2019 Spring Colorado AvidGolfer Magazine

B A SES A N D ACES: OUR SPR I NG TR A I N I NG GOLF GUI DE

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CONTENTS | Spring 2019

42

FEATURES

49 17th CAGGY Awards 62

DEPARTMENTS 12 Forethoughts

From Lag Putts to Flag Putts

SIDE BETS

42 Fashion

By Jon Rizzi

19 ’net Score

Breaking news from the digital frontlines of Colorado golf.

20 The CGA

Unintended consequences of the Rules Changes. By Ed Mate

23 The Gallery

New CGA President Janene Guzowski, Applewood’s national honor, facing off at Fox Acres, Colorado PGA steals the show in Indian Wells, more

96 Blind Shot

The Buddha Is Watching

PLAYER’S CORNER 31 Play Away

The Quintessence of Quivira.

By David Weiss

Spring has sprung in bold prints, colors and patterns.

By Suzanne S. Brown

44 Fareways

With Otra Vez, the Tavern turns towards Mexico.

By Gary James

47 Nice Drives

The new Ram 1500, Volvo V60 and

Subaru Ascent make bold statements.

By Isaac Bouchard

Your choices—and ours—for the best in Colorado Golf in 50 categories ranging from courses to clubs to instructors to travel.

58 The Year in Preview Jennifer Kupcho, Dillon Stewart, City Park’s reopening and nine other stories to watch in 2019.

By Jon Rizzi

62 The Little Island That Could Tiny Lana‘i moves into the big time with a renovated resort and one remaining golf course—but what a course it is. By Jon Rizzi

Special Sections 65 SPRING TRAINING

A scouting report on the best Cactus League golf, grub and more.

81 TOURNAMENT GUIDE

Our annual collection of tips for planners and players.

34 Instruction

How to Nail Your Irons This Year.

By Dan Sniffin

38 Fitness

How ELDOA can save your aching back.

By Dee Tidwell

COLORADO AVIDGOLFER | Spring 2019

ON THE COVER Hole No. 8, Riverdale Dunes Golf Course, voted “Best Value” CAGGY Award. Photograph

by Ken May/Rolling Greens Photography

6

65 coloradoavidgolfer.com

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Spring 2019 | Volume 17, Number 8 publisher

A llen J. Walters editor

Jon Rizzi SALES, MARKETING & ADVERTISING associate publisher

Chris Phillips

digital strategist and content manager

Drew Kor t

office and operations manager

Cindy Palmer

projects and special events manager

Melissa Holmberg ART & EDITORIAL art directors

Jani Duncan Smith, Neal Erickson editor - at- large

Tom Ferrell

automotive editor

Isaac Bouchard real estate editor

Mar tin Yeager 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, Scott Gardner, Gar y James, Ted Johnson, Kaye W. Kessler, Kim D. McHugh, Phil Mumford PRINCIPALS Ray L . Baker, C. Don Baker, Dick B. Baker advertising inquiries : cindy@coloradoavidgolfer.com editorial inquiries and letters : jon@coloradoavidgolfer.com customer service and subscriptions :

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Colorado AvidGolfer (ISSN 1548-4335) is published eight times a year by Baker-Colorado Publishing, LLC, and printed by American Web, Inc. Volume 17, 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 Š 2019 by Baker-Colorado Publishing, LLC. All rights reserved. Reproduction without permission is prohibited.

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REMEMBER WHEN you’d see someone in the foursome in front replant the flagstick after everyone had holed out?

Whether it signaled victory or surrender, the action meant their battle with par had ended and your group was now free to launch its assault on the green.

It seems like only last year—because it was.

The R&A’s and USGA’s sweeping modernization of the Rules of Golf went into effect January 1, 2019. Among the most talked-about changes is leaving the flagstick in the hole while putting without incurring a two-stroke penalty for hitting it. The USGA and R&A changed the Rule to improve pace of play, but with everyone from Bryson DeChambeau to Dave Pelz to Brandel Chamblee saying how leaving in the flag would improve anyone’s putting, you’ll no doubt see fewer flagsticks pulled this year—by both pros and amateurs.

How this and other Rules changes are playing out will comprise the Rules Reminders video series on coloradogolf.org, which Colorado Golf Association Executive Director Ed Mate introduces on page 20 of this issue. The series builds on the 18 “Ready for the New Rules” videos that appeared online last year and on the three-page chart that ran in our Winter edition and at coloradoavidgolfer.com/the-new-rules-of-golf-2019.

I’m all for anything that makes the Rules less byzantine, although I sincerely hope this doesn’t mean we have to list Flagstick COR (coefficient of restitution) alongside Yardage, Slope, Rating and Grass Type as necessary course information.

In case you haven’t heard, according to DeChambeau, low-COR fiberglass flagsticks can serve as sort of a deadening backboard, while high-COR metal ones create longer caroms. Which also leads me to wonder if the USGA is now going to test and regulate flagstick COR the same way it does with clubs and balls.

Changes in the Rules represent just a fraction of the big events happening in golf this year.

On the pro side, Tiger appears poised to win again, which is great for golf. On page 38, we show one of the key exercises from the method that helped return his back to form.

Here in Colorado, we’ll be hosting our first regular Web.com Tour event in two decades when the inaugural TPC Colorado Championship at Heron Lakes comes to TPC Colorado in Berthoud July 8-14.

Two months later, the USGA will stage the 39th Mid-Amateur Championship at Colorado Golf Club in Parker. It will be the second of three consecutive USGA championships held in the Centennial State, following the 2018 U.S. Senior Open at The Broadmoor and preceding the 2020 U.S. Girls’ Junior Championship at Eisenhower Golf Club in Colorado Springs. For a quick preview of these and 10 other Colorado-based stories we’re following, flip to “The Year in Preview” on page 58.

That story appears directly after our gatefold celebrating the best in Colorado golf. An annual tradition for our entire 17-year history, the CAGGYs reflect your thousands of votes for the best courses, clubs, instructors and travel destinations. And speaking of travel, this issue tees up the balmy climes of Cabo (p.31), Lana‘i (p.62) and Thailand (p. 96).

But remember this. Whether your next rounds come on a CAGGY-winning Colorado course or an out-of-state 18, the same advice now applies: Grab your putter, aim for the flagstick and fire away. — JON RIZZI

rmgcsa.org #thankasuperintendent COLORADO AVIDGOLFER | Spring 2019

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’net Score INFO | BLOGS | DIALOG

Your Weekly Game Don’t let winter stop you from getting your golf fix. Our refined weekly newsletter delivers pertinent local golf news, gear updates, fact-based-instruction and much more directly to your inbox. When is the new PGA TOUR Superstore opening? What drill can I use to straighten my drives? Who makes the most forgiving new irons? Where should I play in Arizona? Our newsletter can give you the answers to these and other pressing golf questions. And, if you’re looking for a distraction at work on Wednesday afternoons, don’t be surprised to see clips of our favorite movie and TV golf scenes, wacky golf news or other items solely for your entertainment.

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The Golf Passport Gets Social You probably already know that the 2019 Golf Passport is now on sale. But were you aware that we’re striving to give you the most detail ever on the benefits of becoming a member? At the turn of the year, we began featuring one passport course each day for 63 days on our Instagram and Twitter channels leading up to the golf season.

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Spring 2019 | COLORADO AVIDGOLFER

The CGA

RULES CHANGE: Leaving in the flagstick while putting could become a strategic advantage.

SERVING ALL COLORADO GOLFERS

PHOTOGRAPHS COURTESY OF COLORADO GOLF ASSOCIATION

STAY INFORMED: Visit coloradogolf.org for weekly Rules Reminders and major changes in 2019.

Sticking to the New Rules The CGA’s new online video series monitors the impact of the sweeping Rules changes on the pros.

LAST YEAR, the Colorado Golf Association got you “Ready for the Rules” with an 18-week video series highlighting the changes to the Rules of Golf for 2019. This year we are monitoring the changes through another video series called “Rules Reminders.”

This new series once again features CGA Executive Director Ed Mate, who served on the USGA Rules of Golf Committee from 2015 to 2018 and was heavily involved in the work leading up to this ambitious rules modernization initiative.

The CGA “Rules Reminders” will be featured on the CGA website and distributed through email channels every other week and feature situations that occur on the PGA, LPGA and European Tours showcasing the new rules implementation. Invariably, a project of this magnitude will result in many unintended consequences and plenty of fodder to fill the association’s growing YouTube channel with more Rules-related content.

One of those unexpected twists reared its head even before the Rules went into effect.

In November, Bryson DeChambeau announced that he would be strategically leaving the COLORADO AVIDGOLFER | Spring 2019

flagstick in the hole for putts over a certain length now that the USGA had eliminated the penalty for hitting a flagstick when putting. Of course, DeChambeau, a physics major while at SMU, did allow that it depended on the “coefficient of restitution of the flagstick”—whether the stick was fiberglass, as it is in most every Tour event, or metal as it is in U.S. Opens.

“It’s a higher propensity for it to go in the hole if it’s fiberglass compared to metal,” he said.

DeChambeau made good on that promise at the Sentry Tournament of Champions in Hawaii and enjoyed a great putting week.

How much of this success resulted from flagstick assistance is hard to say, but it certainly created a stir, and a few other players joined him as early adopters of this practice. Golf commentators jumped on the story, speculating that the Rules makers already have a problem.

If players make this a regular practice will that give skilled players, the unintended benefit of using the flagstick as a backstop in certain situations?

If so, does that mean a local rule needs to be implemented in professional golf that reverts

20

back to the pre-2019 flagstick rules? Is this yet another argument for “bifurcation”—one set of rules for professional golf and another for the amateur game? All interesting questions, and just the beginning of what is shaping up to be a very interesting year in golf.

Whatever the USGA and Tours decide, one thing is for sure. Early returns are very positive and leaving the flagstick in has already received rave reviews. Much like the long putter, it will be tough to put that one back in the bag!

If you are a member of the CGA, stay tuned all year to learn how the rules can help your game and handicap. Get the most out of your membership by subscribing to our YouTube channel, or visiting coloradogolf.org to see our weekly “Rules Reminders”.

If you would like to join the CGA, visit us online to join in order to receive access to weekly Handicap and “Rules Reminder” emails, along with access to the CGA Member Zone which provides discounts on golf, travel, business products and apparel. Or sign up for an AvidGolfer Golf Passport Plus at ColoradoAvidGolfer.com. coloradoavidgolfer.com

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The Gallery NEWS | NOTES | NAMES

IN CHARGE: New CGA President Janene Guzowski is a “strong, powerful leader.”

Madam President IF YOU’RE A COLORADO golfer, Janene Guzowski would love to meet you.

And when she does, the new president of the Colorado Golf Association will let you know that her organization isn’t just about getting an official USGA Handicap. “We’re striving to make the CGA the leading resource in the Colorado golf community,” she says. “We’re dedicated to preserving, improving and serving the game of golf in Colorado, and to do that we need to honor, support and engage our members.”

Guzowski, a 15 handicap, became president of the Colorado Golf Association’s voluncoloradoavidgolfer.com

teer board of directors in December, less than a year after the organization’s historic integration with the Colorado Women’s Golf Association.

Following the merger-inspired co-presidency of Juliet Miner and Joe McCleary, Guzowski is the first woman to “go it alone” as president of the 103-year-old organization.

With the CGA board wanting to continue the positive momentum of the integration, “a strong, positive leader like Janene” was “the right person at the right time,” Executive Director Ed Mate told ColoradoGolf.org.

A native of El Paso who attended South-

23

ern Methodist University, Guzowski didn’t get into golf until her late 30s, when she and her husband, Al, joined Lakewood Country Club. She has served on the caddie committee there for 18 years, chairing it seven times. “We train 13- and 14-year old kids, show them support,” she says.

“It’s incredibly gratifying to watch them grow up, go on to college and into the world.”

By 2011, Guzowski’s enthusiasm for caddie programs translated into her becoming the first female director in Colorado for the Western Golf Association (WGA), the organization that administers the Evans Scholar Foundation, which provides full four-year tuition and housing college scholarship for golf caddies at 16 universities—including the University of Colorado. “My responsibilities are fundraising and making sure the caddie program at your club is vibrant and doing well,” she says. “These kids would otherwise not be going to school.”

The CGA’s long partnership with the WGA in support of the scholarship led Guzowski to the CGA board two years ago, when she and Tracy Zabel became its first two female members.

Post-merger, 16 of the board’s 43 members were women. That’s 37 percent, a ratio slightly better than one to three. “The men and women of the CGA have the same goals of serving golf in Colorado,” Guzowski says. “We’re going to have to discuss, hear ideas, compromise. At the first executive board meeting I chaired, there were three voting women and three voting men. It was smooth sailing.”

Guzowski says she’s been “overwhelmed by how much support and well wishes I’ve received.

As the first woman president to go it alone, I wasn’t expecting that, but people have come out of the woodwork. I’ve already received a call from NBC and Golf Channel about possible involvement in a long-drive event.”

More relevant to the 60,000 members of the Colorado Golf Association, Guzowski says she aims to get more women involved and to help serve underserved groups, such as higher handicap men and women who elect not to play in tournaments, or people who want to play in co-ed events. “We want to create value for golfers of all levels.”

Accomplishing that goal, Guzowski says, requires the CGA board to be ”forward-thinking, collaborative, inclusive, professional and quality-driven, and have integrity,” she says. “Those are our guiding principles.”

And she’s guiding a board that’s among the best she’s encountered. “We have an enormous amount of talent,” she says. “I want to tap into everyone’s strengths and skills and put them to use. I want everyone involved.”

She’ll tap into her own strengths as well.

Guzowski, who has spent her career in real estate and retail sales (she currently sells the highend Carlisle women’s clothing line), ascribes her success to her outgoing nature (“You can’t be shy being in sales,” she says) and the relationships she has built with clients.

“I’m interested in people—who they are, what they’re doing—and I think that’s going to be a big part of what I do as president,” she says.

“As the face of the organization, I want to be out there meeting people, talking to them, sharing our story and hearing theirs. I want to rock it.” coloradogolf.org Spring 2019 | COLORADO AVIDGOLFER

The Gallery FROZEN ASSET: The same pond golfers try to avoid attracts hockey players by the dozen.

An Apple of a Course GOLDEN’S APPLEWOOD GOLF COURSE will celebrate its 60th birthday in just two years, and regulars contend the facility— which first opened in 1956 as the original home of Rolling Hills Country Club—has never been better.

That’s quite an accomplishment, considering that just four years ago Applewood appeared destined for the bulldozer.

A large land developer wanted to purchase the 146-acre property from the owner, Molson Coors Brewing, in order to create a 454-home active-adult community. But with its access to Clear Creek and a prohibition on herbicides and pesticides to protect the brewery’s water, the course represented one of the last unspoiled open spaces in the area.

Concerned about the loss of natural habitat and a recreational resource, thousands of residents in the surrounding neighborhoods mobilized to fight the proposed rezoning. Through persistence and shrewd legal challenges by attorneys from within their ranks, the residents thwarted the developer’s plans. After a year and a half of planning and fundraising, the Prospect Recreation and Parks District bought the course from Molson Coors in late 2016 for $13.5 million—a portion of which came from a special tax voted on by the residents.

With Applewood’s future secured, its operator, Touchstone Golf, invested in upgrades to the golf course, cart paths, clubhouse and event facilities. Thanks to improved irrigation and landscaping practices, the course shines, and the clubhouse and Vista restaurants attract both golfers and non-golfers with excellent food and views of Table Mountain.

The community that helped save the course proudly supports it—and the course returns the love, donating thousands of dollars to local charities, hosting robust junior programs and helping three local high schools by annually buying players new bags and balls and providing free rounds. ”From day one we’ve always tried to be a community leader and support it in whatever way we can,” explains Touchstone Golf Regional Manager Brian Melody, the GM at Applewood since 2007. “We’re a community hub. Still, when we got into that whole development scare, we had no idea the community would give the kind of support it did. It was inspiring.”

Applewood’s inspirational narrative recently caught the attention of the National Golf Course Owners Association, a not-forprofit trade organization of more than 5,300 members representing over 7,200 golf courses.

This January, NGCOA honored Applewood as its National Course of the Year in the West Region. According to the citation, “The award recognizes a golf course that epitomizes exceptional course quality and management excellence, makes important contributions to its communities and the game, and is a model of operations to its peers.”

Melody accepted the award at the NGCOA’s Golf Business Conference in San Diego on February 7. applewoodgc.com COLORADO AVIDGOLFER | Spring 2019

Winter Rules at Fox Acres WHILE MOST COLORADO COURSES pine for a winter warm snap, The Golf Club at Fox Acres in Red Feather Lakes prays for freezing temperatures.

For each of the last two years, over two consecutive weekends, the club has converted the pond between its first and 18th holes into six hockey rinks. On January 25-27, 12 four-person teams competed in the third Colorado Women’s Pond Hockey Classic put on by Colorado Women’s Hockey Foundation. The following weekend (Feb. 1-3) brought in 28 four-man teams for the Fort Collins Pond Hockey League’s 13th Annual Beaver Cup. Both charitable tournaments benefit severely injured and ill hockey players as well as the larger Colorado Hockey community, and both feature dinners on Friday and Saturday night and plenty of partying. “The women’s event had a bonfire Saturday night and 20 more players came this year than last,” says The Club at Fox Acres General Manager Matt Reinick. “The men’s Beaver Cup event is huge.”

Competitors in the Beaver Cup have come from as far away as Canada and Mexico, and they quickly fill the 16 hotel rooms and private-home rentals in the gated community. Many of the remaining guys stay eight miles northwest at Beaver Meadows Resort Ranch, which hosted the first 11 Beaver Cups.

The tournament moved to Fox Acres after Reinick, who works with the FCPHL’s annual charity golf tournament at Fox Acres, convinced founder Dave Beichley he should have his hockey tournament there, too.

“The staff, the food, everything has been unbelievable,” Beichley says.

With a deejay cranking the tunes and the ice more than 12 inches thick, teams compete Friday and Saturday in positioning rounds from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.. Live music in the clubhouse follows Friday’s dinner; a poker tournament follows Saturday’s. The beer flows nonstop; so does the camaraderie. “Other pond tournaments, people go their separate ways after the games,” Beichley explains. “Here they have nowhere to go.”

On Sunday, breakfast and Bloody Marys fuel the single-elimination competition divided into three flights, with the Beaver Cup the most coveted of the three championships.

“Both the men and women’s groups are very cool, very self-sufficient,” Reinick says. “They police themselves. No refs. No goalies. It’s very rustic and great fun to watch.” fcphl.net; golfclubatfoxacres.com

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The Gallery

Keeping Youth on Course

© 2017

FOR $5 A ROUND, Junior Golf Alliance of Colorado (JGAC) members between the ages of six and 17 can play at specific times at 27 courses around the state—with more expected to come on board before April. The deal comes through Youth on Course, a national program that debuted in Colorado last year and has already more than doubled its presence.

Born in 2006 out of the Northern California Golf Association, Youth on Course has expanded to 26 regions nationwide. It functions by allowing participating courses to let kids play for $5 or less and then subsidizing the course at its going junior rate. To date more than 900 courses participate, resulting in more than 750,000 rounds of golf. The program has also hired more than 115 interns and 362 caddies, and awards over $250,000 annually in scholarships.

The JGAC bakes Youth on Course access into its membership fees, and according to JGAC Junior Golf Director Holly Champion, a PGA professional who has spearheaded the initiative in Colorado, “the juniors who took advantage of the Youth on Course benefit raved about the affordability and ease of use.

It opened doors to courses the kids had never played before and were able to enjoy because they were Youth on Course members.”

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.

Photo: EJ Carr, ejcphoto.com

commongroundgc.com | 303-340-1520 COLORADO AVIDGOLFER | Spring 2019

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The Gallery

A Home for the Holidays ATTENDEES OF THE PGA of America’s Annual Meeting at Indian Wells in November witnessed history with the induction of Suzy Whaley as the 102-year-old organization’s first female president.

But the Colorado Section of the PGA stole the show when it accepted the Herb Graffis Award— the highest honor given to one of the PGA of America 41 Sections.

After a video citing the Section’s leadership in creating the Junior Golf Alliance with the Colorado Golf Association, its innovative Golf in Schools Program and its commitment to promoting diversity and inclusion and supporting the military, PGA of America Honorary President Paul Levy welcomed the Colorado PGA Section’s Honorary President Ty Thompson.

A U.S. Army veteran and PGA Professional, Thompson takes justifiable pride in the Colorado Section’s involvement with the military community—particularly its veterans. “Golf is bringing them back into a world to be able to function and be participating parts of our civilian lives,” Thompson said. “And most importantly, not at risk of taking their own.”

He described how a partnership with the Military Warriors Support Foundation and Wells Fargo Mortgage has enabled the Section—and its Colorado PGA Reach Foundation—to give four mortgage-free homes in the last three years to

combat-wounded veterans. The fifth such home, however, required a “special ops mission.”

He then introduced Retired U.S. Army Specialist David Beck and his wife, Heidi. “The place erupted,” remembers Colorado PGA Section Ex-

ecutive Director Eddie Ainsworth, describing the standing ovation as the couple received a large symbolic key to their new home. “We have gotten so many comments,” Ainsworth adds. “The Colorado Section continues to lead the way.”

KEY PARTY: The officers and board of the Colorado PGA flank veteran David Beck, wife Heidi and Ty Thompson.

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Player’s Corner

HAIRY CARRY: Quivira’s 148-yard 13th perches atop a granite promontory.

PLAY AWAY

The Quintessence of Cabo Quivira delivers a peak golf experience at the southern tip of the Baja Peninsula.

By David Weiss

MY VERY FIRST COVER STORY for a major magazine was on the golf scene in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, at the southern tip of the Baja California Peninsula. That was some 20 years ago, when the area was better known for tequila shooters and spring-break madness than for five-star resorts and verdant fairways. Downtown Cabo was a fairly depressing tableau—forlorn madres begging on the sidewalks while their toddlers hustled Chiclets for a peso apiece.

I included a dose of such downbeat social realism in my first draft, whereupon my editor called me sternly to task: “It doesn’t seem like you had a very good time down there—I just spent ten grand on a photographer (remember, this was the 90s, when magazines spent big) and you’re going all Theodore Dreiser on me? Time for a major rewrite, compadre!”

Cabo has rewritten itself in a big way since then, due to a deluge of investment by American and Mexican hospitality outfits, which like to garnish their entrée of swank resorts and real estate developments with a side dish of championship golf.

These days you can choose from a golf menu crafted by celebrity chefs like Fazio, Weiskopf, Love III or even Tiger Woods. And, oh yes, that guy named Jack with the 18 majors under his belt.

Mr. Nicklaus was already much lauded in these parts for his 1994 layout—the Cabo del Sol Ocean Course—which he once called “the best piece of golf property I’ve ever seen,” but coloradoavidgolfer.com

that was well before 2014, when he left his mark on the very tip of the peninsula, a wild and windblown signature design called Quivira Golf Club.

Perched cliffside above the intermingling waters of the Pacific and Sea of Cortez, Quivira is a visual stunner and a serpentine journey from water’s edge to sheer granite cliffs and dusty desert dunes.

Add it all up and you have a perfect place to spend the morning (prior to those evil afternoon winds kicking up) before cold-chilling at the adjacent hotel—the Pueblo Bonito Pacifica Golf & Spa Resort—a luxury, all-inclusive hideaway a stone’s throw from the beach and a short cab

ride from downtown Cabo San Lucas.

Your all-inclusive pass entitles you to visit the three sister resorts just down the road via a shuttle, but, truth be told, you could easily hang your sombrero at the Pacifica for a long weekend and never leave. Between the golf, spa and never-ending flow of food—the roasted sea bass at the higher-end Peninsula restaurant is a standout—and drink, it’s muy fácil just to eat, sleep and play on property.

But who cares about bottomless margaritas and tasty tacos when beautiful Quivira Golf Club beckons within a few minutes walk of the resort? A third of its 18 holes hug the coast, and many others

SURREAL SEQUENCE: The daring, downhill risk-reward par-4 5th and cliff-hugging par-3 6th.

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Player’s Corner PLAY AWAY

ALMOST HOME: Quivira’s wellguarded par-4 17th leads to the course’s final challenge.

afford ocean views, making for an exemplary outdoor experience no matter how you fare on the scorecard. Postcard-worthy scenery notwithstanding, was this the easiest or most natural location for a golf course? Not according to Señor Jack.

“If you were asked if you would like to have this as your choice of sites, you would say no,” he said a few years back. “We had to help the golf course emerge from the natural terrain we had to work with, a challenging yet spectacular piece of property. Even though we found opportunities to place golf holes, they still required an awful lot of effort to make certain they work and remain stable.”

The first four, rather modest holes give no indication of the challenges Nicklaus faced, though getting to number five involves a climb from 50 feet above sea level to 285 feet on a cart path that stretches almost a mile long. Once you arrive and take the requisite snapshots of the craggy coast, you face a risk/reward decision of epic proportions: whether to go for the drivable green some 300 yards below, or to hit a couple of far less dramatic irons to get home in regulation.

Your ego says get out the big stick and flail away, but, por favor, don’t listen.

A good iron game is, in fact, the key to a good front nine at Quivira, given there are a trio of par 3s and a single par 5. Nicklaus then Jekylland-Hydes you by stocking the back with three par 5s and one vexing par 3 at the 148-yard 13th, where it’s far easier to find punishment than glory due to a tiny green perched at the crest of a granite promontory. Aim right and risk losing the ball, aim left and you’ll wind up on the beach.

In fact, your vexation from having just played the 12th hole may have provided quite enough pain for the day. Stretching to 635 yards from the tips, it zigzags down and then up again, and involves a blind second shot that often winds up in the sand dunes on the left. They filmed scenes from the movie Troy on the beach below, so be happy with double bogey versus impalement on a spear.

Not to worry. Along the way, you’ve witnessed some mind-blowing vistas, stared down some dramatic, risk-laden looks and even stopped for a complimentary repast at the Oasis —between the eighth and ninth holes—where shrimp quesadillas and tequila shots are de rigueur. Bring a few bucks along to tip the staff—a nicer crew you will never meet.

A last bit of local knowledge: visit the Market at Quivira, where a dizzying array of food and drink has just been augmented by The After, a luxurious sports bar with burgers, beers and big-screens made to soothe the savage golfer’s breast after a tough day on the links. After 11 p.m. a DJ spins nostalgic playlists while you take in ocean views from the terrace.

Rico suave, as they used to say.

Californian David Weiss has written for The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Entertainment Weekly, Golfweek, Golf, and has contributed to National Public Radio’s All Things Considered.

Only residents or guests at one of the five Pueblo Bonito Resorts in Los Cabos can play Quivira. For stay-and-play packages, visit quiviraloscabos.com or call 866-578-4847.

FOODIE FEAST: The Market at Quivira draws its inspiration from the great food halls of Europe.

COLORADO AVIDGOLFER | Spring 2019

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Player’s Corner LESSON

Nail Your Irons In 2019

Can a can of foot-powder spray result in more greens in regulation? By Dan Sniffin LAST SEASON I tasked my players with keeping better track of their skills and statistics. One of the most telling things I’ve learned both from the stats and from playing lessons is just how much most players struggle with their approach shots.

Hitting the ball solidly off the ground, up in the air, and having it come to rest on the green takes a ton of pressure off your short game, keeping you away from difficult pitches, bunker shots and tricky terrain around the green.

You will score much better if you are putting for birdie as opposed to trying to get up and down to save par! Here are three essential skills to master. The first two may take some practice but the last one should be a breeze!

PHOTOGRAPHS BY EJ CARR

MANAGE THE CLUB, THE BALL AND THE GROUND Unlike tee shots, approach shots introduce a few more factors that must be accounted for to be successful; each club is a different length, lies on the course aren’t always flat and the ball is sitting on the ground as opposed to a tee, requiring more precision with where the club strikes the turf.

2.

1.

Do NOT try to “hit down” on the ball.

The clubhead moves towards the ground immediately after you transition at the top.

You just need to pay attention to where it contacts the turf relative to the ball. Inconsistencies will result in too many shots hit thin or fat, invariably leading to a missed green in regulation.

To check your interaction on a flat surface, use foot-powder spray to draw a line in the grass, place a few range balls on the line and hit them in succession.

TARGET

BAD

TARGET

GOOD

3.

Note the results. Iis the club hitting the ground at all? Where is it striking the ground? How deeply is it going into the turf?

Ideally, the club will scuff the grass or make a divot somewhere after impact (left), indicating the club struck the ball during the descending portion of the swing arc. (Note…you do not necessarily need to make as big or deep of a divot as shown in the photos.)

Continued on page 36

COLORADO AVIDGOLFER | Spring 2019

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Player’s Corner LESSON Continued from Page 34 FIND THE SWEET SPOT This may seem obvious, but this essential skill will help you be more consistent with both distance and direction. Many players think they are hitting the sweet spot only to find that they are actually biased heavily towards the toe, the heel or inconsistently across the face. At your range session, lightly spray the foot powder on your clubface and hit off a very low tee. After a few shots, look at where the contact point has occurred. You can’t change or adjust your impact pattern without first knowing what it is!

PHOTOGRAPHS BY EJ CARR

Photos: Tyana Arviso

GET YOUR GROOVE ON. Most amateurs don’t get enough spin on their approach shots, which makes their targets smaller, especially when playing more difficult courses that require you to carry bunkers or false fronts. Clean grooves and premium balls make a huge difference in your ability to land a ball on the green with enough spin to stay there. Note these two shots, one hit with a hard-cover ball and a dirty club, and one struck with a clean club and premium golf ball. With virtually the same club speed, the clean club with a premium ball launches significantly lower, spins almost twice as much, and carries nearly 10 yards farther!

PHOTO: TYANA ARVISO

COLORADO AVIDGOLFER | Spring 2019

Dan Sniffin is the 2018 Colorado PGA Teacher of Year, and the Director of Instruction at Omni Interlocken Resort Golf Club in Broomfield. He can be reached at DanSniffinGolf@gmail.com

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Player’s Corner FITNESS

Back for the Future Call it ELDOA or LOADS. Either way, it represents a revolutionary approach to preventing and relieving golf-related back pain.

2.

Turn your legs inward as far as you can and turn your toes toward your shins.

By Dee Tidwell back pain as compression from gravity and/or the result of an accident or trauma. He resolved to change to present paradigm of over-prescribing medicine to numb pain, surgery—another trauma that isn’t always effective—and physical therapy that didn’t necessarily address the cause of the pain.

So he set out to create a specific exercise to treat the cause.

ELDOA EXERCISES IMPROVE: 1. Joint mechanics 2. Blood flow 3. Pressure on disc(s) 4. Decreasing pain 5. Muscle tone 6. Posture 7. Sense of well being and awareness So what I want to do is introduce you to one of the most important ELDOA exercises that you can do anywhere. It’s the exercise for L5/S1, the most common source for back pain for most people and especially for golfers. And it only takes one minute to do.

3.

Maintaining the leg position, reach to the ceiling with both arms, and turn your hands outward like Spider-Man does to throw his webs.

PHOTOGRAPHS BY EJ CARR

FOR GOLFERS, BACK PAIN is as common as an 18th-hole press. Some of my clients occasionally struggle with it, while others are literally debilitated by it. They’re not alone. Seventy percent of the population has some varying degree of a disc bulge in their spine, making it the second-most common ailment behind headaches. Whether you experience pain from disc bulge depends on a number of variables, but a specifically built exercise program can prevent painful back episodes, period.

However, you can also prevent back pain with what will become within the next five years the “greatest” tool that the medical, fitness and golf world will ever see. It’s called ELDOA. Already some on the PGA Tour, including one of the most famous of all time, are using it not only to diminish and possibly eliminate back pain, but also to help take their performance to the next level.

Created by the world-renowned doctor of osteopathy and researcher of fascia (the thin sheath of fibrous tissue enclosing a muscle) Guy Voyer of France, ELDOA is the French acronym for a revolutionary stretching and exercise method. Translated into English, it goes by the acronym LOADS (Longitudinal Osteoarticular Decoptation Stretching).

Well what they heck does that mean?

ELDOA are spinal-segment specific or joint specific stretches that use the fascial chains of the body to directly influence these particular regions to create decompression. Think of these exercises as “active” decompression moves you can do for one minute to help you feel and move better.

Voyer’s research revealed the primary causes of

NOTE: IT IS CRITICAL TO DO THE MOVEMENTS ON THIS PAGE AND ON PAGE 40 IN THE SEQUENCE SHOWN. 1. Before starting, do a simple warm up for 5 minutes to be sure your fascia is prepared and your muscle system is warm.

2. Go through steps 1-5 to get into posture and then hold that posture up to 1 minute, the do the reverse to come out of the posture SLOWLY and end on step #6.

1.

Lie on your back on the floor and try to get your butt to the wall. If you can’t, back away from the wall until your knees go straight. Make sure your entire spine is flat to the floor and your tailbone doesn’t move.

Continued on page 40 A 20-year golf fitness professional and soft tissue therapist, Dee Tidwell is owner of Colorado Golf Fitness Club (coloradogolffitnessclub.com). He is a Level Three TPI Certified Golf Fitness Pro, Golf Fitness Instructor, Junior Coach and Medical Coach; certified ELDOA trainer; and Top 50 Golf Digest Golf Fitness Pro. Contact him at dee@coloradogolffitnessclub.com or 303-883-0435.

COLORADO AVIDGOLFER | Spring 2019

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Player’s Corner FITNESS Continued from page 38

PHOTOGRAPHS BY EJ CARR

4.

Maintaining leg position still, now reach overhead with your Spider-Man hands and reach away from your body

5.

Lastly, look as low as you can between your legs and keep them there. Now keep doing all previous steps- legs turned in/ toes pulled in/ spine flat/ arms externally rotated and reaching away from wall, eyes down—NOW HOLD FOR UP TO 60 SECONDS. You may want to start with 30 seconds as this is hard work!

6.

At the end of 30-60 seconds, relax one arm, then the other, relax your eyes, then bend one knee, the other and finish with deep breaths and head turns.

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Your Best Drive Shouldn’t Be on a Golf Course!

Fear no hazard! Brandon Dodge has vehicles for all types of golfers! As the season starts and you get your swing into rhythm, check out the ALL NEW RAM 1500 that is guaranteed to get you out of the rough!

We are proud to be the “Official Car & Truck Sponsor” of the Colorado AvidGolfer Tournament Series!

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Player’s Corner FASHION

Fashion Favors the Bold

Playful prints, bright colors will make the rounds for spring.

By Suzanne S. Brown

> BY THE SEA Shades of ocean-inspired blues and greens influence one of Chase54 women’s collections for spring, with the long-sleeved CoolFuze UPF 50+ sun shirt, $85, topping a white skort, $84.

The snap-front Aware polo with perforated jersey yoke, $70, is made of moisture-wicking DryFuze fabric and is paired with the Astute pull-on skort, $85. chase54.com

< SHADES OF GREYSON PGA TOUR player Morgan Hoffman is among the athletes sponsored by Greyson Clothiers, which appeals to young golfers with its combination of performance fabrics, stylish silhouettes and modern swagger. The fashion-forward tops and bottoms are anti-microbial, moisture-wicking and sun-protecting. Hoffman wears Greyson’s longsleeve Tate quarter-zip mock-neck top made of a nylon blend brushback knit fabric that provides thermal insulation and wind protection, $150, with Montauk trousers, $130, and a snap-back hat, $39.50. greysonclothiers.com

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COMES IN HANDY Known as a go-to resource for gloves, the company many women golfers and tennis players rely on for functional pieces in bright colors and patterns is Glove It. Among its new prints this season is Lilac Paisley, available in head cover sets, $56; a shoe bag, $37; wristlet, $13; visor, $17; two-zip carryall bag, $24; tennis/sport tote, $80; tennis backpack, $85; sport towel, $20; and of course, gloves, $20. A new piece in Glove It’s cart bag line is a blue camouflage pattern featuring metallic silver and a combination of navy and lighter blues. It has 14 full-length dividers, easy-access pockets and only weighs five pounds, $220. gloveit.com

< HOT TROPICS: Devereux Proper Threads was started by brothers Will and Robert Brunner as a lifestyle resort brand to function for golf and beyond.

While fabrics are built for performance and comfort, the colors and prints focus on fashion. This season, that means Hawaiian influences in the Lanai polo, $88, in a moisturewicking breathable stretch pique material. The tropical print Canopy polo, $88, which has a ribbed black collar, is made of a quick-dry, anti-microbial fabric. dvrxthreads.com

COLORADO AVIDGOLFER | Spring 2019

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coloradoavidgolfer.com

< TEE IT UP Starting with its location in Salt Lake City, Utah, and continuing with its lifestyle take on golf apparel, the men’s and women’s brand QED stands apart. Men’s shirts often have western yokes and snaps rather than buttons. Sawtooth pockets, rivets, triple-needle stitching and denim prints and other details lend a western flair to the company’s design. This season, the prints are helping QED stand out from the pack, in such versions as the Glendale polo with its golf tee pattern and wooden buttons, $105; qedstyle.com

< IN BLOOM Floral patterns enliven a wardrobe, especially in vibrant shades of coral, blush and red, which Stockholm-based Daily Sports uses in its zip-neck sleeveless Tori dress, $110, cap-sleeve quick-dry polo, $90, wind-stretch skort, $115, and visor, $20. Additional pieces in the collection include shorts, capris and pants. dailysportsusa.com

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PRINTS CHARMING Mixing two patterns in one outfit or a print with solids is sporty chic option in Sport Haley’s Off the Charts line that contrasts sapphire blue and white. Among the offerings are the microdot Gwen polo with ruched collar detail, $81, paired with a pleated Rory skirt, $89, in a zebra-esque print. Pictured below, skinny cropped pants in a geometric print, $70, are topped with a solid Lulu polo in a lightweight breathable UPF 30 fabric, $75. sporthaley.com

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COVER STORY Give your bag a taste of the tropics with club head covers from Seamus Golf in its Hiwahiwa cotton bark cloth fabric that comes in several colors, $55-$65. Also new from the company is a waxed shoe bag with Hawaiian print fabric on the interior and a leather handle, $150. Those with classic tastes can try Seamus’ Glacier Peaks covers in Pendleton Woolen Mills fabric, $55-$65. seamusgolf.com

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coloradoavidgolfer.com

STYLISH SCORE Inspired by European designer fashion, and made in small batches, Foray Golf was created for women who want high-performance and high-style apparel for the links.

CEO and Founder Megan LaMothe fuses high-tech Italian fabrics with innovative design in such pieces as the large-scale botanical print Floom jacket, $250, and skirt with attached shorts, $160. Also new for spring is the Leopard Lounge skirt, $160, and long-sleeved polo with contrast collar and placket, $135. foraygolf.com

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Spring 2019 | COLORADO AVIDGOLFER

Side Bets | FAREWAYS FOOD | REAL ESTATE | CARS

RAISING THE BAR: The lively scene at the LoDo Otra Vez; three of the 11 types of Street Taco; the loaded chimichanga; THG’s el jefe, President and CEO Frank Schultz.

Once Upon a Time There Was a Tavern Twenty years after opening his first restaurant, Frank Schultz plans to spice up his THG empire by converting some Tavern locations into the Mexican-inspired Otra Vez.

By Gary James “YOU CHANGE IN THIS INDUSTRY or you get passed up.”

The man worshipping at the altar of alter is Frank Schultz of Tavern Hospitality Group (THG), the owner of all those Taverns, the acclaimed Colorado sports bar/restaurants that have stood the test of time. In recent years, THG has made the move to environments that appeal to a wider variety of moods. For example, THG operates Whiskey Tango Foxtrot, a whiskey bar in the Union Station North neighborhood, and The Soiled Dove Underground restaurant/nightclub below the Tavern location in Lowry.

The newest establishment is Otra Vez (español for “again”), a high-energy Mexican bar/ restaurant that opened in March 2017 on Downtown Denver’s 16th St. Mall. Plans now call for converting the Tech Center and some other Tavern properties into Otra Vez locations.

“The Tavern concept has been running for a long time—the first location opened in 1999,” COLORADO AVIDGOLFER | Spring 2019

the extroverted Schultz recently reflected. “I’m proud of what we’ve done. What was important at the Tavern was creating consistency—if you’re at the Tech Center location or Lowry or Uptown, you know what chicken wings you’re going to get, how many TVs will be carrying sports. But the concept isn’t uncommon—anyone can do it operationally.

“Today, it’s just a different world. Urban Coloradans don’t like chains, and the age of the Tavern brand inspired me to create more individuality. My goal with Otra Vez was to create intellectual property, something more unique that’s harder to copy.”

Schultz worked on Otra Vez for two years, going to other markets to conduct research and get ideas. He got input from a few select millennials and his home-office THG team for quality and organization. He brought in a designer from Austin to recreate that bar scene’s unique vibe.

And the food? “We didn’t want to be as highend as Tamayo (the innovative Mexican restaurant

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on Larimer Square), and we’re not as authentic as La Loma, where they’re using family recipes and making their own tortillas,” Schultz allowed.

“We’re not claiming to be traditional Mexican. I read somewhere that there are more Mexican food outlets in Denver than any other market…”

So the Otra Vez menu is a twist—notably a South American influence—on approachable Mexican fare. A prime example could be considered a carryover from the Tavern model: Otra Vez does a great burger. The Chorizo Shrimp Burger is a juicy house-made patty combining beef and chorizo, topped with brightly-hued achiote shrimp, lettuce, tomato and a blend of Quesillo and pepper jack cheeses, drizzled with a habanero aioli and stacked on a jalapeño cheddar bun. It’s got a potent kick, complemented by a side of chile lime fries.

The sopas (soups) include a comforting Pozole Rojo (a stew with massive chunks of pork, guajillo chiles and hominy, garnished with radish coloradoavidgolfer.com

BELLY UP: The crispy Otra Vez Chicharrones— brimming with white cheddar, avocado salsa verde and more—pair perfectly with one of many house-made margaritas.

and lettuce) and Otra Vez Green Chili (a top-notch entry in the competitive marketplace of Hatch green chiles, pork and cheddar cheese). You’ll need multiple visits to run the gamut of Street Tacos, done in the Puebla tradition (try the pork belly or the chicken tinga).

There are also inventive takes on salads and the classic burrito and enchilada favorites. For a snack, get some skin in the game with the crunchy Otra Vez Chicharrones—pork belly that’s braised and then fried to a crisp, tricked out with white cheddar cheese, avocado salsa verde, pico de gallo and chipotle lime crema.

The festive élan carries over to the beverage program, which features a wide lineup of tequilas and mezcals (over 200—best to try them in a flight instead of all at once) and a range of specialty beers and wines. Flaming handcrafted cocktails served in giant skull glasses can be shared as a group (Cocteles Para el Grupo, to be precise).

The lively décor adds to the character of Otra Vez. A 20-foot floor-to-ceiling bar connects to the street-side patio. Eclectic decorations weave Mexican-inspired cultural elements from the past and present, the art and paintings on the walls highlighted by imaginative lighting and red accents.

On the second level, the stylish Mezcal Lounge overlooks the main floor. The upbeat background music playlist is custom-programmed, and on Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights, a DJ plays Latin music to ramp up the fun and loud conversation.

“It’s not a dance club, but it keeps up the energy, turns it up a notch,” Schultz noted. “It’s not for everybody.”

Elevate Your Lunch Hour Make lunch at Fleming’s your Friday getaway. Come try our fresh entrées like the Filet Mignon Wedge with bacon, gorgonzola, and egg drizzled with ranch & lemon balsamic vinaigrette. Totally worth getting out of the office for.

FILET MIGNON WEDGE

D E NVE R | 1 91 I N VE R NE SS D R W., E N G L E WOOD, CO 801 12 | 303-768-0827 O P E N FO R L U N CH ON FR I DAYS | 1 1 : 30AM - 2:30PM V I S I T FL E M INGS ST E AK HOUS E . CO M TO SEE T H E MENU A ND RES ERVE YOUR TA BLE TODAY

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Spring 2019 | COLORADO AVIDGOLFER

Side Bets | FAREWAYS The vibrant experience is elevated by warm and knowledgeable servers—during a recent lunch stop, MacKenzie and the kitchen nailed the goal 12 minutes from ordering to table delivery— and the bartenders sure know their stuff.

All told, Otra Vez might rank as Schultz and THG’s most impressive achievement.

“The margins are tough,” Schultz admitted.

“You have to do volume in any place unless you’re the chef-owner with eight tables. You’ve got a different user today, with a different kind of thinking—marijuana changed things with a millennial smoking a vape pen, or taking an edible and not drinking as much (but eating more), or staying home. With the passage of Amendment 70, Colorado’s tipped minimum wage has increased. And every restaurant has to deal with the labor pool— we fired a bartender for drinking behind the bar and he was working next door the following day.

“But we’re ready for this upgrade. We’re not gonna change all the Taverns, stacking up Otra Vez locations like neighborhood bars. These are more like destinations. I’ll take a pass-fail grade taking this forward!”

He may as well start writing his commencement speech.

OTRAWORLDLY: Otra Vez’s Chorizo Shrimp Burger sizzles on a jalapeño cheddar bun with garlic lime fries. Inset: the Miel Limon Martini made with Herradura Añejo, Cointreau, Honey and Lemon.

610 16th St., Denver otravezcantina.com; 303-226-1567 Read more of Contributor Gary James’ Fareways columns on coloradoavidgolfer.com.

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Side Bets | NICE DRIVES

Statement Makers

Ram 1500

Getting up to speed on luxurious Dodge Ram 1500, aspirational Subaru Ascent and head-turning Volvo V60.

By Isaac Bouchard

2019 RAM 1500 MPG: 15/21/17 0-60mph: 6.2sec MSRP $66,700 Ram just rewrote the rules on what a half ton truck should be. This all-new model has a coil sprung rear end, optional four-corner air suspension and an interior worthy of a luxury import. It drives in such a refined, classy manner that folks who have henceforth merely put up with a pickup might just buy one for how pleasing it is, not just how useful.

Materials are a universe away from what GM, Nissan or Toyota consider acceptable, with

soft touch surfaces most everywhere, buttery hide, intriguingly finished timber and a commodious, thoughtfully designed center console that better supports both work and play.

And Ram went all out on differentiating the various trims; the Limited model’s inlaid black wood and metallic trim differs radically from the barn board and brass accents in the Laramie Longhorn. Both front and reclining rear seat can be had with heating and cooling, and the large windows and pano roof provide an airy cabin.

Finishing this all off is an available 12in, vertically oriented interface that out-wows Tesla and is easier to use than most anything on the

market. The only nits are manual adjustment for the steering column and no keyless entry through the huge rear doors. While not quite as quick as the latest turbocharged Ford, the Ram’s 5.7L, 395hp Hemi lets it run to 60mph in just over six seconds and tow 10,000 or more pounds with ease—better, in fact than the F150, due to the control afforded by that chassis.

The Ram half-ton achieves this with better fuel economy than the so-called Ford “EcoBoost” turbo delivers. Unladen, the Ram handles in a really buttoned-down fashion, yet rides with an incredible serenity. All in, it is a true luxury car in the classic idiom with all the practicality of a work truck.

RARE AIR Many luxury cars and SUVs use four-wheel air suspension. But the Ram is the first pickup to go this route, with smack-your-foreheadobvious benefits. These include the ability to lower the Ram in order to load the bed (the tailgate also opens remotely) and to ease ingress/egress, which is enhanced by power running boards. It also allows you to lower the 1500 at higher speeds to improve economy and inspire greater confidence in its handling. Inversely, it can be raised for off-road or deep snow. The suspension also aids towing by keeping the Ram level no matter the tongue weight.

coloradoavidgolfer.com

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Spring 2019 | COLORADO AVIDGOLFER

Side Bets | NICE DRIVES

VOLVO EVOLVES

Subaru Ascent

2019 SUBARU ASCENT EPA 20/26/22 0-60mph 6.9sec MSRP $45,670 Subaru has expanded like gangbusters for over a decade. This, however, was posing a problem.

As happy owners with families got older, they outgrew the cars the company offered and left for competitors’ showrooms. With the new Ascent, loyalists now can stay in the fold longer.

Fashioned on the genius platform that underpins every new Subaru model, this six- or seven-passenger conveyance proffers all the classic Suby traits: chunky looks that whisper adventure; a pragmatically designed interior with solid, intuitive tech; and a comfortable drive.

Fitting into the middle of the class, sizewise, the Ascent’s first two rows of seats are roomy and supportive; the third row is really for kids but does offer USB ports, vents and cupholders. Seats folded, the Ascent is a

perfectly sized carryall for campaign gear, big dogs, bikes or what-have-you.

It rides very smoothly, handles in an adequate manner, and will get you home no matter conditions with its superb AWD. And with its new, 260hp 2.4L turbocharged engine, the Ascent will actually go up the hills ‘round here with aplomb.

During the ’70s and into the ’80s, Volvo used to outsell Audi, BMW, Mercedes and most every other European import.

But mismanagement under Ford left the venerable Swedish firm with decade-old hardware and no compelling products. By 2010, worldwide sales had sunk to just over 300,000. Rescued from oblivion by the Chinese firm Geely, Volvo has revitalized its entire line into first-rate offerings that are just different enough from the excellent German cars and crossovers to hit 624,253 sales worldwide last year.

Volvo V60

2019 VOLVO V60 EPA MPG Ratings: 21/31/25 0-60 MPH: 5.2sec MSRP $53,445 THE SUBARU SURGE With sales increasing in every single one of the past 79 months, Subaru has almost quadrupled its U.S. market share, selling 680,135 vehicles in 2018. How’d they do it?

Simply put, they were in the right place at the right time. As Americans decided that a jacked-up station wagon or hatchback—both of which they have historically shunned—was just the thing, this little Japanese company, which only made vehicles with AWD, was ready and waiting. It also helped that it produced automobiles associated with a truly adventurous lifestyle, even appealing to weekend warriors outside of Colorado, where Suby is the second-best selling brand.

COLORADO AVIDGOLFER | Spring 2019

Can a wagon be so attractive it gets buyers to reconsider their addiction to SUVs? In he case of the new V60, it’s possible.

Rarely has a modern car had such perfect proportions. Properly “stanced” as the kids call it, hunkered down over gorgeous 19-inch wheels and highlighted by groovy detailing like the Thor’s Hammer LED lighting, the Volvo exposes most crossovers for the frauds they are.

The V60’s interior is equally compelling, with nice materials, good architecture and the most comfy seats in the business; you can even get hip retro “City Weave” fabric upholstery, a wonderful antidote to the faux cowhide most competitors fob off on buyers. The vertical, tablet-like interface is logical and fast (except for boot time) and the Volvo active and passive

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safety systems are first rate.

In T6 form this is a wagon that’s as fast as its svelte wrapper would have you think, 316hp firing it down the road with vigor; 0-60 should take just over 5 seconds. Body control is fine, steering decent and the ride quality, while not cosseting, is less plagued by vertical motions than high riding SUVs. With 23 cubic feet of cargo room with the rear seats in use, there’s decent room for pursuing an active lifestyle, and this wagon is low enough that a roof box can be accessed without standing on the door sills. While current Volvos lack that final bit of dynamic polish served up by Mercedes and BMW, the V60 is certainly better than most vehicles with its level of real-world practicality.

Capping its allure, this Volvo is a rolling sculpture with decades of heritage behind it.

Contact CAG Automotive Editor Isaac Bouchard at Isaac@bespokeautos.com to save time money and hassle when buying or leasing a vehicle. coloradoavidgolfer.com

THE OFFICIAL 19TH HOLE OF THE CAGGY AWARDS

THANK YOU for participating in our 17th annual salute to the best of Colorado golf. Once again, we received a record number of submissions in categories ranging from courses to clubs to instructors to vacation destinations, and, as the results attest, some people and courses got out the vote better than others. Then again, why would anyone vote for anything as the best if they didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t think it so? As in past years, the top three vote-getters appear in each category, as do alphabetized staff picks. Turn the pageâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;and let us know if you agree. coloradoavidgolfer.com

Broadmoor Golf Club

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Spring 2019 | COLORADO AVIDGOLFER

Arrowhead Golf Club

BEST FRONT RANGE/NORTHEAST COURSE (Public/Resort)

Staff Picks (alphabetical) Broadmoor Golf Club Country Club of Colorado Kissing Camels Golf Club (Colorado Springs)

Staff Picks (alphabetical) Collindale Golf Course (Fort Collins) Mariana Butte Golf Course TPC Colorado

BEST WESTERN SLOPE COURSE (Public/Resort)

1. Mariana Butte Golf Course (Loveland) 2. TPC Colorado (Berthoud) 3. Pelican Lakes Golf Club (Windsor)

THE OFFICIAL 19TH HOLE OF THE CAGGY AWARDS

BEST MOUNTAIN COURSE

PUBLIC/RESORT COURSES BEST DENVER REGION COURSE 1. The Golf Club at Bear Dance (Larkspur) 2. Colorado National Golf Club (Erie) 3. Arrowhead Golf Club (Littleton) Staff Picks (alphabetical) CommonGround Golf Course (Aurora) Green Valley Ranch Golf Club (Denver) Lone Tree Golf Club (Lone Tree) The Ridge at Castle Pines (Castle Pines)

1. Breckenridge Golf Club (Breckenridge) 2. Pole Creek Golf Club (Tabernash) 3. Keystone Ranch Golf Club (Keystone) Staff Picks (alphabetical) Red Sky Golf Club-Fazio (Wolcott) The River Course at Keystone (Keystone) Rollingstone Ranch Golf Club (Steamboat Springs)

1.

2.

3.

The Club at Redlands Mesa (Grand Junction) Battlement Mesa Golf Club (Battlement Mesa) Lakota Canyon Ranch Golf Club (New Castle)

Staff Picks (alphabetical) The Bridges Golf & Country Club (Montrose) Ironbridge Golf Club (Glenwood Springs) The Club at Redlands Mesa

BEST SOUTHERN COURSE (Colorado Springs and below) (Public/Resort) 1.

2.

3.

Broadmoor Golf Club (Colorado Springs) Walking Stick Golf Course (Pueblo) Country Club of Colorado at Cheyenne Mountain Resort (Colorado Springs)

Red Hawk Ridge Golf Course

BEST EGO-BOOSTER (Public/Resort) 1.

2.

3.

Eagle Trace Golf Club (Broomfield) Red Hawk Ridge Golf Course (Castle Rock) Applewood Golf Course (Golden)

Staff Picks (alphabetical) Aurora Hills Golf Course (Aurora) Broken Tee Golf Course (Englewood) Harvard Gulch Golf Course (Denver) Breckenridge Golf Club

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Spring 2019 | COLORADO AVIDGOLFER

BEST ANNUAL MEMBERSHIP PROGRAM (Public/Resort)

Staff Picks (alphabetical) Ironbridge Golf Club, No. 12 Raven at Three Peaks, No. 9 (Silverthorne) Riverdale Dunes Golf Course, No 15 (Brighton)

Staff Picks (alphabetical) CommonGround Golf Course Green Valley Ranch Golf Club Plum Creek Golf Club (Castle Rock)

BEST PAR 5

1. Colorado National Golf Club 2. The Golf Club at Bear Dance 3. CommonGround Golf Course

1. Pole Creek Golf Club (Ridge), No. 9 2. Green Valley Ranch Golf Club, No. 18 3. Fossil Trace Golf Club, No. 12 Staff Picks (alphabetical) CommonGround Golf Course, No. 11 Dos Rios Golf Club, No. 13 (Gunnison) Walnut Creek Golf Preserve, No. 13 (Westminster)

BEST PRACTICE FACILITY (Public/Resort)

1. Broken Tee Golf Course 2. Colorado National Golf Club 3. The Golf Club at Bear Dance Staff Picks (alphabetical) Broken Tee Golf Course Family Sports Golf Course (Centennial) Green Valley Ranch Golf Club

BEST CONDITIONS (Public) Colorado National Golf Club

1. Colorado National Golf Club 2. The Golf Club at Bear Dance 3. Broadmoor Golf Club

Staff Picks (alphabetical) CommonGround Golf Course Fox Hollow Golf Course (Lakewood) Green Valley Ranch Golf Club

BEST CONDITIONS (Resort)

1. Broadmoor Golf Club 2. Beaver Creek Golf Club (Beaver Creek) 3. Red Sky Golf Club Staff Picks (alphabetical) Broadmoor Golf Club The Inverness Golf Club (Englewood) Omni Interlocken Golf Club (Brooomfield)

The Golf Club at Bear Dance, No. 16

FAVORITE COLORADO AVID GOLFER GOLF PASSPORT COURSE 1. Colorado National Golf Course 2. CommonGround Golf Course 3. Breckenridge Golf Course Staff Picks (alphabetical) All 63 of them!

BEST OPENING HOLE 1. The Golf Club at Bear Dance 2. Arrowhead Golf Course 3. Fossil Trace Golf Club (Golden) Staff Picks (alphabetical) Red Sky Golf Club-Norman The River Course at Keystone Willis Case Golf Course (Denver)

BEST FINISHING HOLE

Staff Picks (alphabetical) Arrowhead Golf Course Coal Creek Golf Course (Louisville) Green Valley Ranch Golf Club

BEST PAR 3 1. Arrowhead Golf Club, No. 13 2. The Golf Club at Bear Dance, No. 17 3. Pole Creek Golf Club (Ranch), No. 7 Staff Picks (alphabetical) Raccoon Creek Golf Course, No. 17 (Littleton) The Broadmoor Golf Club (East), No. 4 The Club at Redlands Mesa, No. 17

BEST PAR 4 1. The Golf Club at Bear Dance, No. 6 2. The Golf Club at Bear Dance, No. 16 3. Plum Creek Golf Club, No. 13

1. Broadmoor Golf Club (East Course) 2. The Golf Club at Bear Dance 3. The Ridge at Castle Pines COLORADO AVIDGOLFER | Spring 2019

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Broken Tee Golf Course

BEST COURSE FOR FAMILIES (Public/Resort) 1. Colorado National Golf Club 2. Broken Tee Golf Course 3. Applewood Golf Course

Staff Picks (alphabetical) CommonGround Golf Course Indian Tree Golf Course (Arvada) Lone Tree Golf Club

coloradoavidgolfer.com

BEST COURSE FOR WOMEN 1. Colorado National Golf Club 2. Applewood Golf Course 3. Broken Tee Golf Course Staff Picks (alphabetical) CommonGround Golf Course Golf Club at Heather Ridge (Aurora) Littleton Golf & Tennis Club (Littleton)

Applewood Golf Course

BEST VALUE (Public/Resort)

BEST SERVICE (Public/Resort)

Staff Picks (alphabetical) Fox Hollow Golf Course South Suburban Golf Course (Centennial) Wellshire Golf Course (Denver)

Staff Picks (alphabetical) Broadmoor Golf Club Red Sky Golf Club Raccoon Creek Golf Course

BEST TO WALK (Public/Resort)

MOST UNDERRATED COURSE (Public/Resort)

1. Riverdale Golf Course 2. Colorado National Golf Club 3. Applewood Golf Course

Broadmoor Golf Club

BEST APRÈS-GOLF EXPERIENCE (Public/Resort) 1. Colorado National Golf Club 2. Broadmoor Golf Club 3. Arrowhead Golf Course Staff Picks (alphabetical) Bridges Golf & Country Club Broadmoor Golf Club The Ridge at Castle Pines

BEST FOOD (Public/Resort) 1. Colorado National Golf Club 2. Topgolf (Centennial) 3. Broadmoor Golf Club Staff Picks (alphabetical) The Bridges Golf & Country Club Broadmoor Golf Club Omni Interlocken Golf Club Vail Golf Club (Vail)

BEST WEDDING/PARTY VENUE (Public/Resort) 1. Arrowhead Golf Club 2. Colorado National Golf Club 3. Broadmoor Golf Club Staff Picks (alphabetical) Broadmoor Golf Club Raccoon Creek Golf Club Vail Golf Club

coloradoavidgolfer.com

1. Aurora Hills Golf Course 2. Riverdale Golf Course 3. CommonGround Golf Course Staff Picks (alphabetical) Applewood Golf Course Broken Tee Golf Course Flatirons Golf Course (Boulder)

BEST COURSE FOR SENIORS (Public/Resort)

1. Colorado National Golf Club 2. Broadmoor Golf Club 3. The Golf Club at Bear Dance

1. CommonGround Golf Course 2. Riverdale Golf Course 3. Fox Hollow Golf Course

Staff Picks (alphabetical) Coal Creek Golf Course The Links at Cobble Creek (Montrose) Devils Thumb Golf Course (Delta)

BEST GOLF COURSE COMMUNITY

1. Colorado National Golf Club 2. Broken Tee Golf Course 3. Aurora Hills Golf Course

1. The Ridge at Castle Pines 2. Vista Ridge/Colorado National Golf Club 3. Heritage Eagle Bend

Staff Picks (alphabetical) Applewood Golf Course Fox Hollow Golf Course Heritage Eagle Bend Golf Club (Aurora) Todd Creek Golf Club (Thornton)

Staff Picks (alphabetical) Reunion/Buffalo Run Golf Couse (Commerce City) Vista Ridge/Colorado National Golf Club Green Valley Ranch Heritage Eagle Bend

BEST CHARITY TOURNAMENT VENUE (Public/Resort) 1. Colorado National Golf Club 2. Arrowhead Golf Club 3. The Golf Club at Bear Dance Staff Picks (alphabetical) The Inverness Golf Club Omni Interlocken Golf Club The Ridge at Castle Pines

PRIVATE CLUBS BEST FRONT RANGE/ NORTHEAST CLUB 1. Ballyneal Golf & Hunt Club (Holyoke) 2. Golf Club at Fox Acres (Red Feather Lakes) 3. Ptarmigan Country Club (Fort Collins) Staff Picks (alphabetical) Ballyneal Golf & Hunt Club Golf Club at Fox Acres Harmony Club (Timnath)

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Spring 2019 | COLORADO AVIDGOLFER

BEST DENVER REGION CLUB

BEST VALUE

MOST UNDERRATED CLUB

1. Cherry Hills Country Club (Cherry Hills Village) 2. Cherry Creek Country Club (Denver) 3. Colorado Golf Club (Parker)

Staff Picks (alphabetical) Castle Pines Golf Club (Castle Pines) The Country Club at Castle Pines (Castle Pines) Denver Country Club (Denver)

1. Black Bear Golf Club (Parker) 2. Perry Park Country Club (Larkspur) 3. Cherry Creek Country Club

1.

2.

T3.

BEST MOUNTAIN CLUB 1. Red Sky Golf Club 2. The Club at Cordillera (Edwards) 3. Country Club of the Rockies (Edwards) Staff Picks (alphabetical) The Club at Cordillera Frost Creek Club (Eagle) Red Sky Golf Club

Staff Picks (alphabetical) Black Bear Golf Club/ Blackstone Country Club (Parker/Aurora) Pinery Country Club/The Club at Pradera (Parker) Valley Country Club (Centennial) The Country Club at Woodmoor (Monument)

BEST OVERALL EXPERIENCE 1. Cherry Hills Country Club 2. Cherry Creek Country Club 3. Broadmoor Golf Club Staff Picks (alphabetical) Cherry Creek Country Club The Club at Cordillera Frost Creek Club

BEST WESTERN SLOPE/ SOUTHWEST CLUB

BEST FOR FAMILIES

1. Telluride Ski & Golf Club (Telluride) 2. Glacier Club (Durango) 3. Bookcliff Country Club (Grand Junction)

1. Valley Country Club (Centennial) 2. Black Bear Golf Club 3. Cherry Creek Country Club

Staff Picks (alphabetical) Bookcliff Country Club Glacier Club Telluride Ski & Golf Club

Staff Picks (alphabetical) Glenmoor Country Club (Cherry Hills Village) Pinehurst Country Club (Denver) The Ranch Country Club (Westminster)

Black Bear Golf Club Perry Park Country Club The Ranch Country Club Valley Country Club

Staff Picks (alphabetical) Greeley Country Club Perry Park Country Club Red Rocks Country Club (Morrison)

BEST COURSE TO HOLD A TOURNAMENT 1. Valley Country Club 2. Cherry Creek Country Club 3. Sanctuary Staff Picks (alphabetical) The Country Club at Castle Pines Lakewood Country Club (Lakewood) Sanctuary

MOST COVETED INVITATION 1. Ballyneal Golf & Hunt Club 2. Cherry Hills Country Club 3. Sanctuary Staff Picks (alphabetical) Castle Pines Golf Club Cherry Hills Country Club Sanctuary

BEST LOCKER ROOMS

BEST SOUTHERN CLUB

1. Cherry Creek Country Club 2. Castle Pines Golf Club 3. Colorado Golf Club

1. Broadmoor Golf Club 2. The Club at Flying Horse

(Colorado Springs) T-3. Eisenhower Golf Club (Colorado Springs) Colorado Springs Country Club

(Colorado Springs)

Staff Picks (alphabetical) Cherry Creek Country Club Cherry Hills Country Club Columbine Country Club (Columbine Valley) Lakewood Country Club

Staff Picks (alphabetical) Broadmoor Golf Club The Club at Flying Horse Kissing Camels at Garden of the Gods (Colorado Springs)

BEST CLUBHOUSE Perry Park Country Club

1. Cherry Creek Country Club 2. Cherry Hills Country Club 3. Colorado Golf Club Staff Picks (alphabetical) The Club at Flying Horse Colorado Golf Club Columbine Country Club

BEST CADDIES 1. Cherry Hills Country Club 2. Cherry Creek Country Club 3. Colorado Golf Club Staff Picks (alphabetical) Ballyneal Golf & Hunt Club Cherry Hills Country Club Castle Pines Golf Club Colorado Golf Club

The Club at Flying Horse

COLORADO AVIDGOLFER | Spring 2019

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JACK DANIEL’S TENNESSEE RYE

YOUR FRIENDS AT JACK DANIEL’S REMIND YOU TO DRINK RESPONSIBLY. JACK DANIEL’S is a registered trademark. ©2018 Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Rye Whiskey, 45% Alcohol by Volume (90 Proof). Distilled and Bottled by JACK DANIEL DISTILLERY, Lynchburg, Tennessee.

BEST FOOD

BEST PAR 5

1. Blackstone Country Club 2. Cherry Creek Country Club 3. Broadmoor Golf Club

1. Cherry Creek Country Club, No. 16 2. Colorado Golf Club, No. 16 3. Perry Park Country Club, No 11

Staff Picks (alphabetical) Cherry Hills Country Club Denver Country Club Glenmoor Country Club The Ranch Country Club

Staff Picks (alphabetical) Cherry Hills Country Club, No. 18 Colorado Country Club, No. 16 The Club at Ravenna, No. 14

INSTRUCTION BEST INSTRUCTOR FOR JUNIORS 1.

2.

T3.

Matt Schalk Dennis Murray Michael Pope Rick Timm

Cherry Creek Country Club

BEST INSTRUCTOR FOR MEN 1. Cherry Creek Country Club 2. Castle Pines Country Club 3. The Club at Ravenna (Littleton Staff Picks (alphabetical) Blackstone Country Club Colorado Golf Club The Club at Ravenna

BEST COLORADO BUCKET LIST COURSE 1. Ballyneal Golf & Hunt Club 2. Sanctuary 3. Cherry Hills Country Club Staff Picks (alphabetical) Ballyneal Golf & Hunt Club Castle Pines Golf Club Sanctuary

BEST PAR 3 1. Cherry Creek Country Club, No. 17 2. The Club at Ravenna, No. 16 3. Colorado Golf Club, No. 2

Staff Picks (alphabetical) Ballyneal Golf & Hunt Club, No. 16 Cherry Hills Country Club, No. 12 The Club at Rolling Hills, No. 17 (Golden)

BEST PAR 4 1. Cherry Creek Country Club, No. 11 2. Perry Park Country Club, No. 14 3. Cherry Hills Country Club, No. 14 Staff Picks (alphabetical) Castle Pines Golf Club, No. 10 Country Club at Castle Pines, No. 15 The Club at Flying Horse, No. 14 COLORADO AVIDGOLFER | Spring 2019

BEST GOLF EXPERIENCE NEW MEXICO 1. Paa-Ko Ridge Golf Club (Sandia Park) 2. Sandia Golf Club (Albuquerque) 3. Twin Warriors Golf Club (Santa Ana Pueblo) Staff Picks (alphabetical) Paa-Ko Ridge Golf Club Rockwind Commmunity Links (Hobbs) Sandia Golf Club

BEST GOLF EXPERIENCE NEVADA

Staff Picks (alphabetical) Drew Fournier Ed Oldham Rick Timm

BEST GOLF COURSE COMMUNITY

Staff Picks (alphabetical) Pelican Hill Golf Club (Newport Beach) Pebble Beach Golf Links Torrey Pines Golf Course

1. Dennis Murray 2. Chris Schultz 3. Nathan Morris

1. Wolf Creek Golf Club (Mesquite) 2. Shadow Creek Golf Club (Las Vegas) 3. Bear’s Best (Las Vegas) Staff Picks (alphabetical) Cascata (Boulder City) Conestoga Golf Club (Mesquite) Rio Secco Golf Club (Las Vegas)

BEST GOLF EXPERIENCE UTAH

Staff Picks (alphabetical) Alex Fisher Eli Haskell Lauren Howe Jason Witczak

BEST INSTRUCTOR FOR WOMEN 1. Dennis Murray 2. Jim Owens 3. Lana Ortega

1. Sand Hollow Resort (Hurricane) T2. Coral Canyon Golf Course (Washington) Entrada At Snow Canyon (St. George) Staff Picks (alphabetical) Entrada At Snow Canyon Country Club Sand Hollow Golf Resort Thanksgiving Point Golf Club (Lehi)

BEST GOLF EXPERIENCE U.S.

Staff Picks (alphabetical) Sherry Andonian Elena King Ed Oldham Lana Ortega

TRAVEL BEST GOLF EXPERIENCE ARIZONA 1. TPC Scottsdale (Scottsdale) 2. Desert Mountain (Scottsdale) 3. The Boulders (Carefree) Staff Picks (alphabetical) Ak-Chin Southern Dunes (Maricopa) We-Ko-Pa Golf Club (Ft. McDowell) Troon North Golf Club (Scottsdale)

1. Bandon Dunes Golf Resort (Oregon) 2. Pebble Beach Resorts (California) 3. Pinehurst Resort (North Carolina) Staff Picks (alphabetical) Bandon Dunes Golf Resort Princeville Makai (Hawai‘i) Sea Pines (South Carolina)

BEST GOLF EXPERIENCE INTERNATIONAL 1. St. Andrews Old Course (Scotland) 2. Cabo Del Sol (Mexico) 3. Royal County Down (Northern Ireland) Staff Picks (alphabetical) Cabot Links Resort (Canada) St. Andrews Old Course Tara Iti Golf Club (New Zealand)

BEST GOLF EXPERIENCE CALIFORNIA 1. Pebble Beach Golf Links (Pebble Beach) 2. Torrey Pines Golf Course (La Jolla) 3. Spyglass Hill Golf Course (Pebble Beach)

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The Year in Preview

12 GOLF STORIES to keep your eye on in 2019

By JON RIZZI

JENNIFER KUPCHO TURNS PRO. In 2018, the Westminster native and Wake Forest University golfer became the first Colorado woman to win the NCAA Division I individual title. She spent the summer representing the U.S. internationally on the winning Curtis Cup, Palmer Cup and Women’s World Amateur Championship teams, and finished the year by firing a 17-under 559 in the eight-round final stage of LPGA Q-School—27 strokes clear of the “cut line” to qualify. The world’s No.1-ranked female amateur for most of 2018 (and as of press time), Kupcho will join the LPGA after this year’s NCAAs. She gave a preview of her pro potential in July’s LPGA Marathon Classic, finishing 16th. Other players with Colorado ties earning their LPGA cards are Denver’s Becca Huffer (winner of the 2013 CoBank Colorado Women’s Open) and University of Colorado golfer Robyn Choi of Australia.

Jennifer Kupcho

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TOPGOLF AND PGA TOUR SUPERSTORE. The South Metro successes of Topgolf in Centennial and PGA TOUR Superstore in Greenwood Village have prompted both businesses to open second locations north of I-70. With a target opening date of May 4, the PGA TOUR Superstore will unlock its doors at 5650 West 88th Avenue in Westminster, a 40,000-square-foot space formerly occupied by Toys ‘R’ Us. Colorado’s second Topgolf, at I-25 and 60th Ave. in Thornton, will debut in late 2019. A replica of its Centennial facility, it will have three tiers of climate-controlled hitting bays, a restaurant, three bars and similar entertainment and private party options. coloradoavidgolfer.com

Wyndham Clark

COLORADO’S NEWEST PGA TOUR PLAYERS. By virtue of their performances on last year’s Web.com Tour, Wyndham Clark and Jim “Hard K” Knous both earned exemptions onto the PGA TOUR’s 2019 wraparound season. Through January 15, Clark—a Colorado state champion while at Valor Christian and the 2017 Pac- 12 Player of the Year at the University of Oregon—had made six cuts in 14 career PGA TOUR starts.

Knous, who graduated in 2012 from Colorado School of Mines, has made the cut in half of his six career PGA TOUR starts, his best finish a T-10 in October’s Safeway Open.

KIM EATON’S RECORD-SETTING QUEST. In last May’s CGA Women’s Mashie tournament, Eaton tied fellow Colorado Golf Hall of Famer Carol Flenniken’s record of 25 CGA/CWGA women’s titles.

But after losing August’s CGA Women’s Senior Stroke Play in a playoff at Greeley Country Club (her home course growing up) Eaton will have to wait at least until this year’s Mashie event ( June 4-6 at Perry Park Country Club) to claim her crown.

WILL DILLON STEWART “COWBOY UP”? Winning two AGJA events, the Colorado High School 5A championship, USGA Junior Amateur Qualifier and the Junior America’s Cup, the Fort Collins native easily earned 2018 Junior Golf Alliance of Colorado’s Player of the Year and Colorado Golf Hall of Fame’s Future Famer honors. He also signed a National Letter of Intent to play for the No.1 college program in the country— the current defending national champion Oklahoma State University Cowboys—and graduated early from Fossil Ridge High School to focus on competing in events that will groom him for big-time college golf.

GUESS WHO’S COMING TO DENVER? Over the last three years, thanks to the CoBank Colorado Open Championships and The First Tee of Green Valley Ranch, Hale Irwin, Ryan Palmer, Paula Creamer, David Duval, Lexi Thompson, Mark O’Meara and Matt Kuchar have inspired junior golfers with talks and exhibitions. Last August, Annika Sorenstam paid the most recent visit as part of a novel PEAK Performers event

Kim Eaton

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Jim Knous

wherein nine kids from First Tee programs around the country each got to play six holes with the World Golf Hall of Famer as part of a four-day, all-expenses-paid trip to The Broadmoor in Colorado Springs. Scuttlebutt about Michelle Wie as this year’s special guest has circulated since last year.

CHANGING THE RULES. Designed to be easier to understand and apply, the most sweeping changes in the Rules of Golf in more than six decades should also improve pace of play. Among the potential accelerants: Players no longer need to remove flagsticks when putting (see page 20) or risk letting spike marks alter the line of a putt.

All good, but how long it will it take before a controversy involving one of the nearly 60 Rules changes impacts the result of a local or national championship?

MID-AMATEUR HOUR. Colorado Golf Club in Parker will host the 39th Edition of the 2019 U.S. Mid-Amateur Championship September 13-19, with CommonGround Golf Course in Aurora as supporting Stroke-

Dillon Stewart

Spring 2019 | COLORADO AVIDGOLFER

Will two-time Colorado Mid-Amateur champion and 2011 Mid-Amateur Player of the Year Steve Irwin (left) qualify for his sixth U.S. Mid-Amateur Championship at Colorado Golf Club in Parker Sept.

13-19? Lexi Harkins (right) will have to fend off a tough field if she plans on defending her CoBank Colorado Women’s Open title, as the event changed dates from August to May.

Play Co-Host Venue. Sectional Qualifying for the USGA championship take place around the country August 7-21, with the Omni Interlocken (Aug. 13) and Inverness (Aug. 19) hosting the Colorado qualifiers.

Local favorites include previous qualifiers Chris Thayer, Steve Irwin, Matt Evelyn, Michael Harrington and Brian Dorfman.

The Mid-Am will mark the second USGA championship contested in Colorado in as many years, following last year’s U.S. Senior Open at The Broadmoor. And in related news, the USGA will announce this February that the Eisenhower Golf Course at the U.S. Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs will host a national championship in 2020.

THE TPC COLORADO CHAMPIONSHIP AT HERON LAKES. Colorado’s newest course, TPC Colorado in Berthoud, will host the inaugural $600,000 Web.com Tour championship July 8-14. The 156-player field could include such familiar faces as current or former Coloradans Mark Hubbard, Shane Bertsch, Andrew Svoboda and Jonathan Kaye; PGA “names” such as Aaron Badde-

ley, Ricky Barnes, Jason Bohn, Chad Campbell, Ben Crane, Matt Every, Jason Gore, Steven Bowditch, Daniel Summerhays and Boo Weekley; and rising stars like Maverick McNealy. They’ll compete on an Art Schaupeter-designed course that stretches to nearly 8,000 yards. More than 20 years have passed since the last Web.com Tour (then known as the Nike Tour) event took place in Colorado. Stewart Cink (1996) and Pat Bates (1997) won the Nike Colorado Classic at Riverdale Dunes Golf Course in Brighton.

NEW DATES FOR THE COBANK COLORADO WOMEN’S OPEN. With a $150,000 purse, the CoBank Colorado Women’s Open is the richest state women’s open in the country. To make the field even more competitive, the Colorado Open Golf Foundation has moved the three-day championship from late August to May 29-31.

The change will avoid overlap with events on the LPGA and Symetra Tours and can attract college players right after they play in the NCAAs. The result will be a much deeper and stronger field at Green Valley

Ranch Golf Club. Can a Colorado player finally break through? Since 2000, only two— Erin Kerr Houtsma (2005) and Becca Huffer (2013) have won the event. The change in dates switches the CoBank Colorado Senior Open to August 28-30.

CITY PARK AND PARK HILL. Prompted by a City of Denver storm water-management initiative, a 17-month-long multimillion-dollar redesign of City Park Golf Course is expected to be completed this year, with golfers possibly playing the Hale Irwin/Todd Schoeder layout as early as June. They’ll arrive through a new entrance on E. 23rd Avenue and enjoy the ambiance of a sleek new clubhouse. Meanwhile, just two miles up the road, similar storm water-management measures will shutter Park Hill Golf Club for the 2019 and 2020 seasons. This project includes the construction of a detention area in the northeast corner of Park Hill Golf Course to more effectively hold and slow storm water as it flows through the area. Many question whether the historic course will reopen at all.

Set on the Lonetree, McNeil and Welch reservoirs in Berthoud, TPC Colorado is not only the state’s newest course; it’s also the first to hold a regular professional tour event in 13 years.

When the Web.com Tour stages the inaugural TPC Colorado Championship at Heron Lakes (July 8-14), the field will take on a 7,991-yard layout, the longest on the circuit.

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Park Hill Golf Club

City Park Golf Course

COURSE OPENINGS. On the public side, only City Parkâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s reopening qualifies as a ribbon-cutting. On the private side, look for The Club at Flying Horse in Colorado Springs to unveil its second course, Flying Horse North, in the Black Forest, six miles northeast of Flying Horseâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s existing Tom Weiskopf-designed course. Former Weiskopf associate Phil Smith designed the pine-lined layout as the centerpiece of a 283-home, 1,400acre community southwest of Hodgen and Black Forest roads. On the other side of the mountains, Cornerstone, a 4,800-acre development atop the Uncompaghre Plateau, will reopen its glorious Greg Norman-designed golf course for the first time since the recession and ownership changes mothballed it in 2012. Erstwhile Norman designer Matt Dusenberry revived the course with an eye to upgrading its playability, strategy and water usage while maintaining its core aesthetics.

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Spring 2019 | COLORADO AVIDGOLFER

MUCH TO SEA: The view from Manele’s 11th green takes in the signature 12th and distant Puu Pehe, the “Sweetheart Rock.”

The Little Island That Could Owned by a tech billionaire, tiny LANA‘I moves into the big time with a renovated resort and one fabulous golf course. By Jon Rizzi

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WITH VISIONS OF SWAYING PALMS, orchid leis and pineapple fields hula-dancing in my head, I touch down in Lāna‘i to none of it.

Cook pines, not palms, encircle the airport terminal, their columnar forms spiked by branches turned skyward. These coniferous sentinels, rather than a traditional flower necklace, welcome me to what Hawaiians still call “Pineapple Island,” even though the fruit—once abundantly harvested here on the Dole pineapple plantations— hasn’t grown on Lāna‘i since 1992.

I learn some of this history from the Four Seasons Resort Lāna‘i shuttle driver as she drives the road lined by rows of evenly planted Cook pines, each of which magically extracts as much 200 gallons of water per day from the atmosphere on the driest of Hawai‘i’s inhabited islands. This “fog drip” more than triples the annual 34 inches of rain that falls there, contributing to the island’s lush vegetation—like the swaying palms I finally see upon my arrival at the Four Seasons, whereupon I also get my lei.

THE RESORT You can’t talk about Lāna‘i, its Four Seasons or its Manele Golf Course without mentioning Larry Ellison. In 2012, the audacious co-founder of Oracle Corporation—and, at the time, third-richest person in the United States (he’s now No. 5)—purchased 98 percent of the island (the state of Hawai‘i owns the other two percent) for $300 million.

Three years later Ellison sank another $450 million into transforming the Four Seasons Resort into his version of paradise.

Away went the dated chinoiserie and in came luxurious interior design with a authentic Hawaiian flair: mahogany floors, koa accents, hand-woven area rugs and walls lined with artisan-produced lokta paper edged in teak and zebrawood. The entrance to the lobby—which Ellison had reportedly redone four times until it perfectly framed the view of Hulopoe Bay—displays a gallery of locally created island murals, prints, sculptures and authentic artifacts.

Squawking “alohas” from Ke‘oke, a rescued cockatiel, and Uliuli, a rescued macaw, highlight the avian pep rally that accompanies my indoor-outdoor walk to one of the resort’s 217 guest rooms and 51 suites—each one outfitted with intuitive lighting, privacy controls and a 75-inch, platinum-bezel LED television panel to watch atop a cosseting featherbed. In the bathroom, a shower floor of smoothed volcanic stones massages your arches, while coloradoavidgolfer.com

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a Japanese Toto Bidet toilet with motion sensors lifts its cover as you approach and warms the seat as you sit and ponder a panel of hydraulic personal hygiene options.

The plush in-room ambience extends to the labyrinthine grounds, where pieces of art and sculpture appear amid the lush, tropical foliage. Lagoon pools and natural open-air baths tuck seamlessly into the surrounding lava rock and flora. The immaculate, swimmable beach stretches towards majestic Puu Pehe, the 80-foothigh “Sweetheart Rock.” Guests can learn about its legend—as well as enjoy various presentations that express the “true, noncookie-cutter essence of Hawaiian culture,” according to General Manager Alistair MacAlpine—most afternoons in the Luau Gardens adjacent to the beach.

Transcendent experiences await at the Hawanawana Spa and at the internationally acclaimed Nobu Restaurant, one of the resort’s four otherworldly dining experiences (One Forty, Malibu Farm and Sports Bar are the others). You can serve and volley on a Har-Tru green-clay court or one of two outdoor Plexipave cushion courts made to the same specs as those at Indian Wells.

THE ISLAND The actual resort occupies about 300 acres but the property encompasses all 90,000 of Lāna‘i. Among dozens of activities and adventures, the Activities Ambassador can arrange shoreline and deep-sea fishing adventures, whale-watching trips, bike rentals, archery and trap-shooting experiences and an island tour to see such archaeological marvels as the Luahiwa petroglyphs and Keahiakawelo, the sacred Garden of the Gods.

Also worth visiting is the Ranch at Koele, site of the former pineapple plantation. There you can ooh and aah over the miniature horses and donkeys, ride full-size equines high into the ironwood forests and, as of this spring, see pygmy goats, alpacas, Polish chickens and other uncommon livestock.

Make a point, too, to check out Lāna‘i City. You’ll see that Ellison hasn’t only invested in the resort, but in the community.

His management agency, Pulama La¯na‘i, has erected a cinema considered the foremost in the state, rebuilt the community pool to five-star standards, added a school and a pharmacy and doubled the Richard’s Market to the size you’d see on the mainland.

“He really has done a lot of great things for the island and built up a great relationship with the people on it,” shares McAlpine, who has worked twice at the resort—from Spring 2019 | COLORADO AVIDGOLFER

2019

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2005-’08 and since 2017. “It’s one island. You can never allow an ‘us’ and ‘them.’ There can be no separation. Our employees are very proud to show off their island.”

He also notes that while the resort closed during renovations, all employees remained on full salary with benefits. The same has happened with the staff at the Lodge at Koele, the island’s other Four Seasons property as it undergoes a $75 million upgrade and “refresh.”

THE GOLF If The Lodge at Koele sounds familiar, it’s because The Experience at Koele was Lāna‘i’s first 18-hole golf course (Cavendish, a free nine-holer built in 1947, still gets local play).

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Threading through forests, ravines and outcroppings 2,000 feet above sea level, the Greg Norman-Ted Robinson layout at Koele opened in 1990. Jack Nicklaus’ oceanfront masterpiece, The Challenge at Manele, debuted three years later.

Two years ago, The Experience at Koele closed, ostensibly for a renovation, but plans soon changed. Factors included the cost of watering two courses, and lack of play compared to the waterfront Manele layout.

“To be fair, it was a fantastic course, but most people coming from the mainland want to play along the ocean,” McAlpine says.

Continued on page 95

HORSE SENSE: Cook pines border the trail near Koele Ranch, as riders begin their upland journey.

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SPRING TRAINING // CENTRAL VALLEY // Scottsdale

The 750-room Fairmont Scottsdale Princess features the 36-hole TPC Scottsdale and a 9,000-square-foot white sand beach.

Isabella’s Kitchen, one of Grayhawk Golf Club’s three restaurants with a patio.

Ak-Chin Southern Dunes

Where the Pitchers Play

Thirty minutes south of Sky Harbor, Ak-Chin Southern Dunes Golf Club covers all the bases with golfers.

Kyle Freeland, the Rockies’ best starting pitcher last season, is also the team’s best golfer (see our cover story in the April, 2018 issue). Other courses are more convenient to Salt River Fields, but Freeland and his teammates often head to Ak-Chin Southern Dunes Golf Club in Maricopa.

Ranked by Golf magazine as the No. 84 Best Course You Can Play in the United States, this 5,055-to7,546-yard Curley/Schmidt/Couples layout can accommodate rookies and all-stars. Ak-Chin will host a U.S. Open Sectional Qualifier May 8 and the World Long-Drive “Smash in the Sun” April 12-16. akchinsoutherndunes.com COLORADO AVIDGOLFER | Spring 2019

Five teams, including our Colorado Rockies, play their home games in Arizona’s Central Valley. That’s one-fifth of the Cactus League.

The populous and popular cultural hub abounds in golf courses, golf resorts and golf communities.

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Grayhawk Golf Club turns 25 this year. Its Talon and Raptor Courses have hosted PGA TOUR events, and, from 2020 to 2022, the NCAA Men’s and Women’s Championships. Quill Creek Cafe, Isabella’s Kitchen and Phil’s Grill all rate high for dining. experiencescottsdale. com

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With the Rockies playing home games at Salt River Fields at Talking Stick, lodging and golf doesn’t get more convenient than nearby Talking Stick Resort and the 36 CooreCrenshaw-designed holes at the adjoining Talking Stick Golf Club. experiencescottsdale.com LOCAL KNOWLEDGE Visit coloradoavidgolfer.com/cactus-league for a full map of Cactus League stadiums, including the mileage between them and a list of nearby golf courses.

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SPRING TRAINING // CENTRAL VALLEY // Scottsdale

Find your true north at Troon North, the 36-hole centerpiece of Troon Golf’s dailyfee properties.

Old Town Scottsdale’s famous Bronze Horse Fountain on 5th Ave. turns 30 this year.

Desert Mountain

A Mountain of Fun

Adding a new 18-hole par-3 course to its portfolio of six Jack Nicklaus Signature layouts confirms Desert Mountain’s status as the region’s ultimate private golf community.

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TUCKED INTO the rolling hills and dramatic scenery of north Scottsdale, Desert Mountain’s 8,000 acres encompass 35 “villages” containing a stunning range of homesites, homes, activities and amenities­—including a spa, miles of on-property trails and Tennis Complex with the only stadium grass court in Arizona (as well as five clay and three hard courts). In addition, there are five state-of-the-art clay (har-tru) courts and three fast-playing hard courts. This year, the development will debut Seven, a 90-acre enclave with its own par-3 course, to complement its six championship layouts. Like each of those courses, Seven will have its own clubhouse, but this one will feature familyfriendly outdoor areas with a lighted putting green, music and bocce. desertmountain.com

Check It Out 1

The 5th Avenue arts district from Scottsdale Road to Goldwater Boulevard combines the ambience of Old Town with dozens of Arizona’s best restaurants, unique shops, galleries and nightlife. experiencescottsdale.com

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Savor the award-winning American cuisine with Asian accents presented by Food Network star and chef Beau MacMillan at elements at Sanctuary Camelback Mountain Resort & Spa. sanctuaryoncamelback.com

COLORADO AVIDGOLFER | Spring 2019

Drink in the region’s craft-brew scene. Follow the Scottsdale Ale Trail to Bottled Blonde, Brat Haüs, Craft 64, Goldwater Brewing, Scapegoat Bar, Sip Coffee and Beer, Two Brothers Tap House and Vines & Hops. experiencescottsdale.com

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Special Advertising Section

EAST VALLEY // SPRING TRAINING

Rio Verde Country Club

The Rio Verde Life

One of the most active of Arizona’s active-adult communities gets better every year.

Thirty-six holes of Tom Lehman-designed Midwestern-style golf only scratch the surface of what’s available to members of this community nestled amid the spectacular scenery of the McDowell foothills adjacent to the Tonto National Forest. Located about 45 minutes northeast of Salt River Fields, Sloan Park and HoHoKam Stadium, Rio Verde offers clubs for hikers, bikers and horse lovers; six tennis courts (two lighted), four pickleball courts and two bocce pitches; a heated resort-style swimming pool, fitness classes and a first-rate art studio. A much-anticipated complete renovation of the clubhouse is well underway, making the 43-year-old Troon Privé-managed club even more appealing. Visitors and prospective members can rent homes with golf and other club privileges. rioverdearizona.com coloradoavidgolfer.com

Don’t Miss The East Valley is home to Mesa, where fans of the Chicago Cubs and Oakland A’s flock every spring, as well as to top-notch golf and more.

Longbow Golf Club, one of Arizona’s better public layouts, in Mesa, sits 15 minutes from both stadiums. longbowgolf.com We-Ko-Pa Golf Club’s two amazing courses are five minutes north of Longbow. wekopa.com Cubs fans looking to wash down some Chicago grub with an Old Style head to Diamond’s Sports Grille (diamondssportsgrille.com) and Groggy’s Bar and Grill, both in Mesa, and Gilbert-based Buddyz Chicago Pizzeria (buddyzpizza.com).

Tour Queen Creek Olive Mill, a working olive orchard and mill producing 100% virgin olive oil. queencreekolivemill.com Board the two-story Desert Belle for a scenic 90-minute cruise on Saguaro Lake. desertbelle.com

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Spring 2019 | COLORADO AVIDGOLFER

THE DESERT IS WILD Absolutely untamed.

AbsolutelyScottsdale.com

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SPRING TRAINING // WEST VALLEY

The Victory Course

by Tom Lehman is the newest layout at Buckeye’s Verrado Golf Club.

Quintero Golf Club recently cracked Golf Digest’s list of 100 Greatest U.S. Public Courses.

Deer Valley Golf Course at Sun City West

Following the Sun

Sun City West, a pioneer in the active-adult community concept, keeps golfers happy all week long.

JUST LIKE nobody drove 55 when it was speed limit, now just about everybody who hits that age blows past it into active-adult life. Sun City West, located 11 miles west of Peoria and Del Webb’s original Sun City, remains one of the most popular, with more than 100 chartered clubs, miles of walking trails, three recreation centers with pools, fitness centers, pickleball courts and more. Most attractively, the development boasts seven golf courses—four attractively priced 18hole par-72 layouts (Grandview, Trail Ridge, Deer Valley and Pebblebrook) and three par 60/61 executive courses (Desert Trails, Echo Mesa and Stardust). All courses are walkable, wellconditioned and offer tee times to Baby Boomers, Greatest Generation members and non-residents of all ages. suncitywest.com COLORADO AVIDGOLFER | Spring 2019

Eight Major League Baseball teams make their Spring Training homes in the region west of I-17.

Goodyear, Glendale, Peoria and Surprise each have a stadium with two teams apiece, as well as a golf courses and activities.

Check It Out 1

A scenic Rees Jones design tucked into the Hiergoglyphic Mountains northwest of Peoria, Quintero Golf Club spans desert, mountain ridges, lakes and washes. It started out as a private club, but now rates as one of Arizona’s top courses. quinterogolf.com

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An award-winning steakhouse in Glendale, Arrowhead Grill literally sizzles with sophistication; all beef cuts arrive hissing in a skillet. Order the Delmonico steak, which follows the original 1894 recipe of Chef Charles Ranhofer from Manhattan’s Delmonico Hotel. Pair any of the inspired fare with an item from the ample wine and drink list. arrowheadgrill.om Keep the kids happy and cool at Splash Pad, a Goodyear water park. goodyearaz.gov

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WEST VALLEY // SPRING TRAINING

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DEER VALLEY

Wickenburg Ranch Golf & Social Club

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A Li’l Bit o’ Golf Par-3 rhymes with “par-ty.” So it goes at Wickenburg Ranch Golf & Social Club, where the par-3 Li’l Wick serves as a rollicking nine-hole sidekick to the heralded par-71 layout now known as “Big Wick.” While the big one’s an absolute must-play; the little one is a can’t-miss opportunity. Li’l Wick’s nine holes pivot around a lakeside sports bar called the Watering Hole. Golfers check in by writing their names on a chalkboard. No tee times, no dress codes, no pace-of-play enforcement. Just wait your turn. Music streams from speakers on all holes, four of which illuminate for night golf. Footpaths on virtually every hole connect to the bar area, where a giant hammock and numerous cozy seating areas reinforce the chill social vibe. wickenburgranch.com

Don’t Miss The cozy ambience and French fare at Coup Des Tartes in Glendale. Go for the Sunday brunch highlighted by crepes, croquettes, quiches, benedicts and the signature French Whiskey Bacon Bloody Mary. nicetarts.com coloradoavidgolfer.com

Bowling, laser tag, billiards, gravity ropes, rock climbing, mini-golf, arcade and virtual reality games all fit under one roof at Main Event in Avondale, just nine miles east of where the Indians and Reds play in Goodyear. mainevent.com

The largest collection of exotic animals in Arizona waits at Wildlife World, a zoo, aquarium and safari park located eight miles south of the Surprise Recreation Campus, home to the Mariners and Padres. wildlifeworld.com

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GOLFSUNCITYWEST.COM Spring 2019 | COLORADO AVIDGOLFER

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Rio Verde is my perfect fit.

“We love it here for so many reasons, like our two beautiful golf courses, gorgeous mountain views at every turn, and warm and friendly neighbors – many of whom have become wonderful friends. We’re always meeting up for a round of golf, game of pickleball, drinks and dinner, or a fabulous event at the club. We stay busy and happy.

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TAILORED TO YOU To learn more about making this your perfect place to live and play, contact Susan Martin: (480) 471.3410 │ smartin@rioverdecc.com RioVerdeArizona.com

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SPRING TRAINING // TUCSON

Idyllic Tubac Golf Resort and Spa lies only 45 miles from Tucson.

Kurobuta Pork Chop at Hacienda del Sol Ranch.

Sewailo Golf Club

Golf and Gastronomy

Great courses and even better food make the Rockies’ former Spring Training home worth the trip.

More than 40 golf course dot the Tucson region, many of them with PGA TOUR and World Golf Championship pedigrees: Omni Tucson National, El Rio, Randolph Park, Starr Pass, The Gallery and Dove Mountain. Four-time PGA TOUR winner Notah Begay co-designed Sewailo Golf Club, and Jack Nicklaus did the 27 holes at La Paloma. This feast of fairways continues into Tucson’s fare ways. In 2015 the city became the first UNESCO Creative City in the U.S. selected for Gastronomy.

El Charro Café, La Indita, Teresa’s Mosaic Cafe and hundreds of other restaurants comprise the “Best 23 Miles of Mexican Food. visittucson.org COLORADO AVIDGOLFER | Spring 2019

Two hours in the car separate Scottsdale and Tucson. Home to the University of Arizona, the city known as “the old Pueblo” also features the historic Mission San Xavier del Bac, futuristic Biosphere2 and Sonoran Desert’s the timeless charm. visittucson.org

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Tucson’s cuisine isn’t all raspados, carne asada and Sonoran hot dogs. The Cup Café’s cast-iron baked eggs (inset) are a must-have breakfast, and nothing compares to the seafood lasagnette at Vivace, except, perhaps the Kurobuta Pork Chop at Hacienda del Sol Ranch. visittucson.org

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Not all golf needs a PGA TOUR connection. The 45-hole Troon Golf-managed El Conquistador Golf & Tennis in Oro Valley provides fun for all. elcongolfandtennis.com Top restaurants at Tucson golf resorts include El Conquistador’s Epazote Kitchen, Westin La Paloma’s AZul, Primo at the JW Marriott Starr Pass and Flying V at Loews Ventana Canyon. visittucson.org

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CHANGE OF

COURSE

Golf in Tucson means a break from the average links. Challenge your game on daring desert layouts or hit it long on fairways that host the champions.

Whatever your style, Tucson has it in the bag.

Find Your Course at VisitTucson.org/Golf

ARE YOU THE ULTIMATE DRIVING MACHINE? Then sign up for the Schomp BMW Cup!

This premier golf event presented by Colorado AvidGolfer takes place MONDAY, JUNE 3 and TUESDAY, JUNE 4 at The Club at Ravenna For $2,500, EACH TWO-PERSON TEAM gets fantastic player gifts and chances to take home prizes and cash payouts totaling approximately $8,000 and A SHOT AT WINNING THE COVETED SCHOMP BMW CUP! A MAY 30 th PAIRINGS PARTY at Perry’s Steakhouse kicks off the festivities.

You’ll then experience TWO DAYS OF GOLF, outstanding on-course food and beverages, an APRÈS-GOLF COCKTAIL PARTY and DINNER and a chance to WIN A TWO-YEAR LEASE ON A SCHOMP BMW. THE SCHOMP BMW CUP presented by AvidGolfer proudly partners with Colorado PGA REACH, a 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to making a positive difference in the lives of others through Youth Development, Supporting Our Military and Diversity and Inclusion.

For complete details go to:

coloradoavidgolfer.com/schomp-bmw-cup For more information, contact Melissa Holmberg at 720-493-1729 ext. 15 or Melissa@ColoradoAvidGolfer.com.

For Sponsorship opportunities, Chris Phillips at 720-493-1729 ext. 12 or Chris@ColoradoAvidGolfer.com or Allen Walters at 720-493-1729 ext. 17 or Allen@ColoradoAvidGolfer.com

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2019 TOURNAMENT GUIDE

Does Your Tournament Measure Up? AN EVENT GUIDE FOR PLANNERS & PLAYERS

EXPERT Advice on

how to avoid risk and maximize revenue with your next event

PLAY IT SMART

• Drinking Dos and Don’ts • Selecting the “Right” Events • Getting on Sanctuary

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2019 TOURNAMENT GUIDE

Risk-Free Tournament Planning Tournament expert Val D’Sousa explains it all for you.

PGA PROFESSIONAL Val D’Souza literally wrote the book on putting on charity golf tournaments. Before becoming the Vice President of Operations at KemperSports Management—which serves more than 130 courses including those at Bandon Dunes, Sand Valley, Streamsong and Colorado’s own Greeley Country Club—D’Souza spent eight years as the general manager at Kemper’s Butterfield Trail Golf Club, a midpriced Tom Fazio daily-fee in El Paso.

He enjoyed coordinating and staging the club’s many charity events, but working six days a week left little time to volunteer for any of the causes.

Then he had an idea. He noticed that a lot of his peers in the golf business “didn’t like dealing with charities and those kind of events because the tournament directors they were dealing with—a golfer or committee—had no experience doing it and were afraid to lose thousands of dollars if it didn’t go well, even though that’s a false perception.”

So D’Souza came up with a solution that would help his PGA brethren and allow him give something back to the El Paso community: a training program for tournament directors with specs, lists and guides. He branded it Tournament 101.

COLORADO AVIDGOLFER | Spring 2019

“The name alone meant it was for someone who hadn’t done a tournament before,” he explains. He conducted it as a half-day seminar “where you could learn from a PGA Professional how to organize and run your tournament, how to make money on it and how to make it risk-free.

“We’d teach them how the game works and how to play it. On hole-in-one contests, for example, we'd teach how to approach car dealers and how to get the insurance.

When they left, they were prepared to build committees and run a tournament. ” D’Souza made his seminars free to anyone who had their event at his course, and because tournament directors and boards consistently turn over, the demand steadily grew. “Every year the people changed,” he remembers. “They brought the same binder and training kit.” They also left with a USB stick loaded with all the preformatted, plug-and-play budgeting spreadsheets, sponsorship forms and promotional flyers.

“Even during the recession, our tournaments thrived. After all, for most charities, the golf event is their major fundraiser of the year; they can’t let things slip.”

D’Souza’s tournament kits have become part of “the KemperSports way

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across the company,” he says. “It’s amazing what little help there is out there for charities looking to increase their proceeds. If we can provide that service, we’re doing good in the community.”

And, whether in Texas or Colorado, golf tournaments do good community work.

Without providing the full recipe for his secret sauce, D’Souza shares some of the ingredients to do that work even better.

DEVELOP THE EXPERIENCE

• Choose the right time of year and day for your climate, market, pricing and competing community events. Early and late-season tournaments often get the biggest fields and cost less than the highseason ones.

• Aim high. Get the best course you can afford. The better the venue, the higher people think of your charity and the more they’re willing to pay.

• Know your golfers and match the scoring method to your mission of the tournament. For charity tournaments, avoid using handicaps and net scoring. It limits your field/market and creates challenges. "I mostly recommend scrambles; they're the time-honored format," says D'Souza.

• What are they playing for? “It’s

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2019 TOURNAMENT GUIDE a big mistake when charities don’t connect people visually to the cause at the registration table,” D’Souza says, suggesting a video, photographs or even an appearance by a beneficiary of the program.

• Make the goody bag great. This creates the first impression of your tournament. You can’t go wrong with a logoed golf bag, cooler bag, shirt, cap, tumblers or a dozen premium golf balls.

• Keep on-course fundraising games to one per nine holes, with the goal of getting $20 per comped player. Never do them on par-3 holes.

to adjust the number 30 days out,” D’Souza explains. “Most courses won’t have you do a final head count until two weeks before the event.”

• Offset all costs. Get as much donated as possible—food, liquor, signs—and make everything (shirts, hats, golf-ball packaging, driving range, short-game area, hole contests), a sponsorship opportunity.

• Leverage F&B. If you have a sponsor who, say, will donate breakfast burritos, see if the course will let them handle breakfast and the course will do lunch. Or, if it’s an afternoon event, get a lunch sponsor and offer the course the pricier dinner.

“Supporting the client is what PGA Professionals do; that's our responsibility,” D'Souza observes. “The golf course wins when your charity wins.”

• Everyone’s a winner. The more people who leave with prizes, the better the impression of your tournament. Aim for at least 25% of the field to leave with a team or individual prize, even if they’re raffle or door prizes.

• Get creative with contests. In addition to Closest to the Pin and Longest Drive, do a Longest Putt or Straightest Drive, Longest Club Toss, Backward Long Drive, Drive from a Chair, Chip to a Target.

• Stagger the prizes. Instead of first, second and third, give them for first, sixth 18th and last. "Some people will complain, but it gives the less competitive players a way to win something—and a reason to come back again next year."

• Bring in talent. More esablished tournaments can hire bands and comedians.

If you can introduce some of your charity’s beneficiaries in a video or in person, it makes it more compelling.

BUILD YOUR BUDGET

• No surprises. Get all fees (green fee, cart fee, food, liquor, range fee), up front in a contract—and don’t forget taxes and gratuities.

• Never sign a contract for a minimum of 100 players. “You want to have the ability COLORADO AVIDGOLFER | Spring 2019

• Look for ancillary money. There’s no shame in selling rope, mulligans and raffle tickets for a good cause. Just do it all at registration. You don't want to nickel-anddime players on the course.

• Account for prizes. Don’t skimp on trophies, plaques and gift certificates.

• Calculate your entry fee by tallying your golf, food costs and non-donated prize costs, plus the margin of profit you wish to make for player. Erring on the side of profitability limits your risk.

• Take it to the next level. Determine the dollar amount ($10,000, $5,000, etc.) and value (how many foursomes, how much recognition, etc.) of sponsorship levels (i.e.

Title Platinum, Gold, Silver, Bronze, Team and Hole).

• Collect all entry fees and sponsorship fees prior to the event. Avoid no-pays and slow-pays with a “no pay, no play" policy.

• Engage the course. Ask if the course can create an event microsite on its own website, whereby players can register, pay securely and get the most current information about the charity and the event (sponsorships, format, prizes, etc.).

“We’ve done these at our courses,” says D’Souza. “It saves the charity from having to set up a vendor account. We help collect the

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fees and don’t pass along the costs."

BUILD YOUR COMMITTEES

• Pull around the chairs. The Tournament Director needs four chairpeople with distinct responsibilities: a hole sponsor chair; silent auction/goodie bag/raffle chair; operations/volunteer chair; marketing and golf team sales. Each has different and clear responsibilities, with subcommittees reporting to them.

• Diversify the chairs. Select people from different industries with different professional networks.

• Forewarned is forearmed. Make sure all committee chairs and subcommittee members understand the time and travel commitments involved and have them meet regularly with their volunteers.

• Chart progress. Constantly revise and review progress with committee chairs and establish firm deadlines.

SALES AND MARKETING

• Create a target list for sponsors, casting as wide a net as possible.

• Sell the right thing. “Tournament sponsorships are like marketing buys,” D’Souza says. “Companies sponsor golf tournaments—cars, real estate, banks— because they like that strong demographic.”

• Leave an impression. Enlist someone to create a compelling leave-behind brochure or online video for team members to present to potential sponsors and players.

• Follow the money. “Remember, even when selling foursomes, in many cases it’s not their own money, it’s their company’s.

So, if you’re passionate about the cause, a company will field a team.”

• "Hole up" with the sponsors. To sell teams and sponsorship, teach the committee and all involved to start at the top level and end with the hole sponsors.

“Actually, the hole sponsorship is the most profitable,” D’Souza says. “Your fixed cost is just the cost of the sign, which you could also get as an in-kind sponsorship.”

• Get social. Creatively push out the message on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Pintrest. Use photos and videos if possible.

• Engage the course. The golf course is your greatest ally. Don't hesitate to ask the golf course to help fill the field, provide sponsor leads and promote your event to its database. "Supporting the client is what PGA professionals do; that’s our responsibility," D'Souza says. "The golf course wins when your charity wins." coloradoavidgolfer.com

Booze News

Schedule your move with us and get a FREE 2019 Golf Passport!*

ALCOHOL AND GOLF go together like peas and carrots. And there’s nothing like a few tipsy guests to drive up the price of a live auction item at a charity tournament. But the cost of serving all those guests could drive up the price of your event if you’re paying for every drink at an open bar. A little knowledge can go a long way.

GET IT DONATED. Consult first with the course if it will allow outside alcohol. It’s not illegal; it just cuts into course revenue. Under Colorado law, a club may serve donated alcohol as long as a certified 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization is the beneficiary.

DRINK IT THERE. By law, any spirit, beer or wine donated for a nonprofit event must be consumed at that event. It cannot be resold or taken off-premesis. You must return any unused alcohol to the donor.

LET THE PROS POUR. For liability reasons, under no circumstances let volunteers or representative of the charity serve alcohol during the event. Either hire professional bartenders or use course personnel.

Serving Colorado since 1968 FAMILY OWNED The Official Moving Day Sponsor of the Golf Passport *While supplies last. Limit one per customer. Contact Cowboy Moving for details.

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DO SAMPLINGS. Liquor brands can conduct tastings of a beer, wine or spirit (in, say, a signature craft cocktail). Set up a station at the clubhouse and another at the turn (if the course doesn’t have returning nines).

KEEP THE GIFT BAG DRY. If you want your guests to remember your event with commemorative bottles of vodka, wait to give them out until the end of the event. It is illegal to bring any type of alcohol beverage into a place that sells alcohol beverages, such as a golf course, let alone drink said beverage. Besides, a bottle in a golf cart is just one speed bump away from shattering.

“Take The Right Approach With ACP!”

CUSTOMIZE COUPONS. Attract a liquor sponsor by printing its logo on drink tickets.

Business Solutions Copiers and Service Printers and Service IT Services and Hardware

GIVE TICKETS. If you don’t get liquor donated, go the drink-ticket route. Negotiate with the course based on two per player.

Ask if the course will comp, say, 100 tickets.

THERE’S AN APP CALLED UBER. Neither your charity nor the course want to risk legal exposure by knowingly allowing an inebriated person to drive home from your event. coloradoavidgolfer.com

303.388.6050

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2019 TOURNAMENT GUIDE

Before, During and After Golf tournament planning in the three stages.

PLAN AHEAD.

Sometimes a year out gives you just enough time. Design and use a written timeline. Stick to it.

PICK THE RIGHT COURSE.

Look at courses that are well known in the marketplace and will draw participants.

While this can often up your price per player, you will probably attract more participants.

BE DETAILED-ORIENTED.

It’s the little things that will make players come back for the following year’s event.

The gifts should be unique; nobody wants another hat, shirt or ball towel. Be sure to go over everything with the course—from dietary restrictions to who puts the water and chilled towel in every cart. Don’t assume the staff “will take care of it.”

ADVERTISE.

You don’t have to have a PGA Tour event’s budget to advertise through traditional channels. Partnering with a media outlet provides a much greater reach than your event could normally afford. Approach a radio or television station, newspaper, or magazine about being your Title or Presenting Sponsor in exchange for ads promoting your event.

CREATE A MEMORABLE INVITATION.

The ubiquity of texts and emails has made the impact of an actual paper invitation far more profound. Then start with the emails and social networking.

USE E-TOOLS.

Get Facebook friends to “like” your event, chat it up and regularly update its status.

Tweet about it often, but don’t sell it too hard; rather, communicate enthusiasm and anticipation. Be sure to link to the event on the Website of the host or sponsoring company, charity, golf club, etc. Create a simple one-page Web site for your event.

COLORADO AVIDGOLFER | Spring 2019

HYDRATE YOUR PLAYERS.

Market to members of the host club or course, offering an incentive (lower entry fee, extra benefits) to participate.

Have plenty of water and other liquids available in the cart and on the course. Beer doesn’t do the same job.

DON’T BE SHY.

Not only should you garner support from your company or the charity’s board of directors, but also make sure they are soliciting each of their vendors, boards and everyone else affiliated with them.

AFTER OFFER A DISCOUNT.

Before they leave, have your guests preregister for next year’s tournament.

COLLECT ENTRY FEES UPFRONT.

HOLD A POSTMORTEM.

This will ensure players will show up and they are committed to the event. It also prevents long waits at the registration table.

Once the numbers are in, convene the board to review financials and gather feedback for next year’s event. There’s always room for improvement!

HAVE A THANK-YOU DINNER FOR VOLUNTEERS.

DURING

Show your appreciation for those who made you look good.

HAVE AS MANY PRIZES AS POSSIBLE.

There’s nothing worse than the winning team receiving a prize and everyone else crying in their beers. Try having a contest on every hole—not just “closest to the pin” or “longest drive,” but fun contests like “closest to the water without going in” or “closest to the pin out of a greenside bunker.”

DON’T GO IT ALONE.

The biggest threat to the success of any golf tournament is not having people know their jobs on the day of the event. Too many times we’ve seen the tournament head flustered or overwhelmed due to changes, surprises or any curveball thrown their way. Put together a committee and make sure everyone on it understands their day of responsibilities. This only offers them a greater chance at enjoying the big day!

PHOTOGRAPH BY ARIEL BESAGAR ON UNSPLASH

BEFORE

GIVE SPECIFIC JOBS.

Who deals with team no-shows or additions?

Who is spotting on prize holes? Who is handing out the goody bags?

LOOK FOR THREESOMES.

Invariably, one or two people don’t show.

Always have a rule in place for threesomes.

Depending on the format, make sure your solution keeps things fair.

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Charity’s Home Course

Far from the only Colorado course to host charity tournaments, SANCTUARY is the only one exclusively to do so, netting charities more than $100 Million since 1997. Here’s this year’s schedule and whom to contact about playing.

JUNE 6 DENVER ACTIVE 20-30 Kenneth Monfort, 970-978-0351 e: kenny@monfortcompanies.com da2030.org JUNE 17 & 18 FLIGHT FOR LIFE— St. Anthony Health Foundation Amanda Popp 720-321-4318 or m: 814-777-2494 e: amandapopp@centura.org stanthonyhealthfoundation.org JUNE 20 ADOPTION EXCHANGE Jen Padgett, 303-755-4756 x260 e: jpadgett@adoptex.org adoptex.org

JULY 11 LEUKEMIA & LYMPHOMA SOCIETY Beth Muehlethaler, 720-440-8640 e: Beth.Muehlethaler@lls.org lls.org/rm

JUNE 24 JUNIOR ACHIEVEMENT Ellie Jordan, 303-628-7366 e: ejordan@jacolorado.org jacolorado.org

ANCHOR CENTER FOR BLIND CHILDREN

JUNE 27 ANCHOR CENTER FOR BLIND CHILDREN LeAnn Donahue, 303-377-9732 e: ldonahue@anchorcenter.org anchorcenter.org

AUGUST 22 COLORADO STATE PATROL FAMILY FOUNDATION Annette Westphal, 303-549-2145 e: amdwestphal@yahoo.com cspff.net

AUGUST 5 CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL Erin Beimford 720-777-1796 or m: 720-291-0163 e: ebeimford@ childrenscoloradofoundation.org childrenscoloradogfoundation.org

AUGUST 26 PROJECT C.U.R.E. Karen Rosen, 303-490-4022 e: karenrosen@projectcure.org projectcure.org

AUGUST 8 AIMCO CARES Kelly Fallin, 303-901-2462 e: Kelly.Fallin@aimco.com aimco.com AUGUST 9 NAVY SEAL FOUNDATION Jennifer Bragraw 757-363-7490 x.204 e: jbragaw@navysealfoundation.org navySEALfoundation.org

JULY 22 DIAMONDS IN THE ROUGH/ HYDE PARK JEWELERS Ellen Robinson, 303-698-1151 e: ellen@erhassociates.com hydeparkjewelers.com/ diamonds-in-the-rough-foundation

JUNE 26 ARRUPE JESUIT HIGH SCHOOL Mary Barrett 720-726-3395 or m: 303-877-4781 e: mbarrett@arrupejesuit.com arrupejesuit.com

AUGUST 1 VOLUNTEERS OF AMERICA Denise Robert 303-368-5208 or m: 303-570-7577 e: Denise@deniserobert.com voacolorado.org

AUGUST 11 & 12 BOYS & GIRLS CLUBS OF AMERICA Stephanie Barreras, 972-581-2372 e: sbarreras@bgca.org bgca.org

JULY 24 CRAIG HOSPITAL Caroline Craven, 303-789-8578 e: ccraven@craighospital.org craighospital.org JULY 25 HOPE HOUSE OF COLORADO Lisa Schlarbaum, 720-448-5725 e: lisaschlarbaum@ hopehouseofcolorado.org hopehouseofcolorado.org

AUGUST 14 MT. CARMEL VETERANS SERVICE CENTER Melodie Owens 719-309-4771 or m: 719-231-5473 e: mowens@mtcarmelcenter.org mtcarmelveterans.org

JULY 29 NATIONAL JEWISH HEALTH Janna Fisher, 303-728-6576 e: fisherj@njhealth.org nationaljewish.org

AUGUST 15 FOOD BANK OF THE ROCKIES Kristina Thomas, 303-375-5838 e: kthomas@foodbankrockies.org foodbankrockies.org

JULY 31 BIG BROTHERS BIG SISTERS OF COLORADO Juliana Wierimaa 303-800-7251 or m: 720-212-9616 e: julianaw@biglittlecolorado.org biglittlecolorado.org

AUGUST 19 TENNYSON CENTER FOR CHILDREN Hillary MacArthur, 720-855-3324 e: Hillary.MacArthur@ tennysoncenter.org childabuse.org

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SEPTEMBER 9 BOY SCOUTS OF AMERICA, DENVER AREA COUNCIL Dave DeCecco, 720-266-2132 Dave.Dececco@scouting.org denverboyscouts.org SEPTEMBER 10 ROCKY MT. ADVENTIST HEALTHCARE FOUNDATION – Castle Rock Adventist Hospital (CRAH) Valerie Ross 720-455-2534 or m: 720-879-8490 e: valerieross@centura.org castlerockhospital.org SEPTEMBER 11 ENERGY OUTREACH COLORADO Denise Stepto, 303-226-5050 e: dstepto@energyoutreach.org energyoutreach.org SEPTEMBER 19 STEADMAN PHILIPPON RESEARCH INSTITUTE Lynda Sampson, 970-479-1563 e: lsampson@sprivail.org sprivail.org coloradoavidgolfer.com

OUTSTANDING

COURSES The City of Lakewood has two outstanding municipal golf courses that offer golfers of every level an exciting golfing experience, coupled with spectacular views of Denverâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s iconic skyline and the snowcapped peaks of the Rocky Mountains.

LakewoodGolf.org

Fox Hollow and Homestead offer a unique mix of terrain types and course challenges.

Nestled next to Bear Creek Lake Park on native rolling prairie lands, both courses offer an opportunity for escape and relaxation with tranquil lakes, quiet streams and spectacular vistas.

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Special Advertising Section

2019 TOURNAMENT GUIDE

What’s a Golfer to Do? MORE THAN 200 charity golf tournaments take place every year in Colorado—many on the same day. What’s a philanthropic golfer to do? To keep a realistic tournament schedule, consider the following.

WHERE? Charity tournaments often provide the only chance many of us get to play exclusive courses like Castle Pines Golf Club, Sanctuary or Cherry Hills. That opportunity won’t come cheaply, but how often will it come up, especially in the name of a good cause? (We’re talking the charity, not your bag-tag collection.)

WHY? Did you lose a friend or relative to cancer? Does someone you know have Alzheimer’s? Do you want to help wounded veterans or end homelessness, poverty and child abuse? Support something to which you have personal connection.

PRICE? Tournament entry fees cover more than a green fee. Look for the biggest

bang for your buck. Does the price include one or two meals? A box lunch or buffet? Is the event known for its gift bag? Is the experience worth the price of admission?

CONNECTIONS? Playing an event among prospective or current business contacts can advance your career. Declining one that benefits a friend’s favorite cause may create a rift. One option: Play in the business one and donate to your friend’s charity.

STATUS? Certain tournaments carry more prestige than others do. Whether it’s for networking purposes, bragging rights, or just to add some high-status swag to your collection, don’t pass up a coveted opportunity.

FORMAT? Every format has its pros and cons. If you’re a competitive golfer, the scramble format can be frustrating and painfully slow, but everybody gets to participate.

You’d prefer a best ball, where everyone plays his or her own ball, or even a shamble, where players play their own ball from the best drive of the group.

TRADE? Never underestimate the value of in-kind donations. Tournament organizers often accept these in exchange for entry fees, making barter a great way to stretch your charity tournament dollar.

FUN? Does the tournament offer anything quirky or distinctive that makes it more than 18 holes of golf? A unique format? Awesome gifts? A trick-shot artist? Entertainment? Non-golf ctivities for the family?

TRADITION? Whether it’s to support a cause, spend time with good friends, or out of sheer force of habit, many people play in the same tournaments every year. If you like the event and the people, there’s nothing better than teeing it up with friends in the name of a worthwhile cause.

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Enjoy The Ridge’s Newest Dining Experience

The Ridge, located in Castle Pines, Colorado is excited to announce the re-launch

of The Ridge restaurant. Named after Grace Park, a 12-year LPGA Tour Player, Park Place will offer a fresh, new ambiance, unparalleled food choices & upscale service.

In addition, Park Place has recently hired a BRAND NEW Executive Chef & Sous Chef! Visit www.PlayTheRidge.com or call 303.688.4575 for reservations today.

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Perry Park COUNTRY CLUB

Timeless Beauty. Amazing Golf.

ONLY 20 MINUTES FROM CASTLE ROCK! 10 Memberships Available at $3,000 (Regularly $4,500) For 50 years we have been providing an extraordinary golf experience at an exceptional value. This Spring, to fill our 300 member cap, we’re offering 10 Full Golf memberships at the very attractive price of $3,000.

It’s a unique chance to make your home course the one AvidGolfer’s 2019 Caggy Awards chose as one of the best values and most underrated in Colorado. Plus you’ll experience all the benefits of an outstanding private club: including a laid back atmosphere, mountain views close to home, a stunning golf course and many social activities year round.

For more information on these memberships, contact Amy Morrow at 303.681.3305, Ext 4 or amorrow@perryparkcc.com. And visit our website at www.perryparkcc.com.

PERRY PARK COUNTRY CLUB 7047 Perry Park Blvd Larkspur, CO 80118 Perry Park Country Club is a 501 (c) 7 Corp. Membership is by application and requires approval.

We’re Honored!

We’re proud and honored to be named the winner of 20 Caggy Awards in the past 3 years, including: Colorado’s “Best Value” and “Most Underrated” Private Club by Colorado AvidGolfer.

PRESENTED BY

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2019 TOURNAMENT GUIDE

Mistakes Not To Make When planning a tournament, don’t... ...PROCRASTINATE. Plan earlier than you ever think necessary. Then add a month. ...BE AN ARMY OF ONE. Set up small, accountable committees. ...CEDE CONTROL TO SPONSORS. Sponsors help offset costs and can add legitimacy to your event. But don’t letyour tournament become a trade show. Limit giveaways to before or after the round, and confine the appearance of logos on apparel to presenting sponsor only. The cleaner the item, the more someone will wear it again. ...ALLOW ON-SITE PAIRING changes.

Just say no. Addressing all changes at a pretournament pairings party is a good way to avoid the discontent, chaos and confusion caused by last-minute changes. If you don’t have a pairings party, don’t disclose the pairings in advance to the participants.

...STUFF GIFT BAGS AT THE EVENT. Gather all items for gift bags with enough time to hold a pre-event bag-stuffing party.

This builds camaraderie among board members and volunteers. ...NICKEL-AND-DIME PLAYERS. Too many upsells (mulligans, betting holes, raffles) will turn off even the most bighearted of players. ...ASSUME THE COURSE “will take care of it.” Golf courses are great allies but there’s always some detail—like putting sleeves of balls on carts—that becomes a question of responsibility. ...SKIMP. Even if you have great friends and a greatcause, people will be disinclined invite people or even to return if an event appears to be done on the cheap. Everyone can spot low-end shirts and golf balls. And if there are no contest holes, drink tickets or

decent eats, there’s not much future for the tournament. ...ALLOW PLAY WITHOUT PAY. Even friends don’t let friends play without paying. If necessary, set up an account with a mobile credit card system (Square, Intuit, PayPal) so you can swipe cards with your smartphone. ...RELY ON ONE TYPE OF MARKETING. With people receiving information so many ways, you have to use everything at your disposal to get out the word: eblasts, snailmail, Facebook posts, Tweets, Instagrams, texts and phone calls. ...PICK A BAD DAY. Avoid times when manyof your guests might be committed to another charity event or a club championship. Know when three-day weekends, school vacations and Jewish holidays fall.

ELEVATE YOUR GAME at Eagle Vail Golf Club T

ake in spectacular Rocky Mountain views as you play the challenging 18-hole championship course or Par 3 course. Enjoy a well-deserved meal at the Whiskey Hill Golf Grill afterwards.

Call us to schedule a group or private lesson.

EagleVailGolfClub.com 970-790-1200 459 Eagle Drive | Avon, CO

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coloradoavidgolfer.com

PRESENTED BY

Special Advertising Section

2019 TOURNAMENT GUIDE

Let CAG Help Register your tournament on our site to help fill your tee sheet—and your gift bag with the CAG CHARITY KIT. Colorado AvidGolfer appreciates all the hard work that goes into planning a successful charity golf tournament. To show our appreciation to the planners, players and course personnel who help improve the communities in which we live—and to help maximize the impact of these golf events—we offer the CAG Charity Kit. This free online service lets you register your tournament at coloradoavidgolfer.com/ register-your-tournament. Simply complete the form. Registration automatically lists you on our events calendar, where people can learn about your tournament, your cause and how to sign up and play.

Registration also entitles you to a complimentary issue of Colorado Avid Golfer the for every player in your event (available for pickup at the PGA TOUR Superstore at 9451 E. Arapahoe Road in Greenwood Village; arrange ahead with Vince Recine at 720-219-0158). You’ll also receive preferred treatment from our valued partners on tournament-essential goods and services:

GIFT-BAG ITEMS

The PGA TOUR Superstore offers: • $20 Event Gift Cards at a 50% discount for organizations wishing to purchase them to use a tee gifts for each player in their event. (Min. 40 player field).

• Organizations that purchase Event Cards will receive the following items at NO CHARGE: • PGA TOUR Superstore Goodie Bag (One per player: includes tees, ball marker, divot tool and koozie); • Performance Practice Bay Certif-icate (one per player: redeem for a free 30 minute practice session in our performance practice center); • One PGA TOUR Superstore Players Club Plus Golf and Tennis Membership to Auction or Raffle; • Sponsored Hole-in-One Contest for a $1,000 shopping spree to the PGA TOUR Superstore) Tournament directors also receive a one-time 10% discount on select in-store merchandise and gift cards. Visit pgatoursuperstore.com/lessons-servicesCOLORADO AVIDGOLFER | Spring 2019

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events-host or contact Vince Recine at 720-219-0158.

HOLE-IN-ONE PRIZES & INSURANCE

National Hole-in-One offers a 10% discount on the complete Hole-In-One promotion packages.

• Your organization may offer a prize worth up to $1 million for a Hole-In-One. You select a par-3 hole, and if one of your event’s lucky golfers should make an ace on this selected hole, NHIO will pay for the prize.

• You receive promotional signage and other materials that combine the thrill of golf with the added enticement of a fantastic Hole-In-One prize.

To receive the Colorado AvidGolfer Affinity 10% Discount call 877-368-2259 and mention code “AVID” when ordering. Visit hio.com for sample Hole-In-One packages.

SIGNAGE

Specializing in providing innovative branding signage for charity, corporate and pro-am golf tournaments, Fairway Promotions’ complete product line is designed to maximize on-course visibility for you and your sponsors throughout the tournament. All of Fairway Promotions’ products are constructed from the highest quality materials and are printed using the latest technologies. Visit fairwaypromotions.com or call 877-291-9315 for more information.

DISCOUNTED GOLF

Give your players the gift of golf. The Golf Passport presented by FirstBank offers more courses, greater discounts and more weekend play than any discount program!

Save at 63 of Colorado’s best courses, including exclusive offers from The Ridge at Castle Pines, Green Valley Ranch, Colorado National, Inverness and more! All Golf Passport Members receive a FREE Custom Hybrid or Wedge from Warrior Golf, Preferred Clientele Club Membership (Dine and Save at more than 120 locations) and a digital subscription to Colorado AvidGolfer.

Visit coloradoavidgolfer.com/golf-passport for info. For event bulk discounts on the Golf Passport, contact Melissa Holmberg at 720493-1729; melissa@coloradoavidgolfer.com coloradoavidgolfer.com

Nobu’s Miso Cod

Manele’s famous par-3 12th

LĀNA‘I

(Continued from page 64)

With the Lodge reopening this year with more of a focus on retreats and wellness (a spa treatment hale; yoga and fitness pavilions; a new pool with 25-yard lap lanes and a water exercise area), most of the land formerly occupied by the front nine will become a sculpture garden and meditation area. The erstwhile back nine will feature a massive adventure park, complete with a rope course challenge and a zipline whistling down what was the famous par-4 17th. Talk about a carry!

When it comes to carries, the Manele Golf Course has one of golf ’s most intimidating ones: the par-3 12th. It perches atop a cliff 150 above Hulopoe Bay. Any tee shot slightly off line is aloha ‘oe. The picturesque tee box served as Bill and Melinda Gates’ wedding site. With the green 200 gusty yards away— and nothing but a chasm between it and you— it takes balls (because you’ll probably need to tee up more than once) to hit from the back tee. Better to move up to the 185-yard golds

Views Restaurant at Manele Golf Course

or the 155-yard blues; each provides every bit the test and sense of accomplishment.

As for the other 17 holes, Manele Golf Course may have dropped “The Challenge” from its name but not from its impeccable paspalum-carpeted layout. With ocean views from every hole, the Nicklaus design doglegs, climbs and dives through red lava fields, forcing risks you might not ordinarily take—if only because of the endorphins and adrenaline surges inspired by the scenery.

After a downhill right-dogleg opener, the course steadily ascends until you find yourself in the fairway of the par-5 6th, the apex of which presents not only a view of the birdie-or-bust green some 60 feet downhill, but also of the two sweet consecutive par 3s and par 5 that follow.

Following complimentary icy fruit lemonades and chilled towels at the turn, the great shots keep coming on the back nine—at least with your camera. The first four holes tightrope along the shoreline, their greens hanging above the surf. A birdie chance on the

short par-4 13th is the perfect antidote to the hash you may have made of its predecessor.

The gravity-friendly par-5 15th presents another shot at beating par, although just having a chance at a four on the par-4 17th— with its monstrous water carry off the tee and another long, accurate poke to negotiate a downhill dogleg right alongside the ocean—is a feat worth writing about (which I evidently am because I sank the par putt).

Enjoying Korean short rib lettuce wraps with a Bikini Blonde Lager in the course’s aptly named Views Restaurant, I understand why Manele has steadily risen among the ranks of the best U.S. public courses. I also appreciate what Larry Ellison, a man some say has an ego bigger than his fortune, is accomplishing on Lāna‘i.

And I don’t think I’ll ever stop marveling at those magical pine trees.

Jon Rizzi is the editor of Colorado AvidGolfer.

For more on Lanai, visit fourseasons.com/lanai; 808-565-2000.

MAUI IN THE MIST: Haleakala’s silhouette looms beyond Manele’s 4th and its treacherous 17th (right).

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Spring 2019 | COLORADO AVIDGOLFER

Blind Shot

PAGING SHIVAS IRONS: The gilded presence of Buddha, as tall as a par 3 hole, joins every round at Pattaya’s Chee Chan Golf Resort.

THE UNSEEN GAME

The Buddha Is Watching Thailand’s newest course carves a path to enlightenment.

ASK ANYONE who’s read Golf in the Kingdom or watched the successful pros known as “Tiger” and “Barn Rat.” Golf may have emerged from Scotland’s Presbyterian shorelines, but the mindbody training needed to succeed at a sport requiring such prolonged periods of extreme concentration borrows heavily from Asian principles.

Meditation, mindfulness, visualization, breath awareness, being in the moment—all apply to Buddhist teachings and sports psychology.

So what better place to put them into practice than under the beatific gaze of a 360-foot-tall Buddha? Inlaid with gold leaf and visible from every hole at Thailand’s Chee Chan Golf Resort, the Chee Chan Buddha was laser-cut into the 424-foot-high Khao Cheejan escarpment in COLORADO AVIDGOLFER | Spring 2019

1996 to honor the 50th anniversary of King Bhumibol’s coronation. “Buddha Mountain,” located some 90 minutes from Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi International Airport and 13 miles south of the glorious beach resorts of Pattaya, ranks as one of Thailand’s most popular tourist and devotional attractions.

Last December, devoted golfers began arriving to play the course created by David Dale and Kevin Ramsey of Golfplan, a California-based firm with a portfolio of 218 original designs in 32 different countries (including such unlikely ones as Uganda, Georgia and Mongolia).

Enjoying 80 feet of elevation change, panoramic views and a championship length of 7,345 yards, the par-72 layout presents a “stunning

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tableau,” according to Dale. Enormous limestone karsts ring the course, giving it an amphitheater-like quality. Rather than competing with the dramatic landforms, the holes melt over and between them.

Six holes play directly at Buddha Mountain, beginning with the opening par 4. “We couldn’t afford to miss that opportunity—to start golfers on their spiritual journey under the watchful eye of Siddhartha Gautuma,” says David Dale, referring to the founder of Buddhism. “We have much to learn from the Buddha, who taught a ‘Middle Way’ between sensual indulgence and uncurbed asceticism. For golfers the larger message is unambiguous: Relax and keep it in the fairway.” cheechangolf.com coloradoavidgolfer.com

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Learn more about the all-new BMW X5, and enjoy exceptional offers at Schomp BMW. Schomp BMW • 1190 Plum Valley Lane, Highlands Ranch, CO 80129 • 303.730.1300 • schompbmw.com Special lease and finance offers available from Schomp BMW through BMW Financial Services. ©2019 BMW of North America, LLC. The BMW name, model names and logo are registered trademarks.