Hiwan Turns a Page

OWNER’S CHOICE: Concert Golf won’t change Hiwan’s pine-lined fairways and fiddly greens, but its clubhouse will undergo a major upgrade that includes an expanded patio that wraps around three sides of the building.

For 28 years, Evergreen’s Hiwan Golf Club hosted the Colorado Open, and for twice that long the Fowler family owned the private club, investing first in 1966 and acquiring the controlling stake 13 years later. That proprietorship officially ended last August when Floridabased Concert Golf Partners—which had taken over management of the facility in April—acquired it for an undisclosed sum.

“We quickly realized that the club would benefit from an infusion of capital, fresh ideas, and a commitment to elevating Hiwan as the premier family-friendly country club in the area,” David Fowler said in a release, noting the family had “been impressed with the energy and excitement the members of the Concert Team brought to the property” during their months managing the club.

Concert also brought its own capital, investing $2 million in immediate improvements. “We want to preserve the lodge feel of the clubhouse, but modernize the aesthetic with new FF&E—furniture, fixtures and equipment,” General Manager Nicolas Trias explains. “We’re getting rid of the brass chandeliers,” he jokes, noting an obvious example of dated décor.

Other changes began before the sale. “We immediately made progress in F&B (food and beverage) and programming,” Trias says. “That’s the Concert philosophy.” Last year, Trias, who is also one of Concert’s regional directors of operations, hired a new F&B director, restaurant manager and catering manager.

“Nick, with his experience at ClubCorp and the Nicklaus Club at LionsGate in Kansas, has also brought in more member programs to involve women and children,” says Kyle Heyen, who, after 42 years at Hiwan and a 2021 induction into the PGA of America Hall of Fame, has been promoted to PGA director of golf.

“We wanted him out from behind the desk and on the range, so he could work with members, teach and oversee operations and events,” Trias says. Troy Persson now handles the golf shop and outside golf operations as the head PGA golf professional.

With a golf pedigree that includes not only the Colorado Opens, but two USGA championships, the 2006 Rolex Tournament of Champions and the 2011 Junior America’s Cup and 2018 Junior Girls Americas Cup, Hiwan has had more than 35 major winners play its Press Maxwelldesigned course. President Dwight Eisenhower reputedly likened Hiwan to Augusta National.

Despite its name, however, Hiwan isn’t just a golf club. Its amenities include resort-style pools, a fitness center, five tennis courts and two pickleball courts. Its golf simulator, currently located in the pool house, will move to the upstairs space at the rear of the clubhouse. Called “the Nest” in a nod to Augusta National’s Crow’s Nest, the area will feature an aerobics studio, two golf simulators, billiards, a bar and food service.

The Nest will perch above a spectacular new wraparound patio that represents a portion of the initial capital investment. In addition to upgrading the dining rooms and the bar area, the golf shop’s bag room will become an F&B area, with a window where golfers can order and grab food and drink at the turn. The main kitchen will expand, and wine lockers will be available.

The footprint of the building, which has grown over 60 years, will not expand, but the way in which the club functions will.

“We want members to take pride in the experience and in being the only private club in Evergreen,” Trias says. “We want to be heavily involved in the community—with schools, fundraising and organizations.”

Currently the owner-operators of 29 upscale clubs, including The Ranch in Westminster, Concert prides itself on its deep pockets and a debt-free approach to club ownership and operation. Heyen reports that after an initial feeling of apprehension, he and the membership are thrilled with the sale: “There’s real excitement about the future.”

Memberships, which provide access to other Concert clubs and more than 600 others, are currently available. And for Colorado AvidGolfer Golf Passport members who want to experience Hiwan—and test themselves on its notorious greens—sign up for the club’s July 24 member play day. hiwan.com