2019 July Colorado AvidGolfer Magazine

GOLF IN EAGLE AND SUMMIT COUNTIES • FOX ACRES’ SPLENDID REVIVAL

coloradoavidgolfer.com

The COBANK

COLORADO OPEN

Turns 55-Plus ROCKY MOUNTAIN OPEN News

The

Elevating the Game.

RETURN OF THE TOUR Catch the

RISING STARS

in Berthoud this month

TOP OF THE WORLD

With a PGA TOUR card in sight, Denver’s MARK HUBBARD eyes the inaugural TPC Colorado Championship at Heron Lakes* JULY 2019 | $3.95

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*and escapes this bunker like a boss!

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CONTENTS | July 2019

72

FEATURES

62 On His Mark

One of the Web.com Tour’s top players, Denver’s Mark Hubbard will arrive at the TPC Colorado Championship at Heron Lakes as a lock to regain his PGA TOUR card. But first, he shows how to escape the Berthoud course’s revetted bunkers. By Jon Rizzi

62

DEPARTMENTS 8 Forethoughts

Last Things First.

By Jon Rizzi

12 The CGA

Belonging to the CGA is about more than getting a handicap.

14 #coavidgolfer

A call to action.

SIDE BETS

44 Fareways

New Domain

Grill on the Gore and other Vail Valley must-tastes.

By John Lehndorff

48 Nice Drives

Dodge Durango SRT, GMC Sierra 1500 Denali, Ford Ranger and more.

By Isaac Bouchard

19 The Gallery

The Rocky Mountain Open, Becca Huffer’s surprise win, whither Springs Ranch? More.

96 Blind Shot

Iconic to the Cœur.

By Jon Rizzi

As the state’s first annual pro tour event in 13 years, this month’s TPC Colorado Championship at Heron Lakes will bring major excitement to Berthoud.

By Jon Rizzi

72 Golf in the Republic The game appeared in Ireland 400 years after the Scots began hitting the links. But oh, how the Irish caught up. By Tony Dear

Special Sections 51 COBANK COLORADO OPEN

PLAYER’S CORNER

The country’s richest state open

celebrates 55-plus years.

31 Profile

77 GETAWAYS

Stearns. By Scott Gardner

Catching up with “Bad Dude” John

68 The Web.com’s

Golf and more in Vail Valley and Summit County.

34 Instruction

To Loft or Not to Loft.

By Alex Fisher

38 Play Away

The Club at Fox Acres in Red Feather Lakes. By Andy Bigford

COLORADO AVIDGOLFER | July 2019

ON THE COVER Mark Hubbard photographed at TPC Colorado in Berthoud May 30 by Justin Tafoya /Clarkson Creative 2

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July 2019 | Volume 18, Number 4 president and group publisher

A llen J. Walters editorial director

Jon Rizzi

SALES, MARKETING & ADVERTISING associate publisher

Chris Phillips

digital strategist and content manager

Drew Kor t

office and operations manager

Cindy Palmer

projects and special events manager

Melissa Holmberg ART & EDITORIAL creative director

Jani Duncan Smith art director

Chelsea Oglesby editor - at- large

Tom Ferrell

automotive editor

Isaac Bouchard style editor

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Suzanne S. Brown contributors

Sam Adams, Andy Bigford, 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, John Lehndorff, 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 18, Number four. 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 © 2019 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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2020 MERCEDES-BENZ GLE SETTING THE BAR FOR ST YLE

Newly appointed Mercedes-Benz of Denver General Manager Terry Minnick would like to invite you to visit their brand-new $45 million state-of-the-art dealership and discover the ultimate in SUV luxury: the 2020 Mercedes-Benz GLE. Before you hit the links, drive like a champion in the all-new redesigned GLE. • This edition is more agile and aerodynamic.

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Last Things First PHOTOGRAPH BY E.J. CARR

WE DROVE THE GREEN!

Forethoughts

With the generous support of our sponsors and participants, June 11’s RMGCSA/RMEGI Memorial Tournament raised more than $10,000 that will assist in funding turfgrass research and scholarships.

Thanks to host course Colorado National Golf Club, Superintendent Rob Neuhauser and Assistant Superintendent Thomas Quade who made the Memorial a success!

COLORADO AVIDGOLFER | July 2019

A Hall-of-Fame Life Colorado lost one of its greatest, most beloved athletes when Joan Birkland passed away June 14 in Denver, aged 90. An inductee into the Colorado Golf Hall of Fame, Colorado Tennis Hall of Fame, Colorado Women’s Hall of Fame and Colorado Sports Hall of Fame, Birkland won four Colorado Women’s Golf Association match play championships and three consecutive stroke plays, capturing both titles in 1964.

In tennis, Joanie (as most called her) once competed against the legendary Althea Gibson. She also captured six major singles and 15 major doubles championships in Colorado and the mountain region. In 1962 and ’66, she won both the state golf and state tennis titles. In 2008, the Gates Tennis Center in Denver, headquarters of USTA Colorado, named the Joan Birkland Pavilion in her honor.

At the University of Colorado, she also played basketball for the AAU Denver Vines. A tireless advocate for women’s athletics and a mentor and role model to all, Birkland also co-founded the Sportswomen of Colorado in 1974, serving as its executive director for the next 40 years. She also chaired the USGA Women’s Committee in 1997 and ’98 and served as general chairperson of the 1982 Curtis Cup at The Denver Country Club. She spent decades on the Colorado Golf Hall of Fame board of directors, including one term as president.

At The Denver Country Club, where she and her husband, Ormand, had belonged since the early 1950s, she won 30 consecutive ladies’ club championships. Ormand predeceased her in 1999 after 50 years of marriage, and even after turning 90, the star athlete continued to play the course and game she dearly loved.

8

coloradoavidgolfer.com

PHOTOGRAPH BY MICHAEL MARTIN

ROCKY MOUNTAIN ENVIRONMENTAL INSTITUTE

AT EVERY PUBLICATION I’ve worked during the last 35 years, the editor’s column usually trails all the other pages on their recurrent march to the printer. As editor of Colorado AvidGolfer since 2002, I have upheld this time-honored practice.

Call it tradition. Blame procrastination. Heck, claim preordination. After all, as a far more popular publication than this one instructs, “The first will be last and the last will be first.”

I personally find it ironic that the first article to appear —and often the first one you read—is the last one created.

The name of this column, “Forethoughts,” only compounds that irony. But who’d read a column entitled “Afterthoughts”?

This month’s TPC Championship at Heron Lakes hardly qualifies as an afterthought. It’s our cover story, and I can’t overstate the event’s importance in re-establishing Colorado as a regular stop on the PGA TOUR. Yes, the Web.com Tour is the PGA TOUR’s developmental league, but this isn’t Single-A baseball. It’s a Triple-A All-Star team, brimming with guys working to get to The Show—or back to it.

Denver’s Mark Hubbard is one of those working to return. The Colorado Golf Association’s 2007 Junior Player of the Year competed on the PGA TOUR from 2015 to 2017, making 60 percent of his cuts and earning $1,214,990 before losing his card. His self-reflection and overall game improvements have this year translated into one victory, three top10 finishes and enough points to put him well within the top 25 players who automatically advance to the PGA TOUR in September.

Get acquainted with Hubbard, his competitors and the course they’ll face, starting on page 62. It’s one of three Colorado tournaments spotlighted in this issue. The others are the 55th CoBank Colorado Open (page 51)—the state open with the largest purse in the country—and the 81st Rocky Mountain Open, which, thanks to a presenting sponsorship

by Sinclair Oil Co., has increased its winner’s share by 50 percent (page 19).

In these and other golf tournaments, it’s usually the last one to finish who takes the first spot. Kind of like an editor’s column. —JON RIZZI

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The CGA SERVING ALL COLORADO GOLFERS

Membership Means More Belonging to the Colorado Golf Association isn’t just about getting a handicap.

SEE YOU IN SEPTEMBER: Valley Country Club will host a Member Play Day Sept. 30.

PHOTOGRAPH BY E.J. CARR

MEMBERSHIP IN THE Colorado Golf Association is more valuable than ever. Many people take for granted the benefits that they receive when they belong to a local Colorado golf course. Today, our 60,000 members enjoy access to more than just a handicap. Here are a few highlights of the benefits available to all members who carry an official USGA handicap at a Colorado public or private club.

MEMBER PLAY DAYS AND EVENTS In May, the CGA relaunched “Member Play Days” exclusively to CGA members. The first member event at Perry Park Country Club sold out in 24 hours, so the CGA is working on adding a second one.

Upcoming venues include Ptarmigan Country Club (July 8) and Valley Country Club (Sept. 30).

CGA Women’s Golf Clinics are also a huge hit this year. The clinics provide a welcoming environment where women receive an overview of the new 2019 Rules of Golf, group instruction and on-course game management with Colorado’s top LPGA and PGA instructors.

MEMBER DISCOUNTS The CGA provides exclusive offers and discounts on products and services in our CGA Member Zone. The Member Zone is a members-only section of the CGA website where you

can find offers from local and national companies. A few businesses providing members with discounts and promotions include: • Avis/Budget Rental Cars • Hotel Engine (Denver Company) • Office Depot • Constant Contact Special offers on golf products are available from: • Colorado AvidGolfer • Imperial Headwear • Birdie Bottle • Sassy Caddy

MEMBER EDUCATION The CGA also provides members with communication on important golf news, updates on the rules and swing tips. Monthly communications from the CGA include a biweekly “Rules Reminder” video from Executive Director Ed Mate, which help you understand how the rules can help you improve your game and handicap.

The list of benefits continues to grow— stay tuned to our newly redesigned CGA website coloradogolf.org to learn more, or click “Join” to become a member for $59.95 today!

We’ve Got You Covered!

Did you know you have a great new benefit as a CGA member? Boulderbased Rocket Tour Golf is a new CGA partner. Since 2004, Rocket Tour Golf has been known for its modern, yet classic, old-school knit headcovers. More than 200 top NCAA golf teams choose Rocket Tour covers to add bold style to their team bags. Rocket Tour’s designer and founder, Helena Stanton, has personally designed the “CGA Member Series” available at rockettour.com. The CGA Member Series will consist of limited edition headcover designs throughout the summer and fall, including a fantastic limited-edition US Open/Father’s Day cover that was released last month. Be sure to visit the CGA.org Member Zone for your CGA member benefit Rocket Tour discount code.

To reach the Colorado Golf Association, visit coloradogolf.org or call 303-366-4653.

COLORADO AVIDGOLFER | July 2019

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The Gallery COURSE PHOTOGRAPHS BY TODD SIMPSON; COURTESY ROCKY MOUNTAIN OPEN

NEWS | NOTES | NAMES

MORE TO WIN: Justin Keiley will vie for a bigger check as he seeks his third straight RMO title at Tiara Rado Golf Course.

A Rocky Mountain Open High The 81st edition has a new sponsor and big plans.

APPROPRIATELY ENOUGH, a 15-foot-high likeness of a prehistoric creature will appear this August at Colorado’s oldest open golf championship, the Rocky Mountain Open. Yet the inflatable dinosaur looming at Grand Junction’s Tiara Rado Golf Course is less a symbol of the tournament’s 80year past than it is an expression of the event’s promising present and future.

“Dino,” the long-necked green apatosaurus, represents Sinclair Oil Company, which begins a three-year deal as the presenting sponsor of the Rocky Mountain Open August 22-25. The family-held Utah concern, which also sponsors an ARCA race car, is committing $25,000 in each of the next three years to take the event to the next level in terms of prize money, prestige and participation.

“We’re well on our way to re-establishing this as a top-tier golf event,” says Enstrom Candies President Doug Simons, who teamed with Monument Oil President Paul Brown and ANB Bank Regional President Vance Wagner to purchase the rights to the Rocky Mountain Open in 2014.

“We’re going to continue raising the purse and do great things for the community.”

With Enstrom as presenting sponsor for the past five years, the Rocky Mountain Open has contributed more than $100,000 to the Colorado Mesa University athletics department for scholarships and other needs. Simons presents the check during halftime of the CMU homecoming game.

The RMO has also established an endowment for the school, which, when fully funded, will allow

coloradoavidgolfer.com

the RMO to diversify its largesse.

Sinclair’s sponsorship of the Rocky Mountain Open translates to an increase in first-place prize money—from $10,000 to $15,000, and all pros making the cut are guaranteed to win more than their entry fee. Enstrom has maintained its level of commitment, and Simons wants to ensure the other sponsors follow suit. “Just because Sinclair is on the board for $25,000 doesn’t mean I can drop from $15,000 to $5,000,” he says.

“That’s not how you build something.”

The 81st Rocky Mountain Open Presented

by Sinclair Oil Company will feature a Thursday Four-Ball Pro-Am and amateur and professional divisions that tee off separately Friday through Sunday. Five amateurs have won the overall championship, including two Colorado Golf Hall of

19

Famers: Lou North, who took the 1957 title, and the aforementioned Paul Brown, whose victory 30 years after North’s was the last in the event by a nonprofessional player.

“This tournament has a great tradition that deserves to be built upon,” Brown says. Babe Zaharias played it twice. Orville Moody won it six years after winning the U.S. Open. For years, the best golf professionals from Colorado and the West would arrive every August for the action.

Players like Las Vegas, New Mexico’s Gene Torres and Las Vegas, Nevada’s Monte Montgomery both won twice (Montgomery’s came 21 years apart).

Colorado Golf Hall of Fame members John Rogers, Gene Root, Ted Hart, Vic Kline and Bill Loeffler all took home a winner’s check, while the Hall’s multiple RMO winners include J.D. Taylor (three),

July 2019 | COLORADO AVIDGOLFER

The Gallery PAYDAY: Utah pro Dusty Fielding shot 17-under to win the 2015 RMO.

on purpose. ‘Hell no, I didn’t miss it on purpose!’ I snapped. ‘I wanted to beat him!’”

Last year’s event brought another noteworthy playoff, as former Brigham Young University star Justin Keiley repeated as champion by defeating CMU grad Brandon Bingaman on the first extra hole. Both players had fired a 21-under-par 192 on the 6,972-yard course—a record for the three-day event.

This level of competition—as well as the increased purse—can’t help but generate buzz among players. Simons has enlisted support from people who’ll put up competitors at their

Course in the Crosshairs WILL SPRINGS RANCH Golf Club in Colorado Springs go the way of Gleneagle Golf Course? Gleneagle, which sat 16 miles northwest of Springs Ranch, closed in 2013 because its California-based owner had lost money each year he operated it. G&S Development purchased the 130acre course, which now sports 56 homes instead of 18 golf holes—and 95 acres of open space.

Like Gleneagle, Springs Ranch is a publicly accessible, privately owned course opened in 1997

by Tom Tauche. He still owns and lives on the course, which occupies approximately 200 acres of the 1,200-acre development.

As to his motivation for selling the course, the 66-year-old Tauche cites the nationwide downturn in golf participation and the millions of dollars he needs to spend on necessary upgrades.

Tauche, a 12 handicap, has said he’d love to see the property remain a golf course, but he hasn’t found a golf developer or operator willing to pay him what a real-estate developer would.

So he agreed to sell the Springs Ranch Golf Club to Classic Cos., one of Colorado Springs’ biggest homebuilders. Although Classic has developed the golf-course communities of Flying Horse and the forthcoming Flying Horse North, the company plans to redevelop Springs Ranch Golf Course with a mix of approximately 500 homes, plus trails, parks and other features.

This doesn’t sit well with many Springs Ranch COLORADO AVIDGOLFER | July 2019

residents, who love the open DEVELOPING STORY: space and mountain views The sun could soon set on the course provides. A group Springs Ranch Golf Club. of nine homeowner associations calling itself the Save Springs Ranch Green Space and Golf Course has formed in opposition. Classic held two Town Hall meetings in June in order to review plans and receive community input. The developer will incorporate that input when it submits a formal proposal to city planners this month.

Classic says the redevelopment would address the growing city’s desire for more infill projects—as emphasized in the city’s revised comprehensive plan known as PlanCOS—instead sands of residents in surrounding neighborhoods, of continuing unchecked suburban sprawl. Among Applewood still exists today as part of the Prosother things, the homeowners maintain the course pect Recreation and Parks District. replaced a park that builders originally promised The Springs Ranch situation could have the community, and that it provides wetlands and more in common with Gleneagle, where members habitats for protected wildlife. of the neighborhood civic association worked with The dispute recalls the 2015 conflict in the developer to modify the original plans to provide Golden over Applewood Golf Course, which the more open space and lower-density development. owner, Molson Coors Brewing Co., wanted to sell Which scenario will play out? classichomes.com/ to a developer. Thanks to the mobilization of thouproject/springsranch; springsranchgolfclub.com

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PHOTOGRAPHS COURTESY ROCKY MOUNTAIN OPEN (ABOVE); COURTESY SPRINGS RANCH GOLF CLUB (BELOW)

Pat Rea (four straight) and Jack Sommers (four).

Like his father “Skeeter” before him, Jack Sommers was the pro at Lincoln Park, the longtime home of the RMO, as well as at Tiara Rado. Jack, his older brother, Dan, and Skeeter also combined for eight RMO victories.

The most memorable came in 1978, when Jack shot a final-round 65 but missed a three-foot putt on the last hole that would have clinched the win. Instead, he found himself in a playoff with his big brother. “After I beat him on the first playoff hole, my dad asked me whether I’d missed that putt

houses and from the marketing folks at the Grand Junction Visitors Bureau. What could be better than championship golf at the base of the Colorado National Monument during peach and wine season?

“We get more participation every year,” says board member Vance Wagner, who previously sat on the Colorado Open Golf Foundation board. He’s talking about players, fans, volunteers and media. “We work really hard to build awareness.”

To that end, the RMO board has also engaged individuals who have worked on the highly successful Alpine Bank NJCAA Division I JUCO World Series staged annually at Grand Junction’s Sam Suplizio Field.

Simons—whose wife’s grandfather, Chet Enstrom, served as the RMO’s first tournament chairman in 1939—takes justifiable pride in perpetuating the longevity of the event and communicating its prestige by creating a “winner’s wall” breezeway and permanent scoreboard at Tiara Rado. “It’s a labor of love,” he says. “Having Sinclair on board is huge. We’re just going to keep nurturing it and make sure it grows.”

Wagner is even more optimistic: “We would love at some point to get to the level of the Colorado Open.” rmogolf.golfgenius.com

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The Gallery

Make Noh Mistake, Huffer Wins Again

SURREAL: Becca Huffer erased a 3-shot deficit on the final hole to win her second CoBank Colorado Women’s Open.

Turning pro this January after a remarkable amateur career, Noh had played spectacularly the first two days of the tournament, going 68-67 to begin the third and final round 9-under-par, five shots ahead of the event’s 2013 champion Becca Huffer. By the 54th hole, Huffer had cut the lead to three shots. But Noh, having birdied the par-5 18th the first two days, could already envision her name on the $50,000 winner’s check.

She followed her perfect drive on 18 with an ill-conceived attempt at reaching the green by carrying the expansive Environmentally Sensitive Area right of the fairway. After hitting it into the ESA, she dropped a ball and mishit her fourth shot into it as well. Her sixth air-mailed the green. A pitch and two putts later equaled a quadruple-bogey 9.

Huffer missed a downhill par putt that would have won it, but her bogey-6 forced a playoff on the 18th. Both gave themselves birdie opportunities. Noh missed her putt; Huffer sank hers. The Denver native was gracious in victory, as was Noh in defeat. “Not gonna lie, pretty crazy to find myself holding the Colorado Women’s Open trophy again today!” Huffer posted on Instagram. “So awesome to play some good golf again and see it pay off (especially back at home!)!”

“I really don’t want to think too much about it,” Noh told coloradogolf.org.

“I’m happy with the way I played. Up until the last hole I was playing pretty good. I’m glad about where my game is going. I just probably need to fix some mental stuff. And Becca played really well.”

In the six years since Huffer’s first CoBank Colorado Women’s Open victory—also in a playoff—the winner’s share has increased from $11,000 to $50,000. She has yet to make a cut as an LPGA rookie.

Interestingly, prior to the tournament, Noh had won a Cactus Tour and a Women’s All-Pro Tour event, for a combined total of $11,500—$25 more than her $11,475 second-place share in the CoBank Colorado Women’s Open. coloradoopen.com

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YEALIMI NOH, who will turn 18 this month, hadn’t yet been born when France’s Jean Van de Velde famously squandered a three-shot lead on the final hole of the 1999 Open Championship at Carnoustie, carding a triple-bogey 7 to fall into a playoff he would lose. But the California teenager’s performance on the last hole of this year’s CoBank Colorado Open at Green Valley Ranch Golf Club more than mirrored the Frenchman’s unexpected collapse.

The Gallery

On Top of Its Game

Summit League postseason awards went to the University of Denver golf teams.

Coaches Erik Billinger (Men’s) and Lindsey Kuhle (Women’s) received Coach of the Year honors, while junior Mary Weinstein (72.8 stroke average) earned the league’s Player of the Year and freshman Cal McCoy (73.5) won Newcomer of the Year. The award represented the first for Billinger, who led the Pioneers to their first league championship and NCAA Regional appearance in five years, and the fifth for Kuhle.

The DU women won their sixth league/conference championship in the last seven years and made it to the NCAA Regional for the seventh straight season. denverpioneers.com

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© 2017

Cal McCoy

Owned by the Colorado Golf Association, and designed by world-renowned architect Tom Doak, CommonGround can be found in Aurora at the intersection of Mission and Masterpiece. commongroundgc.com | 303-340-1520 COLORADO AVIDGOLFER | July 2019

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PHOTOGRAPHS COURTESY CORNERSTONE CLUB (LEFT); DU ATHLETICS (RIGHT)

THE PRIVATE COURSE some LONG VIEW: Cornerstone overconsider Colorado’s finest looks the West Elks, Cimarron mountain layout is set to reRidge and San Juan Mountains. open this month. Perched on 4,800 acres atop the Uncompahgre Plateau—40 miles from Telluride and 22 from Montrose—Cornerstone Club fell victim to the recession, mothballing its breathtaking Greg Norman-designed layout after the 2012 season. The Cornerstone Owners Association eventually took over, with a number of members devoting substantial resources to resurrect the golf course. In 2017, they brought in former Norman associate Matt Dusenberry with the mandate to improve strategy, playability, memorability, player enjoyment, aesthetics and long-term water usage.

“Most people wouldn’t notice the changes,” Dusenberry says, “but they’ll make the course more playable, sustainable and efficient to operate.” The snowy winter has made the reopening date a moving target, but superintendent Jason Stroehlein believes members and their guests will be playing a full 18 by the end of this month. cornerstoneclub.com

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The Gallery

Drink Like a King

Harvard Gulch

golf courses have signed on to become “Welcome Centers” for the National Golf Foundation’s new Welcome2Golf initiative to “activate” the 648,000 non-golfers and occasional players in and around the Mile High City who have expressed an interest in learning and playing more. Seeing this “latent demand” as an opportunity to increase participation, the NGF selected the Denver Metro area as the pilot program’s first location. Success here could lead to rollouts in other cities. Look for the “Golf Because…” promotional emails, social media posts, videos and digital and traditional media spots this month and next.

The “welcome centers” that offer fun, low-cost introductory programs are Applewood and Fossil Trace (Golden); Broken Tee (Englewood); CommonGround (Aurora); Foothills, Kennedy, Harvard Gulch, Overland Park (Denver); Indian Tree (Arvada), Legacy Ridge and Walnut Creek (Westminster) and The Meadows (Littleton). welcome2golf.com

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PHOTOGRAPHS COURTESY HARVARD GULCH (LEFT); KETEL ONE (RIGHT)

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WHERE WOULD GOLF be without Arnold Palmer? And what would the game be without the 19th hole?

Sure, you can order his namesake lemonade-andiced-tea mixture, but the drink Mr. Palmer memorably favored was a Ketel One on the rocks with a twist. Nolet Distillery, the Dutch company that makes Ketel One, has produced a limited-edition bottle commemorating the King, who would have turned 90 this September. The company has also donated $100,000 to the Arnie’s Army Charitable Foundation to honor and continue Mr. Palmer’s legacy.

The vodka comes in 750 ml ($25) and one-liter ($32) sizes. ketelone.com/arniesarmy

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Player’s Corner PROFILE

KNOWING SQUAT: The former All-Star catcher strikes a familiar pose at Meadow Hills.

PHOTOGRAPH BY JOHN LEYBA (TOP); COURTESY UNIVERSITY OF COLORADO (BOTTOM)

Catching Up with a “Bad Dude” A hard-hitting star in football and baseball, John Stearns remains an impact player on the golf course. By Scott Gardner BEFORE THERE WAS Deion “Prime Time” Sanders, there was John “Bad Dude” Stearns—the Denver native who arrived at the University of Colorado in 1969 with a baseball bat in one hand and a football in the other.

Fourteen years later, when the dust settled on Stearns’ college football and professional baseball careers, the favorite son would be welcomed into both the Colorado Sports Hall of Fame and the University of Colorado Athletic Hall of Fame.

In 1973, Stearns led the NCAA in home runs and the Big Eight in batting average. However, longtime University of Colorado football fans fondly recall him from the 1971 college football season, when the Big Eight Conference ran roughshod over the college-football landscape.

I sat down with Stearns recently at Beantree Coffee in Aurora and traveled in a time capsule to the 1971 college football season.

Played in the Houston Astrodome, the Astro-Bluebonnet bowl featured the 7th-ranked University of Colorado Buffaloes against the 15thranked University of Houston Cougars.

The Astrodome’s scoreboard showed ten minutes left to play in the fourth quarter with CU protecting a 23-17 lead. The Cougars drove the ball down to CU’s 10-yard line against a weary Buffaloes’ defense. On fourth down, Houston coloradoavidgolfer.com

quarterback Gary Mullins threw a pass towards the future Denver Broncos tight end Riley Odoms.

The ball arrived in Odoms’ hands a split second before CU’s fresh-faced sophomore defensive back John “Bad Dude” Stearns, who’d raced in from the secondary, knocked the ball free, eliciting a collective groan from the Cougar faithful.

“I played guard on the 1967 Thomas Jefferson state championship basketball team and that eye-hand coordination served me well as a defensive back,” Stearns explained. For the record, despite playing only three years because of freshman-ineligibility rules, Stearns still holds the CU career interception mark with 16.

Four minutes later in that same game, with the Buffaloes forced to punt from their own end zone, Stearns pulled off one of the gutsiest plays in CU football history. The crowd noise in the Astrodome was deafening as Stearns, the punter, awaited the snap and glanced downfield at the first down stakes a Texas-mile away on the 20yard line. The center snapped the ball low and Stearns had to rely on his catcher’s instinct to snatch the ball off his shoelaces.

When Stearns rose back up to kick the football, he was surprised to see the Houston rushers peeling back to set up a return. Seizing an opportunity, he tucked the pigskin under his arm

31

and took off towards the right hash line. Five seconds later, Stearns dove out of bounds at the CU 22-yard line for a first down that broke the Cougars’ back. The Buffaloes rolled out with a 29-17

ALL-AMERICAN: In ’73 Stearns led the NCAA in homers and the Big Eight in batting.

July 2019| COLORADO AVIDGOLFER

Player’s Corner PROFILE victory and a 10-2 record. Colorado finished the season third in the national rankings, behind Big 8 rivals Nebraska and Oklahoma.

SOLID PLAYER Between 1975 and 1982, Stearns appeared in four All-Star Games for the Mets. As a rookie, he caught 12 times for Hall of Fame pitcher Tom Seaver, who went 9-1 in those games. “He never shook me off once,” Stearns boasts. Seaver would win his third Cy THE DUDE ABIDES: Stearns tees it up often at Meadow Young Award that year, Hills and everywhere else. with a won-loss record of 22-9.

Before we talked more baseball, we finished playing the par-5 12th. On the green, I grabbed my wedge and putter and headed over to my ball, which was semi-buried in tall grass ten yards off the putting surface. I popped the ball up onto the green and watched it roll toward the flagstick, where Stearns happened to be standing, sizing up his putt. Instinctively, he grabbed the flag and was about

COLORADO AVIDGOLFER | July 2019

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JOHNNY ON THE SPOT: Stearns’ quickness as a DB helped him on the basepaths.

to pull it out when the ball clanked into the hole.

“YES! YES! YES! She said ‘YES!’” Stearns yelled, mimicking an old jewelry commercial before pulling my ball from the hole and rolling it back to me.

On the 13th tee box I asked Stearns if he partied with Joe Namath back in the day in the Big Apple. “I didn’t know Joe personally; however, I did enjoy going to Broadway Joe’s, his restaurant.” The logical follow up question was how Bad Dude did with the ladies in the city that never sleeps. We huddled around the cart and waited while Stearns gathered his thoughts.

“I used to get to ballpark an hour early, even when on the road, and there were plenty of pretty faces in the stands before first pitch.” The three of us inched closer. “I would go up to the first pretty girl I met and introduce myself and let her know the name of the hotel and room number where I was staying. Later that night after the game, I’d get back to the hotel and almost always there’d be a knock on my door.” We leaned in even closer for the salacious details.

“Okay, who’s up?” he said with a sly smile as he popped out of the cart.

After the round, Stearns, who might be Denver’s biggest sports fan, stayed for an iced tea. He didn’t want to talk about the respectable 81 he’d just shot, but about Nolan Arenado (“the best third baseman in the Major Leagues—better than Mike Schmidt was”) and about how pitchers no longer throw complete games. “They don’t expect to. Can you imagine a manager pulling Seaver during a shutout just because of his pitch count?” he asks incredulously. “It would start a fight.”

Scott Gardner is a CAG Contributor. coloradoavidgolfer.com

PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY UNIVERSITY OF COLORADO (TOP); BY JOHN LEYBA (LEFT)

WHAT’S IN A NAME? Stearns was a “Bad Dude” before he had even played a down at CU. “For me to earn a starting defensive back position at CU I needed to hit harder and be tougher than the other guys,” Stearns remembered. “So when a Sports Illustrated writer asked me how I’d like to be described on the field, I replied, I’d like to be known as a ‘Bad Dude.’”

The nickname stuck like flypaper.

Today, Stearns, the father of a grown son who lives and runs a successful mortgage business in California, admits he’s been trying for thirty years to shed the “bad dude” persona he shouldered during his playing days. However, looking across my coffee rim at the Hall-of-Fame athlete with the blue grey eyes and the square athletic jaw, I wondered just how much of the “bad dude” still lurks behind the congenial exterior. So I invited Stearns to complete my foursome that weekend at Aurora Hills Golf Course.

Stearns learned to play golf as a child while caddying for his mother at Wellshire Golf Course.

His payment for toting mom’s bag was being allowed to play the par-5 18th hole.

Playing golf with Stearns is a team sport.

He’s interested in everyone’s game, keeps his eyes out to find lost balls, gives sincere compliments after solid shots and laments and rejoices with the good and bad bounces that are part of the game. He plays fast and crushes the ball off the tee—around 300 yards with a swing that is part caddy-yard and part three-hole batter.

“I’ve been as low as a two and I’m about a six right now,” the 68-year-old Stearns shared about his handicap. He plays courses all around the Metro area: Meadow Hills, Lone Tree, Wellshire, Aurora Hills.

He also thinks through his shots and isn’t too proud to call one here or there: “I’ll hook this sucker around the tree,” or “This drive needs to

start right and draw to cut the dogleg.” Vernacular from decades spent in locker rooms occasionally bleeds onto the course, offending some, but entertaining others. I personally found it refreshing.

On the twelfth tee box I asked Stearns about his famous home plate collision with Dave Parker of the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1978. We cleared off the tee box to give the former New York Mets catcher room to recreate the scene.

“We were playing in Pittsburgh on Astroturf; it was the bottom of the ninth with two out and Parker planted on third base. The Pittsburgh batter hits a shot out to right field.

It’s not too deep and our right fielder Joel Youngblood, who’s got a good arm, catches it and rifles it back in to home plate. At this point I’ve tossed off my mask and stand three feet in front of the plate. I catch Youngblood’s throw and dive on top of home plate. Dave Parker, who is sixfive, 240 pounds and fast, slams into me at top speed, knocking me 15 feet behind home plate in a cloud of dust. I gather my senses and, to my surprise, the ball is still nestled in my mitt like a sleeping baby. I showed it to the umpire and the game was over.

I looked over at Parker and he was still on the ground moaning from a fractured jaw.”

The former football star was never shy about mixing it up on the baseball field—and not only with opponents. He once tackled the Atlanta Braves’ mascot “Chief Noc-a-Homa” during his pregame war dance. A few years later, he overpowered two field-storming fans as they evaded the police.

HBORHOOD

A NEIGHBORHOOD

A NEIGHBORHOOD

Player’s Corner LESSON

To Loft or Not to Loft Low shots can lead to lower scores. By Alex Fisher DO ANY OF US get to play as often as we’d like? Even us golf pros don’t play as much golf as you’d think. With that in mind, not playing on a regular basis will likely have the greatest negative effect on your short game. Most golfers I see can stumble, fumble and bumble their way off the tee and down the fairway, but once they get around the greens, the rust shows.

It’s not just touch and feel. It’s decision-making. Choosing the wrong option typically leads to big numbers. Many factors go into evaluating the situation and determining what shot you can pull off.

Before selecting a club, you have to consider the lie of the ball. Is it sitting up fluffy or is it down on hard pan? Do you have to hit a lofted shot, or can you flight it low with a less-lofted club? Have you considered the con-

tours of the green and how much of it you have to work with?

Only if you absolutely have to hit it high do you select a lofted club with a big swing. That cool Phil Mickelson flop leaves less margin for error because big swings can cause big mistakes. Whenever possible, hit a low shot around the green. Even if you have to hit it into a bank or slope, you can make a smaller swing and minimize your mistakes.

Alex Fisher, the PGA Director of Instruction at Glacier Club in Durango, has been named one of “America's Best Young Teachers” and a “Top 40 Under 40 Instructor” by Golf Digest, as well as Top 50 Instructor by US Kids Golf.

Reach him at 602-363-9800 or alexanderfisher@pga.com.

1.

CLUB SELECTION To choose the right club for the shot, lay the club on the ground, clubface up, and step on the clubface. When you do this, the handle of the club raises to show you the loft and trajectory you can expect. A lofted club’s shaft will elevate more than a less lofted club. This will help determine club selection, as well as help choose a landing spot to aim for.

2.

SETUP Keep your stance narrow and square to your intended target.

• Grip the club close to the shaft for more control.

• Take practice swings to determine where the club bottoms out. That will establish ball position. On an uphill lie, the club bottoms out later, so play the ball towards your front foot.

TAKE-AWAY Take a mini-backswing. Don’t allow your body to rotate and follow the club back. This will shift weight to your back foot and compromise your balance.

• Instead, lean your weight to your front foot and focus on moving the club with the arms only. Your chest should remain facing the golf ball and not turning away from the target.

COLORADO AVIDGOLFER | July 2019

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PHOTOGRAPHS BY CHRIS DUTHIE

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July 2019 | COLORADO AVIDGOLFER

Player’s Corner LESSON

4.

IMPACT Your body needs to anticipate where the golf ball is going, so before your arms start the downswing, rotate your chest towards the target. This will help you stay balanced with your weight remaining on your front foot.

• If your body freezes and doesn’t turn, the club will bottom out early because you’ve shifted your weight towards your back foot.

• Just like a putting stroke, avoid using your wrists. If they unhinge, you’ll gain clubhead speed and hit it further than you want to.

STICK IT As you stick your finish, both arms and wrists should be locked without feeling stiff or tight.

• On the follow-through, try to make sure the club ends up the same length as your backswing. This will help maintain a consistent rhythm and tempo throughout the shot.

• Because chip shots are hit with a putting stroke, take the approach that you’re going to swing the club, not hit the ball.

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PHOTOGRAPHS BY CHRIS DUTHIE

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Player’s Corner PLAY AWAY

Reaching the Greens in Red Feather Lakes Secluded, magnificent and delightful to play, The Golf Club at Fox Acres rewards a journey to Northern Colorado’s remote rooftop. By Andy Bigford

THE GOLF CLUB at Fox Acres in Red Feather Lakes arguably combines the twin traits of “remote” and “spectacular” better than any other destination in this golf-rich state.

The solitude sets in on the drive up State Highway 287 northwest of Fort Collins toward Laramie, where after 25 miles you take a left at “The Forks,” the Livermore roadhouse that dates back to 1875, when it was a frontier hotel and stage stop. The climb begins on County Road 74E, slowly rising almost 3,000 feet in elevation through the Roosevelt National Forest and past the North Fork of the Cache la Poudre River. Forty minutes later, you arrive in Red Feather Lakes, elevation 8,300 feet, a dozen miles from the Wyoming border as the crow flies.

The lake-fronted “downtown” features a general store, an Ace Hardware, a library, the volunteer fire department and a Post Office. There are scattered homes in the vicinity, mostly of the vacation variety, and all loosely grouped around a half-dozen lakes connected by a confusing array

COLORADO AVIDGOLFER | July 2019

of mostly narrow dirt roads. The primary lodging option is a sturdy tent (or Airbnb/Vrbo), and you can fish, hike and boat.

Or you can play and stay at Fox Acres, which has offered some type of golf since 1965, and which Golf Digest in 2013 named among the country’s top 20 “most fun golf courses you can play.” “We are the attraction around here,” says Matt Renick, the Fox Acres GM. Once you pass through the security gate (Byron “Whizzer” White, the University of Colorado Heisman Trophy winner and Supreme Court justice, was once turned away), the grounds are a revelation. The clubhouse perches on expansive Lake Arapahoe, and the first two visible holes look ... impossible. The opening hole appears to require a monster carry over the water before a strip of distant fairway rises to the well-guarded, elevated green, but in reality this 307-yard par 4 can be covered by a well-struck long iron. The tee on the 214-yard par 3 18th—if you can spot it—returns from the opposite side of the lake,

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leading to a green tucked just below the clubhouse windows.

This golfer’s Shangri-la lies just two hours northwest of Denver, a hidden links carved out of pristine wilderness and ponderosa pine, surrounded by the Rawah and Medicine Bow ranges. The world slows down, and you’ll share the tees and fairways with moose, elk, deer and, of course, fox. An out-and-back layout in the Scottish style, Fox Acres brings water into play on 10 holes, carrying a sporty slope of 141 from the back tees. There are several doglegs, some severe. The greens have undulations aplenty, and if you are on the wrong tier be prepared to three- or four-putt.

The shotmaking bar is high on the lake-fronted par-3 second, which Phil Mickelson failed to par in three rounds here in 1991, when he visited with his Arizona State teammates for a collegiate event hosted by the University of Colorado (he described the experience as “wonderful”).

The narrow, ponderosa-lined alley-like tee shot on the third, called “The Chute,” seems laughably tight, with a lake on the left, a bunker and OB right. The dogleg fifth (“Blind Draw”) requires a precisely placed 225-yard tee shot to open the tight window to an elevated, wrinkled green that will require at least three putts if you are in the wrong place. Make no mistake, this is target golf.

There are meandering par 5s, like the scenic, drive-from-the-sky 595-yard No. 7, and the twisty, 529-yard 17th. The fourth, 10th, 11th, and 451-yard 14th, the No. 1 handicap, are muscular, straight-away par 4s. The elevated tee for the latter sits just below the second home that former CU head football coach Gary Barnett owned for a couple of decades; he still raves about the course, and now I know why.

Founder Ray Stenzel, who dutifully built Fox Acres and all of the infrastructure for its residential neighborhoods from scratch, first came to the rooftop of Larimer County at the behest of his Windsor High School girlfriend and eventual wife, Mary (née Galloup). Her family had long summered in Estes Park, gateway to Rocky Mountain National Park, but they had decided— by the 1920s—that it was just too “civilized,” and built a cabin in Red Feather Lakes. The

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PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY THE GOLF CLUB AT FOX ACRES

PINING FOR PAR: Ponderosas and lakes Shawnee and Lakota frame Fox Acres’ par-5 seventh and par-3 third.

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Player’s Corner PLAY AWAY

Course architect John Cochran referred to Fox Acres as the

crown jewel of his career, dedicating some 15 years on-site to sculpt the now 6,481-yard course.

COLORADO AVIDGOLFER | July 2019

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PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY THE GOLF CLUB AT FOX ACRES

two honeymooned nearby, and Ray eventually bought property, starting with the 38-acre Silver Fox Ranch. Then he acquired more and more land; Fox Acres now encompasses 459 acres.

Ray was a liquor and then pharmaceutical titan, living and working out of Kansas City, but stayed true to his CU roots as a major booster of the school’s football and golf programs, and the state (despite forgetting to put Whizzer’s name on the security guest list when he invited him up to play).

Retiring in Red Feather Lakes, he began with the idea of roughing out a few par-3 holes, then the aspirations grew, and he ended up commissioning John Cochran to build a championship course. A Georgia native, Cochran was a prime mover and shaker in Colorado golf circles back in the 1950s through ’70s, as the head pro at Denver Country Club and Columbine, developer of Boulder Country Club, and an accomplished player who competed against Sam Snead and Byron Nelson on the post-World War II PGA Tour (an Air Force pilot, he also gave Ben Hogan flying lessons). Cochran became just as personally invested in the project as the founder, referring to it as the crown jewel of his career, and dedicating some 15 years onsite to sculpt the now 6,481-yard course, which was completed in the early 1980s. “This is one of the finest golf courses in the world, not just the U.S.,” he declared at the time. Both Stenzel and Cochran are in the Colorado Golf Hall of Fame.

Stenzel died in 2002, and there was trouble in paradise afterwards, in particular the challenge of running a viable private golf club with a short season in a remote corner of the state, with a small residential membership. When the financial crisis of 2007-09 hit, it went bankrupt, and property values for a hundred-some homeowners plummeted to a fraction of their worth.

The club was rescued in 2014 by a consortium of 27 members, who bought it back from the bank,

SECLUDED BLISS: Lakota Lake borders Fox Acres’ picturesque par-3 ninth.

hired Touchstone Golf to oversee operations, and re-opened it as semi-private.

Austin-based Touchstone, which manages 40 courses in 12 states, including Applewood Golf Course in Golden and Deer Creek Golf Club in Littleton, immediately went to work. They hired Colorado native Renick to oversee the turnaround, and restored the course to playability for summer 2014 (the greens had not been aerated for at least five years). But the bad luck continued: the clubhouse pipes froze on New Year’s Eve, flooding the clubhouse and leaving $900,000 in damage.

After cleaning up the mess and seeing several years of progress, the main water line for the front-nine irrigation broke in early June 2018, following months of extremely dry, windy weather.

The grass died, and the conditions were substandard for much of last season. Touchstone put in a new main water line, lured away Adam Neft, the 25-year-veteran assistant superintendent from Denver Country Club, and opened for 2019 by mid-May with quickly improving playing conditions. One major project is to cut the 108 bunkers almost in half; they are a maintenance nightmare.

Stenzel, who was something of an amateur water expert, built all 15 lakes on the property, but also crushed the excavated granite to use as sand in the bunkers, far from ideal for playability.

The member owners are represented by Bill Butin, who spent 35 years with Shell Oil, most recently as its CEO in Tokyo, and came to live at Fox Acres in 1997. Touchstone and the membership are continuing their efforts to make Fox Acres sustainable. The second-floor dining room, which once required coat-and-tie for seven-nights-a-week service, is now open only for a member’s Friday night league and for special occasions, including weddings (Fox Acres will host coloradoavidgolfer.com

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Player’s Corner PLAY AWAY

PHOTOGRAPHS COURTESY THE GOLF CLUB AT FOX ACRES

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FANTASTIC FINISH: The long, serpentine par-5 17th (above) leads to the 214-yard all-carry par-3 home hole crouching at the foot of the clubhouse.

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a dozen such events in 2019). The ground-floor Fox Grille, and the F&B efforts, are led by the very capable chef Donna Kennedy, offering lunch and some dinner items plus breakfast on weekends to members and the public.

For most of its four-plus decades, Fox Acres has been exclusively private, but it now welcomes outside play to balance the budget, and the rates are reasonable. Greens fees, including range and cart (the course is not really walk-able), are $75 on weekdays and $95 on weekends. Better yet are the Stay & Play packages, utilizing the 16 “club rooms” (upgraded in 2017): guests pay $150 per person for weekdays (Sunday-Thursday) and $199 on Friday and Saturday nights, and get unlimited play from arrival, plus 24-hour use of the cart (rates based on double occupancy). And better yet for those lucky guests is the high-quality catch-and-release trout fly-fishing available on the stocked lakes.

Members, virtually all of whom are retirees and property-owners who stay just for summer, number about 90; they pay annual dues the club sets each year depending on its budget.

For 2019, the fee is $12,000. That includes an unusual perk: Members can bring up to three guests a day, and those visitors will play for free.

So, theoretically, a Fort Collins drive-in foursome could pay $3,000 each for unlimited playing privileges, or they could rent a spectacular home on the course through Airbnb or Vrbo for the summer. Touchstone wants the exposure for Fox Acres, because those visitors are likely to return as paying guests, bringing their own friends.

Real-estate sales are now brisk and property values rebounded, with several new homes under construction and prices that are still quite a bargain for Colorado golf-course living. There

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is a fitness center, hiking, biking and kayaking, as well as the stalking of large browns, rainbows and brookies. A homeowners association organizes a slew of member social events; there is cross-country skiing, but most owners scatter for winter. This past season, that meant they missed the hugely popular men’s and women’s pond-hockey tournaments on Lake Arapahoe in front of the clubhouse, creating an idyllic winter scene.

Outside the gates, it’s a pleasant respite to drive the solitary, circuitous dirt roads of the multi-lake region, and there are three restaurants to supplement the Fox Grille: Dalonna Mae’s Cafe, next to the Red Feather Super on Dowdy Drive; the Potbelly Restaurant and Lounge on 74E, and the Trout Tavern on Lake Ramona.

While it doesn’t get much golfer interest, one of North America’s most significant Buddhist temples, the 108-foot-high Great Stupa of Dharmakaya at the Shambhala Mountain Center, once visited by the Dalai Lama, is a 20-minute drive to the west.

After tallying your strokes on Fox Acres’ sloping greens, it might be worth a visit to appeal to the putter gods.

Colorado AvidGolfer contributor Andy Bigford is the editor and collaborator on Chris Diamond’s Ski Inc. 2020, which goes on sale Oct. 1, 2019. coloradoavidgolfer.com

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July 2019| COLORADO AVIDGOLFER

Side Bets | FAREWAYS FOOD | CARS

LEFT-TO-RIGHT SLIDER: Sanchez’s specials include a peachwood smoked pork belly bao slider with ancho aioli and coriander horseradish slaw.

Thrill on the Gore At Vail Golf Club, Chef David Sanchez puts some smoke and spin on the golf-grill classics.

PHOTOGRAPHS COURTESY VAIL RECREATION DISTRICT (TOP); VAIL MOUNTAIN COFFEE AND TEA COMPANY FACEBOOK (BOTTOM)

By John Lehndorff THE VAIL GOLF CLUB sounds like it should be very private and exclusive, with an overly expensive onsite eatery. After all, the club does occupy precious real estate in one of the state’s priciest municipalities. In actuality, that elite name is a little tongue-in-cheek joke.

Since opening in 1962, the club has welcomed all golfers and consistently rates as one of the best public courses in the mountains. And since opening in 2016, the magnificently renovated Vail Golf & Nordic Clubhouse has featured Grill on the Gore, a restaurant boasting tall ceilings and picture windows that frame a stellar view of the Gore Range that’s unavailable at any other eatery in the valley. From tables on the large terrace, diners can watch players from all over the world finish at the 18th hole. It’s the quintessential spot for summer sunset cocktails.

Yet, Grill on the Gore is neither stuffy nor clubby and is shockingly affordable.

Overturning expectations about the food at golf courses—both public and private—is what David Sanchez loves to do.

COLORADO AVIDGOLFER | July 2019

The Grill’s executive chef was born in Texas and raised in Tampa. His Florida influences brighten the Grill’s summer menu in various dishes including black beans with sofrito and his take on the iconic Cuban sandwich made in a panini (or plancha) press with smoked mojo pork and ham. “I probably eat that sandwich twice a week myself,” Sanchez says with a broad smile.

FLAVORING THE FAMILIAR Open from 11 a.m. to dusk, the all-day menu’s stars include fresh fish tacos and the Grill’s signature salad: Greens with strawberries, avocado, toasted pecans and Colorado goat cheese.

“I’m not trying to create novel new dishes,” the chef explains. “I take comfortable, recognizable dishes and elevate them with great ingredients and techniques,” For instance, the menu’s Crab Louie variation adds fried panko-crusted avocado to the snow crab. His gyro “slider” is cooked-to-order Colorado lamb tucked into a soft Chinese rice bao bun.

A longtime culinary instructor, San-

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Must-Taste Destinations in the Neighborhood MINTURN Easy-to-miss Minturn is home to two surprises hidden in a forgettable retail complex. One is MANGIARE ITALIAN MARKET, a small shop packed with an unexpected bounty of firstclass imported Italian grocery items.

The other is the place to taste coffee in the mountains (pictured): THE VAIL MOUNTAIN COFFEE AND TEA CO (vailcoffee.com).

The green beans are roasted yards away in the back of the building. This is coffee-nerd nirvana with serious baristas equipped with an arsenal of beans, roasts and brewing techniques. Sign up for a cupping session to learn how to truly taste coffee. Musttaste caffeine combo: The Sip & Slide—an espresso shot there with a drip coffee to go. >> coloradoavidgolfer.com

chez lets his passion for teaching shine when he’s talking about attention to detail in his kitchen.

“If we’re serving a burger it needs to be the best meat, a great bun,” he emphasizes. “In this kitchen the tomatoes are cut as needed, to order, not a bunch of them ahead of time. Our chicken sandwich is spread with our house-smoked bacon jam with coffee.”

COLD SMOKE WITH A VIEW The bacon for the jam is literally smoked in the backyard at the Grill on the Gore. Sanchez designed a gleaming smoker custom-built in Texas, which he fills with aged peachwood from Palisade for sweetness and Texas post oak for heat.

Sanchez says he wants to “bring back some of the old Colorado food techniques like smoking, pickling and curing.” So into the smoker go pork

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SHIFTING WITH THE SEASONS: Grill on the Gore serves golfers in summer, Nordic skiers in winter and food with a view throughout the year.

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bellies for bacon, brisket (which gets a 14-hour smoke), trout and even parsnips. One of the Grill’s most popular dishes is large, juicy, smoked chicken wings.

Local Colorado cheeses, meats, trout, fruit and honey as well as spirits and craft brews appear on the menu because it’s part of the mission, along with sustainability. “Our whole focus is on creating a true Colorado environment here, but we don’t use something just because it’s local,” he explains. “It’s has to be the highest quality.”

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Side Bets | FAREWAYS four kitchens that supply the Grill on the Gore, a banquet space and food for the Vail Recreation district’s other facilities including neighboring Ford Field. Sanchez and his crew also prepare grab-and-go foods and beverages including breakfast burritos for the club’s new starter building. Located near the driving range, it has a patio where groups and family can gather.

INFORMATION The Grill on the Gore Vail Golf & Nordic Clubhouse, 1775 Sunburst Drive, Vail 970-477-5277; grillonthegore.com; vailgolf.com

PHOTOGRAPHS COURTESY DAVID SANCHEZ

CHEF-GROWN EDIBLE FLOWERS Sanchez, who arrived in Vail in 1993, decided to pull out the ornamental shrubbery behind the Grill’s terrace and plant vegetables, herbs and edible flowers for his kitchens. He is a latecomer to gardening but has embraced it wholeheartedly in the past few years.

“I’m the gardener,” he says. “I started the plants, did the tilling. I come out here in the morning and do weeding and harvesting. I really like it. Next year, maybe we’ll get honeybees,” he said.

He figures all he is doing is maintaining long-standing local tradition. “Long before there was skiing here, Bachelor Gulch was known as a great lettuce-growing and sheep-raising area,” Sanchez said.

With its great solar exposure, this year’s garden is expected to yield herbs for cocktails and cooking, lots of lettuces and tomatoes for salads, as well as parsnips, carrots and kohlrabi.

Sanchez boasts that his 2018 gardening efforts produced “summer squashes this big.”

He holds his hands wide apart, like a fly fisherman telling a friend about a catch he had released into nearby Gore Creek.

John Lehndorff is the former Dining Critic of the Rocky Mountain News and Food Editor of the Boulder Daily Camera.

ON THE LAMB: At this April’s Taste of Vail, Sanchez competed in the Colorado lamb cookoff with peachwood-smoked Colorado leg of lamb bao with scratch molé, coriander, radish slaw, cotija, cuban black beans and avocado jalapeño creme.

Embrace the Native Landscape

COLORADO AVIDGOLFER | July 2019

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More Must-Taste Destinations in the Neighborhood EDWARDS An unexpected concentration of good food appears around one intersection in the town of Edwards near Beaver Creek. On one corner is the landmark GASHOUSE game eatery. The awardwinning GORE RANGE BREWERY brewpub occupies another.

The third corner is wrapped with a remarkable collection of food attractions including the food shops CUT! and EAT + DRINK—for meat and seafood, and wine and cheese, respectively. Stop by SUNDAE (sundaeicecream.com), makers of densely super-premium ice cream. Must-taste flavor: Espresso ice cream laced with finely ground dark-roasted coffee beans.

The final corner of the intersection is home to many eateries but anyone who cares deeply about fried chicken in its various, glorious forms will make a beeline to THE ROSE (theroseedwards.com), a small, quirky eatery/bar in Edwards’ Riverwalk complex. Must-taste appetizer: What else? The boneless fried chicken, which is first cooked slowly—sous vide with herbs—before being fried in a light, crisp coating. It

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The crown jewel of this little beehive of tasty activity is HOVEY & HARRISON (hoveyandharrison.com), a farm-totable café with a full bar and a sourdough bread bakery. They bake macarons, fine soft pretzels (pictured) and giant English muffins, and offer fresh local produce along with graband-go foods from local makers. Must-taste dishes: The fried green tomato sandwich, with fried slices on a toasted buttered sourdough bun with cheese. Arugula is a craveable upgrade on the iconic eggplant Parmesan sub. For dessert, a near-perfect cherry turnover with buttery pastry enveloping tart fruit with no sweet goo.

Down the street is the rarest find of all: Legit, chewy bagels from a New York native. THE VILLAGE BAGEL (villagebagel.co) produces onion, sesame, egg and other water bagels with all the shmears and spreads and cold smoked salmon. Must-taste sandwich: Corned beef Reuben with Swiss and sauerkraut on a toasted, buttered pumpernickel everything bagel.

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PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY HOVEY & HARRISON FACEBOOK

Next door is CRAFTSMAN (craftsmanvail.com), a counterservice casual bar with bites from some fine-dining veterans who’ve built the perfect spot to hang out after a round.

Must-taste beverage: Barrel-aged Manhattan.

comes infused with warm honey-sage syrup, counterpointed by crunchy, spicy pickled celery.

July 2019 | COLORADO AVIDGOLFER

Side Bets | NICE DRIVES

All Trucked Up America’s Big Three proudly keep on trucking with plenty of size, power and room for gear galore. By Isaac Bouchard

Dodge Durango SRT

FOR DECADES NOW, America’s Big Three have specialized in trucks, SUVs and crossovers. Today, these vehicles comprise three-quarters of all new automobile sales. Into this burgeoning market General Motors and Ford have plunged, and while Dodge’s pickups now muster beneath the Ram brand, that hasn’t stopped that venerable division of Fiat-Chrysler from having a dog in the fight.

2019 DODGE DURANGO SRT EPA ratings: 13 city / 19 highway 0-60mph: 5.2 sec Price: From $62,995

FCA, the parent company of Dodge, has done a masterful job of finding a sweet spot for the Dodge brand after it turned the trucks into Rams ten years ago. Re-integrating SRT (they’d tried to make Street & Racing Technology stand alone) certainly helped. As did those silly yet spot-on Ron Burgundy ads for the Durango R/T that goosed sales over 40 percent. All this helped reposition Dodge into a company that represents attainable performance.

The seven-passenger Durango SRT exemplifies this. With 0-60 runs doable in under five seconds, it has the kind of performance only six-figure German machines offer and can tow more than most full-size competitors, thanks to its 8,700-lb. rating.

Oh, and it is simply terrific to drive. It rides well, cuts corners like vehicles half its heft and its Brembo brakes will stand it on its nose, time after time. Quality materials finish the Durango’s interior; it’s quiet and refined— unless you uncork it and let its 392ci, 475hp Hemi rip—and it looks terrific. Dodge has trickled down its coolest styling tropes, too, such as the hood scoop and multiple 20-inch wheel options, to more pedestrian models, meaning that even the V8 R/T and V6 GT now look menacing enough for Mom to feel mean behind the wheel.

COLORADO AVIDGOLFER | July 2019

GMC Sierra 1500 Denali

2019 GMC SIERRA 1500 DENALI EPA ratings: 15/20/17mpg 0-60mph: 6.0 sec Price as tested: $68,535

The new Sierra Denali is huge. Parked between two last-gen 2500s, it stands almost as tall as those ¾-ton machines and its grill is simply massive. It looks different than the Chevy Silverado, which is a good thing as GMC distances itself with offerings distinct from its sibling’s.

Among those are a brilliant six-position tailgate called MultiPro and a less useful but

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Side Bets | NICE DRIVES

2019 FORD RANGER

EPA ratings: 20/24/22mpg 0-60mph: 6.8sec Price as tested: $44,375

Ford Ranger

intriguing carbon fiber bed. The ability to pop down the upper-middle part of the ’gate and lean in to move or retrieve items loaded in the bed is very helpful, offering those of us with creaky joints more in-and-out options than Ford’s tailgate step.

GMC has executed well for those who tow midsize loads (say, 5,000-8,000 lbs.). Cameras and sensors check the trailer lights and automatically adjust parking guidelines and blindspot monitors. The Denali also will accept a camera feed from enclosed trailers and display it on the infotainment screen. Combined with

the great low-end torque of the 420hp/460lb-ft 6.2-liter engine, the terrific shift programming of the 10-speed auto and the better real-world fuel efficiency of a normally-aspirated engine over the turbo Ford EcoBoost, and you have an ideal half-ton truck that will easily handle that big boat, horse trailer or car hauler.

The GMC’s design and small infotainment screen don’t compare to those in the Ram. Nor are GMC’s nicely trimmed, two-tone leather seats nearly as comfortable nor configurable as those in the Ford and Ram. The GMC rides slightly smoother than the Ford and nearly as soothingly as the Ram. Its steering, handling and brake-feel are as good as the others and it has better body control than its Chevrolet brethren. In the fiercely competitive full-size truck segment, the Sierra Denali is compelling enough to carve out its own niche at the upper-end of the class.

After the recession, the domestic automakers abandoned smaller pickups, including the Ford Ranger. This ceded the class to Toyota. Then, when the smaller pickup regained popularity, Ford, which had continued building Rangers for overseas markets, updated its 2011 model and tossed it into the fray.

The result is an interesting blend of attributes that no doubt will suit many buyers well, but might leave others wanting. The Ranger has the best powertrain in the class, especially for us here in Colorado. Comprising a 2.3-liter, turbocharged four- and 10-speed automatic, it is punchy, powerful and responsive. While others can beat its 270 hp rating, the Ranger’s 310lb-ft of twist runs hard and effortlessly.

The Ranger has slightly higher tow and cargo ratings than anything in the class, and its bed is four inches wider than GM’s Colorado/Canyon twins. But the demerits of a near decade-old chassis manifest themselves with little jitters and flutters on even smooth pavement and almost comically poor reactions to big bumps. It wallows around corners and rarely settles down.

The Ranger’s interior likewise mixes old and new: the small, flush mounted climate control buttons are hard to find, being the same color as their surroundings, yet the Sync3 infotainment system is best in class. The backseat neither splits or even folds flat, but all the modern driver aids are either standard or optional. The Ranger has WiFi, 110v outlets and more USBs than the competition does. It is the only truck in the class whose blind-spot monitors can be configured to include a trailer’s width.

Outside, Ford’s styling team has done a great job of keeping the Ranger from looking its age, and it should grab a decent share of the midsize truck market.

Automotive Editor Isaac Bouchard is the owner of Denver-based Bespoke Autos (isaac@bespokeautos.com; 303-475-1462).

Read more of his automotive writing on coloradoavidgolfer.com and bespokeautos.com.

Dodging the Trucks The Dodge Charger, which I remember enjoying the heck outta way back in ’05, has matured into a really pleasing full-size sedan in the classic American idiom—which is ironic since its underlying guts are based on an Autobahn-burner. It can be had with AWD and multiple V6 or V8 engines on every model 707hp Hellcat.

At the top of the heap sits the Challenger, which still looks gorgeous in all its retro paraphernalia. The $40,990 R / T Scat Pack is amongst the most affordable ways to get nigh-on 500hp

and—glory be!—row a stick shift. Stepping up the range, there is the 717hp Hellcat and the epically heroic Widebody, whose bubble flares, 11-inch wide rims and 305-section rubber make most modern cars look anemic. For those of us with gasoline pumping through our veins, all of these serve as solace to an industry trending towards fuel sippin’ and autonomy. —I.B.

Challenger Hellcat

COLORADO AVIDGOLFER | July 2019

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The

th

WHERE LEGENDS BEGIN®

JULY 25-28, 2019

GREEN VALLEY RANCH GOLF CLUB, DENVER

JOHN RIEGGERT, CHAMPION 2018 COBANK COLORADO SENIOR OPEN

BECCA HUFFER, CHAMPION 2019 COBANK COLORADO WOMEN’S OPEN coloradoavidgolfer.com

2018 CHAMPION DRU LOVE 51

July 2019 | COLORADO AVIDGOLFER

JULY 25-28, 2019 GREEN VALLEY RANCH GOLF CLUB, Denver 2018 Champion Dru Love

Former Champions to Watch

Derek Tolan (2009, 2012)

A HIGHLY QUALIFIED FIELD THREE YEARS AGO, in an effort to elevate the level of competition, the CoBank Colorado Open doubled its purse to $250,000 and more than quadrupled the winner’s share to $100,000.

It became the richest state open in the country, and, predictably, one of the most competitive, with the cut line and average score dropping lower every year.

Even with last year’s event shortened to three days because of flooding, two players—Dru Love and Sam Saunders—tied at 19-under after Saunders shot a 60 in the final round. Love won in a playoff.

This year’s edition will get yet another boost from the Web.com Tour’s inaugural TPC Colorado Championship that takes place in Berthoud two weeks earlier (July 11-14).

That’s because on Monday, July 8, as many as 288 players will try to qualify for 12 total spots in the Web.com event, and the very next day, many of the same competitors will also compete in a CoBank Colorado Open qualifying round at nearby Collindale Golf Course in Fort Collins.

“We added the qualifier as soon as the TPC Colorado event secured its date,” explains Colorado Open Golf Foundation CEO Kevin Laura.

“We did it specifically to strengthen our field and to give those Web.com golfers an option two weeks later in case they don’t qualify for— or elect not to play in—that weekend’s Web.com Tour event in Missouri.”

The Missouri event—the Price Cutter Charity Championship presented by Dr. Pepper—overlaps with the CoBank Colorado Open Championship. It takes place in Springfield and features a $700,000 purse with a $126,500 winner’s share.

But if a potential qualifier for the Price CutCOLORADO AVIDGOLFER | July 2019

ter event has already qualified for the CoBank Colorado Open, he’ll very likely skip Missouri and return to Denver for a guaranteed place to compete.

The odds of a player qualifying in a Web.com Tour event are as long as a drive by Brandon Matthews (the Web.com player whose drives average 13 more yards than PGA TOUR leader Cameron Champ’s). Only one in every 24 players advances from the two Monday qualifiers for the TPC Colorado Championship, whereas in each of the five 84-person Colorado Open qualifiers, 12 players advance, for a total of 60 players. “That’s one out of every seven,” Laura says.

Collindale, which annually hosts a local U.S. Open qualifier, will run its CoBank Colorado Open qualifier concurrent with one at Westminster’s Legacy Ridge Golf Course, giving interested participants two choices. As of June 12, seven Web.com Tour players had registered for the Collindale qualifier, while twice that many will tee off at Legacy Ridge.

Legacy Ridge will host a second qualifier July 16. The other two qualifiers take place at Eagle Ranch in Eagle (July 2) and University of Denver Golf Club at Highlands Ranch (July 22).

In addition to the 60 who qualify will be 10 alternates—two from each of the five qualifying sites. You may recall in 2016 an alternate qualifier named Neil Johnson from Wisconsin advanced to the championship, shot 23-under and won $100,000 first place.

“I’m excited about the impact of the TPC Colorado event on our field,” Laura says. “They’ve publicized our qualifier, and it’s going to increase the quality of the players.”

52

Ben Portie (2011)

Zahkai Brown (2013)

Ian Davis (2014)

Jimmy Gunn (2015)

Neil Johnson (2016)

coloradoavidgolfer.com

ALL PHOTOGRAPHS COURTESY COLORADO OPEN GOLF FOUNDATION

Jonathan Kaye (1996, 2017)

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 WOMEN’S OPEN: May 29-31, 2019

800-542-8072 www.cobank.com

COBANK COLORADO OPEN: July 25-28, 2019

COBANK COLORADO SENIOR OPEN: August 28-30, 2019

JULY 25-28, 2019 GREEN VALLEY RANCH GOLF CLUB, Denver

Austin Tee Party

Green Valley Ranch

ONE WITH THE NEIGHBORS

“plus” in the event’s 55-plus-year history.

Fairway Villas represents just one of many neighborhoods in the community developed by Oakwood Homes, whose founder and chairman Pat Hamill bought the assets of the Colorado Open (including those of the Colorado Women’s Open and Colorado Senior Open) in 2003. He set up the nonprofit Colorado Open Golf Foundation board to help generate sponsorships and donations. It quickly resurrected the Colorado Opens, was awarded a chapter of The First Tee in 2005 and now stages the premier state open championships in the country. Like those living in the Fairway Villas, the CoBank Colorado Open will spend many years on the plus side of 55.

ALL PHOTOGRAPHS COURTESY COLORADO OPEN GOLF FOUNDATION

BEYOND THE CHAMPIONSHIP golf that takes place right outside their doors, residents of the resort-style Fairway Villas at Green Valley Ranch have something else in common with the CoBank Colorado Open Championship: The active-adult community members and the state’s golf championship have both been around for 55-plus years.

This July marks the 55th edition of the CoBank Colorado Open. Evergreen’s Hiwan Golf Club hosted from 1964 to 1991. It went to Inverness (1992-’97), Saddle Rock (19982000) and Sonnenalp (2001-’02). Green Valley Ranch Golf Club has welcomed it since 2004, the year following the cancellation of the 2003 tournament at Sonnenalp Golf Club. Ergo, the

CONGRATULATIONS TO AUSTIN MURPHY, an eagle participant of The First Tee of Green Valley Ranch, on being one of 96 First Tee participants nationwide selected to attend the Joe Louis Barrow, Jr. Life Skills and Leadership Academy. Teen participants have the opportunity to develop and hone skills to become leaders in their chapters, schools and communities while experiencing championship golf, career exploration and dorm living. Staged by First Tee Headquarters and hosted by Boise State and The First Tee of Idaho, this year’s seven-day event takes place in Boise July 24–30.

Austin Murphy

Hunter Swanson

CADDIE TRACK FOR THE PAST five years, Green Valley Ranch Golf Club has run a caddie program with a number of participants in The First Tee of GVR. This year, for the first time, players in the CoBank Colorado Open Championships will have the option of having one of them on their bag during the event.

“Six of them looped during the CoBank Colorado Women’s Open in May, and 12 will be available in July,” shares Kevin Laura, a former caddie and Evans Scholar who now serves as the CEO, The First Tee of GVR/CoBank Colorado Opens and President, Green Valley Ranch Golf Club. “It’ll be an eye-opener for some of COLORADO AVIDGOLFER | July 2019

Northfield High School girls’ team

them to see how good these guys are, but they know the course and how to carry themselves.”

Similar in structure to the Solich Caddie and Leadership Academy, Green Valley Ranch’s program pays the caddies, who are made available to golfers at no charge, save for a discretionary gratuity. For the last three years, the caddie pay has largely come from $7,500 grants from the Colorado Golf Association-administered Colorado Golf Foundation.

To date, two Green Valley Ranch caddies— Andrea Pickford and Geovani Castillo—have

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earned full-ride, four-year Evans Scholarships to the University of Colorado, and three First Tee kids played on the Northfield High School girls golf team that qualified for this spring’s 3A State Championship.

“They went from newbies to state team participants,” beams Laura, who notes that First Tee kids Hunter Swanson of Northfield, finished fifth in state last fall, and Emma Bryant of Eaglecrest won the 2018 5A title and the 2017 Junior Match Play Championship—a Junior Golf Alliance of Colorado major. coloradoavidgolfer.com

JULY 25-28, 2019 GREEN VALLEY RANCH GOLF CLUB, Denver

THE GIVING TEE ALL PHOTOGRAPHS COURTESY COLORADO OPEN GOLF FOUNDATION

FROM ITS EARLY days benefiting Craig Hospital, the CoBank Colorado Open has always had a philanthropic component—a tradition the Colorado Open Golf Foundation has amplified with The First Tee of Green Valley Ranch.

Initially serving 53 kids in 2005, The First Tee at GVR today serves 2,084, each receiving a minimum of six hours of Life Skills training using the game of golf as the medium. Including outreach programs, The First Tee GVR has introduced golf and its core values to more than 30,000 kids aged 5-18 over the past 14 years.

The First Tee kids also benefit from exhibitions staged at GVR by PGA and LPGA pros like Matt Kuchar, Lexi Thompson and Jennifer Kupcho.

The CoBank Colorado Opens and related fundraising activities have raised in excess of $3,700,000 for The First Tee of Green Valley Ranch. In 2019 alone, the CoBank Colorado Opens will raise an additional $350,000 for these youth-development programs, eclipsing the $4 million mark.

The First Tee participants surround Matt Kuchar in 2018.

PEAK PERFORMERS SINCE 2016, CoBank’s sponsorship of the CoBank Colorado Championships has notably resulted in larger event purses and annual junior exhibitions at Green Valley Ranch Golf Club with such stars as Paula Creamer, Ryan Palmer and Hale Irwin. But CoBank’s engagement with The First Tee of Green Valley Ranch has also generated national exposure for a bank with customers all over the country. Last year brought the inaugural CoBank PEAK Performers event to The Broadmoor, where World Golf Hall of Famer Annika Sorenstam had breakfast and played six holes of golf with one First Tee member from each of the eight First Tee regions in the continental U.S., plus one from The First Tee of GVR. This year’s CoBank PEAK Performers event takes place Aug. 23 at Terranea Resort in Rancho Palos Verdes, Calif. Another World Golf Hall of Famer, Sir Nick Faldo—who, in addition to wins in three Masters and three Open Championships, started the international junior-golf Faldo Series—will play alongside the nine First Tee kids, including Alexis Cunningham of The First Tee of GVR. The nine participants all applied to The First Tee’s national home office, which forwarded the top candidates to the Colorado Open Golf Foundation selection committee. The kids, whose handicaps could not exceed 10 for boys and 12 for girls, earned the all-expenses-paid opportunity on the basis of answers to various questions, an essay, golf resume, schoolwork, activities and letters of recommendation.

Alexis Cunningham

COLORADO AVIDGOLFER | July 2019

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“I had

to

learn

One of the Web.com Tour’s top players, Denver’s MARK HUBBARD will arrive at the TPC Colorado Championship at Heron Lakes as a lock to regain his PGA TOUR card.

MARK HUBBARD HAS a secret. “To be honest, I think golf is my third favorite sport after basketball and skiing,” the 30-year-old Denver native shares in an equably droll manner. “But I didn’t grow to be 6-foot-6, and I kind of missed my peak as a ski racer.”

Standing a svelte six feet, Hubbard looks like he could still drain three-pointers the way he did when he starred on the Colorado Academy basketball team. But he now makes a living draining putts, and that’s certainly not by default.

The former Colorado Junior Player of the Year has drained enough of them to earn nearly $2 million in the sport that this month will bring him to the Web.com Tour’s inaugural TPC Colorado Championship at Heron Lakes in Berthoud.

It’s his second spin on the Web.com Tour. The first, in 2014, resulted in him qualifying for the PGA TOUR by virtue of finishing 18th in the Web rankings, seven ahead of the 25th and final qualifying spot. From 2015 to 2017, he made the cut in 61 percent of his PGA TOUR starts, once finishing as high as 15th, but by 2018 he found himself back on the developmental circuit.

As of June 17 of this year, however, he ranks fifth among The 25, his return ticket to the PGA TOUR all but punched. This means Hubbard’s first Tour event in Colorado since he turned professional in 2012 could also be his last for a while.

COLORADO AVIDGOLFER | July 2019

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how

to

win again...”

By JON RIZZI Photographs by JUSTIN TAFOYA/CLARKSON CREATIVE

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July 2019 | COLORADO AVIDGOLFER

TOUR QUALITY: Hubbard tees off on TPC Colorado’s 16th, sticking it within six feet of a tucked pin.

He says it’ll be great to be back in the Centennial State, but he feels “no pressure” about performing in front of hometown fans.

“I have to be diligent about thinking it’s just another event for me and just go about my normal routines,” he says. “I just have to be conscious of doing what I do well.”

OPENING HOLES Hubbard says golf has been “a part of my life for as long as I can remember,” but it goes back even further. His parents, Melissa and Bruce, let him nap in a baby carrier as they took lessons at The Club at Rolling Hills in Golden.

He’d soon ride along in the golf car, and, once old enough, take lessons, too.

“Golf was always something we did for fun and when we traveled,” Melissa, a Denver attorney, says. “We emphasized education, education, education, and involved Mark in every sport we possibly could to keep him busy in his spare time.”

“They never pushed me into golf growing up,” Mark says. “I played it for fun, like I played a lot of sports.”

Participating in everything from soccer to football to basketball to swimming allowed Mark’s natural athleticism to express itself. It also prevented him from burning out on a single sport—a fate that all too often befalls kids groomed from an early age to specialize.

“For many reasons, I cherish the way I was raised as a multisport athlete,” he says.

“My parents always made sure it was fun.”

He contends his first two favorite COLORADO AVIDGOLFER | July 2019

sports—skiing and basketball—have paid off in golf. “The skiing helped my balance and separation between my upper and lower body movements,” he says.

And basketball? In addition to the hand-eye coordination required to put the ball in the hole (“in both I aim for as small a target as possible”), Hubbard says hoops helped him establish a pre-shot routine.

“Before I’d shoot a free throw, I’d toss the ball in the air twice and spin it in my hand,” he reveals. “Before I take a shot in golf, I take two practice swings and twirl the club in my hand as I set up to the ball. That twirl is a tension reliever and the trigger that locks me in.”

“HOMELESS HUBBS” Hubbard says his parents also helped him by divorcing when he was five, calling the event “probably the best thing that ever happened to me because they were better parents and people apart.” He split time equally between Bruce’s home in Cherry Creek and Melissa’s in Genesee—and, after she remarried, Southwest Denver.

“I am very proud of the way they raised me and how they handled the situation,” he says. “I got to grow up in two loving homes and got a whole new family from my stepdad’s side. I think going back and forth between homes groomed me a bit for the pro golf lifestyle because I was used to being adaptable and living on the road in a way.”

Case in point: In 2013, playing on his first professional tour, the developmental Mackenzie Tour Canada, he found himself

64

sleeping in billet homes, on people’s floors, on couches and even in his 2001 Volvo as he traveled from British Columbia to Nova Scotia. “And he was fine with it,” remembers Melissa. Hence his nickname and Twitter handle: “Homeless Hubbs.”

Mark’s easygoing adaptability also manifested itself in middle school. After sustaining three concussions while playing quarterback, Having competed in Colorado Junior Golf Association events from age 11, he switched his fall-season sport from football to golf.

His coach at CA, Beth Folsom, remembers a player with more than just a great swing. “He had those intangible qualities you don’t teach people—athleticism, attitude, willingness to work and an intense competitiveness tempered by the ability to let go of things pretty easily,” she recalls. “That demeanor served him well. Still does.”

“He’s a hard worker, one of the best competitors I’ve ever coached,” adds John Kennaday, Mark’s head coach at San Jose State University. “But he’s also a properly grounded young man with a perspective on life and golf and family and friends that’s extraordinarily healthy. He’s also the first to laugh at himself and doesn’t take himself too seriously.”

REMAKING HIS MARK Now living full time in The Woodlands near Houston, where he works with his longtime coach, Master PGA Professional Kevin Kirk, Hubbard has clearly been locked in during the 2019 Web.com Tour season. After finishing 2018 ranked 72, he won February’s LECOM Suncoast Classic in Florida and has notched three Top 10s.

“The three years I was there, I was good enough to be there, but mentally not ready to get into contention to win,” he HOMEBOUND HUBBS: Happy to return to Colorado.

coloradoavidgolfer.com

philosophizes of his first PGA TOUR go-round. “You don’t dream about being 45th, you dream about being in the mix. I wasn’t ready for that. I had to learn to win again. The only way to do that is to do it—and do it often.”

Hubbard won some big tournaments as an amateur, including the prestigious 2006 Optimist International Junior at PGA National in Florida, the 2007 Colorado Junior Golf Association Match and Stroke Play Championships (one of only three ever to accomplish it in the same year), the 2010 Mark Simpson Colorado Invitational and the 2011 Western Athletic Conference Championship.

Prior to this year’s Web.com victory in Florida, his last professional win had come at the 2013 Wildfire Invitational on the Mackenzie Tour.

“The 200 guys on the PGA TOUR aren’t the 200 most talented guys, but the guys who know their game the best,” he says. “I’ve become much more efficient. I’ve always been a very instinctive, ‘feel’ player, so it’s a weird mentality to know I don’t have to play my best, but play correctly—do x, y and z—and be disciplined. But that’s what being a professional is. You take things unemotionally, objectively.

“I’ve done a good job of learning something new every round, every tournament, every year. I play my best when I’m focused on the process.”

Hubbard’s 287.5-yard driving average ranks 123rd on the Tour, but he’s more than comfortable hitting the Big Dog off the deck—a feat he niftily pulled off on TPC Colorado’s monstrous 773-yard 13th during

CONVERSING ALL-STAR: Hubbard chats with TPC Colorado developer Jon Turner at a May media event.

a May media event. “It’s my secret weapon,” he confides. He hits nearly 70 percent of his fairways and is “money” from 140 to 200 yards in. He ranks in the top 25 in putting and birdie average.

“Mark is one of best putters I’ve ever had,” says Kennaday. “Putting is kind of a reflection of how grounded you are.”

Kennaday recruited Hubbard on the recommendation of former University of Denver men’s golf coach Eric Hoos and San Jose State alum Mark Wiebe, the PGA TOUR player who’d watched his son Gunner compete tenaciously with Mark in golf and basketball throughout high school.

“Mark’s always been a good driver and a good putter,” Wiebe, the 2013 Senior British Open Champion, says. “If you’re solid with those two clubs and your wedge, you have a shot at making it as a pro. But you also need to be the guy who wants to take the shot

when time’s running out. He has that selfbelief and self-confidence.”

Hubbard revealed that self-confidence to a national audience on the first day of the 2015 AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am. After finishing his round in the final group, the 24-year-old PGA TOUR rookie walked toward his girlfriend Meghan McCurley as the leaderboard on the gigantic electronic scoreboard dissolved into the words “Meghan, will you marry me?”

Although Hubbard ultimately didn’t make the cut in the event, he certainly made a lasting impression. He could very well also make one in Berthoud this month and on the big tour come September. With Mark’s continued strong play and attitude, his wife’s hand won’t be the only thing he’ll have won on the PGA TOUR. Jon Rizzi is the editor of Colorado AvidGolfer.

JOCK OF ALL TRADES Mark Hubbard’s path to pro golf included competition in sports from skiing to karate to football to basketball. “Playing other sports absolutely helped me in golf,” he says.

CROSSOVER KING: At Colorado Academy, Hubbard started at shooting guard for the Mustangs.

LASTING LINKS: Tony Giordano caddied for his stepson in the 2008 CoBank Colorado Open.

CHILDHOOD PHOTOGRAPHS COURTESY MELISSA HUBBARD GIORDANO

QUARTERBACK IN THE DAY: Hubbard, age 10, played football through 7th grade.

coloradoavidgolfer.com

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Don’t Pound Sand PRO TIP Visit our website to watch Mark demonstrate how to escape bunkers without breaking a sweat:

coloradoavidgolfer.com/hubbard-lesson

Turn a tough bunker shot into a day at the beach.

By MARK HUBBARD

THE REVETTED BUNKERS at TPC Colorado are the deepest we’ll face on the Web.com Tour. Clearing these high sod-faced walls can look less and less possible the closer your ball gets to them. Sure, you can hit it out sideways or backwards, but escaping over that front lip isn’t as hard as it looks.

SETUP You want to get the ball up and over the lip as fast as you can. In order to do that, open the face of the club by turning the toe of the club back (photo 1).

1

That will (A) add loft to the club and (B) help you use the bounce of the club. The bounce is the fat part on the bottom of the club that’s designed to splash the sand and get the ball up faster. You don’t want to use the leading edge (C) because it’s going to dig into the sand and the ball won’t get up.

C

A

When you open the clubface to add the loft, the club will point out to the right (photo 2). In order to counteract that, you need to open up your stance and move your lead foot to the left, squaring yourself more towards the target.

B 2

3

At address, picture yourself hitting an inch behind the ball and leading with the heel of the club (photo 3).

BACKSWING With your feet dug in for stability, weight evenly balanced (unlike a traditional weight-forward bunker stance) and hands midway down the grip for increased clubface control, take the club away like you would a normal swing or pitch shot. Don’t be afraid to take a big swing; the loft you have added by opening your clubface and the fact that you are taking an inch of sand will ensure that you don’t hit it too far. Be mindful of tempo—no need to swing faster to get it out.

Keep your normal tempo and balance.

COLORADO AVIDGOLFER | July 2019

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DOWNSWING Again, make a normal downswing. The worst mistake I see most amateurs make is trying to lift the ball in the air by getting too steep. The loft and the bounce will do the job for you. If you try and lift the ball, you will lose your spine angle and the club will bottom out too early, causing you to take too much sand and not get the ball out (I like to think of keeping my right shoulder high as a way to counteract this).

Stan Fenn & Doug Perry

IMPACT Make sure you accelerate through the ball. This will help lift the ball and allow the club to have enough speed and force to get through the sand.

Tune in for a chance at free admission to the Web.com Tour’s TPC Colorado Championship at Heron Lakes in Ber thoud.

FOLLOW-THROUGH Let the club release naturally to the left, parallel to your stance.

Listen online or on your radio

SATURDAYS 7-9 a.m.

BUNKER MENTALITY • Swing balanced. Don’t lean back and try to “help” the club get the ball out— you’ll bottom out too early and dig into the sand.

• Accelerate through the ball. Many players decelerate at impact because they’re afraid of hitting the lip or the bunker face. Get after it! coloradoavidgolfer.com

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July 2019 | COLORADO AVIDGOLFER

The

Web.com’s

New Domain

As the state’s first annual pro tour event in 13 years, this month’s TPC Colorado Championship at Heron Lakes will bring major excitement to Berthoud. By JON RIZZI

COURSE PHOTOGRAPHS BY JAMIE SCHWABEROW/CLARKSON CREATIVE

THE CLIMB TO the PGA TOUR will reach new heights when the Web.com Tour’s TPC Colorado Championship at Heron Lakes comes to Berthoud July 11-14. At a mile high and 7,991 yards long, the new TPC Colorado course will present the 156 competitors with exceptional challenges and give Colorado golf fans the privilege of seeing how these talented players handle them.

“Colorado yearns for pro golf,” says David Duval, the former No. 1 player in the world, who’ll be competing on a sponsor’s exemption. “And Web.com Tour golfers are world-class players.”

Known as “The 25,” the top 25 finishers in points standings at the end of the Web.com season automatically advance to the PGA TOUR. Three-quarters of all current PGA TOUR players—including Colorado’s Wyndham Clark and Jim Knous— have come from their ranks, and alumni of the Web.com Tour (which has previously been title-sponsored by Ben Hogan, Nike, Buy.com and Nationwide) have won 24 major championships, including one in each of the last nine years.

That legacy also has Colorado connections: 2009 British Open Champion Stewart Cink won the Nike Colorado Classic at Riverdale Dunes in 1996, and Duval, who took home the Claret Jug in 2001, won the inaugural Nike Tour Championship in 1993 and lives in Cherry Hills Village.

Duval will forsake a practice round at Royal Portrush before this year’s Open Championship to compete in his adopted home state. He’ll be joined by Mark Hubbard (see page 62), the 2007 Colorado Junior Amateur and Match Play champion currently ranked in the Top 10 on the Web.com Tour Points List.

They’ll play in a field with the top six finishers in each of the July 8 qualifiers at Riverdale Dunes and Highland Meadows—and another 142 guys who can all go low.

Only seven events on the schedule remain after this one, and with all but the last few spots in “The 25” seemingly spoken for, the competition in Colorado will be intense.

Here’s what they—and you—can expect.

PLAYERS TO WATCH*

COLORADO AVIDGOLFER | July 2019

PHOTOGRAPH BY JUSTIN TAFOYA/ CLARKSON CREATIVE

PHOTOGRAPH BY MICHAEL COHEN

MARK ANDERSON Tour leader in scrambling, making par or better 71.84% after missing the green.

DAVID DUVAL Former World No. 1 would love heading to Royal Portrush after a strong performance at home.

SEBASTIAN CAPPELEN Danish player won the REX Hospital Open and ranks top 10 in driving distance (311.2 yards).

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DOUG GHIM Low am at 2018 Masters has played 6 PGA TOUR events and is poised to break through.

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LOCAL SUPPORT As of May 30, the event had registered 500 volunteers from six states. “The community has been so engaged and supportive,” said developer Jon Turner.

“We’ve signed on more than 50 sponsors, and 65 homeowners in the Berthoud and Loveland areas offered to host players in their homes.”

CALIFORNIA DREAMIN’: The drivable par-4 6th evokes the 10th at Riviera.

THE COURSE Developer Jon Turner, who in 2004 opened Highland Meadows Golf Course in Windsor, tabbed the same architect, Colorado-native Art Schaupeter, to design TPC Colorado. He totally nailed it.

His layout unfurls as a single 18-hole loop, its links-like style suggesting a Scottish provenance. Trees appear on only two holes: the 192-yard par-3 8th, which occupies a natural peninsula bordered completely by cottonwoods and bayou-like swampland; and the 450-yard par-4 9th that right-doglegs around the cottonwoods and features both shaped and sod-faced bunkers.

The other 16 fescue-lined holes offer extraordinary variety in terms of hazards, strategy and appearance. Scoring opportunities present themselves from the get-go. On the 635-yard opener, a player whose tee shot finds the speed slot some 300 yards out can try reaching the shallow green in two. Like No. 1 at the Old Course at St. Andrews, though, a moat-like swale fronting the green will snag anything short.

A much larger Biarritz-style green lurks on the 234-yard par-3 2nd, followed by the reachable-at-altitude 393-yard par-4 3rd and the only-reachable-in-two 527-yard par-4 4th. Plan to spend some time watching the 360-yard 6th, a fabulous risk-reward par 4 inspired by the famous bunker-ringed 10th at Riviera.

“Eagle’s Lair,” the name of the 10th, hints at the result you might witness on this 332yard par 4 with a ginormous green and equally vast pot bunkers.

Similarly deep chasms lie in wait throughout the course, and certainly dictate strategy on the 434-yard par-4 12th. Players going left off the tee to avoid the sand face a blind shot to a wide, shallow green. Positioned on one of the property’s highest points, the putting surface affords a premier panorama of the course and the Front Range, including the Boulder Flatirons, Pikes Peak, Longs Peak and the Indian Peaks.

THE VENUE • The first ground-up course built in Colorado in nearly a decade, TPC Colorado serves as the centerpiece of the sprawling 800-acre Heron Lakes development that borders three interlocking reservoirs—McNeil, Lonetree and Welch.

• In addition to hundreds of homes, future plans call for a marina club, 30 acres of small-business commercial space and a hotel complex.

• The 10,000-square-foot Phase One construction on the clubhouse has been completed. Phase Two, consisting of an additional 50,000 square feet, will open late next spring.

When finished, the clubhouse will boast the requisite upscale amenities for members (locker rooms, spa, fitness center, concierge, meeting rooms, wine cellar, private dining, swimming, etc.) and the public.

PLAYERS TO WATCH* PHOTOGRAPH BY MATT SULLIVAN

PHOTOGRAPH BY STACY REVERE

LANTO GRIFFIN Tour leader in eagles has 1 win, 3 Top Tens a year after making 13 of 26 PGA TOUR cuts.

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BRANDON MATTHEWS Averages 330 yds off tee and cranked a 421-yd drive. Altitude adds 10%.

Do the math.

JIMMY GUNN Sole Scottish winner of 2015 CoBank Colorado Open still seeks first Web.com Tour victory.

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MAVERICK McNEALY Collegiate superstar at Stanford is on bubble for PGA TOUR status in 2nd Web.com season.

July 2019 | COLORADO AVIDGOLFER

SWEET 16: TPC Colorado’s showcase par 3, the aptly named “Center Stage.”

TPC & IPA After watching some great golf, stop by City Star Brewing in the heart of downtown Berthoud.

Purveyors of inspired reds, lagers, saisons and IPAs, these friendly folks feature live music Friday and Saturday evenings in the beer garden out back. 321 Mountain Avenue; citystarbrewing.com

ROLLING IN THE DEEP: Revetted bunkers, such as these on No.9, lurk everywhere.

THE EVENT TICKETS AVAILABLE: tpccoloradochampionship.com Practice (Tues.) or Pro-Am (Weds.): $10 One-Day (Thurs.-Sun.): $15 All-Week (Tues.-Sun.): $35 (Kids 17 and under free with ticketed adult)

The hole everyone is talking about is the 762-yard par-5 13th. The longest hole anyone can remember is also one of the hardest. A 104-yard-long “Hell Bunker” (so named in homage to the one on 14 at St. Andrews) menaces the second shot. Some players might elect to go driver-driver to avoid it. Club selection is intriguing and critical.

On the following hole, the 273-yard par-3 14th, you might actually see guys laying up if the wind’s blowing.

From the clubhouse perch, you can view the final four-hole stretch and the first hole. The 164-yard par-3 16th, dubbed “Center Stage,” is fittingly named. The TPC’s marquee hole drops 60 feet to a multitiered 9,000-square-foot green framed by the backdrop comprising McNeil Reservoir, foothills and Longs Peak. Pin placement can mean the difference between an ace and aqua. From here you can watch players coming up the fairway on the 529-yard par-4 finisher.

For $625 per person, those wanting to entertain friends or clients can access the Summit Club on the 18th green. You get views of the 16th, 17th and 18th holes, while savoring complimentary food and beverage in air-conditioned comfort.

SET YOUR GPS: 2375 TPC Parkway, Berthoud (50 miles from Denver; 20 from Fort Collins); free parking on premises.

GATES OPEN: 8 A.M. Tues. (Practice Rounds) 7 A.M. Weds. (Pro-Am) 6:30 A.M. Thurs.-Sun.

PLAYERS TO WATCH* PHOTOGRAPH BY MICHAEL COHEN

PHOTOGRAPH BY MICHAEL COHEN

PHOTOGRAPH BY STACY REVERE

SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER Has 1 win and 7 Top 10s this year, plus a Tour-best 4.48 scoring average on par 5s.

TIM WILKINSON New Zealander with PGA TOUR experience leads Tour in sand saves with 70 percent.

ROBBY SHELTON 2 wins and 4 Top 10s have propelled Alabama native to the top of the Tour points list.

XINJUN ZHANG Made 12 PGA TOUR cuts in ’18. Has 1 win, 5 top 10s this year. Converts 37% of birdie opps.

*All statistics and standings current as of June 10, 2019. Photographs courtesy PGATour.com unless otherwise credited.

COLORADO AVIDGOLFER | July 2019

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Custom golf getaways via private aircraft

Now the 5% can travel like the 1% Manifest is an exclusive lifestyle and travel club. We create powerful experiences for our members with custom-crafted getaways to unique destinations within the U.S. removing the hassle of typical travel by providing private air. We are a tribe of like-minded travelers ready to embark upon meaningful adventures.

ManifestEscapes.com/Golf to become one of our 300 members coloradoavidgolfer.com

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July 2019 | COLORADO AVIDGOLFER

Golf in the Republic The game didn’t appear in Ireland until the 1850s—400 years or more after the Scots began hitting the links. But oh, how the Irish caught up. By TONY DEAR ANYONE WHO HAS ever met the man knows Pat Ruddy doesn’t do small talk—not for long anyway. There’s rarely any icebreaking chat about the weather. Instead, he launches into a stream of anecdotes, memories and observations that make you laugh, wonder and, sometimes, late for your tee time.

A prolific writer before moving into course design and establishing himself as Ireland’s second-greatest-ever architect behind only the peerless Eddie Hackett, Ruddy possesses the four Gs of Irishness— Geniality, Graciousness, Gregariousness and Generosity—in spades.

THE EUROPEAN CLUB That said, he’s not terribly humble about his design of the European Club. The book he wrote about it is titled The Perfect Golf Links, and the words “A Truly Great Golf COLORADO AVIDGOLFER | July 2019

Links” are front and center on the club’s website. Actually, the club’s name indicates how highly Ruddy regards his course.

But while his pride may seem incompatible with all the Gs, the ego is admissible because the European is every bit as good as he says it is. Three of its holes—par-4 7th, par-5 13th, and par-3 14th—were listed among the best 500 in the world by George Peper and Golf Magazine in 2000.

In a country where great golf courses bunch together, one stuck out by itself on the Wicklow coast may seem a little out of the way. It really isn’t. Just 30 miles south of Dublin, the European is easily reached on the E1 (European Route 1), part of the international E-road network that connects cities, ports and airports across the continent. “It is, in effect, a super golf highway linking four of the World’s Top-

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100 Golf Courses—Royal Portrush, Royal County Down, Portmarnock and the European,” says Ruddy. “We get a lot of play from Dublin, but we’ve welcomed golfers from Canada, Mexico, Argentina, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Zimbabwe, Nigeria, Dubai, Singapore, India, China, Japan, Sweden, Norway, Finland, Germany, Italy, France, Spain, Portugal, Belgium, Austria, Switzerland, Holland, Denmark, Iceland, Scotland, Wales, England and the USA—I’m probably forgetting a few.”

The European opened in 1992, five years after Ruddy had undertaken a helicopter tour of the Irish coastline in search of his dream property. He had no partners and wanted to keep his debt to a minimum, so he began with a prefab for a clubhouse and built the course as inexpensively as possible. coloradoavidgolfer.com

ALL PHOTOGRAPHS COURTESY OF THE COURSES

RUGGEDLY HANDSOME: The European Club hugs the Irish Sea.

FRESH ÉIRE: Waterville’s 18th

As income flowed in, he built the clubhouse and improved the course. Ruddy still constantly tinkers with his design and added two new short holes in the late ’90s so he could work while still making 18 available.

“A lot has changed since the start as I keep working on the links’ evolution,” says Ruddy. “Just this winter, I decided to drop hole 2 and use 12a instead. I also added a new championship tee on the 9th extending the course to 7,490 yards.”

Ruddy doesn’t so much talk as sing.

There’s a gentleness (another G), levity and cheer in his voice that he shares with most of his countrymen. It’s a jauntiness that’s hard to fathom. coloradoavidgolfer.com

How can a nation tormented by centuries of struggle caused by famine, mass-emigration and occupation by the Vikings and later the English be home to a people whose sense of humor and eager hospitality rarely, if ever, fails them?

Ireland and its people are beyond explanation. Clare-born novelist Edna O’Brien perhaps comes closest to accounting for a disposition seemingly at odds with its past. “When anyone asks me about the Irish character, I say look at the trees—maimed, stark and misshapen, but ferociously tenacious.”

Some might argue Ireland’s links share those same characteristics. Battered and eroded by the elements, they are austere

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and, at times, wretched places where the wind howls, blowing the cold rain into your face and through the thickest of outergarments—places where a ferocious tenacity is required to see the round through.

Others insist their bleakness hides an awesome, unblemished beauty, whatever the weather. Places like Lahinch, Ballybunion, Portmarnock and Ballyliffin; Rosapenna, Tralee, Connemara and Carne; Enniscrone, Killarney, Sligo and Old Head; Donegal, Doonbeg, Dingle and Dooks might look desolate to the untrained eye, but the curves of the dunes and the firmness of the ground promise an exhilarating ride for the links golfer.

Add to that murderer’s row my two favorites: Waterville and Narin & Portnoo.

WATERVILLE An Irish-born American, John Mulcahy, rescued Waterville’s original nine holes— which first appeared in the 1880s—from neglect when he purchased the property and hired Eddie Hackett, who had learned the trade under Fred Hawtree, to restore the original nine and create nine more. The new Waterville opened in 1973.

Hackett built an unforgettable stretch of holes among the dunes to the south of the original course—holes like the par-5 11th—“Tranquility”—which threads the July 2019 | COLORADO AVIDGOLFER

MULCAHY’S PEAK: Waterville’s 17th

needle through a magnificent channel of sand hills, the par-3 12th—“The Mass Hole”— which features a large depression in which devout Catholics celebrated Mass in the 1700s (Hackett wanted to build the green there but local laborers resisted, forcing him to put it on the neighboring dune), the par4 16th which finishes close by the Atlantic Ocean, and the par-3 17th named in honor of Mulcahy who would scan the site from the “peak” that became the tee.

In 1987, a group of investors led by former US Army helicopter pilot and Wall Street investment banker Jay Connolly bought the club from Mulcahy and, 15 years later, hired Tom Fazio to “freshen up” the somewhat tired-looking links. “We wanted to retain as much of Eddie’s work as possible,” says Connolly. “But it needed a new pair of eyes to bring it into the 21st century.”

Fazio added the par-3 6th and par-4 7th and, in all, made alterations to 13 holes.

Like Hackett, he did a superb job, the course rightly vaulting back into the country’s top three or four.

Waterville records roughly 30,000 rounds a year, about 75 percent of which are played by overseas golfers. The wonderfully good-humored and welcoming Noel Cronin (you meet a lot of people like Noel in Ireland) manages the club and, like most club managers in Ireland, will go out of his way to ensure you have a memorable day.

To be honest, though, he really doesn’t have to do much on that score—Hackett/Fazio’s treasured layout sees to that.

NARIN & PORTNOO A typically brilliant renovation by Gil Hanse and Jim Wagner will do much the same for Narin & Portnoo Links on the Donegal coastline 130 miles west of Belfast.

First conceived by five local golfers COLORADO AVIDGOLFER | July 2019

SHOW OF HANSE: Nos. 14, 15 and 16 at Narin & Portnoo

(including two men of the Cloth) and laid out by Portrush professional Hughie McNeill, the course opened in July 1930 and enjoyed a peaceful existence until catastrophic financial issues set in following the rebuilding of the clubhouse and parts of the golf course in 2007.

The club’s debts were eventually taken on in July 2017 by Connecticut-based businessman Liam McDevitt, who was born an hour south of the course in Ballyshannon and vacationed in a mobile home near the club’s entrance as a boy. McDevitt, however, was unable to resolve a legal dispute with a local landowner who leased a part of the course to the club, which was forced to close in February of last year, saying it had run out of money. An agreement of sorts was reached at the club’s AGM and play

resumed shortly afterwards with McDevitt announcing numerous changes, initiating a new club constitution and drawing up a new master plan.

Hiring new staff and the redevelopment of the clubhouse and catering operation has had a big impact, but the most noticeable changes are happening to the golf course where McDevitt’s “dream team” of Hanse and Wagner have made a number of significant changes.

“We felt the routing didn’t make the most of the site,” says Hanse, who first visited in 2017 but began work last October, clearly excited to be given the job of enhancing Ireland’s linksland for the first time. “Mr. McDevitt is committed to maximizing the course’s potential for the benefit of members and visitors.”

MARRAM CAROMS: Narin & Portnoo’s 7th green

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SWILKEN-ESQUE: The Golf Course at Adare Manor’s opening hole.

Hanse has made four visits to Narin and will return later this year to complete the job alongside Wagner and their man on the ground, Scotland’s Neil Cameron.

Though popular enough, Narin was never a top-tier must-play for American golfers. Those who did play it always sang its praises, but it was usually a quick 18 for golfers headed elsewhere. Don’t be surprised, though, if Narin & Portnoo becomes a vital component of a great many Irish itineraries within two or three years.

GOLF COURSE AT ADARE MANOR Somewhere else that will be included on many more itineraries than it has in the past is the Golf Course at Adare Manor (be careful, Adare Manor Golf Club is a separate entity), perhaps Ireland’s finest parkland course. Owner JP McManus had Tom Fazio and his senior design associate Tom Marzolf update Robert Trent Jones’s 1995 original.

“Update” isn’t really accurate for what Fazio, Marzolf and the 150 or so turf, drainage, ir-

rigation, construction, bunker and infrastructure experts did to Adare, though. They totally transformed the place.

The routing remained, but a six-inch layer of sand, 50 miles of drainage pipe and Sub-Air moisture-removal systems beneath each of the Pure Distinction bentgrass greens ensure near-perfect playing surfaces year-round, while the absence of rough and just 42 bunkers give Adare Manor hope to those who can afford the roughly $420 green fee.

Adare, like the European, Narin & Portnoo, Waterville—every course in Ireland in fact—stands to gain from the exposure this year’s Open Championship at Royal Portrush will bring. TV pictures showing craggy links (and Adare) can’t help but drive American golfers across the Atlantic.

Plenty have been coming for decades

Northern Irish Eyes Are Smiling

Links to the Links:

For the first time in 68 years, the Open Championship will return to ROYAL PORTRUSH next July, shining a light on one of golf ’s most desirable destinations.

By TOM MACKIN

WHEN LOCAL political parties, along with the British and Irish governments, signed the Good Friday Agreement in Northern Ireland in 1998, the long-term ramifications beyond a more peaceful country were unknown. Two decades later, one byproduct is perhaps the most unlikely of all: the return of the Open Championship in 2019 to Royal Portush, which had hosted it once before in 1951.

Why now? A fantastic host venue, naturally, and a calming of “The Troubles” certainly helped. So too did having three native sons win six majors in the past eight years. With tickets already sold out for the four days of competition next July, expectations are high for what many say will be the biggest sporting event in the island’s history, far exceeding the 2006 Ryder Cup at the K Club in Ireland.

PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY OF CARR GOLF

The European Club: theeuropeanclub.com Waterville Golf Links: watervillegolflinks.ie Narin & Portnoo Links: narinandportnoolinks.com Golf Course at Adare Manor: adaremanor.com

COLORADO AVIDGOLFER | Fall 2018

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already, of course. First-timers will find an enchanting land and charming, charismatic people they’d heard about but didn’t believe could really exist. They, too, will become regulars.

CAG Contributor Tony Dear, an Englishman by birth, lives in Bellingham, Wash., and writes for numerous publications both in the U.S. and U.K.

For more on golf in Northern Ireland, the site of this month’s Open Championship, see our Fall 2018 edition: coloradoavidgolfer.com/magazine/magazine-archive

TRUE LINKS: A mere 13 miles across the Irish Sea from Scotland, Royal Portrush is the only club outside of the mainland UK to have hosted the Open Championship.

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Getaways SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

Colorado

VAIL VALLEY • SUMMIT COUNTY PRESENTED BY

SONNENALP Defining the Vail experience

MOUNTAINS OF JOY

Glorious golf, food, resorts, festivals and more coloradoavidgolfer.com

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VAIL VALLEY When the Snow Flies Minutes from the slopes at Vail and Beaver Creek, The Club at Cordillera boasts an outdoor ice-skating rink, Nordic Center and a private groomed track for sledding, tubing, snowshoeing and cross-country skiing on seven miles encompassing the Mountain Course. cordillera-vail.com

The Club at Cordillera-Mountain Course

2,000 FEET,

three courses

The Club at Cordillera’s 7,000 spectacular acres climb more than 2,000 feet in elevation, affording opportunities for heart-pumping hikes, jaw-dropping views and championship golf at three distinct altitudes. Unique in topography, climate and weather pattern, the Tom Fazio-designed

Valley Course (7,200 feet above sea level), Hale Irwin-designed Mountain Course (8,250 feet) and the Jack Nicklaus-designed Summit Course (9,200) each challenge you in their own way. For a great warm-up or wind-down, play the par-3 Dave Pelz Short Course at 8,126 feet. cordillera-vail.com

TimberHearth

Repasts Perfect Each Cordillera golf clubhouse features its own restaurant: TimberHearth (Valley), Chaparral Grille (Mountain) and Summit (Summit). cordillera-vail.com

MILES OF ACTIVITIES

Allegria Spa at Park Hyatt Beaver Creek

STAY GRACIOUSLY

Trail riding

PHOTOGRAPH BY JACK AFFLECK

The Club at Cordillera owns fishing rights on 1.3 miles of the Eagle River, and anglers can also cast into five trout-stocked ponds.

Hike, mountain bike or ride on horseback along the club’s 31-mile trail network that extends into the three-million acre White River National Forest. cordillera-vail.com Park Hyatt Beaver Creek Resort and Spa’s 190 luxurious rooms include 23 suites. Guests can dine spectacularly at the resort’s 8100 Mountainside Bar & Grill and have access to 54 holes of golf at nearby Beaver Creek and Red Sky golf clubs. Great fly-fishing, rafting and hiking are minutes away. parkhyattbeavercreek.com

ALL JAZZED UP

From June 30-Sept. 2, the 25th Annual Vail Jazz Festival fills the mountain air with the sweet sounds of swing, salsa, bebop, blues and more. Featuring more than 80 performances and 200 artists, the Festival consists of six distinctive series at multiple outdoor and indoor venues—from Vail Square to the Riverwalk to the Sonnenalp. vailjazz.org COLORADO AVIDGOLFER | July 2019

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VAIL VALLEY

Frost Creek Yurts

CABINS AND YURTS

Just 15 minutes south of I-70, Frost Creek offers spectacular homes and homesites. Members can also stay in one of the club’s 10 lavishly appointed 3- and 4-bedroom cabins—or book one of its two glamping yurts. Both options provide a low-cost, maintenance-free base camp in the stunning Brush Creek Valley. frostcreek.com Frost Creek Restaurant

Frost Creek

THE CLUB THAT

defies definition

Frost Creek isn’t a typical golf or country club. Yes, a brilliant Tom Weiskopf-designed course with a 40,000-square-foot clubhouse occupies 285 of the property’s 1,100 acres, but this private portal to the high-country lifestyle offers an endless selection of activities and amenities: ponds for fishing,

swimming and SUP; an outdoor pool; tennis courts; miles of private fly-fishing, trails for biking, hiking and running; Jeep rides and more—all of it on acreage adjacent to protected lands as vast as the adventures you can have. frostcreek.com

A Tale of Two Nines

Designed by Tom Weiskopf, Frost Creek’s 7,155-yard golf course nestles in the quiet Brush Creek Valley, making painterly use of its dramatic setting. The front nine unfurls across sagebrush and ranchland, while the back winds gloriously through the trees and along the creek. Ten holes bring water into play, and in true Weiskopf fashion, two par 4s—Nos. 4 and 13—are drivable. frostcreek.com

FROSTING ON THE CAKE

The ambitious menu of activities enjoyed

by Frost Creek members requires an equally ambitious menu of high-quality food served at breakfast, lunch and dinner. But you don’t have to be a member to savor homemade sourdough pancakes with blackberry preserves, the chicken BrieLT sandwich or Chef Tyson Amick’s other responsibly and locally sourced “elevated comfort food” in the clubhouse dining room. frostcreek.com

CAN’T-MISS EVENTS Stars Within Reach

Beaver Creek’s Vilar Performing Arts Center’s summer lineup features Buddy Guy, Punch Brothers, Michael McDonald, Toots & the Maytals and a youth production of Frozen Jr. vilarpac.org

COLORADO AVIDGOLFER | July 2019

Bicycle Road Race

The second of the Colorado Classic’s four stages zips through Avon on August 23. It is the lone women’s-only pro bicycle road race in the Western hemisphere. coloradoclassic.com

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Bravo! Vail Music Festival

The Gerald Ford Amphitheater will host the Philadelphia Orchestra (July 5-13) and New York Philharmonic (July 17-24).

Free indoor concerts also take place at multiple venues. bravovail.org

coloradoavidgolfer.com

Spectacular.”

“NOTHING SHORT OF

-Colorado – AvidGolfer.com

Tom Weiskopf, Course Designer

Luxury Member Cabins

Nestled in a quiet stretch of Brush Creek Valley, surrounded by pristine Colorado Wilderness, awaits a truly extraordinary golf experience. Frost Creek, designed in part by nature CLUB MEMBERSHIP OPPORTUNITIES CUSTOM HOMESITES FROM $250K VISIT: WWW.FROSTCREEK.COM • CALL: 970.328.2326

itself, is a combination of focused shotmaking, stunning vistas and pure tranquility. Are you ready to explore?

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VAIL VALLEY A HUNCH FOR LUNCH Located in Eagle’s historic downtown, Red Canyon Café serves up great coffee and breakfast fare and totally rocks lunch with artisan panini, muffalettas and inspired hot and cold sandwich creations. Red Canyon boasts an artsy ambiance and super-fresh food at fair prices. redcanyoncafe.com PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY RED CANYON CAFE

Red Canyon Café

MANGIA BENE! Luigi’s Pastahouse across from the movie theater serves delicious, affordable pastas, pizzas and entrées worthy of its long wine list. luigispastahouse.com

Eagle Ranch Golf Club

A LEVEL-BEST One of the most affordable public golf courses in Eagle County, Eagle Ranch Golf Club nestles in the town of Eagle’s historic Brush Creek Valley, just minutes from Vail and Beaver Creek. The Arnold Palmer Signature Design spans 5,423 to 7,461 yards. More of a links-style than a mountain layout, the course sports long native grasses and large mounds

along the wide fairways. It also features a unique “alternate green” on the par-5 12th hole. The site of one of CoBank Colorado Open qualifying rounds, Eagle Ranch sits at 6,600 feet, lower than other mountain courses, leading to rounds played as early as March and often well into November. eagleranchgolf.com

Bonfire Brewing

ADVENTUROUS EVENTS One-Track Minded?

More than 100 miles of singletrack trails crisscross Eagle, taking in high desert, aspen groves and fragrant evergreen forests. BLM trails such as Boneyard and the first two loops of the Haymaker Trail stay open year-round. eagleoutside.com

Fungi for Fun Guys Eagle Mushroom & Wildwood Festival

COLORADO AVIDGOLFER | July 2019

Foray, forage and learn about morels and mycology at the 10th Eagle Mushroom & Wildwood Festival (Aug. 2-4). A nine-course, epicurean “wild dinner” at the Dusty Boot in Eagle highlights the wild weekend event. eaglemushroomfest.com

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PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY BONFIRE BREWING FACEBOOK

mountain course

GET FIRED UP Bonfire Brewing has become an Eagle institution for music, atmosphere and craft beers with names like Après-cot Blonde. bonfirebrewing.com

Arnold Palmer Golf in the Colorado Rockies Nestled in the heart of the historic Brush Creek Valley in Eagle, Colorado and only minutes away from Vail and Beaver Creek, the Eagle Ranch Golf Club offers the chance to play an Arnold Palmer Signature Design course at an elevation of 6,600 feet, without falling off the side of a mountain on a downhill lie.

Designed by golf legend, Arnold Palmer, the course has picturesque views of the surrounding mountains. However, the course plays similar to a links course with long native grasses and large mounds bordering the wide fairways. Golfers of all abilities enjoy the layout, which challenges the best golfers to hit it long and straight, but never unfairly penalizes any golfer for hitting a good shot.

Due to a lower elevation than its ski resort neighbors, Eagle Ranch enjoys a more mild winter climate, which results in a longer season (early April — early November) and outstanding course conditions.

The staff at Eagle Ranch Golf Club is passionate about providing an exceptional golf experience.

Many golfers comment that they get treated better here than at a private country club. Our staff will greet you upon arrival with a smile and do everything they can to make you feel at home.

0050 Lime coloradoavidgolfer.com

Park Drive, Eagle, CO 81631 | www.EagleRanchGolf.com |July (970) 85 2019 328-2882 | COLORADO AVIDGOLFER

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VAIL VALLEY

Follow the Sonn

Like the Vail hotel of the same name and ownership, Sonnenalp Club in Edwards epitomizes excellence, boasting top-notch swimming, tennis, spa and workout facilities with floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the Bob Cupp/Jay Morrish-designed golf course and most of the Vail Valley.

Sonnenalp Hotel guests get preferred tee times at the club. Memberships run $45,000, with $6,500 in annual dues. sonnenalpclub.com Sonnenalp Club Vail Golf Club

PRIORITY VAIL The oldest course in the Vail Valley remains one of its best and most popular. Built in 1963, Vail Golf Club sports a 6,766-yard layout that enjoys a brisk pace of play and operates from a new, enlarged ski-lodgestyle clubhouse with high-end finishes, event space and the Grill on the Gore (see page 44). vailrec.com

Alpine Elegance With its Swiss Château-style façade, gemütlich interior and echt European vibe, Vail’s Sonnenalp Hotel has set the standard for luxury since opening 40 years ago. Its 112 suites and 15 hotel rooms, three restaurants, spa, fitness center and indoor and outdoor pools all radiate the welcoming hospitality that has made it a legend. sonnenalp.com

Vail Golf Club where the experience exceeds the elevation

Stunning views | 4:07 pace of play | Unique golf bikes | NEW clubhouse & restaurant

Public Welcome COLORADO AVIDGOLFER | July 2019

www.vail.golf | 970-479-2260

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D I S C O V E R

VAI L’S PREMI 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

PRESENTED BY SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

VAIL VALLEY

ELEVATE YOUR GAME 18 Hole Championship Course Par 3 Course & Practice Facility Golf Grill & Clubhouse Spectacular Rocky Mountain Views

JUST WHO IS SEBASTIAN? An eclectic confluence of approachable chic and high mountain comfort, The Sebastian–Vail–A Timbers Resort is both an 84-room boutique hotel and a Private Residence Club. Located in the heart of Vail Village, The Sebastian showcases the Bloom Spa, Frost Bar, a social area coyly called the Library, a mountain-view pool with steaming hot tubs and a visionary restaurant called Leonora. Owners receive luxurious residences with spectacular amenities, privileges, personal service and membership in the Timbers Reciprocity program with other properties. thesebastianvail.com

The Sebastian

AVAIL YOURSELF TO EAGLEVAIL Located only five minutes from both Vail and Beaver Creek resorts, EagleVail Golf Club offers 18 holes of pristine challenging golf at an affordable price. Spanning 6,538 yards and featuring intense elevation changes, the course, created in the 1970s by Bruce Devlin and Robert Von Hagge, provides a true mountain golf experience, especially on its plunging par-3 10th. EagleVail’s 18-hole and Willow Creek Par 3 courses both integrate rivers, streams, ponds, wetlands, forests and gardens. Willow Creek hosts Footgolf, and the entire facility has earned national recognition as a Certified Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary. eaglevailgolfclub.com

at 7650 Feet Audobon Society Certification for Environmental Excellence

FLOWER POWER The world’s highest collection of botanical flora is at Betty Ford Alpine Gardens in Vail.

Some 3,000 plant varieties and more than 500 kinds of wildflowers populate the lush area that remains free to the public. bettyfordalpinegardens.org

EagleVail Golf Club

AN UNCOMMON RAMEN

EagleVail Golf Club Live, Play, Relax, Enjoy.

Always in search of a hidden gastronomic gem, Colorado AvidGolfer’s Food Editor John Lehndorff recommends Vail’s Udon Noodle House. “Once a rarity, ramen soup now seems to be available everywhere. Ramen is all about the array of toppings and seasonings covering the noodles. With udon, the namesake dish at this noodle house at 2161 N. Frontage Road in Vail, the thicker, chewier wheat noodles are served swimming in a shimmering broth simply topped with beef, tempura vegetables, shrimp or chicken. What is the sound of twenty people slurping simultaneously? Satisfaction. Must-taste udon: Classic topped with seaweed, fresh fish and mushrooms. No website. 970-476-7280

www.EagleVailGolfClub.com COLORADO AVIDGOLFER | July 2019

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THE SMART WAY TO OWN VAIL Now Available To Try Before You Buy

Vail’s most vibrant Private Residence Club is now offering a limited number of opportunities to try before you buy. Come experience our effortless and flexible lifestyle through our Trial Ownership program, and discover all the benefits of our hassle-free and luxurious ownership. We may be just the Vail home you’re looking for.

MODEL RESIDENCE OPEN DAILY | 970.306.4445 | From $355,000 | www.residencesatthesebastian.com Aspen Bachelor Gulch Cabo San Lucas Jupiter Kaua‘i Kiawah Island Maui Napa Scottsdale Snowmass Sonoma Southern California Steamboat Springs Tuscany U.S. Virgin Islands Vail This advertisement does not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to purchase to residents of any state or country where registration is required and is not yet complete. Botany Bay is not included in the Timbers Reciprocity Program. Timbers Real Estate Company, LLC.

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SUMMIT COUNTY

Breckenridge Historic District

HISTORY AND HOOCH

Beaver Run Resort

Breckenridge’s historic district is the state’s largest, offering numerous heritage tours, while also presenting the Breckenridge Music Festival (breckmusic.org) at the Riverwalk Center. Take a less historic tour at Breckenridge Distillery, which provides a shuttle from downtown to its location two miles north. A tasting room, retail shop and restaurant await. gobreck.com; breckenridgedistillery.com

WHAT THE BRECK?

The Breckenridge International Festival of Arts will transform the town August 9–18. From aerial artistry and in-river performance installations to gypsy folk-punk and the return of a stone-hearted troll, BIFA offers an exhilarating program of extraordinary events in a spectacular array of places and spaces. breckcreate.org/bifa

HAVING FUN

at Beaver Run

With 515 rooms and suites right at the base of Peak 9, Breckenridge’s Beaver Run Resort and Conference Center affords pedestrian access to zigzagging mountainside hiking trails and downtown Breckenridge. On-property features include on-premises swimming,

Breckenridge Int’l Festival of the Arts

Breckenridge Beer Fest

TEE AND WHEE! Breck’s Three-Jack

Keystone’s Combo

The challenging Bear, Beaver and Elk nines comprise Breckenridge Golf Club’s 27-hole Jack Nicklaus Signature course. All three play above 9,300 feet in elevation. breckenridgegolfclub.com

Two truly memorable golf experiences await in Keystone—the pioneering Keystone Ranch Golf Club and the supremely scenic River Course at Keystone. keystoneresort.com

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Off-Season at the Ski Area

Breck Summer Fun Park offers ziplines, climbing walls, bungee trampolines, a superslide and more. Bikers and hikers can take a chairlift to trails 11,000 feet in elevation. gobreck.com

coloradoavidgolfer.com

PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY JOE KUSAMOTO

hot tubs, fitness, tennis, spa, sauna and two solid restaurant options. Beaver Run is an easy drive from all four Summit County golf courses. Moreover, on July 13, you won’t find a more convenient place to stay for the Summer Beer Festival, where more than 30 craft breweries convene in the Skier’s Parking Lot right next door to the resort.

Beaver Run also offers lodging specials for the Breck Yoga Fest (Sept. 1), Breckenridge Wine Festival (Sept. 12-15) and two Oktoberfests (Sept. 6 and 13). beaverrun.com

STAY & PLAY Come play Breckenridge’s 27 hole golf course designed by Jack Nicklaus.

After a day of teeing off stay at Beaver Run Resort, nestled between mountain and Main Street.

Beaver Run Resort has everything you need for your Rocky Mountain escape.

24340

25% OFF SUMMER LODGING FOR CO AVID GOLFER READERS! ENTER CODE AVID when booking online.*

* Offer valid through 9/30/2019.

Some blackout dates and restrictions apply.

BeaverRun.com 970.453.6000

PRESENTED BY SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

SUMMIT COUNTY

Michael Franti at Dillon Amphitheater

Thrillin’ in Dillon

A year after finishing its multimillion-dollar upgrade, the Dillon Amphitheater now attracts bigger acts. Michael Franti & Spearhead and Clint Black both performed there in June, and July will bring, among others, Robert Cray, String Cheese Incident and Toots & The Maytals. In August, the Subdudes, Lake Street Dive, Bruce Hornsby, the B-52s and Blues Traveler frontman John Popper highlight a packed schedule of performances at different price points—including free. The venue now features a larger dance floor and 300 more seats. dillonamphitheater.com

Lakeside Tiki Bar

THINKING ABOUT BUYING OR SELLING? 720-220-5446

nwalters@kentwood.com

COLORADO AVIDGOLFER | July 2019

ALIMENTARY EDUCATION Dillon’s rollicking restaurant scene includes brewpubs like Dillon Dam Brewery (dambrewery.com) and Pug Ryan’s Brewery (pugryans.com), which also runs the fun Lakeside Tiki Bar. Great breakfasts and BBQ await at the venerable Arapahoe Cafe & Pub (arapahoecafe.com). For global fare, try Cafe ProFusion (cafeprofusion.com).

ALONG FOR THE RIDE The 13-mile round-trip between Dillon and Frisco is the ultimate easy-cruiser bike ride, climbing only 550 feet on short rolling bike path hills. If you’re feeling ambitious, ride the 18-mile loop around Lake Dillon, which ascends Swan Mountain and rewards you with stunning views from Sapphire Point. summitbiking.com

ALL ABOARD!

The fun, 90-minute “Explore Lake Dillon” boat tours leave from Dillon Marina twice weekly and sell out quickly for good reason. townofdillon.com

SUMMIT CO. SUSTENANCE Breck Bites

Unlocking Keystone

So many choices! Foodies favor Ember and Aurum; romantics adore Heartstone; and everyone loves The Canteen. gobreck.com

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Alpenglow Stube and Keystone Ranch top the fine-dining list. Kickapoo Tavern kicks butt for casual fare. keystoneresort.com

Feeding Frenzy Frisco’s Main Street is restaurant row. For starters, there’s Silverheels, Vinny’s, Ollie’s, Frisco Prime, Prosit and more. townoffrisco.com

coloradoavidgolfer.com

PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY AND COPYRIGHT OF JENISE JENSEN (ABOVE); COURTESY TOM FRICKE (BELOW)

NANCY WALTERS Professional, Trustworthy and Dedicated

Have NaggingPain Pain Have an Injury or Nagging Keeping You Off Off the Keeping You the Course?

Course?

The Centeno-Schultz Clinic was the first on earth to The Centeno-Schultz Clinic was the first on earth to use a person’s own stem cells to help treat orthopedic use a person’s own stem cells to help treat orthopedic conditions, and we have published 44% of all research conditions, and we have published 44% of all research world-wide use of ofstem stemcells cellstoto treat orthopedic world-wideon on the the use treat orthopedic conditions. are committed committedtotoproviding providing outstanding conditions. We We are outstanding Interventional care with withthethe best physicians InterventionalOrthopedic Orthopedic care best physicians and andspecialists specialists in in the the world. world.

Our RegenerativeTreatments Treatments OurAdvanced Advanced Regenerative areare designed to use natural designed use your yourbody’s body’sown own natural healingability ability to to help help repair repair damage to healing to bones, bones,muscles, muscles, cartilage, tendons tendons and cartilage, and ligaments ligamentsnon-surgically. non-surgically.Our Our centrate unique research-driven research-driven techniques conconcentrate unique techniquesallow allowusustoto yourcells cellsand and place place them to to your them in in the the precise precise area areaofofinjury injury help helppromote promotehealing, healing,achieve achieveoptimal optimal outcomes and, importantly, relieve outcomes andmost most importantly, relieve pain. pain.

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2019

Cordillera GOLF EXPERIENCE A Colorado AvidGolfer Event

PRESENTED BY

Colorado’s Ultimate Mountain-Golf Weekend

Everyone is Welcome September 14th & 15th

The Club at Cordillera – Vail, CO •

TWO ROUNDS of Golf at Troon’s PRIVATE CLUB AT CORDILLERA • COMPETITIVE and NON-COMPETITIVE FLIGHTS • Luxury Accommodations at PARK HYATT BEAVER CREEK • On-course FOOD and COCKTAIL STATIONS • Amazing HOLE-IN-ONE PRIZES, including a Two Year Lease on a JAGUAR or LAND ROVER • 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/cordillera-experience

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Blind Shot THE UNSEEN GAME

Iconic to the Cœur Cœur d’Alene’s renowned floating green is quite a ride.

ALL ABOARD: Putter ferries golfers to their own private Idaho on the 14th hole.

PHOTOGRAPH ©PJKOENIG

FLATS BRIMMING WITH geraniums arrived at Cœur d’Alene Resort Golf Course at the same time as Double Eagle—the mahogany speedboat that delivered our group across the glasslike lake separating the hotel from its course.

Thirteen holes into a thoroughly blissful round, we saw that members of the grounds team had bedded the red flowers tidily along the back edge of the world-famous floating 14th green. Now came our turn. From 150 yards away, we would similarly plant our golf balls on the green using that time-honored gardening tool—the 8-iron.

At least that was our plan. Our four swings produced one ball in the water and three in the sand.

Access to the world’s one-and-only true island green (that one at Sawgrass is peninsular, as are its clones) requires a short ride on the optimistically named Putter. The boat connects to the movable green via an underwater cable, but it still necessitates a captain, who will, upon request, complete an official certificate to commemorate a player’s score. For this service, at least one of us—the sole representative from Colorado, who got up and down for par—was exceedingly grateful.

We were grateful, too, that Beverly’s, the resort’s exquisite fine-dining restaurant, didn’t indulge the cliché of featuring the classic French Floating Island dessert. The entire experience was sweet enough without it. —Jon Rizzi

Look for more on Cœur d’Alene in the next issue of Colorado AvidGolfer.

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2018 Top 100 Steakhouses in America

Join us nightly from 4-6 PM (Mon-Fri) for Denver’s Best Happy Hour ($2.00 oysters on the half shell) & Sunday Nights for our 3 Course Prix Fixe menu (priced at $49 or $59).

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THE PERFECT DRIVE. With the third year of the Schomp BMW Cup in the books, we thank our incredible partners at Colorado AvidGolfer. Congratulations to the winners of the event—Jim Tanzillo and Cole Evans—and to the Colorado PGA on

raising a record contribution for the Colorado PGA Reach Foundation. And finally, thank you to The Club at Ravenna for providing access to one of Colorado’s greatest courses.

Schomp BMW 1190 Plum Valley Lane, Highlands Ranch, CO 80129 303.730.1300 schompbmw.com •

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Special lease and finance offers available from Schomp BMW through BMW Financial Services. ©2019 BMW of North America, LLC. The BMW name, model names and logo are registered trademarks.