August 2016 Colorado AvidGolfer by Colorado AvidGolfer

B A LLY N E A L A DDS MOR E HOLE S • HOW TO H IT A “BE LLY W E DGE”

Elevating the Game.

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HERE’S to

the GOOD

LIFE

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CONTENTS | August 2016

41 Wine & Spirits Extreme Wine school in Provence; Chile’s Viña Vik hotel; rare bottlings worth seeking out.

44 Nice Drives Luxury rides from Bentley, Jaguar, MercedesBenz, Cadillac , BMW, Lexus. Porsche and Volvo. Plus: a ride around the Nürburgring. By Isaac Bouchard

49 Services

DEPARTMENTS

THE GOOD LIFE

8 Forethoughts

By Jon Rizzi

Living Large in Evergreen

10 ’net Score

Happily ensconced and pursuing his passions, Craig Stadler is savoring the spoils of a life well played—even when he’s not playing very well. By Jon Rizzi

Decoding the Good Life

Questions about the Olympics and CoBank Colorado Open

12 Golf 101

Colorado Golf’s Secret Garden. By Ryan Smith

15 The Gallery

Ballyneal gets better; CPGA Reach gives a veteran a home; Colorado’s Olympic golfer; a snakebite app and more

64 The Games of Golf

The states of the Women’s Open

PLAYER’S CORNER 25 Profile

A tribute to Jim English. By Jon Rizzi

28 Lesson

Travel Curated travel with destination clubs and Cuvée.

53 Colorado Travel The High-Country high life at the Ritz-Carlton Bachelor Gulch, Gateway Canyons and more.

Fareways Shanahan’s, Del Frisco’s, Flemings, Perry’s and Capital Grille carve their niche on top of Denver’s sizzling steakhouse scene. By Gary James

56 Gear Carbon Putters, aboutGolf simulators, MacKenzie golf bags, Garia golf cars.

ON THE COVER Craig Stadler Photograph by Stephen Nowland

A Recipe for Collared Greens

60 Products Top items from Sonos, Rolex, Inada and more

By Alex Fisher COLORADO AVIDGOLFER | August 2016

Owned or chartered, a private plane provides the ultimate time machine. Plus: ShipSticks

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LAND ROVER

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August 2016 | Volume 15, Number 5 publisher

A llen J. Walters editor

Jon Rizzi SALES, MARKETING & ADVERTISING associate publisher

Chris Phillips account manager

Vivian Keesling digital and social media manager

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office and operations manager

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projects and special events manager

Ryan McLean

ART & EDITORIAL art director

Jani Duncan Smith editor - at- large

Tom Ferrell

automotive editor

Isaac Bouchard contributors

Sam Adams, E.J. Carr, Tony Dear, Denny Dressman, Sue Drinker, Dick Durrance II, Chris Duthie, Gar y James, Ted Johnson, Kaye W. Kessler, Todd Langley, Kim D. McHugh, Jerr y Walters principals

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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 15, Number five. 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 © 2016 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.

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Decoding the Good Life TO PARAPHRASE the beloved beer pitchman known as The Most Interesting Man in the World, I don’t always wear a necktie, but when I do, it’s Donald J. Trump. More specifically, it’s a Donald J. Trump Signature Collection tie with a handsome gold crest on the back. It’s navy, handmade in China (no comment) of pure silk and, as Mr. Trump himself might say, it makes me look very amazing. Sarcasm aside, I do like the tie. I also like the fact that I bought it at Ross Dress for Less without looking at the label. Whether I like Donald Trump is, well, immaterial. This column isn’t a political forum. It is, however, an introduction to our second annual issue celebrating “the Good Life,” a term that defines the type of existence that Trump—as a man and, yes, as a brand—has long promoted. It’s an aspirational lifestyle involving private jets, plush homes and the other trophies and amenities wealth offers. To most people, those items represent the rewards of hard work and success—and this issue aims to bring you a taste of that. While some of us would like to have Robin Leach narrate our lives in fawning detail, I’ve never had Champagne wishes or caviar dreams. But I still appreciate refinement and quality workmanship, whether it comes in the form of a Bentley, Inada DreamWave Massage Chair or Mackenzie golf bag. I also crave the enrichment that comes with purposeful travel—a trip to Provence for intensive wine education, a visit to Sicily to trace my paternal roots— and the pleasures of collecting anything (art, vintage bourbons, rare satyr statuettes) about which you can develop an expertise. An expertise in golf is no different. Although it started as recreation for lowly Scottish shepherds, the sport has woven itself inextricably into the fabric of the good life for the better part of two centuries, representing the precious commodities of land, time, money and social standing. Proficiency reflects not only ability but hours of lessons and leisure time spent honing your skill—hours that people without as much disposable time or money don’t have the luxury to do. The deeper you get into golf, the more you want to travel the world to play it, to collect as many courses as you can. So it’s no accident that Trump Golf has a portfolio of 17 courses across the globe, and that the majority of people around the world identify the game with people of privilege. But inasmuch as golf represents the good life, it can also bring a good life, as Craig Stadler will attest. Our cover subject, who has played the game since he was a kid, considers himself lucky to have made a “decent living at it,” but as you’ll read on page 32, the 1982 Masters champion lives more than decently. In addition to Champions Tour venues, Stadler and his wife Jan travel the world experiencing life. When they’re not in Napa, Florida, Buenos Aires, Alaska, Zambia, New Zealand or elsewhere, they kick back in their plush mountain home in the shadow of Mount Evans, which reflects Craig’s outsized passions for wine collecting, big-game hunting, exotic handicrafts, philanthropy and, of course, the game that enabled him to live this way. “I’m the luckiest person in the world,” he says. And, he could add, one of the most interesting. Craig Stadler not only lives the good life. For him, life is good. That’s not a semantic twist but a decidedly content and optimistic view of the world. Stay happy, my friends. —JON RIZZI

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Next on the tee in Rio... anyone? CITING A RANGE OF CONCERNS, but most notably health and the Zika virus, more than 20 golfers have withdrawn from competing at the Olympics, including the top four players in the world: Jason Day, Dustin Johnson, Jordan Spieth and Rory McIlroy. At time of printing, those scheduled to compete include Bubba Watson, Rickie Fowler, Justin Rose and Danny Willett. On our social media pages, we asked if you would compete if in their shoes. • @ASchanhals: Zika, police force in shambles, body parts washing up on beaches, no thanks!! • @vogeygolf: would I play in the Olympics if I were a top 10 (or even top 100) in the world? Heck no, not worth the risk, not in Rio • @HalleeGoffman: probably not... The risk is higher than the reward • @coloradogolfblog: I would play cause I’m 35 and not having any more kids. With that said, if I was younger and wanted a family there is NO way I would risk it. (Instagram) This will be the first time golf has been an Olympic event since 1904. Does national pride trump safety risks? Chime in on our Facebook (facebook.com/coloradoavidgolfer) and Twitter pages (@coloavidgolfer)

The $100,000 Question THE COBANK COLORADO OPEN returned to Green Valley Ranch Golf Club July 21-24, too late to make this issue’s print deadline. Check our website to see who won the $100,000 first prize, the largest in the event’s history, and how players divided the remainder of the $250,000 purse—the largest of any state open in the country. PGA Tour winners Kevin Stadler, Jonathan Kaye, Keith Clearwater highlighted a deep field that included nine past champions and winners from the Mackenzie and Web.com tours. Not to be outdone, the CoBank Colorado Women’s Open takes place August 31-September 2 (also at Green Valley Ranch). Expected players include Colorado Junior Amateur champion Mary Weinstein, two-time CWGA Player of the Year Jennifer Kupcho and Golf Digest cover girl Paige Spiranac. Visit ColoradoAvidGolfer.com for information and updates. COLORADO AVIDGOLFER | August 2016

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The seeds of the game’s future sprout daily at CommonGround’s par-3 course. By Ryan Smith FOR MOST, the corner of Havana and Alameda conjures up images of car dealers, gas stations and fast-food restaurants. But the next time you pass this intersection, take a minute to glance west. You might be surprised by what you see. Tucked away at the south end of CommonGround Golf Course’s driving range is a par-3 course known as the “Kid’s Course,” which annually provides more than 1,000 free rounds of golf for boys and girls under the age of 18. It also serves as the outdoor “gym” for Colorado Golf Association program partnerships with Big Brothers Big Sisters, Special Olympics of Colorado, Denver Boy Scouts as well as Aurora Veterans Home. “The Kid’s Course is where it all happens,” notes CGA Director of Programs Erin Gangloff. “Whether it is a field trip, training caddies for the Solich Caddie & Leadership Academy or hosting one of our many program partners, the Kid’s Course is at the heart of it.” Built in conjunction with the CommonGround Golf Course renovation completed by Tom Doak and Renaissance Golf Design in 2009, the Kid’s Course was constructed with discarded materials and old irrigation supplies from the former Mira Vista Golf Course. With significant help in the form of a $175,000 grant from the USGA Grants and Fellowship Program (the largest ever awarded by the organization) the Kid’s Course has cemented the CGA’s primary mission in owning and operating a golf course—to provide affordable access to the game to those who would not otherwise have the opportunity. “I just love driving by the course and seeing kids out there,” CGA Executive Director Ed Mate says. “What a great billboard for golf and for the Colorado Golf Association, and what a great place to serve as the home of our Community and Wellness programs. We are very proud to engage non-profit groups in the community who want to use golf to enhance their organizational programming, and the Kid’s Course makes all that possible.” The Kid’s Course is also home base for participants in the CGA’s Hale Irwin Elite Player Program. Comprised of some of the state’s top junior players, the program annually selects 10-14 boys and girls between the ages of 11 and 18. After submitting a golf-centered cover letter, résumé, and grade report, the players are interviewed by the Hale Irwin Elite Player Committee—a process more rigorous than application to some colleges. Those selected

then receive free access to the facilities at CommonGround and partake in monthly meetings throughout the year. “Watching these young players set goals and embark on a journey to reach them is extremely rewarding,” Gangloff reflects. “When they reach a goal like Mary Weinstein did when she was crowned the 2016 CHSAA 5A Girls State Champion and the smile on her face makes you realize just how special this program really is.” “When I met Meg Mallon during the 2013 Solheim Cup I asked her what was the most important skill young players needed to develop to achieve their full potential,” remembers Mate. “Without hesitation she said, ‘distance control inside of 100 yards.’ Well that is exactly what the Kid’s Course provides and that is where we encourage our Hale Irwin kids to spend the majority of their time.” So the next time you find yourself at the corner of Havana and Alameda take note of the secret garden that’s a pitching wedge from Big Mike Naughton Ford and Kaiser Permanente. Better yet, stop in sometime—everyone is welcome, and you might find yourself paired with a future PGA or LPGA star! For more information on the CGA Community and Wellness programs or the Hale Irwin Elite Player Program, please contact Erin Gangloff at egangloff@coloradogolf.org.

YOUTH IS SERVED: The CommonGround “Kid’s Course” hosts programs, prodigies and more than 1,000 free rounds per year.

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PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY OF COLORADO GOLF ASSOCIATION

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The Gallery NEWS | NOTES | NAMES

PHOTOGRAPHS COURTESY OF BALLYNEAL GOLF CLUB

Ballyneal Gets Better TEN YEARS AFTER beginning its meteoric ascent into the outer orbits of elite courses, Ballyneal Golf Club continues to shine even brighter. Bentgrass now shores up its delicate fescue greens, providing more consistent and resilient putting surfaces. To accommodate the growing number of members, the plush lodging now accommodates up to 56 people, who can avail themselves of a massage or a steam at the onsite spa. A five-stand, 10-station sporting clay course opened this year, and guided upland bird hunts preserve Ballyneal’s heritage as a top gun club. Though walkers still comprise 99 percent of the rounds on this inland redoubt of links golf, players can now take a cart. “We’re all about creating more fun,” says General Manager Dave Hensley, who grew in the course as its original superintendent and has seen its entire evolution. Pursuantly, as of last month, members and guests can play The Commons, a rollicking putting course inspired by The Punchbowl designed by Ballyneal architect Tom Doak with Jim Urbina at Bandon Dunes Golf Resort. And by this time next summer, golfers will also have a 13-hole short course on which to settle bets and squeeze in a few extra holes. Ballyneal owner John Curlander hired the course’s original design team—Doak’s Renaissance Golf—to do both projects. “He and his guys know the place so well,” Curlander says of the roiling landforms 13 miles south of Holyoke and 10 miles west of the Nebraska border. “They’re intimately familiar with the unique ecology of the chop hills and the type of golf preferred by our members.” Ballyneal’s links-style, walking-only, golfcentric atmosphere has naturally cultivated a golf’til-you-drop approach among its membership. coloradoavidgolfer.com

BALLY HIGH: Clockwise, from left, the dramatic canvas of the short course; an aerial shot of the existing 18; the recently seeded Commons outside the main lodge.

(An extreme example came in 2011, when member Jim Colton walked and played 155 holes in one day, raising over $110,000 for a Ballyneal caddie who’d been paralyzed in a skiing accident; Colson subsequently launched the national Hundred Hole Hike charity network.) But with the member ranks growing and the number of holes remaining the same, the need for more options became apparent. The first is The Commons. Covering more than an acre, the putting course anchors the Ballyneal village. It absorbs the space taken up by the popular bocce pitch and practice green— both of which were relocated—and cascades from the lodge towards the clubhouse. Coloradan Eric Iverson, who has worked with Doak for 15 years, co-designed and shaped it. “You have to make your way up and back with some really cool putts,” he says. “The toughest part was creating enough flat surfaces where the ball could stop. You kind of have to tack your way down.” He says he and Doak “didn’t do a proper routing for a set course. It’s not a set par or even nine or 18 holes. Ideally, you can set it up for an organized little event, like they do at The Himalayas course at St. Andrews, or just have people go out there and putt for drinks.” “It’ll be a great diversion for the guys who can’t get enough golf but can’t go 27 or 36,” says Curlander, under whom the club has thrived since he purchased it in 2012. “We’re also going to have drink holders and lighted cups and balls so members can putt into the evening hours.” For years, the more conventional approach to wringing more golf from the day has been Ballyneal’s “whiskey loop,” a tradition where members carrying a few clubs at twilight play holes 10-12 and then hit back to the ninth green.

With more members now, those golfers potentially risk playing into another group. This time next summer, those same whiskey loopers can also get out on the short course, which will occupy 75 acres of virgin dunes ringed by holes one through nine. “They’re some of the biggest dunes on the property,” says Iverson. “You sometimes forget about the scale of the place until you’re out there. The thing is, it’s easy to find green sites and cool-looking places, but it’s a lot harder to find 400- to 500-yard holes. This property is perfectly suited for a bunch of par 3s.” “There are so many dramatic possibilities out there,” Doak says. “Three or four holes will certainly rival certain ones on the original 18.” Doak, who recently authored the first “reversible 18,” in the United States at Forest Dunes in Michigan, is building flexibility into the routing of the short course. Reached via the second tee box of the main course, the new layout will also feature a six-hole loop accessible directly from the clubhouse. “I don’t think they’ll completely abandon the whiskey loop,” Iverson says with a laugh. “But this is another vision of that, another thing they can do, and it’s a little tighter to the clubhouse.” In addition to meeting the demand for more golf, building the short course and The Commons also allows families to play golf together, something important even for a “destination” private club ranked among the world’s top 100 golf courses. “I want to see wives and children out here,” Curlander says. “We’re not aiming to become a country club. We’ll always be a haven for the golf purist. But we do want to create a larger breadth of activities and extend our season.” ballyneal.com; 970-854-5900 August 2016 | COLORADO AVIDGOLFER

The Gallery

KEY TO HAPPINESS: Military Warriors’ Dave Lieske and Iraq War veteran Adam Cassidy.

Getting Home

experienced survivor’s guilt. At the Colorado PGA REACH Invitational, held June 27 at Colorado Golf Club in Parker, Sgt. Cassidy was honored as the hero of the day by Colorado PGA Executive Director Eddie Ainsworth and Dave Lieske, the director of business development for the Military Warriors Support Foundation. During the last five years, the San Antonio-based organization has awarded

more than 700 mortgage-free homes to combatwounded veterans and surviving spouses. After the round, Cassidy learned that he would receive one of them. He now owns outright the three-bedroom home in Norwood (33 miles northwest of Telluride) that Military Warriors found three years ago for him, his fiancée and two young daughters. “I was taken aback,” he said through tears upon getting the

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PHOTOGRAPH BY KIM MCHUGH

COMPARED TO THE life-and-death situations faced every day by our frontline military personnel, golf pales in significance. Golf is a game, after all, but a game that thousands of soldiers—many of whom have endured severe physical and mental injury—have credited with aiding their rehabilitation. Many of those soldiers have benefited from the PGA of America’s nonprofit REACH program, which considers Military Personnel Support one of its “three pillars” (Youth Development and Diversity & Inclusion are the others). Colorado’s Fort Carson, the home of Cheyenne Shadows Golf Club, is one of 18 bases around the country that supports the PGA REACH’s Helping Our Patriots Everywhere (HOPE) program. Among the Fort Carson soldiers who have benefited from the Colorado PGA Section’s commitment to veterans is Sgt. Adam Cassidy (U.S. Army-Ret.), who served 15 months in Iraq and sustained numerous injuries when his convoy was hit by 15 IEDs, RPGs and small weapons fire. He lost six friends in his unit and

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MULLIGAN OUR FEATURE ON Minot Country Club (July 2016) incorrectly identified Rudy Zupetz, currently the head PGA Professional at Sanctuary in Sedalia, as a member of the North Dakota Golf Hall of Fame. It was his father, Rudy Zupetz, Sr., who earned induction in 2006.

SON OF NORWAY: Kofstad’s Slovakian triumph earned the DU grad a ticket to Rio.

An ESPEN Highlight GOLF REJOINS THE OLYMPICS in Rio de Janeiro this month, and the only competitor with a Colorado connection won’t be representing the United States, but Norway. Oslo native Espen Kofstad, a star on the University of Denver men’s team (2007-2010) who currently plays on the European Tour, earned a spot in the Games of the XXI Olympiad by winning the D+D REAL Slovakia Challenge July 10 at Penati Golf Resort in Senica. With the deadline to qualify for the XXXI Games falling right after the tournament, Kofstad had to win to get in. An 8-under-par 64 in the final round put him at 17-under for the tournament and made him the leader in the clubhouse, but France’s Romain Langasque forced a playoff, which Kofstad won with a birdie on the second hole.

“I left it late, until the last hole,” Kofstad said after the round, “but winning solves a lot of things, and I think it now has solved this one and got me into Rio.” During his senior year (2009-2010), Kofstad recorded the third-best season scoring average ever for a Pioneer (71.26) while registering 22 rounds at par or lower—second-most in program history. The Olympics will mark the fourth time he has represented Norway in an international championship. He competed for the Eisenhower Trophy as an amateur in 2008 and 2010 and as a professional in the 2013 World Cup. “I’ve been going for it all year,” Kofstad said about qualifying for the Olympics. He ranks 52nd of the 60 golfers in the men’s field, where he will be Norway’s only representative. igfgolf.org

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COLORADO AVIDGOLFER | August 2016

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PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY UNIVERSITY OF THE EUROPEAN TOUR

news. “I never thought it was going to happen. In a word it was exhilarating.” Cassidy’s family will also receive three years of family and financial mentoring from Military Warriors. “I was in a very terrible state of mind for a long, long time, but this program changed my life,” Cassidy said, referring to the Military Warrior Support Foundation. “You would not believe some of the stories we have heard on how golf has made such a positive impact on our veterans recovery from their wounds, whether physical or psychological,” says the Colorado PGA’s Ainsworth. “Colorado PGA REACH provides this program at no cost to our veterans to help make a positive difference in their lives, and now our partnership with the Military Warriors Support Foundation has enabled us to give a soldier like Adam a mortgage-free home. It is such an honor for us to be able to support our veterans in such a tangible way.” coloradopga.com

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A Visit from Mike

Know Your Bites rattlers call Colorado home, and 13 are native to the snowbird mecca of Arizona, more than any state in the nation. Do you know what and what not to do if you or a companion is bitten? Your smartphone can save your life. There’s 911, of course, and SnakeBite911, a free app, that provides vital information on first aid and nearby hospitals. It also interfaces with doctors and first responders and features a time-stamped Venom Tracker, which capture photos of the bite area at regular intervals to help medical personnel diagnose and provide appropriate treatment. The app also offers “dos” and “don’ts” in a snakebite emergency. Among the don’ts: • DO NOT use tourniquets. • DO NOT attempt to cut or apply suction to the bite site. • DO NOT apply cold packs or ice to the skin. • DO NOT use Advil, Motrin or other non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. crofab.com/snakebite911

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PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY OF MIKE MCGETRICK

WHILE AUGUST BRINGS the proverbial dog days, other creatures pose a more serious threat to avid golfers. Twilight rounds may be a bargain, but they’re also a buffet for mosquitoes, which abound in August and September. Retention ponds create the perfect breeding ground for Culex tarsalis, the species that carries such viruses as West Nile and three strains of encephalitis. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) recommends wearing long-sleeve shirts and pants, and spraying yourself with a repellent containing at least 20 percent DEET or Picardin, which protects for a four-hour round. A CDC-approved natural repellent, oil of lemon eucalyptus, is also an option, but you need to reapply it every two hours. Dew sweepers take note: Mosquito activity also surges at dawn. Snakes of all types lurk on the fringes of golf courses—and we’re not just talking the sandbagging kind. Three species of venomous

FOR MORE THAN 10 YEARS, Mike McGetrick’s name was synonymous with golf instruction in Colorado. His eponymous academy turned out champions, including a number of LPGA stars. Now based at the Golf Club of Houston, the 1999 National PGA Teacher of the Year and five-time PGA Colorado Section Teacher of the Year will return to Colorado this month to give clinics with nationally recognized instructors Lana Ortega and Trent Wearner, both of whom launched their careers at the McGetrick Academy. On August 17, McGetrick will conduct a 2.5-hour (9:00 am – 11:30 am) Full Swing Clinic and Short Game Clinic (1:00 p.m. – 3:30 p.m.) at the Lana Ortega Academy at CommonGround Golf Course. He’ll repeat the same schedule with the Trent Wearner Academy August 18 at Colorado National Golf Club in Erie. The cost is $250 per clinic; attendees of both the full swing and short game pay $450. Registration is limited to eight students per clinic. For the August 17 clinic, call Lana Ortega at 303-9055696; for August 18, call Trent Wearner Golf Academy at 303-645-8000.

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and the Denver East golf team—was one of 81 junior players selected to play from across the country. thefirstteeofdenver.com

PRO MOVES: PGA Tour player Ryan Palmer enlightens members of The First Tee; Ron Vlosich heads to Scioto.

strokes separated AJ Ott from Jackson Solem in the Junior Golf Alliance of Colorado’s second major of the season, the Junior PGA Championships held at Arvada’s Indian Tree Golf Course. Ott shot a 12-under-par 198 over three rounds. On the girls’ side, Mary Weinstein won her second straight CJAC major with a one-shot victory over Delaney Elliott. The wins qualified Weinstein and Ott for the national PGA Junior Championship August 9-12 at Wannamoisett Country Club in Rhode Island. juniorgolfcolorado.org

three high-profile clinics to help promote the CoBank Colorado Open championships, which are administered by the Colorado Open Golf Foundation to benefit The First Tee of Green Valley Ranch. Colorado Golf Hall of Famer Hale Irwin took part May 14 in advance of the CoBank Colorado Senior Open (June 1-3); 2010 U.S. Women’s Open champion Paula Creamer is scheduled to do a girls-only clinic August 29, shortly before the first round of the CoBank Colorado Women’s Open (August 31-September 2). coloradoopen.com

dozen boys and girls from The First Tee of Green Valley Ranch got a special treat July 8 when PGA Tour pro Ryan Palmer put on a clinic. He appeared as the second of

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PHOTOGRAPH BY JON RIZZI (FAR LEFT); COURTESY RON VLOSICH

Golf By Numbers

U.S. Senior Opens, including this month’s at Scioto Country Club in Columbus, Ohio, will have Ron Vlosich among the competitors. The 59-year-old Colorado Golf Hall of Famer punched his ticket with a 1-under-par 69 to win the qualifier held at Lake Valley Golf Club in Niwot. Also qualifying was runner-up Jeff Hornbeck of Saratoga, Wyo., who won a five-player playoff after shooting a 70. The U.S. Senior Open takes place August 11-14.

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Player’s Corner PROFILE

PROPER ENGLISH: From left, in 2008, with a bracelet made of his medals given to his late wife, Margaret; as low amateur in the 1959 U.S. Open with champion Billy Casper; at basic training in Biloxi, 1944; as 1956 Kansas Amateur champion with Margaret and children Jim, Kathy and Becky; with family at his 90th birthday; with Thayer Tutt, winning the 1955 Broadmoor Invitation.

Farewell to a Gentleman PORTRAIT BY EMILY RITT; ALL OTHER PHOTOS COURTESY OF THE ENGLISH FAMILY.

Jim English makes the final turn. By Jon Rizzi THE CONGENIAL FELLOW in the bucket hat unexpectedly passed away June 26. Unexpectedly? Jim English—one of Colorado’s most accomplished amateur golfers—was, after all, 90 years old. But as recently as May 21, while celebrating that milestone birthday at his grandson’s home in Cherry Hills Village, the Colorado Golf Hall of Famer appeared characteristically vigorous and joyous, surrounded by nine of his 11 children, many of their spouses and the majority of his 31 grandchildren and 14 great-grandchildren. He talked about a trip he and his son, Jim Jr., would soon be making to Des Moines to see Zach Johnson get inducted into the Iowa Golf Hall of Fame—a pantheon into which he himself was enshrined in 2007. The Jims drove out, and heading back through Nebraska—another state with Jim Sr. in its hall of fame—they stopped at Lincoln’s Firethorn Golf Club, where Jim Sr. carded an 87 in what would turn out to be his final round. “He went 43-44 and he said he left a few out there,” Jr. recalled at the memorial. A native of Omaha, Jim English lived nearly 60 of his 90 years in Denver. Before arriving from Topeka in 1957, he’d already captained the Creighton University golf team, won the 1947 Nebraska State Amateur Championship, the ’50 Iowa Open and ’51 Iowa Masters, ’54 and ’56 Kansas State Amateur championships and the ’55 Broadmoor Invitation. His 11 and 10 victory over Jack Vickers in the 36-hole 1950 Trans-Mississippi Match Play Championship at Omaha’s Happy Hollow Club stands as the largest margin of victocoloradoavidgolfer.com

ry in the event’s long history. He didn’t miss a beat when he landed in Colorado, capturing the 1957 CGA Match Play title at the new Columbine Country Club. He would repeat the feat at Denver Country Club three years later. He also won the ’58, ’59 and ’61 CGA Stroke Plays and the ’77 CGA Senior Stroke Play. In 1959, he became the first amateur champion of what became the Colorado Open. He won 11 club championships at Columbine—where he and his family lived for many years on the 12th hole. English also qualified for nine U.S. Opens. In the 1959 edition at New York’s Winged Foot Golf Club, he bested Charlie Coe and Jack Nicklaus for low amateur honors. He missed the Open cut the next year at Cherry Hills, but spent the final 36hole Saturday with Jim Jr. following Ben Hogan, whose approach on 17 had spun back into the water, essentially costing him his fifth U.S. Open. After the round, English entered the locker room to collect his belongings. “Knowing Hogan could be an irascible sort, they’d given him a locker in the most remote part of the Cherry Hills locker room,” Jim Jr. recounts. “Dad finds him sitting alone, his head in his hands, and tells Mr. Hogan he thought he should have won. Hogan sort of snarls at him, ‘Hell no, the kid I was playing with today, Nicklaus, if he had any brains, would have won by five shots.’ But after Dad pointed out that Hogan had hit 34 straight greens in regulation before the 17th and, hitting a cut 4-wood, was twice inside of Nicklaus on the par-3 12th, Hogan said, ‘I think you’re probably right. I should have won.’ “Dad didn’t stop there. He wanted to ask

August 2016 | COLORADO AVIDGOLFER

Player’s Corner

“Dad played his best golf in Kansas but we didn’t live there long enough for him to qualify for its hall of fame,” claims Becky English.

PROFILE

AMATEUR ICON: English is in the Iowa, Colorado and Nebraska halls of fame.

“‘Goddammit, Wolfe, I got an amateur out here who knows more about your effin’ clubs than you guys,’” English recalled Palmer shouting. “He was just giving him hell, and Joe promised he’d have a new set of clubs at the next stop.” Palmer, who’d finish out of the money in Kansas City, won his next start, the Rubber City Open at Firestone, and claimed his first Masters the following spring. English accumulated more than 90 tournament wins during his golf career and could no doubt recount every shot from every one of them. “He was sharp as a tack until the end,” remembers Jim, Jr., one of five brothers who attended college on golf scholarships (Jim Jr. played on

CU’s 1968 Big 8 Championship team). They all remember their father’s meticulous scorecard-keeping. “Dad kept every card from every round he played—more than 8,000 of them over more than 70 years,” says Patrick English, who’d played golf for Stanford. “He kept all these hieroglyphics with all kinds of stats.” “One time we were playing, and I was having a particularly good round,” remembers fellow Colorado Golf Hall of Famer Dan Hogan. “On the last tee, I said, ‘I think I’ve hit 15 greens today.’ Jim looked at the scorecard and said, ‘13.’” Part of English’s need for precision owed to the fact that a detached right retina suffered while playing basketball as a teenager left him with poor depth perception. He would pace off distances and use the shadows and the length of the flagstick to judge putts. And he did it extraordinarily well. English never regretted not turning pro. It gave him the ability to support his large family not only with money, but also with time and affection. “I’ve been so blessed to have had a wonderful life,” he said at his last birthday. As always, Jim English hit it right on the screws. Jon Rizzi is the editor of Colorado AvidGolfer.

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COURTESY OF THE ENGLISH FAMILY.

him about his epic win at the ’51 Open at Oakland Hills. After missing the cut, Dad had also followed him—‘six feet away, close enough to have his cigarette almost hit me when he flipped it’— during the last two rounds. Hogan kind of rolled his eyes. Then Dad asked three or four questions like, ‘What were you thinking when you hit that cut 6-iron into number six?’ Hogan lit up. ‘You really were there, weren’t you?’ He spent 40 minutes discussing how he tamed ‘the monster.’” That was far from English’s only brush with fame. He played golf with Dwight Eisenhower (one hole at Cherry Hills), Bobby Jones (three holes at Pebble Beach during a practice round at the 1947 U.S. Amateur), Gene Sarazen, Sam Snead, Byron Nelson and Arnold Palmer. After English defeated Nelson twice in exhibition matches, Nelson dissuaded him from a professional career because he thought English could make more money in business. “It was great advice,” reminisced English, who enjoyed a successful career in insurance, in a 2008 article in Colorado AvidGolfer. In the same story, he also recalled telling Palmer, with whom he was paired during the 1957 Kansas City Open at Hillcrest Country Club, that the shafts on his Wilson irons had too much give, which resulted in a nagging draw. English let Palmer try his irons on the practice tee. After Palmer striped one after another, he went to the clubhouse and called Joe Wolfe, the head of golf for Wilson.

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Player’s Corner LESSON

A Recipe for Collared Greens

How to “belly wedge” your way out of one of golf’s trickier lies. By Alex Fisher

The PGA Director of Instruction at The Glacier Club in Durango, Alex Fisher also teaches from November to April at the JW Marriott Wildfire Golf Club in Phoenix. alexfisherpga.com; 602-363-9800.

4. PUTT IT: As with a putting stroke, start the backswing with the arms, shoulders and wrists all moving simultaneously. Keep everything in a onepiece motion and you’ll avoid letting the wrists take over. Remember, because you are hitting the ball with zero degrees of loft, the ball will travel a great distance without much of a backswing.

2. HOVER, DON’T GROUND: Once you are set up to the ball make sure you hover the club behind the ball. Don’t ground it. Because of the bank of grass behind the ball, grounding the club makes it extremely difficult to get a smooth takeaway on your backswing.

3. TILT AND GRAB: Placing most of your weight on

1. SET UP, CHOKE UP: Make sure that you setup with your feet close together and that the ball is in the center of your stance. It’s critical that you get your hands down towards the bottom of the grip so that it limits the amount of wrists you use.

COLORADO AVIDGOLFER | August 2016

your front foot allows the club to travel on a more descending blow and avoids getting the club head stuck in the long grass behind the ball. A simple trick is to grab your left knee (opposite if you play left-handed), tilt your upper body towards the target and almost raise your trailing heel off the ground.

5. CENTER CUT: At the moment of impact the bottom of the club head should intentionally hit the equator (middle) of the ball. This technique will get the ball rolling with lots of topspin towards the hole. Really avoid trying to hit the bottom of the ball like you would on a normal shot, because it is unlikely that the club head will get through the wall of grass behind the golf ball.

6. FINISH STRONG: Hold your finish position, making sure your weight remains truly on your front foot, your left wrist is flat (if you’re a right handed golfer) and your club head finishes low to the ground. A simple way to maintain your rhythm is to ensure the length of your follow through is the same as your backswing. Doing so will likely mean that you have executed this shot to perfection with minimal effort.

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PHOTOGRAPHS BY CHRIS DUTHIE

SHORT-GAME WIZARDRY concerns more than just chipping and putting. It’s also about being prepared for situations that aren’t straightforward. Take, for example, when your golf ball presses against the collar of the green; it sits on a clean lie but the tall bank of grass right behind it precludes making a clean putting stroke. There are a number of solutions. One involves turning your putter on its toe and stabbing at the ball. I don’t recommend this because it becomes very difficult to control the direction of the ball. Another approach entails using a hybrid or fairway wood, which can be challenging because of the longer length of the club. A third and preferable option is to use a wedge to blade the ball. Growing up in England, we would call this shot the “Belly Wedge” because you would purposely strike the middle of the ball with the bottom of the clubface. This shot creates tremendous topspin to get the ball rolling towards the pin. It is imperative not to get underneath the ball at impact because you’ll likely hit your shot heavy and short. Instead, make a putting stroke with a sand wedge. Keep your approach to this shot simple and its difficulty will become a thing of the past.

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August 2016 | COLORADO AVIDGOLFER

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COVER STORY

“It’s been a cool ride the whole way. I’ve always said when you can do something you did as a kid your whole life and make a decent living at it, you’re the luckiest person in the world.”

COUPLE RETREAT: Craig and Jan Stadler enjoy their great room.

COLORADO AVIDGOLFER | August 2016

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Living Large in Evergreen Happily ensconced and pursuing his passions, CRAIG STADLER is savoring the spoils of a life well played—even when he doesn’t play well. BY JON RIZZI

S THE SUBSTANTIAL wooden door to Craig Stadler’s home opens, the jangle of sleigh bells sound more like Christmas than the last day of June. The cool brume shrouding the tall pines outside the house reinforces the unseasonal suggestion, as does the sight of a stocky white-bearded gentleman welcoming me inside. Casually clad in a t-shirt and shorts, his trademark goatee more tusk-like than ever, the PGA and Champions Tour player nicknamed the Walrus greets me with a warm smile and handshake; his wife, Jan, with a hug. The couple got married on the back deck looking out on Mount Evans six years ago, four years after Craig and his first wife, Sue, divorced. Their wood-and-stone house brims with rich, bespoke furnishings and the rewards—trophies, plaques, wines and artwork—generated by Craig’s 40 years of professional golf success. Good-natured banter and happiness fills the air (and in a 7,600-square-foot home, there’s a lot of air to fill). The Walrus, as many remember, was famously temperamental as a young player. Mercurial with the media, he’d stew over missed shots and fling clubs. During a conversation these days, he’ll still get animated when he says he expects more from his game, but at 63, he’s having a blast picking and choosing where and when he’ll play and filling the remaining time pursuing his many passions.

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FROM SO-CAL TO COLORADO If you were to make a movie about Stadler today, it wouldn’t be called The Walrus in Winter, but It’s a Wonderful Life. Of course, the San Diego native has had some wonderful moments before now. By the time he moved his family (Sue and sons Kevin and Chris) to Colorado from La Jolla in 1994, he had already achieved golf stardom, winning the 1973 U.S. Amateur Championship, 11 PGA Tour events and, most famously, the 1982 Masters. That same year, he was also the Tour’s leading money winner. He played on two winning Ryder Cup teams (’83 and ’85). By 1994, traveling to and from the West Coast had taken its toll. “More than half the time I’d layover in Denver for two and a half hours,” he remembers. “I finally figured out that if I just got off there, went home and left from there, it’d probably save me six or eight hours of travel every time.” Plus, the family had for five winters rented a house in Beaver Creek and skied 30 or 40 days. After first living in Cherry Hills Village, the Stadlers moved in 2001 to Evergreen. The wood and stone manse nestles high in the trees on close to 10 acres, with a floor-to-ceiling view of Colorado’s highest mountain—that is, when the ponderosa pines in the backyard do their best to block it. At the time of the move to Evergreen, Craig says, “I was playing horrible, missing cuts and when I

August 2016 | COLORADO AVIDGOLFER

SHRINE ON: Stadler’s many mementos include a walrus skull, personalized Masters items and photos with the likes of Bob Hope and Gerald Ford.

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TROPHY LIFE It’s nobody’s business why people get divorced, but when she first came to the six-

bedroom house, Jan says she saw few, if any, of Craig’s golf trophies or photos on display. Mementos of a career that had paid for the house sat in boxes or salted away in another room. Sue had done the decorating. Much of the plush furniture she selected remains in the great room. It now shares space with one-of-a-kind objects such as a stunning bowl that an artist carved from a fallen hackberry tree at Augusta National. In the adjacent study, formerly a library, dramatically lit shelves gleam with dozens of trophies and awards, highlighted by the replica Masters trophy (the original stays at Augusta) Craig won in 1982. On the floor nearby, stands a guitar signed by the Eagles to Jan for her 50th birthday. Atop the oak table in the center of the room is his plaque from the Colorado Golf Hall of Fame, into which he was inducted in May, and a huge walrus skull, tusks and all. “Jack (Nicklaus) said he found it on a hunting trip in Canada, and I don’t think Barbara wanted it,” Stadler remembers. “We were at their house and they wanted me to take it and I said no. Barbara kept calling, then coloradoavidgolfer.com

PHOTOGRAPHS BY STEPHEN NOWLAND

Chiropractic Care

made them I was right at the bottom. I really wasn’t having much fun.” After carding a 44 in the first round at Harbour Town in the 2003 MCI Heritage, he withdrew and took off two months until he turned 50 and qualified for the Champions Tour. “It was kind of like a new life,” he says. “New venues, smaller fields, no cuts. And all of a sudden I started playing pretty decent again.” He won a major in his third start, the Ford Senior Players Championship, and with no event the following week, he played on a sponsor’s exemption in the PGA Tour’s B.C. Open. “And I won that. Back-to-back wins on two tours. That was really cool, considering a month before I couldn’t play dead. All of a sudden, I’m exempt from the regular tour for two years. But I decided I preferred the no-cut thing, playing against guys I can beat up on once in a while.” And he did, winning eight times in 2003 and 2004. He wouldn’t get his ninth until 2013, at age 60, in the Encompass Championship, setting a record for the longest time between victories on the senior PGA circuit.

Jack. I said I didn’t want it. So last year, when he flew in for that Century of Golf event and we weren’t in town, guess what they brought to be delivered?” Stadler laughs at the memory. “Tusker” has company. Here and there sit walrus statuettes, stuffed toys, framed sketches and even a fossilized forearm-length baculum. Other animal trophies command space as well. Stadler took the first of his dozens of hunting trips, to Alaska, in the early Eighties, and bagged a perfect Dall sheep after a long climb in the Brooks Range. Its head and those of two others stare from the large stone chimney near the vestibule. Trophy elk and deer mounts glare from high above the great room. A cape buffalo shot in Zambia presides over his home office, as do three other African ungulates—a sable antelope, oryx and kafue lechwe—in the master bedroom. “Have you seen the other master bedroom?” Jan asks. She directs me to the other side of the house. Filling the walls of the room are framed, signed Masters flags and photographs and artwork from Augusta. On the dresser sit Objects Unlike Any Others.

The Secret to Stopping Elbow, Wrist and Carpal Tunnel Symptoms Is it hard to swing or grip your club? Do you have pain in your elbow, wrist or hands? Is your pain limiting your ability to play multiple rounds? How can you eliminate elbow, wrist and carpal tunnel symptoms? We have found that these problems Dr. Jim Kambeitz

either stay the same or, more likely,

progressively get worse. With state of the art technology and non-invasive treatments our doctors and therapists have a proven track record of finding the root cause of your elbow and wrist pain

GOING AND GIVING Stadler’s interest in wing shooting brought him to Argentina and a 26-year relationship that resulted in his election to the Argentine Golf Hall of Fame. In 1991, he wanted to shoot doves near Salta, and his new agent, Lynn Roach, negotiated a $25,000 deal for him to play in the Argentine Open, which had a total purse of $20,000. Stadler shot more than a few birdies, finishing second to Jay Don Blake. At the awards ceremony, each had to address the gallery. Stadler, who hadn’t spoken a word of Spanish all week, held forth en español for 10 minutes, endearing himself to the national golf association. The man known there as “La Morsa” won the event in 1992 and started bringing other PGA Tour players; five years later the purse had jumped to $685,000 (it’s since dropped to $175,000). Son Kevin won in 2005. “Since 1993, the number of the courses around Buenos Aires has gone from five to 25,” he says. “It’s great to see the growth and all the talented young players like Emiliano Grillo.” Craig and Jan fly to Argentina a few times a year, visiting friends and shopping the San Telmo market. They recently returned with gorgeous handmade copper objects and shipped back plenty of wine. Although they travel when Craig competes (including in this year’s Senior coloradoavidgolfer.com

to get you back on the course pain free. Over the past 18 years we have helped thousands of people overcome elbow, wrist and carpal tunnel symptoms and get you back to enjoying the sport that you love. Now is the time to take back control of your game! Call our clinic today!!! “I met Dr. Jim on the tee box at a Colorado AvidGolfer event in June. While waiting I was invited to sit on the table, and allow Dr. Jim to assess some of my neck trouble areas. In a professional manner Dr. Jim told me I could benefit from chiropractic care. His confidence, knowledge and geniality convinced me to give it a try. I had been suffering from neck and back pain for over 20 years. And had actually been thinking about trying it out! I’m glad I did. After 3 weeks, I feel happier, healthier and less stressed, and these are just the mental benefits. Physically I am more flexible, and I feel stronger. I am a firm believer that Chiropractic care heightens mental and physical health, and I would recommend any avid golfer to give it a look. I’m glad I made the decision! Dr. Kambeitz is at the top of this game, and I would encourage everyone to explore the benefits of his care.” — R. H.

7100 S Clinton St, Suite 110, Centennial, CO 80112 (303) 790-6000 | kambeitzchiropractic.com

August 2016 | COLORADO AVIDGOLFER

VINTAGE WALRUS: Miner’s cabernet and its muse.

STELLAR CELLAR A cadre of beautifully painted Wine for Water bottles seemingly stands sentinel outside the door to the Stadlers’ wine cellar, where roughly 4,000 bottles climb to the ceiling and cascade down a center display. Stadler credits fellow Tour player Jeff Sluman for introducing him to wine collecting. Few chardonnays or other whites make the cut; cabernets and Bordeaux predominate. The shelves groan with jeroboams of Far Niente and Miner cabs—the latter of which has Jan’s and Craig’s May 15,

2010 wedding day personally inscribed by vintner Dave Miner, who in 2006 also created a private-label signature Walrus cabernet. Other sentimental bottles include a bottle of 1982 Château Lafite Rothschild purchased at Augusta National to commemorate the year of his Masters triumph and six bottles of an Australian wine called The Hattrick, each signed of a different star from 2001 Stanley Cup Champion Avalanche, his favorite sports team. He bought a 2000 Château Petrus because, well, he could. Back upstairs, Craig says he plans on playing eight Champions Tour events after the British Senior. “But I don’t want to go out there hoping to play well instead of knowing I’m going to play well,” he says. “That never turns into any success.” Stadler understands the path to success. Whether it’s the yard he cleared of fallen pines, a room full of trophies or a cellar full with wines, he enjoys being surrounded by expressions of accomplishment. Sharing those with someone who appreciates them— and him—makes it all the richer. “I haven’t had many three-putts here,” he says, a kind smile forming behind his bristly whiskers. Jon Rizzi is Colorado AvidGolfer’s editor.

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PHOTOGRAPH BY STEPHEN NOWLAND

British Open at Carnoustie), they take most trips for pleasure. Next year, it’s to New Zealand, one of the few places Craig’s never been. They often go to their home in Ponte Vedra Beach, and to Napa, where this September Craig will participate for the 13th consecutive year in Wine to Water, the proam he co-founded. Held annually at Silverado Country Club (with a pre-golf dinner and auction at Flora Springs Winery), the event grosses between $500,000 and $600,000 for waterhope.org, an organization that drills wells and builds cisterns and water collection systems to bring fresh water to communities in Africa, Asia and Central America. “That’s the charity dearest to my heart,” he says. “I spend probably 30 days a year working on that, getting sponsors.” He devotes an estimated 30 days to other charities. He hosts events for the Peoria Children’s Home Association in Illinois and the Princess Margaret Hospital in Toronto. Folds of Honor, Disabled Sports USA’s Warfighter Division, Special Olympics and numerous other programs have all benefited from Stadler’s involvement. “I work so much harder for things I don’t get paid for,” he says. “I enjoy doing it, not because it’s a feel-good thing or it goes on my résumé I just enjoy helping where I can.”

DINING

Carving a Niche

STEAKING CLAIMS: Clockwise from left, Shanahan’s bustling bar; Elway’s signature Blueberry Lemon Drop martini; Seared Tenderloin with Butter Poached Lobster Tails from Capital Grille; the wine room at Del Frisco’s.

“Farm to fork” is all well and good, but when it comes to a sizzling slice of the good life, nothing beats the cornerstone steakhouses of Denver, where porterhouses and wine pairings rule. By Gary James

PHOTOGRAPHS COURTESY OF THE RESTAURANTS

Shanahan’s Steakhouse The opulent surroundings at Shanahan’s—named for and co-owned by former Denver Broncos head coach Mike Shanahan—rate as eye-popping, from a bar area teeming with glassware to a 25-foot-tall granite fireplace to abundant dark wood and leather pizzazz everywhere. The kitchen expertise is applied to Shanahan’s signature bone-in steaks—the meat next to the bone is more tender and cooks a little slower, and some folks swear that a charred bone adds a distinct flavor to the meat. The side dishes, especially the savory creamed spinach, are excellent, too. August Fridays bring evening concerts on the patio. The extra point is at the hostess stand, where the collection of championship rings and trophies amassed by Coach Shanahan shines from the glass cases. 5085 S Syracuse St., Denver shanahanssteakhouse.com; 303-770-7300 coloradoavidgolfer.com

August 2016 | COLORADO AVIDGOLFER

CUTS ABOVE: Perry’s dining room at Park Meadows (top), Fleming’s filet mignon with white truffle poached lobster topping and caviar.

Del Frisco’s Double Eagle Steakhouse

8100 E Orchard Rd., Greenwood Village delfriscos.com; 303-796-0100

Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse Aging is the process of letting the natural enzymes and microbes of meat break down the connective tissue to tenderize it. Generally, the public seems to prefer wet-aged, which “ages” faster in a vacuum-sealed bag, which doesn’t allow the meat to breathe, reducing the amount of water weight lost. But connoisseur carnivores choose the bolder, richer taste of dry-aged, the old way of handling beef—hung or racked in near freezing temperatures for several weeks. Fleming’s dry-aged steak option is a Prime rib eye, aged a minimum of 21 days. Fleming’s award-winning roster of wines is demystified with the WiNEPAD, a dedicated Apple iPad that allows diners to navigate the extensive list through a variety of sort functions. 191 Inverness Dr. W., Englewood flemingssteakhouse.com; 303-768-0827

Perry’s Steakhouse and Grille The Texas-based chain’s first Colorado restaurant features gorgeous modern design touches—a COLORADO AVIDGOLFER | August 2016

PHOTOGRAPHS COURTESY OF THE RESTAURANTS

Del Frisco’s swank atmosphere centers around the thriving bar (killer martinis and after dinner drinks) and cigar lounge with live music (an elegant space with luxurious sofas), a comfortable environment that gives off a DTC deal-making vibe—business casual to formal attire gets you in the door. The steaks—the porterhouse, the filet mignon, the rib-eye—are a meat lover’s delight. The servers win style points when they all come over to deliver the food; one always asks you to cut into your steak and ensure it is perfectly cooked. Del Frisco’s is also a fine choice for lobster, lamb, or even salad for smaller cravings (the steak salad is a fabulous way to enjoy broiled and sliced filet mignon).

towering wine wall, sleek yet gentle lighting and an island bar. Perry’s takes pride in menu items that aren’t normally found in a traditional steakhouse, from the house-made Polish Sausage to Chateaubriand. But you have to try the seven-finger-high Pork Chop, a carnivore’s delight. It’s a hand-selected prime chop, rubbed with proprietary seasoning, dry-aged for two days, cured for another two, then slow smoked 4-6 hours. Upon order, it’s glazed and broiled for a bit of caramelization, then carved tableside and plated as five pieces. For a deal, try the Friday lunch special, a smaller 5-finger chop with whipped potatoes for $14.95. 8433 Park Meadows Center Dr., Lone Tree perryssteakhouse.com; 303-792-2571

Capital Grille For an all-around refined experience, the Capital Grille is top-notch, from the beautifully appointed dining area to the niceties of valet parking on Larimer Street. The attentive front-of-house staff puts together all of the sharp little touches of fine service, classy without being too corporate—the manager says hello, waiters attempt to learn your name, the service is unrushed. The food is excellent, notably the signature Porcini Rubbed Bone-in Ribeye with 15-year Aged Balsamic—the spice of the unique delicate ground mushroom crust plays together with the light drizzle of the sweet premium balsamic and the salty seasoning of the Delmonico steak (pair it coloradoavidgolfer.com

ColoradoPGA TeeTimes.com RAW RECRUIT: Prime Beef Tartare appetizer from Guard and Grace

with a bottle of Stags’ Leap Winery Petite Syrah). 1450 Larimer St, Denver thecapitalgrille.com; 303-539-2500

Lagniappe COOL RIVER CAFÉ: A wide selection of delicious steaks (notably the 20-ounce bone-in Cowboy Rib-Eye, topped with crisp onions) complements the Smoked Prime Rib Quesadilla appetizer in a garlic-herb tortilla with horseradish sauce. 8000 E. Belleview Ave., Greenwood Village coolrivercafe.com; 303-771-4117 ELWAY’S: With two locations in Denver, one in Vail and one at DIA, the restaurant remains a luxe spot not only for its steaks (including an 18-ounce Wagyu ribeye) but for its wide-ranging salads, inspired fish dishes and encyclopedic wine list. Multiple locations; elways.com GUARD AND GRACE: An enormous, sleek space at the base of the CenturyLink Tower, Troy Guard’s ambitious, award-winning take on the modern steakhouse features fiery grills, charcuterie, an oyster bar and a posh, walk-in, floor-to-high-ceiling glassed wine cellar containing 4,000 bottles.

Fossil Trace Golf Club

1801 California St., Denver guardandgrace.com; 303-293-8500 Fitzsimons Golf Course

Saddle Rock Golf Course

4-13 - 2016.indd 1

Riverdale Golf Courses 4/14/2016 10:57:28 AM

Massive Drives.

Thin Air.

COLORADO AVIDGOLFER | August 2016

1880 Weiskopf Point, Colorado Springs flyinghorseclub.com; 719-487-2635 STEAKHOUSE 10: The Saganaki appetizer and Gangster Steak (with peppers and Kalamatas) add a Greek flair to this intimate spot off W. Hampden.

Come Play! mtmassivegolf.com

THE STEAKHOUSE AT FLYING HORSE: It’s worth the trip to Colorado Springs to savor the fantastically charred steaks and chops, creatively turned starters and seafood, and decadent desserts served in the most elegant restaurant ever to grace a golf clubhouse. Too, uh, stuffed to drive home? Sleep at the club’s swank Lodge.

3517 S. Elati St., Englewood thesteakhouse10.com; 303-789-0911

(719) 486-2176 40

Read more of Contributor Gary James’ Fareways columns at coloradoavidgolfer.com. coloradoavidgolfer.com

PHOTOGRAPHS COURTESY OF GUARD AND GRACE

Where Colorado Goes to Play!

IMBIBE

VITICULTURE CLUB: The Chêne Bleu vineyard at La Verrière estate (left) hosts the Extreme Wine Experience, where guests immerse themselves in pruning, blending, food pairing and every other aspect of winemaking.

The Wide World of Wine Experiences for the oenotourist.

PHOTOGRAPHS COURTESY OF CHÊNE BLEU

A WEEK IN PROVENCE Sommelier Michaela Hightower teaches wine classes at Soirée, the event center she owns in Colorado Springs. It’s fair to say that her Curious Palate program isn’t as intensive as the five-day Chêne Bleu Extreme Wine Experience she and her friend Ana Kress attended in France in June. “I’ve never worked harder in wine and I’ve never enjoyed it more,” she says. “The perspective, the experience, the facilities—every part is presented and executed in exquisite detail.” The Chêne Bleu Extreme Wine Experience takes place at La Verrière, a 500-year-old, 350acre estate at the foot of Provence’s Dentelles de Montmirail mountains. Financiers Nicole and Xavier Rolet bought the property in 1993 and lovingly restored it to a luxury retreat. Since 2006, their 75-acre vineyard, Chêne Bleu (Blue Oak), has produced organic and biodynamic reds (Abélard and Heloise) and whites (Aliot) that have garnered clusters of international awards. Chêne Bleu’s motto—non mihi, non tibi, sed nobis, “not yours, not mine but ours”—expresses the couture winery’s collaborative philosophy. This cooperative spirit led Nicole to start Extreme coloradoavidgolfer.com

Wine, which she based on the three-level curriculum of the Wine and Spirit Education Trust (WSET). Combining intensive, enriching instruction with fun and friendly tastings, this “luxury boot camp for wine enthusiasts” has earned accolades from oenophiles the world over since it began in 2008. Hightower says she and Kress were the only Americans—and the only wine professionals—in the group, but “I learned who my partners in wine were around the world. Everyone was extremely self-competitive but incredibly friendly.” With instruction in English from renowned wine educators such as Clive Barlow, guests learn about all the world’s major wine regions, grape types and styles. Attendees become familiar with terroir, participate in hands-on projects in the vineyards, learn about wine law, develop expertise at making their own assemblage and sharpen their skills at purchasing, ordering and pairing, as well as organizing and maintaining a cellar. “When people hear that you’re going to Provence to learn about wine, they say, ‘how nice,’ as if it’s all eating and drinking,” Hightower says. “It’s about education and drinking in knowledge. You see the different leaf shapes in the vineyard

August 2016 | COLORADO AVIDGOLFER

COLORADO AVIDGOLFER | August 2016

deluxe room and gourmet board, tuition, certificates, field trips and travel to the train or airport. “The magic for me was the total immersion,” Hightower recalls. “It’s such a sensory experience. To truly experience it on that level is a gift.” laverriere.com

CHILLING IN CHILE A 3-handicap golfer and a scratch winemaker, Patrick Valette runs the 11,000-acre Viña VIK vineyard for Norwegian billionaire/hotelier/art collector Alex Vik, who spared no expense in finding the perfect terroir to grow Cabernet Sauvignon, Carmenère, Syrah, Cabernet Franc and Merlot. He found it in the Millahue Valley, two hours south of Santiago. Viña Vik released its first wine six years ago; VIK 2010 and each of its successors have been off the charts. Viña Vik Millahue’s lodging is no less grand. Designed by Chilean-born architect Smiljan Radic, the building resembles a futuristic ship with floor-to-ceiling glass walls affording 360-degree views of the vine-covered valleys. Vik and his wife Carrie commissioned a different artist to design each of the hotel’s modernist rooms. The experience of staying there includes a staggering roster of amenities, including a first-class spa (some treatments incorporate VIK grapes); property tours by horseback, truck or mountain bike; private guided tours of the neighboring villages and vineyards; ballooning; gourmet dinners and barbecues; and private tastings of what’s become one of South America’s top wines. Rates start at $750 per night. vinavik.com coloradoavidgolfer.com

PHOTOGRAPHS COURTESY OF CHÊNE BLEU (TOP) AND VIK PROPERTIES

and taste wines that aren’t exported. Class started every day at 9, and even during the breaks and meals after dinner there’d be something going on. You didn’t want to miss anything.” “It’s not a bacchanal,” says Charlotte Yochem, a San Antonio attorney whose honeymoon with Roland Mower began with Extreme Wine. “We went purely for personal enrichment, and I think we drank a total of two glasses of wine a day. The food was exquisite and designed to complement the wine and challenge your palate.” The five-day Experience culminates with a multiple-choice test to earn a globally recognized WSET Award. Chêne Bleu offers WSET Level 2 (for novice and intermediate oenophiles such as Yochem) and the Level 3 “Beyond Extreme” course attended by Hightower in June. Yochem, an avid golfer, remembers acing all three parts of the exam. “Heck yeah!” she says, “I didn’t go all the way there to lay up!” Yochem and Mower stayed in La Verrière’s luxuriously restored medieval priory, which can sleep up to 18 people in its seven rooms and suites. Facilities include a cascading swimming pool and outdoor Jacuzzi, tennis court, gym, bocce court, and miles of walking and hiking trails. The vineyards primarily consist of mature Grenache and Syrah, with smaller quantities of traditional white and Rhône varietals. This year’s Extreme Wine Experience takes place September 10-16. It costs roughly $7,500 to $10,000 per person and includes six nights of

WINE HOUSES: La Verrière’s restored priory sleeps 18 oenophiles. Bottom, Viña VIK’s courtyard leads to magnificent views of the vineyards.

Spirited Away Chances are, you wouldn’t pay $3.5 million for a diamond-encrusted bottle of tequila or even $7,200 for a bearshaped flagon of vodka. However, there are rare liquors worth seeking out and showing off—and those worth sharing with pride. The chart below, sourced from numerous experts, makes that distinction in seven popular categories of spirits. It omits prices, which can range widely, depending on the retailer and source. Premium single-malt scotches generally cost more than their bourbon counterparts, but both run higher than vodkas, gins and tequilas.

BOURBON SEEK IT OUT/SHOW IT OFF • A.H. Hirsch Reserve 16-Year-Old • Old Rip Van Winkle Pappy Van Winkle’s Family Reserve 23-Year-Old • Michter’s 20-Year-Old

SERVE IT UP/SIP IT SLOW • Black Maple Hill 16 Year • Woodford Reserve Master’s Collection • Elijah Craig 18 Year

GIN SEEK IT OUT/SHOW IT OFF • Nolet’s Reserve • Bombay Sapphire Liverstoke Mill • Watenshi

SERVE IT UP/SIP IT SLOW • Hendrick’s • Tanqueray No. TEN • Monkey 47 Schwarzwald

RUM SEEK IT OUT/SHOW IT OFF • Legacy By Angostura • 50-Year-Old Appleton Estate • Rhum Clement 1952

SERVE IT UP/SIP IT SLOW • Zacapa 23 • Mount Gay 1703 • El Dorado 15-Year-Old Special Reserve

SCOTCH SEEK IT OUT/SHOW IT OFF • The Balvenie 50-Year-Old Single Malt • Glenfiddich Rare Collection 50-Year-Old Single Malt • Highland Park 50-Year-Old

SERVE IT UP/SIP IT SLOW • GlenDronach 15-Year Revival • Macallan Fine Oak 15-Year • Laphroaig 15-year

TEQUILA SEEK IT OUT/SHOW IT OFF • Casa Dragones Joven • Patron-Burdeo Gran Añejo • Herradura Selección Suprema

SERVE IT UP/SIP IT SLOW • Don Julio 1942 • El Jimador Añejo • Tequila Fortaleza Reposado

VODKA SEEK IT OUT/SHOW IT OFF • Cîroc Ten • Stolichnaya Elit • Kors Vodka Silver

SERVE IT UP/SIP IT SLOW • Finlandia Classic • Woody Creek Stobrawa • Tito’s Handmade

WHISKEY/RYE SEEK IT OUT/SHOW IT OFF • Knappogue Castle 1951 Irish Whiskey • Van Winkle Family Reserve Rye 13-Year-Old • Jack Daniel’s No. 27 Gold coloradoavidgolfer.com

SERVE IT UP/SIP IT SLOW • Stranahan’s Diamond Peak • WhistlePig Straight Rye • Breckenridge Blend

August 2016 | COLORADO AVIDGOLFER

CARS BENTLEY BENTAYGA

JAGUAR F-PACE

MERCEDES AMG S63

CADILLAC XT5

LEXUS LC500

BMW M2

COLORADO AVIDGOLFER | August 2016

coloradoavidgolfer.com

Driving for Dough Crossovers, convertibles, coupes and sedans bid for their share of the luxury auto market. By Isaac Bouchard BENTLEY BENTAYGA

Just when you thought the crossover had reached its apogee, along comes a game-changing off-roader that vividly illustrates the extraordinary levels one-upmanship can go. Completely sold out at a cool quarter mil each and blessed with a superbly engineered chassis and unique 600hp W-12, the Bentayga lives up to Crewe’s tradition of hand-finished wood, wool and leather opulence—all wrapped in a practical, do-anything, go-anywhere body. Of course, you probably have a better chance of seeing a Sasquatch than a Bentayga on your next adventure into Colorado’s unpaved backcountry. From $229,100; bentleymotors.com

BMW M2

BMW builds a wild and wooly 1M successor coloradoavidgolfer.com

that’s also refined, fast and predictable, even as its flared rear arches, filled to bursting with fat rear Michelin boots, succumb to the turbocharms of its 365hp motor. Its mid-50s price makes it seem a bargain—too bad they command $10-20k premiums on the open market. As may be, this is one of M Division’s greats, proving BMW can still build a truly great driver’s car. From $51,700; bmwusa.com

CADILLAC XT5

Cadillac’s roster of top talent and category-eclipsing dynamics finally realizes its potential in the XT5, which hits the target dead on: perfect size, styling that works great in the metal, and a lovely interior with some wonderfully fresh detailing. Now that the CUE infotainment system works, Caddy has a winner on its hands—and a very credible alternative

to the best-selling Lexus RX series. From $38,995; cadillac.com

JAGUAR F-PACE

Lesson One in How to Double Your Sales: Build a crossover. Jaguar show’s how to do it with the new F-Pace; based on the same components as the XE and XF sedans, it has 2-liter diesel or 3-liter supercharged V6 power, dynamics to almost match the Porsche Macan, and more space than that class leader. Competitive pricing, charming looks and best-in-the-business warranty certainly don’t hurt. From $40,990; jaguarusa.com

LEXUS LC500

The outré styling themes with which Lexus has been toying these past few years cohere in the LC500, and it’s déjà vu all over again: August 2016 | COLORADO AVIDGOLFER

Lapping Up Germany With 100 corners and 1,000 feet of elevation change spread over 13.8 miles of rollicking tarmac, the legendary Nürburgring ribbons through Germany’s Eifel mountains and ranks as the most challenging racetrack in the world. Virtually every car company in the world tests there, both to hone its vehicles and for lap time bragging rights. While you can drive the Nordschleife (north loop) on any open lapping day, you’ll probably spend half your time sitting in the pits waiting for the latest accident to be cleared up. Much better to go there on a private tour, in a properly prepped track car, with professional guidance enabling you to get your fix in a safe manner. Local racer—and Pikes Peak International Hill Climb winner—Chris Lennon runs such a tour through his company, Winding Road Adventures. In addition to the time spent on track at the ’Ring, the eight-day experience includes a behind-the-scenes look at the Nürburgring Grand Prix track and private tours of museums and factories that aren’t open to the public, including those of Porsche, Audi and Mercedes-Benz. You’ll also visit another legendary German track, the Hockenheimring (135 miles south, near the Golf Club St. Leon-Rot, where the United States won the 2015 Solheim Cup). In between there’s superb food and beer and overnights in area high-end lodgings for the limited number of guests, all connected by 100 mph-plus blasts between towns on the Autobahn. This year’s adventure runs September 5-12. windingroadadventures.com

Rolling the Dice TESLA MODEL S AND MODEL X P90D Earlier this year, more than 400,000 leading-edgers put down deposits on the Electric Car Company’s make-or-break, entry-level $35,000 Model 3. That vehicle is pretty basic in spec and short of range; the one those people really want will run closer to $60,000—and whether they’ll pony up when it debuts in 2018 is anyone’s guess, including Tesla’s. The publicly traded company recently missed two consecutive quarterly projections and one of its autopiloted vehicles crashed in May. Despite these major speed bumps, permutations (including the top-level P90D) of the powerful Model S sedan and gull-winged Model X crossover (above) continue to show that the most courageous car company in decades intends to make good on its charge to change the world. From $110,000; teslamotors.com. COLORADO AVIDGOLFER | August 2016

coloradoavidgolfer.com

they’re about to reset the bar on how a luxurious GT should look, just as the first SC models did back in the early nineties. 467hp gasoline and even a hybrid version are coming; the carbon fiber, magnesium and aluminum body cloaks an interior of surpassing loveliness. Here next year. From $100,000 (estimate); lexus.com

response of yore is gone forever, we now have the kind of midrange muscle to make sense of a Carrera’s superlative dynamics at our altitude, and still revel in the rush to the redline that was hard to achieve before in the normal cut-and-thrust of urban traffic. From $110,300; porsche.com

MERCEDES AMG S63 CABRIOLET

VOLVO V90

The German firm’s first large four-seat convertible since 1971 presents the only credible alternative to a Bentley Continental soft top. Mercedes’ swooping shapes find their best expression yet on this AWD, 557hp Ode to Capitalism. A gorgeously redolent reminder of the Gilded Age and a decent driver’s car, it stands as an elegant antidote to a market seemingly obsessed with blocky SUVs as statements of success. From $176,400; mbusa.com

PORSCHE CARRERA 4 & 4S 991.2

Every Porsche 911, bar the GT3 track special, is now turbocharged, whether or not it says so on its sensual derrière. While the electric throttle

For those who want an antidote to crossovers and SUVs yet still need a huge load area and all-weather capabilities, Volvo’s captivatingly sleek new V90 wagon comes in three flavors: 250hp turbocharged T5, 300hp turbo/supercharged T6, or as a 400hp plug-in hybrid T8. The latter two have standard AWD, along with maybe the nicest interior of any vehicle under $100,000 and cost less than the XC90 with which they share a platform and powertrains.Available 2017; volvocars.com Automotive Editor Isaac Bouchard is the owner of Englewood-based Bespoke Autos (303-475-1462). Read more of his writing on coloradoavidgolfer.com and bespokeautos.com.

PORSCHE CARRERA

A family-oriented, full-service restaurant featuring authentic Cajun cusine including

gumbo, po-boys and beignets.

We offer true southern hospitality in a setting sure to make you feel you are down on da’ bayou.

VOLVO V90

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COMING SOON 5350 S. Sante Fe Ste. F Littleton, CO 80120 720-707-9979

August 2016 | COLORADO AVIDGOLFER

TAKE YOUR GAME TO NE W HEIGHTS

YOUR NEXT GOLF VAC ATION

GOLFGRANDLINKS.COM

SERVICE

Time Machines

TO AIR IS HUMAN: The economical, easy-to-fly Pilatus PC-12 seats 13 and boasts enough cargo space to hold a golf cart and everyone’s clubs and luggage.

PHOTOGRAPHS COURTESY OF TEMPUS JETS

The speed and convenience of private aviation can add hours to each day. ONTARIO-TO-BUFFALO is six minutes by car— unless, however, you’re talking about California’s Ontario Airport and Buffalo, Wyoming. Emergency physician Brian J. Bearie made that trip with his wife and six children last year by plane, flying commercially to spend a week at Paradise Ranch, a dude ranch outside Buffalo. Between stops and layovers, the Bearies spent 15 hours getting there and another 15 getting back. They didn’t enjoy the travel but they loved the ranch so much, they decided to go again— “it’s City Slickers 2” Bearie jokes—last month.

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This time, the trip took three-and-a-half hours door to door. They flew in Bearie’s new Pilatus PC-12. A pilot for more than 20 years, Bearie purchased the 10-passenger turboprop in April from Tempus, a private aviation company based at Colorado’s Centennial Airport. He upgraded from a Piper Malibu Mirage and couldn’t be happier. “It’s a much bigger, heavier and faster plane,” he says. “It takes turbulence like a champ; it goes right through it. There’s an amazing difference in the speeds and height level, as well. You’re

up there with the heavy iron—the airliners—and getting clearances unlike the general aviation.” Bearie, who owns seven urgent-care clinics, purchased the brand-new plane through his corporation, enabling him to depreciate 50 percent of its entire value in the first year. In addition to the tax benefit, the plane permits him to spend more time on his family, his clinics and his golf game. The Pilatus pilot has already taken his sons salmon fishing in Washington State and his wife for an overnight in Sonoma. His golf buddies can’t wait to load their bags and head to Mesquite, Bandon and other destinations. “The plane allows me to strengthen relationships,” Bearie explains. “Plus, without it, each of those trips would mean an additional day or two of travel—days I’d be out of the office or exhausted. Piloting leaves me refreshed.” “What it really boils down to is, what is your time worth?” says Tempus President and CEO Jack Gulbin. “Time is the most valuable asAugust 2016 | COLORADO AVIDGOLFER

Play Pick-Up Sticks Lugging your clubs through airports, paying extra to check them, waiting at the oversized baggage to claim them and, of course, hoping your 14 closest friends arrived safely is enough to make you leave them home and rent. Instead, leave them with a club-shipping service. The cost varies depending on the distance and how immediately you need your clubs (overnight, two or three days). Ship Sticks will pick up the clubs at your home or office and have them waiting at the appointed golf facility upon your arrival. The fully insured service, which has shipped more than 3 million clubs via UPS and FedEx, provides step-by-step instructions on packing and labeling. You can track your clubs online and receive notification of their arrival. The one-way cost to ship clubs from Denver to Scottsdale ranges between $50 (3 days) and $140 (overnight). The timesaving simplicity of the service has produced more than 250,000 happy customers in its 5 years in business. shipsticks.com

W E N

set in anyone’s portfolio, and this gives you more of it. The PC-12 and PC-24 are game changers. They’re time machines.” They’re also business assets. Gulbin cites the tax advantages and the value to developers, attorneys, entrepeneurs and other business executives who can meet face-to-face with personnel and customers in multiple locations instead of relying on email, Skype and conference calls. “And, if you can do three trips in one week instead of two weeks,” he says, “think of the operational efficiencies and savings.” Bearie did his research. It led him to Tempus and to Colorado. “They hand-held me through the process. I showed up at Centennial Airport and took delivery,” he recalls. “They have the plane under warranty—spinner to tail—and a service center close to me. They arranged for a factory pilot from Switzerland to train me.” These planes are “super economical and easy to fly,” Gulbin says, Few of us, however, are licensed pilots—or can spare the time (that word again!) to become one. That’s where private jet charters come in. Tempus and a number of other companies at Centennial and Rocky Mountain airports offer charter services—some of which, like FlexJet and NetJets, involve fractional ownership of a plane and all the concomitant tax benefits. The acquisition fee depends on the type of plane you buy and the size of the share (1/16th is the smallest, giving you 50 hours per year) after including monthly maintenance, airport surcharges and other fees, you’re looking at each hour in the air running between $7,000 and $8,000.

Other companies, such as JetSuite and OneFlight International, offer membership clubs that drop the above hourly rates by around $2,500. OneFlight also features the flexibility of non-expiring hours and month-to-month membership. JetSuite operates out of Rocky Mountain Airport in Broomfield, OneFlight out of Centennial. Also based out of Centennial, XJet prides itself on “seven-star luxury” and being a “lifestyle solution.” Founded, owned and operated by pilots, XJet occupies its own 50,000-squarefoot aviation campus, with a lavish terminal, two state-of-the-art climate controlled hangars, auto storage and auto spa facilities, passenger lounge, executive conference room and ultra modern pilot lounge. XJet doesn’t advertise its membership rates. It does partner with Mountain Aviation, a local charter company that hangars three of its planes at Xjet and charters them from $100 to $200 per minute, depending on the type of aircraft, offering further proof that time is indeed money. Tempus Jets tempusaircraft.com; 303-799-9999 XJet xjet.com; 303-649-9538 JetSuite Jetsuite.com; 866-779-7770 OneFlight International oneflightinternational.com; 888-990-5387

TWILIGHT MEMBERSHIP

COLORADO AVIDGOLFER | August 2016

• Membership only $40 per month • Access 7 days a week • 1 Large Bucket of Practice Balls every day • Free Green Fees After 2:00 PM (Cart Rental Required) • $12 Cart Fee Including One Beverage at Twilight • $10 Cart Fee Including One Beverage at Super Twilight

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TRAVEL

WORLD CITIZENSHIP: Exclusive Resorts delivers high-touch visits to such wonders as Peru’s majestic Machu Picchu and macawfilled rainforests. Vue de Rêves in St. Barts (above) perches at the top of Cuvée’s Caribbean properties.

To Club or Cuvée?

PHOTOGRAPHS COURTESY OF EXCLUSIVE RESORTS AND CUVÉE

When it comes to personally curated luxury vacations, that is the question. AS THE WORLD becomes more complicated, so do our options for traveling it. VRBO, AirBnB and countless travel booking sites create endless choices. “I feel like I spend as much time hunting for deals as I do on the actual vacation,” says frequent traveler Joseph Grant of Denver, who likens his behavior to that of a day-trader. “But I’m not looking for luxury; I’m looking for economy.” Some of us, however, seek the exact opposite. While we care about saving money, we care more about savoring experiences. Ensuring the location, services, ambience, activities and amenities meet our standards—and those advertised online—is worth the added expense. We want wherever we stay to feel like a second (or third or fourth) home and will even pay extra to have our lodging preselected and our vacations curated. This explains, in part, the popularity of destination clubs such as Exclusive Resorts, Quintess and Inspirato—all of which sprang up earlier this century and headquarter in Colorado. Similar to the country club model, membership in a destination club requires a one-time deposit and annual dues. None of these clubs provides members with equity or fractional ownership. And unlike country clubs, where your dues cover your green fees, you still have to pay per night to rent one of the homes in the club’s collection. The homes, which average $3.5 million in value, rent on average from $1,143 per night (Inspirato) to $2,666 (Exclusvie Resorts) to $2,821 (Quintess). coloradoavidgolfer.com

The variety of properties metropolitan penthouses to tropical retreats to ski in/ski-out chalets. Clubs often strategically partner with other hotels and tour companies to expand their offerings and create value-added “adventures” and “experiences” such as visiting Antarctica or Machu Picchu. These involve different membership upgrades—all of which makes apples-to-apples comparisons between clubs difficult. However, the snapshot below offers information culled from their media kits and the 2016 edition of Sherpa Report’s Destination Clubs: A Guide For

Prospective Members. Contact the clubs directly for more information.

THE CUVÉE WAY “We’re not Exclusive Resorts or a membership club of any kind,” says Susan Farrugia, the chief of staff of Cuvée, a Denver-based ultra-luxurious travel and lifestyle brand she co-founded with CEO Larry Mueller in 2002. Cuvée owns or exclusively manages all 28 of its exceptional properties, which include the spectacular Vue De Rêves

CLUB INITIAL FEE ANNUAL DUES

RESIDENCES/ LOCATIONS*

NOTABLE INTERNATIONAL DESTINATIONS*

Exclusive Resorts $170,000+ $9,995 -$59,700 400+/ 70+ (exclusiveresorts.com)

Costa Rica, Japan, Peru, Prague, Scotland, Spain

Inspirato $22,500 $3,900 + 650+/150+ (inspirato.com)

China, Provence, Jamaica, Thailand, Rio de Janeiro

The Quintess Collection $169,000+ $22,330 -$44,660 100+/40+ Bahamas, Bali, (quintess.com) Barcelona, Cuba, Paris, South Africa, Tuscany

*Includes properties owned and /or managed and /or hotel partnerships.

August 2016 | COLORADO AVIDGOLFER

er, arranges private tours of wineries, castles and other places of significance. Farrugia also gets involved. “I noticed where a renter in Tuscany was going to arrive July 2nd, and I advised her to come a day earlier so she wouldn’t miss the palio in Siena,” she says. “She did, and she was thrilled. That’s the type of relationships we have.” She’s right. And when you consider the company’s extraordinary customer satisfaction statistics (99.9%), it’s safe to say Cuvée’s clients do, after all, comprise a very exclusive club. cuvee.com

ITALIAN STYLE: Cuvée’s two stunning homes in Tuscany welcome guests with a personal concierge, farm-to-table comestibles and VIP access to must-see attractions in Italy’s most scenic province.

PHOTOGRAPHS COURTESY OF CUVÉE

in St. Barts ($6,428-$23,572 per night), Cuvée Hualalai Estate on Hawaii’s Big Island ($5,500 $12,500), four homes in Cabo ($3,500-$6,500) and 15 more in Vail, Aspen and Beaver Creek ($1,600-$17,250). “The key benefit of traveling with Cuvée is knowing the quality of property is going to be the best available,” says Farrugia. “You’re entrusting us to deliver the best location in the best destination with the best services. We control every detail— from selecting the most desirable places to curating the décor to buying the art on the walls to stocking the refrigerator with your favorite foods before you arrive. We go in and remodel properties to bring them up to Cuvée quality.” Cuvée guarantees this “high touch” service with its personal destination managers— concierges who are intimately connected to the property and the place. “They’re experts at the destination,” Farrugia explains. “They do all the pre-arrival planning, arranging for the ski lessons, private chefs, kid activities, dinner reservations. They’ve interviewed the renters beforehand and tailor everything to their preferences because they know everyone and everything about the area.” Creating local partnerships ensures elite, one-of-a-kind experiences. Cuvée’s two properties in Tuscany, for example, greet guests with bottles of freshly pressed olive oil from the property next door. An organic garden, tended by Property Manager Paolo Ceccherini, produces tomatoes, arugula and other vegetables that renters can pick themselves or have harvested. Fresh eggs arrive every morning, courtesy of six hens. Francesco Barone, the destination manag-

w w w . xssen tia l s . c o m Aspen · Denver · Jackson · Vail COLORADO AVIDGOLFER | August 2016

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TRAVEL

The High-Country High Life Five mountain resorts show off Colorado’s finer side.

PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY OF THE RITZ-CARLTON BACHELOR GULCH

THE RITZ-CARLTON BACHELOR GULCH, Beaver Creek

Mountain luxury doesn’t come more majestic than this 180-room hotel tucked into an exclusive enclave between Beaver Creek and Arrowhead on Beaver Creek Mountain. Exquisite carpentry and stonework combine with high-end finishes and furnishings to create a refined atmosphere, while the spacious rooms exude luxury through their thoughtful design and décor. The hotel’s three restaurants—Buffalos, The Grill and Daniel’s—span a range of formality but not quality. Vail Valley’s only cigar lounge, the hotel’s seductively lit Bachelors Lounge, emanates a sleek, cosmopolitan sophistication. The award-winning 21,000-square-foot spa features 19 treatment

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rooms, a luxurious manicure/pedicure salon, and a curated spa menu. Guests have access to Red Sky and Beaver Creek golf clubs, as well as a raft of naturalist programs that creatively connect guests to the flora and fauna surrounding the hotel. Outfitters hook up flyfishing, mountain biking and river adventures. Winter brings unparalleled access to the lifts at Beaver Creek, as well as s’mores around the firepit. ritzcarlton.com

GATEWAY CANYONS RESORT AND SPA, Gateway

Although its golf course never materialized, this 6,000-acre resort, secreted in the majestic red rocks four miles east of the Utah border, evidently doesn’t need one. Located in Unaweep Canyon, Gateway Canyons offers enough activities and amenities to top Condé Nast Traveler’s and Travel + Leisure’s lists of best resorts in Colorado and the Western USA. The place is about discovery—appropriately enough, since John Hendricks, founder of the Discovery Channel and Discovery Communications, built it. The resort hosts Curiosity Retreats with world-renowned speakers, and houses the Gateway Museum of the American Car—a collection of nearly 60 vehicles, including a one-of-a-kind 1954 Oldsmobile F-88 concept. Cruise the backroads in a Bentley from the resort’s fleet of luxury auto rentals, or see the area from above in the only chopper to successfully land on top of Mount Everest. Learn cowboy skills at Gateway’s Palisade Ranch or just ride some of the 500 acres of horse trails. Savor exceptional dining in the Entrada dining room. Fly-fish, shoot clays or hike the property’s myriad trails, and then submit to an indulgent spa treatment. The property’s 14 Palisade Casitas feature custom artisan furnishings from Peru, private

fire pits, stargazing decks and other stunning appointments, while many of the 58 rooms in the Kiva and Kayenta lodges come with private hot tubs and fireplaces. gatewaycanyons.com

DEVIL’S THUMB RANCH, Tabernash

For more than 80 years, this refined mountain ranch on 6,000 acres has treated visitors to the beauty of Grand County. However, it’s only been since 2001 that current owners Bob and Suzanne Fanch began to convert it into the luxury retreat it is today. They added 15 ridge top cabins, as well as the Broad Axe Barn (home of the fitness center, a conference center and events venue built from a reconstructed Civil War-era barn. In 2007, they completed a 52-room Main Lodge, and the following year added the Ranch Creek Spa. Three years ago, the 35-room High Lonesome Lodge, Barn and wine grotto opened. August 2016 | COLORADO AVIDGOLFER

PHOTOGRAPHS COURTESY OF GATEWAY CANYON RESORT AND SPA

RUSTIC ELEGANCE: The Ritz-Carlton Bachelor Gulch

RED ROCK RETREAT: Luxe automobiles and amenities await at Gateway Canyons.

FAIRMONT HERITAGE PLACE, FRANZ KLAMMER LODGE, Telluride

Just a free gondola ride up from the National Historic District, Telluride’s Mountain Village is home to this stunning 63-residence proper-

ty. Named for the Austrian alpine superstar, it naturally offers access to Telluride’s more than 2,000 skiable acres and 4,425 feet of vertical drop. But it also puts you steps away from the Telluride Golf Club, which at 6,574 yards long at 9,500 feet high is a golf dream come true. Proximity to Tomboy Tavern, The View and Allred’s makes up for Klammer’s absence of its own restaurant. In classic European form, the resort boasts the heavenly Himmel spa, where exotic exfoliation, hydration, oxygenation and relaxation treatments rejuvenate every cell in your body. The lodge boasts an indoor/outdoor pool, dry sauna, steam room and multiple hot tubs. The distinctive 1,800-square-foot rooms all come with the conveniences and details seen in well-appointed homes—complete with spectacular mountain views of the surrounding

Eliminate Stubborn Fat great for men too!

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PHOTOGRAPHS COURTESY OF THE BROADMOOR

Horseback riding, hiking, zipline tours, mountain biking and fly-fishing vie for your time, as do Rachel’s Pool, the geothermally heated outdoor saltwater pool and hot tub with an indoor entry from the fitness center, wine dinners and activities, such as archery and air-rifle biathlons. Accommodations range from uniquely appointed private cabins to cozy lodge rooms. Winter guests benefit from regular shuttles to Winter Park, as well as in-town accommodations at the sister properties: Trailhead Inn and Vasquez Creek Inn. devilsthumbranch.com

PHOTOGRAPHS COURTESY OF FAIRMONT HERITAGE PLACE, FRANZ KLAMMER LODGE

PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY OF THE RITZ-CARLTON BACHELOR GULCH

ALPINE IDYLLS : The Ritz-Carlton Spa (left) and Franz Klammer Lodge (right and below), The Broadmoor’s Emerald Valley Ranch (opposite).

14ers. Impeccable service completes the picture. fairmont.com/klammer-lodge-telluride

THE BROADMOOR, Colorado Springs

Colorado’s grand dame hotel turns 100 in two years, but staying there never gets old. Fivestar, five-diamond sophistication oozes from every portico, and each year brings yet another new reason to visit. Enhancing the blend of Donald Ross and Robert Trent Jones holes on the East and West Courses, the new Callaway Golf Experience lets guests check out the company’s latest custom fitting and equipment technology. Accommodations now include the incomparable Cloud Camp, perched 3,000 feet above The Broadmoor’s iconic pink buildings, and The Ranch at Emerald Valley, where the 10 beautifully appointed cabins nest in 10,000 acres of the Pike National Forest. A shuttle delivers the magnificence of The Broadmoor Seven Falls and Soaring Adventure—two guided five-zipline tours above the falls that culminate with a rappel above the canyon. Another signature adventure awaits 75 miles away at Fishing Camp, where The Broadmoor’s five miles of private water along the Tarryall River lets you experience some of the best trout fishing in Colorado. September 9-11 will introduce Stream to Table, where guests can refine their line-casting skills with Scott Tarrant and learn how to dress and prepare their catches with the esteemed Broadmoor culinary team before enjoying the results paired with Colorado spirits, beers and wines. broadmoor.com

Our gold medal offer only comes around once every four years. :: Increase flexibility and rotation throughout the swing :: Develop a stronger core for better balance and stability :: Resistance training and stretching to increase club head speed :: TPI Certified Fitness Instructors

Go for the gold by August 16.

303.861.5646 | ColoradoAthleticClubs.com *Restrictions may apply. Cannot be combined with other offers. Amenities and programs vary by location, offer not valid at Union Station. Offer ends August 16, 2016. ©2016 Wellbridge

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August 2016 | COLORADO AVIDGOLFER

GEAR

Local Customs Centennial-based Carbon Putters creates your signature stroke. By Jon Rizzi

COLORADO AVIDGOLFER | August 2016

ters have great feel. They’re Anser-style, which I like, and I’ve gotten used to the topline, which is a bit thicker than I’m used to. I’ve had them make me two: a heavier one for fast greens; and a lighter one for slow ones.” Carbon’s heritage of customization has served it well. The company has its roots in putterlounge.com and regripit.com, successful sites specializing respectively in refinishing and regripping existing putters. James, a former member of the Colorado State golf team who roomed with future PGA Tour player Martin Laird, started both businesses in 2009, when “ghosting” putters with a white finish was all the rage. The Putter Lounge catalog now lists nine finishes, ranging from black oxide to whiskey, with variations (silk, satin, matte) available, depending on the putter’s material. “People who don’t put head covers on their putters get dings we call ‘bag chatter,’” says Dan, describing a typical customer. “But lots of people just want to change color or personalize it.” The quality of the refinishing often surpasses that of the original manufacturer, as Aurora-based golfer Eddie Carr discovered. An expensive, disappointing OEM experience with his refinished Scotty Cameron Studio Design 2 led him to the Putter Lounge. “They did it in Indigo two years ago and it still looks brand

NO GIMMES: Carbon does all its putter manufacturing and engraving onsite.

PHOTOGRAPHS BY PHIL MUMFORD

GOLF’S A GAME OF OPPOSITES. Hit down on the ball to get it up; swing easier to hit it further. Maybe this explains why a putter designed and manufactured by a small, family-owned Colorado company finished at the very top of MyGolfSpy.com’s list as “Most Wanted Blade Putter,” beating out heavily marketed models from TaylorMade, PING, Nike, Odyssey and, yes, Scotty Cameron. Rigorous scientific testing involving putts made from five, 10 and 20 feet revealed players using Carbon Putters’ Ringo ¼ model could expect to drop 1.86 strokes per round, a half-stroke more than any other competitor. Carbon’s business changed overnight. “We had to invest in another two CNC milling machines, and work around the clock to keep up with the orders,” says CFO Terri Kurtenbach, who with her sons, James, Dan and Dave (all of whom played competitive collegiate golf) started the company two years ago. Not only has Carbon kept up with demand without having to outsource or offshore the manufacturing, it has done so while sustaining the quality of the putters and meeting the demands of a discriminating clientele. “They’ll do whatever you want—weight, loft, lie, shaft length, grip, sightlines, personalization—to make you happy,” says 2000 Colorado Open winner Scott Petersen, who has also won on the Canadian and Nationwide tours. “Their put-

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new,” he says, its glistening blue highlights bearing him out. Among its own models, Carbon only currently customizes finishes on the award-winning Ringo ¼. The Carbon Putter website features a computer-aided-design (CAD) tool to aid in everything from top-line flange alignment to bumper and sole engraving to face mill depth. Should you want, say, your family crest on the sole or cavity, just ask. Customization can potentially double the base price of $340, making it something of a luxury. All Carbon putters are one-piece milled and heel-toe weighted. The carbon-steel alloy used on the majority of the models gives the company its name and the putters their great sound and feel. The names of current and upcoming models—Ringo, The Kid, Holliday, Cassidy—come from gunslingers. (The Ringo ¼ has a ¼-inchlong neck.) The putter heads weigh 370 grams. Petersen heard about Carbon from fellow professional Derek Fribbs and continues to spread the word at tournaments and among members of Black Bear and Blackstone, his home courses. The price may seem high, but consider: In a game of opposites, most players don’t think twice about paying $400 for the newest driver, even though they’ll only hit it 14 times a round. You putt at least twice as frequently, and with one of these babies, it’ll be for dough and for show.

FAB FLATSTICKS: Carbon’s customization can produce personalized items such as a personalized Beatles model (left); a casing in the cylinder of the logo (above); and meticulous finishes.

Visit carbonputters.com or the Carbon Putter facility at 7342 S. Alton Way #7E, Centennial; 303-323-8739.

COLORADO’S LEADING GOLF DEALER FOR OVER 30 YEARS!

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August 2016 | COLORADO AVIDGOLFER

GEAR

Sim You Later AS TOPGOLF HAS PROVEN, golf is about more than just golf; it’s about entertainment. And ironically, in the world of residential golf simulators, the one simply called aboutGolf turns out to be the most entertaining of all. The Official Golf Simulator Provider of the PGA TOUR and Exclusive On-Air Simulator Provider for Golf Channel, aboutGolf’s products clearly have the game to help you improve—high-def stop-motion video swing-plane analysis using its aG Flix technology; balance breakdown employing the aG Balance Pro; and a launch monitor producing a statistical encyclopedia of swing and ball speeds, angles, trajectories for every shot and club analyzed for easy comprehension using 3Trak. aboutGolf gives you more than a better golf game—it gives you fun golf games. Play rounds with friends on the 29 courses that come standard or on the premium destinations of St. Andrews, Pebble Beach and the TPC network. You can also compete with your pals—as well as a non-golfer spouse and kids—at MiniGolf, Skeeball, Closest to the Pin and numerous range and short-course contests. Proving it’s not just for mancaves, the aboutGolf simulator provides family entertainment. Its aG Portal enables it to deliver television, movies, music, web and social media content, apps and more in an HDTV home theater setting. Call 800-445-GOLF for model pricing and installation. aboutgolf.com

PLAY HARD.REST EASY At Beaver Run Resort—Where Mountain & Town Meet

Photos courtesy of Breckenridge Tourism Office

Come play Breckenridge's 27 hole golf course designed by Jack Nicklaus. Escape the heat and play one of the most scenic golf courses in North America. Afterwards, kick back and relax at Beaver Run Resort in the beautiful town of Breckenridge, Colorado. CALL IN, OR GO ONLINE FOR GREAT SUMMER RATES! COLORADO AVIDGOLFER | August 2016

Breckenridge, CO BeaverRun.com | 800.288.1282 coloradoavidgolfer.com

For the Walker… SUGGESTING THE BAG Eddie Lowery carried for Francis Ouimet during the 1913 U.S. Open, the Original MacKenzie Walker ($1,095) is anything but pedestrian in its design. Handcrafted from fine leather in Portland, Ore. for more than 30 years, these elegant totes come in nine different color-and-trim options and feature two large pockets— one for balls, tees and accessories; the other for the windshirt, rainpaints and whatever else you need on that trip to Ireland, Bandon or Ballyneal. You can also monogram or customize one with a club logo or school emblem. Although the eight-inch diameter bag features no club dividers, double-shoulder strap or kickstand, it’s an easy carry. For those looking for more personalized flair, the Specialty MacKenzie Walker (1,850–$2,195) comes in patterns such as argyle, patchwork, stripes and harlequin, all in classic colors of your choosing. themackenziewalker.com

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…and the Rider BUBBA WATSON DRIVES a Garia. So does Paula Creamer. And the Danish golf car company recently partnered with Mercedes-Benz to create what they’re cheekily calling “a real sports car,” The Mercedes-Benz Style Edition Garia Golf Car. Defined by innovative Scandinavian design and superior materials, the 10-year-old company’s U.S. models include the street-legal Via and Via 2+2 (with two additional rear-facing seats). The electric vehicle comes with a spacious cabin; hand-stitched leather seats in a choice of colors; 10-inch tires with aluminum rims; heating and air conditioning; a heated glass windshield with washer/wiper; an air scoop for added ventilation; 45-degree golf bag attachment; ball, tee and cup holders; waste bin; front and rear mudguards; a charging port; and a netted tailgate and lockable storage space. A speed switch lets you toggle between “eco” (16 mph) and “sport” (25 mph) modes. Upgrades include a built-in stereo system, 41-degree refrigerator, rear-view mirrors and a superlight Lithium 2 battery with a 45-mile range and 10-year lifespan. The Mercedes edition also features wood finishes and an integrated onboard touchpad with course GPS information and scorecard. Starting at roughly $15,000. garia.com

August 2016 | COLORADO AVIDGOLFER

OBJECTS

The Bright Stuff TECHNOLOGY can make our homes smarter, sound better and more soothing. It can also bring the world closer—and as it does, you need the right products not only to keep you connected, but also to keep you stylish, sharp and on time, no matter how many time zones you travel through.

A Sound Investment WITH THE SONOS 5.1 Wireless Surround Sound System, you could have probably heard Dustin Johnson’s ball move during the U.S. Open. Sonos transforms watching television or listening to music into an epic, multisensory experience. With nine amplified speakers, its Playbar floods the room with powerful, realistic sound for everything connected to your HDTV, including games and music. Preloaded with more than 1,000 internet radio stations, the Playbar also doubles as a stand-alone musicstreaming device from your iTunes library and the web. Its wireless SUB subwoofer adds soul-shaking bass without rattle or buzz; its two PLAY:1 surround speakers bring full-theater surround sound to your HDTV. Other cool features include “Night Sound,” which dynamically compresses the audio to avoid any bangs or crashes from waking the family, while making quieter sounds more audible. You can boost the frequency of range of the human voice so you never annoy your family with “What’d he say?” during critical dialog. Upgrade to SonosNet, and you’ll be able to connect wirelessly to up to 16 computers and simultaneously play different music in every room of the house. Or the same song in every room without the annoying echo or delay. The best part of all this? You can control it all wirelessly by free apps for your smartphone or iPad.

COLORADO AVIDGOLFER | August 2016

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Your Hour of Knead THE WORLD’S BEST golf massage doesn’t come with fragrant essential oils or a chatty bodyworker. It comes from a magical chair that intuitively knows how to press, knead, pull, roll and stretch away soreness from every inch of your body in cosseting comfort. The aptly named Inada DreamWave represents the latest and most innovative product created by the company founded by visionary Nichimu Inada. For more than 50 years Inada has combined the principles of shiatsu with handcrafted excellence, engineering superiority and a relentless commitment to health and wellbeing. Operated by a handheld remote, the DreamWave features 16 pre-programmed massage choices, 15 Manual Massage types and more than 1,000 possible massage combinations. Its proprietary scanning technology locates your individual shiatsu points. The rhythmic compressions of 100 air cells work your arms, neck, calves and feet, while heat, vibration and rollers tend to your upper and lower back, shoulders and buttocks. Aching hips and thighs get gently pulled inward and outward to melt away tenderness and fatigue. Other functions include Shiatsu Pull-Kneading and Full-Body Stretch. The DreamWave’s Deep Relaxation Setting calmly undulates in a figure-eight motion, delivering hypnotic relaxation. An inspired marriage of form and function, the DreamWave comes in five colors and stands three feet wide and four feet high, with a fully reclined length of nearly seven feet. The extremely durable product can massage you every day for the next 24 years. Visit the Inada showroom in Boulder or Healthstyles Exercise Equipment stores in Denver, Fort Collins, Boulder and Glenwood Springs. $9,499. healthstylesexercise.com

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SEPTEMBER 7, 1:30pm

THE RIDGE AT CASTLE PINES NORTH 4-person SCRAMBLE—$110 per player

REGISTER TODAY! coloradoavidgolfer.com/events For more information and to register contact Ryan McLean at 720-493-1729 ext. 15 or ryan@coloradoavidgolfer.com

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August 2016 | COLORADO AVIDGOLFER

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Two Times the Watch HOW DOES AUSTRALIAN Adam Scott, who lives in the Swiss Alps, know the best time to call his mates in Adelaide? The Rolex Perpetual Sky-Dweller elegantly helps those who travel the globe—including top professional golfers like Scott—immediately know the time in two places. One of the Swiss company’s most revolutionary designs, the Sky-Dweller features dual time zone, with the conventional center hour, minute and seconds hands telling the local time, and a second reference time display in 24-hour format rotating in an off-center second disc visible on the dial. The watch also boasts an innovative annual calendar named Saros—after the astronomical phenomenon of the same name—that requires only one date adjustment a year, when the month changes from February to March; additionally, 12 discreet apertures around the circumference of the dial reveal the month. Thanks to its innovative display and simple operation, the Sky-Dweller allows the traveller to adjust the watch to different time zones during a journey, while benefitting from a constant, clear display of reference time. $39,550. rolex.com

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COLORADO AVIDGOLFER | August 2016

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Bagging a Classic WALTER HAGEN MIGHT have used a bag like The Stateroom Weekender when he boarded the Aquitania to win one of his four Open Championships. Perfect for a three-day getaway, Mission Mercantile’s spacious, distinguished carrier features a historically admirable silhouette drawn from the golden age of ship and train travel while satisfying today’s airline carry-on requirements. A solid leather bottom with brass feet, heavy-duty zipper and fully lined, easily cleaned interior ensures durability. The 100% full-grain, vegetable-tanned leather guarantees no two bags will age the same way. $695 missionmercantile.com

Hat’s All, Folks AMONG THE MANY unfortunate style trends popular today—Rasputin beards, untucked shirts, head-to-toe tattoos—one of the brighter spots is the return of the fedora, trilby and other classic hats. Credit Don Draper, Walter White or maybe even Nathaniel Rateliff. And what better place to don a topper than a classic shop like Goorin Bros.? The company started 120 years ago in Pittsburgh and has grown to 30 stores, including ones in Denver and Boulder, where Victorian furnishings, vintage accouterments, framed photos and upholstered furniture suggest quaint words like “haberdashery” and “millinery.” A tip of the hat to Goorin for surviving the hatless half-century after JFK’s 1960 inauguration and thriving now. goorin.com coloradoavidgolfer.com

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August 2016 | COLORADO AVIDGOLFER

The Games of Golf TRIVIA | PUZZLERS

ll Kenda

Julie Tvede

Dye

Joy Trotter

n Moira Dun

The State of Play If a Coloradan wins this year’s CoBank Colorado Women’s Open, she’ll only be the second one this century.

Allison Emrey

WHEN GREEN VALLEY RANCH Golf Club welcomes the 22nd CoBank Colorado Women’s Open August 31-September 2, players from across the country (Hawaii, Florida, Texas, North Carolina) and the world (Australia, New Zealand) will fill the field. Surprising? Not at all. The event has always drawn a geographically diverse field. Compared to the 52-year-old CoBank Colorado Open, where Coloradans have won more than half the time, in the 21 years of the Women’s Open, only five winners have listed Colorado as their home state. That’s less than 24 percent—and only one Colorado golfer, Denver’s Becca Huffer in 2013, has claimed the title during this century.

k Sa Walaila

tarak

Whitney Wade

Can you match the champion with the place she called home? 1. Tamara Johns (2001)

A) Arizona

2. Isabelle Beisiegel (2002)

B) New York

3. Lisa DePaulo (2003)

C) Florida

4. Julie Tvede (2004)

D) Kentucky

5. Paige MacKenzie (2006)

E) Australia

6. Walailak Satarak (2007, 2008)

F) North Carolina

7. Whitney Wade (2009)

G) Denmark

8. Moira Dunn (2010)

H) Texas

9. Jessica Carafiello (2011)

I) Thailand

10. Joy Trotter (2012)

J) Oklahoma

11. Kendall Dye (2014) K) Washington 12. Allison Emrey (2015)

L) California

ANSWERS: 1-E, 2-J, 3-H,4-G, 5-K, 6-I, 7-D, 8-B, 9-C, 10-L, 11-A, 12-F

COLORADO AVIDGOLFER | August 2016

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