August 2015 by Colorado AvidGolfer

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2015

Contents

In Every Issue 12 Forethoughts Too the Good Life? By Jon Rizzi

Features player’s Corner

31 play away What to expect when the mega-range Topgolf debuts later this month. By Denny Dressman

August

14 ’net Score Mulligans and messages from social media.

16 century Links

36 lesson

Judy Bell, Hale Irwin, Vic Kline, Dennis Lyon, Will Nicholson and Barbara McIntire are named “People of the Century.” By Jon Rizzi

the Gallery Two First Tee juniors earn trip to Pebble, Red Rocks Country Club’s remodel, and more.

72 the Games of Golf

Realty check.

The myth of an open-face sand wedge. By Larry Rinker

39 The Good Life Special 40 Chauncey Billups’ smooth transition. By Sam Adams

44 What automotive luxury looks like now. By Isaac Bouchard

48 Laucala: The world’s most exclusive resort. By Ted McIntyre

53 Backyard golf courses. By Jon Rizzi

56 Range, The Fort and Flagstaff House. By Gary James

59 The ultimate bread pudding. By Jon Rizzi

60 Six Master Sommeliers share their favorites. By Jon Rizzi

62 Beers worthy of a wine cellar. By Cody Gabbard

64 The Broadmoor’s five-star camping experience. By Jon Rizzi

66 From clubs to clothes, watches to scotches, quality never goes out of style. By Jon Rizzi

On The Cover

Chauncey Billups with his restored 1969 Camaro SS at Highlands Ranch Golf Club. Photograph by Tanja Butler-Melone

Colorado AvidGolfer | August 2015

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August 2015 Volume 14, Number 5 PUBLISHER

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Colorado AvidGolfer (ISSN 1548-4335) is published eight times a year by BakerColorado Publishing, LLC, and printed by American Web, Inc. Volume 14, Number five. 7200 S. Alton Way #A-180, Centennial, CO 80112. Colorado AvidGolfer is available at more than 250 locations, or you can order your personal subscription by calling 720-493-1729. Subscriptions are available at the rate of $17.95 per year. Copyright © 2015 by Baker-Colorado Publishing, LLC. All rights reserved. Reproduction without permission is prohibited. Postmaster: Send address changes to Colorado AvidGolfer, 7200 S. Alton Way #A-180 Centennial, CO 80112.The magazine welcomes editorial submissions but assumes no responsibility for the safekeeping or return of unsolicited manuscripts, photographs, artwork or other material.

M A G A Z I N E PA R T N E R O F C H O I C E :

Colorado Section

Colorado AvidGolfer | August 2015

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Forethoughts

Too the Good Life?

Colorado AvidGolfer | August 2015

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PHOTOGRAPH BY TED MCINTYRE

ORE THAN 20 YEARS AGO, when I was managing editor of the blueblood of society magazines, Town & Country, one of our junior copy editors came into my office holding a manuscript about one of the doyennes whose lifestyle we lauded. “I have an issue,” she said. “It says that Mrs. X’s custom bedding costs $20,000.” “Holy sheets!” I joked. I asked if her “issue” was that the price was factually incorrect. Maybe the writer confused it with thread-count or mistakenly added a zero? “Factually incorrect, no. But morally…” she sputtered. “I mean, that’s more than what some people—including me—make in a year.” I wondered if this was a creative ploy to get a raise. It wasn’t. More than the exorbitant amount Mrs. X spent on sheets, pillowcases and a comforter, the young copy editor couldn’t fathom why Mrs. X would want the world to know about it. “It makes her look ridiculous,” she said. I countered, somewhat hollowly, that our readers might actually admire Mrs. X and want to know the source for her bespoke linens. Colorado AvidGolfer isn’t Town & Country. But, as this issue celebrates “the good life,” I’ve found myself more than once hearing that junior copy editor’s voice questioning why anyone would, say, want to pay $44,000 a night to stay in the Hilltop Estate on the private South Pacific island of Laucala—unless, of course, they could sleep on the same sheets as Mrs. X did. But then I considered the relevance to our reader and re-read our mission statement of viewing golf “as a matter not only of performance but of pleasure, not as an isolated pastime but as the center of a constellation of interests including far-flung travel, great cars, wonderful wines, fabulous food and stylish clothing.” We’ve never really strayed from that vision. This issue only amplifies it. Is some of the content—like the Laucala story on page 48 —“over the top”? Yes. But whereas an over-the-top golf swing rarely produces good results, going over the top in life can occasionally provide eminent satisfaction. The following pages don’t promote an existence defined by extravagance— what socio-economists once called the “conspicuous consumption of leisure”—but one defined by “wealth,” which Henry David Thoreau described, albeit with a split infinitive, as “the ability to fully experience life.” The “Good Life” is about living deeply and richly. That philosophy expresses itself in this issue in all its protean forms: from Chauncey Billups’s aspirational approach towards career, family and golf, to Garth Hystad’s and Dave King’s home courses, to the aforementioned world of exceptional objects and experiences that nourish the spirit and make life good. The indulgence starts on page 39. Oh, and about that $20,000 bedding? I wound up cutting the reference. Everyone presumably slept better as a result. —JON RIZZI

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Score

connect with us

CoBank Signs On as Colorado Open Title Sponsor

DIALOG

PHOTOG

NEWS

R E.J. CAR R A P H BY

| NOTES |

NAMES

theGalle

INFO

BLOGS

’net

Gary Kranitz and shop. GO: Michael tournament SQUID PROS their one-stop Robinson display

g from signups tracks everythin overlooked. Its dashboard that often get enue reports. the hole where as well as minutiae to signage, map to select seamcan use a course Hole sponsors ’s software interfaces at golf d appear. Golfsquid or Viper—use their sign will software—BlueGolf cart pairings, lessly with tee-sheet print out check-in lists, will even Individual event courses and much more. coupons and adding to the badges, sponsor advertising, further date accommo player. sites can also cost: $2.99 per line. The entire PGA Tour winner event’s bottom Robinson, 13-time with impressed so At a meeting Duval was analyst David if I show it to Golf Channel “Do you mind , but its and that he asked, IS QUIRKY with Golfsquid week?” NY’S NAME to interview Golfsquid.com at Augusta next HE COMPA silly. In fact Hoggard called nt some people “I the least bit Channel’s Rex spokesperson. ble to tourname product isn’t Soon the Golf a partner and become as indispensi nt inDuval became could easily Daly. golf tourname Robinson, and transform the Coke is to John Robinson existing events Golfsquid will planners as Diet planner Gary and making believe that tournament more events are plana chance encounby facilitating Veteran golf release. “If you this year after Kranitz. dustry he said in a press it does.” website earlier eur Michael site and see what easier to manage,” launched the has software entrepren to get on the on his far ted need talking you him an event, alliance Robinson ter with multitalen I overheard says, “I ning the only strategic ink a deal a carwash and Duval is not was about to software,” Robinson other “We were in told the event-management press time, Golfsquid its official tournament and At it at phone about brokered. become He looked golf chain to business card. s deals on logoed held up my with a national ’” to bring customer is involved, call you back. also in talks entertainment. in which he person, ‘I gotta retailer. He’s e prizes and dozens of businesses ed event-management ise, luxury automotiv are in the works. Among the specting apps the merchand flat-fee, cloud-bas and player-pro and a national each category, Kranitz developed Live scoring already booked d.com. “Within events event,” the 100 eventsqui between 750 With close to software called help you manage intends to reach done, it come out to the right brand, imminent, Golfsquid R & D already squid’s tentacles a rollout year. “We found With the technical n. Our to customize the end of the Robinson explains. the right spokesma and 1000 by him and Robinson the right logo, a month for to handle 45,000 right name, took less than your the have the capacity you can handle tournaments. and servers easy. If (within a half-hour version for golf aspect software software is so easy to navigate nts, and the automates every Intuitive and om ent tourname this.” golfsquid.c players), Golfsquid you can handle marketing, managem site is registering ebay, payment, revand registration, , spreadsheets of golf event AvidGolf er 17 | Colorado It creates databases July 2015 and reporting.

Golfsquid Gets Ink

A Coal in One After closing for nearly two years because of the 2013 floods, Coal Creek Golf Course reopened to the public June 29. The day before, however VIPs invited by the City of Louisville played in a shotgun tournament on what’s being called “Colorado’s newest 25-year-old course.” Assistant Golf Course Superintendent Alex Kosel made the most of the opportunity. On the par-3 11th hole, he pured a 9-iron 150 yards and watched it hit the well-guarded green and roll into the cup for his fi rst-ever ace. When asked whether he had cut the hole on that green, Kosel laughed and shook his head no.

In “Golfsquid Gets Ink” (July issue), we misidentified Golfsquid President and CEO Gary Robinson (right). Our error, however, allows us to update the story. On July 15, Golfsquid.com announced it became the preferred Online Tournament Services Partner of Golfsmith, the largest specialty golf retailer in the world. Under the arrangement, Golfsmith will feature Golfsquid.com to all of

its tournament host customers while enabling all tournament goers to “gear up” before their events. Together, Golfsmith and Golfsquid can leverage each other’s tournament hosts and participant databases to simplify tournament planning and promote exclusive savings. “This is the first stage of what we hope will be a strong and long-lasting partnership,” says Drew Mitchell, Golfsmith’s director of field marketing.

r.com

Colorado AvidGolfer | August 2015

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ACE HIGH: Kosel (right) with PGA Head Professional David Baril.

Here’s to You, Mr. Robinson

colorado avidgolfe

PHOTOGRAPH BY JON RIZZI

The Colorado Open Championships will have a new title sponsor next year. CoBank, which this year is sponsoring pro-ams for the Colorado Open and Colorado Women’s Open, has stepped up its support, signing a five-year commitment that will run through 2020. The announcement came July 26, the fi nal day of the HealthONE Colorado Open. Starting with the 2016 Colorado Senior Open, CoBank will precede the name of all three Colorado Open Championships. “Colorado is a great state in so many ways, including a broad and robust interest in golf, and it deserves a great open,” said Bob Engel, CoBank’s chief executive officer. “We’re delighted to be succeeding HealthONE as title sponsor and look forward to enabling these fantastic tournaments to continue.” With more than $100 billion in assets, Greenwood Village-based CoBank is the largest Colorado-headquartered fi nancial institution. An integral part of the Farm Credit System, CoBank provides credit and other value-added fi nancial services to agriculture and rural infrastructure businesses benefitting rural America. Although the bank has a strong track record of corporate giving and community involvement, CoBank CEO Bob Engel. this sponsorship—its fi rst in golf—will significantly increase its local profi le, as will the new, 11-story headquarters building on the west side of I-25 between Orchard and Arapahoe roads that will be occupied by more than 500 employees when it opens later this year. Engel said one of the main reasons CoBank was interested in sponsoring the Colorado Open was that a portion of proceeds supports The First Tee program, which uses golf to promote integrity, respect and perseverance among underprivileged youth and other young players. “We’re committed to giving back to the community here in Denver,” Engel said, “and this sponsorship offers us another powerful way to do that.”

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centuryLinks

The Joy of Six

ALL SMILES: Judy Bell (left) and Barbara McIntire at Pinehurst, N.C. during one of many North & South Championships.

By Jon Rizzi

ITH NOVEMBER 14’S Century of Golf Gala appropriately moving to the iconic Broadmoor in Colorado Springs, and with arguably the greatest golfer ever, Jack Nicklaus, in attendance, the Colorado Golf Foundation will use the occasion to honor six transcendent individuals who have achieved national and international recognition for their accomplishments and contributions to the game. “You have to appreciate people while they’re still with us,” Colorado Golf Association Executive Director Ed Mate says. “And it’s exciting and fitting and gratifying that we’re able to pay tribute to them.”

Man of the Century: Will Nicholson Jr. Perhaps best known for setting up the course for the Masters during his 15 years as chairman of the Masters Competition Committee at Augusta National Golf Club, the Denver banker was president of the USGA (1980-81) and served 11 years on the powerful USGA Executive Committee. A member of the CGA board of governors for

Colorado AvidGolfer | August 2015

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more than 40 years, Nicholson played a pivotal role in creating the celebrated CGA/ CWGA-owned CommonGround Golf Course. Since 2006, the Will F. Nicholson Award has annually honored individuals such as Arnold Palmer, Ben Crenshaw and Ernie Els who have demonstrated a lifetime of commitment and dedication to the game of golf. Three recipients—Hale Irwin, Judy Bell and Nicholson himself—are among the Golf People of the Century.

PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY OF USGA/TUFTS ARCHIVE

Six living Colorado golf legends will be honored as “People of the Century.”

Woman of the Century: Judy Bell In 1996, 102 years after the founding of the USGA, the Colorado Springs resident became the organization’s first and only woman president. This followed 13 years as the first female to serve on its Executive Committee. She would go on to serve as Consulting Director for the USGA Grants & Fellowship department, which since 1997 has provided more than $65 million to organizations across the United States that conduct golf programs for underserved children and individuals with disabilities, including nearly $2 million to Girls Golf. Her career colorado avidgo lf e r.c o m

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Male Player of the Century: Hale Irwin Few players from Colorado or elsewhere can match the University of Colorado grad’s three U.S. Open victories (including 1990 at age 45) and 20 PGA Tour wins. And nobody comes close to his record of 45 Champions Tour victories. His 14 points (a 13-5-2 overall record) in five Ryder Cup appearances places him 10th all-time. His individual victory in the 1967 NCAA national championship remains CU’s only title in the event. The winner of three consecutive state stroke play championships headlined the Colorado Golf Hall of Fame’s second-ever class in 1974. A member of the Colorado Sports Hall of Fame and CU Athletic Hall of Fame, Irwin entered the World Golf Hall of Fame in 1992.

Female Player of the Century: Barbara McIntire On August 22, 1960, after becoming only the fourth American to win the British Ladies Amateur, the “Girl Golf Star” appeared on the cover of Sports Illustrated. This came a year after she’d won the U.S. Women’s Amateur (which she’d also win in 1964) and four years after almost becoming the first amateur winner of the U.S. Women’s Open (she lost in an 18-hole playoff to Cathy Cornelius). The longtime Colorado Springs resident played on six U.S. Curtis Cup teams, captained two others, and won six Women’s North & South Amateur Championships and a pair of Western Amateurs. She chaired the USGA Women’s Committee, and in 2000 received the organization’s highest honor, the Bob Jones Award. She joined Irwin as members of the Colorado Golf Hall of Fame’s second class in 1974, and entered the Colorado Sports Hall of Fame in 1998.

Golf Professional of the Century: Charles “Vic” Kline In 2000, the PGA of America honored the longtime PGA Director of Golf at Arvada’s Indian Tree Golf Club with its highest honor, Golf Professional of the Year. Five years later, his accom-

plishments—which included creating Indian Tree’s nationally acclaimed junior golf program—earned him induction into the PGA of America Golf Professional Hall of Fame. The five-time president of the Colorado PGA also won, among other honors, its Player of the Year award five times. He counts among his many victories the 1968 Colorado Open and the 1977 Rocky Mountain Open. As testament to his influence, the Colorado PGA annually presents the Vic Kline Award for outstanding service and leadership in the Section.

Superintendent of the Century: Dennis Lyon Nationally recognized by the USGA with its 2011 Green Section Award (given to significant contributions to golf through work with turfgrass), this Colorado Golf Hall of Fame member two years later received the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America’s Col. John Morley Distinguished Service Award for his outstanding contribution to the advancement of the golf course superintendent’s profession. Lyon served as national president of the GCSAA (198990) and the Colorado Golf Association (2002-03). As the manager of golf for the City of Aurora for more than 30 years, he oversaw the expansion of its course network to include Saddle Rock Golf Course (site of the 1998-2000 Colorado Opens) and Murphy Creek Golf Course (site of the 2008 U.S. Amateur Public Links Championship, for which he served as general chairman). For his 25 years of volunteer work on the USGA Public Golf and Green Section Committees, the Craig native in 2011 received the USGA Ike Grainger Award.

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as an administrator and player (three Broadmoor Ladies Invitation and Kansas Women’s Amateur titles, two Curtis Cup appearances and captaincies, and a single-round record 67 in the U.S. Women’s Open that stood for 14 years) earned her induction into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 2001.

For general information about the Century of Golf Gala, visit coloradogolf.org/foundation, or contact CGA Director of Development Ryan Smith (rsmith@coloradogolf.org; 303-974-2108). colorado avidgo lf e r.c o m

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NEWS

NOTES

NAMES

theGallery PHOTOGRAPH BY E J CARR

TWO GOOD TO BE TRUE: Dowdy (left) and Bryant will represent The First Tee Chapters of Denver and Green Valley Ranch.

These Boys Will Rock Pebble

Brock Dowdy and Davis Bryant will play with the pros in the Nature Valley First Tee Open.

OR THE THIRD TIME in the event’s 12-year history, the field at September’s Nature Valley First Tee Open at Pebble Beach will feature two participants from Coloradobased chapters of The First Tee. Brock Dowdy and Davis Bryant will represent, respectively, The First Tee Denver and The First Tee Green Valley Ranch. They’ll join 79 other golfers ages 15-18, each of whom will be paired with a Champions Tour player in a 54-hole event played on

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Pebble Beach Golf Links and Poppy Hills Golf Course. An additional 162 amateurs complete the field, with all proceeds benefiting The First Tee. Dowdy, Bryant and 80 other juniors were selected from a field of 148 applicants by The First Tee based on golf skills, written essays, interviews, recommendations and overall character. They learned about their selections July 1 during “Morning Drive” on the Golf Channel, which will televise the tournament September 24-27. Neither has

played Pebble Beach before, but when they do, they’ll be following in the footsteps of Aaron Woodard of The First Tee of Denver, who won the inaugural First Tee Open with Craig Stadler in 2004, and six other Colorado First Tee golfers, including 2013 participant Kobe Padilla, who is currently an Evans Scholar at the University of Colorado. An eight-year participant in The First Tee of Denver, Dowdy has progressed through golf skill classes, the Players’ Club competitive tournament series, and even employment as a junior coach where he has worked for three consecutive summers. Currently a 17-year-old senior-to-be at Denver East High School, Dowdy made the varsity golf team as a freshman, crediting instructor Trent Wearner and Colorado Golf Fitness Club’s Dee Tidwell with his success. He fell in love with the game when his maternal grandfather gave him a cut-down 9-iron, and his passion for playing and teaching the game has him looking at a August 2015 | Colorado AvidGolfer

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theGallery BEST SUMMER EVER: Bryant qualified for the U.S. Junior Amateur and made Colorado’s Junior America’s Cup team.

PHOTOGRAPH BY E J CARR

Professional Golf Management (PGM) programs such as the one at the University of Colorado, Colorado Springs, where he can also get a degree in business. “My other option is to go somewhere and play D-I or D-II golf,” says Dowdy, whose lowest competitive score is 70. Like all the juniors in the Nature Valley event, Dowdy won’t know which Champions tour player will be his partner until September 22. “It would be great to play with Brad Faxon, one of the best putters known, because I could learn so much,” he says. “But I’ve always been a fan of Tom Lehman and Fred Funk.” For Bryant, the choice of partner is easy. “I was named after Davis Love III,” says the 15-year-old son of Matt Bryant, the PGA general manager and director of golf at Green Valley Ranch Golf Club, and Julie Bryant, the executive director of The First Tee of Green Valley Ranch and director of member services for the Colorado Open Golf Foundation. The Eaglecrest High School sophomore has participated in The First Tee of Green Valley Ranch since he was seven, the same age at which he scored the first of the nine aces he’s had on GVR’s Par 3 Course. Playing in the Nature Valley First Tee Open at Pebble Beach will cap off a fabulous season that started in April, when he won the Colorado Junior Golf Association’s Pueblo Spring Championship, and continued with runner-up and top-ten finishes in numerous CJGA events, including the CGA Junior Stroke Play. He shot a 69 at Boulder’s Flatirons Golf Course to win and qualify for the Optimist Junior Golf national championships at PGA National in Florida, but was unable to compete because the dates conflicted with the prestigious U.S. Junior Amateur at Colleton River Plantation Club in South Carolina. Bryant qualified for the latter at the Fox Hill Club in Longmont by grinding out rounds of 72-71 and birdieing the third playoff hole to earn the final spot. Then, right after the Junior Am, he traveled to Pine Canyon Club in Flagstaff, Ariz., where he competed in the boys Junior America’s Cup July 28-30. Both he and Dowdy have gotten to know each other and look forward to representing Colorado in Monterey. Having caddied for John Elway in the HealthONE Colorado Open, Bryant won’t be starstruck by all the big-name golfers.

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The HIGH PROFILE and SUCCESSFUL 10TH ANNUAL AUDI CORPORATE CUP took took place on JUNE 5TH & 6TH at RED SKY GOLF CLUB.

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NTERMITTENT DOWNPOURS didn’t dampen the mood of the members in attendance at the June 9 Grand Opening of Red Rocks Country Club’s renovated and expanded clubhouse. The $4.2 million project, which broke ground last September, doubled the building’s square footage to approximately 24,000 and opened up the grille, dining and bar areas to take advantage of the spectacular views. Members celebrated on the delightful wraparound terrace and outdoor pavilion. Denver-based Hyder Construction modernized the structure, vastly expanding the kitchen and cart storage spaces, upgrading the millwork and finishes and employing sustainable building materials such as natural sand, stone, earth and wood. Spacious yet intimate, the interior dining areas now boast light colors and modern western décor and room for 130 more people than before. The once forgettable entryway now invites mingling with a fireplace and lounge area. Inside and out, the entire structure feels lighter, airier and consistent with the club’s other topnotch amenities, especially its outdoor pool and revitalized golf course by Phelps-Atkinson Design. redrockscountryclub.org; 303-352-2030

PHOTOGRAPHS COURTESY OF RED ROCK COUNTRY CLUB

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House Party

PLAYING AT RED ROCKS: Members flow through the renovated clubhouse bar.

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Last One for HealthONE

WIDE OPEN: Somin Lee (top) and Blair O’Neal look to take the state title.

PHOTOGRAPHS COURTESY OF PEPPERDINE UNIVERSITY (TOP) AND BLAIRONEAL.COM

HE 21ST HEALTHONE Colorado Women’s Open (Aug. 26-28 at Green Valley Ranch Golf Club) will be the last of the Colorado Open championships sponsored by the healthcare giant, and chances are, it will produce a first-time winner. Last year’s victor (Kendall Dye) and low amateur (Jennifer Kupcho) won’t be competing, and as of press time, no previous champions had signed up. That doesn’t mean a weak field, however. Early commitments include Big Break champion Blair O’Neal, former Colorado junior and Pepperdine star Somin Lee, and newly minted pros like the delightfully named Scooby Liu. Complementing the event’s official three-day, Pebble Beach-like pro-am format, this year’s Open includes a one-day pro-am the day before the tournament. The event allows guests to play alongside the top participants in the Open without competing in the three-day tournament. As reported on page 14, starting next year, CoBank will be the title sponsor of all three Colorado Open Championships. coloradoopen.org.

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former Colorado 5A state high school champions, Spencer Painton (2013) and David Oraee (2010), qualified July 13 at Columbine Country Club for the U.S. Amateur, to be held Aug. 17-23 at Olympia Fields Country Club. It marks the first appearance for both in the event so prestigious it was once considered a major. Painton, currently at the University of Kansas, carded a two-round total of 8-under-par 136 for medalist honors. Oraee, who just completed his career at the University of Colorado, came in third with a 2-under 142. Between them was Texas State’s Tyler Saunders, who blistered the course with a 9-under 63 in the second round to finish at 138, two shots behind Painton.

year-old Nick Nosewicz, became the oldest winner of Colorado’s oldest state championship in more than 20 years when he defeated 21-year-old Connor Klein of Lone Tree Golf Club, 4 and 3, to take the title at Aurora’s CommonGround Golf Course on July 10. Not since 1994, when Colorado Golf Hall of Famer Mark Crabtree won his fourth match play title at age 38, had anyone older than 30 hoisted the trophy. The grandson of Colorado Golf Hall of Fame member Ed Nosewicz, Sr., Nick also fired a 66 to earn medalist honors in the qualifying round of stroke play.

PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY OF NICK NOSEWICZ

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Golf By Numbers

USGA championships—that’s how many 18-year-old Jennifer Kupcho will have played after she competes in this month’s U.S. Women’s Amateur at Portland Golf Club in Oregon. On July 13, the freshman-to-be at Wake Forest shot a 69 at Westminster’s Heritage at Westmoor, two shots behind Texan Courtney Dow. Coloradans also qualifying for the U.S. Women’s Am were CU junior Esther Lee and Erin Sargent of Longmont. Kupcho’s USGA resume also includes the 2013 U.S. Women’s Amateur. Nick Nosewicz

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taylormorrison.com Offer void where prohibited by law. All incentives, pricing, availability and plans subject to change or delay without notice. Communities are adjacent to the respective two 18-hole championship private, members-owned golf courses and memberships are by invitation only. For inquiries regarding membership opportunities, please contact the Country Club at Castle Pines directly at (303) 688-7400 and the Columbine Country Club directly at 303 794 2674. Taylor Morrison has no control or affiliation with the above facilities, including but not limited to membership opportunities, features and pricing. Home ownership does not grant special golf or social membership rights and complete details available. Square footage is approximate. Please see a Taylor Morrison Sales Associate for details and visit www.taylormorrison.com for additional disclaimers. © May, 2015 Taylor Morrison Colorado, Inc. All rights reserved.

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player’sCorner PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY OF TOPGOLF

play away

Can’t Top This

Topgolf Centennial is scheduled to open later this month. Let the games begin! By Denny Dressman

WO BUDDIES ARE WARMING up on the practice range at Talking Stick Golf Resort in Scottsdale before beginning their round. One says to the other: “You been to Topgolf yet? What a blast!” The speaker was referring to the innovative recreational golf center located next door to Talking Stick Resort. And come late August, someone likely will be making the same comment when the first Colorado site, Topgolf Centennial, opens. That’s because this is not an old-fashioned driving range where people mindlessly pound balls into the distance without regard for where they land. The “Top” in Topgolf, explains Kimbel Hice, assistant facility manager at Topgolf Scottsdale, stands for Target Oriented Practice. And the fun of it may be the salvation of the sport for generations that are not attracted to the traditional form. So far, there are 13 Topgolf locations in six states, plus three in the United Kingdom, where it all began. By the end of 2016, another 12 Topgolf centers are scheduled to have opened across the United States—including the one at 10601 E. Easter Avenue, near the corner of East co l o r a d o a v i d g o l f e r. c o m

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Arapahoe Road and South Havana Street in Centennial. So what is Topgolf? One of the hosts at Topgolf Scottsdale, who prefers to go by only his first name—Adam—puts it this way: “It’s bowling with bumpers.” Which is his way of saying not everyone who comes to Topgolf would qualify as even a passionate duffer, just as the patrons at your typical bowling alley aren’t all posting scores around 200. “About half the people who come to a Topgolf location are not serious golfers,” echoes Casey Daniel, who will be in charge of Topgolf Centennial when it opens. Asked if she’s a golfer herself, Daniel responds: “I’m a Topgolfer.” She rarely gets out to a golf course more than once a year. Daniel joined Topgolf eight years ago and opened five of the seven Texas locations before relocating to Denver, first to oversee the weather-delayed construction of the Centennial site then to become its Director of Operations. The site will employ 450, about a hundred of the jobs full-time. “This is a place for people to come and have fun,” Daniel explains. “We get all ages, all skill levels—families, couples, company groups. It’s a great place for parties—kids’

GOLF MEETS BOWLING: Topgolf’s fun-and-games atmosphere rejects the lone-wolf vibe of your typical driving range.

birthday parties, company parties—any kind of party, really.” That doesn’t mean serious golfers aren’t part of the mix, as well. That’s who gave birth to the idea in the first place. As the story goes, brothers Steve and Dave Jolliffe were at a driving range in North London in 1997, and became dissatisfied with not knowing exactly how far their shots were flying nor how close to the flag stick they were landing. “Can’t we make this more fun?” they asked themselves. They quickly came up with an approach that led to the formation of World Golf Systems and development of the I.D. Ball System and points-based target game concept that are the heart and soul of Topgolf. The first Topgolf center opened in 2000, just outside London in Watford, and was followed in 2004 by one in Chigwell, England. The first U.S. location opened in Alexandria, Virginia in 2005. Following the blueprint of other Topgolf centers, Colorado’s first will feature a 65,000-foot, three-level structure with 34 hitting bays on each level, bars, food service, party rooms and an entertainment area with pool tables, electronic games and flat screen TVs to occupy guests while they wait August 2015 | Colorado AvidGolfer

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TARGET PRACTICE: Many think TopGolf’s fun and non-intimidating approach will hook generations of kids on golf.

their turn. (On weekends, a four-hour wait is not unusual.) As in Scottsdale, the Centennial location will even have an area where a deejay can set up and encourage dancing when the bays are packed. Each bay can seat up to 10 people, but accommodates only six golfers—a term that can mean grandma out with her grandkids, couples out for laughs, guys who also have a regular foursome at a course, and anyone else who can swing a club. Servers bring food and drink right to each bay. The menu is as hip as any trendy nightspot. Just as bowlers can bring their custom balls or use “alley balls,” Topgolfers can bring their own clubs or use those that are provided. Unlike bowling, where every 10 frames constitute a line (game) and players are charged by the line, there is no charge for golf balls, number of games or number of players at Topgolf. A bay rents by the hour, the cost varying by time of day, morning to late evening. During an hour, players can play as quickly or slowly as they choose, with pace of play dictated by laughs between shots, good-natured trash talk or a deliberate pre-shot routine. A typical landing area (such as the one under construction in Centennial) is 215 yards long. It’s covered with synthetic-grass dotted with color-coded, circular targets, located at varying distances. Each target is divided into scoring

PHOTOGRAPH BY BEN AND KELLY PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF TOPGOLF

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areas, similar to a dartboard. Micro-chipped balls produced by Callaway Golf enable the tracking of every shot by each player. Different target areas are utilized in different games that folks just out for a good time, as well as those who take it seriously, can choose to play. All involve accuracy, hence the “Target Oriented Practice” part of the name. Some examples: In the signature game, called Topgolf, players score points by hitting balls into any target—the closer to the center of a target and the farther the distance, the more points earned. For short-game fans, Topchip utilizes the three targets nearest the hitting bays. Each player gets five shots each at two of the targets, and 10 at the other. A shot that hits the correct target scores points; shots that hit the wrong target deduct points. Toppressure requires a player to hit all nine sections of a given target, with penalties for hitting the same section more than once. Topscramble is a two-player team game similar to a typical golf scramble. Others include Topscore and Topdrive, which reward distance as well as accuracy, and Topshot, an elongated version of Topchip. Similar to bowling alleys, Topgolf organizes leagues with cash prizes for the more serious golfers. Topgolf also offers monthly memberships in four price ranges, membership cards, and discounts for children and members of the military (active-duty and veterans). Whether golfers, Topgolfers or something inbetween, everyone’s there to have fun. The format, environment and staff encourage that. As a way of building the number of golfers, Topgolf certainly serves as a cool, low-pressure introduction to a game people can eventually play on a course with their own equipment. Whether or not they will add significantly to Colorado’s roughly 440,000 golfers is anyone’s guess, but Topgolf Centennial does project revenues of $264.5 million over the next ten years. And people will be having a blast.

Contributor Denny Dressman is most recently the author of Heard but Not Seen: Richard Nixon, Frank Robinson and The All-Star Game’s Most Debated Play. comservbooks.com colorado avidgo lf e r.c o m

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The Myth of the Open-Face Sand Wedge Consistent chipping requires releasing your hands and wrists through impact. By Larry Rinker

OU PROBABLY HAVE HEARD the face of your wedge should be open enough after impact that you could balance a wine glass on it. Whoever said that might have drunk the contents of the glass before dispensing that advice. Keeping the clubface open past impact with the body rotating and the hands pulling supposedly holds the angle in the back of the right hand. The truth is, according to 3-D experts and video, with any speed in the clubhead, its inertia will rotate the clubface or close it past impact.

You want to release the clubhead with rotation in your arms and hands to have the proper shaft lean and use the bounce of the sand wedge at impact. If you hold the angle by pulling and turning, you will have too much shaft lean at impact. The sharp leading edge will dig into the ground, and if you hit a quarter inch behind the ball you will chili-dip it. You will have more room for error by releasing your hands and wrists, because the wedge sole will bounce or dropkick into the ball. There will be little difference in the distance between

this shot and a clean strike. Start releasing the club head, hitting down, and feeling the club releasing with speed as you go past impact. You want the orbit of the club head to be unimpeded as it goes through impact to your fi nish.

25-Year PGA Tour veteran Larry Rinker is director of instruction at Red Sky Golf Academy in Wolcott from June to September. For more information call the Red Sky golf shop at 970-754-8377 or email LarryRinkerGolf@gmail.com.

On the left, I pulled the handle through, rotated my body, and held the angle. In the middle and on the right, the clubface rotated perpendicular to the plane and the speed in the club head rotated my arms, hands, and wrists. Notice that my hips only slightly rotated vs the pulling and turning method. On the right past impact, you can see that the hips are only slightly rotated with the club head passing my left arm and hand with the club face toe up and perpendicular to the plane.

DRILL: To get the feel, tee a ball up, put it forward in your stance and start hitting some shots with just your trailing right arm and hand. This will give you the proper feel of the release and using less body rotation. Now hit some with both hands and try to get that feel. If you are still having trouble, make sure your weight is in your lead side, and the club head is on plane coming into the ball. Better to be steep with your club head plane than shallow. Being on plane coming into the ball is crucial.

At impact, I am still hitting the ball with loft in the slightly open clubface and the shaft leaning slightly more forward than at address due to my lower body shirting laterally toward the target.

Colorado AvidGolfer | August 2015

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When you factor in the affordability of both the residences and membership initiation fees, these three deserve a closer look. Very family oriented, each offers exceptional golf as well as a swimming pool and year round member programs. If waterfront living appeals to you Bow Mar is a great option while homes in Chenango provide a countryside feel. Allow us to assist you in finding your home by calling today.

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Smooth Transition Post-NBA life is sweet for Chauncey Billups. But could “retirement” just be an intermission before a dramatic second act? By Sam Adams

NE YEAR INTO retirement from the National Basketball Association, Chauncey Billups is b-b-b-b-busier than ever. Television assignments. Board meetings. Business trips. Youth camps. Honey-do and Daddy-please lists, too. Sitting on a bleacher while peering out at aspiring basketball players attending his annual youth basketball camp at Parker Fieldhouse, Billups laughs off the expectation of playing lots of golf while in retirement. “You have to understand, I’m making up for a lot of missed time,” he says. “I’ve been away for most of my career. I have three daughters, and so basically it’s whatever they have going is what I’m doing. Whatever spare time I have, if I have spare time, I’ll delegate it to golf.” Billups and his wife, Piper, have daughters Cydney, Ciara and Cenaiya. Cydney Billups, a senior-to-be at Mountain Vista High School, will be attending the University of Texas on a soccer scholarship. Ciara (a sophomore at Valor Christian) and Cenaiya (a fourth-grader) are fixated on the art of dancing. All the girls understand that, while their famous retired father is their biggest supporter, “it’s not like I’m 65-year-old retired man with all the time in the world,” Billups says. “I’m still a very high-aspiring dude who wants to succeed in business the way I succeeded in basketball. There are bigger things that I aspire to be great at that will take some time.” Businessman Billups spends time in and out of St. Louis, Missouri, overseeing the 30

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Wendy’s franchises he co-owns with Junior Bridgeman, the former NBA player and CEO of Bridgeman Hospitality, which owns more than 350 restaurants across the country. Television analyst Billups completed his first year of NBA studio work for ESPN, with the intention of returning for the 2015-16 season. One year away from pro basketball, Billups is making a smooth transition from athlete to businessman. “I always feared that first year out. But I didn’t miss it at all—not until the playoffs started,” Billups says. “But the time was right. I gave the game all that I could give it, everything I had. I’ve been planning my future for the last five years. When it was time to make the decision to retire, I was at peace with it.

cey was genuinely interested. We spent a lot of time together, over two years before the Wendy’s opportunity presented itself.” Billups has traveled a long road from high school phenom at George Washington High to the University of Colorado to the NBA. The same playful kid who relentlessly pedaled his green Big Wheel around his Park Hill neighborhood—until its faded Incredible Hulk stickers all but vanished—is now a proud 39-year-old family man who enjoys an occasional cruise around town in his Bentley or beloved vintage Chevy Camaro. “Chauncey’s a special person,” says Lonnie Porter, recently retired Regis University men’s basketball coach and a very close friend of Billups and his family.

“At the end of the day, the things that made me great as a basketball player are going to be the things that make me great in whatever else I do—working hard, being dedicated and making sacrifices.” “At the end of the day, the things that made me great as a basketball player are going to be the things that make me great in whatever else I do—working hard, being dedicated and making sacrifices.” Bridgeman saw that commitment when a mutual friend, knowing Billups’ interest in the restaurant business, introduced them. “Chauncey spent time with us in Kentucky to get all the numbers, the ins and outs of the business,” Bridgeman says. “Normally, I know right off if someone is sincere. Chaun-

“When I first met Chauncey, well, it was eerie in a good way,” Porter says. “I had known his parents, Faye and Ray, for a long time. I’d known his dad since he was 14, when he was at Denver East while I was coaching at Manual. Ray was a heck of a basketball player himself. “Chauncey was eight, maybe nine years old when Ray would bring him to Manual to watch some games. One day Ray told me, ‘He’s going to be real good, coach.’ I’m thinking, yeah right. I’ve heard that before. colorado avidgo lf e r.c o m

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PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY OF NAME P H O T O G R A P H B Y TA N J A B U T L E R M E L O N E

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The whole time Ray and I are talking, this kid Chauncey never stops looking at me. I didn’t know what it was, but it was different. It was an intense look, as if he was hanging onto my every word. He never blinked. “If you are a believer, you’ll know what I mean when I say this little kid had a look that said, ‘One day we’ll work together to make it better for other kids, to help kids.’” The Porter-Billups Leadership Academy, now in its 10th year (and the 20th for Porter) offers academic and leadership skills training to elementary through high school-aged atrisk youth in Denver. Ninety-two percent of the enrollees have gone on to attend college. Porter and Billups host an annual dinner and golf tournament to raise monies to benefit the academy’s operations, scholarships

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P H O T O G R A P H B Y TA N J A B U T L E R M E L O N E

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Denver. “He practices with our team on occasion. That’s good for him because he sees how well these guys play—and they get to pick his brain on mental strategies.” The best facet of Billups’ golf game “is his short game. I marvel at it,” Billinger says. “It’s that shooter’s touch around the greens. It’s a softness that he probably has from being such a high-percentage free throw shooter.” Billups loves playing with friends at public courses such as DU’s home course at Highlands Ranch Golf Club, but he won’t hesitate to use his memberships at either Colorado Golf Club or Cherry Hills Country Club, where he carded his best round to date. “I shot an 84. I was smoking—on fire,” says a giddy Billups, who started playing golf in 2009. “My game is coming around. I would like to work on it a bit more—I’m around a 14, 15 handicap right now. I love it. There’s nothing I’d rather do for four hours than play golf.” Billups also has a golf simulator in his suburban Denver home. “It’s more of a social thing, for when the fellas come over,” he says. “I don’t practice on it much. I am a big practice guy but my thing is, you can really mess yourself up if you’re practicing the wrong thing, practicing bad habits.” The “practice-makes-perfect” student approach helped Billups to become one of the most respected players in the NBA during his 17-year career, playing for seven different teams. He was a late bloomer to stardom, making his first All-Star Game appearance at age 29—the season following his MVP-winning performance in the 2004 NBA Finals. “I’ve been a star player, a role player, a bench player, a guy on injured reserve and a guy who wasn’t good enough,” Billups says. “I’ve sat on every seat on that bench.”

“He’s definitely a golf fanatic now, 100 percent...It’s his short game. I marvel at it... It’s that shooter’s touch of his around the greens. It’s a softness that he probably has from being such a high-percentage free throw shooter.” — Erik Billinger

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and endowments. An avid golfer, Porter knows how much Billups has come to enjoy playing the game. “He’s getting better and better,” Porter says. “When he gets more time, he’ll be in single-digits, for sure—maybe even scratch. He’s going about it the right way, taking lessons from pros who can teach him how to really play the game.” “He’s definitely a golf fanatic, 100 percent,” says Erik Billinger, one of Billups’ instructors and head men’s golf coach at the University of

Twice, Billups found himself wearing the jersey of the Denver Nuggets. Twice, he was traded. “I got mad every time he got traded,” Faye Billups said. “He never did, though. I asked him to get mad about it, but he always was content to move on.” The lessons learned throughout his playing career have given Billups an abundance of confidence that he is ready, right now, to run an NBA team. Which begs the question: Could “Mr. Big Shot” help return the Denver colorado avidgo lf e r.c o m

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I was making decisions I didn’t know would affect me and lead me to the path it did.” Billups did make one costly wrong turn. He was 13 and took his mother’s car to pick up friends on a snowy evening. “I thought it had been stolen,” Faye Billups recalls. “Then I saw Chauncey driving my car down the alley with his friends in it. I made his friends go home, and then I let him have it. I told him I was taking the basketball away for three weeks. His father thought that was too long, so I settled for a week and a half.” Twenty-five years later, Chauncey Billups has put away the basketball for good. He won an NBA championship ring, earned Finals MVP and made five All-Star teams. He also kept the promise made to his mother to get his college degree. And he gives back by

P H O T O G R A P H B Y TA N J A B U T L E R M E L O N E

Nuggets to the ranks of playoff contenders? “I’ve been public with the fact that I’ve always had a desire to be a general manager, hire the coach, get the personnel . . . be that guy to put it together,” Billups says. “I’ve always had those aspirations. Everybody knows how I feel about my hometown. I live here. I’m always here. Do I think I could help the Nuggets? Sure, man. Sure. Absolutely. “But, again, they have people they believe in, people that are good. Hopefully it’ll work out. I’m not the guy who sits back saying, ‘I hope so-and-so doesn’t do well and maybe I’ll get a shot.’ I don’t work like that. Hopefully they’ll do great and don’t need me. It’s no big deal. There are 30 teams. I know with my experience and what I’ve done, people need that. This league is getting younger and more immature. With that immaturity, you need a face and a guy that people will respect—someone they’ve seen do it and believe in. “Have I been a general manager? No. Do I respect that process? I do. But there are many things about being a good GM. The qualities and on-the-job experience that you have to have, I have. I’ve seen organizations run poorly. I’ve seen them run great. I’ve played for great coaches and horrible coaches. I know what kind of egos you have to mix together to have a great team. I know what kind of egos will sour a team. I’ve seen all of it. “Make no mistake—I’m happy doing what I’m doing. So, I’m not soliciting. Can I help and be good at it? Sure. It depends on who you hire around you. I’ve been on damn near every team in the league, so I know everybody.” Billups’ talk of re-emerging in the NBA as a front-office man is not unlike that of John Elway, who took some time away from the NFL after retirement before running an Arena Football League team and eventually taking the reins as the Denver Broncos’ GM and vice-president of football operations. “John and I became fast friends a couple of years ago,” Billups says. “I talk to him a lot about how effectively he’s been able to brand his name. That’s what I aspire to do, especially in this town. So I talk to him a lot about the things he’s done and the steps he took.” For all that he’s accomplished, both as an athlete and philanthropist in his community, Billups always will have a place at the top of Denver’s Hometown Hero list. “I often look back, especially now that I’m retired,” Billups says. “I think about my flight— growing up in Park Hill as an underprivileged youth, breaking through all the barriers because I believed and turned right when I was supposed to turn right and not go left...

Nature has chosen its course. teaching youth how to play basketball—and more important, how to be good students and wise leaders in school. “I thought Chauncey was going to do well in life when his high school classmates voted him a class leader,” Faye Billups says. “I don’t think it was because of basketball. It was because he got good grades and accepted responsibility.” “The reason I got good grades,” Billups says, “is because I loved the game so much. I tricked myself into being educated. It was crazy, right? But I look back at what my life is, what it could have been and man, I’m just a blessed and lucky dude.”

Contributor Sam Adams is an award-winning standup comedian and journalist. imlikethebeer@yahoo.com.

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How Luxury Rolls in 2015 As features once restricted to the most expensive vehicles trickle into the mainstream, top-shelf brands are finding new ways to distinguish themselves. By Isaac Bouchard

2015 ROLLS-ROYCE WRAITH MSRP: $294,025 MPG: 13 city/21 hwy

The amount of global wealth created this century has prompted automakers to create the kinds of extreme vehicles not seen for generations. So it’s only fitting that Rolls-Royce reintroduce the Wraith name. Created in the years just before World War Two, the stunning Wraith running chassis was supplied to independent coachbuilders such as De Villars to customize one-of-a-kind vehicles. In contrast, today’s Rolls-Royce utilizes underpinnings and basic electronic and mechanical architecture from parent BMW, yet drapes a stunningly unique fastback shape over these components. The result looks like nothing else on the road; at over 17 feet long, it’s sized like an SUV, giving it incredible presence. Yet its two rear-hinged, powered doors and sleekly styled flanks convey the very essence of understated luxury that newer, more extroverted pretenders to the crown must play in order to stand apart. Nor does the Wraith’s interior resemble anything on the market. The glory of England’s coachbuilding tradition reveals itself in stunning swathes of precious woods, hand-rubbed and inlaid to perfection, ensconced within the grasp of perfectly tanned hides. Many of the Wraith’s interior shapes are very architectural; the door panels stand out for the delightful interplay between materials, colors and trapezoidal shapes. Effortless speed is essential to such

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automobiles, and here the Rolls enjoys the development dollars and literal lifetimes of performance man-hours that have made BMW such an icon. Whereas the 1939 model topped out at 85 mph, this one maxes at 155. Its turbo, 6.5-liter V-12 produces instant low-end torque, peaking at 590lb-ft at only 1500 rpm. Coupled with the power of 624 horses, the 5,500-pound Wraith jets from 0-60 in 4.4 seconds. Though you barely feel it. This turbine-smooth mill and its satellite-controlled eight-speed automatic transmission (GPS tells it to prepare gears for hills, etc) define effortless. The Wraith’s suspension comprises air springs, computer controlled dampers and active antiroll bars. It ties down the 2.5-ton body for spirited driving, yet stays focused on its mission of providing an immaculate ride, free from the kind of impact harshness that usually accompanies low-profile tires. It serenely masters downtrodden pavement with appropriate distain; the steering telegraphs this mien clearly: fingertip-light yet super-accurate, it sets the tone for how one should proceed yet dispatches great distances with alacrity. These ingredients blend together in such a harmonious way that the entire experience of RollsRoyce motoring becomes almost otherworldly. Like a Tibetan monk trying to explain satori to a neophyte, there’s more than a hint of the ineffable about driving the Wraith. And like a direct apparition of nirvana, it is something only a select, fortunate few will experience.

2015 BMW X6M

MSRP: $102,100 MPG: 14 city/19 hwy One of the myriad examples of modern automotive luxury is the aggressively OTT SUV (the over-the-top sport utility vehicle). Gaping maws, bluff front ends and serious footwear are de rigueur with these machines, which are incredibly popular not just stateside but in the New Worlds of consumerdom: China, Russia and the Middle East. BMW has obviously cracked the code with the X6, and this second generation version, at least in M form, makes a strong case as the baddest biggie on any block. The X6M certainly looks the part; the artful and aggressive front fascia incorporates functional grills and slats, while four big exhaust pipes poke out the back. The flared fender forms are properly fi lled with monstrously gorgeous split-spoke 21-inch wheels and, at 325mm cross-section, seriously wide rear Michelin Pilot Super Sport tires. Inside the already lovely X5/6 interior sports bespoke gauges, a very tactile Alcantara headliner, artfully stitched leather and deeply lacquered carbon fiber trim. The cosseting front seats are also unique to the M version. In this market space, where luxury means not just quietness and a good ride, but also staggering performance, the X6M excels. It absorbs bumps very well for its size and weight, thanks to the excellent tuning of bushings, the adroitcolorado avidgo lf e r.c o m

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ness of the adjustable dampers and the use of non-runflat tires. Within the confi nes dictated by its size and mass, it lives up the dynamic standards we have routinely come to associate with M “cars.” It has terrific body control, with little fore-aft pitching and almost no body roll, even in the suspension’s softest setting. While the steering isn’t overly endowed with feel, it is extremely accurate. A rear-biased AWD system means this behemoth exhibits very low levels of under-steer, and the pizza-sized brake rotors and six-pot front fi xed calipers give the BMW startling prowess. If the “good life” means being able to blow by a punk in a Mustang GT, then the X6M is your ride. Its updated twin-turbo 4. 4-liter V8 now pumps out 567 horses and 550lb-ft of twist, endowing this 5300-pounder with sub-four-second 0-60 mph potential and a scary-sounding 174 mph top end. The soundtrack is bass-heavy, punctuated by overrun crackles and pops as the eight-speed auto simulates the twin-clutch gearboxes. The X6M is just about the most in-your-face SUV on the market right now. This BMW is designed to thrill, indulge and delight its driver and occupants, while never leaving its owner’s values in doubt.

Read more of Isaac Bouchard’s automotive writing at coloradoavidgolfer.com and nicedrivz.com

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WHAT’S UP THE ROAD? These epic machines (with epically estimated sticker prices) will arrive over the next 36 months. LAMBORGHINI Enthusiasts and Arab sheikhs will remember the LM002, perhaps the most outrageous SUV ever built, powered by an offshore racing boat motor. Watch for its sexy wedge sequel, Urus ($150K-$200K), based on the next Porsche Cayenne platform.

BENTLEY How far can the hallowed British firm push the envelope? We’ll find out with the upcoming Bentagya SUV ($220K-$300K) and a probable new sports coupe based on the well-received EXP 10 Speed 6 ($177K) concept. Both should run the new version of the W12 engine, with 560+ horsepower.

FORD The hallowed, LeMans-winning GT40 inspired the GT supercar a decade ago, still regarded as perhaps the epitome of the “analog” supercar. Its heir—also dubbed GT ($398K)—will arrive next year with a 650hp twin-turbo EcoBoost V6 and herald Ford’s return to the fabled French 24-hour race.

FERRARI The 458 Italia—perhaps Ferrari’s best V8-powered car ever—has just undergone turbo-reassignment surgery and emerged as the 488 GTB ($230K). Horsepower increases to 661, torque to 561 lb-ft, and our altitude will no longer keep the prancing stallion from clearing 60 mph in under three seconds.

ALFA ROMEO For the passionate but slightly less well-heeled there’s the first of a series of Giulia sports sedans ($40K-$85K), based on an all-new RWD/AWD chassis and with up to 503 hp. Watch out, 3-series! —I.B.

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Is this Eden? No, it’s Laucala, the world’s most luxurious golf destination By Ted McIntyre

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PHOTOGR A PH BY T E D MCINT Y R E

N A BAR-SIDE GAME of oneupmanship among colleagues vying for the title of having visited the most luxurious golf resort on earth, I hoisted a quickly evaporating scotch and proclaimed myself victorious, seeing as how I’d once experienced the exclusive Raffles Canouan Island in the lower Grenadines— what, with its private jet connection from Barbados and glass-bottomed massage huts in the ocean, and all. And then I heard about Laucala Island, and immediately felt as though I’d been to a Holiday Inn. It seemed as mythical as Skull Island or Shangri-La, or perhaps Phil Mickelson sporting a six-pack—this vast, all-inclusive South Pacific island resort of just 25 thatched-roof villas and 300 staff, where room rates begin at $3,800 per night (plus 20 percent tax). The top of the food chain among the island’s accommodations is the sprawling three-bedroom, multi-pooled Hilltop Estate, which runs $44,000 a night. But then even the “standard” villa (which is like saying the “standard” Greek god) has a private pool and roughly 2,000 square feet of living space. So, having eagerly secured an assignment from a national golf magazine, there we were—my girlfriend Mary by my side—at the arrival gate of Fiji’s Nadi International Airport. Greeted by a Laucala staff member, we were promptly whisked through customs and onto the tarmac to an awaiting turboprop Hawker 200—two pilots and ourselves and a 45-minute flight. It was sort of like flying into the Kingdom of Heaven, drifting quietly through cottony puffs of cloud made phosphorescent by the rising sun, with occasional gaps below revealing some of the 800 islands and islets that comprise the Fijian archipelago.

PARADISE FOUND: A view from Laucala’s exquisitely appointed, sprawling $44,000per-night Hilltop Estate, complete with private beach, pools, 24/7 staff, chef and every imaginable amenity. co l o r a d o a v i d g o l f e r. c o m

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As the plane touched down on this volcanic 4.6 square-mile isle, skyscraping coconut palms swayed in the breeze. I wasn’t sure if Mr. Roarke and Tattoo or King Kong would greet us. Fortunately, playing the role of the former were then-general manager David Stepetic, his wife Risako and a troupe of traditional Fijian dancers and singers. A former coconut plantation, Laucala was built as a private island retreat by Malcolm Forbes and acquired and upgraded in 2003 by Red Bull owner Dietrich Mateschitz. Essentially self-sustaining, it has its own airplane hangars, sewage treatment plant, medical clinic, farms and gardens. Islandsourced organic ingredients fill the menus at the five bars and restaurants and at the world-class spa, where freshly picked herbs, spices, flowers and fruits soothe and rejuvenate. Even the tap water is as pure as it gets. Filtered by the island’s volcanic rock, it’s bottled in re-sealable glass containers for use throughout the resort. The island even features a separate marina for staffers, most of whom arrive daily from neighboring Qamea Island prior to sunrise. The wide variety of activities here celebrates the stunning geography: from snorkeling and scuba diving among a forest of rare corals, to deep-sea fishing and horseback riding. But Mary and I couldn’t wait to meet head pro Tony Christie at the island’s golf course—a jaw-dropping work from the hand of David McLay Kidd, whose award-winning creations include Bandon Dunes in Oregon, the Castle Course in St. Andrews, Huntsman Springs in Idaho and the exclusive Nanea in Hawaii. Every guest is provided free club rentals and a dozen Titleist Pro V1s before they tee off—testament to the relentless, occasionally punishing test that follows, not to mention underbrush so dense it could conceal a tribe of Oompa Loompas. But seriously, who cares? The layout undulates across inspiring terrain, infused with photo-op memorability at every turn, from the monster par-4 dogleg-left over a creek to a raised green at No. 2, to the dramatic drop into a valley at No. 4, to the beachside green at No. 12. I had a hard time keeping tee shots on the island, but had a good excuse—an engagement ring I’d kept in my pocket since the first morning we’d left Toronto, which I finally presented to Mary at the course’s halfway lookout during our second round. She said yes. Any other answer would have made the rest of the week inordinately awkward, as there were no other guests on the island after our first night. Seriously—

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ISLAND UNTO THEMSELVES: Clockwise, Laucala’s spectacular David McLay Kidd layout set the scene for a marriage proposal; the couple’s plush villa; the newly engaged couple at Seagrass.

none. In fact, the highest occupancy rate in the resort’s seven years of existence has been 14 villas of couples and families. Lest you think it might be uncomfortable being alone with 300 staff, there is no shortage of activities to keep one indulged. Hell, we barely wanted to leave the twinkling waters at the huge lagoon-like, palm-studded pool bar…and that meant having to drag ourselves from our luxurious Plantation villa No. 2. As with all the island’s residences, it featured mahogany-floored pavilions constructed with timber beams and exquisite stonework. A huge stone tub and an eight-foot alcove shower with a pair of showerheads appointed the rotunda-like bathroom. And if that proved too mundane, two more showers and another tub waited in the lush gardens outside. Beyond the kingsize bed, an ocean-facing wall accordioned open to offer an unobstructed view of our private infinity pool and the beach. One room over, the bar was fully stocked, but I already knew its contents since Laucala sends guests questionnaires in advance to ask what activities they might colorado avidgo lf e r.c o m

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PHOTOGR A PHS BY T E D MCINT Y R E

INFO TO GO From the U.S. mainland, it’s a 10.5-hour journey from L.A. to Nadi, so if you can afford business class—and you obviously can if you’re going to Laucala—it’s highly worth it. laucala.com; 011-679-888-0077

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like to partake in, as well as the sorts of food and beverages their hearts most desire. But we never touched a bottle, since everything is free once you’re on the island, and there were many more heavenly spots to kick up our heels and propose a toast. One of the best is The Rock lounge, which hangs on a bluff overlooking the Pacific. The other is Seagrass Restaurant, where you can have dinner cooked in front of you by Chef Sera Tuicakau as waves splash below. Or maybe God whips up his own main course, which was the case at the restaurant’s lookout platform on the night of our engagement, when the sky blazed in amazing hues of orange and crimson. The menu should have read “Story by Stephen Spielberg; sunset by George Lucas.” What else would you expect at a resort where laundry is collected each night and returned folded the next morning; or where cards with quotes from famous authors are left bedside and adorned with native flowers; or where tiny cakes and appetizers arrive mid-afternoon, just in case the array of five-star epicurean delights somehow hasn’t sufficed. And then there’s Laucala’s incomparable staff of mostly native, impossibly happy Fijians. As long as guests are out at night enjoying their dining bliss—no matter how late—staff will not leave their posts at any August 2015 | Colorado AvidGolfer

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restaurant, just in case you might happen by….even when you’re the only two people on the island…even when you tell them in advance that they can go home early. And so, making our way back from Seagrass in our private lighted golf cart, we came across rows of lighted torches at the pool bar. So we stopped to uncork a bottle of champagne to celebrate with bartender Joeli. A moist, warm breeze blew through our hair and the scent of wild orchids fi lled the bar. “Positively heavenly,” I thought. This is not to say Laucala is the Garden of Eden. I mean, I went to a Catholic school and have absolutely no recollection of Eden having satellite TV, WiFi, a David McLay Kidd golf course and electronic room switches to control your villa’s tiki torches. But I’m sure it’s a pretty nice place too. Probably like Canouan Island, I expect. PHOTOGR A PH BY T E D MCINT Y R E

The former editor of Ontario Golf magazine, Ted McIntyre is an award-winning Toronto-based golf, travel and business writer and photographer. OCEAN OF DEVOTION: Suspended above the Pacific, the Rock Lounge suggests Laucala’s infinite possibilities.

Funny, it doesn’t look like a mission statement.

The name “CommonGround” was chosen by the CGA not simply to name a golf course, but to declare a mission:

To provide everyone in the state with a first-class environment in which to comfortably learn, enjoy and support this amazing game and all that it offers. Today, CommonGround hosts 294 instructional events annually, and is home to renowned programs such as the Solich Caddie & Leadership Academy and Hale Irwin Elite Player Program.

A placefor forall alland and all the A place thegame gameteaches. teaches.

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The Home-Course

ADVANTAGE

LAD IN A BLACK cattleman hat, matching chaps and a golf shirt bearing his company’s logo, Garth Hystad masterfully maneuvers his impeccably groomed Quarter Horse, Jack, along the collar of a perfectly rolled golf green. A trio of Belgian Laekenois gambols near a stocked bass-fishing pond, while a group of donkeys brays from a nearby corral that leads to the stables Jack shares with 40 other equines. The founder and president of Colorado Custom Decks and Mosaic Outdoor Living & Landscapes, Hystad lives on this compound with his wife, Gail, and two children. Their house, one of numerous residential-looking structures on the 35-acre property near Fort Carson, overlooks a landscape that reflects Garth’s all-in approach for every passion he pursues. The first passion—designing and creating

magnificent, one-of-a-kind decks and outdoor living spaces—affords him the wherewithal to go after the others. He has showrooms in Colorado Springs, Denver and Louisville, and his inspiring personality and inspired projects provide the content for Mega Decks, a DIY Network reality show that was just picked up for a second eight-episode season. Ten years ago, Hystad’s all-consuming passion for golf resulted in transforming a chunk of his acreage into a spectacular, lowmaintenance golf retreat featuring artificial turfs with tight-stich gauges specifically designed to react realistically to every golf shot—from a 300 yard drive to a 30-foot pitch to a three-foot left-breaking knee-knocker. Framed by fluffy sand bunkers, a meandering brook and flowering trees, the highly adaptable holes suggest Augusta National’s Amen Corner. Hystad even transformed the second story

As Garth Hystad and Dave King prove, the only thing better than a house on a golf course is a house with one. By Jon Rizzi of his barn into the kind of practice facility— complete with heated hitting bays, video cameras and computer—you’d find at highend learning centers. He even has a $20,000 MEGSA training machine. Though the “course” remains beautiful, five years ago Hystad pivoted to a new passion: reining horses. He’d never ridden but within a year was competing in and winning Rocky Mountain Reining Horse Association events. He built a ring in which to practice and work out his horses, the numbers of which quickly grew as he learned more about the art of riding. “There are no bounds for artists,” he says, which clearly applies to everything he does. “But I’ve got to come up with some less expensive hobbies. Maybe I’ll take up knitting.” Sure, but chances are, he’d probably buy a flock of sheep to get the wool.

LIVING THE DREAM: Hystad’s passion for golf and horses has transformed his property.

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Decorate in style with Natural Art

PLAYING THROUGH: Course creators King (right) and Joslyn (blue shirt) laugh it up during the July 4 competition.

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Mortgage banker Dave King says he does his “best thinking” while atop his John Deere riding mower. As evidence, he points to what look like randomly placed OB stakes around his sizable Parker backyard. Anchored by rebar, those five-foot-high pieces of PVC tubing are the nine “holes” comprising WedgeWorld, a 323- to 369-yard chipping course he conceived and routed with considerable input from his son-in-law, PGA Golf Professional Dillon Joslyn. To avoid having to cut holes and mow puttable surfaces, the pair decided to use pipes festooned with a purple Crown Royal flag. The idea: Hit the pipe or flag in the fewest number of shots. The par-three “holes” range in length from 19 to 79 yards. They jounce around shrubs, rocks, water and other landscaping features, spilling down to the tight, canted 61-yard no. 1 handicap 7th that runs adjacent to the bridle path at the far edge of the property. According to the local rules (which appear on the back of the printed scorecard), WedgeWorld players are allowed only one club—“a 56-degree is the club of choice,” Joslyn says—and players get a gimme if their ball lies within a grip length of the pipe, though most players prefer to hear the unmistakable thunk of ball hitting plastic.

That’s right, players. King has hosted numerous tournaments with fellow Pinery members—the most recent of which, the Chipping Course World Championship, took place at King’s annual Fourth of July celebration. “The course correlates almost perfectly to most people’s regular handicaps,” says King, who currently plays to a 9. “The good players are still good and the high handicapper will shoot about the same over par as they usually do. The best part, however, is that it is extremely fun and a round only takes about 30 minutes or so for players of any ability.” To maintain pace of play, six is the maximum score for any hole. King laments he’s never won one of his tournaments, not even the ones at night, which, he says, are “the best. We use glowballs, wrap the pipes with Christmas lights and wear hats with flashlights.” The only peril, he adds, is it’s harder to see the occational “free drop” taken by his bulldogs, Brutus and Maximus. Every hole has seen an ace, except the seventh, and numerous balls have gone skipping down the bridle path. Then there’s the time a shot that got caught in a flag. “It spun the flag around and threw the ball back,” he marvels. “It was the ultimate lip-out.”

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YOUR DESTINATION FOR AWARD-WINNING CULINARY DELIGHT IN THE DENVER TECH CENTER… CULTURAL-FUSION CUISINE SERVED DAILY FRESH AND FLAVORFUL

Zink Kitchen +Bar | DoubleTree by Hilton

Denver Tech Center | 7801 E Orchard Rd | Greenwood Village, CO 80111 | 303-253-3517 | www.zinkdtc.com August2015_38-72_GOOD LIFE-9.indd 55

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RENAISSANCE FARE: Range’s ambiance is as fresh as its food.

Finding True West

Don’t settle for a taste of the good life. Discover what makes life go from good to great amidst Colorado’s best American West dining experiences, new and old. By Gary James

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PHOTOGRAPH BY JON RIZZI

A long stint with Marriott has earned Chef Paul Nagan top accolades in the culinary arts. “The group that turned the old Colorado National Bank building into the new Renaissance Denver Downtown hotel approached me,” Nagan says. “They wondered if I had a concept. A ‘modern whiskey saloon’ was the idea they had for the bar, so a modern upscale take on Colorado—‘New American West cuisine’—seemed natural.” Nagan took the romantic notion of the Wild West’s cooking techniques—the open flames, the smoking—and staked his claim. A signature woodfired oven in a lovely open kitchen provides him with a lot of options; the super-high heat gives some dishes crust and caramelization, starting with simple flatbread baking. The Smoked Bacon Jam flatbread works off of a classic Southern recipe—the salty bacon is cooked, the reduction of sweet maple and a wee bit of bourbon is augmented by hot sauce and some onions and topped with mozzarella, cherry peppers and arugula. The House Italian Sausage flatbread is equally sublime. But an oven is an oven, and the heat source can bake anything—the Wood Fired Veggie Salad, served at lunch, mixes the roasted vegetables with arugula, fregola (bead-shaped pasta), olives, pine nuts and herb pesto. Nagan sources locally as much as possible, citing the repertoire of artisan producers that Colorado has built up in the last half-dozen years, from dairies and greenhouses to breweries and distilleries. I kicked off a recent visit with the

D’Agave Old Fashioned, a refreshing libation of D’Agave (an agave-based spirit) with thinly sliced lemon and lime, muddled with a jalapeño pepper and honeycomb, served on the rocks and topped with ginger beer. Then it was on to the Butcher’s Board. When Range opened its doors, the charcuterie was classic in nature with sliced meats; now Nagan has gotten contemporary and playful. The thick, crisp Candied Habanero Bacon, which started as a snack on the bar menu, has become a cult favorite. His Chorizo & Goat Cheese Pops combine the salumi from Creminelli Fine Meats (a Salt Lake City purveyor) with cheese from Haystack Mountain in Longmont. And the Duck & Rhubarb Parfait is the perfect flavor pairing—

ON THE LAMB: The Colorado Lamb Sirloin with carrot confit, garbanzos, peppers, olives, feta, and green garlic yogurt.

the acidity and fruitiness of the rhubarb cut the fatty nature of the pâté. Nagan also has a smoker in the back, for slow, lower-temperature techniques. At breakfast, he does his own gravlax, putting some smoke in the box with the piece of salmon, cured in sugar, salt and herbs. The sublime Berkshire Pork Tenderloin, a dinner entrée, gets cold smoke on it for wood flavor, then is grilled to order and served with Brussels sprouts, roasted grapes, bacon whiskey caramel and grits. Nagan had Rack of Elk on his last menu (it changes seasonally) and, before that, Elk in a Blanket—elk sausage wrapped in dough and sliced. The Colorado Lamb Sirloin, served with carrot confit, garbanzos, peppers, olives, feta, and green garlic yogurt, would get anyone’s respect. And the sweets! Allow yourself the 20 minutes needed for the Wood Oven Caramelized Pineapple Tart, with house-made coconut rum gelato. I was similarly seduced by the Nutella Crack Pie, which combined the flavors of hazelnut and a Schedule II drug…no, it’s named for the “crack” that forms when it’s baked, like a brownie. “There’s the prevalent stereotype that hotel food doesn’t quite hit the mark that private restaurants do,” Nagan said. “But I don’t have to follow that business perception. I’ve worked at large city centers and resorts and was given the freedom to create my own menus. I’ve always competed with the best private restaurants in town.” In Range’s case, competed and won.

PHOTOGRAPH BY CHAD CHISHOLM

RANGE

17th & Champa, Denver ; 720-726-4800; rangedowntown.com colorado avidgo lf e r.c o m

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PHOTOGRAPHS BY LOIS ELLEN FRANK

THE FORT If you’re looking for a place to impress outof-town guests, The Fort is a unique only-inColorado environment, a celebration of the American West’s spirit and culture. The walls teem with artifacts (including a pair of the longest longhorns you’ll ever see), original Western art (a portrait of proprietor Holly Arnold Kinney, whose late father, Sam Arnold, opened the restaurant in 1963, hangs behind the host station) and photos of famous people and former presidents who have dined in the adobe building. Based on Bent’s Fort,

a fur-trade center from the 1830s, the complex boasts a fi replace in the courtyard, costumed characters and musicians, and a stirring view of Denver. It’s a great way to fi nish a day or start a concert evening at Red Rocks. Like her father, Arnold-Kinney passionately believes in preserving Western culture through food. All manner of pioneer cuisine—from Roasted Bison Marrow (known as “prairie butter”) to chile-stuffed (“Gonzalez style”) steaks to a hot fudge sundae dusted with chocolate adobe chile powder—appear on the menu. The most popular dish, and rightfully so, is the Game Plate—a boneTHE LOVELY BONES: Roasted Bison Marrow spreads like butter.

PIONEER PLACE: The iconic adobe structure replicates an 1830s fort.

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in elk chop, grilled teriyaki-marinated quail and a buffalo sirloin steak medallion. Buffalo is the specialty, and the Fort serves more of it than any other restaurant on the planet. The famous cut is William Bent’s Buffalo Tenderloin Filet Mignon, perfectly cooked and seasoned, while the Smoke House Buffalo Ribs are a bigger rack than…wait, was Kate Upton’s picture on the wall? Some of the food explores new frontiers of gastronomy—the Jalapeños Escabeche Stuffed with Peanut Butter is a fiery appetizer—but you may as well go balls out and order the Rocky Mountain Oysters. Be suspect of any small ones. The bull doesn’t always lose the bullfight. 19192 CO-8, Morrison; 303-697-4771; thefort.com

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1138 Flagstaff Road, Boulder; 303-442-4640; flagstaff-house.com

GETTING BOULDER: Flagstaff House’s patio, views and wine selection all amaze.

FLAGSTAFF HOUSE Among the many reasons why Boulder is a remarkable place to visit is that it’s always been a place where fine food and wine is celebrated. For oenophiles, the new contender is Frasca, cocreated by Master Sommelier Bobby Stuckey, with a comprehensive wine list boasting over 200 varieties. But the crown jewel remains the Flagstaff House restaurant, built into the mountainside and overlooking the city of Boulder at an elevation of 6,000 feet—and a wine list that recently earned Wine Spectator’s Grand Award for the 32nd consecutive year.

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PHOTOGRAPHS COURTESY OF FLAGSTAFF HOUSE

He recommended an Aubry Rosé Brut, from a small family-run estate in Jouy les Reims, a premier cru vineyard giving expression to Champagne’s indigenous varieties. They call it “farmer’s fi zz,” a blended rosé from chardonnay, pinot noir and pinot meunier (which is rarely sold as a single varietal but still accounts for over a third of the vineyards in Champagne). It was delightful—I could taste the pure layers of fruit. And I learned that a cork retriever is not a dog from Ireland…

Gary James is a Boulder-based food and music writer. Read more of his restaurant writeups in the Lifestyle section of coloradoavidgolfer.com.

A few years ago, the printed wine list was replaced with Apple iPad tablets to display all 2,500 wines. I miss the massive tome—“I’ll wait for the movie” was my standard bit of repartee—but it’s still an impressive exercise to choose among so many great wines from around the world. Want that $7,000 magnum of ‘69 Krug? A $2,500 Chardonnay (proof positive that whites can price like reds)? Premium Austrian and Czech wines that are virtually impossible to fi nd? On a recent afternoon, my party started by considering sparkling wines—oh, you Bruts!—and contemplated the whites and rosés before turning to James, who was assisting the sommelier.

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Pudding on the Ritz Red Sky Golf Club’s utterly scrumptious dessert. By Jon Rizzi

UBLIC OR PRIVATE, few golf course restaurants rival Red Sky Golf Club’s Silver Sage. Perched above the club’s Norman Course, the fine-dining space complements polychromatic sunsets with some of the freshest cuisine in the Vail Valley. The menu changes at least four times per season, according to Executive Chef Tim McCaw, but a handful of items—the Short Rib Pot Stickers and Red Sky Chicken—remain staples. “And if we ever took the White Chocolate Toffee Bread Pudding off the menu,” he says, “we’d have issues; it’s been a hands-down favorite since we opened 10

years ago.” Pastry Chef Fred Wurtzel crafts the custardy confection with homemade toffee and caramel, topping it off with local raspberries. The most delectable part? You don’t have to be a member to savor it. Not only does the recipe (minus five hours of making caramel and toffee) appear below, but Silver Sage, despite its location in Red Sky’s Member Clubhouse, also welcomes the public for dinner. redskygolfclub.com

P H O T O G R A P H B Y AUST I N DAY

White Chocolate Toffee Bread Pudding (serves 12)

Ingredients: 2 Loaves French bread 8 Eggs 4 1/2 Cups Heavy whipping cream 2 Cups Sugar 2 tsp. Vanilla 2 tsp. Salt 1/2 lb. Unsalted butter or (2 Sticks) 1 (12 oz.) Bag of White Chocolate Chips Store-bought Caramel Sauce 4 Toffee bars (without chocolate)

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Method: Mix eggs, sugar, heavy whipping cream, vanilla and salt. Cut bread into medium cubes and melt butter. Toss bread in melted butter and add chocolate and two chopped up toffee bars. Put bread into greased 9 x13 pan, pour cream mix over and press to absorb mix, cover with parchment and foil. Bake at 350° 1 1/2 hours in water bath if possible, finished when the center is firm. Serve with caramel sauce and garnish with toffee and fresh raspberries.

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Heard It Through the Grapevine

BRETT ZIMMERMAN

Six of Colorado’s 12 Master Sommeliers share their preferences. WAYNE BELDING Boulder

BRANDON TEBBE

WAYNE BELDING

Author, Diving into Wine (divingintowine.com) 1. If you could drink only one wine (region or appellation) for the rest of your life, what would it be? German Riesling. It hearkens back to traditions of long ago and now comes in many forms and styles with multiple layers of complexity. 2. Which wines are the most underrated or underappreciated? Dry rosés in the summertime are sensationally good. Any good dry rosé from Provence is textured and wonderfully refreshing. But you have to drink them fresh. They don’t get better with age. 3. What’s your go-to wine when it comes to entertaining or impressing people? Nebbiolos—a Barolo or Barbaresco—are among the more revelatory wines you can have. They tend to look older than they taste, so they have to age. A 20-year-old Barolo from a good producer unfolds beautifully. 4. What wine tops your bucket list? Although I’ve had other vintages of it, a ’45 Mouton Rothschild would be something I’d go out of my way for. It’s one of the legends of the last 100 years.

BOBBY STUCKEY Boulder

BOBBY STUCKEY

JAY FLETCHER

Owner, Frasca Food & Wine 1. If you could drink only one wine (region or appellation) for the rest of your life, what would it be? Friuli-Venezia Giulia—the region that inspired Frasca Food and Wine 2. Which wines are the most underrated or underappreciated? Sauvignon Blanc from Friuli. We often think of Sauvignon Blanc as the French varietal from the Loire Valley, but Sauvignon Blanc has been in the Collio and Colli Orientali since Napoleon. 3. What’s your go-to wine when it comes to entertaining or impressing people? When I host a party, I always start with a magnum of Champagne. Krug is great for any season. 4. What wine tops your bucket list? 1985 Conterno Monfortino

BRETT ZIMMERMAN Boulder

SEAN RAZEE

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Owner, Boulder Wine Merchant 1. If you could drink only one wine (region or appellation) for the rest of your life, what would it be? Burgundy. Even though the majority of the wines from this region are either Chardonnay or Pinot Noir, the styles vary tremendously based on village, producer, and vintage. It is always exciting to see what is released.

2. Which wines are the most underrated or underappreciated? The wines of Germany. The quality of top Grosses Gewächs (Great Growth) wines is on par with the finest wines produced anywhere in the world. 3. What’s your go-to wine when it comes to entertaining or impressing people? True Champagne. This area that suffers from a lack of American popularity, unless you are celebrating or hanging out in a VIP room of some Vegas club. The world of Champagne is so much better than it was 10 years ago, with a wide array of grower-produced wines available at lower prices than most of the big houses. 4. What wine tops your bucket list? I would love to drink more wines from Henri Jayer. This late Vosne-Romanée producer was one of the greatest producers of Burgundy and responsible for influencing multiple generations of winemakers and wine drinkers. The limited number of his wines that still exist in the world today are unbelievably expensive.

BRANDON TEBBE Colorado Springs Summit at The Broadmoor 1. If you could drink only one wine (region or appellation) for the rest of your life, what would it be? Tuscany. Anything Sangiovese-based. Brunello, Chianti, Vino Nobile, etc. Particularly from the producers Montevertine, Poggio di Sotto, Selvapiana, Uccelliera, and Isole e Olena 2. Which wines are the most underrated or underappreciated? Anything outside of the “normal.” Hungarian wines for instance—I currently serve Sauska Rosé from Villany, by the glass, and feature the Bordeaux blend “Cuvee 7” on my wine list. From Uruguay, the Parcela Unica Tannat wines from Bouza are amazing. So is the Bibich Wineries “G6” Grenache from Croatia. 3. What’s your go-to wine when it comes to entertaining or impressing people? Typically I like to open a Barolo or Sangiovese. Favorites that come to mind are G.D. Vajra Barolo d’Albe or Elio Altare “Cerreta” Barolo, and for Sangiovese, Uccelliera Brunello di Montalcino or Frescobaldi “Vigneto Montesodi” Chianti Rufina Riserva. For whites, my go-to would either be a Chablis from Patrick Piuze or a Riesling from anywhere in Germany. If my company prefers new world wines I would open Stonestreet “Christopher’s” Cabernet from Alexander Valley or perhaps Brick House Vineyards “Cuvée de Tonnelier” Pinot Noir from Ribbon Ridge within Willamette Valley, Oregon. colorado avidgo lf e r.c o m

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4. What wine tops your bucket list? My bucket list wines are more about quality than price. But if I were to go for it? A Giacomo Conterno “Monfortino” Barolo Riserva.

SEAN RAZEE

Beverage Director, Vail Resorts’ Mountain Dining Division 1. If you could drink only one wine (region or appellation) for the rest of your life, what would it be? This is the equivalent of asking a golfer to choose only one club to play with for the rest of their life! I’d choose Champagne—although this is kind of cheating because Champagne comes in a variety of styles from dry to sweet, white and rosé. 2. Which wines are the most underrated or underappreciated? In the wine trade, our own domestic wines are often the most under-appreciated. We often get so excited about wines from outside our own neighborhood that we sometimes forget to enjoy what we have. Regions like Walla Walla, Washington; Eola-Amity Hills, Oregon; and Prichard Hill, California, often fall off the radar. 3. What’s your go-to wine when it comes to entertaining or impressing people? For sheer “impressive” factor, I like to go with wines in large format bottles such as magnums (1.5 liters) or jeroboams (3.0 liter). But a super classy wine for entertaining is Vega Sicilia’s Valbuena, a Spanish wine from Ribera del Duero. Valbuena is richly fruited in the style of a new world producer, but maintains a rustic, spicy component. 4. What wine tops your bucket list? In wine circles, we call extremely rare or obscure wines “unicorn wines”—as elusive as the mythical creature. I’ve been able to enjoy more than my fair share of these, but I prefer wines with a connection to history. Topping my list of wines is a French “war vintage” Burgundy, the 1945 Domaine de la Romanée-Conti La Tâche. But at $15,000 bottle, I’ll need a lot of friends to join me!

JAY FLETCHER Executive Director of Fine Wine, Southern Wine and Spirits, Aspen 1. If you could drink only one wine (region or appellation) for the rest of your life, what would it be? That would be boring! One of the great things about wine is variety. If I had to, I’d go with a white Burgundy, a Corton-Charlemagne. 2. Which wines are the most underrated or underappreciated? Without a doubt, the wines of Germany. Until the 19th Century, wines from the Rinegau and Mosel were among the most sought-after in the world. They have vineyards that are 900 years old. Another underrated region is Mont Sant in Spain. 3. What’s your go-to wine when it comes to entertaining or impressing people? A Premier Cru Bordeaux like Château Lafite or Château Latour. Any DRC (Domaine de la Romanée Conti) but a Henri Jayer trumps a DRC. 4. What wine tops your bucket list? One that has eluded me is a Portuguese still wine called Barca Velha. co l o r a d o a v i d g o l f e r. c o m

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August 2015 | Colorado AvidGolfer

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Brews for the Ages

With all the depth of a fine wine, high-gravity and barrel-aged beers can replace some of the bottles in your cellar. By Cody Gabbard

S THE EXPERIENCE LEVEL of beer drinkers continues to expand, so does their affinity for more adventurous and rare brews. These days, you’ll be hardpressed to find a brewery that doesn’t offer some sort of limited-edition, barrel-aged beer or high-alcohol, special-yeast products that lend themselves to aging in your cellar or fridge. That doesn’t mean they all stack up quality-wise, but the next time you’re invited to a food and wine pairing, bring one of these beers—all of which will stack up against any wine.

New Belgium La Folie, and Sour Brown Ale One of the first American breweries to utilize wood-aging and all of the sour goodness that comes with it, was Colorado’s own New Belgium. In 1997 they began producing La Folie, and Sour

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Brown Ale created by Peter Bouckaert, who honed his brewing chops in the beer mecca of Belgium. The beer is blended from large oak barrels known as foeders, that age the beer from between one and three years. The result is a sharp, sour brew with flavors of tart fruit such as cherry and plum. Devotees of La Folie are apt to keep multiple vintages on hand for vertical tastings, noting the flavor changes from year to year.

Spencer Trappist Ale The beers made by Belgium’s Trappist order of monks usually inspire reverence. Names like Chimay, Orval, Rochefort and Westmalle are to beer lovers what Ferrari, Maserati and Lamborghini are to automobile aficionados. In 2013, the first Trappist monastery in the United States began brewing Spencer Trappist Ale out of St. Joseph’s Abbey in Massachusetts. The ale, packaged in regal-looking cork-and-caged 750 ml bottles and available in Colorado, pours a hazy gold with a pure white head. Overall, this beer lives up to the standards set by its Belgian brothers, with a big, fruity character coming from the yeast, and finishing bone dry. The floral and earthy aromatics accentuate as it warms. Some clove notes are evident, but not overwhelming. The beer is unfiltered, meaning yeast remains suspended in the beer, making it more ideal to cellar for a special occasion.

Paradox Farmhouse Noire If Spencer’s high carbonation and dry finish provide a good start start to any meal, Paradox’s Farmhouse Noir pairs fantastically with heavier entrees such as beef and smoked pork. This up-andcomer in the barrel and aged beer game happens to be in our own backyard of Woodland Park (with expansion plans into Divide) and uses the Old World tradition of inoculating its barrelaged beers with “wild” yeasts from the environment. This method exhibits the local terroir, which makes each beer 100% unique from any other beer on the planet. As the name implies, Farmhouse Noire is dark and rich in rustic and roasty qualities. Aromas of dried and dark fruit linger throughout the drink. Leather and plum, with a hint of tartness evince themselves, with a smooth textured finish like a fine port. Oak contributes tannins in the aftertaste, with qualities of bitter balsamic adding a puckering quality. Its coloradoavidgo lf e r.c o m

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that’s perfect as an aperitif, or for that matter, any time of day. “I’d definitely recommend aging Red Swingline, as the Brett flavors will increase with complexity,” suggests brewmaster Jason Yester. Good luck holding out very long after your first taste.

Samuel Adams Utopias

bitterness diminish over time, while the wild yeasts work their magic on any leftover sugars to produce additional sour qualities.

Trinity Red Swingline Made in Colorado Springs, Trinity Brewing Company’s Red Swingline, a self-proclaimed “IPA Primitif ”, is only 4.1% ABV, but has just as much, if not more, complexity than any extensively aged beer. Big aromatics from non-traditional yeast and bacteria, dry hopping, and spices explode from the glass. The wild yeast adds a definite dimension of sourness, similar to tart berries, but it’s balanced with a high level of carbonation. At 100 IBUs (International Bittering Units… aka, A LOT of hops!), Swingline abounds in tropical fruits, such as passion fruit, tangerine, kiwi, tangerine, and grapefruit. The beer is a dessert in itself, and reminds me of a fresh and juicy fruit salad (not the kind your cheap aunt makes at holidays)

For a truly indulgent experience, one beer stands above the rest in range of flavor—and cost. A typical bottle (or centerpiece, as the bottle is a ceramic replica of a brew kettle) of Samuel Adams Utopias runs around $150 and ranges between 24-28% abv, one of the highest strength beers on the planet. Utopias achieve this potency and flavor complexity through copious amounts of sugars, which range from the more complex maltose found in barley to highly fermentable sucrose from maple syrup. A prolonged fermentation process using two specialized yeast strains (not your run-of-themill brewer’s yeast) elevates the alcohol content. A variety of barrels—ranging from whiskey and rum, to cognac and sherry—ages the beer, and the final product is a blend of multiple years, with some having been aged for 19 years. Getting ahold of a Utopias is one of those rare occurrences that spawns intense speculation in craft beer circles, as less than 15,000 bottles are produced at a time. Nothing about it says beer. Utopias is bottled without carbonation to maximize extensive storage, but carbonating it would be like carbonating a fine scotch. The texture is syrupy

Sitzmark Lodge

STRONG BREW: Boston Brewing Chairman Jim Koch savors a Samuel Adams Utopias.

like a port, with sweet caramel flavors and charred oak. The alcohol is quite evident with a slight burn, but will mellow over time, with oxidative notes of sherry developing. There really is no way to perfectly describe this beer, and it is probably best left to revel in its own mystique until you can experience it for yourself.

Home-brewer and freelance beer writer Cody Gabbard contributes regularly to Colorado AvidGolfer and the Boulder Weekly.

We are Vail Village Family-owned and operated since 1974.

Located in the heart of Vail Village on the banks of Gore Creek. • Outdoor pool and hot tub. • Fitness room. • Complimentary parking, continental breakfast, and wifi with no resort fees.

ALL ROOMS FEATURE: • Mountain or Creek view • Balcony • Tempur-pedic beds • Wet bar and refrigerator. • Some rooms feature gas fireplace.

183 Gore Creek Dr. Vail, CO 81657 www.sitzmarklodge.com • (888) 476-5001

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FIVE-STAR

Camping The Broadmoor pitches quite the tent in the clouds. By Jon Rizzi

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PHOTOGRAPH BY MARK REISS COURTESY OF THE BROADMOOR

HEIGHT OF LUXURY: The Broadmoor’s Cloud Camp perches 3,000 feet above the city.

EVERY 97-YEAR-OLD grande dame should have a benefactor like Philip Anschutz. In the four years since buying The Broadmoor resort in Colorado Springs, the billionaire investor has put more than $112 million into the five-star, fivediamond property ranked by Golf magazine as the top golf resort in North America. The Broadmoor’s magnificence, of course, is about more than its 54 fairways and greens. On Anschutz’s watch, the Golden Bee pub has doubled in size and the hotel’s West Building now stands three floors higher, with 31 new rooms, three new restaurants (the frolicsome PLAY, casual Natural Epicurean and stellar Ristorante del Lago) and an exterior that mirrors that of the stately Main Building across the lake. And true to the pioneering spirit that persistently drove Broadmoor founder Spencer Penrose to explore new ways of sharing the natural wonders of the Pikes Peak region, the current owner has expanded The Broadmoor well beyond the pink-stucco structures at the base of Cheyenne Mountain. Created by Penrose, both the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo and Cog Railway (which climbs from Manitou Springs to the 14,115foot summit of Pikes Peak and back in about three hours) once again belong to The Broadmoor. And The Broadmoor Seven Falls, the series of cascades tumbling in a 1,400-foot-wall box canyon, is reopening this year with an all-new restaurant. The biggest expansion, however, is the Broadmoor’s Wilderness Experience, which comprises three distinct locations— Fly-Fishing Camp (on five private miles of the Tarryall River), The Ranch at Emerald Valley (deep within the lush 100,000-acre Pike National Forest) and Cloud Camp

(atop Cheyenne Mountain). Each bristles with rustically elegant lodging, bountiful amenities, exquisite dining and a raft of outdoor activities. Of the three, Cloud Camp, which opened last fall, literally elevates the Broadmoor to another realm, more than 3,000 feet above the resort and 9,200 feet above sea level. Depending on your style, an Escalade, mule or hiking shoes takes you up Cheyenne Mountain Highway, past the zoo and the Will Rogers Shrine of the Sun, the final resting place of Spencer and Julie Penrose. Penrose not only built the road and roadside attractions but also the original Cheyenne Mountain Lodge where Cloud Camp’s 8,000-square-foot main lodge now alights. Highlighted by hand-hewn beams, indigenous stone fireplaces and historic artifacts, the great room and bar area leads to an expansive wrap-around deck offering unobstructed views of Pikes Peak, the surrounding forest, the city below and the plains beyond. The lodge features six richly furnished guest rooms, an adjacent “honeymoon cabin” as well as 11 one- and two-bedroom cabins. All afford spectacular mountain views and access to hiking, biking, fishing and more. Mouthwatering meals prepared by Broadmoor chefs in the lodge’s great room are included in the price. So are the fleecy clouds that surround you before morning yoga and the campfires and cookouts that close the day as the lights from The Broadmoor and Colorado Springs twinkle like the stars above. As The Broadmoor approaches its 100th birthday, it’s safe to say the spirit of Spencer Penrose—whom Anschutz profiles, along with 49 other early Western business leaders, in his book Where the West Begins—is shining too.

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Objects of Desire Because quality never goes out of style.

THE CLUB CLUB DON’T SAY IT, PLAY IT Pronounced zek-si-oh, Japan’s premium golf brand has arrived in America. XXIO, a division of Dunlop Sports, produces custom, high-performing drivers (starting at $600), rescues and irons that also incorporate digital data from both technical (MOI, swing, shaft, trajectory, aerodynamics, etc.) and human (motion, weight shift, fatigue, feel and sound) platforms. The XXIO8 and XXIO Prime lines are available exclusively at PGA Tour Superstore. xxiousa.com

GALLIC SYMBOLS Move over, Scotty Cameron. The French company ValGrine elevates the putter-as-collectible-art to a luxuriously new level. Ranging between $1,000 and $6,500 (and higher for a customized “haute création”), these beautiful chefs d’oeuvre feature four distinctive head styles and employ gold, diamonds and proprietary metals from the aeronautics, shipbuilding, racecar and watchmaking industries— all aligned to marry elegance with performance. Buttery, hand-stitched calfskin grips come standard, but you can upgrade to exotic leathers such as ostrich. Even if you don’t make more putts, you’ll literally be money on the greens. valgrine.com

PERFECTION FOR ALL “The good golfer will find me,” says Katsuhiro Miura. For nearly 60 years, low-handicap players have done exactly that, drawn by the look and feel of the exquisitely forged irons, wedges, and putters inspired by the katana-making tradition of his Himeji hometown. But why should better players have all the fun? Miura’s CB57 irons possess the craftsmanship and feel of a forged blade with a mid-sized cavity and leading edge/sole design that make it easy to hit. $275 per club. miuragolf.com

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GREAT, SCOTT! So confident is Scott Petersen in his SG-01 Elite and SG-02 forged irons that he proclaimed, “a new standard of excellence is now here.” His beautiful, products bear him out: ScottGolf irons are meticulously crafted and precisely milled to airtight tolerances. They set up beautifully and impart a buttery feel. A set of SG-01 Elite irons retails for $2,499; the cavity-backed SG-02 for $1,399. scottgolf.com

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Accurate to within a half-yard, the Bushnell ProX7 vibrates when it locks onto the target, thanks to PinSeeker with JOLT technology. Whatever the light, its Vivid Display Technology assures rapid, positive target identification, and the next-gen E.S.P. (Extreme. Speed. Precision.) provides lickety-split accuracy.USGA-compliant (unlike the ProX7 Slope), the ProX7 is used by 97 percent of PGA Tour players. $500. bushnellgolf.com

PIN THE KNOW Be the envy of your foursome. The SkyCaddie TOUCH features a glove-friendly, easy-to-use touchscreen and a high-resolution, sunlight-readable, color display that amplifies the clear superiority of SkyCaddie’s 35,000 preloaded, high-definition maps. The device’s Bluetooth connectivity provides golfers with the ultimate user experience when coupled with the FREE SkyGolf 360 mobile app. $300. skygolf.com

KICKS KEEP GETTIN’ HARDER TO FIND? Par West Golf Shoes fi t as snugly as skin, creating the balance and stability that promote a consistent golf swing. Master tanner and cobbler Paul Raddatz guarantees a perfect fi t, thanks to an exacting measurement process. Using skins such as alligator, bison, lizard, ostrich and eel, Raddatz crafts elegant variations on classic wingtips and saddles, as well as his distinctive Charlton, Stewart (as in Payne) and Riviera styles. The shoes cost between $750 and $5,000, but they last for 20 years. Par West belts elegantly complete the ensemble. parwestshoes.com; 800-PAR WEST.

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Colorado AvidGolfer | 2015

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Though it sounds like the name of an exclusive UK golf club, Royal Enfield has been synonymous with classic motorcycle design since 1901. Thanks to a potent, fuel-injected single-cylinder, four-stroke 500cc engine, the handcrafted Classic 500 lives up to the company’s “Made Like a Gun” trademark. A fi ve-speed constant mesh transmission with wet, multi-plate clutch controls the bike’s power, while the exquisite 1950s styling and old-school accessories make this stunning machine desirable as much for its looks as for its ride. Starting at $6,700. Available at Sportique Scooters. royalenfield.com colorado avidgo lf e r.c o m

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TOP SCOTCH? Compared to the cult following enjoyed by single malts like Glenfarclas, blended whiskies don’t get nearly the love. However, Scotch Ambassador Guy Sporbert of the Westin Kierland Resort in Scottsdale advises picking up “The Ardbeg Perpetuum, a celebration of the distillery’s 200th Anniversary. It’s a blend of older and younger whiskies that have been matured in sherry and bourbon casks. Fans of Islay whiskies, known for their smoky and peaty flavor profiles, will certainly enjoy this one. It is a one-time bottling so if you find a bottle ($140-$160), buy it now because it won’t last long.” Among the more singular single malts on the market are the the 50-Year-Old Glenfiddich ($20,000) and Highland Park ($17,500). But if you prefer to imbibe fine whisky rather than invest in it, go for a 16-Year-Old Lagavulin ($93); 15-Year-Old Glengoyne ($50); Bladnoch 11-year-old ($70); and the “ageless” Macallan Ruby ($160), Glen Scotia Double Cask ($50) and Talisker 57° ($85). *Prices are for 750ml bottle

CONTESTS, DEALS, GIVEAWAYS & MORE!

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Colorado AvidGolfer | 2015

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STOGIE CENTRAL Although you could burn through $35,000 or more on a box of Gurkha HMRs, a number of less pricey smokes remain coveted. According to Peter Roth, owner of the Robusto Room in Lone Tree, these include the special-edition Arturo Fuente Destino al Siglo, ($17 per cigar); the delectable Cubanacan HR Sublime ($20); the under-the-radar J. Fuego Americana ($12); the boutique, uniquely packaged LEAF by Oscar ($10); and the decadent, silky San Cristobal Revelation. ($12). For more on these and other sticks, visit coloradoavidgolfer.com. colorado avidgo lf e r.c o m

7/19/15 8:19 PM

PERFECTWEAR An 18-under-par 54 represents a level of perfection worthy of pursuit. That explains the name Chase54, a golf apparel company that defines excellence with every flawless collection.Not only does Creative Director & Chief Designer Lulu Faddis (formerly of Tehama and IZOD G) design the men’s and women’s lines, but the company creates its own luxurious, signature fabric technologies and then manufactures them into fashion-forward shirts, pants, shorts and skorts. This internal process results in affordable golf attire that looks, fi ts and feels like nothing you’ve ever worn before. Shown on her: Claudia Angora dress ($100). Shown on him: Getaway Platinum shirt ($80). 877-718-2121; chase54.com

ON THE CLOCK Keegan Bradley and Miguel Angel Jimenez have more than contretemps in common. They both represent Audemars Piguet,, the legendary Swiss watchmaker that also counts 10 other top pro golfers—including Lee Westwood and Louis Oosthuizen—among its ambassadors. Men favor AP’s iconic Royal Oak and Royal Oak Offshore collections (shown left, the selfwinding Diver edition with “Méga Tapisserie” pattern, $19,000), while women lean towards the Millenary (shown right, the Hand-Wound, with 18-carat pink gold case and hands, pink cabochon sapphire crown and 116 brilliant-cut diamonds, $28,400). Available exclusively in Denver at Oster Jewelers. audemarspiguet.com

TAILOR MADE J. Hilburn believes truly custom luxury menswear starts with a personal fi tting. That’s why the company trains and employs a national network of personal stylists. The haberdasher also believes custom tailoring shouldn’t empty your well-stitched pockets. That explains why Hilburn’s bespoke clothing, made of fabrics from Italy’s finest mills,often costs less than off-the-rack designer clothes that require additional hemming. The ensemble pictured here—including custom shirt, linen suit, silk neckwear and pocket square— runs less than $1,300. Contact custom stylist Rachel Lefort (917-751-6043; rachel.lefort@jhilburnpartner.com) or visit jhilburn.com

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August 2015 | Colorado AvidGolfer

7/21/15 4:29 PM

The cost of living the good life starts at home. Can you match these places with their price tags?

HE REKINDLED LUXURY real estate market finds Colorado brokers busier than ever. Our state’s growing popularity, combined with the surging United States economy, has prompted an unbridled expansion in the luxury sector. From the Front Range into the foothills and the mountains, homes on and off golf courses are often fetching numbers higher than their listed values. See if you can accurately price the properties pictured here.

Match the price to the property 1. $ 1,499,000 2. $ 5,500,000

The River Course at Keystone. (Listed by Barbara Schneeman)

3. $ 700,000

PUZZLERS

4. $ 2,499,000

PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY OF LIV SOTHEBY’S INTERNATIONAL REALTY

| TRIVIA

PHOTOGRAPH BY BEATON PHOTOGRAPHY

games of

Golf

Realty Check

West 14th Avenue, Denver. (Listed by Douglas Kerbs, Peter Blank)

PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY OF LIV SOTHEBY’S INTERNATIONAL REALTY

PHOTOGRAPH BY VIRTUANCE

29th and South Columbine, Denver. (Listed by Crystal Hodge)

The Raven at Three Peaks. (Listed by Debbie Nelson and Barbara Schneeman)

For the answers, visit coloradoavidgolfer.com

Colorado AvidGolfer | 2015

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