2021 Spring Magazine - Colorado AvidGolfer

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Elevating the Game.

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THE CLUB AT CORDILLERA

We believe our lives are best lived while enjoying the rewards of membership here - our private slice of heaven that provides ample opportunity to relax, connect and savor Mother Nature's majesty. It is our personal four-season playground, and it feeds our passion for an outdoor life invigorated by crisp mountain air, awe-inspiring scenery, aspen tree lines, fresh alpine snow and summer blossoms.

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CONTENTS | Spring 2021

DEPARTMENTS

77 12 Forethoughts

The Wonder of Colorado Golf

By Anthony Cotton

14 The CGA

Membership means more in your local club or league.

23 The Gallery

Craig Stadler's Evergreen home; Fred Funk's latest design; Paul Millsap gives back; DU's new men's coach; an artistic look at golf's African-American pioneers; CAG's reader survey results

88 Blind Shot

Frozen Treats

PLAYER’S CORNER 35 Play Away PHOTOGRAPH BY JAMIE SCHWABEROW/CLARKSON CREATIVE

67

TPC Colorado

Some hidden gems await outside of Phoenix and Tucson. By Ted Johnson

40 15th Club

Wake Up Your Game

By Neil Wolkodoff

42 Lesson

Become a Home Run Hitter

By Alex Fisher

SIDE BETS

FEATURES

47 Elevated Sips

67

A food critic’s favorite made-in-the-state wine, beer and spirits. By John Lehndorff

CAGGY Award Winners Looking forward to the 2021 golf season? Get a head start on the best courses, instruction and getaway destinations—all found in our 19th Annual Celebration of the Best of Colorado Golf.

50 Nice Drives

Chevrolet Corvette Stingray, Mercedes-AMG GLS63, Ram TRX. By Isaac Bouchard

80

Being Frank Colorado’s most famous golfing chef, Frank Bonanno, is fluent in both cooking knives and 9-irons. By John Lehndorff

ON THE COVER Frank Bonanno tees it up at City Park Golf Course in

Denver. Photograph by Ehren Joseph COLORADO AVIDGOLFER | Spring 2021

SPECIAL SECTION 55 SPRING TRAINING

Baseball is back (maybe). Where to watch and play (some golf) in Arizona.

8

55 77 coloradoavidgolfer.com

Spring 2021 | Volume 19, Number 8 president and group publisher

A llen J. Walters founding editor

Jon Rizzi

SALES, MARKETING & ADVERTISING associate publisher

Chris Phillips

vp of sales and marketing

Lori Perr y

director of sales & marketing , golf passport and events

Mike Car ver

digital strategist and content manager

Lacey Colvin

office and operations manager

Cindy Palmer

ART & EDITORIAL editor

Anthony Cotton creative director

Jani Duncan Smith art director

Chelsea Oglesby editor - at- large

Tom Ferrell

Thank you for voting Pole Creek Golf Club #1 Mountain Course in Colorado 2020!

automotive editor

Isaac Bouchard style editor

Suzanne S. Brown contributors

Sam Adams, Andy Bigford, E.J. Carr, Clarkson Creative, Tony Dear, Denny Dressman, Sue Drinker, Dick Durrance, Chris Duthie, Neal Erickson, Scott Gardner, Garo Productions, Ted Johnson, Kaye Kessler, John Lehndorff, Kim McHugh advertising inquiries : cindy@coloradoavidgolfer.com editorial inquiries and letters : anthony@coloradoavidgolfer.com customer service and subscriptions :

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mailing address : 7200 S. Alton Way #A-180, Centennial, CO 80112 fax : 720-482-0784 newsstand information : 720-493-1729 facebook colorado avidgolfer twitter @ coloavidgolfer instagram colorado avidgolfer

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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 19, Number eight. 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 © 2021 by Baker-Colorado Publishing, LLC. All rights reserved. Reproduction without permission is prohibited.

Postmaster: Send address changes to Colorado AvidGolfer, 7200 S. Alton Way #A-180 Centennial, CO 80112. The magazine welcomes editorial submissions but assumes no responsibility for the safekeeping or return of unsolicited manuscripts, photographs, artwork or other material. magazine partner of choice :

Colorado Section

Polecreekgolf.com COLORADO AVIDGOLFER | Spring 2021

970-887-9195 10

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You should be here.

Forethoughts

The Wonder of Colorado Golf PHOTOGRAPH BY JAMIE SCHWABEROW/CLARKSON CREATIVE

And you know it.

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ARE YOU ALREADY over your New Year’s resolutions? If the health club/diet/reading more thing hasn’t really worked out, here’s a better-late-than-never addition to the list that I’m guessing you can get behind: Let’s play more...different golf in 2021.

Chances are you covered the “more” part in 2020— according to Golf Datatech, rounds played across the United States were up almost 14 percent in 2020 versus 2019, this with most courses being closed anywhere from a few days to a few months at the onset of the pandemic.

In Colorado, the numbers were even more striking— year-over-year, rounds played increased by almost 20 percent in 2020.

The hope, among golf course operators, officials in the sport—and magazine editors and the publishers they work for—is that the golf boom continues in 2021...which is where the “different” part of the resolution comes into play.

While I know I certainly did my level best to contribute to those eye-popping numbers, the truth is, I wasn’t very adventurous when it came to where I teed it up, typically playing at the same three or four courses most weekends. But while there’s something to be said for convenience and comfort, as well as the satisfaction that comes with mastering (for one afternoon at least) the local tract, when it comes to variety in the Centennial State, there are probably 100 phenomenal courses just a car ride away.

That’s what makes this particular issue of Colorado AvidGolfer so special. Since the magazine started, we’ve brought you our annual CAGGY Awards, celebrating the best of just about everything when it comes to the sport. Beginning on page 67, we present the 19th edition here—whether public or private, muni or daily-fee, North, South, Front Range and Western Slope, we asked and you answered, providing a road map to old standards and new, perhaps underrated, discoveries. If you should actually want to cross the border, and time (and pandemic conditions) warrant, there are recommendations for getaways, regionally, national and internationally.

And it’s not only about the 18 holes—if you get the urge to, you know, actually work on your game, you can find the best places to practice. Should you go all-in and decide to invest in some lessons...well, let’s just say there are some instructors out there who were... extremely enthusiastic about letting you know they’re available to take your call.

Should you find all this golf talk, coming as it does with the temperatures hopefully rising to the point where it doesn’t take a jackhammer to stick a tee in the ground, whetting your appetite, we go from the CAGGYS to one Frank Bonanno. A particularly avid golfer himself, when he’s not puring 9-irons, Bonanno can be found puréeing sauces and creating exquisite dishes as the driving force behind such notable eateries as Mizuna, Luca, Salt & Grinder and the Denver Milk Market. On page 80, Bonanno gives us an inside look at both of his passions, food and golf, and where the intersection between the two lies.

Bon Appétit! —ANTHONY COTTON

Off the I-25 Corridor in Castle Rock

COLORADO AVIDGOLFER | Spring 2021

12

coloradoavidgolfer.com

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The CGA SERVING ALL COLORADO GOLFERS

Join the Club Membership means more in your local club or league.

COLORADO AVIDGOLFER | Spring 2021

PHOTOGRAPH BY E.J. CARR

AFTER A RECORD-BREAKING year for golf in Colorado, all of us at the Colorado Golf Association must begin with a thank you. To all the men and women who came back to the game last year, it was great to see you again, and we can’t wait to see you back in 2021. For those “AvidGolfers” who never left, and played even more golf, thank you for your continued commitment to this game of a lifetime.

As you know, getting a tee time at your local course was often challenging. However, membership means more when you join your local golf club. This was clear in 2020, as membership in local facilities and men’s and women’s leagues was up considerably. Last year the CGA welcomed more than 617 leagues in Colorado at our 215 member facilities across the state. These leagues are run by local golfers and the wonderful PGA and LPGA professionals in your community. By joining a local league, you have access to the USGA handicap system, overseen and reviewed by your local peers. New in 2021, the USGA is requiring all golfers to provide emails and passwords to ensure your information is secure. You will now have safer access to the free GHIN Mobile app which lets you enter your hole-by-hole scores, keep track of friends, and receive videos and tips sent exclusively to our CGA Members.

Last year we also saw new clubs and leagues launch in response to the increased demand in our game. It was great to see up-and-coming leagues like DNVR Golf through the incredible digital sports-platform at DNVR. Colorado Under Par also launched in 2020 and is dedicated to providing its members with a fun and social golf environment with events around Colorado. If you have a group of friends and want to start your own golf league, the CGA is always here to help you make this happen.

Membership in the CGA continues to bring unique and special benefits from Colorado and National companies. For example, this year, Colorado AvidGolfer, the CGA’s “Magazine Partner of Choice,” has upped the ante and is extending special subscription benefits to our nearly 63,000 members. Each week, the CGA strives to bring our members a new featured benefit in your weekly “Member Insider” which provides an updated handicap index along with featured benefits, clubs and events, and videos exclusive to our members.

Membership means more at the CGA, and as we have learned, the game of golf has also never meant more. Your participation in a league or club allows you to enjoy the health and wellness benefits our game provides, while also remaining connected to your community. To join the CGA or access your member benefits in the CGA Member Zone, visit coloradogolf.org today.

A TRANSCENDENT EXPERIENCE: Whether it’s joining a local golf league, joining the fun on initiatives like Colorado Under Par—or, ahem, providing subscriptions to your favorite golf magazine—the Colorado Golf Association is ready to help you make the absolute most of your golfing adventures in the state.

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coloradoavidgolfer.com

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Proud Sponsor of Great Drives Golf Passport Member Conditions: 2021 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, 2021 – December, 31 2021, 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 cancelled, 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. Colorado AvidGolfer disclaims all liability for damage or loss or property or injury to any person occurring while using the Golf Passport. If ordered online, please allow up to 10 days for delivery of your Golf Passport. Golf Passport membership includes a digital subscription to Colorado AvidGolfer with the option to opt-in to the mailing subscription for an additional fee. Members will also be subscribed to the Colorado AvidGolfer weekly newsletter list and can unsubscribe at any time.

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The Gallery

NEWS | NOTES | NAMES

I Am the Walrus’ (House)

PHOTOGRAPHS COURTESY OF NEXT DOOR PHOTOS DENVER

ROOM WITH A VIEW: While one of the offices in Craig Stadler’s home features a gigantic walrus tusk on the desk, this one is rife with golf memorabilia.

ANDY WANN ADMITS that he’s very much a hacker at golf—but that doesn’t mean he loves the game any less than more accomplished players.

“I’ve gone to Augusta National for Masters’ practice rounds a number of times and I always kiss the ground I walk on because it really is like going into a church.”

That being said, when it comes to his day job, Wann finds himself somewhat betwixt and between. A Realtor with Berkshire Hathaway Home Services Elevated Luxury in Evergreen, the golfer in him is over the moon at one of his current listings—a 10,469 square foot, 6 bedroom, 9 bath home owned by Craig Stadler, the 1982 Masters champion. Among the accoutrements that never fail to thrill—either Wann himself or many of the visitors who decide to take a looksee through the property (with pockets deep enough to foot the $4.7 million asking price)—are numerous rooms filled with memorabilia from The Walrus’ magical career, like “The Masters” bedroom, full of swag from Augusta, and a “Hockey Room” filled with jerseys, sticks and other mementos from players like “The Great One,” Wayne Gretzky.

There’s even a cross-section of the Torrey Pines tree, underneath which he knelt atop a towel to play a shot during the third round of the 1987 Shearson Lehman Brothers Andy Williams Open.

Considered “building a stance,” Stadler, who would have finished tied for second in the tournament, instead found himself disqualified for signing an incorrect scorecard after not calling a penalty on himself. It’s said to be one of the first examples of a television viewer calling in a rules violation on a player. coloradoavidgolfer.com

But all of that eye candy—“It really is like walking through a museum,” he said—puts Wann in a little bit of a lurch, because when the house is sold, and Stadler and his wife Susan leave (downsizing, they’re planning on buying another home in the area), chances are most, if not all, of the treasures will go with them.

“That’s why I like showing the house to non-golfers,” Wann says with a chuckle, “Golfers get swallowed up by all the memorabilia and they’re not paying attention to the house itself; but it’s true, this stuff isn’t staying.”

No, a potential buyer would just have to make due with the eight-person hot tub, or the 4,300-bottle wine cellar. On the market since October, Wann admits the joint isn’t likely to be a quick mover.

“We’ve probably had five showings; that’s a fair amount of activity, because something like this isn’t like the rest of the market, with people flooding to it,” he said. “A property like this, (the timetable for a sale) could be six months to two years…but the market is kinda crazy here in Colorado, so you never know.”

WALRUS NEST: While Augusta National has its Crow’s Nest, Craig Stadler’s Evergreen home includes a bedroom that pays homage to the major championship. He won the tournament in 1982.

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Spring 2021 | COLORADO AVIDGOLFER

The Gallery

Gotta Have That Funk par-4 15th, includes a hazard with the wet stuff brings the tour back to Colorado, like Minchew, (conversely, Pelican Lakes has water on 21 of its Funk sees no reason why RainDance shouldn’t be27 holes). The spacious fairways will be seeded come a player in golf circles.

50-50 with fescue and Kentucky bluegrass and “I’ve had talks with Suzy Whaley (former the rest of the landscape will feature native plants President of the PGA of America) and I’ve already such as sage grass, yucca, rabbitbush and cactus. called the USGA to let them know that we’re doing Per Funk’s recommendation, RainDance National something out here and to get us on the map and will play dry and fast, all the better to squeeze ev- in their minds...they need to come out and see ery bit of oompf from players who may be able to this.” raindancecolorado.com relate to his “everyman’s” game.

In addition, the facility will include a 6,000-square foot putting green as well as the “Horse Course,” a 65,000 square foot short game practice area. There are plans to add a snow-bunny hill—“SnowDance”—glamping and eventually, a hotel and resort that could draw Coloradans yearround.

“They’ll be this spectacular venue right in their back yard,” said Funk, who won eight events on the PGA TOUR, including the FUNKADELIC: Currently under construction, with an opening planned for Players’ Championship in 2005.

July, 2022, RainDance National Golf Club is being designed by former While there are no plans— PGA TOUR star Fred Funk. This is an artist’s rendition of the par-4 15th—the only hole on the course with water in play. currently—to be the course that

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Owned by the Colorado Golf Association, and designed by world-renowned architect Tom Doak, CommonGround can be found in Aurora at the intersection of Mission and Masterpiece. commongroundgc.com | 303-340-1520 COLORADO AVIDGOLFER | Spring 2021

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RENDERING COURTESY OF RAINDANCE GOLF CLUB

THERE IS WEE BIT of irony to be found in the idea of Fred Funk, regarded as one of the shortest hitters on the PGA TOUR during his days on the circuit, designing a golf course that stretches out to some 8,014 yards from the tips—with a Par-5 that will play as long as 759 yards. But what’s the old adage—Go Big or Go Home?—that seems to be the main idea behind RainDance National Golf Club.

Currently under construction in Windsor, RainDance is currently slated to open in July, 2022. Located less than a mile west of its “sister” course, Pelican Lakes Golf Club, RainDance is the brainchild of Funk and Harrison Minchew. A native of Augusta, Ga. Minchew spent more than a quarter-decade as the Director of Design Services for Arnold Palmer Golf, completing 70 courses around the world.

Some of those tracts have hosted big deal events on almost any major tour; during a recent site visit to Colorado, Minchew expects the same to happen at RainDance.

“This facility has everything a major tournament venue could want to have,” he said.

Playing at a par 71, featuring four par-5s and five par-3s, about the only thing missing from RainDance is, well, water. Only one hole, the

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The Gallery

PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY OF CORE4

WORKing the Core

Paul Millsap

PAUL MILLSAP loves Denver—the city was integral to helping develop the NBA allstar’s game, to the point where, when he signed a $90 million free agent contract with the Nuggets in 2017, he didn’t hold his introductory news conference at the Pepsi Center, but rather, at the Montbello Rec Center in the northeast part of the city.

Millsap is also something of a golf fanatic, so the news that he was linking up with the PGA of America, becoming its first-ever PGA WORKS Ambassador—sponsoring a year-long paid fellowship that will provide an individual from a diverse background the chance to pursue a career within the golf industry—wasn’t especially surprising.

However, the initiative, part of his charitable foundation (and formally called the Paul Millsap PGA WORKS Fellowship) will be run out of the Georgia PGA Section and Foundation.

The reason it’s there and not here? Call it Family First.

A product of the South (he attended Louisiana Tech University), Millsap played for four seasons with the Atlanta Hawks before joining the Nuggets; his wife and children are still in that city, even as the power forward pushes to take Denver to a Western Conference title. He also has a great deal of family in the region; in 2017, Millsap and his three brothers, John, Ben and Elijah, created CORE4, a facility with physical, mental, academic and work training protocols. CORE4 will work with the PGA in implementing the fellowship.

While Colorado may have missed out on this particular initiative, the hope is that there will be future opportunities to work with Millsap.

“We met Paul and his uncle (DeAngelo Simmons, who runs Millsap’s foundation) last year at the PGA Merchandise Show,” said Eddie Ainsworth, the CEO of the PGA’s Colorado section. “Hopefully Paul will be able to come out to, or play in, one of our events sometime in the near future and we’ll go from there.” pgareach.org

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The Gallery

Trakeing the Reins with the novel coronavirus scuttling the team’s Fall season. But Carpenter, a devotee of noted mental skills coach Brian Cain, says that while he ultimately would have preferred seeing his new charges in action, the lack of tournament play provided the opportunity to lay the groundwork for what he wanted his program to look like. Now that the Spring season has actually started (Denver finished in a tie for 10th in its first tournament, the Arizona Invitational), Carpenter says the unexpected break might help the Pioneers in the long run.

Trake Carpenter “It’s on me to set the standards and culture; I’ve been with programs whose coaches were there for a long time and I was learning their way and trying to add a little bit of me here and there. Now it’s putting together all those little puzzle pieces and kind of making it what I want it to be.

“Brian has worked with so many great teams and great coaches and we’ve talked a lot about what works with great teams and programs and athletes in other sports—now it’s up to me to piece all that together to make up the culture of Denver Golf now.” denverpioneers.com

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Playing at 8,100 feet, the course features unparalleled Rocky Mountain views, abundant wildlife, and the Fraser River. A round at Granby Ranch Golf Course is more than just golf. We invite you to join us for an adventurous Colorado mountain experience.

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PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY OF DU ATHLETICS

LIKE ANY KID who’s held a golf club in their hands, Trake Carpenter envisioned a day when he would be able to play the game at the highest level— and like most, reality eventually came calling.

“Honestly, that probably came during the first qualifier I played in college,” said Carpenter, the new men’s coach at the University of Denver.

“I grew up in a small town and was probably pretty sheltered—in life and in golf. And then you go to school and you’re at a Division I program (Ball State)…I thought I was pretty good, but I guess I just didn’t know the scope of a real college program and it opened my eyes.

“Everybody has a dream of playing on the PGA TOUR, but I saw the writing on the wall pretty early.”

Carpenter quickly transitioned into coaching, serving as an assistant at his alma mater, then moving on to the same role at Marquette and Stanford before coming aboard with the Pioneers in July. While those prior stops helped scratch his competitive itch, as he says, on a daily basis helping the guys who are still living that dream, moving into a head coaching position ups the ante quite a bit.

“Stanford is a place where you hang around as long as you can—the tournaments you’re playing in, the courses, the players you get to recruit, the people you meet—it’s all second to none,” he said. “It gave me a chance to see what it was like to push the bar really high, to see what was possible; I wasn’t looking to leave there; it was going to take a really great program and a really great school, and Denver was checking all the boxes.”

Carpenter was confronted with a huge challenge almost immediately,

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The Gallery

Legendary Cause about the African-American Legends of golf who were playing this game long before I became aware and interested.”

Anderson’s quest eventually led him to create his own tribute, a painting honoring three of the seminal figures in the sport— Pete Brown, the first African-American to win a PGA TOUR event; Charlie Sifford, the first Black to play on the tour; and Renee Powell, who followed Althea Gibson as the second Black woman to play on the LPGA Tour. “(African-Americans) have a strong Darrell Anderson’s self-portrait history with the game of golf and I want to encourage more of our youth to get involved with this game I love,” he said.

To that end, is offering limited editions of his work, “Legends,” to the public.

Anderson is selling the prints at $200—with half that amount being donated to The First Tee Green Valley Ranch.

“I want to engage more of my young culture to experience the game of golf and all that it has to offer,” Anderson said. “It is never too late to enjoy artistic creativity when swinging a golf club.” darrellanderson.com BIG THREE: Artist Darrell Anderson’s desire to explore golf history led to his painting “Legends,” which features three of the sport’s African-American pioneers: Pete Brown, Renee Powell and Charlie Sifford.

SKY RANCH

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| 17408 HIGHWAY 14. STERLING, CO 80751 coloradoavidgolfer.com

PAINTINGS COURTESY OF DARRELL ANDERSON

WHAT STARTED OUT as a Black History Month tribute to some of golf’s African-American pioneers has blossomed into a way to help youngsters perhaps just discovering the game.

Artist Darrell Anderson says he was a “late-bloomer” to golf; when he started playing, the Green Valley Ranch resident was hooked, and began delving into the history of the game, particularly as it related to the Black experience.

“There was never an empty conversation about golf, no matter what country I was in,” he said. “Over time, I wanted to know

Golf by Numbers WE RECENTLY asked our readers to participate in a survey, sharing their thoughts on Colorado AvidGolfer; not only looking at who you are, but also where we are and—perhaps more importantly—where you would like to see us go in the future. Thanks to the more than 500 of you who responded; here’s a numerical look at some of the highlights:

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58

61

Percentage of respondents who plan on taking two or more in-state golf vacations in 2021. Among the locations most cited were Breckenridge; The Broadmoor; Grand Junction and Redlands Mesa.

Percentage of respondents who plan on taking two or more golf vacations outside of Colorado. You’re planning on hitting Bandon Dunes; Las Vegas/Mesquite; Pinehurst, N.C. and Phoenix/Scottsdale.

Percentage of respondents who read our instruction pieces every issue— the magazine’s best-read department.

70

91

Percentage of respondents who play more than 25 rounds a season—Lucky you!

Percentage of respondents who have not played in a Colorado AvidGolfer tournament...What are you waiting for?

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The 70 bunkers and large, undulating bent grass greens make this a truly championshipcaliber course to be enjoyed by players of all skill levels. For these reasons, Rollingstone Ranch Golf Club received the “2019 CAGGY Winner, Best Mountain Courses in Colorado” by Colorado AvidGolfer.

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Spring 2021 | COLORADO AVIDGOLFER

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Player’s Corner PLAY AWAY

PHOTOGRAPHS COURTESY OF SEVEN CANYONS GOLF CLUB

THE OTHER RED ROCKS: Designed by Tom Weiskopf, Seven Canyons Golf Club (here and below) in Sedona, about two hours north of Phoenix, sits like an island in the Coconino National Forest. The layout is regarded as player-friendly in part because of its wide fairways.

Undiscovered Arizona Some hidden gems await outside of Phoenix and Tucson.

WITH ITS POPULATION of five million people, Phoenix ranks as the 10th largest metropolitan area in the United States. And though its climate and access to golf is hard to beat, there’s still the region’s traffic and congestion—which can

mitigate the pleasure of a getaway trip to the Copper State.

Luckily, there are facilities outside the major population centers of Phoenix and Tucson that offer authentic Arizona golf experiences—without

By Ted Johnson

the bumper-to-bumper aggravation. Places where you’ll find skies that seem to have a darker shade of turquoise, black nights dappled with a brighter, denser Milky Way, and lush fairways juxtaposed against desert brush, saguaro and boulders that are ever more vernal.

All facilities contacted here gave the impression they will be open for the foreseeable future and, as you will see, some have adapted well to golf amid a global pandemic. But with COVID-19 health protocols still in place, it’s best to check ahead of time to inquire about course availability, as well as the number of people allowed in a traveling party—not to mention services like indoor dining.

SEDONA Located about two hours north on Interstate 17 from Sky Harbor Airport, few places in the world offer a more stunning backdrop than Sedona’s singularly beautiful birthmark—the red rock bluffs. Sitting like an island within the Coconino National Forest 17 miles west of central Sedona, the private Seven Canyons Golf Club provides an “IMAX” experience as every hole brings astounding views. Designed by Tom Weiskopf, this course is considered one of his most “player friendly” layouts—wide in fairway, greens not

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Spring 2021 | COLORADO AVIDGOLFER

Play Away

PHOTOGRAPHS COURTESY OF PREMIER AERIALS

CACTUS FLOWER: While using your phone’s GPS is a sometimes tricky proposition (better to call the course for directions), once you arrive, Quintero Golf Club will undoubtedly prove to be well worth the effort.

overly protected or tricky.

Challenging but fair, every direction has red rock scenery. As for a signature hole? All 18 could be signature holes.

You’ll remember the 154-yard par-3 fifth hole because it was designed in homage to the Postage Stamp hole at Troon, where Weiskopf won the British Open, his only major championship. From the high tee you can see miles into the distance.

Access to this private enclave is available through various hotels in Sedona like the Enchantment Resort. It’s best to check with the concierge at your place of stay to determine if tee times are possible and for prices, as they can vary per the hotel.

In central Sedona, Oak Creek Country Club, a semi-private course with a front-nine designed by famed architect Robert Trent Jones (and with a back nine later added and designed by son Robert Trent Jones II) also features those famous backdrops.

Classic Jones Sr. courses tend to feature par-4 holes whose landing areas are pinched down by fairway bunkers. His son added more of the same, though the back nine has more elevation changes. Lush fairways lined by trees offer a stark contrast to the sienna bluffs that grow deeper red as the sun sets. This is the town’s main public course and quite popular.

The Sedona Golf Resort on the east side COLORADO AVIDGOLFER | Spring 2021

STRAIGHT SHOOTER: At Quintero Golf Club, raw distance off the tee is less important than being accurate and placing drives on the fairway to best set up your approach shots.

of town is a friendly, beautiful layout whose par-3 seventh hole hangs on the bluffs to offer 180-degree view of the bluffs. This Gary Panks layout offers beauty and a good variety of holes— thought-provoking short par-4s, eye-popping par-3s. It is open to the public, and stay-and-

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play packages are available at the Hilton Resort at Bell Rock.

NORTH OF SCOTTSDALE For those who seek an “Arizona desert golf experience,” start with Quintero Golf Club. From Sky coloradoavidgolfer.com

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Play Away

and 6,800-yard Red course both offer first-rate experiences. It now ranks among the country’s best resorts.

SADDLE UP: Located between Phoenix and Tucson, The Preserve golf course is part of the Saddlebrooke retirement community. It’s filled with breathtaking views of the nearby Catalina Mountains.

Harbor it can be an hour-long drive off I-17 to Route 74; the website asks guests to not depend on GPS to get there—you know it’s remote when its location confuses satellites. It’s best to call the resort for directions.

Opened 20 years ago with a course designed by Rees Jones (the other brother of the Jones golf architect family), Quintero offers “PGA TOUR playing surfaces,” according to general manager Mike Poe. Despite being two decades old, this course defies the advancement of technology in golf equipment; distance isn’t needed as much as savvy placement of tee shots in the fairway and knowledge of where the approach shot should end up on the green.

“We have to keep an eye on the greens,” said Poe, whose course is rated among the best in the state, “because we’re in the entertainment business, and greens too fast for most golfers doesn’t translate into a fun time.”

Quintero offers six furnished condos for rent and the grill at the golf shop will provide in-room meals, making it a one-stop shop. Food service doesn’t stop there. Meals can be delivered to you on the course, too.

“Now, in these crazy times, I find I have a 350-acre restaurant,” Poe said.

The property is rife with wildlife—roadrunners, javelinas, bobcat, deer, mountain lions, burros and, in the warmer months, those slithery things with rattles on their tails. Be careful.

About 30 miles northwest of Quintero is Wickenburg Ranch Golf Club. Slated to open in 2010, the housing crisis reduced construction of surrounding real estate to nothing, so the course remained unavailable for play, yet it was watered and mowed for five years before finally opening in 2015. It’s been rated by one golf publication as the best place to play in the country.

The clubhouse came in 2017, the 9-hole a short time later. Big Wick can go as big as you want, more than 7,000 yards, but compresses down to 4,500 if need be. Fairways climb and bend on the desert hillsides, and the views from the 240-yard par-3 13th do take your mind off the intimidating tee shot that must carry water.

Wickenburg Ranch serves as a social center for the small town of the same name, and its three restaurants are all first-rate and available to visitors. Personally speaking, the Outpost at the Lil Wick nine is hard to beat.

COLORADO AVIDGOLFER | Spring 2021

For those who want a more traditional resort experience, the Wigwam in the town of Litchfield, west of Phoenix, more than meets the bill.

Graced with three courses, a magnificent patio restaurant called Red’s, and classic casita-style architecture, the Wigwam can’t wiggle away from its charm.

It opened in 1929 as part of the Goodyear Tire Company, which years earlier had discovered that cotton embedded in rubber increases the wear-life of its tires. Out came company execs to secure land to grow that cotton, and in time a resort developed. It suffered some waning years but in 2010, an investment group led by Jerry Colangelo, the sports executive who at one time owned the Phoenix Suns and Arizona Diamondbacks, purchased the property.

“It’s a unique property,” said Rob Myers, the president of the PM Public Relations group that represents the property, “in that it offers daily fee, resort and private member play.”

Located on 440 acres that include 331 remodeled rooms, top-notch restaurants and, as expected, spa, the 7,300-yard Gold course, another Jones Sr. design that opened in 1965, hosts the Patriot All-American collegiate tournament every year. And the 6,000-yard Blue course

ORO VALLEY Travel southeast from Sky Harbor on Interstate 10 about 100 miles and then turn east on Tangerine Road to find Oro Valley. Central Tucson is about 30 minutes south, but the golf in this region offers plenty of open space views of the Catalina Mountains.

The MountainView and The Preserve golf courses are part of the Saddlebrooke retirement community. Both offer excellent views of the mountains, and both find the layouts to be welcoming despite the rolling desert terrain and deep arroyos. You’ll remember the par-3 sixth at The Preserve and its 80-foot vertical descent to the green.

Moving a little closer to Tucson, you’ll find El Conquistador Golf and its two courses, the Conquistador and Canada courses. As part of the Oro Valley Community Center, they offer affordability, public access and quality golf. Stay-andplay packages are available through the nearby Sheraton Resort, but many other accommodations are available along Oracle Road.

The Views Golf Club in the Rancho Vistoso community off Oracle Road has, at the risk of being redundant, more stunning sights amidst 18 holes of dramatic desert golf nestled against the Tortolita Mountains. Business is booming.

“We’re just trying to keep up,” said Director of Golf Rick Price. “We went up to 63,000 rounds last year, and we’re ahead of that this year. We don’t need to but we’re just trying to accommodate and help people get through this.”

Finding the best of desert golf in Arizona in the time of COVID isn’t difficult; no matter the health protocols and the social distancing, it is possible to experience excellence in some of nature’s most dramatic settings.

In writing about golf for more than three decades, Ted Johnson has traveled the world to find the best courses, experiences that, due to a unique experience in Vung Tao, Vietnam, now led him always to carry toothpaste and a toothbrush in his golf bag.

HOLD ON: With its wide-open setting, things can get a little windy at the MountainView course outside of Tucson. But the dramatic elevation changes more than make up for the steady breezes.

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Sheep Ranch No. 16, Par 3, 170 yards

Player’s Corner 15TH CLUB

Wake Up Your Game How you work at 50-plus can lead to under-par scores.

THERE ARE NOW days where you can actually hit balls outside. However, rather than just jumping in with the ball-zilla sized bucket and pounding them till your hands bleed, perhaps a bit of strategic preparation will improve the long-term results.

Some factors of how your body works now, compared to your 20s, will help you adjust your physical routine, so your practices are more effective and reduce the chance of injury. If you have been staying physically active at five hours per week with formal training, then a simple training modification/addition will yield results. If you have not been active, then the next 60 days are really your last chance to amp it up so that by the time you’re playing in the late spring, the physical changes are working well enough to allow you play better.

What’s different about hitting balls from just general exercise, especially if you are over 50?

The first factor is posture. Not having a physical job that requires you move into different positions all the time, especially with your torso, means you might not be able to hold the proper golf stance.

Spine angle and shoulder position are not normal, they require muscular stabilization.

The core muscles are organized as small, very precise movers, somewhat like the small thruster rockets on a satellite. Although some of the large ones, such as the erector spinae, the major muscle in the back, do have that function, core muscles are more aligned for stabilization, balance and setting a position. Many of the muscle groups in the core have a righting function— get slightly out of balance, and they want to fire to right the ship.

It’s easy to work on the core on a fitball, as the unstable surface forces more muscles to engage—as opposed to training on something stable, like a sit-up board. The key with using the fitball is to perform short bursts of exercise, such as eight or ten repetitions in different directions, interspersed with rest periods. Your own body weight is actually best, as heavy medicine balls are a bit counter-productive to firing the fine and small muscles to maintain a posture. A mix of different directions of movement performed this way for five minutes per day is surprisingly effective.

Because the golf swing has a bit of tilt forward with the spine and hips, that can benefit from training—but with a twist. In golf, this is as much about awareness as it is muscular ability.

Gravity is the prime means for determining if you are in the right golf position. So, it makes sense that exercises like “good morning” stretches, or

By Neil E. Wolkodoff

GOOD MORNING, GOOD GAME: Back-extension exercises, similar to movements made when getting out of bed, can help physically prepare you for the rigors of golf.

anything else that has a back-extension component would help with both muscular conditioning and awareness.

Another forgotten component with the golf swing (and likely ignored over the winter) are training the shoulders to have a retracted position. Actually, that is neutral, but in today’s world of computer crunching forward, very few people are shoulder neutral. Very rarely does any golfer perform consistently with the shoulders slumping forward or rounding in that direction. For the golf swing to be effective, the shoulders have to be drawn back to a neutral position where they can be turned by the spine and core to create consistent, and powerful leverage.

Given that COVID-19 has probably put you in front of a computer more than normal, the slump of your shoulders is probably more than normal. Fortunately, the first level of fix is a reboot at the gym or home in terms of resistance training exercises. Simply perform more sets of exercises like high row, low row and a lower angle latissimus pulldown. A good ratio would be five sets of a pull exercise to three sets of a push exercise. For example, if you normally perform three sets of chest press, then perform five sets of a

medium row to counterbalance the chest and pull back the shoulders. The key is to get the shoulders back to this neutral position without having to think about it (Thinking about pulling the shoulders back during the golf swing would lead to incredibly deviant swings.).

It’s also likely your forearms and hands aren’t ready yet to take 80-100 swings in an hour while controlling and accelerating the clubhead. Twice a week, take light dumbbells, say, eight pounds, and perform 3 x 15 repetitions of wrist curls and reverse wrist curls. Alternatively, you can use a rope on a cable machine and perform triceps extensions and biceps curls using the rope without gripping the very end. Since the rope is a cylinder in shape, it’s akin to gripping the golf club.

Another area that’s rarely practiced is basic balance. In golf, you have to load the non-target side, then transfer back to the target side and rotate along the axis in line with your left leg and hip joint. Chances are during the winter, you haven’t practiced many balance exercises that work on this left-to-right and back again movement.

You can change that by getting a balance, or rocker board and moving slowly from right to left for two sets of 20 repetitions every other day.

Neil E. Wolkodoff, PhD, is the Medical Program Director for LivingVital, a longevity performance program in Denver, Colorado. Wolkodoff focuses his efforts on helping people, especially golfers, 50+ live better, perform optimally, and live longer.

COLORADO AVIDGOLFER | Spring 2021

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STEPS IN.

LakewoodGolf.org

Player’s Corner LESSON

Become a Home Run Hitter Touch ’em all to help your game.

COLORADO AVIDGOLFER | Spring 2021

PHOTOGRAPHS BY STEVE JELLERSON

ARIZONA IS KNOWN for many things. Tourists flock from all over to escape the winter and enjoy some of our world-class resorts, amazing restaurants, the Grand Canyon and all it offers and–of course–over 300 golf courses throughout the state.

One thing that you might not immediately think of is baseball. Every February, Phoenix/ Scottsdale and the surrounding areas host Spring Training baseball for 15 teams–half of Major League Baseball. If you’ve never been to a Cactus League game here in Arizona, you don’t know what you’re missing.

Did you know that golf and baseball have a lot in common? One of the biggest misconceptions I often hear from golfers is that they have too much of a baseball swing and that it causes them to hit poor shots. In fact, that couldn’t be farther from the truth. There are a lot of similarities between the golf swing and swinging a baseball bat.

The athletic motion of the body moving through the ball with the club/bat as it swings around the body follows a certain movement pattern that is referred to as “Kinematic Sequence.” Simply put, when our body is required to make an athletic movement, four different body parts move–but at different times, ranges and speeds. Your hands move first—and fastest—in your golf swing. They are also the one body part that moves the greatest distance around your body.

If the hands are the first thing to move the club, the arms come second. Both arms move before the torso rotates and the hips turn to round off the backswing. It is your job at the top of the backswing to start your downswing in the reverse order: hips turn, torso rotates, arms return back towards the golf ball before you release the club with the hands. Maintaining this sequence will ensure that the club stays on plane and its path through impact travels towards the target.

So, how can baseball help you play golf?

It can certainly stop you slicing your shots. A slice is caused when you come over the top and your swing path is outside-in on the downswing–a problem resulting from a violation of your downswing kinematic sequence. Basically, you’re having a false start at the top of your backswing because the arms and hands are moving towards the ball before the hips and torso. To create the correct sensation with your downswing sequence, something simple as making baseball swings with a golf club or even a bat can certainly help.

By Alex Fisher

READY TO LAUNCH As you complete your backswing, your torso has fully rotated to where your lead shoulder is underneath your chin. At the same time, your hips have turned so that your weight is loaded towards the instep of your back foot. Completing your backswing is extremely important if you want maximize your distance and unleash all your power on your downswing.

THE MISFIRE Slicing the ball comes from being in too much of a rush to get back to the ball. If you allow your arms and hands to move before the hips and torso, the club will be above the swing plane and travel through impact on an outside-to-in path. At the same time, the forearms and hands will under-rotate, causing the clubface to be open through impact. All power has been lost!

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LOVETHEJOURNEY You live to play. For you, it’s more than a game.

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It is truly a journey to become a better golfer, and wherever you are on the path, the Coaches at GOLFTEC can help you every step of the way.

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Lesson PHOTOGRAPHS BY STEVE JELLERSON

BATTER UP

LOAD UP

Just like in golf, the baseball bat has to be swung on the correct swing plane in order for the batter to hit the ball. The sequence of body movement is exactly the same as the golf swing. From an upright standing position, point either a baseball bat or a golf club out in front of you at hip height. If you don’t have a hitting tee, instead make a visual note of an object that you can point towards right in front of you.

Following the correct kinematic sequence of hands, arms, torso, hips on the backswing, make sure that your body fully rotates while approximately 75% of your weight loads to your back foot. Note how the shoulders have rotated almost twice as much the hips. It’s the disassociation between upper and lower body that creates speed on your downswing.

BRACE FOR IMPACT

HIT A HOME RUN

To keep the body’s sequence in order as you return the club back to the golf ball, the very first thing that moves down towards impact is your lower body weight transfer. This doesn’t mean that you have to fire your hips— they just have to go before your upper body starts to move. Keeping your trailing elbow tucked before the forearms and hands rotate through impact will ensure that club stays on the correct plane. At impact, approximately 75 percent of your weight should have transferred to your front foot. If your swing plane through impact isn’t correct, the club/bat will swing under the ball, causing you to miss it.

As you finish the swing, your weight should be approximately 90 percent on your front foot while remaining balanced. A good rule of thumb is that your upper body will have fully rotated and be facing your target. You should also be able to tap your back toe to the ground.

Even if you can’t relate to a baseball swing, the same sequence is performed while swinging a tennis racket or even throwing a ball. Each of these are reaction sports, where our body reacts

because of our instincts. Because the golf ball is hit from a stationary position and not moving, it’s way more difficult to not violate the sequence as you hit the ball.

Get this sequencing down and you’ll be ready to step up to the plate—sorry, tee box—and touch ’em all!

Alex Fisher is PGA Director of Instruction at the JW Marriott Camelback Golf Club in Scottsdale, AZ and The Glacier Club in Durango, CO. Reach him at 602-363-9800.

COLORADO AVIDGOLFER | Spring 2021

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COPPER ROCK Hurricane, UT

NATURE’S BEST WORK COPPER ROCK GOLF COURSE

The sun rises on Southern Utah’s newest attraction. Copper Rock Golf Course and community combines innovative design with nature’s best work. Nestled in the colorful cliffs of Hurricane Valley, Copper Rock neighbors the Sand Hollow Reservoir and offers views of Pine Valley Mountain, Zion National Park, Kolob Fingers, and the red Dixie Cliffs.

TEE TIMES AVAILABLE ONLINE OR BY PHONE

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Side Bets ELEVATED SPIRITS

Drinking Colorado A food critic’s favorite made-in-the-state wine, beer and spirits

By John Lehndorff LAWS & ORDER: Laws Bourbon relies on heirloom and heritage grains from family farms in San Luis Valley and Colorado’s Eastern Plains.

PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY OF LAWS WHISKEY HOUSE

IF WE JUMPED in a time machine and headed back to Denver in 1976, you might be amused by the fashions, cars and music. The real shock would come when you ordered a beer.

If you asked for an adult beverage made in Colorado, all you might have been handed was a Coors. Folks back then drove from hundreds of miles away to buy the hard-to-find Coors Banquet beer that famously had to be kept cold. Imagine a Colorado where there were no wineries, no other breweries, zero distillers, mead makers or cider producers (at least since Prohibition).

Flash forward to 2021 and the state boasts at least a dozen whiskeys as spectacular as any distilled in the U.S. The same goes for award-winning vodkas, ciders and wine and IPAs too numerous to mention. By the way, have you sipped the first-class sake crafted in Denver?

Finding a Colorado rum, stout or Merlot to love can be a challenge right now, since the state’s many tasting rooms and festivals have been on hiatus. While I haven’t sampled everything brewed and distilled in Colorado, over time coloradoavidgolfer.com

I’ve found some go-to favorites in almost every beverage category. I value drinkability, not snob appeal. I like beverages I can enjoy every day, generally paired with food. Affordability matters, too. The state’s priciest bottles are not the only ones that are delicious.

The following thirst quenchers aren’t good because they are made here. They’re just good.

If you have a favorite Colorado-made fermented or distilled beverage, let me know at: info@coloradoavidgolfer.com.

SPIRITS

Whiskey A.D. Laws Whiskey House Four Grain Straight Bourbon My taste leans toward Scotch, but I love this beautiful, sippable whiskey bottled cask-strength after aging in Denver. Here, bourbon’s corn-y edge is mellowed with Colorado-grown heirloom wheat, rye and barley, leaving a smooth taste, especially over rocks. lawswhiskeyhouse.com

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Rum Montanya Platino Rum Crested Butte—not the Caribbean— produces a nearly perfect light rum with character and complexity. Aged for a year in former Laws Whiskey barrels, Platino is finished with a little Colorado honey. It’s great that Platino won Best White Rum at the World Rum Awards, but even better that it tastes just right in a Mojito, Cable Car or Piña Colada. montanyarum.com Vodka Syntax Spirits Crystal Vodka There are plenty of good Coloradodistilled vodkas to pour if you’re a mixologist. When I want to actually taste the vodka, Syntax is the one I pour.

Truly local, Syntax grinds, mashes, ferments and distills 100% Colorado wheat in Greeley. The crystalSpring 2021 | COLORADO AVIDGOLFER

Elevated Spirits

WINES

clear result elixir rolls pleasingly over the palate without any harsh edges. syntaxspirits.com Gin State 38 Damn Good Gin Good gin that’s ideal for martinis—shaken or otherwise—comes in a bargain package. This aromatic Golden-distilled favorite is infused with mountain botanicals: juniper and pine plus citrus peel. state38.com Brandy CapRock Organic 8 Year Barrel-Aged Rosa Peach Brandy Everything CapRock crafts in Hotchkiss from eau de vie to grappa is exceptional, but the star is this blissful brandy distilled from peaches grown by Ela Family Farms. Appreciate it in a snifter—a sip at a time. jackrabbithill.com/peak-spirits-caprock

White Wine The Storm Cellar 2019 Dry Riesling Colorado does a more-than-reputable job with some reds, but the altitude, intense sun and scary freezes are heaven for white grapes. The Storm Cellar harvests from one of the highest elevation Riesling vineyards on the planet. The result is this crisp, citrusy, floral and altogether delicious white that pairs nicely with seafood, chicken and vegan dishes. stormcellarwine.com Sparkling Wine 2019 PétNat Sparkling Rosé You can’t call it Champagne, but I’m happy to toast anybody with the Buckel Family’s charming sparkling rosé. Their Palisade-grown Syrah grape juice finishes fermenting in the bottle, producing a naturally carbonated bubbly worth celebrating. buckelfamilywine.com

Fruit Wine Balistreri Colorado Cherry Wine Made with the same tart Western slope fruit, this is like cherry pie in a glass. Unlike many overly sweet fruit wines, Balistreri’s Italian-influenced approach yields a beverage that is dryer, tarter and fruitier with a hint of almond in the nose.

Note: This is what you serve with roast pork. balistreriwine.com Vermouth Vino Salida Vino Vermouth di Salida – Extra Dry Yes, Virginia, they really do make world-class Vermouth in Salida. This martini-ready, awardwinning elixir melds spirits distilled from Grand Valley Black Moscato grapes, red wine and local honey with an infusion of organic botanicals ranging from nutmeg to wormwood. vinosalida.com PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY OF THE STORM CELLAR

Cordials and Liqueurs Richardo’s Decaf Coffee Liqueur Made in Lyons from locally roasted coffee, vanilla beans, sugar and grain spirits, the awardwinning dessert treat is what Kahlua wants to be when it grows up. You get exceptional intense coffee flavor without that cloying sweetness. richardos.com

Red Wine Bookcliff Vineyards Ensemble 2018 My go-to Colorado red brings Western Slopegrown Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec and Petit Verdot grapes into a glass. The Bordeauxin-Boulder blend was born to accompany steaks, lamb, roasted vegetables and game. bookcliffvineyards.com

Leopold Bros. Rocky Mountain Peach Denver’s stellar distiller produces a range of spot-on fruit-infused beverages, including this liqueur which captures the essence of Western Slope peaches in August. Besides in Bellinis, I like this peachiness on vanilla gelato or mixed into minty iced tea. leopoldbros.com

BEER & CIDER Avery Brewing Company Night Warden Whiskey Barrel Aged Stout I love sipping a big stout, especially when it’s cool out. This Boulder-brewed canned stout has those satisfying dark malt taste balanced by vanilla and caramel notes from three months’ aging in whiskey barrels. It’s not too viscous and pours out a nifty creamy head. averybrewing.com

Cannonball Creek Brewing Co. Featherweight Pale Ale Yes, I know there are hundreds of fantastic ales—pale and otherwise— pouring out of local breweries. After tasting many of them, I’ve settled on Cannonball from Golden as an everyday brew. Why? Because it’s likeable and full of flavor without being obnoxiously hoppy. cannonballcreekbrewing.com

FIND OUR COMPLETE LIST OF DON’T-MISS LOCAL SPIRITS ONLINE! coloradoavidgolfer.com/lifestyle COLORADO AVIDGOLFER | Spring 2021

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Snow Capped Gold Rush Cider This semi-dry cider is so good it converts white wine and beer drinkers. Made with high-altitude-grown European cider apple varietals, Gold Rush pours golden into the glass with a wine-like complexity and ripe fruit flavor. Because it’s not very sweet, the cider pairs well with many cuisines. I love it with Thai green curry. snowcappedcider.com A Coloradan since 1976, John Lehndorff is the former Dining Critic of the Rocky Mountain News and Food Editor of the Boulder Daily Camera. He hosts Radio Nibbles on KGNU. coloradoavidgolfer.com

Side Bets NICE DRIVES

Riding That New Car Feel A few jazzy rides from a down year

By Isaac Bouchard

THE CHAOS OF COVID-19 affected the automotive sector as much as any other, but in some unpredictable ways. Sales were down, mainly due to a shortage of vehicles. However, this same shortage—inventory levels haven’t been this low since 2010—pushed prices for new and used vehicles up. Since car companies could reduce rebates and other incentives, many saw their profits increase. The end result was that several car companies made more money selling fewer cars. While many new vehicle introductions were delayed, some exciting new vehicles made it to market—if only in very limited numbers. Here are some of the best.

2021 CHEVROLET CORVETTE STINGRAY EPA Ratings: 15/27/19* 0-60mph: 2.8sec Price as tested: $85,330 *

2020 model year

SINCE THE 60s, rumors have circulated regarding plans for a mid-engined Corvette. A half century later it has finally arrived in the all-new, 8th generation model. This is undeniably the finest driving and best finished basic Corvette ever. In the way it rides and handles it feels like some of the best mid-engined Italian exotica made; there is a suppleness to how it deals with bumps that only a low center-of-gravity vehicle can achieve, yet the C8 Corvette contains body motions superbly. Chevy built in a little frontend push for safety, but with approved factory alignment changes, much of this can be dialed out, creating a ferocious track-day machine. The engine remains a classic, pushrod V8: compact, fuel efficient, and torquey. That’s what 6.2-liters of displacement will get you. And, with over 60 percent of

COLORADO AVIDGOLFER | Spring 2021

the Corvette’s mass now sitting over the rear tires, there is more traction than ever before, so this base model can annihilate the 0-60 sprint in just 2.8 seconds—as fast as the previous gen’s top ZR1 model, which had 755 horses, compared to the C8’s 495. There’s only one tranny, and it’s a peach: a twin-clutch 8-speed that stands with the world’s best for instant shifts and immediate response to commands from the paddles mounted behind the groovy, trapezoidal steering wheel. Top down (the test car has a retractable hardtop that most people didn’t even notice when it was closed) you can even hear the pneumatic puffs as it swaps cogs.

The C8 interior, even in basic form, is the highest quality a Corvette—or any GM car for that matter—has ever had; in 3LT spec it matches cars costing twice its price. It is very comfortable for the driver, though the passenger is forced to put arms and elbows into somewhat awkward postures. While the chassis is superb, the Corvette lacks the steering feedback of a Porsche, McLaren or Ferrari. But that is a small deficit to contend with when one remembers that equipped with just the essentials the C8 Corvette can be had for just over $70,000.

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Memberships Available

S O U T H FOR K , COLOR A D O

Making Mountain Memories

Fishing Lodge on the Rio Grande

Private access to Gold-medal trout fishing

Poolside lounging & mountain views

Award-winning golf course, open to the public

Mountain Clubhouse on the 18th Hole

Restaurants open to the public

Activities embracing nature like birding, hiking & skiing

The Rio Grande Club & Resort is an award-winning, 18-hole golf course nestled off-the-beaten path in beautiful South Fork, Colorado. The front nine plays alongside and over the Rio Grande. The back nine borders the Rio Grande National Forest, offering dramatic elevation changes, volcanic formations and creekside fairways. Membership opportunities include Full Golf, Young Associate, Sport & Angling and Social. The Club offers golf course living at its best, with real estate and rental property available.

R io Grande Club & Resort • R iver Club Vacation Rentals riograndeclubandresort.com 719-873-1995 South Fork, Colorado

Nice Drives 2021 MERCEDES-AMG GLS63 EPA Ratings: 14/18/16 0-60mph: 4.1sec Price as tested: $149,740

There’s seemingly insatiable demand for massively powerful, large SUVs. The GLS63 represents the current pinnacle of this segment, with a 4-liter V8, hand built by one person, nestled into this 7-passenger rig’s engine bay. 603 horses and a massive 627lb-ft of torque ensure all family members will get pressed back into their seats, and that everyone inside and out can hear the glorious symphony that this lovely engine produces. It’s also a reminder that, no matter how fast current and future electric vehicles are, they won’t intoxicate those with gasoline in their veins like this. The GLS63’s giant 23-inch wheels look great, but make for a bit of roughness in ride quality over big bumps and holes. Loosening the suspension setting from Sport to Comfort helps, but leads to a small amount of float from the chassis. Steering feel is decent for the class—better than a BMW if not a Porsche—and brake feel and stoutness are excellent.

Inside, there is the wow factor of Mercedes’ current interior architecture, which is dominated by the horizontal plinth of black that seemingly floats in front of the stitched leather dash and above the wood trim and polished air vents. Inset are two 12.3-inch displays, with great graphics and touch-screen activation. The latter is critical, as the current MBUX interface buries

many commonly used functions one or two layers deep. While removing buttons makes a cockpit look cleaner and more high-tech, it has a downside in that it takes the driver longer to do simple things like change music tracks or radio stations, or activate the wonderful massage feature for the front seats—which can also be configured for max

comfort using algorithms Mercedes has laid out.

Middle and even third row comfort is excellent, making the GLS63 a true family vehicle. Since Cadillac Escalades and Lincoln Navigators are so good, Mercedes had to make the GLS extra good, and—most especially in AMG form—they delivered.

thanks to its adjustable, remote-reservoir Bilstein dampers and high-sidewalled, 35-inch BFG tires.

One could say the TRX floats like a butterfly, while its supercharger screams like a bee. The whole lot can be configured to be almost normal to drive, or wild and crazy, depending on the program one

selects (or modifies) from various ones the talented Ram engineers built in. Baja mode makes it a crazy yet safe drift machine; the TRX is capable of devouring washboard dirt roads in a way nothing this reporter has ever driven can. Economy is akin to a ¾ or 1-ton truck, meaning single digits in town and a bit over 10mpg at a high cruising speed. And cruise the TRX does; a long road trip emphasized its room and comfort, large windows and a seating position which puts occupants above most every vehicle out there.

The electronics, including its adaptive cruise, lane assist and head up display are all superb in operation. It is hard to find anything the Ram TRX doesn’t do well, except perhaps blending in.

2021 RAM TRX

EPA Ratings: 10/14/12 0-60mph: 3.7sec Price as tested: $87,370 Who would ever need a 700-plus horsepower pickup truck that can heave its 6,900 pound bulk to 60mph in an astonishing 3.7 seconds? A lot of people, apparently, since the TRX sold out a year’s production almost instantaneously. The already-stout Ram’s frame, suspension and axles are beefed up, meaning the Baja-1000 ready TRX has over 13 inches of suspension travel and 11.8 inches of ground clearance. Combined with stout plates to protect vulnerable components, it can conquer any off roading situation that its widened body will fit through. Inside there’s the Ram best-in-class interior, a high quality affair that shames many so-called luxury vehicles. The TRX rides in a supple manner over crappy roads

Automotive Editor Isaac Bouchard owns Denver-based Bespoke Autos (isaac@bespokeautos.com; 303-475-1462). Read more of his automotive writing, reviews and recommendations on coloradoavidgolfer.com and bespokeautos.com.

COLORADO AVIDGOLFER | Spring 2021

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Get away from the crowds and enter Perry-dise! The secret is out: After renovating the Manor house, 2020 saw Perry Park's largest increase in membership in over 20 years. Join in 2021 and play in newly established weekday leagues.

Bring the family to our monthly family movie nights. Enjoy a unique date night at one of our monthly club favorites: beer & wine dinners!

Perry Park started a new afternoon golf membership called the "Professional Golf Membership" in 2020. After establishing a cap at 80 members it sold out by July! Be first on the waitlist and join the fun this summer:

Waitlist: $250 Deposit & Application Required $217 per month for after 2pm golf

New memberships are available in the following categories:

Full Golf Membership Junior Golf Membership Corporate Golf Membership Apply for the waitlist:

Professional Golf Membership (after 2pm)

Call our Membership Team and join Today!

Andrew Bustamante Director of Membership Perry Park Country Club 303-681-3305 ext. 4 abustamante@perryparkcc.com *The View from the new Manor House deck, est. 2017

Special Advertising Section

The Golfer’s Guide to

Spring Training in Arizona

Golf and Baseball

Renewed in the Valley of the Sun

Beautiful Boulders Beckons

Boulders Resort & Spa

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Spring 2021 | COLORADO AVIDGOLFER

Spring Training

Special Advertising Section

The We-Ko-Pa Casino Resort includes a new 167,000-square-foot gaming facility.

The first casino in the Phoenix area, the redesign officially reopened in October and offers guests a larger casino with a garden court, specialty high-end dining, a sports bar with entertainment stage and other best-in-class amenities. wekopacasinoresort.com

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The Sonoran Desert landscape of the Fort McDowell Yavapai Nation is enhanced by the flowing Verde River and the iconic Four Peaks to the east, which rises to more than 7,000 feet. fmyn.org Get a head start on what’s sure to be an eventful 2021 season for the Colorado Rockies. Salt River Fields is the home to both the local nine and the Arizona Diamondbacks. The state-of-the-art facility is celebrating its 10th anniversary this year. saltriverfields.com

PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY OF SPRINGTRAININGONLINE.COM

ON FIRE Aptly named for its wood-fired grills, Ember provides a smoldering and intimate dining ambiance, exceptional customer service and— of course—the highest quality steaks and seafood.

The folks at We-Ko-Pa Golf Club like to say that at We-Ko-Pa, the Sonoran Desert is your neighbor and the term “high-rise” is either used to describe the ancient saguaros in the foreground or the magnificent mountains in the distance. There are no homes, condos or townhomes anywhere in sight—it’s all about giving you the best chance to experience your best golf. You’ll find it on a pair of award-winning courses, Cholla and Saguaro. Both feature an ideal blend of doglegs and straightaway holes, a mix of slender and ample fairways, a balance between benign and rugged green complexes. Before or after your round, you’ll be captivated by We-Ko-Pa’s magnificent clubhouse— replete with stylized detailing and spectacular views of the McDowell Mountains, Red Mountain, Four Peaks and the Superstitions. wekopa.com

PHOTOGRAPH BY BRYAN ALTENA

PHOTOGRAPH BY LONNA TUCKER

Welcoming We-Ko-Pa

coloradoavidgolfer.com

UNSPOILED. UNRIVALED.

UNBELIEVABLE. 36 HOLES | PL AY SAGUARO & CHOLL A The Coore/Crenshaw-designed Saguaro course (No. 1) and the Scott Miller-designed Cholla course (No. 7) have made Golfweek’s Top-10 Best You Can Play for a decade. And you can experience both within a 3-day period with the 36-hole package. Located minutes from Scottsdale, Arizona in the pristine Sonoran Desert of the Fort McDowell Yavapai Nation.

CALL 800.660.7700 OR VISIT WEKOPA.COM

AN ENTERPRISE OF THE FORT MCDOWELL YAVAPAI NATION

Mark & Cathy Wiebe

“After many years of hectic travel on the PGA Tour and PGA Champions Tour, we discovered the peaceful sanctuary that is Rio Verde and Rio Verde Country Club. We could not be happier, not only are the views and surroundings spectacular, the people are truly warm and genuine.”

M a r k W i e b e i s a 3 x w i n n e r o n t h e P G A To u r, 5 x w i n n e r o n t h e P G A C h a m p i o n s To u r a n d currently in the Colorado Golf Hall of Fame.

Golf

–

Tennis

&

Pickleball

–

Bocce

Proudly Managed by Troon Privé

–

Pool

Rio Verde Country Club provides membership opportunities to fit almost any lifestyle. With an all-inclusive membership structure, there is no need to worry about cart fees, trail fees or minimum spends. Rio Verde makes membership life simple!

To learn more about our full and individual golf memberships please visit RioVerdeArizona.com Membership Director, Megan Liborio (480) 471.3410 mliborio@rioverdecc.com

Fitness

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Arts

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Hike

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Bike

Global Golf Benefits - TroonPrive.com

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Trails

Spring Training

Special Advertising Section

There’s nothing like a 5,000-year-old technique to make one feel brand new.

The Boulders Spa in North Scottsdale offers Ayurvedic massages enriched with locally sourced healing clay. Call ahead to book one of their signature treatments for a truly enchanting spa experience. theboulders.com

When you’re not on the golf course, Rio Verde offers a wide variety of activities.

The three-million-acre Tonto National Forest and 21,000-acre McDowell Mountain Regional Park borders the community. maricopacountyparks.net

PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY OF MASTRO’S STEAKHOUSE

PHOTOGRAPH BY KENNY STEIL

Rio Verde is the Answer

Mastro’s Steakhouse in North Scottsdale features a menu filled with the highest quality steaks and seafood, with exceptional service in a cosmopolitan and entertaining atmosphere. After your unforgettable dining experience, get a “Weekend at Home” grill kit to go. mastrosrestaurants.com COLORADO AVIDGOLFER | Spring 2021

When he founded Rio Verde Country Club in 1973, Ray King’s vision for the community was a simple one—to be “the Arizona you come to Arizona for.” Mission accomplished. Located just northeast of Phoenix, Rio Verde checks all the boxes, for those who may seek a piece of big-city life amidst the seclusion of their own fetching enclave. Of course, one of the main attractions is the golf: British Open

champion Tom Lehman has created a pair of courses designed to both challenge and entertain golfers of all skill levels. Quail Run has all the elements of a traditional golf course, and White Wing plays more as a links style course. Both feature meticulously groomed fairways, greens loaded with personality, and outstanding mountain views. rioverdearizona.com

The par-3 4th hole at Quail Run is the signature hole of the golf course, which features a large lake coming into play. Quail Run offers scenic views of Four Peaks and the Mazatzal Mountains, and on certain holes the Tonto National Forest can be seen. rioverdearizona.com

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JOIN US! 2021

Monday and Tuesday

August 16--17, 2021 for an Exclusive Golf Tournament held at

The Country Club at Castle Pines featuring

• • •

Competitive and Non-Competitive Flights Pairings Party Cocktail Hour and Dinner Party after Day 1

• • •

On-Course Food & Cocktail Stations Player Gift Bags Much More!

Plus: A Chance to Win a Two-Year Lease on a BMW and other great prizes

A TWO-DAY COLORADO GOLF EXPERIENCE LIKE NO OTHER! To learn about the full experience or to register, visit coloradoavidgolfer.com/schomp-bmw-cup or contact Mike Carver | 720-493-1729 ext. 15 | mike@coloradoavidgolfer.com

Colorado Section

Spring Training

Special Advertising Section

Longbow’s On Target Located in North Mesa, and just minutes from Old Town Scottsdale, Longbow Golf Club has been honored as one of the “Top 100 Resort Courses in the Country” and ranked as “One of The Top 20 Best Courses You Can Play In Arizona” by Golfweek. Opened in 1997, the Ken Kavanaugh-designed course underwent a renovation and expansion in 2003: the project lengthened the total yardage to 7,050 from the back tees and also included a striking new clubhouse, expanded acreage and totally revamped practice facility. The redesign should appeal to both beginning and advanced players; the layout includes a number of deep, contoured fairway bunkers, as well as rolling, undulating fairways. Its tiered greens mean approach shot accuracy is a must. Longbow has recently hosted events on both the Symetra Tour, the minor-league feeder to the LPGA Tour, as well as the Cactus Tour, a mini-circuit that features top local and regional players. In April 2020, LPGA veteran Mina Harigae won a Cactus Tour event there, besting Sophia Popov—four months later, Popov (who played in the CoBank Colorado Women’s Open) would go on to win a major championship, the Women’s British Open. longbowgolf.com

INSIDER INSIGHT

PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY OF ONTHEROADARIZONA.COM

After being dramatically curtailed because of the novel coronavirus, the hope is that fans will be allowed to return to Arizona’s Cactus League in 2021. The Mesa area features a pair of teams that always seem to be in postseason contention—the Chicago Cubs and Oakland A’s. Check for updates at cactusleague.com.

COLORADO AVIDGOLFER | Spring 2021

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FLYING HIGH Longbow was named after the Apache Longbow helicopter, which was manufactured by The Boeing Company, across the street from the Longbow Business Park & Golf Club.

coloradoavidgolfer.com

• Arizona’s first golf course offering Longbow Toptracer Range • View your shot, stats, games and contests in real-time on the range • Gather information on shot length for every club before you play • Reserve practice sessions by the hour or half-hour • Price includes practice balls and use of other practice facilities RESERVE YOUR RANGE TIME

! y a d o T

5601 East Longbow Parkway • Mesa, AZ 85215 RESERVATIONS at 480.807.5400 • ONLINE at longbowgolf.com Another Daedalus Development. Professionally managed by

Spring Training

Special Advertising Section

The fourth hole on the Rancho nine is part of the original back nine at Tubac. It is also affectionately known as the “Tin Cup” hole. A 568-yard par-5, it’s featured in the Kevin Costner film, the site of a heated argument between Costner’s Roy McAvoy and Don Johnson’s PGA TOUR star David Simms.

The water (and everything else) is fine following a recent updating of the swimming pool at Tubac. Featuring 8 x 8" cabanas, a new bar with seating for special events and a new lap pool with two lanes, when it comes to going for it, you’ll happily make a splash. tubacgolfresort.com

Tubac’s Got Your Back Originally designed in 1959, the Tubac Golf Resort & Spa is a classic that has only improved with time. In 2006, the original Robert “Red” Lawrence 18hole design was augmented by another nine, courtesy of Ken Kavanaugh. The Anza, Otero and Rancho each present their own beguiling challenges, featuring stately old growth cottonwoods and mesquites throughout. Of course, there’s more to Tubac than golf—the Arizona Spa incorporates Desert earth elements in many of its treatments, while Healing touch and botanical oils comfort and soothe. An Aveda facility, their salon features “the art and science of pure flower and plant essences.”

COLORADO AVIDGOLFER | Spring 2021

The resort also is home to three dining options—Stables Ranch Grille & Patio, Stables Bar and La Cantina.

Those planning on visiting both the Spa and dining facilities should check with the resort for the latest local health guidelines. tubacgolfresort.com

FOR LOVE OF THE GAME The head pro at Tubac, Kristie Fowler, is a native of Grand Junction, CO. Named the 2017 LPGA National Professional of the Year, she was raised on a course built by her father.

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The original El Charro, founded in 1922, is the oldest Mexican restaurant in Tucson; the original owner, Monica Flin, is said to have invented the chimichanga. elcharrocafe.com coloradoavidgolfer.com

Discover the Understated Western Elegance of Tubac Welcome to Southern Arizona’s finest golf resort, a truly great golf experience for everyone. Tubac Golf Resort & Spa is set on 500 acres of the historic Otero Ranch. Made famous by the movie Tin Cup, this Arizona golf course was originally designed in 1959 by Robert ‘Red’ Lawrence. In 2006, nine additional holes were added to the original 18 by Ken Kavanaugh. Our three nines include, Anza, Rancho and Otero and provide very interesting shots that will keep you coming back for more!

With architecture reminiscent of Spanish Colonial times, Tubac’s luxurious accommodations, elegant boutiques, galleries and fine dining make for a relaxing Arizona escape.

To book the perfect getaway today, call 800-848-7893.

65 Avenida De Otero Rd., Tubac, AZ 85646 | 520-398-2211 | tubacgolfresort.com

D R I N K R E S P O N S I B LY. R E S P O N S I B I L I T Y. O R G Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Rye Whiskey, 45% ABV (90 proof). Distilled and bottled by JACK DANIEL DISTILLERY, Lynchburg, Tennessee. JACK DANIEL’S is a registered trademark. ©2021 Jack Daniel’s. All rights reserved. Code #404-1129

PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY OF THE COUNTRY CLUB AT CASTLE PINES

AWARD W NNERS 2021

WE’RE QUITE HONORED to be a part of your Colorado golf experience, which is one reason why we’re always so excited to share the CAGGY Awards, our annual salute to the best of golf in the Centennial State.

In more than 60 categories, you told us exactly what that means to you—for courses, clubs, instruction and getaways across our great state (and beyond). Of course, we’ve also provided our picks to help spread the love...thanks for voting and enjoy!

THE OFFICIAL 19TH HOLE OF THE CAGGY AWARDS

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The Country Club at Castle Pines

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2021 CAGGY AWARD W NNERS PUBLIC & RESORT COURSES BEST DENVER METRO COURSE

The Golf Club at Bear Dance, Larkspur 2. Arrowhead Golf Club, Littleton 3. CommonGround Golf Course, Aurora Staff Picks (alphabetical) The Golf Club at Bear Dance CommonGround Golf Course Green Valley Ranch Golf Club, Denver The Ridge at Castle Pines, Castle Pines

BEST FRONT RANGE/NORTHEAST COURSE Pelican Lakes Golf Club, Windsor

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Broken Tee Golf Course, Englewood 2. The Golf Club at Bear Dance 3. Green Valley Ranch Golf Club Staff Picks (alphabetical) Broadmoor Golf Club Green Valley Ranch Golf Club Omni Interlocken Golf Club, Broomfield South Suburban Golf Course, Centennial

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Staff Picks (alphabetical) The Golf Club at Bear Dance, No. 6 City Park Golf Course, Denver, No. 18 Riverdale Dunes Golf Course, No. 15

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Staff Picks (alphabetical) Colorado National Golf Club, Erie The Ridge at Castle Pines TPC Colorado

Staff Picks (alphabetical) Heritage Eagle Bend Golf Club, Aurora Homestead Golf Course, Lakewood The Links Golf Course, Highlands Ranch

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2. CommonGround Golf Course 3. Applewood Golf Course Staff Picks (alphabetical) Haymaker Golf Course, Steamboat Springs Littleton Golf and Tennis Club, Littleton Meadow Hills Golf Course, Aurora South Suburban Golf Course

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FAVORITE COLORADO AVIDGOLFER GOLF PASSPORT COURSE Buffalo Run Golf Course

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2. Country Club of the Rockies, Edwards 3T. The Club at Cordillera, Edwards Roaring Fork Club, Basalt Staff Picks (alphabetical) The Club at Cordillera Frost Creek Golf & Fishing Club, Eagle-Vail Red Sky Golf Club Snowmass Club

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2. Fort Collins Country Club, Fort Collins 3. Greeley Country Club, Greeley

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The Club at Cordillera

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2. The Glacier Club, Durango 3. Bookcliff Country Club, Grand Junction Staff Picks (alphabetical) Bookcliff Country Club Cornerstone Club, Montrose The Glacier Club Telluride Ski & Golf Club

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Staff Picks (alphabetical) Colorado Golf Club The Club at Cordillera The Country Club at Castle Pines Sanctuary Golf Course, Sedalia

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Broadmoor Golf Club

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Staff Picks (alphabetical) Cherry Creek Country Club Colorado Golf Club The Club at Cordillera The Club at Pradera, Parker

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2. Nathan Morris, GOLFTEC Westminster 3. Tara Morris, The Country Club at Castle Pines

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Megan Hunter, Fort Collins Country Club

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2021 CAGGY AWARD W NNERS TRAVEL BEST GOLF EXPERIENCE: ARIZONA Desert Mountain, Scottsdale

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Best Utah Experience Staff Picks (alphabetical) Coral Canyon Golf Club, Washington Entrada at Snow Canyon Country Club, St. George Sand Hollow Golf Resort

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Being Colorado’s most famous golfing chef, FRANK BONANNO, is fluent in both cooking knives and 9-irons.

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HEARTY APPETITE: Bonanno was a tennis player before his mother convinced him that golf was a sport for a lifetime. He soon found himself practicing every day and playing 36 holes at a time.

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Spring 2021 | COLORADO AVIDGOLFER

IF FATE HAD simply twisted a little bit differently, Frank Bonanno might be teaching you how to putt instead of serving you his duo of duck with Korean white bean ragout or his famous butter-poached lobster mac-n-cheese. After all, this is a guy who shot a 75 at Pebble Beach and passed his PGA player ability test. Not long ago, he shot a 68 on his home course.

For most of his colorful life, Frank Bonanno has pursued dual passions—food and golf—which have intersected in some unexpected ways.

You may not know his face, but if you love to eat you’ve probably tasted his food at some point in the last 20 years in Denver.

Arguably the state’s best-known chef, Frank Bonanno is co-owner of Bonanno Concepts, an empire of nine eateries ranging from fine dining at Mizuna and Luca to casual fare at Salt & Grinder and the multi-stall Denver Milk Market. Despite the pandemic, none of his restaurants have been permanently shuttered.

According to Mark Antonation, long-

time Food & Drink Editor of Westword, Bonanno has left an indelible mark on dining in Denver.

“Frank was the first big-name Denver chef of the new century,” Antonation says.

“I don’t know of any other chef in Colorado who has covered the scope of cuisines that Frank has. He ushered in this new era of fine casual fine dining in Denver.”

In addition to penning two cookbooks, Bonanno, 53, has also received multiple nominations for the James Beard Foundation Awards and hosted “Chef Driven,” a Colorado Public Television series.

‘I ALWAYS THOUGHT GOLF WAS PRETTY STUPID’ Bonanno grew up in a food-focused SicilianAmerican family in Demarest, New Jersey watching Julia Child and Jack Nicklaus on TV and expecting to be a tennis player.

“When I was a kid, I always thought golf was pretty stupid. I played tennis competitively. My mother told me I should play golf. She said: ‘You can play tennis

really good right now, but you can play golf the rest of your life.’ I did not believe her at the time,” Bonanno says.

Golf didn’t sound smart until he moved to Denver to attend the University of Denver’s Daniels College of Business, and, he admits, to ski as much as possible. “I was working at Anthony’s Pizza and decided to teach myself how to play golf. I lived at Overland Golf Course but I didn’t play many rounds. I’d chip and then gather all the balls.

Then I would putt. Then I would finally hit them out onto the range. Being the cheap person I was, I’d make a $10 bucket of balls last for hours. I did that for a year and a half.

It was fun,” he says.

A CAREER TURNING POINT It didn’t take long before the lure of culinary overcame the solidity of the fiduciary and he headed to the prestigious Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, NY, to become a chef.

Bonanno returned to Denver after graduation and met his soon-to-be wife, Jacqueline.

“I was student teaching and waiting tables at the Rattlesnake Club in Denver and Frank was doing an externship. I always knew Frank was into golf, but I didn’t realize then what a big deal it was going to be,” says Jacqueline Bonanno.

The chef began a stint at the legendary Mel’s Bar and Grill in Cherry Creek and he also started working on his game. “I spent all my days off at Overland because they had the best practice facilities,” he says.

Surprisingly, getting fired from Mel’s in 2000 improved Bonanno’s game and almost changed his career.

“I got three months’ severance and was playing pretty good golf in the low 80s but I was still getting hustled and losing money to some of the guys I played with. I went and practiced seven days a week and then I’d go out and play 36 holes. I was considering becoming a teaching professional at a club and took my PGA player ability test. I think you had to shoot 146 over two days—and I just barely passed playing at Park Hill,” he says.

That’s when Bonanno heard about the available restaurant space that would become his first restaurant, Mizuna.

(NOT A) SOLITARY PURSUIT: At one point, Bonanno considered becoming a teaching professional, passing the PGA “I still loved cooking more than I player ability test. But he instead decided to pursue his first love, cooking. He says the need to concentrate and be loved golf,” he says. consistent over long periods of time is essential to excelling at both endeavors.

COLORADO AVIDGOLFER | Spring 2021

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“

It’s focus. It’s intensity—90% of golf and cooking is between your two ears.

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”

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Spring 2021 | COLORADO AVIDGOLFER

THE ZEN OF GOLF AND COOKING To Frank Bonanno, there is a crystalclear correlation between playing golf and cooking. “It’s focus. It’s intensity—90% of golf and cooking is between your two ears.

When you’re working one station in the kitchen you are reliant on your preparation.

Can I make the same lobster fra diavolo, the same fussili, and the same spaghetti pomodoro perfectly for four hours during a dinner rush,” Bonanno says.

“When it comes to golf, can I hit a driver, an iron, a wedge and can I putt and can I do them consistently?”

WORKING FOR—AND PLAYING AGAINST—BONANNO Frank Bonanno’s biggest impact on local dining may end up being his role as a mentor.

“He’s always been really good at generating talented chefs that are doing new things in Denver,” says Antonation. Bonanno’s culinary offspring can be found running and working at Olivia, River Bear American Meats, Fruition and Mercantile, among other establishments.

Tim Hershberger worked for Frank Bonanno at Mizuna restaurant for four COLORADO AVIDGOLFER | Spring 2021

PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY OF QUANG HO

IMPRESSIONS OF AN ARTIST WHO GOLFS Quang Ho is a renowned Denver fine artist with a strong interest in both good food and playing golf.

“I was dining at Mizuna when it first opened. I asked if I could paint Frank working in the kitchen. They loved it and for a while we traded food for art,” Ho says. His impressionistic interpretations of kitchen and restaurant life have since become an iconic part of the ambiance at every Bonanno eatery.

“In the beginning, I used to beat him all the time. Now, I never beat him. He hits it a mile for a guy that’s not that tall,” Ho says.

Quang Ho remembers one shot that defines Bonanno’s game to him. “I was beating him this one day. He was about 175 yards out. He hits this shot and it flew and one-bounced into the hole. It took out a chunk of grass on the edge of the hole and stuck in there. Never seen anything like it. A hole in two,” Ho says.

If you ask the guys who play with him if Bonanno is competitive, they laugh.

“Frank’s game is fast. He does that Frank walk to the ball and then he’s like: Boom. Boom. Boom. He’s always in a hurry, just like in the restaurant,” Ho says.

At Work in His Element

Denver fine artist Quang Ho says, “The real essence of painting is the dialogue between shapes, tones, colors, textures, edges and line. Everything else follows—including light, form, concepts, personal beliefs and inspirations.” When he created this piece, “Mizuna Kitchen,” part of the inspiration was much more basic— putting food into his stomach. But after initially trading his art for food from Frank Bonanno’s restaurants, the two have become friends. Nowadays, it’s clear both Ho and Bonanno have come a long way from the early days, to the point where when they play golf, there’s more than paintings and pasta on the line, although Ho admits, “Nobody ever pays anything.”

years and now is a sommelier at Mercantile Dining & Provision in Denver.

“Frank on the golf course is pretty much the same as Frank in the restaurant; pretty relaxed and even-keeled,” Tim Hershberger says.

“He’s strong and hits it pretty accurately.

The last time we played he did great, but the course at Lakewood ate my lunch. He knows the course, but it’s another thing to execute,” Hershberger says.

Lakewood Country Club, which Bonanno joined in 2011, was the site of the best round in his life so far. “My lowest score ever was a 68. I think I started the round eagle, birdie and eagle,” he says.

It’s all the more impressive because, in a three-year period starting in 2015, Bonanno had three hip replacement surgeries because one of the replacements didn’t function properly.

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THE FAMILY THAT DOESN’T GOLF TOGETHER Now, he’s in good shape, reports Jacqueline Bonanno—not that she bears witness to any of his golfing prowess.

“I am a golf widow by choice,” she says.

“I do not golf. Between working together and home, we need that. Frank really needs something that he does without me.”

Frank Bonanno does play on occasion with their sons—Marco, 17, and Luca, 18.

Both have taken some golf lessons but, according to Bonanno, it’s like father, like sons.

“We go out and goof around, but they aren’t into it yet. Maybe when they grow up,” he says with a chuckle.

Jacqueline Bonanno notes an aspect of her husband’s personality that may surprise many of his customers and friends. “Frank is a shoe whore, a super shoe addict. He doesn’t look like the type but he has a ton coloradoavidgolfer.com

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SHARP-EDGED: The global pandemic has forced a change in the way Bonanno’s restaurants do business. “Before March, if you asked for to-go or delivery at Luca, we would have laughed at you,” he says.

of special chef shoes. He used to have more than 30 pairs of golf shoes that he kept in back of his Jeep but then someone stole all of them. He hasn’t quite built up his collection again,” she says.

A YEAR OF CLOSING, OPENING AND COPING Over the decades, Frank Bonanno has had to deal with many business challenges including several serious recessions. Those were a breeze compared to the past 12 months or so, he says.

“On March 5th, I had 485 employees.

By March 17, I only had 18 employees. It was terrible. Slowly I’ve been able to hire some of them back. We changed the way

we operated and what we had on the menu.

Listen, before March, if you asked for to-go or delivery at Luca, we would have laughed at you. Now we’re good at it,” Bonanno says.

All of his operations closed temporarily but none permanently, but Bonanno expects the restaurant world to change. “Restaurants were already struggling to make a profit before the pandemic. The days of having so many employees—a bartender, bar back, bus boy, prep cook, A.M. sous chef, polisher— well, those days are gone,” he says.

Tipping may also be a thing of the past. “We have already gone to being a nontipping restaurant at Mizuna. We do a set fee on each table. We divide that up and everyone working in the restaurant has an

hourly wage,” Bonanno says.

Because of the pandemic, Bonanno has spent a lot more time in his kitchens simply cooking. If the truth be known, he doesn’t mind so much.

“Life may suck, but I can go roll pasta for three hours and forget everything. There are parts of the job I don’t love, like dealing with finances and landlords, but when service starts, I love what I do,” he says.

“By this summer, I hope things have improved so I can play a lot of golf.”

WHAT DOES A MASTER CHEF think about golf course food? For more on Frank Bonanno, please visit coloradoavidgolfer.com

John Lehndorff has been writing about Colorado food since the 1980s. He is the former Food Editor of the Boulder Daily Camera and Dining Critic of the Rocky Mountain News. Read his 2001 review of Frank Bonanno’s first restaurant, Mizuna: johnlehndorff.wordpress.com/2017/10/25/ flashback-mizuna-reviewed-in-2001 COLORADO AVIDGOLFER | Spring 2021

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Blind Shot THE UNSEEN GAME

Frozen Treats PHOTOGRAPH BY EHREN JOSEPH

IT IS THE BANE of the Colorado avid golfer’s winter existence—unbelievably hyped at the prospect of a playable day in January, you leap out of bed and rush to the course for that morning tee time, only to hear four spirit-crushing words when you check in at the Pro Shop: “There’s a frost delay…”

Such was the case recently when an intrepid foursome, Colorado AvidGolfer Art Director Chelsea Oglesby, Photographer Ehren Joseph, Assistant Jeff Hawkins and yours truly made the trek to City Park Golf Course to work on some of the shots that accompany this issue’s features on Colorado culinary icon Frank Bonanno as well as our annual CAGGY Awards, which honors the best in golf across the Centennial State.

Already expecting less than Saharan temperatures (we’d advised Bonanno that he might want to bring a heavy blanket along to keep warm in between takes), the group had just finished scouting possible locations on the 18th green when head pro Susie Helmerich approached, the bad news already etched across her face, that it might be as long as an hour before we would be allowed onto the course.

(A brief primer for those of you perhaps wondering what’s the big deal about taking some pictures of a guy standing on a green on a cold

COLORADO AVIDGOLFER | Spring 2021

day, courtesy of City Park superintendent Colin Murphy—as it turns out, the foot traffic, combined with the cold, could likely lead to breaking grass, and the damage could last well into the summer, when, as much as you love Bonanno’s food, or our stellar photography, you would probably still be cursing the folks who made your right-in-the-jar five-footer unexplainably veer away from the hole.)

Eventually, things warmed up to the point where we were allowed to traverse where eagles dare. Not surprisingly, Bonanno, who almost is as crazy about golf as he is about fine dining, was a total pro throughout—he never brought out the blanket and even shed some layers when asked. Meanwhile, I was still frozen when the traveling party moved from City Park to Denver Milk Market, Bonanno’s multi-stalled food bazaar, hence the Nanook of the North interviewing techniques pictured here.

If you’ve come this far, then you know that the efforts made by Bonanno and our crew were well worth it. And, if you’re reading this, perhaps in June, on a beach with an umbrella-laden libation at your side, please know that I’m still cold. —ANTHONY COTTON

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