November 13, 2015 VO LUM E 1 4 | IS S U E 51 | FREE
A salute to those who serve: Area veterans tell the stories of their military service in a special four-page package. See Pages 15-18.
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A PERFECT 10
Centennial living it up in the rankings USA Today rates city No. 4 among top places in the nation By Alex DeWind adewind@coloradocommunitymedia.com
Arapahoe wide receiver Connor Williams uses a stiff arm to fend off a Bear Creek defender during the Class 5A state playoff game Nov. 6. The Warriors, who moved to 10-0 on the season, used a balanced attack to win the game 31-14 and advance to the next round of the playoffs and face Ralston Valley. Turn to Page 25 for more coverage. Photo by Tom Munds
Golf courses prepare for winter South Suburban sites never officially close; play depends on weather By Mike DiFerdinando mdiferdinando@coloradocommunitymedia.com Since 2011, there hasn’t been one month in which people didn’t play golf at Lone Tree Golf Club. In fact, December 2011 is the only month in the last eight years when people didn’t play. “Rarely are there any months in Colorado where people don’t play,” said South Suburban Parks and Recreation Golf Director Bill Ramsey. As fall turns to winter, Ramsey will start taking precautions to winterize the courses he watches over — Lone Tree Golf and Country Club, Littleton Golf Course and a pair of facilities in Centennial, South Suburban Golf Club and Family Sports Golf. Typically, November is when he starts preparing the courses for winter, Ramsey said. “Our primary and most important issue is the irrigation system, obviously, because that a high-dollar repair if there are some freezes,” he said. The irrigation system of the South Suburban golf courses sits about 2 or 3 feet underground and takes two or three days to blow out with large air compressors and get rid of any moisture. The fairways are allowed to die out in the winter months, but the putting greens require special attention. “We just let them go dormant like any other grass in Colorado would do as it starts getting colder,” Ramsey said. “We really don’t protect anything but the greens with chemicals. We spray antisnow-mold material on the greens to keep the fungus from growing.”
Centennial has once again received national recognition as USA Today ranks it the nation’s fourth best city in which to live. 24/7 Wall St. — a Delaware-based company that runs a financial news and opinion website — reviewed data from 550 U.S. cities with populations of 65,000 or more, measured by the U.S. Census Bureau. The cities were then evaluated on factors such as crime rates, educational attainment, housing affordability, employment growth and access to restaurants and attractions. Centennial was 26th in last year’s rankings. In late summer, realtor.com recognized the ZIP code 80122 in west Centennial as the third hottest in the nation because of its strong community and growing business opportunities. The city also regularly gains recognition as one of the safest in Colorado and the entire nation. USA Today reported that more than half of adults in Centennial have a bachelor’s degree; the typical household earns more than $91,000 annually; the poverty rate is 4.8 percent; and the high schools have above-average test scores. Most students in Centennial attend a school in either the Cherry Creek or Littleton Public Schools districts, generally regarded as two of the top districts in Rankings continues on Page 6
Golfers enjoy an early morning tee time recently at South Suburban Golf Course in Centennial. Photo by Alex DeWind
Bill Ramsey is the director of golf for South Suburban, which includes Lone Tree Golf Club, South Suburban Golf Club, Family Sports Golf and Littleton Golf Course. Photo by Mike DiFerdinando The greens are more susceptible because of the type of grass — bent grass — and the fact that they are mowed really short. How the greens are cared for during the winter months is critical to how the course will play in the spring
“If you get a little bit of snow mold on your bluegrass at home, it’s not a big deal. But snow mold can really cause some damage to the greens,” Ramsey said. The golf courses never truly close. It’s up to Mother Nature to decide when conditions are playable. Last December, the Lone Tree Golf Club had 576 players the whole month. In June of the same year the course hosted 5,000. During the winter months, courses may institute cart-path-only rules to protect the fairways and greens. South Suburban will also cover the driving range tees and practice greens during the winter to protect them from the cold. The cold weather will also occasionally lead to reduced rates to draw people in. For those more weary of the cold, the driving range at Family Sports in Centennial offers heaters. “I’ve seen players tee off in single digits,” Ramsey said. “We want to give golfers the opportunity to play during those winter months. If they have been off the golf course for two to three weeks, they start to get a little bit of cabin fever.”
Centennial is ranked as the fourth best city in the nation in which to live by USA Today, and schools are part of that high ranking. Arapahoe High School in west Centennial is the largest in the Littleton Public Schools district with more than 2,000 students. Photo by Alex DeWind