Colorado AvidGolfer Magazine July 2023

TRU COLORADO

TRU COLORADO

Elevate your lifestyle. Elevate your game. Perched at nearly 7,000 feet, The Country Club at Castle Pines boasts an exceptional Colorado country club lifestyle and the only private mountain course experience in Denver. Trumark Homes is delighted to become the club’s newest neighbor. Set amidst incredible wildlife, rugged terrain and breathtaking mountain views, we’re now building single-family homes on quarter acre lots at The Summit, this singular Douglas County community.

New Homes Now Selling from $1.8 Million

CONTENTS

DEPARTMENTS Forethoughts

How we brought together women golfers to showcase the best of women’s golf.

70 State of Women’s Golf

Colorado has a proud tradition of women golfers excelling at all levels of the game; what do the women playing today say should be done to keep that spirit alive.

By Kayley Harter

78 Cherry Hills’ New Clubhouse

After years of work and millions of investment, the venerable Cherry Hills Country Club finally has a new clubhouse.

By Jay McKinney

84 After The Game

Former Denver Bronco wide receiver Brandon Stokley tries to keep alive the excitement he felt playing in the NFL on local golf courses and working in radio.

By Jim Bebbington

SECTION 47 The 59TH Inspirato Colorado Open

The women’s open finished during the June rains; the men’s open will see numerous past champions vie for the $100,000 first prize.

55 Colorado Getaways

Summer in the mountains brings excellent courses close to fantastic dining, music and active recreation.

Juliet Miner, first female president of the Colorado Golf Association, has no intention of moving to the forward tees anytime

The Gallery

The Eisenhower Golf Club in Colorado Springs will host the ‘U.S. Open of girls golf’; President Dwight Eisenhower’s strong ties to Cherry Hills; the PGA Tour’s plans to accept an investment from the Saudis is causing headaches for your local PGA pro; TopGolf Swing Suite coming to downtown

88 Blind Shot

Wyndham Clark’s great year on the PGA Tour continues

PLAYER’S CORNER

25 Fitness Wear for the Course

The best options for combining golf with the latest in fitness wear.

By Suzanne S. Brown

28 TPC

The TPC Course north of Denver readies to test the best at the Korn Ferry Tour’s The Ascendant in July.

By Jim Bebbington

SIDE BETS

33 Fareways

What are the snacks, noshes and bites that the best players use to keep their energy up while playing.

By John Lehndorff

40 Nice Drives

///

ON THE COVER

The 2023 BMW M2, Ford Raptor R and 2023 Kia Telluride

By Isaac Bouchard

Brandon Stokley tees off during a round at his home course of Colorado Golf Club. Photo by John Leyba.

PHOTO BY ANDY COLWELL

MEMBER FOR A DAY BE A AT

TWO EXCLUSIVE COLORADO PRIVATE GOLF CLUBS

Member Play Days is a special opportunity to play two of Colorado’s premier private golf clubs: Hiwan Golf Club and Cherry Creek Country Club. These clubs are opening their doors and offering opportunities to be a Member for a Day. While these events are open to anyone, our Golf Passport Members* will receive discounts on the experience!

JULY 24, 2023

Located in picturesque Evergreen, Hiwan Golf Club will challenge all of your golf skills with its rolling hills, undulating greens and even a waterfall. The Press Maxwell designed course has a rich history of tradition including the Colorado Open, founded in 1964.

Non-Member Price: $225

Member Price: $175

JULY 2023 | VOLUME 22, NUMBER 4

coloradoavidgolfer.com

PRESIDENT & GROUP PUBLISHER

ALLEN J. WALTERS

ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER CHRIS PHILLIPS

CONTENT DIRECTOR

JIM BEBBINGTON

SALES, MARKETING & ADVERTISING

vp of sales & marketing

LORI PERRY

golf passport & special events manager

MICHAEL T. COLANDER

digital marketing manager / content strategist

BRANDON KUSEK

ART & EDITORIAL

art director

D.T. CAREL

art director , avidlifestyle

BRENNA FARRELL

editor -at- large

TOM FERRELL

automotive editor

ISAAC BOUCHARD

style editor

SUZANNE S. BROWN

contributors

SAM ADAMS, ANDY BIGFORD, CLARKSON CREATIVE PHOTOGRAPHY, TONY DEAR, DENNY DRESSMAN, SUE DRINKER, DICK DURRANCE, CHRIS DUTHIE, SCOTT GARDNER, GARO PRODUCTIONS, KAYLEE HARTER, TED JOHNSON, JOHN LEHNDORFF, TOM MACKIN, KIM MCHUGH, JAY MCKINNEY, JON RIZZI, CHRIS WHEELER

CHERRY CREEK COUNTRY CLUB

OCTOBER 9, 2023

An exclusive oasis right in your backyard, Cherry Creek Country Club is one of Denver’s finest private golf and lifestyle clubs. Featuring amazing amenities like a full-service spa & wellness center and an award-winning culinary team.

Non-Member Price: $260

Golf Passport Member Price: $210

Entry fee includes your golf, cart, a meal and contests like hole-in-one, closest to the pin and longest drive. Enjoy these golf courses, clubhouses, cuisine and private atmosphere.

Colorado AvidGolfer (ISSN 1548-4335) is published eight times a year by Baker-Colorado Publishing, LLC, and printed by Publication Printers Corp. 9350 E. Arapahoe Road #210, Greenwood Village, 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 © 2023 by Baker-Colorado Publishing, LLC. All rights reserved. Reproduction without permission is prohibited. Postmaster: Send address changes to Colorado AvidGolfer, 9350 E. Arapahoe Road #210, Greenwood Village, CO 80112.

magazine partner of choice :

Past, Present and Future

BRINGING TOGETHER 20 girls and women from across the state took some coordination and a lot of phone calls. What it didn’t take was persuasion.

In this edition you’ll find a special report that we’re calling Colorado: The state of women’s golf.

To illustrate the point of the article – that women make up a diverse and growing part of the game in the Centennial state – we wanted to take a photo worthy of their variety.

So we gathered in early June beside the 18th green of Denver’s City Park Golf Course. The view from the clubhouse patio is simply stunning –downtown city scape, majestic mountains. Few things say ‘THIS is Colorado’ like that view.

And the women we asked to join us all got the same explanation: Would you be willing to fight through Denver traffic early one morning and represent thousands of other women like you in a photo showing the diversity of Colorado women’s golf?

The answer, every time, was ‘Yes!’

The photo is running in all its glory on page 70. The women and girls who represent the past, present and future of Colorado golf are:

Sitting, left to right: Brenna and Elle Higgins – Brenna is the 2023 Colorado Girls high school state champion and she and her sister helped lead their high school team, Valor Christian High School, to the 2023 state championship. Ella and Olivia Martin of Brighton, students of the First Tee

program at Green Valley Ranch Golf Club; Velvia Garner, active player at City Park and Green Valley Ranch golf clubs; Tana Knopf, City Park Women Golfers League rules chair.

Standing, left to right: Sherry Andonian, PGA professional from Centennial; Paula Purifoy, CEO of the First Tee - Colorado Rocky Mountains; Kelly Clark of Denver, 30-year golfer; Molly Greenblatt, Denver attorney, past board chair of the Colorado Open Golf Foundation; Erica Yates, Director of Programming for First Tee - Colorado Rocky Mountains; Julie Bryant, Executive Director, First Tee – Green Valley Ranch; Marla Parcels, Volunteer Coordinator, First Tee – Colorado Rocky Mountains; Nancy Syms, Colorado Springs Realtor, three-time member of U.S. Curtis Cup teams and member of Colorado Golf Hall of Fame; Cathy Matthews-Kane, Colorado Springs, president of the Colorado PGA; Arri Astrada, Westminster, former member Western New Mexico University golf team, program coordinator for First Tee – Colorado Rocky Mountains; Kelly Reidy, president of Reidy Metal Services and First Tee supporter and volunteer; Longdrive champion and Denver Realtor Monica Lieving; Ellie Rodriguez and Georgia Meysman-Sharpe, rising freshmen at the University of Colorado through the Evans Scholars caddy scholarship program; and Carmen Barber, past president of City Park Women Golfers league.

GETTING IT RIGHT: In our June edition, in an article on the Pins and Aces golf outfitter, one of the company’s co-founders names should have been spelled Jon Major. In an article on Father’s Day fashions, the Wingman Mini GPS Speaker is manufactured by Bushnell. And articles on the 2023 Inspirato Colorado Men’s Open should have stated that the 2022 tournament winner was Wil Collins and that Robert M. Kirchner founded the Colorado Open in 1964.

By Ed Mate

“Majoring” in Golf

An interview with the CGA’s first woman president, Juliet Miner.

If you know a more passionate golfer than Juliet Miner, I would love to meet her! The first CGA woman president (Juliet served as co-president along with Joe McCleary when the CGA and the Colorado Women’s Golf Association merged in 2018) plays well over 100 rounds of golf every year—all while working full-time as a public defender in Douglas County.

As the saying goes, it is better to show than to tell, so here is a bit more about Juliet—in her own words:

EM: How did you get involved with the CWGA and CGA?

JM: I gave 10 years of my life to the CWGA and CGA. I was on the board and all of a sudden I found myself as vice-president and then president of the CWGA and later co-president of the CGA and CWGA when we merged in 2018. They were the 10 best years of my life.

EM: How long have you been playing golf?

JM: My dad taught me when I was 14 years old, so I have now been playing golf for 59 years. I tell that to people because I am more excited to play now than ever. Technology has helped keep my game in good shape!

EM: How many scores did you post last year?

JM: Oh, my. I have no idea—somewhere between 120 and 140.

EM: That is remarkable. What do you love so much about golf that gets you out there to play so much?

JM: I take lessons, I have a lesson tomorrow. Last winter I went to two golf schools. I love to learn about golf.

EM: So, does that mean that mean that your pursuit is to get better?

JM: No. My pursuit is enjoying life. Golf is a process, just like life. You don’t look at the outcome, you don’t care if you make the putt. You do the best that you can and you have fun while doing it. There is no goal… Well, actually, the goal is to play with the boys and make sure they don’t throw me out of their group!

EM: How long do you think you can keep playing and enjoying golf.

JM: That has actually changed. I recently started playing in the South Suburban Women’s League and I met a woman who is 99 years old who still plays every week. I used to think I would start slowing down and maybe move up to the shorter tees when I turned 80. Now I think I won’t move to the forward tees until I am 90.

EM: How does your work life and golf life come together?

JM: I work with many drug addicts and other people whose lives are in disarray, and I tell them, I have an addiction, but it just happens to be legal. My addiction is golf. So, I tell them to go the gym, take up mountain climbing — whatever it takes to keep you away from unhealthy addictions. Life is wonderful if you can find healthy addictions.

EM: Do you get mad or frustrated when you don’t play well?

JM: Not at all. When I am on the course I look up at the clouds and I see my father telling me, in his German accent, Juliet, you know how to hit this putt so just hit it.

EM: Are you optimistic about golf’s future?

JM: Oh my goodness, yes! I work these tournaments with 15 year-old girls and they hit the ball 220 yards in the air! They are so polite, they say thank you for volunteering, they talk to each other.

I find this game so inspiring for life. My job is a very difficult job. Life is very difficult, but when you go out and you see these amazingly talented young people, you can’t help but be inspired. I hope I live long enough to see some of those girls at the U.S. Open.

EM: How do you possibly fit all of this in? You are double majoring in Golf and Law!

JM: I am hyper. I have attention deficit disorder. And remember, there are seven days in a week, and there is a morning and an afternoon. I get up early and I work late. So, it is me and golf, and me and law… and of course me and my wonderful husband.

EM: How does your husband put up with all of the time you spend playing, practicing and traveling for golf?

JM: He says go! He stays busy working (as an engineer) and working on cars. He wants me to go and have fun and then come home. He doesn’t have time to babysit me.

EM: If you were to die tomorrow, would you be good with that?

JM: Yes. My mom lived to be 100, my dad lived to 88. I took care of them for 16 years. I can look back and feel good about helping people. I was not blessed with children, but I have done so much. I have lived a life of service. I think love is the secret. I love everyone I work with, I love everyone I see and it is a beautiful life.

I agree, Juliet. It is a beautiful life, and you help make it that way!

Ed Mate is the Executive Director/CEO of the CGA and had the privilege of working with Juliet Miner during her many years of service to the CGA.

READY TO TEE OFF?

The Ridge: As Low As $59

CommonGround: As Low As $63

Green Valley Ranch: As Low As $54

Heritage Eagle Bend: As Low As $55

Hyland Hills (Blue): As Low As $30

King’s Deer: As Low As $50

The Links: As Low As $44

Lone Tree: As Low As $74

Raccoon Creek: As Low As $50

Rio Grande Club: As Low As $59

South Suburban: As Low As $58

Spring Valley: As Low As $40

Todd Creek: As Low As $50

The BMW Certified Program is designed to take all the guesswork out of buying a pre-owned BMWwhich means only the best-of-the-best get approved by us.

Before a pre-owned BMW can receive the distinction of being Certified, it has to go through a detailed 360° vehicle inspection, get reconditioned and approved by our trained technicians who know it bestbecause who’s doing the certification really matters. We inspect every vehicle for safety, performance, and wear - all the way down to the subtle details. If it can’t be fixed to our high standards, it can’t be Certified.

There is used. There is certified. And then there is BMW Certified. Shop Schomp BMW’s Certified Pre-Owned inventory today.

One Price. One Person. One Hour.®

AF Academy hosts U.S. Girls Jr.

In 2018, the USGA teamed up with the U.S. Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs for an exciting announcement. The premier girls golf event of 2020 – the U.S. Girls’ Jr. Championship – would be held on the prestigious blue course at the academy’s Eisenhower Golf Club

Typically open only to military retirees and Department of Defense employees and their families, the Robert Trent Jones Sr.-designed blue course is considered one of the best U.S. military base courses in the country.

But when 2020 arrived, so did Covid. Many USGA championships were shelved, the U.S. Girls’ Jr. among them.

But three years later, from July 17 to 22, the championship will finally land back in Colorado Springs.

“Once that event was cancelled, we were really excited to see the Air Force Academy get back in line to host this event,” said Tournament Director Tracy Parsons.

The U.S. Girls’ Jr. Championship has a vaunted pedigree, and serves as the ultimate test for girl golfers 18 and under.

Notable winners include Mickey Wright (1952); JoAnne Gunderson Carner (1956); Hollis Stacy (1969-71); Nancy Lopez (1972, 1974); Amy Alcott (1973); Pat Hurst (1986); Michelle Mc-

Gann (1987); Brandie Burton (1989); Kelli Kuehne (1994); Beth Bauer (1997); Inbee Park (2002); Julieta Granada (2004); I.K. Kim (2005); Lexi Thompson (2008); Ariya Jutanugarn (2011); Minjee Lee (2012); Eun Jeong Seong (2015-16).

Rose Zhang, the two-time NCAA Div. 1 champion, won the title in 2021. Zhang turned pro this summer and won her LPGA debut, defeating Colorado’s Jennifer Kupcho in a playoff of the Mizuho Americas Open.

The tournament is set up as a grueling week. Players arrive the weekend of July 15 and can get in two practice rounds. There are 18 holes of stroke play each on July 17 and 18. After a cut, the final 64 begin match play July 19. Competitors play a 18-hole match round on Wednesday, two more on Thursday, two on Friday, and the final two competitors square off for a 36-hole match round on Saturday, July 22.

The USGA is partnering with the Colorado Golf Association to run the tournament. CGA officials are gathering and training volunteers so the tournament gives the players and gallery the best experience.

Course preparation is in the hands of course General Manager Steve Wallace, Operations Manager Jerry Turley and club Superintendent Tony Scites, who has worked at Eisenhower for more

than 30 years.

What the players have ahead of them is a classic Trent Jones test.

“The little stretch 13,14 and 15 is their Amen Corner,” Parsons said. “One of the most challenging aspects is the putting greens. Players are really going to have to pay attention to the green complexes and their approach shots. What’s really interesting is a Trent Jones design, there are lengthy runway tees – one of the tees is more than 100 yards long. It’s just one angle just straight down the hole. Some players are going to get lulled into hitting straight away and their challenge will be to change their thinking and approach the greens carefully.”

It is the fourth time a Colorado course has hosted the tournament. Lakewood Country Club in Denver was the site in 1957; Hiwan Golf Club in Evergreen hosted the 1965 championship, and Greeley Country Club hosted in 1982.

How to watch:

Friday, July 21 (Semifinals)

3 - 5 p.m. (Peacock)

6 - 8 p.m. (Golf Channel, tape delayed)

Saturday, July 22 (Championship Match)

3.-5 p.m. (Peacock)6 -8 p.m. (Golf Channel, tape delayed)

President Eisenhower and his beloved Cherry Hills

Cherry Hills Country Club is getting a lot of attention this summer, serving as host to the 2023 U.S. Amateur, but its storied history also includes hosting one of the most prominent First Golfers in U.S. history.

The 34th President, Dwight D. Eisenhower, considered Cherry Hills his Denver golf home. Eisenhower felt a special bond with Cherry Hills during the late 1940s and 50s when he called Denver, the hometown of his wife Mamie Doud’s parents, home during the summer months.

Eisenhower became famous first as commander of the Allied troops in Europe and then as U.S. President from 1953 to 1960. The club gave him the privacy and comfort he needed as he pursued one of his favorite sports in a very relaxed atmosphere.

When Eisenhower wasn’t golfing, he spent time with member friends enjoying the sights of the Rockies from the Cherry Hills clubhouse. After Ike became president in 1948, his security detail became a regular sight at Cherry Hills.

Longtime member Dr. Homer G. McClintock once recalled “I was teeing off with my group one day on the first hole when Ike strolled down to the tee. Of course, his business was more important than ours, so we told him to go through. He had one Secret Service man walking about a hole ahead down to the green and another stood by the tee. I went over and stood by this guy near

the tee and looked at the golf bag he was carrying. He had a wooden shafted two iron, some other club and a carbine sticking out of the top of the bag. I said to him, “that’s sure a mismatched set of clubs.” And he said to me, “Yes, but it will do the job.”

Marshall Norling, a regular in the President’s foursome, was 92 years old at the time he shared this story, recalling one very special match he had with the president.

“One day the president and I decided to have a wager in order to make things interesting. I remember it was a $1 Nassau, and I proceeded to go one-up on him late in the round. The president was a pretty fair golfer, and I remember I used to give him three to four strokes a side. Anyway, after I went one-up, I said to him, it looks like I’m going to win a dollar from you and if I do, I want you to write me a check. ‘A check,’ the President exclaimed. ‘I haven’t written a check in 20 years because no one ever cashes them. They like to keep them as mementos.’ Well, I said to him, you do have a checking account, don’t you?’ He laughed and said he did. As it turned out, I lost a hole later in the round, and we ended up even in the match.

“We teed it up the next day, and I reminded the president about our bet. He said to me, ‘Don’t count your chickens before they hatch.’ Well, I ended up winning $2 from him that day. When he went to pull out his wallet to pay me in cash, I reminded him about the check, but he said he didn’t have one on him. I told him, ‘Here’s what I’ll do. I’lI get my checkbook out of my locker and cross out my bank’s name and you put your bank’s name in its place. Then you write the check for $2, sign it, and we’ll be square. He was nice enough to oblige my request.”

The original check was sold at auction at Sotheby’s in New York in April 1989 for a reported $10,000.

PRESIDENT DWIGHT D. EISENHOWER

The PGA Tour is Not Your Local Club Pro

One of the weirder aspects of the announced canoodling of the PGA Tour and the sovereign wealth fund of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is the heat that local PGA teaching professionals are taking over the deal.

Which is unfair. They and their parent organization, PGA of America, have absolutely nothing to do with it.

The Colorado PGA is the state’s chapter of the PGA of America. PGA of America has been around since 1916 and has thousands of teaching professionals as members. The organization  works through them to teach the game of golf to millions, run courses, and conduct local, state and national tournaments including the PGA Championship, won recently by Brooks Koepka.

What the PGA of America is not, however, is affiliated in any way with the PGA Tour. The two organizations separated in the 1960s when touring pros like Arnold Palmer and Jack Nicklaus led a breakaway in order to have more control over the tournament circuit.

But when the PGA Tour announced plans to accept an investment from the Saudi Public Investment Fund and establish a still unclear cohabitation with their competing tour, LIV, phones have rung at your local pro shop.

Steven Bartkowski, PGA of Colorado’s CEO and Executive Director, said some callers have been downright irate, blaming their club pros or the PGA of Colorado.

“We have absolutely nothing to do with it,” Bartkowski stressed.

The deal is now under scrutiny. U.S. Sen Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., has requested both LIV and the PGA Tour provide records of their deliberations into the deal.

“While few details about the agreement are known, PIF’s role as an arm of the Saudi government and PGA Tour’s sudden and drastic reversal of position concerning LIV Golf raise serious questions regarding the reasons for and terms behind the announced agreement,” Blumenthal wrote to PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan.

STEVEN BARTKOWSKI PHOTO COURTESY OF PGA OF COLORADO

By Jasmine Ying

New Topgolf Swing Suite Coming to Downtown Denver

Sheraton Denver Downtown, on the 16th street mall, has unveiled a new renovation for golfers and families alike.

The hotel is offering the latest installment in Colorado of a Topgolf Swing Suite, for visitors who want to reserve the space for a party, a company retreat, or private lessons.

This high-tech, interactive experience features two simulator bays that can accommodate up to eight people each. Guests can play a variety of virtual games, such as the Topgolf target games like Zombie Dodgeball, Hockey, and Carnival games, as well as programs that simulate golf courses. The suite also features lounge seating, music, HDTVs, and a food and beverage service. Golf clubs are also provided with a reservation, however guests are welcome to bring their own clubs.

Topgolf has partnered with other locations in order to spread their video golf experience. In Colorado, Topgolf suites are also in the Courtyard Denver Tech Center, the Grand Hyatt Hotel in Vail, and Tom’s Watch Bar near Coors Field. Topgolf partnered with Full Swing, which uses advanced tracking technologies.

To reserve the Swing Suite, pricing begins at $70 an hour for up to four people.

Joe Coors Hope House Classic

For the 18th year in a row, the Joe Coors Hope House Classic was held at the Sanctuary Golf Course in Sedalia, Colorado. The tournament host and organizer, John Scott, along with his wife Laurie, have partnered with the Hope House Colorado, a foundation that provides self-sufficiency programs to parenting teen moms.

The event was founded in 2006 with all of the proceeds from the tournament going directly to the Hope House foundation. While the tournament has been held at many different golf courses over the years, including the Lakewood Country Club, Ravenna Golf Club, and the Colorado Golf Club, it eventually settled at Sanctuary Golf Course in 2016. It was also that year where the tournament was renamed in honor of the late Joe Coors Jr, Scott’s personal mentor and long-time champion of the Hope House. Since then, the tournament has remained at this golf course and has been played out in Coors’s memory.

This year’s tournament took place June 22 at Sanctuary with 120 golfers competing.

Last year, the 7th year at Sedalia, the event raised more than $240,000 in support of Hope House Colorado. Hope House Colorado is on track to serve 250 teen moms this year and the tournament will help them accomplish this goal.

By Jasmine Ying

Valor Christian, Erie and St. Mary’s All Repeat Champs

Three Denver-area girls golf teams won 2023 state titles in two-day competitions May 30 and 31, and each had a team member win an individual title as well.

5A Champions – Valor Christian High School

Valor Christian won their second straight state title and Valor sophomore Brenna Higgins finished as medalist during state competition May 30 and 31 at Black Bear Golf Club in Parker. Higgins defeated Smoky Hill High School freshmen Sophia Stiwich in a one-hole playoff. Higgins took her first individual state championship and helped secure the title for her team; she posted a total two-day score of 143. Her teammates doused Higgins in water when she won.

4A Champions- Erie High School

Erie not only won their second consecutive state championship, but junior Logan Hale also took Erie’s second consecutive individual championship. She finished ahead of teammate Hadley Ashton, who finished in second place after winning the medalist title herself last year as a freshman. Hale finished with a two-day score of 137, seven strokes under par at the Thorncreek Golf Course. Erie sophomore Taylor Hale also placed in the top ten with a score of 159. Holly Drennen, a junior, rounded out the team’s overall score by shooting 199, allowing the team to beat out Durango High School by 49 strokes.

3A Champions- St. Mary’s Academy

Maddy Bante, a junior at St. Mary’s Academy in Denver, earned her second individual state title with a two-day score of 143 in competition held at Aspen Golf Club . While she was the only player from St. Mary’s to place in the top ten for the division, her school’s score of 521 among all of the golfers secured them their third consecutive state championship.

By Jasmine Ying

Broadmoor Hopes Hall of Fame, Senior Open Continues Its Strong Golf Traditions

The Broadmoor, the Colorado Springs resort, is hoping to sink its golf roots even more deeply with an upcoming U.S. Senior Open as well as its status as the new home of the Colorado Golf Hall of Fame

“When you walk in the golf club, you just feel that history,” says Russ Miller, The Broadmoor’s director of golf. “The displays, the people that have played here, the champions that have played here. We’ve held eight USGA championships and a lot of other things. We find a lot of guests, when they come through, will spend an hour just wandering around the hallways reading and looking at the archives.”

The resort will get the chance to be the host of major championships three more times in the near future as the scheduled host of the U.S. Senior Open in 2025, 2031 and 2037.

“The senior open matches our demographic so well,” says Miller. “Almost all of the players are recognizable. We grew up with those guys. It’s a good demographic for us, and the city and the state have really embraced that Senior Open championship.”

In April, the iconic Colorado Springs resort opened the doors on the newly relocated and revamped Colorado Golf Hall of Fame, previously headquartered at Riverdale Golf Courses in Brighton.

With more than 700 pieces of memorabilia spanning Colorado’s long relationship with golf, the Hall of Fame museum adds to the palpable air of tradition and history that’s a cherished part of any visit to the Broadmoor Golf Club.

The winners of those three opens will, naturally, find themselves earning spots on the walls of the Colorado Golf Hall of Fame. Fortuitously enough, they won’t have to go very far to admire the display. broadmoor.com

By Todd Hartley

THE COLORADO GOLF HALL OF FAME AT THE BROADMOOR

By Suzanne S. Brown

G2G Clothing

01.

COVER STORY

When you need protection from the elements but don’t want to add bulk or weight, it’s time to slip on a piece like the Original Penguin color block wind jacket. Featuring a quarter-zip closure, waterrepellant finish, open hem with adjustable toggle, side pockets with zipper, and elastic cuff and hem, it has all the bells and whistles to keep you comfortable and stylish, $110. originalpenguin.com

02. SURE FOOTING

A shoe that can offer support and stability whether you are walking 18 holes or going on a hike is bound to be a good addition to your sports closet. Skechers Go Golf Elite 5 Twist Slip-Ins are waterproof and spikeless. Lightweight cushioning, an adjustable closure system and removable insoles are other features of the style, available for men and women in three colors, $130.

WE’RE WATERPROOF! PLAY GOLF ALL YEAR LONG!

Player’s Corner Style

Performance fabrics and design innovation take function and flair from the gym to the golf course.

Player’s Corner Style

03.

THE WEAR WITH ALL

Athleisure brand Vuori prides itself on sustainably sourced clothing that looks like every day apparel but performs like activewear.

A. The company’s Strato Tech Polo, $64, for example, is in a soft knit fabric that is moisture-wicking and offers UPF 30+ sun protection. It could be worn in a casual office setting as easily as at the fitness studio. Shown here with the Cascade Tech Chino Pant, $128.

B. Layer up with the Sunday Element Jacket, $118, in a stretch nylon and knit blend. Details like the draw-cord hoodie and zip pockets make it as much of a workhorse on the running trail as at the golf course.

C. Another versatile piece, the Kore Short, $68, has a classic athletic fit and is made of recycled polyester and elastane woven fabric. It comes in multiple lengths and colors, and can be lined or unlined, $68.

At Vuori stores in Denver and Boulder or at vuoriclothing.com

MULTIPLE LENGTHS AVAILABLE!

3A

3B

PERFECTION TO A TEE.

Existing blockchain technology, such as the Bitcoin and Ethereum distributed networks, has a fundamental and functionally unfixable security flaw that makes it inherently vulnerable to quantum computing attacks.

Quantum scientists predict that the encryption protocols protecting Bitcoin will collapse by 2030, triggering known attacks capable of draining millions of user wallets to zero in minutes.

Unlike the unique post-quantum secure cryptography of the QRL, Bitcoin and other popular cryptocurrencies

were built on outdated networks with significant security vulnerabilities. Recent changes including the Taproot “upgrade” to Bitcoin have only weakened the security of the network.

QRL’s quantum-resistant technology has none of the vulnerabilities of Bitcoin; that’s why QRL is one of the most important projects for the future of blockchain technology and the only future-proof solution for securing digital assets.

Player’s Corner State of Play

style with the opening holes taking you far out, and the back nine returning to the clubhouse. So fans walking out to holes No. 7,8 or 9 can have a full hike ahead of them.

More than 500 volunteers make the tournament happen, and the event has proven a successful part of the Tour. It was voted Tournament of the Year in 2021, and the two main sponsors – Cyprus Ascendant Services is the title sponsor and Blue Federal Credit Union is the presenting sponsor – have agreed to back it through at least 2026.

Thus the tournament’s name: The Ascendant presented by Blue.

“We didn’t want to have the longest name ever on Tour,” Blass said.

The volunteer army and community support have been key at keeping the event an important destination for the Korn Ferry Tournament. Volunteers help with transportation, walking scorers, marshalls, and some put up players or caddies in their houses.

“We are always ranked easily on the top 3 on the tour,” Blass said.

Players expected to be in the 156-player field include several in the Top 10 of the Tour’s points rankings including No. 1 Ben Kohles, as well Air Force Academy graduate Tom Whitney, who is ranked No. 14.

Last year’s winner, Zecheng Dou of China, has made 11 cuts on the PGA Tour this year, with his best finish a T-5 in the AT&T Byron Nelson.

Tickets: One day tickets start at $25 and children 15 and under and members of the military and military retirees with valid ID are free. TheAscendant.com/tickets

Getting there: TPC Colorado is 2375 TPC Parkway in Berthoud, off U.S. 287, northwest of Denver.

Schedule: Junior Golf Clinic on July 10; Pro-Am July 12; tournament play July13 to 16. Gates open 6:30 a.m. on tournament days.

Purse: $1 million; $180,000 for the winner

TOM WHITNEY

ZECHENG DOU WINS THE 2022 ASCENDANT

PHOTOS COURTESY OF THE KORN FERRY TOUR

From chili dogs and Snickers to sips from the “birdie juice” flask, leisure golfers eat and drink things before, during and after a round that are the stuff of clubhouse legends.

In the name of fun, “nutrition” and “performance” are not necessarily the factors determining the players’ menu choices.

However, competitive amateurs and all professional golfers understand a simple truth: You play like you eat, especially over the course of 18 or 36 holes on a hot summer day.

Jim Knous, who lives in Lakewood and plays professionally on the Korn Ferry Tour, takes his onthe-course snacking very seriously.

“My friends make fun of me because I snack a lot from my bag, usually every two or three holes.

I’ll have a banana, cashews or almonds, or a half a peanut butter and jelly sandwich,” Knous says, calling from a practice round at Bear Creek Golf Club.

“There was this one time when I had a big Chipotle burrito stuffed it in my bag and started chomping on that halfway through the round,” he says.

A Basalt native who played collegiate golf at the Colorado School of Mines, Knous has been playing professional golf since 2012, earning his PGA Tour card in 2018.

“My thing has always been that whenever I feel hungry on the course, it’s too late. It will take two or three holes to not feel hungry and your body’s not functioning at peak capacity,” Knous says.

By John Lehndorff

Eighteen-year-old Morgan Miller admits that she didn’t pay much attention to what she ateand especially when - before joining the University of Colorado women’s golf team.

“I used to crash and burn going into the few last holes. Now, I have energy left after 36 holes,” says Miller. A sophomore in the fall, Miller called from hot, humid Houston where she was trying to stay hydrated while competing in a tournament.

“I’ve been golfing since I was 6 but my diet changed a lot when I got CU. We have our nutritionist who helps us plan our diet with us,” she says.

“Now, I eat a couple almonds every two holes, give or take, and then maybe a peanut butter cracker every five holes,” Miller says.

RULE NO. 1: NEVER PLAY HUNGRY OR THIRSTY

Nutritionist Siobhan Donofrio is the founder of Be Fit Nutrit, the official nutrition consultant for the LPGA since 2019. She works with professional players at every level.

“One of the biggest problems players have is they forget to eat on the course. After the ninth hole, they say: ‘I’m so hungry. I can’t focus. My game is off.’ At that point they are already on the downslope,” Donofrio says.

When it comes to golf tournaments, breakfast is indeed the most important meal of the day.

“You want to make sure that you’re not going out on the course already hungry. Have a basic breakfast, a couple of eggs, a piece of toast, a piece of fruit, or some oatmeal, or fruit and Greek yogurt,” she says.

Knous approaches breakfast carefully on tournament days. “I like to eat some some form of protein like eggs or yogurt. If eat a big break-

fast with a bunch of pancakes I feel sluggish out there. A good healthy medium is where I want to play,” he says.

Morgan Miller is also a breakfast believer.

“Before the match I like to get some meat in me so bacon is a great choice with maybe a bagel. The more you eat for breakfast the better off you are playing the rest of the day,” Miller says.

PACKING THE RIGHT SNACKS TO LAST

Maintaining energy and focus through 18 holes means strategically planning the snacks you pack in the golf bag.

“I always bring a little packet of trail mix and fruit. I need to get fats from nuts like almonds, rice cakes with peanut butter. I just try to stay consistent,” Miller says.

Donofrio recommends keeping track of what you eat and how it affects your game. “Try to eat a little bit throughout the round or your practice so your energy and focus don’t go up and down while you’re playing. Some players like to eat every three holes,” she says.

The Holy Grail for golfers and nutritionists appears to be a snack with the perfect balance of protein, calories and carbs. It is a peanut butter and jelly sandwich.

“Peanut butter sandwiches are very popular among the professional players. It’s an easy thing to stick in your golf bag that won’t go bad on a hot day,” Donofrio says.

SKIP THE SUGARY, CAFFEINATED SPORTS DRINKS

The right beverage is also important but if you wait to start sipping water until you’re thirsty, you’re in trouble.

“Make sure you’re hydrated before you even start a round of golf or practice. If you start out dehydrated, it’s really hard to kind of catch up,” Donofrio says.

“Most people just need water, unless it’s super hot. You can add some kind of electrolyte drink to your water, but as long as you’re eating snacks like pretzels or fruit with the water, you’re getting natural electrolytes,” she says.

The problem with water, as far as Morgan Miller is concerned, is that it gets, well, boring.

“Water is the best choice, but water gets old eventually, especially during those 36-hole tournament days. That’s why I lean towards Biosteel, an energy drink with no caffeine or sugar. It’s one of the best tasting sports drinks out there,” she says.

THE

GATORADE AND THE DOUBLE BOGEY

While today’s golfers generally take a sensible approach to food, the choices aren’t always just about nutrition.

“I do have some superstitions. If I open a new water bottle, and I do well on a hole, I have to save that water bottle over the next few holes. If I eat a banana the first day and play well, I’ll eat a banana the second day. I’m going to keep it going as long as it works,” Miller says.

“In the Pac 12 tournament, I opened a new Gatorade, and I bogeyed or double bogeyed a hole. I was like ‘we’re throwing this thing away now.’”

The focus on nutrition and energy doesn’t end when the day’s play is finished.

“After you put out all that effort, you need to replenish all that energy you’ve exerted,” Donofrio says.

“I’m usually pretty darn hungry after a tournament,” Knous says.

“Back in the day, I used to be able to eat just about whatever I wanted. I’m 33. Nowadays, I try to eat as healthy as possible. I do like a slab of meat - a steak or grilled chicken and mashed potatoes and something green like broccoli,” he says.

Miller’s post-match dining choices are in a similar vein.

“I’m not a picky eater. I like a good old steak - a filet mignon - or a good pasta dish. I’m also going to do some French fries, here and there,” she says.

JIM KNOUS

THE PERFECT GOLFING SNACK?

MORGAN MILLER

One lucky lady will be taking home these gorgeous white diamonds and black south sea Tahitian pearl earrings ($3,000 value) from Trice Jewelers as the winner of the Wheels of Dreams Champagne Diamond Giveaway.

You don’t want to miss this unforgettable evening benefiting local children’s charity Bags of Fun. Wheels of Dreams is a charity fundraiser that raises awareness and financial support to help provide Bags of Fun to kids fighting long-term and life-threatening illnesses.

The Evening at a Glance

You’ll be valeted to the Vehicle Vault: stroll through a highly curated private collection of vintage and exotic automobiles valued over $20 million, mix and mingle amongst exquisitely decorated lounges from Howard Lorton Furniture and Design, Colorado Style Home Furnishings and more, be entertained by a professional aerialist, food stations with live chefs from INTUEAT, enjoy open bars throughout and an unplugged, intimate performance by Sean Kelly of The Samples, artist presentations with Colorado Artist – James Holmes, state-of-the-art golf simulator from Optimum Golf and today’s hottest luxury cars and more!

Toast the Night

Guests will enjoy amazing cocktails and the mouth-watering tastes and sophisticated flavor of decadence at seven culinary action stations! From sushi to tomahawk steaks and fresh Colorado produce sizzling away on Mountain High Appliance’s luxury grill to the creative recipes of Pint’s Peak Ice Cream and The Donut, while the Personal Chefs from INTUEAT will deliver a Culinary Experience worth remembering! Fresh-shucked oysters from Blue Island Oyster Bar and Seafood, Charcuterie with Ornery Olive, and the infamous Colorado Mountain Crust of Beau Jo’s Pizza round out an evening of food and fun that won’t soon be forgotten!

An Evening to Help

For more than 19 years, Bags of Fun has brought joy, laughter and relief to children fighting a life-threatening disease or condition. The organization creates “Bags of Fun” that are carefully crafted for each child taking into consideration the best means to reduce their tension, anxiety and fatigue during their treatments. We believe in the rehabilitative power of play for all children fighting for their health and happiness.

For information and tickets, SCAN HERE:

Please contact Bags of Fun at 720.476.3022 with any inquiries.

TOURN AMENT SE R I ES

THE NECESSARY JOY OF TREATS AND CHEATS

It’s not a question of abstinence when it comes to the litany of culinary delights serious golfers shouldn’t eat. It’s all about quantity and timing.

“I never tell any of my players to eliminate all their favorite foods. A lot of them will lay off the sweet treats during a tournament and save it for Sunday night. Ice cream seems to be extremely popular among the players,” Siobhan Donofrio says.

“I try to keep it to maybe one cheat meal a week on Saturday or Sunday. My go-to cheat dessert is a big, big piece of chocolate cake. I can’t resist that,” Jim Knous says.

As a nutritionist, Donofrio avoids labelling them “cheat days.”

“We call them ‘non-competition days.’ On competition days, our golfers want to make sure they’re eating as well as they can to be focused and play well,” she says.

Miller is crystal clear about her top choice in cheats.

“I have a love for chocolate, any kind of chocolatedark, milk, white - all of the above. Dark chocolate is way better for you, but milk chocolate definitely tastes the best,” she says.

18 SNACKS FOR 18 HOLES: A NUTRITIONIST’S GUIDE

Siobhan Donofrio, official nutrition consultant for the LPGA, recommends the following snacks in moderation for oncourse munching.

• BANANAS

• BERRIES

• DRIED FRUIT

• NUTS

• TRAIL MIX

• GRANOLA BARS

• PROTEIN BARS

• PB&J SANDWICHES

• PEANUT BUTTER CRACKERS

• TURKEY SANDWICH

• BEEF JERKY

• TURKEY JERKY

• HARD BOILED EGGS

• WHOLE GRAIN CRACKERS

• CHEESE STICKS

• HUMMUS

• AVOCADO SANDWICH

• RAW VEGETABLE STICKS

(More LPGA golf nutrition tips: lpgawomensnetwork.com/author/siobhan-donofrio)

PRESENTED

John Lehndorff is the former Dining Critic for the Rocky Mountain News. He hosts Radio Nibbles on KGNU.

By Isaac Bouchard

If Westminster Had a Car Show

Here are the best of three breeds.

The three vehicles we review this issue can be considered the best in their segment. While none is perfect, they combine virtues in such a manner as to set the standard to which others are held.

2023 BMW M2

The new, G87-series M2 may be the least expensive car from BMW’s hallowed M Division, yet it might also be the most com plete and rewarding vehicle in the entire lineup.

It doesn’t hurt that its looks are not as controversial as many recent releases from the Bavarian company. It’s lower and longer than the outgoing model and its massive fender flares wouldn’t look out of place on a DTM Touring racecar.

Inside, quality is high and everything is logically laid out. There are two attention-getters: the massive, curved display that features in all modern BMWs, and the M2’s optional M Carbon sports seats. The former anchors the latest BMW OS, iDrive 8, whose bright, angular graphics and fast response to inputs are to be applauded, but whose complexity takes longer to master than the outgoing system. The latter lock one into the right position to make a proper getaway, with rigid padding — even a divider between the legs that has been described as a “codpiece”. They prove to be incredibly comfortable, even over extended drives, and if they fit one’s physique, should be considered de rigueur.

The M2 is basically a shortened M3/M4, with its suspension and adjustable dampers, powered by a slightly de-tuned version of its fantastic S58 engine. Not that you’d know the M2 is at all short of puff; it takes off like a scalded cat, scrambling to 0-60 in 3.6 seconds, and always feeling well endowed, no matter the speed. This is one special engine, with a deep well of midrange muscle and a sizzling top end. It routes 453hp and 406lb-ft through either a 6-speed manual or a conventional 8-speed automatic—gone is the 7-speed twin clutch. The stick shift will please purists and the ZF auto is generally excellent, with quality gear changes in most modes, though 1-2 shifts selected from the paddles sometimes take too long to land. Also present from its big brothers is the brilliant, electronically-controlled limited-slip diff, with 10-stage, driver selectable, racespec traction control system. This allows drivers of almost any ability to revel in the thrills of power oversteer, from mild to full on drift, without fear of wadding the M2 up.

EPA RATINGS: 16/23/19mpg 0-60MPH: 3.6sec PRICE AS TESTED: $76,845

That this M2 is the entry level M, but also a range of future, more extreme M2s is very encouraging. That it is also the last pure-gasoline machine from the division gives reason for reflection, as these fabled engineers and product planners have crafted some of the greatest drivers’ cars of all time.

2023 FORD FORD RAPTOR R

Most everyone has heard of supercars — even hypercars. When it was unleased upon an unsuspecting world in 2010, the Raptor could claim the title of first supertruck, despite having fairly modest power.

Its ability to seemingly jump tall buildings (or at least sand dunes) in a single bound and its desert-racing vibe caught on like wildfire. Ram upped the game a decade later with the 707hp TRX (pronounced “T-Rex,”; it has an easter egg of the image of a dinosaur chomping down on Ford’s Raptor hidden under the hood). Now, when the latest gener ation of Ford’s beast came out, Raptorheads were let down. It still ran a twin turbo V6 and was way down on performance compared to the TRX. But Ford knew what it was doing, and it wasn’t long before the Raptor R came huffin’ and puffin’ into the village. It was worth the wait.

Simply put, the Raptor R is the finest high-performance truck yet con ceived or built, with a chassis like no other and an engine that makes the Ram feel slow. It’s a supercharged V8, just like the TRX, and its rated horsepower and torque of 700hp/640lb-ft are less. But the Raptor R weighs a massive 740 pounds less, so it punches harder, with none of wait-for-it lag of the Ram.

Mash the gas and the R rips to 60 in 3.7 seconds and fairly crushes the Ram in the quarter mile. It never seems to run out of performance and its 10-speed tranny knows how to make the most of all the torque. The Ford also sounds much better than the Ram, which is blighted by super charger whi ne and the inability to turn down the decibels. The Ford has multiple exhaust modes that range from mild to wild and make it a much more civilized beast. It also rides better, with the most compliant, com fortable suspension of perhaps any truck made. That this F-150 handles like a big go-kart is almost just a bonus; it turns in and holds a line on pavement much better than the Ram or GM’s hottest trucks, and off the tarmac it’s in another league entirely. The harder and faster you push it, the better it gets, with a seeming invincibility to big suspension hits and a playfulness to its balance that lets one pivot the Raptor R around obstacles and maintain slides for hundreds of yards effortlessly.

Demerits are few: its interior materials are well below par for how much a Raptor R costs, and its looks too innocuous to some for the performance on offer. That’s all — the R is an almost perfect vehicle, so it’s no surprise that it transacts for almost 50 percent over sticker price. With Ford’s recent run of off-road greats, ranging from Tremor versions of its more prosaic trucks to the Raptor Bronco and now this, the Raptor R, the Dearborn company is telling the world in no uncertain terms that it is the king of the off-road realm.

Side Bets Nice Drives

2023 KIA TELLURIDE

Since the debut of Kia’s large SUV in 2019, the Telluride has gone on to win every accolade possible in its segment, and is considered best-in-class by most reviewers.

It has remained in short supply, with transaction prices well above MSRP for its entire run. 2023 represents its first major update, with freshened nose, tail, wheels and lights making its bold, boxy shape even more cohesive and upscale. Tweaks to electronics and the interior highlight just how good a practical, family conveyance the Kia is.

EPA RATINGS: 18/24/21mpg

0-60MPH: 6.9sec PRICE AS TESTED: $55,120

Nothing done changes the way the Telluride goes about its business; it doesn’t carve corners like a Mazda CX-90 nor have the performance of a Ford Explorer; instead, it is a consummate lesson in how a well-rounded entrant with no major flaws can be a dominant player.

The Kia rides pliantly, smothering the worst heaves and potholes, yet remaining composed and planted. It handles well enough for mountain duty, and its brakes are reassuringly powerful. It is generally quiet and refined, too. The Kia’s 3.8-liter V6 has a broad power band and, while it is never going to be consid -

largest three-row crossover in its class, it manages to combine comfortable seating for seven (or six, when equipped with center-row, heated and ventilated captain’s chairs) in a way few others can match. All occupants have good views of passing scenery, access to the third row is easy, and material quality in the top trim levels is appropriately upscale. The driver and front seat passenger are especially well looked after, with cosseting chairs and ample stretch-out room. Twin screens share a single, curved housing (like the BMW) and the menu system is simplicity itself—and an abject lesson to competitors in how to do an interface. Chunky climate and audio controls remain for those of us who don’t want to wade through multiple submenus to change volume or activate the heated seats.

The Telluride probably did more for Kia’s image than any other single vehicle; it made this upstart brand desirable to an entirely new clientele, who then go on to become impressed by the company’s quality and durability. It no longer seems such a stretch to have named it after one of Colorado’s most scenic and desirable towns. It is almost like Telluride and the vehicle named after it caught the attention of the greater public at the same moment in history.

WHERE LEGENDS BEGIN ®

Collins Seeking Third Title, Heading a Crowded Field

For Wil Collins , the winner of the 2022 Inspirato Men’s Colorado Open, the tournament led him to a nice return to the competitive golf limelight.

Collins works in mortgage and residential home loans in Albuquerque, NM. But in his day, he played top-level golf with the New Mexico University Lobos, then traveled as a professional golfer for 14 years.

But when it was time to get off the road he married his wife Shelly, settled in Albuquerque, and began his next career, dousing his competitive fire with two or three tournaments a year.

Then he won the 2022 Colorado Open, and its $100,000 first prize.

“It’s not typical at all,” he said of the event and the first-prize money. “The Colorado Open has always been a classy, topnotch state open.”

Collins also won in 2005, and he is slated to defend his title this year.

Whom to Watch

“I’d have to say I love it because I won a couple times there,” Collins said in June.

“The golf course, facility, Open Golf Foundation, First Tee. It’s hard not to love a place that works so hard promoting golf as much as they do.”

Collins said the 2022 win came as a bit of a surprise because he had not been playing many tournaments.

“Obviously I putted well,” he said. “Putting was on and putts were going in that week. I think I just found the sweet spot. I had low expectations and I started making some shots.”

He said he still has to ‘work into shape’ to prepare for the 2023 tournament. But with two titles under his belt in the last 20 years, he said the key to victory for him or someone else is always the same.

“You got to stay patient,” he said. “There are a lot of birdies out there. You just have to stay patient. The course is always in phenomenal shape.”

In addition to defending champ Wil Collins, at least four other former champions are signed up for this year’s Inspirato Colorado Open. 2020 winner Mark Anguiano, 2019 winner Sam Saunders, 2015 winner Jimmy Gunn and 2013 winner Zahkai Brown are signed up to try for the title again. Saunders, of Albuquerque, is in the middle of a strong year. He has played 10 Korn Ferry tournaments this year, with his best finish a second place at the Panama Championship. He’s had three top 10 finishes this season. Also in the field is Samuel Anderson, a former Wisconsin Badger who turned pro in 2021 and has been playing in the Latin America swing of the PGA Tour; his best finish this year is T14 in the Diners Club Peru Open. Brown, of Westminster, has played one tournament on the South America PGA Tour this year, missing the cut at the Astara Chile Classic. Colorado National Golf Club teaching pro Matt Schalk is also registered to play.

2022 BY THE NUMBERS

+0.28

On the final day, the second hole at GVR put up the biggest fight. The par 5 played at 577 yards on the final day, and the average score was .28 strokes above par. For the tournament the hardest holes were No. 5 and 8, both of which had players come in on average .19 strokes over par. On hole 5 for the tournament there were only 29 birdies, but 97 bogeys. 29

Over the four-day tournament, winner Wil Collins had the most holes under par, 29. This makes sense, as Collins was the winner too. But that also means he avoided blowup holes as well. Collins took first with a combined score of 261 and was 23 strokes under par.  6

The longest streak by any player of sub-par golf was six holes. Rico Hoey had a streak of birdie on holes 8 through 14 on the first day before shooting on par at hole 15. Hoey ended up placing second overall in the tournament. 6 holes were also played through with a bogey or better streak for player Zahkai Brown. Brown held this streak for three out of the four days in the tournament specifically for holes 9-15. He ended up tying with player Connor Jones for third.

MATT SCHALK

Inspirato Victory Keeps Dream of Pro Golf Career Alive

Haylee Harford is 26 and has plied her trade – professional golf –since 2019. She’s been a rookie twice – once on the then-Symetra Tour (now Epson Tour), and then for a year on the full LPGA Tour.

She won a little more than $70,000 in 2022, which goes fast in the travel-heavy world of a professional golfer.

In early June, after missing another cut at the LPGA’s ShopRite LPGA Classic, she decided to come to Colorado to play in her third Colorado Open.

“I didn’t really have high expectations, I just wanted to come in here and play golf and enjoy this event,” she said.

Then she nearly ran away with the 2023 Inspirato Colorado Women’s Open.

Facing a field packed with former champions, college stars and fellow Epson Tour pros, Harford started out with rounds of 66 and 68 at Green Valley Ranch Golf Club. That was good for a three-stroke lead heading into the final round of the three-day tournament.

Rain poured that last day of the tournament held June 14 to 16, and the field clawed away at her lead as she sought to play steady par golf.

She held on for a one-stroke victory over two-time Colorado Women’s Open winner Becca Huffer of Denver.

The win, and the $100,000 check to the winner, left her stunned. It is her largest winning purse of her career.

“(I spent) the two rookie years learning a lot, having ups and downs and last year

Green Valley Offers Unique Dining

The Green Valley Smokehouse and Oyster Bar, the ranch’s most unique attraction for golfers and visitors, is open and ready to feed both players and spectators.

The restaurant will be providing the food once again at the Inspirato Men’s Open and Inspirato Women’s Open this year. The restaurant continues to cook up a wide variety of food, from barbeque to fresh seafood and is sure to have something that everyone can enjoy.

The locally owned restaurant is famous for their low country boil, barnyard burger, and whole fried snapper. All of their specialty meat spends up to 14 hours in the on-premises smoker. Their showstopper chicken wings are rubbed with spices and slow-smoked. The seafood is shipped directly from the coasts for freshness.

Desserts include banana pudding, peach cobbler, a classic brownie sundae, or the restaurant’s most well-known dessert – the key lime pie.

To contact the restaurant or to check out their menu visit greenvalleysmokehouse.com or call 303–357–7880 with any questions or to make a reservation.

was very up and down and this year so far it’s been up and down,” she said after the rain-soaked victory. “We’ve had some good finishes, but last week in the LPGA event, I missed the cut and didn’t do well.”

She fended off a fierce challenge by Huffer as well her final-day partner, Amy Lee of Brea, CA. Lee nearly drove the green of the 314-yard par 4 14th hole in a last ditch effort to catch up. Lee chipped close, but missed the birdie putt.

Harford went to the 18th tee needing a bogey or better to win. She stayed conservative, and when her third shot on the par 5 ended up in a green-side bunker she calmly chipped out, chipped close again, and tapped in for the win.

“I mean, it’s amazing,” she said. “I’m still in shock because to have an equal first for men and women, that’s just, it’s so inspiring. And companies that are really backing women’s sport, that just means so much to us. We, you know, we grind, we work hard week in and week out and to be able to get rewarded like this for a win is unbelievable.”

The winning purses for the men’s and women’s Colordao Opens is $100,000 each, a rarity in U.S. golf.

David Kallery, president of Inspirato, the Denver-based luxury travel subscription service, said his company signed on as a sponsor primarily because it allowed them to be part of bringing that parity to reality.

“To be affiliated and be a part of that, I was in from that moment forward,” Kallery said.

Seniors Play in August

The 2023 Inspirato Colorado Senior Open, Aug. 23 to 25, will see the return of familiar faces. Harry Rudolph of La Jolla, CA, the back-to-back winner in 2020 and 2021, is scheduled to return. Rudolph did not play last year, and the title went instead to Guy Boros of Fort Lauderdale, the son of PGA great Julius Boros. The purse is remaining at $100,000. Also scheduled to return is Bob May, best known as the man who lost in a three-hole playoff to Tiger Woods in the 2000 PGA Championship. May has run the Bob May Golf Academy in Las Vegas for many years.

PHOTO BY JIM BEBBINGTON

GREEN VALLEY RANCH HAS THE MEATS

GUY BOROS

Open Series Sheds Light on GVR Evans Scholars caddies

Green Valley Ranch Golf Club’s leadership in hosting the Inspirato Colorado Open series also helps shed light on the club’s caddy program and its efforts to get its caddies in a position to receive coveted Evans Scholarships.

First Tee Alums Ready to Put Their Training to Good Use

Green Valley Ranch’s First Tee – the club’s branch of the national youth coaching and mentoring program –has been training young people about etiquette, dealing with pressure and making goals for many years.

The First Tee is one of the key causes that the promoters and sponsors of the Inspirato Colorado Open series support.

The programming is delivered in the guise of golf instruction, but it is so much more.

And the program has been going on long enough that some of its graduates are now old enough to compete in the men’s or women’s Colorado Opens. And several say they owe a lot of their success to lessons they learned on the First Tee.

Hunter Swanson, a rising sophomore at the University of Colorado who just completed his first season as a member of the men’s golf team, joined First Tee – Green Valley Ranch at the age of 5. He competed across the state as a Brighton High School golf team member, and was part of the Buffs team that made it to the NCAA Division 1 championship this year.

“The First Tee is the reason I play golf to this day,” Swanson said. “I live near the course but no one in my family plays. If my parents didn’t buy a house next to a First Tee chapter, I would not have played. It got me into golf, and it built a really excellent community around me.”

The First Tee is structured like many youth instruction groups – like Scouting or well run youth programming of any kind. About half the instruction is specific to the skills it is trying to teach – how to hit a 5-iron. But half is about life, and how to prepare for the road ahead.

“They taught me all the life skills,” Swanson said. “Every class we’d go would be half and half.”

He said they stressed the importance of setting goals for yourself – not just in the game of golf, but in life. The students were exposed to speaking with adults at a very early age, and then playing alongside them.

For Swanson, he said it all added up to where

he is now.

He made it to CU, and earned a lot of time playing for the Buffs in competition. In July he is set to play in his first Inspirato Colorado Open of his own.

“I just want to put some good numbers up and see where it falls,” Swanson said. “I’m more just worried about playing my own game and I know that if I played well today that’s good enough for me. I would love to make the cut and make it far.”

Other First Tee graduates who are making their way forward in competitive golf include siblings Emma and Davis Bryant

Their parents are heavily involved in the First Tee operations – mom Julie is the executive director of First Tee - Green Valley Ranch. Her daughter Emma plays on the University of Denver varsity squad, and during this year’s Inspirato Colorado Women’s Open she made the cut.

Davis Bryant was a key member this year of Colorado State University’s mens golf team. He was part of the squad that also made it to the NCAA National Championship this spring.

Kyle Leydon, who went through the First Tee program with Hunter and is now a rising sophomore at Creighton University.

“They molded me and shaped me into the golfer and person I am today,” Leydon said. “They afforded me countless playing opportunities all across the country from Clemson University all the way to Pebble Beach.”

Now, he’s hoping to use what he learned to be a major contributor for Creighton University’s men’s golf team.

“I have lofty goals for myself on the golf course in the coming future,” he said. “I am beyond excited to take my talents to Creighton and play against some of the best players in the nation.”

Both Hunter and Leydon hope to become professional players.

“My long-term goal however is to play professional golf on a major circuit - the PGA Tour or DP World Tour,” he said. “I know if I keep going, work hard, stay disciplined, good things will come.”

Which sums up the First Tee lessons pretty well.

Evans Scholarships are funded by local clubs to reward their best caddies with tuition and roomand-board scholarships at any of 22 universities in the country.

The University of Colorado Chapter has a prominent residence on Broadway Avenue, and is the home to Evans Scholars from throughout the region.

This year the Green Valley Ranch program awarded two student-caddies with Evans Scholarships. Both are planning to attend the University of Colorado this fall.

One of the recipients, Karely Castillo, said of the award “I have had some great experiences over the years at Green Valley Ranch. I officially started caddying in 2019 and began to develop a love for meeting new people as well as getting the opportunity to bond with them on the course.”

The other recipient, Erika Kemp, said “Caddying helped me to develop discipline and character. I found it through my work ethic, my fellow caddies’ dedication and the staff that supported me. My passion is in art practices, architecture and environmental sustainability.”

ERIKA KEMP

KARELY CASTILLO

Scenes From The 2023 Inspirato Women’s Colorado Open

strong contender as a year-round mountain expe rience.

The resort is one of the few to offer two 18-hole courses, giving visitors plenty to choose from if they just stay and play.

But Keystone is also positioned in the middle of a vast array of golf, culture, dining, fitness and mountain options that can leave visitors yearning for just one more day to get it all in.

THINGS TO SEE AND DO

outside the area you can play too.”

And as base camps go, the amenities are pretty nice. The Keystone Ranch Restaurant, River Course Grill and Edgewater Cafes offer delicious variety. The Ranch course opened in 1980 from the hands of Robert Trent Jones II. In mid-summer it is spectacular – emerald fairways and firm, fast greens – and this year because of the spring rains got into top condition extra early this season.

Guests looking for an outdoor dining experience, Keystone offers Wagon Ride Dinners 5 p.m. Thursdays through Sundays. Guests are wagoned to the back ranch south of the golf course, and the property overlooks a valley that appears untouched. Keystoneresort.com

Summer in downtown Keystone is festival season. The summer lineup features the Wine and Jazz Festival, July 15 and 16; River Run Art Festival July 21 to 23; Bluegrass and Beer Festival, Aug. 5 and 6; Mountain Town Music Fest Aug. 19; and Oktoberfest Sept. 2 . Keystonefestivals.com

Music is everywhere in Summit County in the summer, but nowhere more than at the Riverwalk Center in Breckenridge. A 45 minute mountain drive down and around the hills from Keystone, Breckenridge nightlife includes concerts, performances and music all summer. Some highlights include performances from the National Repertory Orchestra all July and August. Breckcreate.org

vated tee shots overlooking the continental divide, with holes up and down the Snake River. Then the back nine brings in the elevation changes that set mountain courses apart.

Stay and Play packages are available in which you can play 18 holes the day you check-in for free with a two-night stay.

SPONSORED BY

A Perfect Pair

dered by natural grasses and long vistas. And then options for more. The club has access to nearly two

WHILE YOU ARE HERE

Down the road from Ironbridge is downtown Glenwood Springs, where summertime means a visit to the hot springs that dot the region. The Glenwood Hot Springs Pool is open to people staying at the lodge, or to day-trippers. The ‘Worlds Largest Hot Springs Pool’ features water with 15 natural minerals, and just feels good. Spa stays include the poolside grill, a fitness facility and a boutique shop and guests staying at the lodge receive unlimited pool admission and a hot breakfast served at the grill. Nearby, the Iron Mountain Hot Springs offers 16 hot mineral pools available for three-hour dips, with reservations highly recommended.

SPONSORED BY

Arnold Palmer Design a Rare Challenge

and mountain cabin dwellers seeking a respite from the heat, Golf Club’s tee sheet fills up. The Arnold Palmer-designed 18-hole course near the town of Eagle is 30 minutes from Vail, which makes it an easy destination for players seeking a medley of mountain courses. The course was a working ranch before Eagle Ranch opened in 2001. The course’s selling point is players get to look at beautiful mountain vistas – they don’t have to clear them with their drives. The course plays generally flat and as it is 1,500 feet lower than Vail the course can be enjoyed much deeper into the fall. That is when the

WHILE YOU ARE HERE

Eagle Ranch Golf Club features a women-only golf clinic taught by PGA Professional Erica Webster. The classes help players improve their game and meet other women on the same journey. Register at (970) 328-2882, ext. 1,

Hiking, biking, running: Your legs may never forgive you for visiting Eagle, because the town is the epicenter of more than 100 miles of trails outfitted for mountain biking, hiking and trail running. The network is turning Eagle into a summer biking mecca. The variety of trails are enough to put anyone’s fitness to the test. OutsideEagle.com

The Eagle Block Party is an annual concert weekend that can act as a blistering swan song as summer ends and schools resume, or else the key event to a summer concert calendar. The Block Party this year is Aug. 11 to 13 with bands Lettuce, Oteil & Friends, Pepper, Paul Cauthen, Sam Bush and more through the three-day bash. OutsideEagle.com

Eagle Ranch Golf Club is nestled in the Eagle River Valley, just 30 minutes west of Vail. The majestic Rocky Mountains provide a spectacular setting for this 18-hole Arnold Palmer Signature Design Course, which was once an actual working ranch.

Golfers of all abilities enjoy the challenging layout, excellent course conditions, spacious practice facility and a longer season than many mountain courses from early April to mid-November.

The Eagle Ranch Grille inside the Clubhouse serves breakfast, lunch and refreshments all season long, and its charming patio is the perfect spot to relax with a cold beverage. Book the Grille for your next special event, mixer or reception!

PHOTOS BY JACK AFFLECK

Red Sky Rising

WITH TWO MAGNIFICENT GOLF COURSES – one designed by Greg Norman and the other by Tom Fazio Red Sky Golf Club provides a welcome treat for summer mountain fun. They can be the sundae of an excursion to Eagle County, or just the cherry on the top. “Red Sky has the most beautiful setting to play the game,” said Andrew Hedrick, Red Sky’s general manager and director of golf. “Red Sky is a pure golf experience that once someone has the opportunity to take in the experience, it will automatically give them a sensation to return.” The Fazio course is shorter – though still more than 7,000 yards from the back – but requires a little more care in getting the ball in the right position off the tee. The views of Vail’s back bowls are stunning. The Norman course is longer, so the fairways open up more widely. Swing away! Red Sky is 20 minutes down Interstate 70 from Vail, and two hours from Denver International Airport.

STAY AND PLAY OPTIONS

Ritzcarlton.com

Red Sky is a members-only course but is available to book for people who staying at any of their partner lodging facilities in the region – 28 in Beaver Creek and nine more in Vail. Partners include lodges such as the Hummingbird, Market Square, Christie and Elkhorn lodges in Beaver Creek and Vail’s Ritz Carlton, The Solaris, The Hythe, The Sebastian and Four Seasons Vail Red Sky makes for the perfect location to use as a break from more robust outdoor pursuits in the region – the best of the mountain region – or as a perfect golf tour. Redskygolfclub.com

Arrabelle at Vail Square is ground-zero in the heart of Vail’s Lionshead Village during the winter season, but offers travelers great accommodations and easy access to the region’s amenities. Vail.com

The Westin Riverfront features gorgeous surroundings and a prime location in Avon, opening up the entire region of possibilities.

SPONSORED BY

The Ritz-Carlton Bachelor Gulch in nearby Avon features rooms, suites and villas large enough for a family visit or a weekend trip, as well as fitness center, dining and a spa.

A Vail Summer is Special

THE VILLAGE OF VAIL in the summer boasts nightlife and arts and dining that would be the pride of a community 10 times its size. The village hotels, inns and bistros which are the favorite of wintertime destinations flip to catering not to summer visitors taking advantage of long days who are looking for great food, the perfect drink, and great music. | Photos courtesy Vail Local Marketing District.

THE MUSIC NEVER STOPS

A free annual concert series, Moe’s Original BBQ Hot Summer Nights, is put on by the nonprofit Vail Valley Foundation, and is hosted throughout the summer at The Amp. All shows start at 6:30 and the late summer schedule includes: July 11: 49 Winchester, July 18: The Dip, Aug. 17: Hogslop String Band, Aug. 22: Jimi’s Dead, Aug. 29: Fruition, Sept 7: VVF Community Concert: Other Brothers. Live music can also be found in bars and restaurants throughout town, including Shakedown bar, Bridge Street bar, The Red Lion, Pepi’s Bar, Lionhead’s Chophouse and the King’s Club at Sonnenalp.

• Special Discounted Concert Rates

Vail Golf Continues the Legacy

FOR MORE THAN 60 YEARS, the Vail Golf Club has been testing the mettle of golfers during the region’s relatively brief window from summer thaw to winter’s first ski tracks. In 2009 the public course began a campaign to touch up nearly every aspect of the legacy course. This summer that work is done. The course is planning to open in July after completing the final phase – green replacements and updating all the course’s 31 bunkers. The greens were rebuilt with better drainage and bentgrass. The pace of the greens and slopes was kept true to the original design, but the updates are expected to make for a smoother roll. “It was really about the health of the grass,” said Alice Plain, the Vail Golf Club director of golf. “We can make them faster but instead we’re looking for a

WHILE YOU ARE HERE

true roll and healthy turf. Along the way the project saw construction of a new clubhouse, completed in 2017, and updated elements throughout the course. The course is operated by the Vail Recreation District and they have taken their charge seriously to offer amenities to their residents that in turn make the region an outdoor activity mecca. As part of that pledge the golf club maintains a high pace of play in order to help visitors enjoy a round of golf in a little more than 4 hours – then have plenty of time for the rest of the region. “We try hard to do that so they can enjoy everything else Vail has to offer,” Plain said. family. You couldn’t ask for much more than that. vailrec.com

Dining in Vail in the summer is half the point of visiting. Eateries that cater to the apres ski crowd in the winter turn to pleasing hikers, mountain bikers, music festival enthusiasts and golfers who turn to the valley for summer fun. Local favorites include Sweet Basil, The Fitz, Root & Flower, Mountain Standard and The George

Summertime in Vail means Vail’s legendary array of summertime arts and culture. The Philadelphia Philharmonic Orchestra stops by for performances every July as part of the Bravo!Vail Music Festival. Ford Amphitheater hosts concerts all summer long, many of them free. This July’s lineup features Old Crow Medicine Show July 16, The Dip July 18, Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue and Ziggy Marley July 24; and the Vail Dance Festival performances July 28 to Aug. 11.

SPONSORED BY

COLORADO: THE STATE OF WOMEN’S GOLF

Alice Plain was 5 years old when her dad introduced her to golf. She spent her summers on the greens and fell in love with the sport and the challenges it provided.

Barriers still present, but FUTURE is bright

By Kaylee Harter

There weren’t many girls who golfed, so she became good friends with the guys at her home course. “It was great,” Plain says. But when she got to high school, there was no women’s team. She tried out for the men’s team and was good enough to play, but wasn’t allowed on the team.

College wasn’t much different at first. She qualified for the men’s team at Hanover College, but the coach was still reluctant to have her join. With her male teammates in her corner, she went to the president of the school to “plead her case” and the president agreed to let her play.

“I’m very competitive, and I wanted to beat as many of the guys as I could…I loved all the guys that I played with. They were super supportive, and I think those lessons of competing with the boys really has been a huge platform and a starting point for me being in a very male-dominated industry,” she says.

She transferred to Oklahoma State where she went on to be part of the

PHOTO BY BARRY STAVER

women’s team that finished third in the 1989 National Championship. Now, Plain has been in the PGA for more than 25 years and is director of the Vail Golf Club — a job she says competed against men to land.

Access to golf for women has drastically improved since Plain was denied from her high school team. Women now account for one in four on-course golfers, and more than one in three junior golfers are girls, according to the National Golf Foundation. More than 6 million female non-golfers say they’re very interested in playing golf on a course.

So as participation in golf by both men and women has boomed in Colorado since 2020, longtime women golfers say that women trying out the game for the first time need to be ready to be persistent, but that the rewards are worth it.

BARRIERS HAVE ALWAYS BEEN THERE

Plain said golf’s reputation for many years was clear: “It’s been known as a white man’s sport for like 100 years,” Plain says. “That in itself is intimidating.”

M’lis Ward of Denver is many things – she played basketball at USC, joined the Air Force, became a pilot, trained other Air Force pilots, and then an airline pilot. She is Black and identifies as gay, and says that as she sought a new game after basketball, she turned to golf despite its traditional reputation of exclusivity.

“There are some out there, but there are very few (clubs) that accept either women or people of color or the LGBTQ community. I mean, we’re just automatically excluded,” Ward says.

Only about 21 percent of all golfers are nonwhite, and 25 percent of female golfers are nonwhite, according to the National Golf Foundation.

Columbine Country Club south of Denver is a rare country club. In 2021 it had two women on its board of directors, according to the club’s publicly-available IRS tax returns. Few other clubs in Colorado have any.

One of Columbine’s board members, Jill Schafer, is in the middle of a four-year term. She said she has felt lucky because the membership at Columbine made the decision that they wanted different voices to be heard in guiding club operations.

“Unfortunately, most clubs are private, so it really, really stems from who you have there and what their goals are for their club and for their membership,” Schafer said. “I’m just thankful that Columbine has thought about things and is moving to have a more inclusive environment for all people there.”

Schafer says the club was welcoming. “You

always hear the stigma of country clubs. ‘Oh, they’re just for the men, they don’t want to do anything for the youth or for women.’ I’ve never felt that way at Columbine.”

Cathy Matthews Kane, president of the Colorado PGA, says she aims to grow the game through programming supporting junior and adult development programs.

“It’s not limited to women. It’s growing the game for everyone. And I would say in my role, I just want women to see that you too can be successful in golf,” Kane says.

The Vail Golf Club hosts a two-day women’s beginner class as well as a weekly women’s clinic called “ladies’ lessons and libations” in efforts to increase access to the game for women, Plain says. Courses throughout the state now offer lessons, leagues and events geared for women.

“It’s really important for everyone to recognize that women have money to spend and they want to spend their money,” Plain says. “Get your women members’ input.”

As she began playing, Ward turned to the region’s armada of strong public courses, and to her friends. She started an informal league called City Chicks that she estimates has between 50 and 60 members with handicaps ranging from 0 to 22. There are no officers, fees or bylaws — and no drama, Ward says.

“It really is refreshing to just go play golf… and just have a great time with everybody because … we’re not all the same,” Ward says. “There are political differences in that group. There’s gay, straight, young, old. It’s probably one of the most diverse groups in the city.”

Ward also coached a high school team, where she says she drew more girls to

CAPTION: M’LIS WARD OF DENVER TOOK TO GOLF AFTER HER BASKETBALL CAREER AT USC ENDED.

PHOTO: COLORADDO AVIDGOLFER ARCHIVES

“i think women just need to get the acknowledgement we deserve,”

—HADLEY ASHTON

experiences in golf as well as golf-centric education, STEM and art activities. onto the historic grounds of Cherry Hills Country Club to watch the in the world compete to win the coveted Havemeyer Trophy.

LEssons from One of the Greatest Golfers of The 20th Century: The Unbreakable Babe Didrikson Zaharias

By Lauren Veldhuizen

Registered kids 17 and under are free. from our community supporters, First Tee Colorado chapters, Foundation, and Evans Scholars will be on-site to provide more youth golf programs, jobs in golf, and scholarship opportunities for students working in golf-related jobs.

The Junior Experience will open daily Monday, August 14 – Sunday, August 20

A three-time All-American basketball player and national champion.

Bill Russell?

Nope.

A track and field national champion, four-time world record breaker, and three-time Olympic track and field medalist.

Jim Thorpe?

Still no.

A founder of the Ladies Professional Golf Association, an 82-time amateur and professional golf tournament champion, a three-time U.S. Women’s Open golf title holder, and the first American woman to win the British Women’s Open?

AMATEUR JUNIOR EXPERIENCE COMMUNITY SUPPORTERS

That would be Mildred “Babe” Didrikson Zaharias – one of the 20th Century’s greatest athletes and a person whose legacy is claimed by many states. Born in Texas, she lived for a time and owned a golf course in Florida. But she married a Colorado man, and Lakewood Country Club is where she perfected her craft. She is in the Colorado Golf Hall of Fame, and it is here that she returned time and again after all her many victories.

Babe Zaharias is considered one of the greatest – if not the greatest – female athletes of the 20th century. In a list curated by ESPN of the greatest athletes of all time – men or women - Babe ranks No. 10, and is the highest-ranking female athlete on the list.

AMATEUR CHAMPIONSHIP

123RD U.S. AMATEUR CHAMPIONSHIP

Babe was born on June 26, 1911, in Beaumont, Texas, to Norwegian immigrant parents. Her given-name was Mildred Didrikson, but she earned the nickname “Babe” for her natural ability to hit home runs reminiscent of baseball legend Babe Ruth.

AT CHERRY HILLS COUNTRY CLUB

JUNIOR EXPERIENCE AT CHERRY HILLS COUNTRY CLUB

for youth where kids can choose from several handsas golf-centric education, STEM and art activities. grounds of Cherry Hills Country Club to watch the compete to win the coveted Havemeyer Trophy.

Enjoy this exciting community event for youth where kids can choose from several handson learning experiences in golf as well as golf-centric education, STEM and art activities. Next venture out onto the historic grounds of Cherry Hills Country Club to watch the greatest amateurs in the world compete to win the coveted Havemeyer Trophy.

While Babe was one of the most accomplished athletes of the 20th century, her real love was the game of golf. Before becoming a golfing legend, Babe immortalized herself as an unbeatable force of athletic prowess through other sports, but golf revealed not only the quality of player she was but the quality of character she possessed.

As she pursued golf, she learned many things that apply both on and off the golf course:

kids 17 and under are free.

Registered kids 17 and under are free.

The game of golf is difficult. It requires a strong body and a sharp mind, both of which Babe championed. She trained physically and prepared mentally. She said, “I’d drill and drill and drill on the different kinds of shots. I’d hit balls until my hands were bloody and sore.” Babe would spend 12 hours on the golf course to perfect a single chip shot or stare in the mirror at her grip until it was satisfactory. Her discipline was relentless, a quality rewarded in both golf and life.

community supporters, First Tee Colorado chapters, and Evans Scholars will be on-site to provide more programs, jobs in golf, and scholarship opportunities for working in golf-related jobs.

A PART OF GOLF

Representatives from our community supporters, First Tee Colorado chapters, Palmer Scholarship Foundation, and Evans Scholars will be on-site to provide more information about youth golf programs, jobs in golf, and scholarship opportunities for students working in golf-related jobs.

Experience will open daily

Sunday, August 20

JOIN US!

Golf is a game of integrity. The rules are particular and detailed, rules that Babe memorized. She said she would “go to bed with the golf rule book” and read it through “twenty-five times, line by line.” While knowing the rules was vital, following them was integral to Babe’s character. One story describes when she accidentally played the wrong ball from the rough during a tournament, told the marshall her mistake, and was disqualified from the game she was on track to win. Integrity is a quality that Babe lived out, and golf rewards this.

Golf is a sport of finesse and decorum. Treating the other players on the course with respect, win or lose, is vital to the game, one that Babe performed perfectly. For her, “Good sportsmanship is just as important as winning… If you win through bad sportsmanship, that’s no real victory in [her] book.”

To volunteer, purchase tickets or learn more about the upcoming U.S. Amateur, please scan the QR code with your smart phone.

RD U.S. AMATEUR CHAMPIONSHIP

AUGUST 14-20, 2023

CHERRY HILLS COUNTRY CLUB | CHERRY HILLS VILLAGE, COLO. www.chcc.com/ 123 rdusam

While Babe did almost anything to win, she never compromised her character or cheerful spirit for a victory. She was beloved by the gallery for her witty remarks and hilarious jokes and beloved by the golfing community for her relentless work ethic and power with the club. With these lessons in mind, Babe Didrikson Zaharias made Colorado golf history. After marrying wrestler George Zaharias in 1938, the couple moved to Denver. While living there, she won the Broadmoor Match Play Tournament ten-and-nine, stretching her tournament winning streak to seventeen wins. Babe was diagnosed with colon cancer in 1953. Three months post-surgery, she won the National Women’s Open by twelve strokes, the second-largest margin of victory in tournament history. She died on September 27, 1956, from a cancer relapse at age 45. Despite the struggles near the end of her life, Babe’s athleticism was unbeatable, and her spirit was unbreakable.

We can’t wait to see you there!

“As far as I was concerned, there was no doubt about my coming back again,” she wrote in her autobiography. “With the love and support of the many friends I have made, how could I miss?”

To volunteer, purchase tickets or learn more about the upcoming U.S. Amateur, please scan the QR code with your smart phone. We can’t wait to see you there!

BABE ZAHARIAS

123RD U.S. AMATEUR CHAMPIONSHIP

AUGUST 14-20, 2023

CHERRY HILLS COUNTRY CLUB | CHERRY HILLS VILLAGE, COLO.

COLORADO GOLF CLUB | PARKER, COLO.

To volunteer, purchase tickets or learn more about the upcoming U.S. Amateur, please scan the QR code with your smart phone.

We can’t wait to see you there!

the sport by making it fun. Still, she sometimes worries about the future of the sport and says investing in the next generation is important. “Those of us that play, we need to be responsible to try and find one more person to play younger than us,” she says.

THE NEXT GENERATION

Young golfers are already making their mark across the state and Plain says girls today are growing up “in a very different environment.”

Sisters Elle and Brenna Higgins play together on the Valor Christian Girls Golf Team. The senior and sophomore, respectively, are top players on the team that took home the 2022 and 2023 state championships. Brenna, a sophomore, was the medalist in this year’s championship tournament.

“Golf is really a growing sport and there’s a lot more people competing at the higher level, so the competition is definitely becoming more select,” Brenna Higgins says.

Hadley Ashton, now 15 years old, became the youngest girls’ winner of the Junior Golf Alliance of Colorado’s Tour Championship at age 14 and has been playing since she was 6 years old.  She’s motivated to play because she says she wants to be the best in the state and compete on a national level. And as far as Ashton can tell, she said, the barriers for women in golf seem to exist across most sports.

“I think women just need to get the acknowledgement that we deserve,” Ashton says. “More talk about it, more people realizing how hard it is for women and how hard we work.”

Elle Higgins will golf on the University of Montana’s team next year and Brenna Higgins and Ashton both have their sights set on playing in college and beyond.

“There’s a lot of careers in golf which I feel like maybe that’s something I would want to do — maybe be an interviewer or go film golf tournaments or post round interviews or even working kids tournaments — I feel like that would be a lot of fun,” Brenna Higgins says.

A LIFETIME SPORT

For many women, the benefits of golf go far beyond the game itself.

“I love that you can do it with anyone,” Elle Higgins says. “It’s not something like soccer that you just kind of grow out of. It’s there your whole life.”

Golf can be a vehicle for networking and building businesses that many women might be missing out on, Kane says.

Ward — a former D1 basketball player who discovered her love for golf later in life after realizing she wouldn’t be able to play basketball forever — says she couldn’t imagine her life without golf or the friendships that leagues like City Chicks have provided.

PHOTO COURTESY OF HADLEY ASHTON

PHOTO BY STEVE ABEYTA

BRENNA HIGGINS

“We all have these connections so that you will never be alone… Even when it’s raining, we all get together and have breakfast,” she says. “That’s what my hope is — that everyone would find a place for themselves where they have a growing group that will never limit themselves and exclude people and you’ll never feel alone.”

Nancy Syms of Colorado Springs, a member of the Colorado Golf Hall of Fame, learned the game as a girl. For her playing was easy: there were few other sports open to girls, and she had access to a course where she grew up in Indiana.

It was later, as she competed as a high-ranking amateur, when things became challenging. The cost of the sport was high, pros didn’t make that much money, and keeping her amateur status meant she couldn’t accept so much as a free golf ball.

“It certainly was a struggle, back when I was playing, but it was worth it. And it turned out to be very, very much worth it — what I’ve accomplished with it. But I had to spend my money in order to play and be able to get out there, pay an entry fee and travel time and all that was on me.”

But her journey has been amazing. She played on three Curtis Cup teams – the Curtis Cup is played every other year and pits the best amateurs from the U.S. against a team from Great Britain and Ireland. Her international playing career culminated in 1975 when she won the British Women’s Amateur Championship, played on the Old Course at St. Andrews, with her husband as her caddy.

Stepping into such a challenging sport can be daunting, Kane says.

“Nobody would go downhill skiing, strap on a pair of skis and hop on the lift and expect to try to figure out on the way down,” she says. “Same is true with golf. Take a lesson... find a clinic and start with a coach,” she says.

Elle Higgins encourages other girls to keep an open mind about whether the game is for them.

“Be patient, because golf is hard,” she says. “And you’re not gonna get it on the very first try. It takes a minute. And so I would say just be patient and stick with it.”

Kaylee Harter is a writer based in Denver.

CHAMPION: NANCY SYMS OF COLORADO SPRINGS WON AT THE HIGHEST LEVELS OF WOMEN’S GOLF FOR MORE THAN 20 YEARS.

PHOTO COURTESY OF NANCY SYMS

PHOTO COURTESY OF CATHY MATTHEWS KANE

NANCY SYMS

WOMEN OF COLORADO GOLF AT CITY PARK GOLF COURSE

PHOTO BY BARRY STAVER

CATHY MATTHEWS KANE

The Sinclair ROCKY MOUNTAIN OPEN

As the longest running continuous open golf tournament in Colorado, the Rocky Mountain Open promises an exciting experience for participants. The event is held at the picturesque Tiara Rado Golf Course, nestled at the base of the majestic Colorado National Monument.

To secure your spot, register now at www.rmogolf.org.

For those looking to support the tournament as sponsors, please reach out to us at info@rmogolf.org.

Major milestone’s for women’s golf in Colorado

March 14, 1916: The Colorado Women’s Golf Association is founded by Mary Hemming and Ella McLaughlin. The influential body survives 101 years until it merges into the Colorado Golf Association.

June 20, 1933: Denverite Phyllis Buchanan wins the Women’s Trans-Mississippi championship at Wakonda Country Club in Des Moines, becoming the first Colorado woman amateur to achieve national prominence. Her return to Denver occasions a visit to City Hall and a hero’s welcome.

1961: Sally Hardwick becomes the first female club professional in Colorado, going to work for Marion Pfluger at Pinehurst Country Club.

1974: With no girls’ golf team, Lauren Howe becomes the number 1 player on the boys’ golf team for three years at St. Mary’s High School in Colorado Springs. In 1983 she will become the first Colorado woman since Babe Zaharias to win an LPGA event, the Mayflower Open at the Country Club of Indianapolis.

August 17, 1974: Cindy Hill, working in a shop at The Broadmoor in Colorado Springs, wins the U.S. Women’s Amateur at a Broadmoor Golf Club in Seattle, defeating future World Golf Hall of Famer Carol Semple. She becomes the first Sportswoman of the Year honored by the Sportswomen of Colorado.

1990: Nearly 20 years after Title IX, CHSAA institutes Girls Golf as one of its activities.

1993: Jill McGill wins the U.S. Women’s Amateur. A year later she takes the U.S. Amateur Public Links title.

1995: After three years of a two-round amateur flight (known as the Heather Farr flight) in the Colorado Open, women get their own state championship when the Colorado Women’s Open debuts at Fox Hollow Golf Club. Shelly Rule shoots a 4-under 140 and wins the inaugural two-round event on the first extra hole of a playoff with Annette Deluca.

July 13–16, 1995: The U.S. Women’s Open comes to Colorado for the first

By Jon Rizzi

time, with Annika Sorenstam winning the first of her 10 major championships on The Broadmoor Golf Club East Course. “I’m stunned. I have no words. I really don’t know what I got myself into,” the 24-year-old Swede said immediately afterwards.

1996: Judy Bell of Colorado Springs becomes the first female president of the USGA.

2015: Paige Spirinac triumphs in the 100th CWGA Match Play in an epic 35hole duel with CU’s Brittany Fan in which the two players combined to make 22 birdies and finish 15 under par. Spiranac won 2 and 1 after both players halved Raccoon Creek’s par-3 17th with birdies.

April 6, 2019: Jennifer Kupcho wins the first Augusta National Women’s Amateur. The Westminster resident had dominated Colorado girls’ and women’s golf, winning by double digits and dramatically shooting a 7-under-par 65 in round 2 of the 2017 Colorado Women’s Golf Association Stroke Play titles to shatter Babe Zaharias’ 71-year-old Denver Country Club course record of 68. As a junior at Wake Forest, Kupcho won the 2018 NCAA championship and ranked as the number one woman amateur in the world for 34 weeks. Still, it is her performance at the home of the Masters—soldiering through a migraine to go five under par on the final six holes to win by four strokes—that marks her breakout performance. Appearances on the Today Show and Tonight with Jimmy Fallon follow, as does a “Welcome to Denver” voiceover on the terminal train at DIA.

March 22, 2022: Thanks to Inspirato, its new title sponsor, the Colorado Women’s Open purse ($250,000) and first prize ($100k) match the totals of men’s Open. It is the highest payout of any women’s open in the country, and the first state open to offer equal pay for men and women.

August 28, 2022: Jill McGill wins the 2022 U.S. Senior Women’s Open at NCR Country Club in Kettering, Ohio. Her first victory since 1994 —“It’s been a really, really long time,” she said with a laugh to the media—marks her third different USGA championship. The only others to have accomplished that are all in the World Golf Hall of Fame: Carol Semple Thompson, JoAnne Carner Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods.

CHERRY HILLS UNVEILS ITS new look

A Historic Clubhouse gets a MODERN UPGRADE at Cherry Hills Country Club

By Jay McKinney

In a state that’s chock-full of incredible golf courses, Cherry Hills Country Club holds a unique place.

Founded in 1922, the William S. Flynn designed golf course nestled in the suburbs of South Denver has solidified its status and place in history. It has hosted three U.S Opens and two PGA Championships, and this August hosts its third U.S. Amateur.

The members at Cherry Hills consider it their second (maybe first) home and cherish walking the same fairways that have tested some of the game’s greatest players.

But until this spring, the clubhouse was long overdue for an upgrade.

The original Cherry Hills clubhouse was designed by renowned Denver architects Merrill and Burnham Hoyt. It was small and simple. While the clubhouse has seen its fair share of renovations over the years, it was time for a drastic one.

“We basically had a functionally obsolete clubhouse,” says Kim Koehn, the club president at Cherry Hills. “There were parts of it that hadn’t been touched in 80 years and it was in pretty rough shape.”

Going back about six years, the club began exploring options for how it

could bring its clubhouse up to date. After considering the possibility of a renovation, the club concluded that it would be better to start from scratch. As a result, everything south of the golf entrance was demolished in February of 2021 and over the last two years became a bustling construction site.

While members were looking forward to the reconstruction, there were numerous challenges looming. Chris Lees is a project manager who owns Orion Construction Management and was hired to handle the reconstruction. Lees has an impressive résumé, working as a contractor and consultant at Augusta National for nearly nine years and overseeing renovations at other prominent clubs such as Castle Pines Golf Club.

When hired on for the Cherry Hills reconstruction, the supply chain and labor shortage brought on by COVID-19 was one of the toughest hurdles he’s had throughout his career. Despite the challenges, he’s proud of the final product and thinks they handled it as well as possible.

“Of the country clubs I’ve been involved with, this was without a doubt one of the finest,” Lees says. “The building is iconic in the area, not just because of its age but because of its architecture. What we wanted to do is maintain that look and feel. It was a re-creation of a 1922 true-to-style build-

PHOTOS BY ANDY COLWELL

CHERRY HILLS’ FORMAL DINING ROOM, ARNIE’S

ing and it hit on the mark.”

Now that it is completed, members are thrilled to have their clubhouse back and better than ever.

The banquet facility was improved so that it can accommodate more people, while also being easily divisible into smaller sections. There are two brand new dining venues, with member dining on the main floor and a higher-end white tablecloth dining area upstairs. The later has been named Arnie’s and pays tribute to Arnold Palmer with memorabilia and photos decorating the space in celebration of the legendary golfer. Palmer famously won the 1960 U.S. Open at Cherry Hills in one of the most memorable majors to date.

Not only did they aim to upgrade what was torn down, but the club also added new amenities. The new kids’ zone (ages 3-8) was added to accommodate children while their parents play golf and slightly older children can congregate in the “tween zone” where they can race F1 cars on tracks around the world in the driving simulators.

The roughly 4,000 square foot fitness facility is arguably the best addition. Koehn said it could not have been more of an upgrade, because the previous building did not have one.

“You absolutely need to have fitness because it’s just what is demanded by younger families and it also rounds out the offering for the clubhouse,” Koehn says. “We wanted to add new amenities to make the club more appealing and have it be more of a 12-month club. We want people to have reasons to go there in the winter and dining is one of them but working out is another.”

While the clubhouse has been modernized, the rich history at Cherry Hills is integral to its prestige. The walls may be brand new, but they are decorated with an impressive collection of artworks commemorating the country club. Along with the photos and memorabilia from the former building’s heritage room, there was a discovery of more pieces in storage that nobody knew existed. The USGA and the Palmer Foundation also donated artwork that reflects the history of the club, bringing the grand total to 350 pieces.

CHERRY HILLS COUNTRY CLUB’S NEW, STATE OF THE ART FITNESS CENTER

SPECIAL FEATURE: SIMULATOR LOUNGE

With the addition of the new four-bay simulator lounge, members at Cherry Hills can skip the sunscreen and opt to golf with the big screen. Even though escaping to warmer weather in the winter months may be the most appealing option for keeping your golf swing intact, one could argue it’s just as valuable to practice on a simulator when snow is covering the greens.

“It’s going to be a real game changer for us because we didn’t have it before,” Koehn says. “When you combine it with the fitness area which is on the same level, you can talk about really improving your game in the winter months. They have incredible technology that tells you everything from how much weight is on the balls of your feet, where your weight shifts during your swing, and the club speed.”

Not only can members fine tune their swing over the winter using the simulators, but the lounge is also the first area golfers rush to when a round is rained out. Instead of tearing up that scorecard while sipping a drink, they can finish in the comfort of the lounge where there is a full bar and the ability to order food as well. The simulators are also fun because golfers can virtually play top-ranked courses that are around the world, all with the press of a button.

Jay McKinney is a Denver-based writer.

ONE OF THE CLUB’S NEW SIMULATORS

Presented

Presented by

Sponsored by

2 DAYS OF GOLF

Set to the iconic backdrop of Pikes Peak and the Rocky Mountains, players will test their skills at the private Pete Dye designed course. Competitive and “Play For Fun” flights, and amazing prizes!

2 NIGHTS LUXURY LODGING CHEYENNE MOUNTAIN RESORT

Recognized as one of most scenic resorts in the country, players & guests will enjoy activities such as swimming, tennis, on-site work out facility, the acclaimed Alluvia spa and your own private lake with beach.

Presented by

THERAPY

How BRANDON STOKLEY finds his competitive fix on Denver courses

By Jim Bebbington

“He needs that pressure. That’s the kind of thing he needs.”

WHAT DO YOU DO AFTER YOU FINISH YOUR DREAM JOB?

Brandon Stokley loves pressure. He loves stakes. He loves teammates.

Growing up in Louisiana as the son of a football coach, Stokley has always been around football.

For 15 seasons, he got all of the competition and camaraderie he could want as a wide receiver in the NFL. He played four seasons for the Denver Broncos, as well as four each with the Baltimore Ravens and the Indianapolis Colts. Along the way he met one of his best friends, Peyton Manning, and was on two Super Bowl winning teams – Baltimore in 2001 and Indianapolis in 2007.

But in 2013, after a fantastic 2012 season with

the Broncos in which the team went 13-3 only to lose a disappointing playoff battle to the Ravens, Stokley signed up for what would be his final season – back with the Ravens where he started. His wife, Lana, stayed behind in Denver with their two sons, Cameron and Carson.

“We always planned on going back to Louisiana,” Stokley says. “But then it was just like ‘You know what? This is a great place to raise a family.”

His final year – him in Baltimore, his family in Denver – made it clear it was time to retire.

“I was bouncing around year to year in different places,” he says. “My kids were getting older and I’m spending more time in the training room. And it’s not fun to be in the training room a lot and especially when you’re getting older. I went to Baltimore my last year and I’m out there by myself. My family stayed here and I’m in an apartment and I’m hurt a lot. That was when they

kind of let me know – OK, it’s time for the next chapter.”

The next chapter began with some time off. But once in a while he sat in on the radio shows on KKFN 104.3 The Fan, adding his insight as an NFL insider. Then program director Armen Williams called him out of the blue and offered him a job.

“I wasn’t sure if I wanted to – to do three hours a day talking – so I decided I’ll just do a trial run,” he says.

That was six years and three radio partners ago.

Here’s the thing about talk radio jobs – they are a lot more complex than they sound on the air.

The vibe sports talk shows shoot for is fast, informed segments that sound like a couple of people shooting the breeze.

But Stokley’s partner, radio veteran Zach Bye, puts in about 90 minutes a day before they get on the air typing up a rundown for the upcoming

PHOTO BY JOHN LEYBA

show – writing intros and deep teases that he will deliver at each commercial break with the goal of gaining audience as the show goes on through the afternoon. There is a plan.

In the studio, Stokley sits bolt upright, across a high table from Bye, with a computer and phone in front of him, his microphone dangling from a metal arm coming up from the table. He and Bye look straight at each other from about 5 feet away, and have intense conversations. They have to sound passionate. They have to be fast – radio talkers speak at a faster pace than normal conversation.

They stare at each other almost all the time because they are giving signals with their eyes for when their partner should get ready to carry the ball and continue the conversation. They only sound like two guys shooting the breeze; this is two people performing, live, with the right voice inflections, the right topics (they hope), the right exchanges, the right intros and outros - for three hours a day, five days a week.

“He’s just real authentic,” Bye said of Stokley. “Sometimes he’ll zag when everyone else is zigging and just in terms of being able to say something that people don’t want to hear. As everyone was so fired up about the Broncos getting Russell Wilson and we were out at training camp and he’s like, ‘this does not look good’ and he was the only person on the station that had the Broncos having a losing record, and that was like heresy last summer.”

They know a lot of their listeners are entombed in cars on the local interstates. Like all their local radio competition, they are trying to be that lifeline. They’re competing against dozens of local shows airing at the same time – plus podcasts, streaming music, audio books and anything else that helps commuters stay sane.

Many athletes try to make the transition to regular work in the media – either video or audio. Few make it.

“It’s his work ethic,” said Drew Spevak, the show’s executive producer. “It’s a matter of knowing what you’re talking about, watching the games, reading up on things, and having an idea of what’s going on in the sports universe. There’s some guys out there

who don’t want to take the time to do it - they think they can just come in and talk for three, four hours at a time…. He just works his butt off as far as knowing what is going on. It helps him on the air to do that. Yes, we all have a good team together; but it takes each individual to do their own homework to be successful. He’s great at it.”

On air, he regularly mention sports wagers he has made on obscure outcomes. During the Miami Heat v. Boston Celtics NBA Eastern Conference Finals, he talked about how he was guaranteed to make money on a bet that Kevin Love would have fewer than 5.5 rebounds during game 2. (He won; Love had five rebounds.)

GOLF ISN’T FOOTBALL, BUT IT’S CLOSE

Back on the course, as a reporter and photographer are about the leave, Stokley snakes a long putt in for a par, pointing directly into the camera lens as his ball is still rolling. A few days later, while on the air, he let his listeners know how the round concluded: Not well.

He got to 18 with a fairly good round in hand. He swung hard. His ball landed about 100 yards to the right of where he wanted it to go. He said later that his friends were right – while a reporter and photographer were there watching, he played his best. When the limelight dimmed, so did his game.

But his search for new challenges continues. Son Cameron is in college and Carson is a sophomore in high school; he and Lana are not emp-

PHOTO BY JIM BEBBINGTON

BRANDON STOKLEY CELEBRATES A PUTT

PHOTO BY JOHN LEYBA

ty-nesters yet, but he says they know what’s coming. His son’s are at “the age where they don’t want Mom and Dad around as much as they used to.”

So in May they got out to the Kentucky Derby together. Stokley did bet on the winner, Mage, but had bets on ‘five or six’ other horses too. And he keeps working on his game, playing with friends, working on his radio career – endeavors that help give him a glimpse of what he had for 15 years.

“You don’t get that locker room feel doing much in life,” he says. “Doing radio is good – I got a great radio partner, so that’s a lot of fun. But you know, in the locker room when you have during the season 53 guys, you practice, and it’s just like a big brotherhood. You have so much fun. You have fun traveling and playing games and trying to accomplish winning the Super Bowl. You just can’t replace that. Nothing replaces that.”

MY FAVORITE MOMENT

Brandon Stokley’s best golf shot came during a round at Augusta National with his friend, Peyton Manning. He drove over the trees on the left on the famous par 5 hole called Azalea. Then he delivered with a six-iron and ended up six feet from the cup. “The whole time in my mind I’m just telling myself ‘Don’t screw it up; at least get a birdie here and don’t three putt.’ He sank the putt for eagle. “That one felt good.”

Jim Bebbington is the content director for Colorado AvidGolfer

PHOTO BY JOHN LEYBA

BRANDON STOKLEY WARMS UP FOR A ROUND AT COLORADO GOLF CLUB

BRANDON STOKLEY’S MOST FAMOUS PLAY - CATCHING A TIPPED PASS FOR A GAME WINNING TOUCHDOWN VS. THE CINCINNATI BENGALS IN 2009.

What happens when your dreams come true? More work.

Colorado’s Wyndham Clark is in the middle of a fantastic season on the PGA Tour.

He won his first tournament in May with a four-stroke victory at the Wells Fargo Championship. Then he stunned the golf world by wining the U.S. Open - a career-changing event for any pro. The wins give him years of exemptions on the Tour, made him a strong candidate of the Ryder Cup team in Italy this September, nearly locked in his entry in the Tour’s lucrative year-end FedEx Cup Playoffs, and each earned him more than $3.5 million.

So, what happens when your dreams come true? It turns out, you have to get out of bed the next morning and keep going.

At least that’s the lesson Clark says he learned the hard way.

What the public saw of his first win was succinct. His joy and pride of victory was clear to all on the final green. He gave some deeply personal interviews in which he opened up about finally overcoming his own doubts that he would ever win. His game during that final four-shot victory looked crisp.

Then, two weeks later at the PGA Championship, he missed the cut. The world watched Brooks Koepka take the glory this time. It missed seeing Clark head out of town early – a little wiser, and no less dedicated to winning again.

Simply put, Clark does not recommend that anyone win their first-ever professional tournament two weeks before a major.

“There’s nothing other than it was just bad timing,” he said.

“It’s just tough after you win,” he said a few weeks later while waiting to board a plane to Columbus Ohio for Jack Nicklaus’ Memorial Tournament.

“You win your first tournament and, you know, I celebrated a good amount when I was home with friends and didn’t get the best prep in and I just still was mentally not quite there (when the PGA Championship rolled up.) Which is understandable. I mean, I just won a huge tournament and it’s just unfortunate that a major was right after winning.”

Clark has been very open about his mental journey – his doubts, despite possessing a breathtaking set of skills, plagued him. They caused him to become frustrated when tournaments turned onto the final lap.

As Clark’s professional journey moves forward he is showing the world what persistence looks like. A win is a win. It’s awesome. But the work continues.

Clark battled late into Sunday on a crowded leader board at The Memorial. He finished at 1-under in a tie for 12th place, six shots behind winner Viktor Hovland.

Then came the U.S. Open. Clark simply played the steadiest golf of the entire field. His putting put him up early, and he lead the tournament the final three days. His final round he scrambled - his chipping is amazing - and avoided any big numbers. Other greats of the game - Rory McIlroy, Rickie Fowler - failed to keep pace.

Now, his job includes: how to you re-set your goals? He has a lot more to come, he says. The wins cracked open for him the final door of professional golf: The Masters.

“Getting into the Masters … that’s a dream come true,” he said. “That’s the only tournament I haven’t played in professional golf. So, just playing that, it’s amazing.”

JIM BEBBINGTON

PHOTO BY JEFF HAYNES/USGA

WYNDHAM CLARK