Colorado AvidGolfer May 2022 Digital Issue

AvidGolfer Colorado

coloradoavidgolfer.com

Elevating the Game Since 2002

“THE DISCIPLINE BECOMES PART OF YOU…YOU JUST DO IT.”

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CLUB

FITNESS SPECIAL

IMPACT PLAYER!

HOW TO DIAL IN YOUR DISTANCES P. 32

KUPCHO’S 1ST MAJOR P. 19

THAD LAYTON, HEIR TO THE KING P. 27

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PLUS

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CONTENTS

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MAY 2022

DEPARTMENTS 10 Forethoughts

A Ride on the Distaff Side. By Jon Rizzi

16 The CGA

A Watershed Moment for Golf

19 The Gallery

Jennifer Kupcho wins the Chevron Classic; Tom Ferrell gets a dream golf job; when good movies happen to bad golfers; Sophia Capua; win a round with Paige Spiranac.

64 Blind Shot

Another major comes to Southern Hills.

60

SPECIAL 15 CLUB th

FEATURES

How to Bomb It!

49

Why flexibility, balance and strength are the keys. By Jason Witczak

Impact Player

Savannah Vilaubi has the moves, muscles and grit to win at the highest level. By Jon Rizzi

54

62

Stretch Goals

Can’t make a turn? Back out of whack?

Hammies too tight? The flexologists at StretchLab can help. By Jon Rizzi

The Big Three

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ON THE COVER

Hit the Barre

Achieve strength, flexibility and stamina— no pliés required. By Kim D. McHugh

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COLORADO AVIDGOLFER

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MAY 2022

PLAYER’S CORNER 27 Profile

Colorado-based course architect Thad Layton embraces the challenge of carrying on Arnold Palmer’s design legacy. By Tony Dear

32 Lesson

How to dial in club selection and improve course management. By Trent Wearner

36 State of Play

In Parker, The Pinery and Pradera join forces and courses into one seamless membership. By Jon Rizzi

SIDE BETS 39 Fareways

Squat, lunge and deadlift your way to tourlevel swing speeds. By Dee Tidwell

58

COURTESY BARRE3

60

Savannah Vilaubi photographed at Green Valley Ranch Golf Club by Justin Tafoya/Clarkson Creative

Curiosity and calluses drove Foraged chef Duy Pham to become a master artisan of extraordinary knife handles. By John Lehndorff

46 Nice Drives

Lexus NX350, Toyota GR 86, Hyundai Tucson Hybrid, Mazda MX-5 Miata RF

By Isaac Bouchard

PHOTO BY MONTANA PRITCHARD/COURTESY PGA OF AMERICA

64

PLAY WHERE

THE LEGENDS PLAY.

Some of the greatest of all time have played at The Broadmoor Golf Club. Join the ranks on two iconic, championship courses set in the Cheyenne Mountain foothills of Colorado Springs.

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MAY 22 | VOLUME 21, NUMBER 2 coloradoavidgolfer.com

PRESIDENT & GROUP PUBLISHER ALLEN J. WALTERS EDITORIAL DIRECTOR

JON RIZZI

SALES, MARKETING & ADVERTISING associate publisher

CHRIS PHILLIPS vp of sales & marketing

LORI PERRY

director of sales & marketing , golf passport & events

MIKE CARVER

digital marketing manager

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CINDY PALMER

ART & EDITORIAL creative director

JANI DUNCAN SMITH

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SUZANNE S. BROWN contributors

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MAY 2022

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Colorado AvidGolfer (ISSN 1548-4335) is published eight times a year by Baker-Colorado Publishing, LLC, and printed by Publication Printers Corp. Volume 21, Number 2. 6143 S. Willow Drive, #406, Greenwood Village, CO 80111. 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 © 2022 by Baker-Colorado Publishing, LLC. All rights reserved. Reproduction without permission is prohibited. Postmaster: Send address changes to Colorado AvidGolfer, 6143 S. Willow Drive, #406, Greenwood Village, CO 80111. The magazine welcomes editorial submissions but assumes no responsibility for the safekeeping or return of unsolicited manuscripts, photographs, artwork or other material. magazine partner of choice:

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Forethoughts

R NAMENT U O T

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MAY 2022

IT’S A GOOD time to be a woman golfer.

Next month’s U.S. Women’s Open will feature a $10 million purse, up from last year’s $5.5 million, with the winner taking home $1.8 million, up from $1 million. Although the man who wins the U.S. Open two weeks later will get a $2.25 million cut of the $12.5 million purse, those amounts haven’t changed since 2019, and the pay gaps between the two events have closed significantly.

Colorado’s state opens, however, have leveled the prize-money field. Thanks to the title sponsorship of the Denver-based luxury travel brand Inspirato and the vision of the Colorado Open Foundation’s board of directors, both the Inspirato Colorado Women’s Open (June 1-3) and the Inspirato Colorado Open (July 21-24) will have purses of $250,000, with a winner’s share of $100,000.

This makes the Inspirato Colorado Open Championships the first state golf tournaments in the country to have equal payouts for both its men’s and women’s events.

The first-prize money doubles the $50,000 awarded to each of the last five women’s champions—the most recent of whom, Savannah Vilaubi, appears on the cover of this month’s issue.

“How incredible is that?” Vilaubi rhetorically asked me during the photo shoot at Green Valley Ranch Golf Club. “What a huge initiative for Colorado to take this step. It started a lot of conversations within my circle of golfers, of course. It’s crazy! Equal pay for golfers. What a concept!”

Equally incredible was the fact that Vilaubi, who also qualified last December for the LPGA Tour, volunteered to fly from her home in California to do the interview and shoot. With our May issue traditionally focused on fitness, the athletic and effervescent 27-year-old was more than happy to show her moves and discuss the rigorous selfdiscipline program she put herself through during the pandemic to prepare her body, mind and game to compete at the highest level.

Owing to the hard work of Photographer Justin Tafoya and CAG Art Director Michelle M. Gutierrez, you can see the results—and maybe get inspired

SCAN TO JOIN OUR NEWSLETTER OR SUBSCRIBE!

to achieve similar ones for yourself—starting on page 49.

With fitness our theme, take the advice of biomechanic Dee Tidwell (page 54) and PGA Professional Jason Witczak (page 60) and you’ll build the kind of functional strength, balance and power that has accelerated golf’s evolution from a game into a sport. We also explore two less traditional avenues to improved performance—barre and assisted stretching—on pages 58 and 62.

Just three days before the cover shoot, the 2020 winner of the Colorado Women’s Open, Westminster’s own Jennifer Kupcho, captured her first LPGA Tour title—and first major championship—at the Chevron Classic (page 19). Jennifer graced the cover of this magazine in 2019 and has appeared on our pages numerous times.

I couldn’t be happier for her breakthrough. And, as the son of a businesswoman and as a graduate of the first coed Seven Sisters college, I couldn’t be prouder to say that gender pay equity has become a reality in the sport I cover in a state I call home.

COVER TEAM: Savannah Vilaubi, me, Justin Tafoya and Michelle M. Gutierrez

PHOTO BY ETHAN MITO/CLARKSON CREATIVE

September 7

COLORADO AVIDGOLFER

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A Ride on the Distaff Side

2022

10

Letter from the Editor

JON RIZZI Editorial Director

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Golf Passport Member Conditions: 2022 Member Privileges. All rates include a cart unless offer specifies differently. Visit coloradoavidgolfer.com/golf-passport for complete details regarding rates, available tee times, number of rounds and reservation policy. Tee time requests are on a space available basis to Golf Passport members and participating courses’ rain check policies will apply. Unless otherwise stated, the golf offers are good from January 1, 2022 – December, 31 2022, excluding holidays, special events, tournaments or closure to environmental or economic conditions. Mountain seasons may vary slightly. The Golf Passport is limited to one per person and is non-transferable. Prices do not include sales tax. Some courses may require a credit card to secure a tee time prior to play. If a tee time is canceled, the golf course may charge for its discounted fee. Colorado AvidGolfer reserves the right to make reasonable modifications to the Golf Passport, effective upon notice by e-mail or first class mail to the Golf Passport member. A Golf Passport member may reject any such modification by responding in writing to Colorado AvidGolfer and returning the Golf Passport within ten (10) days. The Golf Passport member will receive a prorated refund. However, no refund will be given if the Golf Passport Member received the Complimentary Two Night Stay at CasaBlanca Resort and Two Rounds of Golf at CasaBlanca or Palms Golf Club. The Golf Passport member agrees that he or she is not entitled to any additional compensation.

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The CGA

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Serving All Colorado Golfers

A Watershed Moment The Colorado Golf Coalition celebrates H2O in Colorado.

E

CAPITOL GAINS: CGA Executive Director Ed Mate, State Senator John Cooke, Golf Lobbyist Jennifer Cassell and State Representative Daneya Leigh Esgar partook in the 2019 Golf Day at the Capitol.

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COLORADO AVIDGOLFER

COURTESY OF THE COLORADO GOLF COALITION

very spring, Colorado golfers get a thrill out of watching our fairways turn from a dull brown to that vivid green we’re all accustomed to. This year, the CGA and our partner golf associations in the Colorado Golf Coalition want you to think more about what it takes to keep our courses vibrant and healthy.

The Coalition—which consists of the CGA, the Colorado Section of the PGA, the Rocky Mountain Golf Course Superintendents (RMGCSA) and the Mile High Chapter of the Club Management Association of America—completed extensive research to understand the environmental and economic impact of the game of golf. This led to coloradogolfimpact.org, our report on results of this study.

Our joint research has sharpened our focus on how all partners in the golf “ecosystem” can work together as effective stewards of the game and how our 236 courses utilize resources now, and in the future.

Colorado courses provide 33,062 acres of greenspace that support wildlife habitats, reduce urban heat effects, filter surface water runoff and contribute to the overall health and wellness of the community members and organizations who utilize these courses and those who live around them.

Nearly all courses in Colorado implement environmental practices, with 92% percent actively conserving energy and 97% practicing waste management and recycling on their properties. Urban golf courses up and down the front range help cool cities and remove pollutants, both of which are

projected to increase, based on reports from Denver Public Works.

On April 12, the Coalition met with state legislators to discuss these impacts during our annual Golf Day at the Capitol. “Golf Day is an important opportunity for our associations to connect with our legislators and share the environmental stewardship of our industry and reinforce with our legislators that we are delivering $1.2 billion in direct impact annually to the state,” CGA Executive Director/CEO Ed Mate said. “And post-pandemic, that amount has only grown, as the demand for the game is at a fevered pitch.”

The Colorado Golf Coalition is taking another step toward incremental change by supporting Water ’22, a statewide effort to celebrate the idea that “it all starts here.” Water ’22 is educating Coloradans about one of the state’s most import///

MAY 2022

ant resources and encouraging conservation and protection to mitigate the impacts of climate change—especially persistent drought conditions. Water ’22 provides 22 Water-Saving Tips to Help Coloradans Save 22 Gallons of Water a Day. The CGA and the Colorado Golf Coalition hope each of us can consider these 22 small

ways to make changes to conserve water throughout the year. Let’s not take for granted the abundant natural and intrinsic beauty we find on the course—nor that the source of that beauty is fed by the Colorado headwaters that start in our very own backyard.

Learn more about Water’22 at water22.org.

It All Starts Here This is our moment to unify as Coloradans with a commitment to water stewardship. #Water22

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The Gallery

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News | Notes | Names

HARRY HOW/COURTESY LPGA TOUR/GETTY IMAGES

Jennifer Kupcho’s Major Victory and the rallying Jessica Korda ultimately to shrink to two strokes, Kupcho made clutch shots when she had to—particularly the putts on 11 and 12, and the approach on the par-4 15th that yielded a tap-in birdie.

By the time she walked past the statue of tournament co-founder Dinah Shore waving near the 18th green, Kupcho was about to putt with a three-shot lead. Minutes later, the first American since Brittany Lincicome in 2015 to win the tournament found herself locked in a celebratory, feet-off-the-ground embrace with husband—and putting coach—Jay Monahan.

“I don’t think he’s ever picked me up, so that was pretty cool,” she said.

With the card signed and the trophy presented, kissed and held aloft, Kupcho admitted she had doubts whether her professional breakthrough would come.

“Yeah, for sure,” Kupcho said. “I’ve been so close a couple of times, so it’s just really hard sometimes, and here I am. It’s really exciting.”

The obligatory jump into Poppie’s Pond followed. After Kupcho, Monahan and her

KATELYN MULCAHY/COURTESY LPGA TOUR/GETTY IMAGES

I

t wasn’t a matter of if Jennifer Kupcho would win on the LPGA Tour, but when.

Since turning pro in 2019, the Westminster native and former Wake Forest University superstar had come tantalizingly close with ten top-10 finishes, including three runner ups—one of which came in a major, the 2019 Evian Championship.

The wait ended April 3—and at a major championship, no less. With her fingernails painted green in honor of the third anniversary of her triumph in the inaugural Augusta National Women’s Amateur championship, the 24-year-old newlywed earned her first LPGA victory in the 50th and final Chevron Championship at Mission Hills Country Club in Rancho Mirage, Calif.

Kupcho led the field by six shots going into Sunday’s action, having set the 50-year-old tournament’s 54-hole record by carding a 16-under 200 during the first three rounds. That margin grew to seven after consecutive birdies on the fourth and fifth holes.

Although she would play the final 13 holes in 4 over, allowing the distance between her

A SHORE THING: Kupcho exults after sinking the final putt to win the Chevron Classic (aka “The Dinah Shore”), the first major of the season and the first of Kupcho’s career.

caddie, David Eller, took the celebratory leap, she emerged soaked and smiling, soon finding herself happily swaddled in a ceremonial bathrobe.

Kupcho’s first LPGA win marked the last time that iconic ritual will play out at Mission Hills. The beloved tournament that debuted in 1972 as the Colgate-Dinah Shore Winner’s Circle—and became a major in 1983—will move to Houston next spring.

“It’s surreal to be able to say that I was the last person here and first person at Augusta,” reflected Kupcho, whose first LPGA Tour win made her $750,000 richer as well as the first player eligible for the 2022 Rolex ANNIKA Major Award. lpga.com coloradoavidgolfer.com

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The Gallery

News | Notes | Names

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FROM LEFT: TOM FERRELL, MICHAEL KEISER, BILL COORE, BEN CRENSHAW

CHRISTIAN LEE AS GENE FLITCROFT AND MARK RYLANCE AS MAURICE FLITCROFT

fixture on the Colorado golf scene since arriving from his native Georgia in the 1980s, Tom Ferrell has informed Colorado AvidGolfer readers as the magazine’s editor-at-large since the inaugural issue. He was deeply involved at Colorado Golf Club from its inception and played major roles as the club recruited and hosted the 71st Senior PGA Championship in 2010, the 2013 Solheim Cup and the 2019 U.S. Mid-Amateur Championship.

Over the years, Ferrell developed a passion for golf-course design and, specifically, the work of Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw, with whom he has worked informally for more than a decade. In addition to designing Colorado Golf Club and dozens of other courses, the pair has worked with famed developer Mike Keiser on Bandon Trails, Cabot Cliffs and Sand Valley.

It therefore made sense that Mike Keiser’s sons, Michael and Chris Keiser, would welcome Ferrell into their own growing resort development business as the firm’s first VP of Marketing and Communications.

“The interview lasted approximately a year,” Ferrell laughs. “But what became clear is that we share an ethos and a philosophy—that golf, done right, can enrich and enliven its players, and that conscientious development can showcase and even enhance natural environments.”

Mike Keiser set a high bar with Bandon Dunes in Oregon. At Sand Valley, in central Wisconsin, his sons are extending that work to golf purists and to younger travelers and families who value not just comfort and entertainment but memorable and sustainable experiences.

“I’m thrilled to help showcase golf’s great history at the Lido, just outside Sand Valley,” Ferrell says of Tom Doak’s meticulous recreation of the game’s lost C.B. Macdonald gem, which opens next year. “We’re also expanding the resort at Sand Valley and adding a Tom Doak heathland-inspired design, Sedge Valley, for 2024. And there plans for a couple of spectacular new sites yet to be announced.”

Ferrell and his family intend to maintain a presence in the Centennial State, and he will continue to serve as the magazine’s editor-at-large.

“We’ll always have a foot in Colorado,” he says. “And surely golf will continue to grow here in the coming years.” dreamgolf.com

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COLORADO AVIDGOLFER

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MAY 2022

M

ost golf fans aren’t familiar with the story of Maurice (pronounced “Morris”) Flitcroft. But in 1976, the 46-year-old English shipyard crane operator was one of the game’s biggest stories.

Shortly after purchasing the family’s first-ever color television, Flitcroft found himself utterly mesmerized by a golf telecast and immediately had notions of lifting the Claret Jug. Although he didn’t own any golf equipment, wasn’t a member of a club—indeed, had never actually played golf and was entirely bereft of talent—he entered the qualifying tournament for the Open Championship.

To cut a long story short, he shot a 49-over 121 at Formby Golf Club, and the R&A banned Flitcroft from ever entering again. But the determined, chain-smoking former Merchant Navy man entered a few more times using different pseudonyms and disguises.

He never made it to the Open proper, but he did become a minor celebrity and was even “honored” by several clubs that awarded Maurice Flitcroft-inspired trophies for bad golf. In 1988, Blythefield Country Club in Grand Rapids, Mich., invited the man himself to attend its Maurice

PHOTO BY NICK WALL

A

COURTESY OF TOM FERRELL

A Dream Job

Very Bad Golfer, Very Good Movie

Gerald Flitcroft Member-Guest Tournament.

In 2010, English actor and comedian Simon Farnaby co-authored with Guardian writer Scott Murray a Flitcroft biography entitled The Phantom of the Open. In 2017, Farnaby turned it into a screenplay, and three years later, Welshman Craig Roberts signed on to direct the movie and Academy Award winner Mark Rylance agreed to play the lead role.

The Phantom of the Open is every bit as enjoyable and amusing as a story this improbable should be. Rylance, as you might expect, is brilliant as Flitcroft, while actors Sally Hawkins (as his wife) and Rhys Ifans (as the R&A’s Keith Mackenzie) deliver their own magical moments. The artistic license is tolerable, though there are dubious moments—such as Flitcroft’s humorous conversation with Seve Ballesteros and the slapstick police chase around the course that looks as though it could have come from the Benny Hill Show.

Ultimately, none of that really matters. The Phantom of the Open, which opens in US cinemas June 3, is hugely entertaining and will make you very glad you have now heard of Maurice Flitcroft. thephantomoftheopen.co.uk —Tony Dear

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The Gallery

News | Notes | Names

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NANCY LOPEZ AND SOPHIA CAPUA

Sophia, So Good

C

that keeps you coming back.

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COLORADO AVIDGOLFER

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MAY 2022

COURTESY OF DRIVE, CHIP & PUTT

COURTESY OF DRIVE, CHIP & PUTT

THE SHOT

ongratulations to Sophia Capua, an 8th grader at Aurora’s Vista PEAK Exploratory School, who won the chip portion of Drive, Chip & Putt National Finals for girls 14-15.

One of four Coloradans who qualified for the competition held April 3 at Augusta National Golf Club, Capua chipped to an aggregate distance of seven feet—10 feet closer than any other competitor. She is the first Colorado player in DCP’s nine-year history to win a discipline, although Aurora’s Anthony Chen (boys 12-13) and Centennial’s Matai Naqica (boys 14-15) both barely missed capturing their division’s putting titles. Overall, Capua finished fifth out of the 10 competitors in her division; Naqica and Chen both came in ninth in theirs; and Judd

Nikkel of Fort Collins tied for eighth for boys 10-11. A joint initiative of the Masters Tournament, USGA and The PGA of America, Drive, Chip & Putt is a free nationwide junior golf competition for kids ages 7-15. To become one of the 80 who make it to the national finals, a player must advance through local, sub-regional and regional qualifying events. drivechipandputt.com

/// The Gallery

News | Notes | Names

Want to Play with Paige?

PAIGE SPIRANAC

E

PHOTOS COURTESY OF BETSPERTS GOLF

ven if you aren’t one of the 11 million people who follow Paige Spiranac on social media, you probably wouldn’t turn down a round of golf with her. The Colorado native, who is the global brand ambassador for PointsBet, has also now partnered with Betsperts. This online portmanteau of betting and experts offers premium content and trenchant intelligence for sports bettors and Daily Fantasy Sports (DFS) players.

After striking an official data partnership with the PGA TOUR, Betsperts CEO Reid Rooney brought in Spiranac as a partner and the “face” of Betsports Golf. Billed as “a sophisticated, proprietary subscription service engineered to provide actionable insights in a truly unique and complex sport,” Betsperts Golf gives subscribers a competitive advantage in golf betting and fantasy leagues by providing premium content, powerful tools, accurate rankings and insightful analysis.

As Spiranac’s energy shifts from her golf game

to golf gaming, you could win big. From now until May 22, Betsperts Golf is holding a “Play a Round with Paige Giveaway,” wherein the lucky winners will tee it up “on one of America’s most prestigious courses” with one of the game’s most popular influencers. To enter, key in your email at

betspertsgolf.com/newsletter. In addition to golf, the lucky winners also get the “full sports star treatment with a round-trip flight, two nights’ accommodation and meals.” The winners will be announced live May 23, the Monday after the PGA Championship. betspertsgolf.com

WORK OF ART ART CONSULTING INSTALLATION CUSTOM COMMISSIONS noyesartdesigns.com 24

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Player’s Corner

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Profile

By Tony Dear

PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY OF THAD LAYTON

In the Name of the King

Rather than hanging his own shingle after the death of his legendary boss, Colorado-based course architect Thad Layton has embraced the challenge of perpetuating the brand without him.

B

y mid-April, Thad Layton had spent close to a month in Punta del Este, Uruguay, and was ready to go home. The 46-year-old course architect, who’d designed the front nine of the Fasano Las Piedras Resort course with his boss in 2013, had been working on another nine holes. Earlier this year, the developer of the 1,200-acre luxury resort two hours east of Montevideo had decided the time was right to expand the course, and in compliance with the deal he’d struck nine years ago, he asked Layton to return.

“We finalized the first four holes of the back nine,” Layton says. “We spread greens mix before seeding the greens and sprigging the surrounds, and we also did some bunker work and chunking of native grasses.” Before making it back to the US though, Layton made a pit stop at Fazenda Boa Vista in

Brazil, another course he’d designed with the boss, and which now needed a little repair work. With that done, Layton was able to fly back to Colorado, where he has lived since 2019 in Highlands Ranch with his wife, Stephanie, and their sons, Jake and Hank.

The Laytons chose Colorado because they had enjoyed numerous skiing trips here, and it would facilitate servicing the requests and needs of clients situated thousands of miles from the company’s Florida headquarters. And with nearly 300 courses to its credit around the world, the firm in question—the Arnold Palmer Design Company—had plenty of requests.

“In 2019, before moving here permanently, I came to Colorado for six weeks with my family to spend some time hiking and mountain-biking, but also to visit as many Palmer courses as I could get to,” he explains.

TOUCHED BY GREATNESS: Layton, left, calls Palmer “my employer, but he was always my hero who also became a friend.”

Among the Palmer courses within driving distance to his home are Bear Creek Golf Club in Denver and Lone Tree Golf Club— both of which opened before Layton joined APDC upon graduating from Mississippi State University in 2000—and Eagle Ranch Golf Club, a half-hour west of Vail, which debuted in 2001.

The “boss” for whom Layton drew holes and with whom he co-designed the courses in South America plus dozens more in the US and elsewhere was the King—Arnold Palmer himself—though Layton says he never actually regarded him as a boss. “Yes, Mr. Palmer was my employer,” he adds, “but he was always my hero who also became a friend. I really thought of Ed Seay as the boss.”

Palmer had established his design firm with Seay, a former associate of Ellis Macoloradoavidgolfer.com

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Player’s Corner

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Profile

COURTESY OF THAD LAYTON

POINT NOT TAKEN: In 2016, Palmer, Johnson and Layton signed on to build the second Castle Stuart course along the Moray Firth in Scotland (above). But the passings of Palmer and Castle Stuart’s Mark Parsinen have led to a change in plans. Layton’s and Johnson’s work at Naples Lake (right) keeps APDC going strong.

COLORADO AVIDGOLFER

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MAY 2022

“ARNOLD LEFT US ON SUCH SOLID GROUND, WITH SO MANY COURSES THAT BRANDON (JOHNSON) AND I ARE UNIQUELY QUALIFIED TO CURATE.” ny had under construction at the time would be its swan song.

The fight for survival was a tremendous struggle at times, but his 2018 renovation of the 1999 Palmer design at Naples Lake Country Club in Naples, Fla., won such approval, it gave Layton hope of a revival.

“That was when I really started to feel like we could keep this thing going,” he says.

“Looking back, Arnold (Layton always called him Mr. Palmer to his face but mixes his first name with the more formal approach in interviews) left us on such solid ground with so many courses that Brandon and I are obviously uniquely qualified to curate.”

Since the Naples Lake project, Layton and Johnson have continued to do a superb job of honoring Palmer’s legacy while

COURTESY OF NAPLES LAKE COUNTRY CLUB

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ples, in 1972. Their first course together, Manago Country Club, opened in Japan the following year. The company was originally based in Ponte Vedra, Fla. but when Seay developed medical issues and took a back seat in 2006, Palmer moved it to Bay Hill, 12 miles southwest of Orlando and where he had established his winter home in the early 1970s.

Seay, from whom Layton says he learned a great deal about the business side of designing golf courses, died in 2007, and while his passing was a big loss for everyone involved at the company, the death of Palmer in September 2016 obviously had a profound effect.

That said, Layton was prepared for it mentally. Of course, he shed his share of tears and remembers feeling very emotional during the funeral in Palmer’s hometown of Latrobe, Pa., but he knew the time was coming.

“His health had obviously been deteriorating for a while and we could see he was getting weak,” he remembers. “But losing someone you’ve looked up to and worked with so closely with for 20 years leaves a massive hole.”

With Palmer gone, many in the industry assumed Layton, together with fellow APDC Senior Architect and VP Brandon Johnson, would formally dissolve the company. Surely, they couldn’t continue operating under the same colorful umbrella for very much longer. Completing the courses the compa-

incorporating a few of their own ideas into new designs and renovations—in particular, Lakewood National and Shingle Creek in Florida and Uruguay’s Fasano Las Piedras.

They have learned to operate the machinery required to build golf courses and adopted the design-build approach so favored today.

By late 2018, Layton believed they were doing some of their best-ever work and, by adopting Palmer’s philosophy of never-ending improvement, were succeeding in staying relevant. “In the wake of Mr. Palmer’s passing, there were more than a few folks that wanted to write us off,” Layton said in an interview with golf architecture web site golfclubatlas.com, “…but there have been examples in other industries of the brand outliving its founder, and if we’re doing great work that embodies Mr. Palmer’s principles (fun, beauty, playability…) there’s no reason we can’t honor his memory and continue to improve our portfolio.”

Layton has been careful not to become complacent, however. While acknowledging the advantages of representing the Palmer brand, he knows it no longer guarantees work. “I don’t assume anything,” he says.

“Times change as do club chairmen, boards of directors and memberships.”

Palmer and Seay always drew up contracts stating that clients risked imperiling the name/brand if they chose not to hire an APDC architect for any future work. Some, such as the owner of Fasano Las Piedras in Uruguay, have honored that, but, Layton says, “there are also clubs that don’t care about the contract and are ready to part ways.”

Earlier this year, Layton knew he’d be competing for the job of renovating Seattle Golf Club, for which Palmer had created a masterplan in 1996. Kipp Johnson, the club’s general manager, concedes he

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Player’s Corner

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Profile

R NAMENT U O T 2022

SERIES PRESENTED BY

—THE LINEUP—

COURTESY OF THAD LAYTON

SKI TO GREEN: Since moving to Colorado, Layton finds himself as often atop mountains as he does on alpine golf courses like the Palmerdesigned Eagle Ranch (above), which debuted the year he joined APDC.

May 16

June 6 COURTESY OF THAD LAYTON

considered other architects for the job, but chose Layton because of his professionalism and respect for the club. “The members there had a special relationship with Mr. Palmer,” says Layton. “They wished to continue the association and also wanted the architect most qualified for, and committed to, the work.”

The same was true at Teton Pines, a 1987 Palmer-Seay design near Jackson Hole, Wyo. that Layton had visited during his 2019 Western vacation. “A lot of the club’s members had a close connection with Arnold and welcomed me with open arms,” he says. Upon his return from Uruguay, Layton will be rebuilding three greens and all the back-nine bunkers at Teton Pines.

Layton spends about half the year on the road (at one time working on five or six projects, now one or two but far more hands-on) and half the year in Colorado.

When he’s not hiking, biking or snowboarding, he enjoys rounds at Jim Engh’s Fossil Trace (“great stylistic design”), Tom Weiskopf’s Ridge at Castle Pines North (“solid strategy, good shaping, masterful use of natural features on a really technical, rocky site”) and the Gil Hanse renovation of the Tom Bendelow-Donald Ross layout at Lakewood Country Club

(“very solid golf on an astoundingly small property”). He also has high praise for Tom Doak’s work at Ballyneal and that of Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw at Colorado Golf Club.

Thad Layton has worked incredibly hard since the gloomy period following the death of Arnold Palmer. He is loving life in Colorado, albeit with a couple of tiny grumbles. “I don’t see Brandon as much as I’d like to,” he says. “And I sure do miss year-round golf at Bay Hill.”

Contributor Tony Dear covers gear for coloradoavidgolfer.com and has written six books and countless articles about golf.

September 7

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Player’s Corner

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Lesson

By Trent Wearner

Know Your Distances to Go the Distance

Create a Cheat Sheet

Most launch monitors have a function where, after hitting all your clubs, it will create a printable “cheat sheet” of yardages you can laminate and keep for reference during a round. Just make sure you get your range of yardages for each club—not just your average yardage.

Using a launch monitor and rangefinder can dial in club selection and improve course management.

H

ow far do you hit your 9-iron? Most golfers will respond with a number that reflects a distance longer than they normally hit it—an “on-the-screws” shot. Golfers think their clubs go one certain distance, yet due to the difficulty of the game, we don’t consistently hit the ball perfectly. Each of our clubs actually propels the ball within a “range” of yardages.

For instance, if you were to hit 10-20 balls with your 9-iron, they might carry anywhere between 130 and 145 yards. Yet, when faced with a 145-yard shot, you always pull out that 9-iron to hit that perfect full yardage. And what if there’s water or some other hazard short of that 145-yard target? There’s more than a good chance you’ll find it.

Take advantage of a high-quality launch monitor such as a Foresight GC Quad, Trackman or FlightScope to find your yardage “ranges.” That range can be 15 yards or more, leading to a well-struck pitching wedge traveling farther than a poorly struck 9-iron; a well-struck 9-iron going farther than a poorly struck 8-iron and so on.

That also means that the range of yardages will overlap between clubs.

For example, your PW could go 120-138 yards for an average of 129, while your 9-iron travels 132-148 yards (an average of 140) and your 8-iron flies 145-165 (an average of 155).

Knowing the range of yardages and the average distance you hit each club will better inform your club selection. Sometimes you may find an inappropriate gap between clubs, either too small or too big. This could mean you need to get your shafts or lofts checked with those clubs.

Pull the Right Club CLUB 6 iron LAUNCH TIME: Monitors such as these will help dial in your club distances.

Sample Range of Yardages and Average Distance* CLUB Distance Range AVG Carry

PW

9I

8I

7I

6I

108-125

120-138

132-148

145-165

159-175

169-187

116

129

140

155

167

178

13

11

COLORADO AVIDGOLFER

15

12

11

9 iron

PW

187 169 175 159 165 145 148 132 138 120

178

167

155

140

129

Turn to page 34 to see how this plays out on the course.

*ALL DISTANCES IN YARDS

32

8 iron

GW

Gap Between Clubs

7 iron

YDG AVG RANGE

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MAY 2022

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Player’s Corner

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Lesson

Continued from page 32

COURSE MANAGEMENT: When hitting to a guarded green like this one at Cherry Creek CC (photo rotated to show traditional golf perspective), laser not only the distance to the pin, but also to the hazards.

In this instance, your “147 club” (9-iron) might not leave sufficient margin for error.

161

147

142 134

PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY OF PREMIER AERIALS

Play It Smart The next time you’re faced with an approach shot, put your club-yardage knowledge to your advantage. Use a rangefinder to laser not only the flag, but also the hazards that will potentially come into play.

For example, in this diagram of Cherry Creek Country Club’s second hole, you would laser the yardages to carry the creek, to reach the pin and to find the back edge of

the green, where a bunker and more water lurk just beyond. The key is to STOP only lasering the pin!

Finding out you’ll need 134 to 142 yards to clear the water in line with the pin, 147 yards to the reach the pin and 161 to stay short of the trouble behind the green, what club do you pull?

Going with a 9-iron you can hit 148 yards

is a poor choice here, because you can also hit it 132 yards into the water. The average distance of 140 yards leaves you little margin for error, especially with the creek curling up the right side of the green. Reach instead for the 8-iron, as its range of distances (145-165) better fits the range of yardages you lasered. This club choice also takes the pressure off you having to hit it perfectly.

Trent Wearner is a six-time Colorado PGA award-winning golf instructor with academies at Cherry Creek Country Club in Denver, Colorado National Golf Club in Erie, and Meadow Hills and Murphy Creek golf courses in Aurora. He has appeared on Golf Channel and Golf@Altitude and atop Golf’s and Golf Digest’s “Top instructor” lists. trentwearnergolf.com; 303-645-8000.

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COLORADO AVIDGOLFER

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Player’s Corner

State of Play

XXXXX

A Two-Club Difference

In Parker, The Pinery and Pradera join forces and courses in one seamless membership.

COURTESY OF ARCIS GOLF

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COLORADO AVIDGOLFER

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MAY 2022

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Player’s Corner

COURTESY OF ARCIS GOLF

SISTERS FROM DIFFERENT MISTERS: Jim Engh’s Irish-inspired course at Pradera (left) counterpoints David Bingham’s Lake, Valley and Mountain nines at The Pinery. Right: One of The Pinery’s three pools.

Together to Last A 32-year age difference might strain some relationships, but not when it comes to the union of the 50-year-old Pinery Country Club and the 18-year-old Club at Pradera.

Located just two miles apart in Parker, the private clubs first hooked up in 2007, when the California-based BrightStar ownership group—which had bought The Pinery in 2004—purchased Pradera. In 2013, BrightStar sold both to Arcis Golf, a Texas-based operator with a current portfolio of 65 private, resort, and public golf clubs.

The two Parker courses, however, increasingly function as one. “It’s a dual campus for all members,” reports General Manager Damon Aswad, who arrived last October from an Arcis property in Ohio. He offices at both The Pinery and Pradera, with assistant GMs at each facility.

“Members at one club have full access to all the dining, fitness, swimming, tennis and social events at the other,” he explains.

“The only difference is golf.”

The Summit Difference Golf is where the Summit upgrade comes in. After paying the current initiation of $10,000 to join either club—designating one as their home course for lockers, leagues, etc.—members can double their golf privileges by increasing monthly dues from $650 to $749.

“Roughly 75 percent of our members are Summit members,” Aswad says. They have access to 45 holes of golf: 27 on The Pinery’s three challenging, distinct nines— Lake, Valley and Mountain—and the 18 on The Club at Pradera’s imaginative Jim Engh

“75 PERCENT OF OUR MEMBERS NOW ACCESS THE AMENITIES OF TWO CLUBS AND 45 HOLES OF GOLF.” layout. The variety guarantees never tiring of playing the same course every day.

And should members want to tee it up elsewhere, for $349 a year, Arcis Access provides reciprocity at its other private clubs and up to 50 percent off green fees at its resort and daily-fee courses. Additionally, the program taps to into the worldwide Pacific Links database of 483 private and public courses at preferred rates.

plimentary kids’ clubs once a month during adult events and cotillion classes.

A casual elegance defines both clubs’ dining areas, where Summit members get 20 percent off all à la carte food and non-alcoholic beverages. Chefs Danny Flanagan (Pradera) and Zachary Rozanski (Pinery) create dishes to keep members on campus and themed events that do not overlap with each other. Summer brings outdoor concerts to Pradera, along with smokers filled with barbecue.

“We keep the events and programming unique at each club,” Aswad explains. “We don’t want people to feel like they are missing out.”

One thing nobody misses is the “us” and them” paradigm that existed early on. Under the aegis of Arcis, after 15 years together, Pinery Member and Pradera Member now revel in two-club coexistence.

For membership information, please visit thepinerycc.com or theclubatpradera.com.

Double the Fun Beyond their geographic proximity and courses, The Pinery and Pradera complement one another brilliantly. The Pinery boasts six outdoor and three indoor tennis courts and a multi-pool complex with a cruise-ship-like atmosphere.

Pradera’s two tennis courts and pool pale in comparison, but its glamorous clubhouse and state-of-the art fitness center certainly don’t.

Arcis models itself as a lifestyle brand, and the “golf shops” sell everything from ski goggles to Adirondack chairs. The family atmosphere pervades both clubs, with comcoloradoavidgolfer.com

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Side Bets

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Fareways

By John Lehndorff

Curiosity and calluses drove a Denver chef to become a master artisan of extraordinary knife handles.

PHOTO BY MARK ANTONATION

Getting D a Grip on His Slice

uy Pham is an artist whose identity changes depending on the universe in which you encounter him.

As one of Denver’s best-known chefs, he captivates diners’ taste buds at Foraged restaurant. His kitchen environment is pristine and uber-organized.

The small cottage behind his Denver home, however, isn’t quite as tidy. He apologizes for the sawdust generated by a pile of wood chunks and his drill press, belt sander, grinder and table saw. It’s in this studio that Pham grinds out the one-of-a-kind knife handles that chefs, collectors and fans across the globe revere.

How in demand are his creations? If you want to taste the chef’s French-meets-Japan fare, you need to make a reservation at least a week in advance. But if you want Pham to fashion you a knife handle that fits perfectly in your hand, you will probably not

be served for a few months.

“I’m a little backed up. I’ve got 14 handles to work on,” Pham says. For his clients in the U.S., Malaysia, the Philippines, Japan, Australia and Vietnam, it’s well worth the wait.

“I made a knife handle for one of the Broncos that changes from blue to orange as you move it,” he says. “I have some that I made from glow-in-the-dark material.”

Pham has used woolly mammoth teeth, elk and antelope antlers, whale and camel bones, as well as pieces of meteorites and high-tech carbon fiber material … sometimes in the same knife handle.

To him, those who fit knife handles and golf clubs are very much alike. “Everything’s about improving performance,” he explains.

“The idea is to fit the tool to the chef’s hand, not the chef to the knife.”

In his workshop, Pham avoids clunky European handles, specializing instead in

FORGED IN FAMILY: Duy Pham’s son, Brenan, has joined his father in the kitchen at Foraged in Denver.

coloradoavidgolfer.com

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Side Bets

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Fareways

WORKS OF ART: Clockwise from bottom left: Sashimi served inside an ice cup at Foraged; the etheral interior of the restaurant; four favorites from Chef Pham’s 200-knife collection, most of which is behind glass cases at Foraged ­— the only place fans and customers can view his artistry in person.

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shoulders.”

Pham eventually needed to fix the handles on his favorite knives. “I took six knives to a shop in Denver and they wanted $150 per handle. I thought: ‘That’s ridiculous. I’ll make them myself.’ I had always been into woodworking. So, I went to the hardware store, and I’ve ended up spending thousands of dollars on equipment instead,” he says with a shrug and a smile.

His early knives were forgettable, he says. “I’m a perfectionist. I’d make handles, decide they were too bulky or awkward or weighted wrong and I just destroyed them and started over,” Pham explains.

He took it to the next level by introducing

APRIL 2022

PHOTO BY JUSTIN GREAT

PHOTO COURTESY OF DUY PHAM

the octagon-shaped Japanese wa handle.

“Some clients want a shorter, thinner or wider handle, depending on the size of their hands,” Pham says.

As in the realm of putters and drivers, there is a universe of highly specialized kitchen tools. “The Japanese have a knife just to cut eel and one only for making vegetable garnishes,” he says.

Pham’s rise in knife prominence started only six years ago and quite unintentionally.

“I had heavy calluses and other problems from using German knives,” the 47-year-old chef remembers. “When I finally used a Japanese knife it changed my life. They are lighter, sharper and easier on the wrists and

himself to Oregon-based Murray Carter, the great Japanese-trained master bladesmith.

“He’s like the Thomas Keller of knives,” Pham says, referring to one of the top chefs in the United States.

To understand the zen of handle-making, Pham also knocked on the door of Matt Deloso. “He’s considered the best knife handle maker in the world,” Pham says. “He introduced me to all these exotic materials.”

One of Pham’s most prized possessions is a Deloso handle incorporating 18 materials ranging from sycamore to mirror-polished steel. “That handle cost me $500 and it was worth it. I keep it on display. It’s the standard I want to reach,” he says.

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Fareways

BLADE OF GLORY: Pham used mammoth tooth and buffalo horn to fashion this masterpiece.

In the beginning, the chef made handles for himself and his cooks. “I posted the ones I liked on social media and I got more and more followers,” he shares. “People started asking me to make handles for their knives,”

the chef adds proudly.

The process introduced Pham to the unique global metaverse of high-end knife collectors. “They send rare Japanese blades and I make custom handles. For

some, price is no object, just quality. These knives are usually for display only,” he says.

Mostly, Pham is a re-handler. “Chefs ship me their favorite blades. They pick the materials but give me complete artistic

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Fareways

“Everything’s about improving performance.

The idea is to fit the tool to the chef’s hand, not the chef to the knife.” freedom. I find that strange because I wouldn’t want to do that,” he says.

Pham grew up in Aurora and was working in kitchens as a teenager.

By 22, as one of Denver’s youngest executive chefs, he delighted

diners with his deft reimagining of classic French dishes at the legendary Tante Louse. In recent years Pham opened Parker Garage with two partners who then launched Foraged in LoDo’s Dairy Block. The name, branded as For[a]ged, suggests both foraging for rare ingredients and forging sharp blades.

On Friday and Saturday nights you can typically find Pham using his knifes at Foraged serving omakase—chef’s choice of 20 bite-sized courses—in an upstairs raw bar. Behind him is a wall lined with glass cases displaying some of his more than 200 knives, most of which are for sale. It’s the only place you can see the knives and handles outside his Instagram feed.

While Pham owns a forge, anvil and sledgehammer, he leaves the Forged in Fire blade-making to others for now. “I feel like I’m one of the elites when it comes to handles, but I’m a beginner at knife forging. There’s so much to learn,” he says.

Besides, Pham has bigger fish to fillet. “Next, I want to make my own plates for the restaurant,” he says.

The successful restaurateur admits that playing with knives is an obsession, not a career move.

“When I’m finally done, I probably make $10 an hour making handles,” he predicts. “It’s okay. It’s what I love.”

For[a]ged; 1825 Blake St.; 720826-2147; foragedrestaurant.com

COLORADO BLADESMITHS

Numerous Front Range knife shops purvey artisan blades from around the world, but these artisans are crafting knives in Colorado.

Elan Wenzel, Element Knife Company, Aurora. elementknife.com Spyderco, Golden. spyderco.com Hayden Kessel, Ira Houseweart MetalWorks, Hotchkiss. coloradoblacksmith.com Craig and Rory May, Dragon Forge, Pine. dragonforgeltd.com Jayden Simisky, The Slacksmith, Louisville, theslacksmith.com Kilroy’s Workshop, Colorado Springs. kilroysworkshop.com

Former Rocky Mountain News dining critic John Lehndorff writes Nibbles for the Boulder Weekly and hosts Radio Nibbles on KGNU.

Explore Nature’s Playgrounds

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Nice Drives

By Isaac Bouchard

Four to the Fore Although inventory shortages will continue for at least another year, some terrific new vehicles are finally making it to market.

2022 LEXUS NX350 LEXUS’ COMPACT crossover has undergone a complete makeover and the results are spot-on for the market. The EPA NX350 fender forms are sporty; the spindle grill is well-in- RATINGS: 22/28/25 tegrated with coke-bottle hips and a pert tail.

Inside, it is dramatically styled and high-tech. The 0-60MPH: driver interfaces show much improvement; gone is the 7.1sec trackpad, replaced by a giant, 14-inch touchscreen with PRICE AS TESTED: new software. The engine is new, too: a 2.4L turbo with $55,510 potent-sounding 275hp, hooked to an 8-speed automatic.

While independently tested acceleration lags competitors, the NX350 feels quick enough, and it shines in all the ways one expects of the Japanese premium brand—refinement, comfort and dependability. Its steering has become more accurate, its handling just slightly more athletic and its roominess accommodates humans and cargo. Road noise is a bit too prominent for a Lexus, but overall, the NX350 has real chops.

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2022 TOYOTA GR86 PURISTS REJOICE! The secondgen, rear-drive sports car—and EPA its Subaru BRZ twin—is abso- RATINGS: lutely superb. The revised, more 20/27/22 powerful, 2.4L flat four is rated 0-60MPH: at 228hp (but produces more 5.8sec like 250 ponies when put on the PRICE AS dyno) and solves the old model’s TESTED: $32,658 worst traits.

The GR86 now has a strong midrange and revvy top end, encouraging the driver to give it a good pasting. 0-60 now clicks off in 5.8, meaning the 86 is Mazda MX-5 fast. Its fortified chassis frees up the the suspension to ride better without losing its lovely, balletic balance.

The steering is superior to the Mazda, as is body control.

The 86’s brakes aren’t up to real track use, though, fading after several hardcore laps. But the Toyota’s interior quality has gone up considerably, and its tech no longer looks to have been bought on clearance from a big-box store. The GR86 is one of the last great, affordable, RWD sportscars.

2022 HYUNDAI TUCSON HYBRID WITH A STERLING reputation for reliability and ease, Hyundai also seems to have a EPA preternatural talent for spotting what shop- RATINGS: pers want. The all-new Tucson is a great ex- 37/36/37 ample, with standout styling comprised of 0-60MPH: a vast yet appealing grill that also allows for 7.1sec a unique look when the LED lights are illu- PRICE AS TESTED: minated, and the chiseled shape gives this $39,130 compact crossover a decidedly buff look.

Inside, at least in the case of the Limited trim, the Tucson is lovely. Its hidden vents, big bright touchscreen, slick-looking digital gauges, button-hiding capacitive controls, cloth accent trim and classy colors make competitors look frumpy by comparison. The Tucson is right-sized now, having a bigger back seat, a capacious cargo area and a very comfortable driving position.

The Hyundai has a slick, conventional transmission, and a turbocharger for its 1.6L engine. Its combined output with the electric motor is 226hp and 258lb-ft., making this hybrid nicer to drive and quicker overall than its rivals. Its fuel economy is in the same realm, its chassis resists road noise better and its ride/handling balance is also on par. Hyundai’s perceived high quality and sense of style is self-evident and not overwrought, suggesting a company that’s deservedly confident.

coloradoavidgolfer.com

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Nice Drives

2022 MAZDA MX-5 MIATA RF MAZDA CONTINUES to hone the best-selling sports car ever, and it stays neck- EPA and-neck with the new Toyota/Subaru RATINGS: rivals. The folding hardtop model comple- 26/34/29 ments the classic rag-top variants, mean- 0-60MPH: ing Mazda has more bandwidth. Metal 5.8sec roof up, it’s quieter than before, but the soft PRICE AS TESTED: top has less wind bustle when lowered. $36,610 The MX-5 is several hundred pounds lighter than the 86, meaning it wins in tight melées like autocross. But its body control lags, despite the new Kinematic Posture Control that brakes an inside rear wheel to lessen roll, and road noise is prominent in all models.

One needs to remember that the Miata is a purist’s machine, despite Bose sound, heated leather seats and all the other mod conveniences it offers. Its manual is as good—or better—than six-figure supercars and its diminutive size and feathery mass make it a memorably singular experience.

Isaac Bouchard, Automotive Editor, owns Denver-based Bespoke Autos (isaac@bespokeautos.com; 303-475-1462).

Read more of his automotive writing, reviews and recommendations at coloradoavidgolfer.com and bespokeautos.com.

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Impact Player

SAVANNAH VILAUBI has the moves, muscles, game and grit to compete at the highest level.

By Jon Rizzi Photography by Justin Tafoya/ Clarkson Creative

coloradoavidgolfer.com

49

THORACIC TURNS To stretch her back and loosen her shoulders, Vilaubi performs quadruped (or kneeling) T-spine rotations on each side.

stretch TRAIN recover

L

ast June, after winning the Colorado Women’s Open by five strokes with a 15-underpar 201, Savannah Vilaubi received $50,000, the biggest paycheck in her five years as

a professional golfer. She also got a surprise from her free-spirited fellow Epson Tour competitor, Daniela Iacobelli, who arrived with two Corona tallboys. Using golf tees, the pair punctured the cans and chugged the contents in a spontaneous celebration beneath the scoreboard at Green Valley Ranch Golf Club.

The moment served as a shotgun start

a gallon of water, reading 10 pages of

to a season in which the now 27-year-

a self-improvement book and taking a

old golfer from Downey, Calif., would

daily progress photo. Failing to complete

play well enough to qualify for the 2022

even one of these tasks on any given day

LPGA Tour. However, the training pro-

—like sneaking a Reese’s peanut-butter

gram partially responsible for helping

Easter egg—meant going back to day one.

her achieve that level proscribes alcohol and involves more advanced movements than 16-ounce curls.

“It’s called 75 Hard, and I did it during the pandemic,” Vilaubi explains. The popular, somewhat draconian mental-toughness program works in conjunction with an individual’s

“It was the most incredible thing to get my mentality and physicality to where I wanted.”

“That’s the rule,” she says. “The plan is self-directed, and you’re the only person who knows what you’re not doing, so you’re not going to cheat. At first, I was always hungry, and needed sustenance to play golf, so I tweaked the diet. But the gallon of water pretty much

personal fitness and nutritional routine

takes care of everything, and the work-

to develop such qualities as confidence,

outs suppress the ghrelin hormone that

fortitude, discipline and grittiness by

signals hunger. After six weeks, I was

completing five “critical tasks” every day

like, ‘I got this.’”

By day 75, her body fat had dropped

for 75 straight days.

to 12 percent and her metabolism was

So, in addition to meeting her 1,800-calorie intake with no alcohol or

going so fast, she found herself consum-

cheat meals, each of Vilaubi’s 75 days

ing close to 3,000 calories a day. “There’s

consisted of two 45-minute workouts

so much freedom that comes with

(one indoors, one outdoors), drinking

discipline,” she explains. “The discipline

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90-DEGREE RULES The active 90-90 internal/external hip rotation is particularly important to Vilaubi’s routine. Anything that stretches the hip flexors improves mobility.

becomes part of you. It was the most

lunges, renegade rows. Any unilateral

incredible thing to get my mentality and

movement is great for golf.”

physicality to where I wanted.”

Vilaubi has integrated many of the

As is anything that promotes mobility and core strength. Among her go-to floor

75 Hard requirements into her daily

moves: the windshield wiper, quadru-

routine, which has included stretches,

ped T-spine rotation, quadruped fire

strength and mobility moves and recov-

hydrant with extension and the active

ery rollouts prescribed by her longtime

90/90 internal/external hip mobilization.

trainer Kevin Duenas at Dynamic Fitness HPK in Murietta, Calif.

The routine doesn’t require a gym,

“The golf swing in general relies on separation between the top and bottom of your body,” she explains. “So, if every-

just pair of 25-pound dumbbells, small

thing gets tight all the muscles hang back

massage ball and a muscle roller—all of

don’t fire and you don’t have any torque.

which she brings on the road. Vilaubi

When I take the club back, if I don’t have

rolls out before and after each session.

enough stability to resist, then I have no

Those sessions include “a lot of legs, a

SQUAT’S UP: A two-in-one move, the squat-to-military press works Vilaubi’s thighs, hips, shoulders, core and triceps. With the dumbbells at her shoulders, she pushes straight up, then lowers into a squat, driving her hips back and bending her knees.

resistance to bring power to the swing.

lot of upper body, stability. Squat with a

My routine synchs my top and bottom

military press, a double snatch. Lateral

halves. It’s nice to feel the separation.”

stretch TRAIN recover It’s also nice to feel at home in Denver, where Inspirato’s sponsorship of the Colorado Open Championships has raised the women’s purse and winner’s share to $250,000 and $100,000, respectively— the same as those in the men’s event.

But with the U.S. Women’s Open coinciding with the Inspirato Colorado RENEGATE ROW Performed from the plank position, the renegade row targets Vilaubi’s biceps, upper back (traps and lats) and core (rectus abdominus and obliques).

Women’s Open, will the reigning champion return to defend her title? “I obviously want to play in the U.S. Women’s Open,” she says, “but I don’t feel like I have to. I know that’s not healthy for the qualifying process, but I really want to come back and play in Colorado.”

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“THERE’S SO MUCH FREEDOM THAT COMES WITH DISCIPLINE”

stretch TRAIN recover

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ROLL THAT BALL Using a small massage ball and muscle roller (see page 49), Vilaubi helps her muscles recover after workouts through myofascial release. The process relaxes contracted muscles and relieves pain in common “trigger points.”

coloradoavidgolfer.com

53

Big

The

Three

E G N U L , T A U Q How to S

y a w r u o y T F I L and DEAD ds

e e p s g in w s l e v le r u o t to

↕

kettlebell Romanian deadlifts see Page 56

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By Dee Tidwell photography e.j. carr

T

hanks largely to the exploits of Bryson DeChambeau and other professionals on the PGA TOUR, a speed narrative has begun to seep into the amateur golfer thought process. Namely, swing as hard as possible to achieve the greatest distance gains.

Speaking as a golf biomechanic who works mostly with amateurs from 32 to +4 handicaps, I can tell you that this trend has led to disasters for most players. Why? Because most amateurs’ bodies cannot handle the stress load of creating and decelerating that kind of speed.

And injuries result.

Working on speed without a proper physical foundation can ruin your golf swing. To swing hard and fast, you must first get strong both neurologically and muscularly.

Performance Pyramid

Building that foundation, therefore, is critical. As the performance pyramid below illustrates, before working on “Strength,” you first need to “Rebuild and Restore” (identifying and resolving weaknesses in your physical movements) and “Stabilize and Mobilize” (increasing joint mobility, muscle flexbility and core and body stability).

Once you have done that, you can focus on the third phase—strength—and the three innate athletic movements that can help create it: the squat, lunge and deadlift.

You can do the following exercises in the gym with a dumbbell and kettlebell, or at home with a sandbag, a cylinder block or buckets.

Squats

Sandbag Squats/Dumbbell or Kettlebell Squats 1-3 Sets/ 8-12 Reps

Buy a sandbag or a strong duffel bag.

Fill with appropriate amount of sand to create the desired weight. Please start light and add sand as you get stronger!

The great thing about sandbag training is you can continue to add weight as you get stronger, and it doesn’t cost a whole lot to do so!

• Lift the sandbag, draw navel to your spine and keep your chest and head up.

• Keeping 60 percent of your weight on your heels, hold the sandbag with both arms.

• With the bottom of your arms (triceps) parallel to the floor through the entire range, squat to just above parallel and then return to start position.

• Make sure not to let your knees dive inward, keep the middle of your kneecaps over your second (index) toes.

Thrusts

Power

Stabalize and Mobilize Rebuild and Restore

Cylinder Block or Kettlebell/Dumbbell Thrusts 1-3 Sets/ 8-12 Reps

You can either use a cylinder block or a kettlebell/dumbbell to perform this exercise.

• Start with your legs a little wider than the shoulders and hold the object in front of your face.

• A gain, draw your navel to your spine and hold, chest is up, and the weight is 60/40% in your heels.

• As you start to stand up, use your hips and glutes to do the work—NOT your lower back.

• Finish the move by pushing the object toward the ceiling.

• Once you start your reps, use momentum to help you with the push above your shoulders.

• Begin by doing a mini-squat.

↘

Strength

coloradoavidgolfer.com

55

Two Bucket or dumbbell/kettlebell Romanian deadlifts and lunges

d BENDS

1-3 Sets/ 8-12 Reps

WITH BENEFITS

Either use dumbbells or fill two buckets with something to the appropriate weight you’d like to duplicate. Do these back-to-back to increase the difficulty and challenge, then take a rest!

Deadlifts

The value of mastering these three “lower-body” moves lies in their full-body functionality.

INCREASE CORE STABILITY. Since the rib cage (a.k.a. the torso) is not connected directly to your pelvis, the only skeletal part between the two is the lumbar spine. And what supports the lumbar spine? The core musculature of abs, glutes and all the complexity therein.

INCREASE MOBILITY IN THE ANKLES AND HIPS. These are the two main lower-body “mobile” segments that are crucial in your game.

IMPROVE POSTURE. Forcing the body to create good posture and then managing it by placing it under load creates the environment for strengthening.

d TIPS TO

• Stand with feet a little less than shoulder width to accommodate for whichever objects you are using.

• Grab the bucket handles and stand straight up keeping tension in the upper back and shoulders, then return to floor and repeat.

• Align your spine straight and tighten your abs.

Lunges

↘

↘

↘

↘

↘

AVOID INJURY

DO ALL exercises carefully, slowly and precisely.

DRAW BELLY button to spine and hold during movement. This “cinches” the core and stabilizes the spine.

KEEP YOUR chest up with good posture by always working the crown of your head toward the ceiling. This efficiently distributes weight through the entire body.

MAKE SURE to align the middle of your kneecap over your index toe (the one next to the big toe).

MOVE SLOWLY and deliberately— without cheating or struggling!

• Create a straight spine and active core and upper back and maintain this starting position throughout the move.

• Grab objects and perform a lunge from a stationary position, moving straight up and

down on the same leg forward, then switch the lead leg (i.e. do right-leg forward lunge for 8 reps, then switch and do the left-leg forward for 8 reps.

Dee Tidwell owns Colorado Golf Fitness Club in the Denver Tech Center and has thrice been named a Golf Digest Top 50 Golf Fitness Instructor. He is a TPI (Titleist Performance Institute) professional, ELDOA Trainer and has coached two PGA TOUR winners and countless amateur, high school and college golfers. coloradogolffitnessclub.com; 303-883-0435

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The Ascendant presented by Blue at TPC Colorado returns for the fourth year! This remarkable, Front Range experience features 156 of today’s brightest professional golfers teeing it up for a $750,000 purse, amazing food and hospitality, an outstanding Kids Zone and so much more. Truly an event beyond compare. Avid Golfer readers receive a 10% discount on admission when using the code AVID10.

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57

Time to Hit the Barre Achieve strength, flexibility and stamina— no pliés required.

By Kim D. McHugh

I

’m 15 minutes into an hour-long exercise session at barre3 Bellview Station, and I’ve already broken into a sweat. My leg

muscles are quivering, and my joints are threatening to notify social services about elder abuse.

The class is being led by Katie Heaps, the studio owner and instructor, who via a headset mic guides participants through a variety of movements focused on strengthening muscles, improving flexibility and balance, and boosting cardio stamina.

I was invited to the session by J.J. Keegan, a local golf industry strategist and barre3 devotee. The 18 classmates—12 women and six men of varied ages, body types, builds and fitness levels—make use of resistance bands, an exercise ball, and hand weights as we progress through the hour.

The studio speakers boom to an energetic soundtrack that is as inspiring as our instructor. Honed over five years of leading sessions, Heaps’ verbal cues direct all our moves, each designed to sculpt a better self and, for golfers, a better game.

“You get a lot of different aspects of fitness all packaged into one class,” Heaps says. “For golfers, there is a lot we do to promote range of movement, so think flexion of the ankles, knees, back, hips, and spine with the highlight being core strength.”

Heaps, a former Division I tennis player at Notre Dame and skilled golfer, believes that the stronger your core,

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MAY 2022

PHOTOS COURTESY OF BARRE3

the better your spine is in supporting

impact and I think a class like this has everything you need to stay fit.”

Not surprisingly, the word barre conjures an image of ballet dancers doing pliés, pirouettes, and leaps. But that is a misnomer.

“I thought it would be very dance-oriented and would involve the barre on the wall,” admits Mike Brady, a Titleist Performance Institute Level III Golf Fitness Instructor and Level III Fascia Stretch Specialist. “Here we used our bodies for just about every one

barre3

GOLFERCISE: Barre3 classes promote core and spine health, leading to improved stability, rotation and extension during the golf swing.

flexion, twisting, and bending.

of the exercises, moving in all

barre3.com 303-656-6702

three planes of motion.”

Keegan, 73, has attended north of 60 classes and is

Classes have helped produce

thrilled with his results.

positive results for golfers, who

“When I do barre, I feel flexible,

to elite athletes, Heaps’ clients benefit from their studio time.

“The more we promote core and spine health, she explains, “the more we can keep people moving, whatever they do: tennis, skiing, biking, golf—fill in the blanks.”

There are five barre3 studios along

report a more efficient swing, better

light and completely refreshed,” he re-

the Front Range. The cost for classes

ball control and more power.

ports. “My shoulder turn has increased

ranges from a New Client special ($49

12 degrees on the backswing and 20

for two weeks of unlimited classes), a

and the movement,” explains Kevin

degrees on the follow-through. I’m

Single Class ($26), a 5 Class Package

Collins, the owner, president and CEO

playing my best golf in 50 years, and

($120), and a 10 Class Package ($220).

of The Club at Ravenna in Littleton.

even shot my age last November. It

Please contact your physician before

“I’ve been doing yoga sculpting at

feels so good hitting the ball with a

participating.

Ravenna, and it really helped my

wider shoulder turn.”

“I liked the stretching, the cardio

golf swing and flexibility. The barre3

Ranging from those who haven’t

class adds another dimension. It’s low

worked out in years to once-a-weekers

Kim D. McHugh is a contributor to Colorado AvidGolfer.

coloradoavidgolfer.com

59

03 KEYS TO HITTING BOMBS! To hit it further, flexibility, balance and strength play critical roles.

GENERATING CLUBHEAD SPEED and carry distance doesn’t require swinging out of your shoes. It requires a mechanically sound swing that’s built around being flexible, balanced and strong. Do 5-10 repetitions of each exercise pictured here, and I’ll see you way down the fairway.

By Jason Witczak Photographs by E.J. Carr

Rotation Stretch

Keeping your feet shoulderwidth apart, simply hold a club behind your back and rotate side to side.

FLEXIBILITY

Being flexible helps prevent injury.

Every golfer wants consistency, but to achieve it, you must have a proper and consistent warmup routine. Here are three great warm-up stretches.

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Disc Swing

Balance starts with good footwork and how to use the ground.

Using something on which to balance like Dyna-Discs can really give you the feel need that requires you to be grounded as the club keeps moving. For a more advanced workout work both sides including swinging left-handed as well.

Tilted Rotation

Putting the golf club over your shoulders in golf tilt setup, rotate from the backswing to forward swing.

Your external rotation will loosen the muscles necessary to give you the kinesthetic feel to allow the body to react to the golf club.

BALANCE

Balance improves reaction time and helps with overall athletic performance.

Every swing should be a balanced swing. The better your balance, the greater your clubhead speed. Remember it is called “clubhead speed,” not “body speed.” This exercise will improve your stability, allowing you to swing in balance and generate clubhead velocity.

Slide 2 Slide This exercise activates your glutes, hamstrings, calves and quadriceps —muscles that if worked out properly will give you a great sense of understanding how to use the ground properly.

Shoulder Stretch

Do these “shoulder passovers” by standing tall with your arms fully extended.

Bring the club over your head and back as far as you can.

STRENGTH

With strength comes greater stability and explosiveness.

In golf there is a huge difference between doing something “hard” and doing something “fast.” You want to swing fast, not hard! Golf-related exercises that can produce explosive movements will help create the strength necessary to hit a bomb. The slide board gets you in an athletic posture, allowing you to push off and explode from side to side while maintaining great posture throughout the exercise. 3 sets of 10 repetitions each way is recommended.

Jason Witczak (coachjwit.com) is the PGA Director of Instruction at The Pinery Country Club and The Club at Pradera, both in Parker. Reach him at jwitczak@theclubatpradera.com or 303-607-5677. coloradoavidgolfer.com

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STRETCH GOALS Can’t make a turn like before?

Back out of whack? Hammies too tight? The flexologists at StretchLab can help.

By Jon Rizzi

PUSH IT REAL GOOD: Erika, a flexologist at StretchLab LoHi, improves the shoulder flexibility and posture of another client.

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“I

’m a solid club longer,”

StretchLab flexologist submits

6-handicap Brett Story

each new client to a MAPS

says as he lays on one

assessment, in which the client

of the 12 occupied

performs three overhead squats

treatment tables in StretchLab’s LoHi studio. Story is getting

in front of a 3D camera.

The camera instantly

his arms and legs masterfully

measures mobility, activation,

pushed, pulled and positioned

posture and symmetry (MAPS),

by Erika, one of the studio’s

providing a score for each

seven flexologists and the chief

and lighting up trouble areas.

reason for his extra yardage.

An investment banker in his early 40s, Story stops by once a week for 50 minutes to have Erika work on his entire body—from his hips, hamstrings and IT

“As opposed to other modalities, we can work with every body.”

The flexologist—a certified bodyworker who has also gone through 60 hours of StretchLab training— will then personalize the sessions. Regular MAPS scans track the progress.

What differenti-

bands to his wrists, forearms,

ates assisted stretching from

shoulders, chest and back.

stretching on your own is re-

“Hunching over a computer

sistance. “It’s called PNF, which

was decreasing my range of

stands for proprioceptive neu-

motion,” Story remembers.

romuscular facilitation,” Colb

“Then I saw an assisted-stretch-

explains. Utilized by physical

ing scene in the show Billions,

therapists, PNF “goes deeper—it

and came in.”

puts you into positions you

That was two years ago. “We worked on getting my shoulders back and chest open; I no

can’t get into by yourself so you can build stability.”

That said, StretchLab “almost

longer have to force my turn,”

always gives homework,” Colb

he says. “My range of motion

explains. “For golfers, that could

and lag have also increased.”

be a new way to stretch a hip

As has his stamina. “On a re-

flexor or to strengthen quads

cent vacation, I played 36 holes

for a better pivot. We want to

three straight days, and the

decrease pain and the potential

back held up great.” he says.

for injury and allow people to

Such testimonials are common at the LoHi studio and the

enjoy the freedom to move.”

Story, for one, can testify to

six other Front Range Stretch-

the results. In addition to his

Lab franchises (with three

sessions with Erika, he stretches

StretchLab

stretchlab.com

more “coming soon”). The

at home and has made stretch-

raves don’t just come

ing a key part of his pre-round

from golfers. “Our cli-

routine. “Before I play, I spend

ents include a 13-year-

more time doing stretches than

old dancer who needs

hitting balls,” he says.

to kick higher and a pair of 87-year-olds who

StretchLab offers 25- or 50-

just want to stay agile,” says the

minute sessions in membership

studio owner, Marci Colb. “As

packages ranging from four

opposed to other modalities, we

25-minute sessions to 12 or more

can work with every body.”

50-minute sessions. Pricing and

COURTESY OF STRETCHLAB

After a short interview to discuss any pains or injuries, a

programming vary by studio.

Visit stretchlab.com for locations.

coloradoavidgolfer.com

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Blind Shot

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The Unseen Game

PHOTOGRAPH COUTRESY SOUTHERN HILLS COUNTRY CLUB

The Star Next Door

This month, Southern Hills will again test the best in the 104th PGA Championship.

O

f the seven states that border Colorado, only one has hosted what we now know as golf’s four majors. It’s not Kansas, which has hosted three U.S. Women’s Opens and a U.S. Senior Open. Nor is it Nebraska, which staged its second U.S. Senior Open last year as well as the U.S. Amateur in 1941, when that event was considered a major.

The only neighboring state to welcome a major championship is Oklahoma, where Tulsa’s Southern Hills Country Club will host its record fifth PGA Championship May 19-22. Coupled with its three U.S. Opens (1958,’77 and 2001), Southern Hills alone has hosted three more majors than the entire state of Colorado.

Factor in the 1935 and 1988 PGA Championships at, respectively, Twin Hills at Oak Tree, and Oklahoma’s tally of modern-day majors grows to 10.

That’s one fewer than the state of New Jersey, the home of Trump National Golf Club Bedminster, which was scheduled to host this year’s PGA Championship until the events of January 6, 2021, prompted the PGA of America to terminate its agreement with the thenpresident’s course four days later.

The PGA gave the event to Southern Hills. Designed

64

COLORADO AVIDGOLFER

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MAY 2022

during the Depression by Perry Maxwell and his son, Colorado Golf Hall of Famer Press Maxwell, the 7,481yard, par-71 layout underwent a 2019 restoration by University of Denver alumnus Gil Hanse that sharpened the teeth of an already formidable layout.

So what will this year’s PGA Championship bring?

Will Tiger Woods, who won the event here in 2007, make another “game-day decision”? Will besmirched defending champion Phil Mickelson also pass on this event as he did the Masters? Can Scottie Scheffler, who calls himself “a huge fan of Southern Hills,” continue his torrid play? What about Cameron Smith, or the former Cowboys and Sooners like Viktor Hovland, Abraham Ancer, Rickie Fowler, Talor Gooch, Alex Noren and Matthew Wolff?

Whoever hoists the Wanamaker Trophy will have earned it. Defined by bending fairways, rough-edged bunkering and devilish greens featuring the “Maxwell rolls,” the refurbished Southern Hills defended par with distinction in last year’s Senior PGA Championship. At 3-under for the four-day tournament, winner Alex Čejka was the only player to finish with a red number. pgachampionship.com

TAKE IT BACK TO TULSA: Steep, deep bunkers, devilish greens and slyly placed streams make Southern Hills a perpetual major championship venue.

Denver’s Top Rated Steakhouse

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