changes did not spare the golfer’s
COLORADO AVIDGOLFER | June 2018
grill. Rechristened The Grille, the completely upgraded space features décor and comestibles worthy of the Broadmoor’s standard of excellence. The same rich woods and tartan upholstery that defines the new Heritage Hall continues into The Grille, where dozens of vintage golf photographs—including ones of Spencer Penrose with his elephant caddie, Jackie Gleason leaning on his club and Charlie Coe and Jack Nicklaus during the 1959 U.S. Amateur—surround and entertain you. The bar and lounge that adjoined the erstwhile restaurant now serves only members of The Broadmoor Golf Club and their guests, while The Grille has expanded with a handsome bar area near its entrance. As a culinary entity, the Grille now stands on its own. For lunch, The Broadmoor brand is evident in an upscale array of burgers and sandwiches. Highly recommended are the Senior Open Burger, served with Stilton blue cheese, lean peppered bacon and fried onions; the Ultimate Grilled Cheese (with a trinity of melting cheeses—American, Swiss and the go-to gooey cheddar—moist and salty Black Forest ham, rich wood-smoked bacon and sliced tomatoes); and the Blackened Redfish Sandwich (a spicy Cajun tartar sauce adds a little kick). The Grille’s dinner menu is highlighted
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by an initiative to bring back some retro classics prepared tableside—nothing beats the old-school pomp of a Caesar salad tossed by a dignified server or a flambéed dessert highlighted by a dramatic blaze associated with the liqueur-drenched presentation. The irresistible tableside staple is Steak Diane, a pan-fried steak basted in juices, butter and shallots and flambéed in a rich Cognac sauce. For a relaxing libation, celebrate The Broadmoor’s anniversary by quaffing the coloradoavidgolfer.com
It’s Time.
GOLF PACKAGES STARTING AT $109*
30 Rainbow Road NE || Albuquerque, NM || 505.798.3990 || sandiagolf.com *Price is per night per person/double occupancy staying Sunday - Wednesday night. Minimum two (2) night stay required. Price is subject to availability and/or blackout dates. Not applicable to groups (17 or more), conventions, or other discounts or specials.
FAREWAYS NANCY WALTERS,
FIVE-STAR, FIVE-DIAMOND FARE: The Broadmoor’s soigné options include (from top) the posh Penrose Room; cutting-edge Summit; and lakeside Ristorante del Lago.
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Centennial Cocktail of the Month—two for $19.18, served on custom coasters. Purists can breathe a sigh of relief, as only canonical classics are being served—no Pop Rocksrimmed glasses. June features the Negroni. The elegant venue is perfect for hosting private parties as well. That will be the case during the U.S. Senior Open, when The Grille will be the sole province of players, their families, USGA members and other dignitaries affiliated with the event. At any other time, if you find yourself hungry at The Broadmoor, get in their Grille.
BOARD AT THE BROADMOOR
The Grille may be off-limits during the Open, but the 100-year-old grand hotel boasts a coterie of award-winning restaurants. Now under the aegis of Executive Chef David Patterson—only the sixth person to hold that title in The Broadmoor’s history—an evolution of dining experiences has taken place in recent years, with many wonderful, different options on the premises.
THINKING ABOUT BUYING OR SELLING? 720-220-5446
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COLORADO AVIDGOLFER | June 2018
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• Billed as Colorado’s only Forbes FiveStar, AAA Five-Diamond restaurant, the Penrose Room overlooks the resort grounds from the top of the South Tower. The classic, stylish atmosphere (jacket required) is the perfect setting for impeccable food, courtesy of Chef de Cuisine Max Robbins, and superb wines. There’s also dancing to a live trio and vocalist. • Summit, located near Broadmoor Hall, offers a contemporary contrast to The Broadmoor’s masterly elegance, with touches of metal and glass evoking a modern feel. The glass-enclosed wine turret, which stores over 500 bottles, is an astonishing visual, suggesting the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb. Chef de Cuisine Luis Young has brought his training at Napa’s The French Laundry to bear on such items as the Pan Fried Colorado Trout—served with arepas (a maize-based flatbread), pickled red onions, avocado, cilantro and a habanero chimichurri sauce. • Inspired by the Lake Como region of Italy, the enchanting Ristorante del Lago serves utterly authentic, top quality, Italian antipasti, pastas, steaks, cheeses and salads. The Burrata is as buttery as it sounds, the Sicilian coloradoavidgolfer.com
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Boys & Girls Clubs of Larimer County’s Inaugural Golf Tournament
Join us at the new TPC Colorado Course benefiting Boys & Girls Clubs of Larimer County! When: Monday, August 20, 2018 at 9:00 am Where: TPC Colorado Course in Berthoud, CO Be one of the first to play on this exclusive course! Tournament sponsorships and foursomes available.
Please contact Margaret Bachrach at mbachrach@bgclarimer.org or 970-372-2291, or visit our website at www.begreatlarimer.org/golf-tournament for more information.
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NEW CLASSIC: The upgraded, updated La Taverne.
Citrus Salad will refresh you, and you can’t go wrong with the Osso Buco, the wine-braised veal shank specialty. Can’t decide? Go for the Taste of Del Lago Chef’s Selection with a specialty wine pairing. • Situated at the banks of Seven Falls, Restaurant 1858 benefits from the natural box canyon setting. Paintings from The Broadmoor’s Western Art collection festoon the restaurant’s walls, and an outdoor patio allows guests to dine near the roaring water. The “gold rush” theme is reflected in the “wild” game (actually farm-raised) dishes. Start with the BBQ Trout Fritters or Wild Boar Green Chili and then fall for one of seven exquisite preparations of Rocky Mountain Trout. • La Taverne, The Broadmoor’s legendary steakhouse, has undergone a stellar renovation and still serves up the well-regarded elements—fresh fish and seafood, top-notch appetizers (including fresh, meaty oysters), an extensive wine list and elegant drinks. But if you’re looking for an acclaimed steak, you’ll welcome the Wagyu beef, raised exclusively for The Broadmoor at Eagles Nest Ranch in Kersey, Colorado. • Natural Epicurean focuses on a fresh, healthy and organic menu. Like all Broadmoor restaurants, it is committed to local foods and sustainable agriculture—the produce is grown on the estate at Broadmoor Farms. Grab that kale Danish or asparagus croissant for breakfast; there are wholesome dishes for lunch and dinner as well. • Famous for its gastropub fare and yards of ale served with a ragtime piano and a nightly sing-a-long, the Golden Bee buzzes with character and fun, which begins when a server “stings” you with a sticky “bee” that changes with the season. The Cheddar Ale Soup, Fish & Chips and Beer Steamed Mussels go great with a yard of Harp, Guinness or Newcastle Brown. Read more of Contributor Gary James’ Fareways columns on coloradoavidgolfer.com. coloradoavidgolfer.com
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Player’s Corner
ON A DOAK: Ballyneal Golf & Hunt Club near Holyoke, Colorado
TRAVEL
Where Man and Land Meet Across the fertile Sandhills of Nebraska and Eastern Colorado, golf courses have sprouted like so much corn—all of it ripe for the playing. By Ted Johnson NO ONE IS REALLY sure how the Sandhills region came to be. Was it the outlying ripples of the forces millions of years ago that created the Rocky Mountains to the west? Or was it some freakish Ice Age mutation that cut the terrain into large rolling swells and deep dales? Or maybe deposits left from a retreating inland sea? Let’s leave that to the geologists. When you play them, however, you realize soon enough the courses within the Sandhills region are the antithesis of the shaped, contained and overly manicured facilities we find amidst housing tracts and former gravel pits. Golf in the Sandhills isn’t about slope ratings and back tees and waterfalls. The focus is the interaction of man and land as experienced through ball and club – good walks revered, as it were. Four courses in Nebraska—Awarii Dunes, Wild Horse, The Prairie Club, Dismal River— and Ballyneal in northeast Colorado comprise the most compact grouping of Sandhills courses. Note that these are remote settings that require a lot of driving and at some sites a sacrifice of cell reception. Their remoteness is assuaged by on-site accommodations, and although Awarii Dunes has a limited offering in that regard, coloradoavidgolfer.com
hundreds of hotel rooms lie less than six miles north in the convention capital of Kearney. Sandhills courses are known for their lack of “shaping,” the construction phase of a course in which bulldozers create contours and gouge out low areas for ponds or lakes. Here, the land dictates the layout, and honor comes in how little earth is moved to create the best routing. And as you play among the open spaces you get the feeling that Kevin Costner from Dances With Wolves is just on the other side of the nearest dune. Indeed, the buffalo did roam here. That feeling makes Sandhills golf as unique as the links of Scotland and the Sandbelt of Melbourne, Australia—a “bucket list” region that sprang from the dreams of Dick Youngscap, a developer out of Lincoln who had worked with Pete Dye at Firethorn Golf Club. Youngscap scoured western Nebraska for years looking for the right property on which to build a private club that would take advantage of the unique Peoria Loess geology. He came across a site outside Mullen that seemed perfect, except for one issue: The sellers required he purchase not just a couple hundred acres but 8,000.
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The deal was completed in 1991. Course designers Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw took a couple of years to explore the land, conjuring 130 “hole sites” in the process. Such a bounty created options, to be sure, but when Crenshaw and Coore decided on the 17th and 18th holes, the routing of the rest of the course fit in. The private Sand Hills Golf Club opened in 1995 to stunning acclaim, and last year Golf Digest rated it No. 9 on its Top 100 in the world. Sand Hills is open from mid-May to late September. More than half its members live outside the state. There’s no towering clubhouse, just a building that looks like a three-bedroom home. Cabins house overnight members and guests. The club added a “member-member” tournament so people from various parts of the country could get acquainted. Despite its expanse, Sand Hills is meant to be walked with a caddie, and in this aspect all Sandhills courses put the focus on conviviality, in part due to their remoteness. Getting in and out within a day can be difficult. These are clubs built for sport, food and drink shared with people from other parts of the country who become new friends. June 2018 | COLORADO AVIDGOLFER
Player’s Corner TRAVEL
Awarii Dunes
AWARII DUNES GOLF CLUB Axtell, Nebraska, seven miles south of Kearney awariidunes.com; 308-743-1111 Located five miles south of I-80, Awarii Dunes represents architect Jim Engh’s fusion of Ireland and Heartland. He invoked a lot of Cairn, the famed Irish links course, and that means large dunes hiding tiered greens. That’s right, blind approach shots. The polarizing elements that sometimes define Engh’s efforts don’t predominate. Awarii means “wind blown” in Pawnee, and the T-1 bentgrass fairways spread wide to accommodate the gales. Miss the short grass and watch your ball auger into deep rough. Land in the sand and ground your club without penalty—the bunkers, which occur naturally and spontaneously, aren’t considered hazards, so there aren’t any rakes, either. Yes, the contours of some of the greens are wild, but Awarii isn’t “tricked up” or “unfair.” It’s quirky and great fun.
Wild Horse
WILD HORSE GOLF CLUB About three miles outside Gothenburg, Neb. playwildhorse.com; 308-537-7700
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Dave Asland and Dan Proctor both worked at Sand Hills Golf Club before they created Wild Horse in the middle of the state. Hardly any course offers as friendly, fun and challenging round. Assistant Manager Robert Wehnes, who worked for more than 10 years at Riviera Country Club in Los Angeles, put it this way: “At Wild Horse, they don’t ask you to replace your divots. There is no bottle of sand. The land is so rich the divots fill in quickly.” Very easy to walk, Wild Horse doesn’t have the deep, angry bunkering found on other Sandhills courses, but on the day I played, the USGA would have been proud to stage the U.S. Open on its greens—12 on the Stimp and as smooth as glass. Onsite cabins are available. coloradoavidgolfer.com
Prairie Club
Follow-through is everything in prostate care. THE PRAIRIE CLUB 17 miles southeast of Valentine, Neb. theprairieclub.com; 888-402-1101 Founder Paul Schock said it best. It wasn’t about building another course. It was about the “raw nature” of the land. Located 30 miles from the South Dakota state line, The Prairie Club offers two full 18-hole courses and a short course designed by Gil Hanse, all built around a high-end resort. Tom Lehman’s Dunes course doesn’t have a tree on it, save for a gnarly oak behind the second green. The sprawling layout features menacing bunkers amidst fairways as wide as an eightlane interstate. The green complexes are expansive, to say the least. Graham Marsh’s Pines course ducks into patches of trees but inevitably to the dunes. It’s a six-hour drive from Denver to The Prairie Club, where they hope you “golf, golf, eat, sleep. Repeat.” Finding the course can be tricky, as the sign on the road is easy to miss, and then it’s another two miles on a dirt road to the resort. Once on the property, your cart transports you from your simple, elegant cabin to the lodge, the courses and two large practice ranges. Dismal River
On the course, follow-through is critical to directing energy and maintaining momentum. When prostate concerns arise, it’s the key to your best outcome and quality of life. That’s why we’ve aligned our full team of prostate care specialists—from diagnostics through surgery and oncology treatment—into one smoothly coordinated network. They’re connected by advanced technology and 1:1 conversation—with each other and your primary care doctor. Which means you’re connected with excellence from first visit to follow-through. If you’re focused on finding an optimal solution for your prostate issues, talk to our team of specialists. Learn more at centura.org/prostate. Centura Health does not discriminate against any person on the basis of race, color, national origin, disability, age, sex, religion, creed, ancestry, sexual orientation, and marital status in admission, treatment, or participation in its programs, services and activities, or in employment. For further information about this policy contact Centura Health’s Office of the General Counsel at 1-303-673-8166 (TTY: 711). Copyright © Centura Health, 2018. ATENCIÓN: Si habla español, tiene a su disposición servicios gratuitos de asistencia lingüística. Llame al 1-303-637-8166 (TTY: 711). CHÚ Ý: Nếu bạn nói Tiếng Việt, có các dịch vụ hỗ trợ ngôn ngữ miễn phí dành cho bạn. Gọi số 1-3303-637-8166 (TTY: 711).
DISMAL RIVER CLUB About 22 miles outside Mullen, Neb. dismalriver.com; 308-546-2900 Dismal River is about as remote as it gets—five hours from Omaha, about five from Denver. Off the two-lane highway south of Mullen, you follow a road barely wider than a sidewalk for 18 miles before you see the sign. Then it’s another two miles on dirt to the resort. It’s worth it. Another two-course resort, the White course by Jack Nicklaus is the original, more traditional of the two. Six years ago Tom Doak laid out the Red Course that’s a mile-long bumpy cart ride on that dirt road. The Red Course winds through the dunes like an angry serpent before landing into a fairly tame hollow. A soothing finish for jangled nerves. Raw and coloradoavidgolfer.com
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June 2018 | COLORADO AVIDGOLFER
Player’s Corner
Discover Heather Gardens
The most beautiful executive 9-hole public golf course you’ve never seen.
TRAVEL menacing with flared-up bunkers topped by long natural grasses, Doak’s design can be visually intimidating. Take it easy and move up. Tee spots are marked by stakes – red, white or blue. It helps to play with a member, as first-timers end up looking for the next tee. The remoteness makes this the true stay-and-play resort, and the large TV room and high-end restaurant in the lodge is perfect for hanging out and mingling. The cabins are elegantly rustic. And those who prefer, pheasant and elk hunting expeditions can be arranged when in season. Ballyneal
Heather Gardens Executive 9-hole Golf Course is a hidden treasure. It’s close to the junction of Parker Road and I-225, and near Yale Avenue – yet it’s hidden from traffic, nestled in the exquisite urban enclave of Heather Gardens. The par 32, 2,461-yard course’s traditional design is enhanced by its lush, treelined fairways, elevated greens and well-positioned bunkers. Heather Gardens is a public course, open to golfers young and old. Come see what you’ve been missing. Book your tee time now. 2888 S. Heather Gardens Way, Aurora CO 80014 | 303-751-2390 | heathergardensgolf.com
BALLYNEAL GOLF AND HUNT CLUB About 15 miles south of Holyoke Colo., three hours northeast of Denver ballyneal.com; 970-854-5900
LEARN MORE AT DENVERSCHOLARSHIP.ORG/GOLF
Many golf aficionados consider this Tom Doak’s masterpiece. The drive off I-76 takes you through corn and soybean fields as flat as a flounder. And then it all changes when you turn at a small sign onto a dirt road that takes you to this small private club set on a roiling landscape. It’s golf-centric, to be sure. The golf shop, lodging and clubhouse ring a rollicking one-acre putting course called The Commons, which sports numerous drink holders. It leads to the first tee of the fescue fairways and greens that heave and churn like an angry ocean. From the tips, you’re looking at 7,100 yards, but play the course at any length you prefer. You can’t post a score because there are no hole ratings, therefore no course rating and no way to measure it against other courses in the USGA’s slope system. Play what feels comfortable. The caddie points and you slide your peg into the ground. And you need a caddie to know the shortcuts through the dunes and where to hit. Doak also designed the Mulligan course, a 12-hole par-3 layout that’s perfect for later afternoon betting-and-beer contests—if you can find each hole. If not, the layout encourages you to create your own, which is great fun. The modern rooms are very comfortable. The intimate restaurant invites you to get to meet other pilgrims to this golf mecca. Guided upland bird hunting, skeet and trap shooting are also available on property. Though private, some outside play is allowed, so call ahead. California-based contributor Ted Johnson has traveled the world 18 holes at a time.
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CH ASE54 . C O M
A L L I N T H E D E TA I L S From ball pockets to collar stays, CHASE54 focuses on details that make a big impact on your game and your style.
Player’s Corner LESSON
Don’t Stop Believin’ The search for greater distance never gets old, even as we do. By Jason Witczak
In the “before” shot (above), Doug was pulling the club down from the top, causing the initial path of the club to return from outside in. This caused Doug to lose clubhead speed along with solidness of impact. When he pulled the club down, his left arm would decelerate, staying almost pinned into his body and causing the path of the club to work upward through impact due to tension prohibiting his left arm to fold properly. What we did to fix this (below) was to have his arms fall from the top freely together knowing that his purpose is to swing towards the target now rather than the ball. This improved the initial direction of the club’s path on the forward motion, as his arms never slowed down as club head remained wider throughout impact.
PHOTOGRAPHS BY EJ CARR
WITH CURRENT club technology better than it ever has been and golf balls flying further than they have before, why do we still feel that as we get older, we hit it much shorter? The answer lies within the thoughts that prohibit us from allowing the technology to work efficiently. I have had the honor to have as one of my students Doug Rohrbaugh, arguably the best player in the Colorado Section PGA—and he is a 55-year-old senior. Doug has played on the PGA Tour Champions and on a number of mini-tours. However, this past year he felt he was not hitting the ball as far as he used to. Last year, Doug had a ski accident that resulted in ACL surgery. Though he has fully recovered, his apprehension about coming back from injury seemed to prevent his body from doing what his mind wanted. As our physicality ages, our body needs to overcome what the mind “knows” about the injuries we’ve collected through the years, about what we’ve been told about our health, etc. Our perception rather than our knowledge of these “truths” inform how our body performs. So we become protective of our collected injuries and change how we approach our overall swing. Therefore, working with Doug this year is a lot different than in previous years. We had to overcome his mind’s perception of how his “aging” body works paired with allowing his body to perform in a better way. Along with the enhanced technology we were able to create the perfect equation to hit the ball straighter and further than ever before. With Doug we took a bird’s eye approach to see how we could improve in any areas that his post-injury swing may have changed. Sure enough, we saw it in the direction in which he was returning the club.
Jason Witczak (@jwitpga) is the PGA Director of Instruction for the Club at Pradera and Pinery Country Club, both in Parker. Reach him at jwitczak@theclubatpradera.com or 303-607-5677 COLORADO AVIDGOLFER | June 2018
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PROJECTED REOPENING (weather permitting)
After impact you can see (above) how rigid and tight the left arm looks; it’s almost pinned into his body, preventing the club’s path from making a circular swing. This type of motion will cause a lot of thin and short shots. Keeping his arms wider (below) allows him to freely swing uninterrupted towards the target.
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In the “before” shot (left) of the forward motion, you can clearly see that Doug’s right arm is trailing behind because he pulled so hard with his left arm. This motion restricted his body from responding properly, as his left arm is unable to fold correctly. With his arms now no longer slowing down (right), Doug's body can freely pursue the uninterrupted motion of swinging the club towards the target. Both arms now are able to fold properly, as the entirety of the club has now been swung, not pulled, allowing everything to be compatible. Anyone can have visual proof through results of why they should again believe in themselves, regardless of age. How and what we have learned through the years is actually a huge advantage because we can gain a clear mental picture of what our muscles are supposed to do. Rather than “protecting” us, we can use muscle memory and physical programming to propel us to make our swings stronger than ever before. coloradoavidgolfer.com
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~ Be sure to visit our new patio before or after your round. June 2018 | COLORADO AVIDGOLFER
Player’s Corner GEAR
Power of the Pyramid
Locally owned and now nationally known, Pyramid Putters help solve the mysteries of the flat stick. By Drew Kort THERE ARE TWO types of golfers—those who admit to the difficulties they experience with alignment and mis-hits on the greens, and liars. Denver-based Pyramid Putters may be able to help both types. Earlier this year, Pyramid Putters brought its brand-new Aztec Series to market at the PGA Merchandise Show. It’s no fluke the Aztec was named best new putter in the new product zone.
VISUALS The Aztec Series contains the AZ-I Blade and AZII Mallet putters. Both models have a smooth matte black finish, which gives them a comfortable and modern look and feel. Additionally, both models contain a traditional alignment tool on the base of the head and have an extended alignment visual on the leading edge. The AZ-I Blade has the traditional blade look for the golfer who may be souring on the performance rather than the look of his/her flat stick. The AZ-II Mallet has a smaller face, but the base extends into a rounded edge at the back. The Aztec Series comes stock with a taper-free and single-diameter grip. Three grip sizes, from standard to jumbo, are available upon purchase.
to bring mis-struck putts back to the user's intended line. Hit it on the heel or the toe and turn your misses into straight putts. The alignment aid—a simple extension of the angled face grooves—gives the golfer a fixed area on the top line to match up to the traditional line on the putter base. This tool provides an extra layer of confidence that you’re aligned to the target. It will also tell you when your eyes are not directly over the ball. Pyramid Putters are USGA conforming, and you can choose the proper length and custom lie and loft options upon purchase. Founded by Matt Stephens and with the help of Derrick Dobbin (co-founder of F2 Golf) and Colin Callahan (Callahan Custom Golf), Pyramid Putters are now available to help improve your game. CAG DEAL: The Pyramid AZ-I Blade and AZ-II Mallet retail for $279.95. If you would like to try a Pyramid Putter for yourself, use code “avidgolfer” and receive $100 off your purchase! pyramidputters.com
UTILITY While the Aztec Series putters are visually appealing, they gain their advantage through the proprietary utility technology incorporated into their designs. The putter contains angled grooves on the toe and heel portions of the face that enclose traditional horizontal grooves on the sweet spot. These grooves create a pyramidal shape designed COLORADO AVIDGOLFER | June 2018
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Side Bets | NICE DRIVES BMW M5
Summer
Stunners
BMW’s reimagined M5 and the Lexus LC500 establish new flagships for their brands. By Isaac Bouchard 2018 BMW M5 EPA ratings: 15/21mpg; 17mpg combined 0-60mph: 2.8sec Price as tested: $129,795 For those of us who came of age before 1990, the original BMW M5 was an object of lust. It was the ultimate Q-Ship: a vehicle that was far more ferocious than it looked, all while being refined and practical. The third generation, labeled E39, was considered the apogee of M5-ness, as its successors lacked its special blend of luxury and interaction. That is, until now. Responding to the demands of ever burgeoning power and market forces, BMW’s M Division added AWD to the new F90 series, making it a much more usable alternative to an SUV. Additionally, the M5 can now truly harness the rampaging horses that used to only be corralled by intrusive stability control. Those 600 steeds can still be channeled to just the rear tires, allowing the inexperienced to spin off the road backwards and the adroit to vaporize expensive tire rubber at a rapid rate. In reality, the deft combination of the M XDrive all-wheel drive, beefed up eight-speed gearbox and M Active limited slip differential allow for the safest COLORADO AVIDGOLFER | June 2018
forms of fun, including 0-60mph runs that take a mere 2.8 seconds. The 553lb-ft of torque from the S63 V8 only flow to the front wheels when needed, so the M5 feels like a well-sorted rear driver; just when it seems like almost 4,300 pounds of sliding, six-figure insurance claim might get out of hand, power is shuffled forwards, helping pull the BMW straight and making mere mortals feel heroic. This super sedan also stops as it should; the standard steel binders are excellent, and carbons (which also reduce unsprung mass) are optional. All the electrons controlling this ballet route through one computer network, reducing wiring and helping save precious weight. Indeed, this M5 comes in almost 150 pounds less than its predecessor, thanks to a structure combined of ultrahigh strength steel, aluminum and carbon fiber. Luxury and refinement are better now too; these may be the most comfortable and supportive seats BMW has ever put in an M car, and they also can be equipped with ventilation and massage. The interior they inhabit is fitting to the mission and price point, with subtle wavelike flows of French stitching that help soften the rigid linearity of previous Bavarian cockpits. Tech is first rate, with fast responses, beautiful
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BMW X3
2018 BMW X3 EPA ratings: 22 /29mpg; 25mpg combined 0-60mph: 6.3sec Price as tested: $57,720 BMW’s renewed focus on what made their machines so special to drive isn’t limited to just exotica like the M5; the new X3 also exhibits an élan when piloted hard that marks it out as special. And its steering feel, body control and interactivity in no way compromise its luxury. It rides well, is quiet and refined, and now has an interior that feels solidly well built and thoughtfully designed. This new X3 is also usefully roomier, has top tech available and is competitively priced. Its styling in base trim is perhaps a bit anodyne, but the responsive engines are anything but. Whether it’s a 248hp, 2-liter i30 spec (as tested) or 355hp M40i, the X3 hustles as it should while still being smooth and efficient. graphics and voice control that actually works. Level 2 autonomous systems function so well that one might actually still look forward to driving the M5 when our roads inevitably get even more crowded with disinterested drivers. But it’s when they clear the road that the M5 really shows the ways in which it’s regained its place atop the podium as a driver’s car. The steering now has a modicum of feedback and the balance is tweakable to one’s skill level and desire for slip angle. coloradoavidgolfer.com
Side Bets | NICE DRIVES
LEXUS LC500
It really rewards good inputs: ham-fisted ones lead to tire-scrubbing understeer, but proper trailbraking rotates its prodigious mass nicely and allows the throttle to be applied early. Boost hits before you’ve passed corner apex and the BMW rockets forwards, with the wide rear tires smearing a path across the road in beautifully subtle fourwheel drifts. Subtle describes the styling too, and that’s a good thing. With its badges removed and painted a dark color, most would guess it is just any other 5-series. This intoxicating combination of epic performance, daily usability—the back seats even fold— and fly-under-the-radar looks are what make this latest version a worthy successor to those inspiring first three generations.
2018 LEXUS LC500
EPA ratings: 16/26mpg; 19mpg combined 0-60mph: 4.5sec Price as tested: $105,170 Lexus bills the LC500 as a grand tourer in the classic sense: comfortable, cossetting, isolated and refined. It is certainly all those things. And while it pampers occupants, it also has a wild side that illustrates just how far they’ve come in terms of dynamics and driver rewards. One’s first glimpse of this stunning coupe on the road creates a kind of cognitive dissonance: Isn’t it a concept car? The tapering greenhouse, wasp waist, meticulous detailing and even the sometimes-controversial spindle grill all cohere magnificently—it simply doesn’t look like it should be sharing parking lots with more pedestrian hardware. How something so audacious reached production is a story in itself, but the LC500 follows in the footsteps of the original Lexus SC, which pushed all manner of styling and engineering boundaries when it debuted in 1991. Back then it was how to make a nose so rounded in plan view; now it is how to lower the hoodline for runway model looks yet retain wheel travel apropos a luxury car. An all-new, rear drive platform accomplishes this. It’s built, like the BMW, using a cocktail of high strength steel, aluminum and carbon fiber. The 5-liter, normally aspirated engine is set back behind COLORADO AVIDGOLFER | June 2018
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the front wheel’s centerline, making it technically a mid-engine machine. An in-house, 10-speed automatic is an engineering tour de force as well, and channels the LC500’s 471hp through an optional limited slip diff. Four wheel steering is optional, and helps gift this large, heavy (4,300-plus pounds) two door with reflexes that belie its heft. Steering is superbly weighted, linear and accurate; body control exemplary. We got a taste what Lexus could do in the LFA supercar and latest GS F sedans, but here it is operating on an even higher level. The brakes are strong enough for road use, and this gearbox’s programming overcomes the slow responses of prior efforts from Lexus. The engine sounds glorious, with a resonant intake bellow as the revs climb to their 7,100rpm power peak. But the combination of Colorado’s thin air and no turbos means the LC500 feels relatively unresponsive at lower revs. While max torque of 398lbft isn’t shabby, it isn’t arrived at until 4,800rpm, meaning you’ve got to work a bit to make this rolling sculpture hustle. Offsetting this is a linearity of throttle response and acoustics that most boosted engines cannot match. This is where the LC500’s dynamic excellence makes it easy to start comparing it to sports cars, which isn’t really fair. As a GT it is surely fast enough. And when viewed as such, the glories of its luscious bodywork and equally captivating cockpit come to the fore. Hand stitching, stunning natural materials and original architecture make it feel oh so special. The one fly in the ointment is Lexus’ continuing reliance on a distracting trackpad-based infotainment interface. Otherwise the ergonomics and execution are first rate, with supportive, beautifully trimmed seats and door panels, and the theater created by the sliding tachometer/speedometer bezel all enriching the experience. It is as such a holistic experience that the LC500 succeeds so brilliantly. It serves as a clear reminder of the joys of the journey, of what makes cars—as opposed to SUVs and crossovers—so desirable. It also puts to rest any lingering doubts that Lexus is not a first tier builder of true driver’s machinery.
Contact Isaac Bouchard for help saving time, money and hassle when buying or leasing one at isaac@bespokeautos.com coloradoavidgolfer.com
2018
PRESENTED BY
Come Play With Us! Monday, 7/23
Wednesday, 9/5 Monday, 8/20
COLORADO’S #1 TOURNAMENT SERIES Includes ★ GOLF, CART, RANGE BALLS and MEALS
★ Amazing PLAYER GIFT BAGS which include: A Chase54 golf shirt ($70 value) A dozen Callaway Chrome Soft Golf Balls ($50 value) A 2018 Golf Passport ($59.95 value)
2018
GOLF PASSPORT coloradoavidgolfer.com
★ ON-COURSE CONTESTS and PRIZES and more!
PLAY ONE OR ALL THREE!
GRAB YOUR SPOT @ coloradoavidgolfer.com/events
CONTACT US with questions at: 720-493-1729 ext. 15 or Melissa@Coloradoavidgolfer.com
PRE S E N T ED BY
QUICK MOVE-IN HOMES AVAILABLE ON THE GOLF COURSE!
R LA ES SO OM H
Country Club Living at Blackstone AURORA E. Smoky Hill Rd
Club Pk
Blackstone offers residents gorgeous single-family homes in a quaint country club setting. Elevate your everyday lifestyle in a community that offers spacious homes, exceptional included features and upscale amenities.
u n t ry
1,974–3,498 sq. ft. | 3-5 Bedrooms | 2-4.5 Bathrooms
wy
Co
From the $500,000s
S
E. Otero Dr
N
map not to scale
Waterloo
S. Powhaton Rd
27806 E. Alder Dr | Aurora, CO 80016 | 720-223-1740
Blackstone County Line Rd
Blackstone in South East Aurora
Exceptional Value in a Country Club Setting Where residents enjoy the Grand Clubhouse with fitness center, pool, tennis courts, restaurant/grille, social activities, optional golf membership and more! follow Lennar Colorado
LENNAR.COM/COLORADO
Price is subject to change without notice. Stated dimensions and square footage are approximate and should not be used as representation of the home’s precise or actual size. Renderings are conceptual in nature and merely an artist’s rendition. These renderings are solely for illustrative purposes and should never be relied upon. Photographs are solely for illustrative purposes and should never be relied upon. Car size may vary from home to home and may not accommodate all vehicles. Map is not to scale and is for relative location purposes only. Please see your New Home Consultant and home purchase agreement for actual features designated as an Everything’s Included feature, additional information, disclosures, and disclaimers relating to your home and its features. Copyright © 2018 Lennar Corporation. All rights reserved. Lennar, the Lennar logo, Everything’s Included and the Everything’s Included logo are registered service marks or service marks of Lennar Corporation and/or its subsidiaries. 3/18
SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION
GETTING HOME
LIVE THE DREAM The Enclave at Green Valley Ranch
heads a selection of emerging golf communities devoted to inspired living.
LUXURY ON THE LINKS:
INSIDE the gates at The Enclave PLUS Your BASE CAMP at FROST CREEK
KOELBEL’S URBAN SPIN on golf-course living GRAND ELK, Flying Horse AND Seven Desert Mountain, Arizona’s coolest new development. coloradoavidgolfer.com
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June 2018 | COLORADO AVIDGOLFER
GETTING HOME
SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION
The Enclave at Green Valley Ranch LOCATION: East Denver PRICE: From the $500s SIZES: Ranch designs (2.5BR – 6BR) and 2-story designs (3BR – 8BR); floor plans ranging from 3,655 to 5,934 sf PHONE: 303-486-8742 WEBSITE: oakwoodhomesco.com/ communities/the-enclave
AN AWARD-WINNING golf course alone could
be what motivates buyers to own a home at Green Valley Ranch. But combine that with a thoughtful master plan, and new homes like those at The Enclave, and you understand why it’s one of Denver’s fastest growing communities. With just 144 home sites, the gated enclave will have a small neighborhood feel, easy access to I-70, Tower Road and E-470, and a short drive or Uber/Lyft ride from DIA.
COMMUNITY FLAVOR: Once a working ranch, Green Valley Ranch still maintains some of that “wide open spaces” ambiance enjoyed by early settlers. Golfers and non-golfers like to convene at the clubhouse, whose Colorado Territorial style architecture is on display. • Rock On: Running July and August, the Farmer’s Market is popular with residents during the daytime, while the Summer Concert Series fills the nights with music. • Pool Party: Enclave owners benefit from a 2,400-square-foot beach-entry pool with private patio and outdoor fireplace. COLORADO AVIDGOLFER | June 2018
HOT SPOTS: Green Valley Ranch Golf Club and surrounding area is undergoing upgrades. • GVR Golf Academy Now housing the golf shop, the academy features the latest gameimprovement tech. gvrgolfacademy.com • GVR Grill The golf clubhouse will soon become a restaurant and gathering spot with a lively outdoor patio. gvrgolf.com • GVR Beer Garden Celebrate craft beer in a 7,500-square-foot outdoor garden and covered patio pavilion. gvrbeergarden.com • Gaylord Rockies When it opens, the Gaylord Rockies Resort & Convention Center will have eight dining venues, myriad shops and boutiques. meetgaylordrockies.com
OUTDOORS: GVR’s abundant on-course nature is astounding, as are its mountain views.
• Go Wild. Seven miles away, the 15,000acre Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Wildlife Refuge, a sanctuary for over 330 animal species. walkridecolorado.com
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LOCAL KNOWLEDGE Exclusive resident amenities include free lifetime access to GVR’s Par 3 course; steep discounts on annual golf memberships, 18-hole green fees and lessons; special outings booked with The Enclave’s lifestyle director; discounted food and drink in the grill; private golf cart purchase options and more.
WHY MOVE HERE? 1. The Enclave at Green Valley Ranch is gated and has amenities and privileges exclusive to purchasers within this neighborhood. 2. GVR is near a light rail station, is just 10 minutes from DIA and 25 minutes from downtown Denver. 3. GVR is a part of the Denver Public School District and home to Colorado’s newest DSST school campus.
coloradoavidgolfer.com
The Enclave at Green Valley Ranch offers single-family homes and showcases a variety of luxury floorplans up to 5,934 sq. ft.. This gated community is nestled on the award-wining, Green Valley Ranch Golf Course and will offer exclusive neighborhood amenities, including a 2,400 sq. ft. beach-entry pool.
DiscoverEnclave.com
•
303.486.8915
Š2018 Oakwood Homes
GETTING HOME
SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION
Flying Horse LOCATION: Colorado Springs PRICE: Mid-300s to the millions SIZES: Opportunities are available from 2-bedroom paired patio homes to custom residences PHONE: 719-886-4800 (Real Estate); 719-494-1222 (Club Membership) WEBSITE: FlyingHorseColorado.com
FLYING HORSE offers the perfect blend of
country club living and a distinctive collection of new homes priced from the mid $300’s to the millions. The Tom Weiskopf-designed championship course complements the impressive collection of residences presented by the area’s most respected homebuilders. Custom-acreage home sites are available at Flying Horse North, located just north, between Black Forest Road and Highway 83, where a new course will open in 2020.
COMMUNITY FLAVOR: The 1,500-acre com-
munity pivots around The Club at Flying Horse, with its palatial Tuscan-style clubhouse, expansive athletic facility, outdoor aquatic complex and spa services. Open space, parks and walking trails add to the numerous amenities and social events including summer concerts. • The Discovery Canyon Campus: Seamless pre-K-12, award-winning education for Flying Horse families. asd20.org/Schools/dcc • The Villages: The Flying Horse community consists of more than one dozen neighborhoods. COLORADO AVIDGOLFER | June 2018
HOT SPOTS: For shopping and entertainment,
the Promenade Shops at Briargate are minutes away. The Flying Horse enclave provides dozens of outdoor and indoor options for members and residents to get together. • The Steakhouse at Flying Horse: An elegant, publicly accessible fine-dining experience with sublime steaks and sunsets. flyinghorsesteakhouse.com • The Lodge at Flying Horse: Invite friends, family and colleagues to stay in 48 luxuriously appointed guest rooms. lodgeatflyinghorse.com • Athletic Club: 40,000 square feet of stateof-the-art fitness, spa services and even a Kid’s Club. flyinghorseclub.com
OUTDOORS: Flying Horse offers Front Range vistas and access to miles of paved trails.
• Flying Horse Ranch: The working ranch spans 14,000 acres of horse and bike trails. flyinghorseranch.com
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LOCAL KNOWLEDGE New real estate opportunities are becoming available at Flying Horse North, which will present a completely different golf experience, heirloom homes and home sites starting at 2.5 acres. Meanwhile, additional home sites continue to be released daily at Flying Horse.
WHY MOVE HERE? 1. Few golf communities along the Front Range present such a wide range of models and floor plans. 2. 40 minutes by car to the Denver Tech Center, 20 to downtown Colorado Springs. 3. Flying Horse builders currently have model homes for you to visit as well as a number of well-appointed, move-in ready homes now.
coloradoavidgolfer.com
SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION
GETTING HOME
Frost Creek LOCATION: Four miles south of Eagle PRICE: Home sites from $250k to $650k SIZES: Home sites from one to six acres PHONE: 970-455-3072, Kakie Holland, Director of Sales WEBSITE: FrostCreek.com
FROST CREEK is a private, four-season luxury
golf and mountain club located on 1,100 idyllic acres adjoining the pristine wilderness of the White River National Forest. The community’s home sites underscore a key reason why families are drawn to Colorado’s High Country—views of the mountains. Set in the Brush Creek Valley, Frost Creek is the ideal Rocky Mountain retreat, which may just explain why more than 35 home sites have already sold.
COMMUNITY FLAVOR: An impressive 40,000-
square-foot clubhouse with a fine-dining restaurant is just one of Frost Creek’s amenities. A Tom Weiskopf-designed championship course, a tennis and sport court, Olympic-sized pool, and miles of soft surface hiking and biking trails give members numerous ways to stay fit and relax. • Family Pursuits: Members and their families take to the outdoors for Frisbee golf, bocce ball, croquet, group day hikes, road and mountain biking, stand up paddle boarding and yurt glamping • Luxury Cabins: National members and guests can stay at one of Frost Creek’s 10 beautifully appointed, member “cabins” or glamour camping yurts. coloradoavidgolfer.com
HOT SPOTS: The town of Eagle has a personality all its own.
• Bonfire Brewing: Craft ales and live tunes fill the festive tap room. bonfirebrewing.com • Renowned Mountain Biking: Eagle is home to more than 100 miles of singletrack trails.
OUTDOORS: Between onsite golf, fly-fishing, mountain biking, snowshoeing, sledding, ice skating and cross-country skiing, it’s no wonder Frost Creek earned 2017 and 2018 CAGGYs as the Best Private Mountain Club.
• Fly-fishing: Members can test their angling skills along Brush Creek, two and a half miles of private fly-fishing waters and onsite stocked ponds. • Hiking & Biking: The neighboring public lands and State Park have hiking, Jeep touring and mountain biking trails—all accessible from the club. • Skiing & Snowboarding: The club is a great basecamp to access Vail and Beaver Creek for a day on the slopes.
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LOCAL KNOWLEDGE While the Vail Valley is exceptionally popular year-round, being “off-the-beaten-path” sets Frost Creek apart from its busier valley counterparts. Sales velocity continues at Frost Creek, and new member cabins were recently added to accommodate a growing national membership.
WHY MOVE HERE? 1. Frost Creek is a low-density community focused on providing considerable four-season adventures. 2. Home site pricing by acreage is very favorable when compared to other Rocky Mountain golf communities. 3. You can select your builder and architect and determine your construction time frame.
June 2018 | COLORADO AVIDGOLFER
CAGGY AwArd winner - 2 YeArs swinGinG!
How Many Clubs Are In Your Bag?
1,100 Acres Of Endless Adventure
Fine Dining
Year-Round Activities
2.5 Miles Of Private Fishing Waters ColorAdo Avid Golfer
CAGGY AwArd winner
Surrounded by thousands ofacres of ranch land and protected mountain wilderness, Frost Creek is the perfect haven to get active, or get away from it all. Fly fish in pristine rivers,
FoR MeMbeRShip, Real eState & geneRal inquiRieS ViSit: www.FRoStCReek.CoM Call: 970.328.2326
hike and bike scenic trails, tee off for a round on our awardwinning golf course, and enjoy easy access to everything you have come to expect from the Rocky Mountains. Spacious overnight cabins make membership an affordable alternative to mountain home ownership.
Are you ready to explore?
BEST MOUNTAIN CLUB, PRIVATE
BEST MOUNTAIN MOST COVETED MOST COVE CLUB, INVITATION, PRIVATE PRIVATE INVITATION, P
staff pick 2017
Best mountain cluB, private most coveted invitation, private
staff pick 2018
Best mountain cluB, private Best overall experience, private
Valley View
a D V e R t i S e M e n t
EAGLE , COLORADO
National Members Call Frost Creek “seCond Home” Frost Creek, a private luxury golF and mountain Club located just outside Eagle, Colo., has become a “second home” for many of its National Members, both figuratively and literally speaking. The Club, which is situated around a world-class Tom Weiskopf-designed mountain golf course, has 10 member cabins and two luxury yurts for use by National Members and their guests. Frost Creek also offers a variety of available 1-6 acre homesites for purchase priced from $250,000 to $650,000. Both have made Frost Creek accessible and beloved by out of town members. Jeff Adams, a Denver-area resident, joined Frost Creek in the summer of 2017. Adams grew up camping and fishing at nearby Sylvan Lake. He knew the Brush Creek Valley where Frost Creek is located and had many fond memories. “I’ve always loved the area and paid attention as the golf course and infrastructure were built. However, I really started paying attention when Chad Brue bought the club and launched Frost Creek. I liked the vision for the club and friends raved about the course,” Adams said. “Last summer we came up to check it out and I knew I wanted to join the minute we came through the gate.”
The Adams family did join Frost Creek and have utilized the member cabins and yurts “We’ve been here seven or eight times several times since. They even since we joined. Every time we leave, we visit Frost Creek in the winter can’t wait to get back.” and use it as base camp to ski - Brent and Julie Russell, Dallas, TX Beaver Creek. “The boys love ‘camping’ in the yurts, fishing in the learned what Frost Creek was, it was a done stocked ponds, riding bikes, deal. We purchased the home and joined in playing golf and hockey and sledding in the February of 2017.” winter. They are 10- and 12-years-old, so at The Russells, who have two teenagers, a time when they are busy with sports and come to Frost Creek often and plan to spend friends at home, it’s nice to get away to the more time at the club in coming years. mountains and spend time at Frost Creek. We “We’ve been here seven or eight times are creating new memories in an area I loved since we joined. Every time we leave, we as a kid. Frost Creek has become our second can’t wait to get back. My son loves fishing, home,” Adams said. riding the electric fat bikes and all the activBrent and Julie Russell of the Dallas area ities available here. It’s like a luxury summer found Frost Creek in a different way. The camp,” Russell said. “The golf course is Russells, longtime visitors to the Vail Valley, spectacular and membership is a tremendous were contemplating a second home in the value, but more valuable than that are the mountains. friendships we’ve created and the great fit “We began actively looking in Beaver Frost Creek has been for my family.” Creek, Bachelor Gulch and the Edwards area,” Brent Russell said. “Then we learned about a home being built at Frost Creek and put it on the list without knowing anything about the club. Once we saw the home and
For information visit or call: www.frostcreek.com : 970.328.2326
GETTING HOME
SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION
5390’ LOCATION: Berkeley Neighborhood (50th and Vrain), Denver PRICE: Low $700s-$1.25M SIZES: Single-family designs to attached rowhomes to golf villas. 1,800 to 3,200 square feet PHONE: 303-300-8828 WEBSITE: 5390bykuh.com
PUT AN URBAN spin on golf-course living.
Surrounded by Willis Case Golf Course and perched atop one of Denver’s highest points, Koebel Urban Homes’ 5390’ community boasts 51 residences featuring a variety of architectural styles. The erstwhile El Jebel Shrine landmarks the neighborhood, with much of its iconic Moorish façade and interior detail preserved as it transitions into the multiple-unit Mirador.
COMMUNITY FLAVOR: Berkeley’s energy ra-
diates from the shops along Tennyson Street (shoptennyson.com). Berkeley borders the hip Highlands and Sunnyside neighborhoods, Lakeside and Arvada. Highlights include:
• Mas Kaos The place for street tacos, woodfired pizza and más. maskaosdenver.com • Parisi Superb trattoria with fine-dining Firenze à Tavola below. parisidenver.com • Call to Arms Brewing. Great craft beers from rotating taps. calltoarmsbrewing.com • Kats-Eye Boutique Quirky, stylish women’s fashion. kats-eyeboutique.com • Real Baby Unique toys and clothes for those 2 and under. realbabyinc.com
LOCAL KNOWLEDGE On the first Friday evening of each month, the merchants along Tennyson Street between 38th and 44th Avenues welcome you to stroll, shop and gallery hop from 6 until 10 p.m. Check out restaurants, boutiques, coffee houses, indie book stores and, of course, wonderful art galleries and studios.
WHY MOVE HERE?
OUTDOORS: Proximity to multiple trails and
1. Gentrification has brought academic vigor to the area’s public elementary, middle and high schools.
• Lakeside Amusement Park: The venerable, affordable Elitch Gardens alternative. lakesideamusementpark.com
• Berkeley and Rocky Mountain lakes, Inspiration Point invite long walks, jogs and picnics. walkridecolorado.com
• Oriental Theater. Classic venue for concerts, films, comedy and fun. theorientaltheater.com
2. You don’t need a car. Unlike the isolated suburbs, you can walk or bike to stores, markets and restaurants.
• Clear Creek Trail stretches 20 miles to Golden in the west and Welby to the east.
HOT SPOTS: The rapidly evolving area teems with restaurants, bars, brewpubs and stores. COLORADO AVIDGOLFER | June 2018
parks encourages you to get outside.
• Willis Case Golf Course A walkable gem of a muni course with great western views. cityofdenvergolf.com
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3. You’re less than one minute from I-70 and equidistant from the Golden foothills and Downtown Denver. RTD’s G-Line to Union Station stops there.
coloradoavidgolfer.com
AT THE
BERKELEY LAKE Golf course living in the middle of
SHOPS BARS EATERIES SALONS YOGA
the city. At the northern tip of Tennyson
Street, the new 5390' neighborhood looks out on the lush Willis Case Golf Course.
5390's move-in-ready homes boast open floor plans, energy efficiency, upscale finishes and a lock-and-go lifestyle.
What else would you expect from Koelbel Urban Homes? KUH specializes in crafting modern new homes in some of Denver’s most desirable urban neighborhoods.
Check out 5390' for yourself, and discover what life is like at the top.
A NEIGHBORHOOD ABOVE IT ALL
A NEIGHBORHOOD ABOVE IT ALL
Travel just one mile up from the shops
50th Ave
find a new urban neighborhood with
TENNYSON ST
WILLIS CASE GOLF COURSE
NEW HOMES
I-70
on historic Tennyson Street and you’ll an expansive mountain view and a golf course backyard.
5390' gives you all the conveniences of city life – a walk-to main street, easy access to downtown and a welcoming attitude. Then, 5390' goes beyond
46th Ave
SHOPS BARS EATERIES SALONS AND YOGAMORE 38th Ave
A NEIGHBORHOOD
expectations. Tucked at the top of Tennyson, 5390' is surrounded by the quiet Willis Case Golf Course and away from drive-by traffic. 5390' is the best of the city, at the top of Tennyson.
Paired homes starting at $700k
ABOVE IT ALL
GETTING HOME
SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION
Grand Elk LOCATION: East of Granby PRICE: Mid- to high-$400s SIZES: Fairway Villa I and II, 1,704 – 2,228 square feet homes with 2 or 3 bedrooms PHONE: 970-726-5177 WEBSITE: KoelbelatGrandElk.com
CONTINENTAL DIVIDE VIEWS are among the
first things that capture the attention of Grand Elk buyers. The community’s championship course is a heathland-style masterpiece representing a collaborative effort between Tripp Davis and Craig Stadler. Just 20 miles north of Winter Park, Grand Elk comprises nearly 700 home sites. One of Colorado’s premier builders, Koelbel and Company, is currently offering Fairway Villas in two styles (ranch and two-story) designed to be the base camp for your mountain adventures.
COMMUNITY FLAVOR: Just outside Granby,
18 miles from the charming town of Grand Lake, and a 30-minute drive to Rocky Mountain National Park, Grand Elk has a laid-back vibe that is amplified by a relaxed club atmosphere. • It Takes a Villa: Fairway Villa I is a ranchstyle floor plan with two bedrooms and two baths; Fairway Villa II has a two-story floor plan with three bedrooms, 2.5 baths. • Sound Check: Summer brings Winter Park’s Jazz, Blues, Music, and Beer festivals. COLORADO AVIDGOLFER | June 2018
• Lake Life: Water-ski, kayak or boat on Grand Lake, Granby Lake or Shadow Mountain Lake.
HOT SPOTS: You’ll find Grand County more “chill” than, say, Eagle and Pitkin County.
• Shops & Hops: Granby, Grand Lake and Winter Park all offer eclectic shopping, dining and breweries. visitgrandcounty.com • Grub Hub: Mustachio’s On The Lake, Panchos & Lefty’s and Deno’s Mountain Bistro are sure bets for dining. denoswp.com
OUTDOORS: Grand Elk is the gateway to superb mountain biking, hiking and winter sports.
• Miles of Fun: Grand Elk residents snowshoe and cross-country ski on-property. Winter Park has 600 miles of marked and mapped mountain biking trails. 300 miles of snowmobiling trails cross Grand Lake. Grand County boasts 1,000 miles of Gold Medal waters for fly fishing and 600+ miles of hiking trails.
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LOCAL KNOWLEDGE Picture how close you are to incredible Scottish-style golf, Gold Medal fly-fishing waters, acclaimed skiing, phenomenal biking, diverse dining and terrific boating. Plus, you can own a fairway residence crafted for entertaining that features a flowing floor plan, fireplace, back deck and two-vehicle garage.
WHY MOVE HERE? 1. Grand Elk is just 85 miles from metro Denver via I-70 and US 40. 2. Home ownership comes with a golf membership, which includes unlimited family play, including children living at home up to age 23 (cart fees extra). 3. Choose from two “easy-flow” floor plans designed to match your vision of a mountain retreat at price points that don’t exist elsewhere in Grand County.
coloradoavidgolfer.com
GETTING HOME
SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION
Seven Desert Mountain LOCATION: Scottsdale, Arizona PRICE: Low $1 million to $3 million+ SIZES: Up to 190 homes from 2,300 to 6,500+ square feet PHONE: 602-385-1675 (Real Estate); 480-428-1415 (Membership) WEBSITE: desertmountain.com/seven/
THE ULTIMATE ARIZONA golf mecca, the
six-course, 8,000-acre Desert Mountain community is getting even better. Currently under construction and opening in early 2019, Seven Desert Mountain is a gated, luxury residential golf enclave that will have you reimagining the way you think of—and play—golf. The par-54 course, aptly named “No. 7 at Desert Mountain” was designed by M3’s Bill Brownlee and Wendell Pickett, the team behind the award-winning Big Wick and Li’l Wick courses at Wickenburg Ranch. No. 7 stretches to 3,000 yards, emphasizing not only the short game, but the fun and social aspects that make golf great. Most homes come with stunning views of the course, nearby mountains and valleys.
HOT SPOTS: The clubhouse setting will be the
COMMUNITY FLAVOR: Life at Seven Desert
• Tennis Complex: Nine courts: five state-ofthe art clay (har-tru), three hard courts and the only stadium grass court in Arizona.
Mountain will revolve around the 8,900-squarefoot clubhouse and the course it serves. • Clubhouse: A family-friendly environment featuring an indoor-outdoor gastropub, large patios for dining and entertainment, outdoor fire pits, bocce courts and an expansive bar and activities that will make it a destination. COLORADO AVIDGOLFER | June 2018
• Club Patio: A lighted putting green, seating areas and music that extends from the clubhouse onto the 18th hole make No. 7 at Desert Mountain a lively, entertaining and interactive experience. happy hour hot spot on “The Mountain,” with indoor-outdoor dining, fire pits, bocce and more. Members can also access world-class amenities. • Sonoran Spa & Fitness Center: 42,000 renovated square feet featuring the latest equipment, personal-training techniques, physical therapy, spa treaments and more.
LOCAL KNOWLEDGE In addition to No. 7, equity golf members at Desert Mountain have access to six spectacular Jack Nicklaus Signature courses—Cochise, Geronimo, Chiricahua, Apache, Renegade and Outlaw—as well as to the Jim Flick Performance Center’s highlevel instruction, club-fitting and TPI assessments.
WHY MOVE HERE? 1. Fresh, new golf luxury living. The already established Desert Mountain Club is upgrading its “fun factor” like never before.
OUTDOORS: Desert Mountain clings to the
2. The property’s nine restaurants, all overseen by former Broadmoor Executive Chef Bertrand Bouquin, rival those in nearby Scottsdale.
• Bike and hike: A 15-mile private trail system consisting of seven segments of varying difficulty.
3. Come winter, wouldn’t you prefer grabbing a six iron to a snow shovel?
eastern slope of the Continental Mountains.
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coloradoavidgolfer.com
Colorado’s Ultimate Mountain-Golf Weekend
Everyone is Welcome September 8th & 9th
The Club at Cordillera – Vail, CO •
TWO ROUNDS of Golf at Troon’s PRIVATE CLUB AT CORDILLERA •
COMPETITIVE and NON-COMPETITIVE FLIGHTS • • •
•
Kick-off Party at EDDIE MERLOT’S
Luxury Accommodations at THE PINES LODGE FUN CONTESTS and incredible PLAYER PRIZES
Memorable APRÈS GOLF COCKTAIL PARTY and DINNER
SIGN UP NOW!
For complete information or to make your reservation today contact Melissa at 720-493-1729 x15 or melissa@coloradoavidgolfer.com coloradoavidgolfer.com/cag-events/cordillera-experience-vail/
OFFICIAL BEER
These Apples Didn’t Fall Far from the Tee
Father’s Day profiles of four Colorado golf families. By JON RIZZI
coloradoavidgolfer.com
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June 2018 | COLORADO AVIDGOLFER
Jim & Charlotte Hillary
COLORADO AVIDGOLFER | June 2018
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PHOTOGRAPH BY EJ CARR
LIKE A DUCK to water, Charlotte Hillary has taken to the game her father, Jim, has loved since learning it as a teen from his mother on the municipal courses of Monmouth County, New Jersey. It wasn’t always that way. “I latched onto golf when I was 12,” Charlotte, a Kent Denver sophomore, says. “I’d played before then—if you count going to the range at Cherry Hills and complaining.” “You didn’t complain about the milkshakes,” Jim replies. “It was all about the milkshakes,” she concurs. “And the money. You’d give me a dollar if I could make a putt.” “I think it was a quarter,” Jim demurs. Their badinage continues, sounding like a couple of golf buddies who have spent plenty of time on the golf course together. Which they certainly have. Charlotte just turned 16 in May, and in the three years she’s played golf competitively, Jim, a partner in a private-equity firm, has supported her with the same level of enthusiasm he showed his two older children, Peter and Mark, as they respectively pursued tennis and golf. Now, with both sons having forsaken intercollegiate athletics in favor of academics at the University of Chicago, Jim and wife Anne get to concentrate on their youngest’s golf accomplishments. There have been many. The AJGA’s top-ranked female player in Colorado, she most recently qualified with partner Hailey Schalk for the match-play round of 32 at the U.S. Women’s Amateur Four-Ball in Tarzana, California. The pair lost 1 up. Within the last year, Charlotte earned medalist honors in the USGA Junior Girls’ Qualifier in Nebraska, finished second in the AJGA El Conquistador in Tucson, fifth at the AJGA Junior in Arkansas and second in the AJGA Hale Irwin. She competed in the prestigious Kathy Whitworth Invitational, IMG Junior Worlds in La Jolla, AJGA Stacey Lewis Invitational in Arkansas, Junior AllStar in Georgia and represented Colorado on the Girls’ Junior America’s Cup Team. She also won the inaugural Junior Golf Alliance of Colorado (JGAC) Tour Championship on her home course at Cherry Hills Country Club at age 14—only a year after she began playing competitively. “She started late relative to her top peers across the country,” Jim says. “She’s made up
a lot of ground in a short period of time.” For this, Jim credits the work of Castle Pines Golf Club’s PGA Director of Instruction Don Hurter and Cherry Hills Head Professional John Ogden, as well as Pebble Beach Golf Academy Director Laird Small and Denver Country Club’s Alexandra Braga, a TPI-Certified PGA Professional. “It’s now in higher powers,” Jim says. “I just stay out of the way.” But it’s Jim who shows Charlotte videos on his iPad, watches golf on TV with her, wears matching hats and shirts with her and takes her to out-of-state tournaments, where he never misses the chance to join her for a practice round. “And he’s trying to beat me!” Charlotte says with mock exasperation. “I’ve never played a practice round with another junior.” “You can imagine what kind of fun that is,” Jim says, adding that even though she has to give him strokes when they play (he’s currently a 6), he only has a “one in ten chance” of beating her. “The torch passed about a year ago when Charlotte shot a 64 in a little tournament,” he admits. “At that point, I knew I was history. I’ve only been in the 60s twice, and now we even hit our drivers about the same distance
from the same tees.” “When my dad practices with me, I feel more focused and on top of things,” Charlotte says. “My practice is more purposeful because he’s been there and asking me questions and asking me to look at his swing, asking me what drills I’m doing. It’s helpful to have that, especially if you forget or are feeling lazy for some reason. He’s the most passionate person about golf I’ve ever seen. Not more than me, but equal.” This surprises Jim, who says Charlotte often discourages him from watching her practice. “I like to have my space sometimes,” Charlotte says. “But I’m just being honest.” Honesty, perseverance and the other values golf preaches form much of Charlotte’s identity. “Golf is kind of a package,” she says. “It teaches you a lot of mental life lessons. You can’t fall asleep for a second.” That focus has led to great success at Kent, where she carries an unweighted 3.93 GPA. It’s also translated into self-confidence and self-reliance. “In golf, unlike team sports, you don’t have to depend on someone else,” she says. “If you miss the putt, it’s your fault.” “Or Grandma’s,” Jim teases. He’s referring to the time, during
Charlotte’s first-ever competition, that his mother—77-year-old Toni Hillary, the woman who introduced him to the game the same way he introduced it to his children, the same woman he moved to Colorado, the same woman who plays in a golf league at Meridian—showed up as Charlotte carded a triple-bogey. “Get grandma off the course!” Charlotte remembers ordering her mother. “Poor grandma had to hide in the bushes. I banned her for about a month. It was so ridiculous. I still feel bad about it.” Toni now goes “everywhere” to see her granddaughter play, and the two plan to team up in the Meridian member-guest. Charlotte still burns with the same competitive fire as her favorite player, Jon Rahm, but she expresses it appropriately, having matured as player and as a person. “Charlotte is wonderful on the course, a great competitor,” Jim says. “She’s humble in both victory and defeat. I think one of the proudest moments a parent can have is when their kid starts to exceed them in whatever they’re doing. It happened with my son and now my daughter. They took something I really enjoyed and have become great ambassadors of the game.“
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June 2018 | COLORADO AVIDGOLFER
Keith & Drew Schneider
COLORADO AVIDGOLFER | June 2018
Keith says, pointing across the table at the 27-year-old version of Drew. “He’s got his keys on this side of the belt, and the golf shop radio squawking. I walk up. He can’t see me and I motion to Mr. Vickers, ‘Do I need to intercede here?’ He looks at me and says, ‘Drew’s got it under control.’ The conversation went on for about 15 or 20 minutes.” Later, Keith saw his wife, Beth, the club’s buyer, in the golf shop, “I have some good news and some bad news,” he said with a mixture of pride and resignation. “Our son is going to run this club some day.” That day hasn’t yet arrived, but as of February, Drew Schneider has become
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assistant general manager at Castle Pines, the club at which he literally grew up, working 10 seasons in the bag room, lesson tee and golf shop before leaving for Texas Christian University. After graduating in 2014 with a major in communications and minor in business, he worked for Chairman George Solich during the 2014 BMW Championship at Cherry Hills, and spent six months working in food and beverage at Jack Nicklaus’s Bear’s Club in Jupiter, Florida. Drew then spent the last three years at Muirfield Village in Ohio, the last two as assistant manager. Home of the annual Memorial tournament, the Jack Nicklausowned club also gave Keith his start. coloradoavidgolfer.com
PHOTOGRAPH BY EJ CARR
THE 21-YEAR RUN of The International at Castle Pines Golf Club created no shortage of memorable moments. For General Manager Keith Schneider, the most personally significant one came in 2002, and it didn’t involve Steve Lowery, double-eagles or the PGA Tour. It concerned his son, Drew, who was 10 and working in the merchandise tent. From his office, Schneider could see into the tent, where two “green jackets”— club founder and president Jack Vickers and Valderamma Golf Club chairman Jamie Ortiz-Petiño—were intently staring down at something. “I can’t see what they’re looking at so I go out there—and this one is holding court,”
Muirfield provided Drew with enough operational and managerial experience to warrant a return to where his love for golf began. Before that could happen, however, Keith made sure Nicklaus (who’d “loaned” him to Jack Vickers 37 years ago) was comfortable with letting another Schneider head west. “Jack thought it was outstanding,” Keith remembers. “His comment was that we both have approached this business the same way, by learning it in the trenches.” “That’s the best way to learn,” Drew says. “There’s only so much a PGM (PGA Golf Management) or a hospitality management degree can do for you. At a place like Castle Pines or Muirfield or the Bear’s Club, it’s just a whole different level.” A member of the Club Managers Association of America, Drew will also go through the process of becoming a PGA Professional. “Being a golf club, that’s very important,” he says. Following approval by Castle Pines’ executive committee, Drew joined his father in February as the club’s assistant general manager. Far from a sinecure, the position calls for Drew to handle much of the dayto-day operation on the management side, working with all the department heads
to assist them. He’s also joined Keith and CFO Mike McAdams in overseeing the remodeling of the property’s cottages (where national members stay) and planning out the update and expansion of the 37-yearold clubhouse. “Drew has given us a lot of good ideas,” Keith says. “He’s part of the team that’s working on the new infrastructure of the clubhouse. He’s been critical on that team. We’re doing it all together.” Keith, who will introduce the plans to the members this month, intends to begin construction when the club closes for the season in October. This could put Drew, who looks and sounds just like his father, in position to take Keith’s job when the time comes. “My last name has opened the door and a lot of great doors,” he says. “But me, Drew Schneider, still has to walk through that door and perform and meet those expectations. At the end of the day, it still is a place of business. And if I’m not meeting those expectations, I wouldn’t want to be kept around.“ But Drew’s first-hand knowledge of the Castle Pines culture, as envisaged by Jack and Callie Vickers and adopted and built upon by Keith and the members of the longtenured staff, will serve him in good stead.
BEER HALL
He personally knows most of the members and their children. “Treat the members like family and treat their guests like members,” Drew says. “That seems to have been a pretty successful model since day one.” And since day one, family has been part of the fabric at Castle Pines Golf Club. In addition to his mother, Drew’s stepsister Lindsey and stepbrother Tommy both worked there, as did Lindsey’s husband, Jarrod. Drew and Keith can both cite numerous anecdotes of Mr. V joining them for dinner or watching Rockies games in the locker room. “Mr. and Mrs. Vickers passed on their vision to a couple of key staff members and let them build that vision,” Drew says. “I want to continue that vision. It’s what makes Castle Pines so special. What motivates me is to not tarnish what my dad and others have built and to continue the momentum of the Vickers vision.” “If we came in and we worked hard and we adopted Jack and Callie’s vision, we became family,” Keith reflects. “I’ve told him this already, but my last words to Jack Vickers will be, ‘Thanks for letting me include the family as part of Castle Pines.’ That is probably the greatest thing Jack Vickers has done for me.”
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June 2018 | COLORADO AVIDGOLFER
Matt, Davis & Emma Bryant
COLORADO AVIDGOLFER | June 2018
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PHOTOGRAPH BY EJ CARR
WHEN IT COMES TO GOLF, Davis and Emma Bryant are to the manner born. After all, the siblings, now 18 and 15, grew up at Green Valley Ranch Golf Club, where their father, Matt, works as the PGA general manager and director of golf, and their mother, Julie, directs operations for The First Tee of Green Valley Ranch. “After school, they’d always be at work with us,” says Matt, who has been at the club since 2006, when his children were aged six and three. “When you have parents who work at the golf course, the overall accessibility is easier. You can store your clubs in dad’s office. You can take a nap or take your lunch to Dad’s office. It’s made it easier over the years.” It didn’t start out easy for Davis or Emma, who both arrived in this world on the same January date three years apart, and did so prematurely—Davis by three months, Emma by seven weeks. They both share the same fighting spirit that helped them beat the odds and thrive. Early on, they channeled that spirit into golf, with Matt as their teacher. Davis first cottoned to the game as a three-year-old at Matt’s previous job in North Dakota. Once at Green Valley Ranch, Davis gravitated to its practice areas and par-3 course, while Emma says she “used to go out and do whatever Davis did.” Having the Colorado Open Championships at his home course inspired Davis—and still does. “From age 6 to 10 years old, just watching the tournament, at first it was like, ‘Wow these guys are really good,’” he says. “Then it was like, ‘this is something I really want to do in the future, where I eventually need to get to.’” So he observed how they played their games, managed their emotions and went about their business on the golf course. “It’s also fun to watch the Senior Open,” he says. “It shows there are so many ways to play. These days, in my generation, we don’t hit a bump-and-run. That’s just not a shot we use. But these guys are so good at it. Comparing them to the young professionals, and their different games, is really cool.” By high school, he was soliciting advice from those young professionals. After enjoying some success as an underclassman and competing in The First Tee Open at Pebble Beach, Davis put it all together
between his junior and senior years, winning three of the four Junior Golf Alliance of Colorado majors. He captured the 5A high school title, finished ninth individually at the Junior America’s Cup, 14th at the national Boys Junior PGA and advanced to the match play round of 64 at your second U.S. Junior Amateur Championship. Not to be outdone, and in a show of sibling solidary, 14-year-old Emma won the girls version of the only JGAC major her brother didn’t win—the Colorado Junior Match Play, which Davis missed because he was competing in the national Boys Junior PGA Championship. An Eaglecrest freshman, Emma won the Class 5A Northern Regional girls golf tournament at Collindale Golf Course to earn a spot in the Class 5A state championship. She also told Matt that her first season of high-school golf has left her more prepared than ever for the summer golf season. “I was floored when she said that,” he says. “At this point we’re still working on her swing mechanics; with Davis it’s all about the mental side of the game.” Matt has served as his children’s only golf instructor. “I’d give them different things to think about as far as how to make
their golf practice productive and fun at the same time,” he says. “I’ve always preached quality not quantity to the kids. I’d tell them, It’s not about going out and hitting 100 balls. I’d rather see you hit 50 balls really well, with a purpose.” Emma and Davis practice purposefully, and they play different games. “We like to challenge each other in chipping and putting, and on the range,” Emma says. “We also get out on the course and play music. But there are things you have to work on, too. There’s a balance.” For balance, both kids have made a point of competing in other sports. Davis, who just graduated from Eaglecrest, played varsity baseball; Emma, an incoming sophomore, plays volleyball. “Doing two sports helps the kids take a break from golf and have some balance in their lives,” Matt says. “They have a good overall feel for life in general.” Much of that feel stems from going through The First Tee curriculum from the age of six. Emma, now at Eagle level, relishes mentoring the younger participants. “It’s building a relationship with them because they might not have the best relationship at home,” she says. “I help them with whatever
they need. I’ve met a lot of cool kids, kids I wouldn’t normally hang out with at school. It expands your horizons. It’s taught me a lot about golf and about life.” Davis puts an exclamation point on that last sentiment: “It teaches you how to do life the right way.” To him that means showing integrity and honesty when no one is watching, carrying yourself in a positive manner no matter how things are going and showing judgment and responsibility to avoid bad decisions. For all of his kids’ success on the course, nothing makes Matt prouder than seeing the adults they’re becoming. “It’s great when you hear from people on the course that your son was so well-behaved, your daughter was a pleasure to play with,” he says. “Those are the proud moments that show they understand the scope—it’s not just about golf, it’s about everything that goes along with it, things like being a brother and sister.” Come August, the brother and sister will be separated when Davis heads to college at Colorado State. “It gets closer every day,” Matt says about Davis’s pending departure. His eyes well up. “But it’s all good. Like Davis said, he knows how to do life the right way. They both do.”
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June 2018 | COLORADO AVIDGOLFER
The Kupcho Family
COLORADO AVIDGOLFER | June 2018
Open and runner-up in the NCAA Division I Championship (she qualified with her team for this year’s DI championship, which took place after this issue went to press, by winning the Regional with a school-recordtying 15-under 201). Jennifer will represent the U.S. this month in the Curtis Cup at Quaker Ridge Golf Club in New York and in July’s Palmer Cup in Evian-les-Bains, France. Although the family played golf together on weekends and vacations, Mike and Janet encouraged the kids to play other sports—mostly hockey and basketball. “I can promise you Jennifer hits the ball the way she does—the way her hips clear—because she played hockey as a young girl,” says Steven, who gravitated towards basketball and concedes his sister “has a lot more natural talent than I do.” Still, Steven thought golf, not hoops,
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could be his ticket to college. “I’d just finished eighth grade and I’d been telling everybody that I was going to get a golf scholarship,” he remembers. “We were on vacation in Myrtle Beach, and I’d just shot 101. I lost to my little sister, a fourth grader, by 15 shots. She was talking smack and I was making excuses. My dad just looked at me and said, ‘the reason why she beat you is that she’s taking it seriously and you’re not.’” Steven got serious, taking lessons (as did Jennifer) from PGA Master Professional Ed Oldham at The Ranch Country Club while the Kupcho family joined Omni Interlocken Golf Club. Mike became the Jefferson Academy golf coach in Steven’s senior year and served as the girls coach all four years Jennifer was at JA. Careful planning enabled Mike to retire ten years ago from his CFO job at coloradoavidgolfer.com
PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY OF THE KUPCHO FAMILY
MIKE KUPCHO didn’t catch the golf bug until he took it as a PE class at Metro State. But once infected, his enthusiasm became contagious. It afflicted his wife, Janet, and, later, their children, Steven and Jennifer, who would join them on the range and then on the course once they were old enough. The siblings as many know, have gone on to become the most decorated brothersister combination in Colorado golf history. Among myriad highlights, Steven, now 25 and an aspiring tour player in Arizona, was the Colorado Golf Association’s 2011 Junior Player of the Year and its 2012 Les Fowler Player of the Year. Jennifer, 21, who just finished her junior year at Wake Forest University, won the Colorado Women’s Golf Association’s versions of the above awards two and three times respectively. Last year, she finished 21st in her second U.S. Women’s
Front Range Community College. Janet did the same from her full-time PE teaching position. The goal was to “be able to see and experience the things Steven and Jennifer were doing … We’ve been super-fortunate to see everything they’ve done. When the college schedules come out, we immediately start planning our trips.” One thing Janet saw and Mike didn’t was Steven’s “horrible” performance in the first two rounds of the 2012 CGA Stroke Play (now known as the CGA Amateur) at Fort Collins Country Club. He’d just finished his freshman year at the University of Colorado. She was caddying for him while Mike was at another event with Jennifer. “I hit a ball in the water, got pissed and broke a club,” Steven recalls. “I was a knucklehead. My mom wouldn’t talk to me for the rest of the day.“ That night, however, Mike gave him a stern talk—“he used logic, not anger, and asked how I wanted people to perceive me”—and took over the caddying chores the following day. “Somehow with the help of pops,” Steven shot a 69. “I went into the final round nine shots behind. We talked about how we were going to play ourselves back in it. With Dad on the bag, I shot a 66, and it
was enough to win.” Winning became motivation for Jennifer ever since an early tournament in which she didn’t receive a trophy just for participating. Her natural, powerful swing and precise short game—coupled with what Oldham calls her “bulletproof ” mentality— has made her the most successful Coloradoborn female player since Jill McGill. “He would always be on my bag,” Jennifer remembers about Mike. “Sometimes we’d have conflicts on the course but we’d work it out after. When we got into arguments, I always knew it was out of love. I just had to remember that. He wanted so badly for me to do well.” When the competition wasn’t strong in high school, he’d motivate her by telling her to play against the course rating. “Looking back, it was really helpful to have him pushing me,” Jennifer reflects, adding that she loves having her parents travel to tournaments to support her. She was especially appreciative of it after last year’s NCAA Division I Championship, where a triple-bogey on the penultimate hole cost her a two-shot lead and the title. “It doesn’t matter; you did a good job,” Jennifer remembers her father telling her
after that gut-wrenching finish. “He said, ‘Just focus on the next tournament.’ That helped a lot. He’s always taught me to forget—forget about the last shot and focus on the next one.” Jennifer did forget. The next tournament came two days later in Colorado, when Jennifer, with Mike on her bag, won the U.S. Women’s Open qualifier at Riverdale Dunes with a 6-under-par 138. He would also caddie for her at the championship, where she shot even-par to finish as the secondlowest amateur at Trump National. “At this point I know she has the talent to compete,” Mike says, “It’s all about the mental aspect, making the right choices.” One choice Jennifer won’t have to make is whether to leave school early if she qualifies for the LPGA Tour during October’s Q-Series. As of this year, college players who qualify can play out their spring seasons and then join the LPGA on July 1st. For all the support Mike and Janet have shown their kids, one of the things for which Steven is most thankful is their unique surname. “It’s not very popular,” he says. “So being around people who know golf, when they hear ‘Kupcho,’ the next question is, ‘Are you related to Jennifer?’”
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PRESENTED BY SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION Fraser River
A GRAND PLAN THE GLORIOUS views of the Continental
Divide that make Granby’s Grand Elk Golf Club so inspiring also enhance the community around the course. Located 20 miles north of Winter Park and made up of nearly 700 home sites, Koelbel’s Fairway Villas at Grand Elk come in two styles—ranch and two-story— and range from 1,704 to 2,228 square feet. In addition to golf on a Craig Stadler-designed layout, you’re minutes from fly fishing on the Fraser, hiking and biking trails, and on-property snowshoeing and cross-country skiing. See page 88 for more. KoelbelatGrandElk.com
THE RIVERS RUN THROUGH IT FISH THE FRASER. Originating at the base of
Berthoud Pass, the Fraser River is the first main tributary to the Colorado River. Its currents burst with wild rainbows, browns and cutthroats, making it a must for any fly-fishing enthusiast. You can access the river on foot or mountain bike via the Fraser River Trail, or via USFS campgrounds, road turnouts, or behind the Safeway in Fraser. visitgrandcounty.com
RAFT THE COLORADO. To experience how
the mighty Colorado River got that way, ride down its rapids on a rubber raft. As you float through the dramatic, steep canyons formed by the Gore Ridge, keep your eyes peeled for bald eagles, bighorn sheep and an occasional bear. Liquid Descent has highly knowledgeable and skilled guides and top-of-the-line equipment to navigate the gorgeous Class II whitewater of the upper Colorado’s Radium section, the Class V rapids of the Gore Canyon, and all the magnificent waters in between. coloradorafting.com
TEE OFF Craig Stadler made more than 50 visits to
Granby during the construction of Grand Elk Golf Club, the course he designed with Tripp Davis that opened in 2002. A “heathland” take on mountain golf, Grand Elk evokes Gleneagles, home of the 2014 Ryder Cup. grandelk.com Grand Elk Golf Club
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Hideaway Park Brewery
HOT SPOTS TO CHILL OUT HOT SPRINGS: A 30-minute drive from Grand Lake
delivers you to the Town of Hot Sulphur Springs, the main attraction being…Hot Sulphur Springs Resort & Spa. Adults can relax in one of 21 volcanic heated mineral pools and avail themselves of multiple massage therapy options. hotsulphursprings.com
HOT JAZZ: July 21 & 22 bring the 36th Annual Winter Park Jazz Festival to Hideaway Park. Saturday’s lineup includes Fantasia, Sheila E, Norman Brown, Eric Darius and Mary Louise Lee. Sunday’s will showcase Dotsero, Avery Sunshine, Boney James, Damien Escobar and headliner Keith Sweat. jazzwinterpark.com
COLD BEER: Started by Denver ski buddies, Winter
Park’s Hideaway Park Brewery has become one of Grand County’s foremost breweries. A constantly changing and consistently delicious selection of craft beers keeps things hopping. hideawayparkbrewery.com coloradoavidgolfer.com
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Ranch House Restaurant & Saloon
FARE TO REMEMBER DEVIL’S FOOD: A true-blue Colorado ranch
experience as far as lodging and activities go, locals know Devil’s Thumb Ranch Resort & Spa for a different reason: the Ranch House Restaurant & Saloon. This hidden gem features meat, meat, fish, meat and more meat—the types and preparation of which change nightly in order to reflect the freshest products the kitchen can get its hands on. devilsthumbranch.com
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MORE SWEET SPOTS
Mustachio’s On The Lake. Italian restaurant perched on Lake Granby, also has four-room resort. mustachiosonthelake.com Historic Rapids Lodge & Restaurant. Classic, romantic, 103-year-old Grand Lake institution. rapidslodge.com
TAKE A POLE A 2018 CAGGY WINNER as the state’s
Best Mountain Course, Pole Creek Golf Club in Tabernash features 27 holes incorporating native wildflowers, drastic elevation changes vast bent greens, two ponds and five lakes. Any 18-hole combination of the Ridge, Ranch and Meadow nines will put your game to the test. Most consider the 3,603-yard tree-lined Ridge tougher than its slightly mellower mates, but the Meadow/ Ranch combination still packs a punch. Bistro 28, the clubhouse restaurant, does a great job with both lunch and dinner. polecreekgolf.com
Pole Creek Golf Club
GRAND GOLF
Drowsy Water Ranch. Granby dude ranch with high-country rides, mountaintop breakfasts, BBQs. drowsywater.com
Granby Ranch
NO PINES, NO PROBLEM: After losing its lodgepole
pines to beetle-kill, Grand Lake Golf Course has become a dazzling links-style layout adjacent to Rocky Mountain National Park. Set at 8,420 feet above sea level, the impeccably maintained Henry Hughes/ Dick Phelps-designed course stretches to 7,165 yards and features tiny greens, mountain views and numerous elk, moose, fox and the occasional bear. grandlakegolf.com
BET THE RANCH: Across US 40 and a few miles
south of Grand Elk sprawls Granby Ranch, where the 7,196-yard golf course encompasses two entirely different nines—a valley/wetlands front and a climbing ridgeline back that follows the ski mountain. The course competes for attention with multiple hiking and mountain trails, singletrack racing, river activities along the Fraser and other summer fun. granbyranch.com COLORADO AVIDGOLFER | June 2018
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SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION Rollingstone Ranch Colf Club
ROLL THAT BALL OPENED IN 1974 as the Sheraton Steamboat Golf Club, the 6,920-yard Robert Trent Jones Jr. course at Rollingstone Ranch Golf Club treats golfers to incredible views of the Yampa Valley and Flat Tops Wilderness while also challenging them with 66 bunkers, the majority of them protecting slick greens that break away from Mount Werner. Fish Creek snakes through six holes, while lakes appear on two others. Mature pines and aspens frame every fairway. Troon Golf manages the course for the Sheraton Steamboat Resort, which runs stay-and-play specials. rollingstoneranchgolf.com
HOW TO ROCK THE ’BOAT TAKE A GOOD WALK UNSPOILED on one of
Steamboat’s plethora of trails of varying difficulty. One such trail is Fish Creek Falls, a 7.6-mile hike straight from town, that rewards you with views of 280-foot waterfalls along the way. Other trails include Thunderhead, which climbs nearly four miles to the top of the gondola, Spring Creek, Emerald Mountain and Howelsen Hill. simplysteamboat.com
STOP AND SMELL the flowers at the Yampa River
Botanic Park, a glorious, six-acre, riparian public garden that also has many events to accompany its natural eye candy, such as a kids gardening workshops, yoga on the green and live music. yrbp.org
RIDE THE GONDOLA at Steamboat Ski Resort to the 9,100-foot-high outdoor deck of Thunderhead Lodge, home of the Sunset Happy Hour most Thursday and Sunday nights during the summer. The $15 lift ticket includes $5 towards food and drink. steamboat.com
WET A LINE on the Yampa River. Or the Stagecoach Tailwater. Or Sarvice Creek, Elk River or Stagecoach Reservoir. Steamboat overflows with choice flyfishing spots and outfitters, who can supply you with the gear and guide. Check current conditions at steamboatflyfisher.com Steamboat Fly Fisher
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The BARley
GET ON THE PARTY BOAT CHEERS! Whether you call it a brewery tour or a pub
crawl, Steamboat Springs has enough craft-brewing establishments to warrant it. Breweries include Storm Peak, Mountain Tap, Butcherknife, Mahogany Ridge, The BARley and Steamboat Brauhaus—all of which are located along a complimentary bus line for safety and convenience. In the same vein, visit the Steamboat Whiskey Company, a distillery and upscale cocktail bar serving its highly regarded Warrior Whiskey, Ski Town Vodka, Steamboat Moonshine and Sleeping Giant Gin. steamboatchamber.com
GO FOURTH. Steamboat Springs celebrates the 4th
of July with a true western flair. During 115th Annual Cowboys’ Roundup Days (June 29-July 4) the town hops with events ranging from the Pro Rodeo Series to a David Crosby concert to a parade to a ski-jumping competition and a fireworks display. steamboat.com coloradoavidgolfer.com
ROLLINGSTONE RANCH GOLF CLUB STEAMBOAT SPRINGS
SPRING INTO LIFE
Rollingstone Ranch Golf Club at the Sheraton Steamboat Resort features one of the best golf courses in Coloradoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Rocky Mountains. A spectacular 18-hole course, designed by Robert Trent Jones II, features incredible views of the Yampa Valley, while Fish Creek winds its way through seven of the holes. The 70 bunkers and large, undulating bent grass greens make this a truly championship-caliber course to be enjoyed by players of all skill levels. For these reasons, Fairways Magazine voted Rollingstone Ranch Golf Club as one of its 100 best golf courses.
1230 Steamboat Blvd, Steamboat Springs, CO 80487 | rollingstoneranchgolf.com | 970.879.1391
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MAKING HAY SET ON 233 ACRES in the lush, green Yampa Valley, Haymaker
Golf Course opened in 1997 and remains one of the state’s best public courses. Created out of vast ranchland and rock piles by Keith Foster, this challenging, 7,308-yard links-style course features wide fairways, native grasses, wetlands, rock walls, deep bunkers, fiddly greens, stunning views of Mount Werner and, in the distance, the Flat Top mountain range. Elk, eagles and blue herons make their homes on and around the course, as no human dwellings encroach on the fairways or greens. haymakergolf.com
PHOTOGRAPH BY SHANNON LUKENS, COURTESY OF STEAMBOAT SPRINGS CHAMBER
4th of July Parade
PICKING UP STEAM IN SUMMER SUMMER IN STEAMBOAT means a full calendar
of events. Among them: 115th Annual Cowboys’ Roundup Days The 37th Annual Hot Air Balloon Rodeo & Glow (July 14-15); Wild West Air Fest (Sept. 1); 10th annual Steamboat Stage Bike Race (Sept. 1-3); and Steamboat OktoberWest (Sept. 15). Friday and Saturday nights bring the Steamboat Springs Pro Rodeo series to the Brent Romick Rodeo Arena (June 15-Aug.11). And every night’s a party at Schmiggity’s Live Music Dance Bar, where great music plus great drinks equals a great time. Half-priced drinks from 7-9 p.m. schmiggitys.com
GOLF IN THE HEART OF THE ROCKIES Haymaker Golf Course is a gem located in the lush, green Yampa Valley of Steamboat Springs, Colorado. Mount Werner is nearby, the spectacular Flat Top mountain range can be seen in the distance, and directly ahead of you is a challenging links-style course with naave grasses and wetlands enhancing the wide open fairways.
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SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION The Club at Flying Horse
RIDING HIGH ONE OF COLORADO’S most impressive
enclaves, The Club at Flying Horse boasts a palatial Tuscan-style clubhouse, equally impressive athletic club and spa, expansive aquatic complex and a stellar Tom Weiskopf-designed golf course. Residents of the surrounding 1,500-acre Flying Horse community (see page 82) also benefit from having the award-winning Discovery Canyon K-12 campus right in the neighborhood. Golf memberships start at $25K; social at $8,500; and real estate ranges from the mid $300s into the millions. theclubatflyinghorse.com
Pike’s Peak Hill Climb
NO NEED TO CHANGE HORSES THE UPSCALE AMENITIES that make The Club at
Rendering of The Club at Flying Horse North
Flying Horse so compelling are also mostly available to guests of The Lodge at Flying Horse. Comprising 40 rooms and four 1,650-square-foot, two-bedroom villas (on holes 16 and 18) , the boutique resort combines all the luxuries of a high-end resort with the state-of-the-art services required for offsite meetings and conferences. Perfect for conferences, couples and families, the lodge affords guest access to the golf course, athletic complex and the steakhouse. lodgeatflyinghorse.com
SLICE ALL YOU LIKE at The Steakhouse at Flying
Horse, an elegant, fine-dining experience that’s open to the public. Executive Chef John Brazie prepares scrumptious appetizers, innovative entrées and perfectly turned prime steaks and chops paired with inventive salads and side dishes. In addition to craft cocktails, the bar pours from an extensive list of old and new world wines housed from a multi-story, glass-enclosed, spiral-staircased turret. flyinghorsesteakhouse.com
OPENING IN 2020, with possible preview rounds late
next year, is the new Phil Smith-designed course at The Club at Flying Horse North, which rollercoasters through the Black Forest, just minutes north of the Flying Horse community. flyinghorsecolorado.com/flying-horse-north
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SPRINGING INTO ACTION 100 CANDLES: The host of this month’s U.S. Senior
Open (see pages 29-62), The Broadmoor is also celebrating its 100th anniversary this year amid incredible fanfare. The 779-room luxury resort consistently and justifiably earns five stars from Forbes and five diamonds from AAA. Golf and Golf Digest have also ranked it as the top golf resort in the U.S. broadmoor.com
101 CLIMBS: The 101st edition of the Broadmoor
Pikes Peak International Hill Climb—the “Race to the Clouds”—roars into action on June 24. ppihc.com
GET CRAFTY: Just as the mythological three-headed
dog Cerberus prevented the dead from escaping Hades, the heady homebrews and craft cuisine served at Cerberus Brewing Company make it just as hard to leave. It also serves craft cocktails made with enough local spirits to fill the River Styx. cerberusbrewingco.com coloradoavidgolfer.com
Enduring Pleasures Endless Possibilities
The Lodge at Flying Horse, with its lavishly-appointed guest rooms, offers unparalleled comfort for any occasion. Whether you’re here for a business meeting, corporate event, or a landmark family gathering, you’ll find our service impeccable and our accommodations unsurpassed. The epitome of refinement? The height of sophistication? We’ll leave the superlatives to you. But, if you’re searching for the ideal venue to host your meeting or special event, rest assured, The Lodge offers amenities unmatched in the world of hospitality. Think awe-inspiring views of snowcapped mountains. Luxuriously appointed rooms overlooking the rolling splendor of our Tom Weiskopf 18-hole championship golf course. And, access to the Euro-style Athletic Club & Spa. Whatever your dream, whatever your desire, Flying Horse will see it through with style, creativity, and sophistication.
Play Like Never Before. Join one of the finest Clubs in the world with private fitness facilities, gourmet dining, golf at the 18-hole Tom Weiskopf private course—and, learn about plans for another 18-hole course designed by Phil Smith coming to Flying Horse North in 2020.
The Athletic Club & Spa The Athletic Club
With a full array of resort-style amenities—including swimming pools, clay tennis courts, group fitness classes, and state-of-the-art exercise equipment—The Athletic Club and Spa is an all-out winner for fitness enthusiasts of every age and interest.
The Spa
If you've ever doubted the restorative power of herbs, water, and a soothing massage—especially after a long day of meetings—treat yourself to a day at The Spa. Our rejuvenating therapies and curative treatments are so relaxing, so refreshing, so amazingly restorative, you'll come away a believer.
www.LodgeAtFlyingHorse.com
Live Your Dream in a Land out of Legend Once discovered, Flying Horse is never forgotten. One look at its Colorado landscape, rolling meadows, and majestic vistas crowned with snowcapped peaks, people quite naturally fall in love. And who could blame them?
The Golf Clubhouse Start with savory fare, add a vintage bottle from our stone wine-tower, top them off with dazzling views of the golf course and mountains, and you have yourself the most extraordinary dining experience of your life. Whether it’s a button-down corporate banquet or a friendly get-together with colleagues at The Steakhouse, there’s no better place to pause and savor the Colorado lifestyle.
Dining Options... The Steakhouse—Classic steakhouse fare featuring prime beef and seafood.
The Athletic Club and Grill—Poolside dining and Snacks
The Tack Room—Casual dining for Members
Private Events
Flying Horse has been recognized as the Best Home Development in Colorado Springs for three years running. Our luxurious homes, elegant recreational facilities, boldly-conceived K-12 academic campus, and private 18-hole championship golf course, all serve to fulfill the promise of a lifestyle unmatched in look or feel. Each of our neighborhood villages has its own unique personality. Its own architecture, its own way of life. Yet all speak to the heart when it insists, “I want to be part of something special.” Fall in love with the home of your dreams. Live your life in Flying Horse.
Discover The Unbridled Majesty Of Flying Horse Far from Ordinary, Close to Perfection Flying Horse rests on the northern edge of colorful Colorado Springs, a scenic fifty-minute drive from Denver. It is conveniently located to both the Colorado Springs Airport and Denver International Airport, providing an easy-come, easy-go lifestyle for both the casual traveler and busy corporate executive.
THE LODGE AT FLYING HORSE 844-768-2684 | www.LodgeAtFlyingHorse.com CLUB MEMBERSHIP OPPORTUNITIES 719-494-1222 | www.FlyingHorseClub.com DINING RESERVATIONS AT THE STEAKHOUSE 719-487-2635 | www.FlyingHorseSteakhouse.com OWN PART OF THE LEGEND REAL ESTATE OPPORTUNITIES www.FlyingHorseColorado.com Award-winning homes built by Coloradoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s most respected homebuilders. Single Family Homes Paired Patio Homes Acreage Homesites
APPROXIMATE DRIVE TIMES FROM FLYING HORSE Denver Airport: 70 min
1 E470
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Denver Tech Center: 50 min 83
Colo. Spgs. Airport: 30 min Downtown Colo. Spgs.: 20 min
4 1880 Weiskopf Point Colorado Springs, Colorado 80921
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Caspian Café
WORLD CUISINE HAIL CAESAR: The Caspian Café covers the expanse of what was once the Roman Empire. From Moroccan Lamb Tagine with Artichoke & Fava to Egyptian Falafel to French Moules Mariniere to Greek Moussaka, the menu takes you on a gastronomic journey to virtually every port on the Caspian, Black and Mediterranean seas. Accompany it all with worldly wines, drinks and, on weekends, live belly dancing. caspiancafe.com
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MORE SWEET SPOTS
Ivywild School, a converted grade school that hosts a bakery, shops and the Bristol Brewery. ivywildschool.com Academy Riding Stables, the only outfitter licensed to lead riders through the Garden of the Gods. academyridingstables.com Red Rock Canyon Open Space, known as “the Secret Garden of the Gods” for mountain biking. https://bit.ly/2KVNbn0 Villas at The Club at Flying Horse
Manitou Incline
SPRINGS FEVER SOAR ABOVE scenic Seven Falls in the secluded
South Cheyenne Canyon. The Broadmoor Soaring Adventure consists of 10 zip lines ranging from 300 to 1,800 feet linked by trails and rope bridges. A controlled 180-foot rappel offers views of the waterfalls and canyons below. Tickets, which include admission to Seven Falls, can be purchased at The Broadmoor’s East parking lot kiosk across from Golden Bee or online at broadmoor.com/broadmoor-adventures
GET IN YOUR STEPS on the toughest mile in
A GAME OF HORSE FOR 13 YEARS, The Club at Flying
Horse’s Tom Weiskopf-designed golf course has challenged its members with 7,301 yards of split fairways, inventive bunkering, water and multitiered greens on sloping, tree-lined terrain. Now guests of the Lodge at Flying Horse or its four resort Villas—including corporate conference attendees at the Lodge—can make advance tee times for designated window. The club is located on the north side of Colorado Springs, east of I-25, 40 minutes from the Denver Tech Center and 20 from downtown Colorado Springs. theclubatflyinghorse.com
Colorado. The Manitou Incline in neighboring Manitou Springs climbs 2,000 vertical feet up the ties of an old cable-car track. Parking at the base is limited so take the free shuttle from town, where the historic district brims with galleries, pubs, boutiques and souvenir shops. manitousprings.org coloradoavidgolfer.com
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SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION The Country Club of Colorado
TO DYE FOR OPENED IN 1973, The Country Club of
Colorado at Cheyenne Mountain Resort represents the first Pete Dye-designed golf course west of the Mississippi. Now it’s also the first course in Colorado Springs to feature golf boards. Now guests of the resort can surf the 7,056-yard layout, which boasts lush, tourquality greens, broad fairways and a 35acre lake lake coming into play on five holes (including the knee-knockers on 17 and 18). The rugged mountain ridgeline and the bright blue Colorado sky create a brilliant backdrop. cheyennemountain.com
EVENTS AND OPTIONS ON JUNE 28, after the first day of competition at the
U.S. Senior Open, Cheyenne Mountain Zoo will host “Moonlight on the Mountain,” an adult event from 6 to 10 p.m. Enjoy all-inclusive samples of beer, wine, spirits and soft drinks while tasting delicious food donated from area restaurants. Local musicians will set the mood. All event proceeds benefit the care of the zoo’s animals. General admission is $70.75. cmzoo.org
U-S-A, U-S-A! You may only tune into the Summer
Olympics every four years, but the training for Team USA athletes knows no season. Take a guided tour of the Colorado Springs Olympic Training Center and see what the facilities for champions look like. teamusa.org/csotc
PILOT YOUR WAY to the United States Air Force Academy for a self-guided tour. Starting at the Barry Goldwater Visitor Center, view the film and salute the beauty of the Chapel, Honor Court, Field House and Athletic Center. usafa.af.mil
STAY AND BUFFET: Cheyenne Mountain Resort’s
Mountain View Restaurant presents breakfast, lunch and dinnfer buffets worthy of the restaurant’s panoramic views. Sundays take the Champagne Brunch concept to another level. cheyennemountain.com/restaurants
A MOUNTAIN OF ACTIVITIES TO BEACH HIS OWN: While most try to avoid the
sand at a golf resort, Cheyenne Mountain Resort literally encourages you to play in it. The only beach in Colorado Springs borders the resort’s 35-acre lake, which is great for volleyball, sand castle-building and laying under the sun. cheyennemountain.com
WHERE’S THE RUB?: Cheyenne Mountain
Resort’s Alluvia Spa, located in the same building as its 9,000-square-foot state-of-the-art fitness facility, features almost the same number of treatments and packages. Alluvia’s AromaJourney massage, signature body scrub and body-brush booster are among the most popular. Amenities also include steam rooms, whirlpools and a juice bar. cheyennemountain.com/spa
WHERE’S THE PUB?: Try Elevations at Cheyenne
Mountain Resort for comfy couches, local craft beers, charcuterie and a bison rueben. cheyennemountain.com
Mountain View Restaurant
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International Health and Wellness Center
PRIVATE CLUB DAYS
Be a Member for a Day! A one-of-a-kind opportunity to play Colorado’s finest private clubs this summer! Kissing Camels Golf Club
July 9th
QUITE A GARDEN A SUITE of four offerings—resort, club,
August 27th
September 24th
FOR DETAILS and to register visit coloradoavidgolfer.com/ cag-events/private-club-days COLORADO AVIDGOLFER | June 2018
wellness and spa—makes up the Garden of the Gods Collection, which has redefined the venerable private Colorado Springs redoubt as an all-encompassing, life-enhancing destination. The gloriously appointed 53-room resort integrates the singular beauty of the setting, affording access to the club amentities (including the Kissing Camels Golf Club), while the International Health and Wellness Center and spa promote well-being through traditional and complementary medicine and other approaches. gardenofthegodsclub.com
CLASSIC COURSE ONE HUMP OR TWO: How about 27 holes? Named for the iconic sandstone formation in the Garden of the Gods, Kissing Camels Golf Club combines 18 classic holes designed by J. Press Maxwell and a newer nine by Mark Rathert to create an experience defined by mature pines, immaculate fairways, fiddly greens and deep bunkers set against the roseate foothils. Host of the 1982 U.S. Senior Women’s Amateur, the course welcomes resort play. gardenofthegodscub.com
15TH CLUB FITTING
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INTEGRATING FITNESS, wellness and golf, the
• Delicious Downtown Sat. and Sun. food tours through Aug. 26. rockymountainfoodtours.com
Garden of the Gods Club will be introducing TPI (Titleist Performance Institute) training as part of its 20/20 Optimal Golf Performance Program. The program will apply the same comprehensive, 360-degree diagnostic approach used in the International Health and Wellness Center, to golfers looking to get the most from their game. Similar to PGA Tour pros—who have a fitness coach, physician, nutritionist, full-swing coach, short game coach and psychologist—the Garden of the Gods program aspires to give the average golfer resources in everything from motion capture and video analysis to neurophysiological and blood tests for the optimal plan for improvement. gardenofthegodsclub.com
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HIDDEN GEMS
• Penrose Heritage Museum Vintage cars and the Pikes Peak Hill Climb Experience. elpomar.com • Will Rogers Shrine of the Sun. Stunning structure atop Cheyenne Mountain. elpomar.com • Bishop Castle. 75 miles south of the Springs, a testament to one man’s vision. bishopcastle.org • Pikes Peak Not exactly hidden, but have you actually found yourself there? pikes-peak.com coloradoavidgolfer.com
P L AY H A R D , R E S T E A S Y
A LIFETIME OF PRIVILEGES AWAITS The Club at Garden of the Gods offers members a place to connect, and for traditions to be born. In an inspired setting elevated by a sense of community, members are invited to build a lifetime of memories and enriching experiences. Explore our range of membership options designed for families, couples or individuals, and tailored to your lifestyle. With membership opportunities including golf, fitness, dining, wellness, and access to our exclusive social calendar.
Colorado Springs, CO | 719.520.4980 | gardenofthegodsclub.com
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WESTERN SLOPE
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Dos Rios Golf Club
RIVERSIDE DRIVES A FORK IN the Gunnison River gives Dos
Rios Golf Club its “two rivers” name. The river also gives the 6,512-yard course its teeth, as water comes into play on all but one of the holes. John Cochran designed the first nine in 1964, and nine more by Dick Phelps opened 16 years later. Mature trees, tight fairways and prime conditioning make this a wonderful test of golf. Members own the club, which welcomes public play throughout the season. A 1,100-square-foot patio enhances the atmosphere at the club’s Dos Grill. dosriosgolf.net
THEY’RE BITING COLORADO’S STATE-RECORD brown, rainbow,
and lake trout came from the rivers, streams and lakes of the Gunnison Valley. The Headwaters of the Taylor River regularly produce the valley’s largest trout, while the Gunnison and East rivers see the largest Kokanee salmon run in the U. S. The salmon run starts in Colorado’s largest manmade body of water, Blue Mesa Reservoir, just minutes west of Gunnison. Blue Mesa Fishing is one of many area guides. bluemesafishing.com
GOLD MEDAL trout fishing and whitewater rafting, as
well as hiking, riding and biking through the adobe badlands make the Gunnison Gorge National Conservation Area a treasure. blm.gov/visit/gunnison-gorge-nca COLORADO AVIDGOLFER | June 2018
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Olathe Sweet Corn Festival
WE’RE ALL EARS CHILDREN OF THE CORN: On August 4, the wee
town of Olathe (pop. 1,800) will literally grow tenfold when it hosts the annual Olathe Sweet Corn Festival. More than 20,000 lovers of the sweet, sweet kernels will arrive for all forms of entertainment, including corneating contests throughout the day. Nashville musician Eric Paslay headlines the event. Olathe is on US 50 between Delta and Montrose.olathesweetcornfest.com
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MORE SWEET SPOTS
Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park, in Montrose, 48 miles long and 2,722 feet deep. nps.gov/blca The Bridges Golf & Country Club, in Montrose, comfy rooms, great food and a gem of a course. montrosebridges.com Horsefly Brewing, in Montrose, welcoming ambience and a fun selection of craft beers and food. horseflybrewing.com
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Where Mesa Verde Meets the Greens Cortez, CO Conquistador Golf Course
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HIDDEN GEMS
• South Forty Golf Course, an unrated, homespun nine-hole par 3 in Cortez. southfortygolf.com • Hovenweep National Monument, set of ancient towers and villages in Cortez. nps.gov/hove • Canyons of the Ancients, west of Cortez, the richest archaeological site in U.S. blm.com • Guy Drew Vineyards, Cortez-based, regarded for its Metate red wine. guydrewvineyards.com • Main Street Brewing, home of Mesa Cerveza brews and grub. mainstreetbrewerycortez.com
FINDING CORTEZ TEN MILES EAST of the entrance to Mesa
Verde National Park, the municipally owned Conquistador Golf Course in the city of Cortez deserves your attention. The Press Maxwell/ Bill Stroud design sits at an elevation of 6,200 feet and spans 7,152 yards of rolling hills, mature trees, small undulating greens and water that comes into play on eight holes. Panoramic views of the La Plata Mountains, Mesa Verde and the Ute Mountain highlight this delightfully challenging layout that benefits from cool summer weather and a loyal staff. fourcornersgolf.com
The Bookcase & Barber
GO TO DURANGO? A 45-MINUTE DRIVE from Cortez, the better-known city of Durango has far more—and more expensive— lodging options. Dating to 1887, The Strater Hotel (strater.com) is a living history museum, and the younger General Palmer Hotel (generalpalmerhotel.com) runs a close second. On the food front, there are more restaurants here per capita than there are in San Francisco. Start the day at Oscar’s (breakfastdurango.com). For dinner, head to Ken and Sue’s (kenandsues.com), Seasons of Durango (seasonsofdurango.com) or Eolus (eolusdurango.com). For a pint, hit The Irish Embassy (theirishembassypub.com), and by all means go online for the password to enter the hip speakeasy known as The Bookcase & Barber (bookcaseandbarber.com). coloradoavidgolfer.com
www.fourcornersgolf.com www.mesaverdecountry.com
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Blind Shot
BROADMOOR BRETHREN: Freddie Dickman (left) and Russ Miller hold the U.S. Senior Open’s Francis D. Ouimet Trophy.
THE UNSEEN GAME
“Different Roles, Same Goals”
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PHOTOGRAPH BY MIC CLIK
LIKE THE FARMER and the cowman, the golf pro and the super should be friends. That’s not always the case, especially when it involves issues of course conditions, equipment and budgets—none of which have presented an issue for The Broadmoor’s Director of Golf Russ Miller and Director of Grounds and Maintenance Freddie Dickman during their 20 years of working together. This year’s U.S. Senior Open will mark the third major USGA Championship they will flawlessly pull off. “The USGA is constantly thinking about the course setup and mowing heights,” Dickman says as he and Miller readied for a May visit from the USGA’s Ben Kimball. “But we’re at the point where the USGA says ‘Here’s how we like it; just get it there,’” Miller explains. “We know the weather conditions, which are different than they are even in Denver; an agronomist from somewhere else doesn’t need to tell us how much to water and when to water.” “Russ and I have different roles but the same goals,” says Dickman. “I highly respect what he does. He’s worked on golf courses and knows what we do, and my father was a golf pro and I was an Evans Scholar, so I have a good understanding of the operational side.” At some places, supers make decisions on aesthetics, Miller says. “They want it all to look perfect. Freddie makes decisions on people playing golf. He’s the best in the business. He isn’t good. He’s great. If he wasn’t great, he wouldn’t be at The Broadmoor.”
Set against the iconic red rocks of the Dakota Hogback near Waterton Canyon in Littleton, The Club at Ravenna offers access to one of Coloradoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s premier residential communities and private golf courses amidst an unusually stunning backdrop and features a gorgeous collection of custom and semi-custom homes, designer specs, golf villas and home sites.
RavennaGolf.com
720.956.1600
2018 Colorado AvidGolfer CAGGY WInner: Best Denver Region Club, Best Par 3 (#16), Best Par 5 (#14)