The Gallery
Capitol Gains
DU Men
COLORADO AVIDGOLFER | June 2019
Mary Weinstein
UNC Men
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coloradoavidgolfer.com
PHOTOGRAPHS COURTESY OF DU ATHLETICS (TOP, LEFT); UNC ATHLETICS (RIGHT)
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Colorado college golf teams won their conference championships. Behind junior Mary Weinstein’s record-setting 65, the University of Denver women triumphed in the Summit League, as did their male counterparts, thanks to medalist Cal McCoy and Esteban Missura, who battled in a five-way playoff. The University of Northern Colorado men also took the Big Sky Conference title for the second consecutive year, with senior Joshua Matz and juniors Cody Welch and Nick Sharp leading the way. UNC’s women finished third in their championship, but sophomore Beah Cruz became the third woman in school history to win the Big Sky Individual Championship, triumphing in a playoff.
PHOTOGRAPHS COURTESY OF THE COLORADO GOLF ASSOCIATION
ON APRIL 17 the West Foyer of the State CapFOURSOME: Caitlyn Chin (left) and Chunya “Bead” itol Building witnessed bipartisan support as Boonta (right) flank Sen. Owen Hill and his daughter. 13 Republican and 13 Democratic legislators showed up for the Colorado Golf Coalition’s annual Golf Day at the State Capitol. That’s twice the total that attended last year. The spike in interest may have had something to do with star power. In touting the benefits of the game to lawmakers, the coalition— comprised of the Colorado Golf Association, Colorado PGA, the Rocky Mountain Chapter of the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America and the Mile High Chapter of the Club Management Association of America—brought National Drive, Chip & Putt Finalists Chunya “Bead” Boonta (second place, Girls 12-13) of Centennial and Caitlyn Chin (5th place, Girls 10-11) of Greenwood Village. Both had competed in the televised event the Sunday before the Masters at Augusta National. As the embodiment of the benefits of golf, the well-spoken girls engaged with legislators in conversation and friendly putting competitions. They obliged photo requests and later received recognition on the Senate floor, as did Augusta National Women’s Amateur champion Jennifer Kupcho of Westminster. Another Jennifer, Jennifer Cassell, facilitated the event. Cassell, who has served as the Colorado Golf Coalition lobbyist for the last five years, keeps tabs on any bills with an impact on the golf industry. Those include issues of pesticide application, water use, general environmental stewardship, seasonal employment, zoning and more. In addition to the feel-good presence of Chin and Boonta, Cassell and coalition representatives made a point of reminding LOBBYIST: Boonta shows her smooth putting stroke. lawmakers that the golf industry pumps $1.7 billion into the Colorado economy. They also distributed information to dispel misperceptions about the game as environmentally unfriendly and elitist. On the environmental front, golf courses account for less than one-third of 1 percent of the state’s water usage, and 90 percent of that water is non-potable. Golf courses also provide greenspaces on which wildlife and vegetation thrive. And as far as elitism is concerned, public courses host three-quarters of the rounds played in Colorado, and the state’s junior golf programs—especially the Junior Golf Alliance of Colorado and Golf in Schools—are successfully prioritizing affordability and accessibility to attract children from across all socioeconomic backgrounds.