Colorado AvidGolfer May 2016 Issue

C U M E N ’ S C O A C H R O Y E D WA R D S • G R A C E PA R K AT T H E R I D G E

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The 15th CLUB Our Annual Health & Fitness Guide • How to Get “Golf Strong” • Yoga: More than Flexibility • The Importance of the Pelvis

Elevating the Game.

Tuned for the

TOUR Why pro athletes like golfer

SHANE BERTSCH go to the MAT for a session with GREG ROSKOPF

• Saving Your Largest Organ • Time for Replacement Parts?

• Stem Cells and Nonsurgical Options

PLUS COLORADO BALLET’S GIL BOGGS Gets on the Dance Floor

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CONTENTS | May 2016

17

15TH CLUB HEALTH +FITNESS

48 Going to the MAT

How Greg Roskopf’s Muscle Activation Technique helps PGA Tour player Shane Bertch shoulder his latest challenge. By Jon Rizzi

52 Pelvis Lives!

24

56 Get Golf Strong

DEPARTMENTS 8 Forethoughts

Healthy Concerns.

34 Gifts

Mother’s Day ideas.

10 ’net Score

SIDE BETS

By Jon Rizzi

Masters matters, a Golf Passport promo and more.

14 Golf 101

The JGAC kicks off.

17 The Gallery

Colorado Ballet’s Gil Boggs, Berthoud’s

new course and Cañon City’s lost one.

72 The Games of Golf

The PGA’s 100-Year Party.

PLAYER’S CORNER

28 Profile

CU Men’s Coach Roy Edwards.

By Andy Bigford

32 Gear

Knuth Golf’s 3-W and Hybrid, Ken Brown’s One Putt.

COLORADO AVIDGOLFER | May 2016

Developing strength is a critical part of golf fitness.

By Dillon Johnson

60 Practice Makes Present

37 Fareways

Yoga poses improve flexibility, but a yoga practice will help you find your inner game. By Kathleen Heiney

39 Tapping In

62 Tending the Garden

Park Place at The Ridge at Castle Pines North. By Gary James

A Lafayette foursome. By Cody Gabbard

41 Nice Drives

Audi Q7X and Toyota Tacoma.

By Isaac Bouchard

43

24 Tee to Green

Red Sky Golf Club. By Jon Rizzi

Working this high-performance area can lead to your greatest hits. By Dee Tidwell

NEW MEXICO TRAVEL

Albuquerque, Santa Fe and Hobbs

The Garden of the Gods Club builds its International Health and Wellness Center. By Jon Rizzi

64 The Skin Game

How to protect your largest organ from the sun.

By Jon Rizzi

66 Repair or Replace?

Advances in orthopedics can answer that question sooner than you think. By Jon Rizzi

ON THE COVER Greg Roskopf and Shane Bertsch at MAT in Englewood Photograph by Trevor Brown, Clarkson Creative

4

70 Consider the Alternatives From salves to stem cells, what are the nonsurgical options when pain invades our golf games?

By Barbara Hey

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Colorado AvidGolfer (ISSN 1548-4335) is published eight times a year by Baker-Colorado Publishing, LLC, and printed by American Web, Inc. Volume 15, Number two. 7200 S. Alton Way #A-180, Centennial, CO 80112. Colorado AvidGolfer is available at more than 250 locations, or you can order your personal subscription by calling 720-493-1729. Subscriptions are available at the rate of $17.95 per year. Copyright © 2016 by Baker-Colorado Publishing, LLC. All rights reserved. Reproduction without permission is prohibited.

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Forethoughts

PHOTOGRAPH BY TED MCINTYRE

Healthy Concerns

COLORADO AVIDGOLFER | May 2016

HYPOCHONDRIA ISN’T my thing. I’m usually pretty stoic about aches and pains.

But in putting together this 15th Club issue—devoted to health, fitness and wellness—I’ve caught myself wondering about the hidden health perils of golf. For example, last fall, while having a patio lunch at a local club, I watched a guy in a HAZMAT suit fumigating the 18th green—the same surface from which my playing partner would later pick up his ball, mark it, lick it clean and replace it.

He said he’d done that since he was a kid. I say that can’t possibly have been good for him.

Nor can fishing balls from effluent water or trying to squeeze in another shot after the lightning horn sounds (unless you want to end up like the bishop in Caddyshack or get DQ’d from a tournament.)

Admittedly, during my darker moments I’ve questioned whether hours of practicing bunker shots could result in silicosis, or if a heavy rain could produce a sinkhole capable of swallowing my golf cart. Searches into deep rough have occasionally prompted me to consider stocking my golf bag with antivenom, which I’d store next to the bear spray and the insect repellant that wards off West Nile-virus-carrying mosquitoes.

The golf course obviously isn’t the minefield suggested by these addled ruminations.

Superintendents take great care to provide safe environments. The only real and present danger comes from the solar beatdown we get at altitude. So we cover ourselves in sunscreen and UV protective clothing, depriving ourselves of Vitamin D. But how do we protect ourselves from injury when we repeatedly engage in one of the most unnatural body movements ever—the golf swing? The physical toll that action takes on avid players runs the gamut, from the neck and shoulders to the wrist, elbows, hips, knees and the back.

“Prehab” is one solution. No longer an oxymoron, “golf fitness” has enmeshed itself in the fabric of the game. Even the amateurs in Thursday-night beer leagues have evolved from paunchy duffers into trim golf athletes. They might not be doing 300-pound squats like Rory McIlroy, but exercises like the ones on pages 52-71 certainly make a difference in performance.

Still, no matter how fit, professional athletes still get injured. When your livelihood depends on your physical execution, the slightest pains can cost you major dollars. That’s why Parker-based PGA Tour player Shane Bertsch sees Greg Roskopf, founder and CEO of Muscle Activation Techniques.

He’s not alone. Roskopf’s patient list includes such elite athletes as Peyton Manning and scores of leading competitors from across the country. His most recent and publicized success has come with Amy Van Dyken-Rouen, the six-time Olympic gold medalist whose legs were paralyzed by an ATV accident. Roskopf and his team have worked miracles in helping the 43-year-old Denver native slowly regain her ability to walk.

While nowhere near as mind-blowing, Roskopf’s work with Bertsch is critical to the golfer, who has bounced between the PGA Tour, Web.com Tour and the medical exemption list. Roskopf’s work twice helped Bertsch recover from broken bones and sustained his musculoskeletal strength. So when the golfer felt some continued discomfort in his left shoulder, he immediately knew whom to seek out. (See page 48.)

Keeping you fine-tuned for golf, whether through training or rehabbing, comprises much of this issue. It will help prepare your mind and body for whatever the game presents—except, perhaps, when your partner licks his balls. — ­ JON RIZZI

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’net Score INFO | BLOGS | DIALOG

Hall of Fame Calls on Jack JACK NICKLAUS WILL REPLACE Arnold Palmer as a co-chair on the World Golf Hall of Fame Selection Commission, joining Nancy Lopez, Annika Sorenstam and Gary Player. The qualifying age for enshrinement was also changed from 40 to 50 years, effective immediately. One player that affects? Tiger Woods, who turned 40 in December and will now have to wait to join contemporaries like Vijay Singh (2006), Ernie Els (2011), and Phil Mickelson (2012) in the Hall.

A Wild and Windy Masters FROM START TO FINISH, the 2016 Masters gave us plenty of moments to remember. Ernie Els agonizingly six-putted the very first hole; the wind blew Billy Horschel’s ball off the green and into the water; and there were three Sunday aces (including Louis Oosthuizen’s ricochet) at the famed 16th. And what an outcome. Jordan Spieth’s shocking quadruple bogey on the Par-3 12th hole helped pave the way for new father Danny Willett to take home the green jacket after firing an error-free 67 on Sunday.

To help prove how unpredictable a weekend at Augusta can be, we asked you to pick a winning golfer and score on our Facebook page. Out of nearly 200 entries not a single person picked the winner or the winning score of five under.

We think Jordan will come back strong and fellow Tour players, such as Webb Simpson, tweeted support to the 22-year-old who has one win and two runner-ups in three trips to the Masters. All was not lost for Spieth anyway. His T2 finish still netted him $880,000.

TAG IT AND PLAY: Golf Passport course and CAGGY winner, The Raven at Three Peaks

Use #GolfPassport and Win! THE GRASS IS NOW GREEN and golfers around our great state are taking advantage of all of the savings of the 2016 Golf Passport. Let us know where you’re playing and you could win! Simply tag Colorado AvidGolfer on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter using the #GolfPassport hashtag when you play. Think you can play all 63 courses? We’ll pick winners and give away prizes including a 2017 Golf Passport, Colorado AvidGolfer swag, free golf and more!

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M-T anytime, F-S-S after 11

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M-T anytime, F-S-S after 11

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M-T anytime F-S-S after 12

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M-T anytime, F-S-S after 12

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M-T after 11. F-S-S after 12

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M-T anytime, F-S-S after 12

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$89

$55

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$50

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$9

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$25

$30

$25

Any day after 12

Yes

2

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$40

$40

$40

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Yes

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$35

$35

$35

M-T anytime, F-S-S after 12

Yes

3

Todd Creek, Thornton

$40

$45

$40

M-F after 10, S-S after 1

Yes

Unlimited

Vail Golf Club, Vail

$50

$89

$50

Sun-T after 1

Yes

1 P/S = 3

Walking Stick, Pueblo*

$32

$32

$32

M-T anytime, F-S-S after 12

Yes

Unlimited

Yampa Valley Golf Course, Craig*

$30

$30

$30

M-T anytime, F-S-S after 12

Yes

1

South Suburban:Par 3- Cart not included * Some seasons may vary

M-T = Monday-Thursday; F-S-S = Friday-Sunday; S-T= Sunday-Thursday; S-S= Saturday-Sunday P/S= Per Season; SS= Shoulder Season; PS= Peak Season SS= Shoulder Season; PS= Peak Season

Golf 101 THE CGA’S SECOND CENTURY

PHOTOGRAPHS COURTESY OF COLORADO GOLF ASSOCIATION

THE YOUNG GUNS: (clockwise from top left) Coby Welch, Amy Chitkoksoong, Davis Bryant, AJ Ott, Isaac Petersilie and Mary Weinstein.

A League of Their Own There’s never been a better time to be a junior golfer in Colorado.

By Ed Mate WHEN I FIRST STARTED playing golf at Denver City Park Golf Course in the late 1970s, competitive junior golf in Colorado consisted of three regular tournaments—The Denver Post Tournament at City Park, the CGA Junior Match Play and Junior Stroke Play—and a couple of other events like the Insurance Youth Classic and the Optimist Junior World.

In 1982, the Colorado Golf Association (CGA) started a series of one-day tournaments called the “Stockton-Geiberger Series” named after Dave Stockton (who was affiliated at the time with Beaver Creek Golf Club) and Al Geiberger (who was attached to the Keystone Ranch Golf Course). Then, in 1984, the CGA and the Colorado Section of the PGA formed the Colorado Junior Golf Association (CJGA). Under the aegis of the CGA, the CJGA provided youths with a steady increase in competitive playing opportunities.

This year saw the dawn of a new era in junior golf in Colorado with the launch of the Junior Golf Alliance of Colorado (JGAC)—a partnership founded by the CGA and the Colorado Section of the PGA. This new endeavor has everyone COLORADO AVIDGOLFER | May 2016

in the golf community “JGAC’d” (pronounced “jacked”) for junior golf—including Ryder Cup Captain Davis Love III, who appeared with six-time Solheim Cup player Dottie Pepper, PGA of America CEO Pete Bevacqua, USGA President Diana Murphy, Colorado Golf Hall of Famer Ann Finke and other golf luminaries in a video on the Alliance’s website, juniorgolfcolorado.org.

Adding to the tremendous opportunities available for Colorado’s emerging players is the partnership between the JGAC and the country’s preeminent competitive junior golf organization— the American Junior Golf Association (AJGA).

Last June the AJGA brought the AJGA Hale Irwin Colorado Junior to Colorado, marking the first AJGA event in the state since 2012. This year’s AJGA Hale Irwin Colorado Junior tournament will take place June 6-9 at Highlands Ranch Golf Club.

Junior Golf has certainly come a long way in the last 30 years. Between the new JGAC, AJGA, CHSAA (which oversees all high school championships) and assorted junior tournaments throughout the state, there are more than 200 competitive playing opportunities available this

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year for Colorado junior golfers.

The JGAC will have a Junior Tour (for boys with a handicap index below 8.1 and girls with one below 14.1) and a Junior Series (divided by age groups for players with higher handicaps).

It’ll be great to see the beginners improve over the season and the more accomplished boys (among them, Jackson Solem, Davis Bryant, Coby Welch, Isaac Petersilie and AJ Ott) and girls (such as Caroline Jordaan, Mary Weinstein, Erin Sargent, Amy Chitkoksoong and Charlotte Hillary) gunning for each other in the four majors, including the newly created, season-ending Junior Tour Championship at Cherry Hills Country Club October 8-9.

The first-ever Junior Tour champions will be crowned then. Who will they be? The JGAC’s inspiring “Are you next?” tagline suggests unlimited possibility for the thousands of boys and girls who now have competitive opportunities that didn’t exist 35 years ago.

I would love to be 15 again!

Ed Mate is executive director of the Colorado Golf Association. coloradoavidgolfer.com

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The Gallery NEWS | NOTES | NAMES

PAR FOR THE BARRE: The artistic director at Lakewood CC, host of Colorado Ballet’s June fundraiser.

On the Dance Floor with Gil Boggs PHOTOGRAPH BY EJ CARR

By Jon Rizzi

IT’S SAFE TO SAY that the Colorado Ballet’s Gil Boggs is the only artistic director of a major ballet company whose previous job was running a golf club for seven years.

“I call it my college education,” the 55-yearold Boggs says of his position as the academy director at Chelsea Piers Golf Club in New York City. He’d become a professional dancer in Atlanta straight out of high school and hung up his slippers after 17 years at the world-renowned American Ballet Theatre in 1999.

“A dancer can’t retire on Saturday night and become an artistic director on Monday morning,” Boggs says. “You’ve got to have business skills, you have to know how to hire and fire, do budgets.

I’d always loved golf, and I was very fortunate with Chelsea Piers because I ended up in a management position with 14 golf pros working for me, giving 12,000 hours of lessons a year.”

In 2006, Boggs’ unique professional trajectory brought him to the Colorado Ballet, which this June 6 will stage its second annual golf coloradoavidgolfer.com

tournament to raise money for Colorado Ballet’s professional Company, Academy and Education and Community Engagement programs.

Hosted by Lakewood Country Club, the event will also honor the man who in ten years has transformed the company from an embattled, debt-ridden organization into a flush operation with seasons of record-breaking ticket sales, a fabulous new home and rehearsal space in the Art District on Santa Fe, strong community involvement and an artistic product that rivals some of the best professional dance companies in the U.S. Boggs properly credits the company’s dancers, staff, board and donors for the resurrection. But he also cites his golf experience, which prepared him for his current job every bit as much as his 17 years as principal dancer with the American Ballet Theatre (ABT) did.

“What’s it like being in charge of 14 golf pros?” he asks with a chuckle. “It’s like having 14 principal dancers in a ballet company—‘How

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come he got the lesson before I got the lesson?’

‘How come he got the lead and I didn’t?’”

Boggs got more than his share of leading roles during a performing career in which he worked with or studied under such greats as Twyla Tharp, Sir Kenneth MacMillan, Paul Taylor, Mark Morris, Cynthia Gregory and Boggs’ idol, Mikhail Baryshnikov. As the ABT’s artistic director, the Russian-born legend hired the 21-year-old dancer from the Atlanta Ballet.

Boggs remembers his boss’ reaction to seeing the golf clubs that accompanied him on tours and off-days. “We’re in Miami and Misha looks at my golf bag. ‘Stupid game,’ he says. ‘You should go read a book.’ I was like, ‘Okay.’ Five or six years down the line, and Misha’s completely addicted to golf. I mean addicted.”

Boggs initially considered becoming a teaching pro after winding down his dance career.

The golf bug had bitten him as a boy in Atlanta long before the ballet bug did, and he made a point of playing 30 to 40 rounds during each of May 2016 | COLORADO AVIDGOLFER

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his ABT years in New York. He made his way to Winged Foot, Westchester and Quaker Ridge.

On a trip with ABT golf buddies, he got his first ace—hitting driver into a 25 mph wind—on Pebble Beach’s 17th. His second came on 16 at his home course, Wiltwyck Golf Club—100 miles north of Manhattan—where he also shot a careerbest 71 during a member-member. With the encouragement of Darryl Jack, then Wiltwyck’s head PGA professional, the dancer pirouetted towards a second act as a golf instructor.

“I quickly learned I did not enjoy giving lessons,” Boggs says with a laugh. “Working with people and their idea of what the swing looked like and what I was seeing… It wasn’t the right fit.”

Chelsea Piers was the right fit. So was marriage to fellow ABT alum Sandra Brown, a highly regarded choreographer and dancer, with whom he now has two children—Corey, 10, and Emma, 5. She had just given birth to their son when things changed. “I was working at Chelsea Piers and hitting golf balls out towards the sunset and the Hudson River, enjoying life,” Boggs remembers. “And somebody I’d worked with at ABT called me about a job in Denver.”

What followed, he says, was a “leap of faith” more challenging than any tour jeté. “When the board voted to hire me, they were going to give me a two-year contract. I said I need three years to make a difference. When they said, ‘if the company is soluble, we’ll guarantee you a third year,’ I thought, ‘What am I getting myself into?’”

Returning to dance rekindled Boggs’ love of the art form. He repaired damaged relationships in the Denver community, retired the company’s debt to the city and achieved such financial and artistic success that the board has renewed his contract three times, extending him to 2019. He loves being around dancers, whom he inspires with his passion and drive. Sandra serves as one of the company’s two ballet mistresses, with the most recent of her many critical successes being The Last Beat, which she created and staged in 2014 to the music of DeVotchKa. Boggs also moved the company out of its decaying headquarters at 13th and Lincoln and into a 30,000-square-foot space—a complete, customized reconfiguration of three buildings

18

now connected at the northwest corner of 11th and Santa Fe. “This building has been a gamechanger for us,” he says during a tour of the structure’s many rehearsal and education spaces, black-box theater, workout room, lockers, showers and humming administrative area.

As Colorado Ballet’s fortunes have risen so has Boggs’ handicap. “When I left New York I was a three,” he says. “Now I’m a nine.” He plays at Riverdale, CommonGround and Bear Dance, and joins friends who are members at Cherry Hills, Glenmoor and Lakewood. Two days after posing for these photos, he and Colorado Ballet Managing Director Mark Chase drove to Holyoke for a two-day, 72-hole golf pilgrimage to Ballyneal.

The trip, like his career, represents just another correlation he’s made between golf and ballet. There are others. “If you do a move in dance, there’s a specific technical way to do it, just like a golf swing,” he explains. “Both are mentally and technically demanding. You try and repeat the move over and over. Achieving that repetition is the same for a dancer and a golfer.”

However, the balance he developed in dance has led him to repeat a somewhat unorthodox golf swing. “It’s easier for me to sway and stay on balance. Instead of rotating, it’s easy to load up too far on the right side and go too far left. It’s not the most efficient thing.”

Like most of us, Boggs reflects on the “what ifs“ in his career. What if he didn’t get the job at Chelsea Piers? What if the plane of his father— U.S. Marine Major Pat Boggs, whom Gil likens to the Great Santini—hadn’t been shot down in Vietnam? Had he survived, would Major Boggs have approved of a son making a living in ballet tights? One thing’s for sure, had his father lived, young Gil would never have met Bob Dendy, a kindhearted stranger who’d heard on the radio about a certain fatherless boy who’d entered a contest to be a batboy for the Atlanta Braves.

“He and his wife contacted my mother and became lifelong family friends,” Boggs remembers. “He took me night-fishing and introduced me to golf. I parred the first hole I ever played.” He’s been hooked ever since. coloradoballet.org coloradoavidgolfer.com

PHOTOGRAPH BY EJ CARR

1

“If you do a move in dance, there’s a specific technical way to do it, just like a golf swing... You try and repeat it over and over. Achieving that repetition is the same for a dancer and a golfer.”

BUILDING IN BERTHOUD: The developer of Highland Meadows (below) plans another course.

The Gallery

A Course With No Name…Yet IN 2018, for the first time since the ninehole Berthoud Golf Club closed in the early 1940s, residents of the Larimer County town won’t have to go to Loveland or Longmont to play golf. Hillside Commercial Group, which 12 years ago developed the Highland Meadows golf community in Windsor, has already begun moving dirt on an 830-acre parcel in the foothills just west of the intersection of Taft Avenue and U.S. 287.

The development—called Heron Lakes in honor of the birds that nest near the Lonetree, Welch and McNeil reservoirs overlooked by the property—is zoned for more than 1,200 homes of varying sizes and prices, a possible boutique hotel, and, naturally, a golf course and clubhouse. As he did at Highland Meadows, erstwhile Keith Foster protégé Art Schaupeter will serve as course architect.

“It will be a big, broad course with a lot of fairway and very few trees.” says Schaupeter, who first saw the property a decade ago. “It will have the same sense of adventure, excitement and fun as Highland Meadows. There’ll be cool stuff architecturally—a Biarritz green, a riskreward like No. 10 at Riviera.”

Schaupeter says the location, some 17 miles southwest of Windsor, will have a much greater relationship with the mountains than Highland Meadows does.

“There’s a definite wow factor when you approach from the east,” he explains. “You’re behind the ridge and see nothing to the west except a big water tank. Then you get over the ridge, and the entire site unfurls in front of you.

You see foothills rising up and you’re looking directly at Longs Peak. Everyone I’ve brought here lets out these audible wows.”

The clubhouse will sit atop that ridge, staring right at the fourteener and overlooking a layout that can stretch to more than 7,900 yards. That length suggests Hillside is courting more than just the average golfer. But those details—as well as the official name of the course and what Hillside VP of Real Estate Emily Kupec calls a “special partnership”—will remain undisclosed until this month’s groundbreaking ceremony.

Whether the course will be private or public, Kupec says, “depends on the development’s absorption rate.”

The Berthoud course looks as if it will be the first new layout to debut in the state this decade. The only other in the pipeline is the Fred Funk-designed RainDance National, located 15 miles northeast in Windsor and developed by the team behind Pelican Lakes Golf & Country Club.

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The Gallery

SURVIVOR: Four Mile Ranch is Cañon City’s sole course.

Golf By Numbers

2 Last Course Standing CAÑON CITY IS NO LONGER a two-course town. Shadow Hills Golf Club—which opened with nine holes in 1959, expanded to 18 in 1998 and was purchased out of receivership the Holt family in 2010— closed last year. The Holts turned the semi-private course public and spent four years upgrading and subsidizing it, but revenues never exceeded operating costs. “It was a heartbreaking but realistic business decision,” owner Beth Holt-Madone says. Viewing it as an “important community asset,” the Holts last year offered to lease the course to the city for $1 a year, but the city council turned it down.

That leaves eight-year-old Four Mile Ranch Golf Club as the only course in a “banana belt” town that benefits from a half-million visitors to the nearby Royal Gorge and its famous suspension bridge.

Four Mile Ranch has also endured a rollercoaster of financial challenges and ownership changes. That crazy ride, however, seems to be over. “The place is doing amazing,” says Ken Tanner, who has worked alongside PGA General Manager Billy Bernhardt since the course’s 2008 debut. “This winter we had 1,700 rounds in 22 days.”

Four Mile Ranch’s current business model calls for reinvestment in the course and promoting it with commercials during the U.S. Open. However, the course has yet to build a clubhouse. Nine miles southwest, there was such a structure at Shadow Hills. It now operates occasionally as an event center called The View at Shadow Hills, although it no longer overlooks an active golf course. That could change with a new owner. fourmileranch.com

coloradoavidgolfer.com

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aces were recorded at the Colorado Golf Hall of Fame Classic 100 April 7 at Hyland Hills Golf Course in Westminster. And they came from players in the same cart. On first hole of the 100-hole shotgun event, CGHOF President Scott Radcliffe one-hopped one into the cup on the 1st hole of the South Par-3. On the very last hole—the 100th—his cartmate, board member Mark Valente, jarred one on the ninth hole. The event raised $95,000 for the History of Golf in Colorado Foundation, the 501(c)(3) that supports the Colorado Golf Hall of Fame. coloradogolfhalloffame.org.

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th

place was the highest finish by a Colorado competitor in April’s Drive Pitch & Putt Championship at Augusta National Golf Club. Luke Trujillo and Arielle Keating, both of Colorado Springs, each finished 6th in the 14-15 age division. Caitlyn Chin of Denver finished 10th among girls ages 7-9. The three had qualified by winning their divisions at the West Regional, an accomplishment in itself. A joint initiative between the Masters Tournament, USGA and The PGA of America, DC&P is a free nationwide junior golf development competition.

Registration for 2017’s championship has begun. drivechipandputt.com

May 2016 | COLORADO AVIDGOLFER

Player’s Corner TEE TO GREEN

Peak Performer Red Sky Golf Club begins its 15th season as it finished its previous 14—at the apex of Colorado mountain golf—and it keeps climbing higher. By Jon Rizzi Red sky at night, sailors’ delight.

Red sky at morning, sailors take warning.

NOT EXACTLY on a maritime route, Red Sky Golf Club turns the ancient couplet’s second verse into more of a red herring.

Morning or night, Red Sky has been a golfer’s delight since its Fazio course opened in 2002. Its Norman course debuted the following year, creating an unprecedented one-two tandem along the slopes south of I-70 in Wolcott, 11 miles west of Beaver Creek.

Like Eagle Springs Golf Club, which sits directly across the highway, Red Sky Golf Club is private. But unlike most private enclaves, Red Sky allows guests of three-dozen partner lodging properties in Vail and Beaver Creek—primarily ones owned by Vail Resorts—access to the “guest” course, the designation of which alternates daily between the two layouts.

COLORADO AVIDGOLFER | May 2016

Vail Resorts owns and operates the courses, which it developed as part of the 800-acre Red Sky Ranch property. The site of a former sheep ranch, the golf facility is so rustically elegant and impeccably appointed that it reportedly took 20 dye lots just to settle on the right color of cement so the cart path would blend naturally with the surrounding sage, soil and rock.

Even the on-course bridges and comfort stations reflect an uncompromising attention to detail. At an early outing on the Fazio Course, a company representative quipped that the quality of the two courses, clubhouses and amenities proved that Jim Thompson, then president of Vail Resorts Development Company, was the only man who could exceed an unlimited budget.

Talk about money well spent. Both Norman and Fazio courses appear on those coveted Top 100 lists in national magazines, as well as atop the CAGGYs awarded by this publication. The ex-

24

cellence of the Red Sky experience—from the solicitous service, tight organization, creative cuisine and faultless course conditions—never varies. And the views, especially from the higher-elevation Norman Course, never get old. All of which explains why Colorado AvidGolfer will stage its annual Corporate Cup for the 11th consecutive year at Red Sky June 3-4.

No less a corporate golf icon than PGA Tour Commissioner Tim Finchem has been a member since the club opened. “In my judgment, the Vail Valley has the best collection of golf courses of any other mountainous region in the world,” says the commish, who will be spending more time in in Colorado after his contract expires next June.

“One of the reasons we continue our residence in Colorado is because we have access to great golf, like the Red Sky Golf Club.”

In addition to becoming a must-play for golfers, Red Sky deliberately plays host to the coloradoavidgolfer.com

GO FOR IT: The Fazio Course’s par-3 17th.

PHOTOGRAPHS COURTESY OF VAIL RESORTS

GETTING HOME: The Norman’s par-5 18th.

animals that use Bellyache Ridge—which separates the two courses—as a wildlife migration corridor. This sense of environmental stewardship, coupled with the ecologically sensitive manner in which both courses operate, has qualified them as Audubon Cooperative Sanctuaries.

THE FAZIO Architects with two very different styles created the courses at Red Sky. That contrast makes the experience unforgettable.

The Fazio is the shorter and “gentler” of the two, though at 7,113 yards (72.1/134), from the tips, it’s no cupcake.

Your round begins with a 446-yard par 4 from an elevated tee that overlooks the western portion of the Vail Valley. The first birdie opportunity awaits not on the monster par-5 second but on the 336-yard par-4 third—provided you don’t let Fazio tempt you into driving the green on this coloradoavidgolfer.com

water-lined risk-reward beauty.

The 5th rates the 1-handicap, mostly for its 606-yard maximum length but Fazio also compensates for the absence of bunkers along the wide fairways with a wicked gaggle of them around the green.

The architect blends a variety of hole styles into the front—shortish uphill and downhill par 4s on nos. 6 and 8 and a pair of strong par 3s on holes 7 and 9. All defend par with fiddly greens that make purchasing a yardage book a must.

After winding along the sage-covered front nine, the course climbs into scenic, dramatic aspen groves. The slopes are more dramatic and the views more breathtaking on this side. The gofor-the-green 12th sits at course’s highest point.

You can go for it in two on the the downhill, par-5 15th, which at 539 yards from the back is only 34 yards shorter than the downhill par 4 that follows it. The beautiful, plunging par-3 17th features a small pond to the left of a green bisected by a diabolical ridge.

Fazio’s closer, another long par 5, is reachable but sneaky. Keep to the left of the fairway— that is, unless you enjoy the fragrant juniper and sage into which shots along the right bounce.

“The Colorado Rockies provide a setting and a landscape that frames every golf hole in a distinct and grand way,” Fazio says of his third Colorado effort. “It is an honor to have my name highlighted and be part of the Red Sky family.”

The course begins and ends at the guest clubhouse, which serves a delectable lunch at the SummerThyme Restaurant. The scrumptious breakfast burritos at the halfway house belie its name, Bellyache Grill.

THE NORMAN Whereas forgiveness comes into play on the Fazio course, it doesn’t enter into the conversation on the Norman, which stretches almost 7,600 yards and carries a slope rating of 74.1/146. This brawny beauty starts with a challenging par 4

25

THE ACADEMY Red Sky Golf Academy prides itself in top-rate golf instruction. Housed inside a classic log cabin, the Academy features an indoor, heated hitting bay with a Trackman Launch Monitor and state-ofthe-art video analysis. The academy is open yearround, so even when others are enjoying the back bowls of Vail, PGA Director of Golf Jeff Hanson (above) and his staff give lessons to members and non-members.

During the summer, 30-year PGA Tour veteran Larry Rinker serves as the director of instruction.

One of the most sought-after short-game wizards, he follows up all lessons with email V1 Video Reviews posted to your own V1 Online Locker. A spacious practice tee sits adjacent to the Academy, comfortably accommodating individual lessons and corporate events. The manicured short game area features a picturesque 5,000-foot putting green surrounded by several bunkers to work the short game. For programs and pricing, visit redskygolfclub.com

May 2016 | COLORADO AVIDGOLFER

Player’s Corner TEE TO GREEN

WOUNDED WARRIORS: Red Sky’s Vail Veterans Program event.

OPENING SALVO: The first tee shot on the Norman course.

COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT

COLORADO AVIDGOLFER | May 2016

the hole a visually stunning anomaly. The creek and deep bunkers guarding the diagonal green make it even more memorable. You won’t soon forget the green on the right-dogleg par 4 13th, either. It appears to perch, an infinity-edged tableau, above the entire Vail Valley. Stunning.

Heading into the final gauntlet you can understand why Norman says he feels fortunate to have had the opportunity to build a course like Red Sky Ranch. The holes may be hard but they’re not unfair—the 13th, 14th and 15th are all gettable birdies—and they all make optimal use of the surrounding grandeur. Given the eyeful from the back tee on the 283-yard par-3 16th, it’s okay to consider laying up.

Norman, who owned a ranch on the White River near Meeker, believes what he’s done at Red Sky “truly showcases this magnificent part of the world.” No argument here.

Only members have access to the clubhouse at the Norman course, but the public can enjoy Executive Chef Tim McCaw’s cuisine every night in its Silver Sage restaurant.

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For stay-and-play package information: redskygolfclub.com; 888-500-5170. For the Corporate Cup:coloradoavidgolfer.com/events. coloradoavidgolfer.com

PHOTOGRAPHS COURTESY OF VAIL RESORTS

with no bailout off the tee and ends with a long par 5 with trouble left and in front of the green.

In between are some of the most spectacular challenging holes in Colorado golf. As long as you play the appropriate tees, you’ll remember more than the jaw-dropping views.

Those start on the second, a slightly downhill deep-bunkered par 3 with a stunning panorama behind it. The same vistas appear from the series immediately following it—comprised of a long par 4, 5 and 3. A nice breather—and birdie opp—comes on reachable par-4 sixth, but the 562-yard (from the blues) par-5 8th is the number-one handicap hole for a reason. A true three-shot hole, you need both length off the tee to carry the junk and accuracy on your approach to avoid a big number.

Before making the turn, tips players get to wrestle with the 559-yard par-4 9th. The rest of us get a 107-yard head start on the hole but everyone has to contend with the arroyo that cuts across the front of the green.

The aspens framing the par-3 10th make

Red Sky involves itself in the Vail Valley, annually hosting numerous charity events. Every August since 2012, the course has welcomed wounded warriors from the Vail Veterans Program to five days of tournament play with members, PGA golf clinics, individual instruction, group meals and other activities. “It’s a feel-good event for the entire community,” says Vail Veterans Executive Director and chairman Cheryl Jensen.

As with other Vail Valley courses, Red Sky will host 9-hole events and field a 10- to 12-member team in the PGA Junior League Series for players ages 13 and under. For boys and girls ages 11-13 and 14-17, Red Sky will host the first event in The First Tee of Eagle County Tournament Player’s Series.

Kids 17 and under can also participate in one of two four-day camps this summer. Golf fills the morning, and after lunch comes ziplining, river rafting, horseback riding and mountain biking.

Slightly older players will compete at Red Sky this September 25-28 in the Golfweek Women’s Conference Challenge. The top teams from 18 NCAA Division I conferences compete for three days on the Fazio course. “And they walk that sucker,” Hanson marvels.

Fortunately, you don’t have to. Ridden or walked, no other golf facility in Colorado features two more spectacularly different golf courses of such high caliber in this glorious of a setting.

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Player’s Corner PROFILE

Bullish on the Buffs

Ten years into his gig as CU men’s golf coach, Roy Edwards has helped bring fun, funds and a bright future to the program. By Andy Bigford IT’S A COOL, cloudy September day at Boulder Country Club, and the Colorado Buffaloes men’s golf team is mounting a final-round, back-nine charge to defend its title in the 6th annual, 12team, 54-hole CU Mark Simpson Invitational.

Head coach Roy Edwards is ping-ponging among his players, helping his ace Jeremy Paul coax in a short birdie putt on the par-3 11th, then offering Ethan Freeman advice to get up and down from the needles beneath the greenside pines.

The Buffs are playing leapfrog for the tournament lead with the University of Missouri-Kansas City Roosters, and no other coaches are as visible—or nearly as involved—as the gregarious, bespectacled Edwards, who is helping his Buffs read putts, select clubs, and decide strategy. Such interaction might be overbearing or unwanted from another coach—or with different players—but here it is welcome, natural and productive. The coach rubs his thumb and fingers together in the universal money sign and breaks into a big smile before Freeman confidently rolls in a birdie on the par-5 12th.

Deep into the back nine, the Buffs fall two shots behind. The outlook appears bleak. It will all come down to the 18th, with Paul and then Freeman in the final two groups. With the pin COLORADO AVIDGOLFER | May 2016

nestled in the front left corner of the devilish, elevated green, Paul gets too cute with his lob wedge approach, it sucks back 10 yards off the green. Paul, an exceptional shotmaker from Viernheim, Germany, is disgusted with himself.

“It’s OK, it’s a makeable chip,” counsels Edwards, and moments later the ball bounces softly, checks, and curls into the cup for a birdie (and a 68, which gives Paul an even par 210 total for three rounds and third place individually).

Now it’s Freeman’s turn, and he dumps a wedge into the right greenside bunker. The coach hustles up to the green to confer, and Freeman eventually converts on a slippery four-foot par putt to tie Missouri-Kansas City, with both schools at +7 for four players over three rounds.

Edwards approaches the rest of the celebratory Buffs’ team with an infectious smile and offers heartfelt congratulations for pulling off a miraculous comeback to defend the home turf.

The players are anxious to go straight to the first tee for a playoff, but thunder is rumbling overhead, the Roosters have a plane to catch, and the Buffs will have to settle for a co-championship.

Later, at a hastily convened luncheon and awards ceremony in the clubhouse, Edwards informally addresses the contestants as if this was

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ROY'S BOY: Edwards, left, advises player Jeremy Paul at the Simpson Invitational.

the nine-hole beer league at the local muni, not an elite-level Division I contest. He hands out prizes for a long-drive contest, and congratulates a contingent of local high-school players that he’d invited to play alongside the collegians in their own prep event.

“Thanks for coming out, and good luck with the rest of your season,” Edwards tells the assembled players. “More importantly, good luck with your grades.”

“He has a very human side to him,” reflects Paul, who is on pace to shatter CU’s career stroke average record. “He understands what we need to succeed in golf, but also what we need to succeed outside of golf. We all get along really well on this team, and he makes you better.”

Respect for Edwards isn’t confined to his players: In a 2015 Golfweek magazine poll in which college golf coaches ranked their peers, Edwards finished an impressive No. 18. “If you have ever spoken with Edwards at length,” wrote the magazine’s editors, “you know that he is a student of the profession.”

Thirty-nine-year-old Roy Edwards, now in his tenth season at the Buffs’ helm, is just the third full-time head golf coach in CU history, following legends Les Fowler (1948-1976) and Mark Simpson (1977-2005), both of whom had U.S. Open champions on their teams (Hale Irwin and Steve Jones, respectively). Edwards arrived in Boulder after a playing career at the University of Kansas, followed by coaching stints at Vanderbilt and KU. Edwards’ predecessors would certainly be coloradoavidgolfer.com

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Player’s Corner PROFILE

“There’s not a coach in America,” he tells recruits, “who’s going to trust you as much as I do.”

mystified by @RoyEdwardsCU, the coach’s super-active Twitter account (“I’ve learned a lot of things from you,” he retweeted from a former player. “But nothing is as valuable as your methods to combat chafing”). However, they would be unduly impressed by his accomplishments both on and off the course.

Right out of the gate, Edwards fulfilled their dream of securing a true CU home course in a partnership at the renamed Colorado National Golf Club in Erie, which also built the indoor facilities needed for a winter-weather school to compete, including a 2,000-square-foot putting green and five open range bays. (The team also practices at BCC, where the Edwards family, including two young sons, lives on the second hole. Edwards’ wife, Shelly, who played for the University of New Mexico, has won the club championship there five years in a row.)

Operating with a roughly $550,000 annual budget, Edwards launched a Colorado Partners program that has drawn more than 100 supporters to raise much-needed money for the team, and established the Colorado Golf Day, an annual fundraiser and celebration. He and assistant Pat Grady, a former CU standout, are currently ensconced on the fifth floor of the cavernous new Champions Center just north of Folsom Field. But along with CU women’s head golf coach Anne Kelly, Edwards raised $400,000 to renovate the teams’ old offices at Gate 10 of the football stadium. The 2,300-square-foot space, with offices, a putting green and a simulator, is set to open this fall—and will finally give the golf teams a visible on-campus presence.

On the course, Edwards’ Buffaloes are establishing themselves as a Top 50 Division I program (out of 300-plus schools), and have won 10 tournaments under his stewardship, a pace that will soon eclipse Simpson’s record 16 tourney wins collected over 29 seasons. The Buffs ended the previous season (2014-15) ranked 39th in the COLORADO AVIDGOLFER | May 2016

LOOKING BUFF: Edwards takes a hands-on approach with foreign players like Paul (left) and in-staters like Ethan Freeman.

nation, their best in the past six years.

CU’s recruiting tends to focus on players who won’t be fazed by Colorado’s unpredictable winter weather, which often means in-state kids and self-reliant foreigners. Edwards looks for student-athletes who are dedicated to the school and the program, and in return for that commitment he tells them, “There’s not a coach in America who’s going to trust you as much as I do.”

Those who come to Boulder all have intentions of playing professionally, and usually have a reliable swing coach, so Edwards avoids fiddling with their mechanics. “We are experts at high-level golf,” he says of the program’s strategy. “We give them a snapshot of what it’s like to be a pro.”

The team’s practices are goal-oriented and include incentives (and disincentives) to keep the players engaged. For example, all eight players must two-putt from 50 feet, or they run the length of the driving range and back. “It’s a reminder that every shot matters,” Edwards says.

On a recent Saturday in March, the contest du jour was a two-man, two-balls-per-player “worst ball” scramble on BCC’s par-3 course. “We do all kinds of fun games,” Paul says.

Through 23 tournament rounds in this 201516 season, Paul is averaging a sporty 70.96 (a cumulative 10 under par), and is ranked in the top 80 of NCAA Division I players nationwide by Golfstat. Last fall, he shot 65-68 at Ballyneal Golf Club to win the Ballyneal Challenge and lead the Buffs to the team victory. With a 71.95 average in 95 tournament rounds over three seasons at CU, the junior is almost a full shot ahead of the CU career stroke average mark established by Australian Kane Webber (72.90 from 1999-2004).

Another international player, Philip JuelBerg, a senior from Vedbaek, Denmark, is shoulder-to-shoulder with Paul. He shot 69-67-68 last fall at the Eisenhower Blue course in Colorado Springs to win the Air Force Academy Gene Miranda Falcon Challenge and is averaging 71.13.

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Freeman, a junior out of Kent Denver, is the solid No. 3, posting three 67s this season en route to a 72.78 scoring average.

In college golf, five players tee it up in each event, with the best four scores counting: JuelBerg’s and Paul’s scores have counted in every round, while Freeman is 22 of 23. To reach their goals, the Buffs will need consistent play from the back end of the lineup, particularly from two in-state freshmen, Wilson Belk from Colorado Springs (Cheyenne Mountain), who is averaging 74.05, and Castle Rock’s (Valor Christian) Ross Macdonald (74.10). Kade Crossland, a sophomore from Buhl, Idaho, with a 74.27 stroke average, plus sophomore John Souza (75.00) of Phoenix and freshman Pierce Aichinger (76.76) of Cherry Hills Village (Valor Christian) are also in the mix to help CU. The Buffs, who were ranked 68th in the country by Golfstat in mid-March, are looking to close strong at The Country Club in Salt Lake City on April 29-May 1 in the Pac-12 Championships, and to qualify for one of the six NCAA Regionals on May 16-18, which they have done the past three seasons. The challenge is to finish in the top five at regionals and advance to the 30-team NCAA Championships.

Last year, the Buffs led the first round of regionals with a blistering 11-under par 277, then ballooned to a 300 and a 302, finishing sixth, one spot short of qualifying. Edwards told his team then that their disappointment needs to be channeled into “tomorrow’s excitement of working hard towards improving,” and that sentiment has loomed in the background at every Buffs practice and tournament since.

The finals, which now feature a medal qualifier followed by match play to determine the winning team, will be played at Eugene Country Club in Eugene, Ore., May 27-June 1. The Buffs haven’t qualified for the finals since the 2001-02 season, when they finished T14.

Coach Edwards, who avoids predictions or publicizing singularly specific goals, will only say “I like our chances” when pressed. “What matters,” he adds, “is that we get better. That’s what we concentrate on.”

Contributor Andy Bigford, a longtime CU football and basketball season-ticket holder, ranks attending Buffs golf tournaments as a superior spectating experience. coloradoavidgolfer.com

Setting the new standard Enjoy choice tee times | Admire spectacular views Relax over dinner and drinks | Play year round tennis Family friendly | Kid’s Club | Fitness center Limited memberships available at reduced rates during clubhouse expansion & renovation.

The Ranch Country Club | 11887 Tejon St, Westminster, CO 80234 | (303) 460-9700 | www.TheRanchCC.com The Ranch Country Club is a private club located in Westminster, CO. All applicants are subject to the Club’s membership application and screening process.

Player’s Corner GEAR & BOOKS

Hybrid Vigor Knuth Golf’s follow-up to its explosive driver will add more blue to your bag.

By Jon Rizzi IF THE RANGE at your local club is starting to sound more like a high school baseball game, you can thank Dean Knuth. Last year, the former USGA senior director known as the “Pope of Slope” put the result of decades of research into a driver—the High Heat—that changed the games of thousands of amateur golfers. As proven by independent testing, the High Heat was longer and more forgiving than many “name” drivers, and Colorado AvidGolfer joined the chorus of those who wondered if Knuth Golf’s High Heat was the best driver ever.

It certainly may be the loudest, resounding with the distinctive peal of an aluminum bat as the ball explodes off the face.

This year, Knuth is again making plenty of noise with its follow-up fairway wood and hybrid.

Both clubs wowed pros and jaded media types at this year’s PGA Merchandise Show, and a recent personal demo here in Colorado generated similar response.

The High Heat 3-wood sets up beautifully, with its cobalt head shining like a flame at its hottest point. It has a steel body and betatitanium face, which lightens the clubhead by roughly 35 grams (1.234 ounces). This allows the head’s Center of Gravity (CG) to be positioned significantly lower and deeper than on other manufacturers’ fairway woods—something Knuth believes will facilitate the average amateur to make contact above the CG, thereby improving launch conditions and maximizing distance.

The 14° club has a low profile, and is noticeably longer from heel to toe than other fairway woods. This apparently increases the clubhead’s Moment of Inertia (MoI), and, thanks to the beta-titanium face, the size of the sweet spot. Hitting the 3-wood off the deck, I found the ball got high and small in a hurry, soaring in parabolic arcs. Shots off the toe or heel sailed straighter than they probably should have.

As good as the 3-wood is, Knuth’s 18° hybrid tested even better. The beta-titanium cup face is hotter and produces a more boring trajectory than that of the lower-lofted club. The low, angled COLORADO AVIDGOLFER | May 2016

center of gravity and center railed sole helps you get through the ball quickly and confidently.

One of the features on both clubs is the absence of shot-altering welding joints. Since fairway woods and hybrids have much smaller heads than drivers, the possibility of contacting a welding line increases. Knuth eliminates them through patented process that bonds the titanium face to the steel body with a silver adhesive paste.

That process helps both clubs. Bottom line: The 3-wood delivers the High; the hybrid delivers the Heat. Both are worth buying.

The fairway wood comes in 3- (14°), 5- (18°), and 7-wood (21°) models. The Hybrid features lofts of 18°, 21°, 24°, and 27°.

CAG EXCLUSIVE: Colorado AvidGolfer readers get discounts on the High Heat Driver, $319 (reg. $399); Fairway 3-Wood, $259 (reg. $299) and #3 Hybrid, $229 (reg. $249). Go to knuthgolf.com and click on Order. When asked How did you hear about us?, click on Colorado AvidGolfer. All clubs come with money-back guarantee. Knuth Golf only sells via knuthgolf.com

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Getting a Read KEN BROWN EARNED the nickname “One Putt” for an obvious reason. The four-time European Tour winner, PGA Tour champion and five-time Ryder Cup player could seemingly hole out from any spot on the green with his hickory-shafted putter. Now a popular golf commentator for the BBC and, occasionally, the Golf Channel, the Scotsman shares his flatstick knowledge in One Putt, a breezy tome in which he demystifies the dark art with an avuncular, authoritative style.

What separates Brown’s book from the kluge of golf instruction manuals is its easy-to-follow organization. Giving new meaning to “step-bystep,” the author arranges the chapters as if they were rungs on a ladder that climb from choosing the right putter to setting up correctly to reading greens to mastering stroke, touch and feel. The tips, drills and glib anecdotes come printed in large type with easy-to-follow instructions. The eye-over-the-ball section is inspired, and there’s even a flicker sequence to riffle through! The high-quality photos and illustrations never get overly technical as they reinforce Brown’s enlightened approach. The shots of famous pros putting are not included gratuitously; rather, we learn what makes them money on the greens. One Putt helps you appreciate the hard work involved in becoming a great putter doesn’t have to feel like work at all. Besides, would you buy a book from a guy nicknamed "Lag"? $25; fireflybooks.com

coloradoavidgolfer.com

Player’s Corner GIFTS

How to Make a Mother’s Day WHETHER OR NOT THEY PLAY golf, you’d better give the moms in your life— yours, your children’s, your grandchildren’s—some strokes on their special Sunday.

AN EASY CARRY A GEL OF AN IDEA Sick of her pants sagging while wearing conventional belts, avid golfer Jen Perry of Montana invented the Jelt. Made from 100% recycled yarn with a plastic-snap buckle, the stretchy belt features a patented inner gel that grips to pants without cutting into your waist. $35. jeltbelt.com

Coloradan Emily Haythorn’s colorfully patterned Sassy Caddy stand bags and cart bags exploded onto the golf scene a few years ago. She’s now brought her sophisticated eye to fashionable, durable totes ($99) and highly functional water- and stain-resistant fitness bags ($145). sassycaddy.com

CLASSIC AND COLORFUL

IT TAKES BALLS High performance and high visibility define these highspirited golf balls from Golf Couture. Featuring sunglasses, a martini glass, high heel and diamond ring, these lowcompression, stylish orbs come in a variety pack of one dozen. $25. ballcouture.com

Iconic saddle-shoe style meets iconoclastic color in the soft, supple and breathable Ecco Women’s Classic Hybrid II. The handmade leather white-vamped models come with saddles of cobalt, cotton-candy pink and aqua. $190 eccousa.com

SMART OUTFIT From elite, proprietary fabrics to striking styles and cutting-edge performance, everything about Chase54 clothing redefines golf apparel. The Casandra skirt ($88) works seamlessly with both the popular navy Famke ($76) and collared citron Jeanie ($76) tops. chase54.com

NEW TO THE CLUB? For beginning women players, CAGGY-winning instructor Lana Ortega favors the high-performing yet forgiving Callaway Solaire 13-Piece Set, which comes with an easy-to-align Marxman Putter from Odyssey and a 7-pocket golf bag with 6-way divider. $900. callawaygolf.com

COLORADO AVIDGOLFER | May 2016

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coloradoavidgolfer.com

R

The New Red Rocks

ed Rocks Country Club is everything you have imagined in a private country club.

It features a mountain-style 18-hole championship golf course with a challenging layout and stunning views. The newly expanded and wonderfully refurbished clubhouse, featuring natural stone, unique and innovative textiles and a calming, neutral color palette will accentuate the unmatched natural beauty and the magnificent mountain views of the area.

Red Rocks Country Club enhances its welcoming sense of community with a new and beautifully appointed bar and outdoor patio, the ideal place to relax and recharge with friends and family. New dining and event rooms feature floor-to-ceiling glass, outstanding culinary delights, and a vast array of events from wine and beer dinners, children’s programming, weddings and business parties.

www.RedRocksCountryClub.org | (303) 352-2030 16235 W. Belleview Avenue | Morrison, CO 80465 Red Rocks Country Club is a private club located in Morrison, CO. All applicants are subject to the Club’s membership application and screening process.

Side Bets | FAREWAYS FOOD | BEER | CARS

RIDGE REDUX: The Soft Pretzel Knots with spicy cheese sauce; chefs Jordan Isaac (right) and Ben Fauske; the redone dining room.

Saying Grace at The Ridge

PHOTOGRAPHS BY PHIL MUMFORD

Blessed with a new chef and menu, The Ridge at Castle Pines North raises its restaurant game with Park Place Restaurant. By Gary James FOR FOLKS WHO can’t access the exclusive experience of Castle Pines Golf Club, the Ridge at Castle Pines North provides a member-for-a-day alternative. Arizona-based Troon Golf manages the facility with its Tom Weiskopf-designed public course, and since 2004, it has been owned by the Park family—notably Grace Park, who won the 1998 U.S. Women’s Amateur, was the LPGA’s 1999 Rookie of the Year and triumphed in six LPGA Tournaments (including one major, the 2004 Kraft Nabisco Championship).

Grace retired from golf in 2012, and her father, Soo Nam Park, is a successful South Korean restaurateur and food distributor. So it’s fitting that The Ridge renamed its restaurant Park Place, with Grace’s silhouetted swing serving as its logo.

The Ridge occupies an alluring slab of Front Range foothills, and the restaurant has attracted community members with the best outdoor patio in town—a panoramic mountain view sandstone rock formations and Ponderosa pines. But PGA General Manager Daniel Kane had to take a closer look at the food-and-beverage operation, a critical service element at all golf clubs. While always superb during tournaments, the restaurant had become inconsistent—too busy when open, closing at arbitrary times and other issues. coloradoavidgolfer.com

“We are re-engineering the bigger-picture issues to win back customers,” he says. “You like the Troon golf experience; now you get the Troon dining experience.”

It requires talent in the kitchen, and Park Place has gotten ahold of Jordan Isaac as executive chef. An outstanding athlete as a teenager, Isaac found himself not playing sports any more at age 21. He launched himself into backpacking abroad and found kitchen jobs—“Not because I love to cook, but because I love to travel.” He soon found himself working as a private chef in Amsterdam and just kept going. “French chefs spoke to me in French, and I didn’t understand a word of it,” he says with a chuckle. “But as a private chef, you’re allowed to try things and fail and do it again.”

Now Isaac and Sous Chef Ben Fauske face a tough putt—creating the standout bar food that’s expected from a golf course restaurant, but also dishes that suggest fine dining without high prices or grandiosity. “He just can’t throw a quesadilla or bottomless fries at people,” Kane noted.

Isaac’s approach is the K.I.S.S. principle— fresh ingredients, prepared authentically and professionally. The new menu offers great snack choices. The superlative House Made Pretzel

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Knots are comfort food at its best, warm and buttery homemade dough shaped into bites, with a glorious cheese sauce kicked up by a little pepper jack melted in. The knockout Nachos hardly qualify as an appetizer. A novice might balk at $16 (adding chicken or beef) for what is usually deemed plebeian fare…until the super-grande, platter appears, fully loaded with hearty toppings.

Isaac makes an ideal Colorado Beef Burger, a fresh grind with the right fat content, cooked for maximum juiciness and slid onto a potato bun with red onion, tomato and cheese, then upgraded with butter lettuce and a rosemary garlic aioli. His Buffalo Chicken Sandwich, a clubhouse staple, is nothing to cluck at. The thick spicy cutlet comes in ciabatta stuffed with plenty of Maytag blue cheese and pickled serrano peppers.

Of course, Isaac cuts his own steaks and fish filets (he learned butchering as a chef at the ultra-private Wigwam Club in Deckers—by watching how-to videos on YouTube). The Grilled 10 oz.

NY Strip’s depth of flavor is defined by his red wine demi-glace, a rich and concentrated brown May 2016 | COLORADO AVIDGOLFER

Side Bets | FAREWAYS

EN POINTE: The Ballerina Pasta comes with pesto Alfredo sauce, grilled veggies and optional shrimp.

with a chocolate fondue drizzle and dipping sauce.

Isaac will ramp up the monthly menu offerings as the golf season progresses, and he’s anxious to explore themes (a Thursday “game night” with elk steak on the menu) and sourcing (fresh Maine lobster for lobster rolls and a lobster mac and cheese—when he starts talking about smoked gouda, house-made bread crumbs and traditional jumbo macaroni pasta, it’s true love).

So the Ridge is using a mulligan to make Park Place a focal point of the entire community.

The food gives them a chance. So does a more upscale ambience created by new wall colors, carpeting and lighting. Grace Park’s silhouette appears on all branding, and plans call for a monthly farmer’s market to which everyone is invited.

New front-of-house management (Dawne Glinski, formerly of Perry’s Steakhouse) has resulted in timelier service, and if The Ridge makes good on other plans—a bigger bar, a fire pit for the outside—it will lower its handicap even further. Bring on the “scratch eaters”!

1414 Castle Pines Parkway 303-688-4575; playtheridge.com Read more of Contributor Gary James’ Fareways columns on coloradoavidgolfer.com.

COLORADO AVIDGOLFER | May 2016

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coloradoavidgolfer.com

PHOTOGRAPHS BY PHIL MUMFORD

glaze achieved by the luxury of time—20 hours to roast veal bones, to gently simmer and slowly reduce chicken stock, aromatics and a bottle of red. Technically a classic French sauce, it’s a recipe he learned on Mount Kilimanjaro! The tender and juicy cut of beef arrives with herb-roasted potatoes and oven-roasted Brussels sprouts finished with a sauté in duck fat, a wildly delicious enhancement (with no milk solids to burn at high heat, it gives the veggies an excellent sear).

The flavor of the Chicken Schnitzel— breaded, seasoned and fried to golden, crispy refinement—takes it beyond the average recipe.

It’s served with generous helpings of mashed potatoes, sautéed green beans and old-fashioned bacon gravy, putting some South in your mouth!

The Grilled Salmon with dill sauce and couscous gets a thumbs-up, as does the Ballerina Pasta Plate with grilled vegetables and pesto Alfredo sauce. (Opt to add shrimp for a protein boost.)

For dessert, a Chocolate Chip Cookie Sandwich achieves perfection in its simplicity— vanilla bean ice cream in a buttery soft cookie

MEAT UP: The demi-glaced New York Strip with Brussels Sprouts and the savory Buffalo Chicken Sandwich.

Side Bets | TAPPING IN

BEERTOWN: Libations from (clockwise) Liquid Mechanics, The Post, Front Range Brewing and Odd13

Lafayette, We Are Beer!

With four taprooms within a two-mile radius, the small Boulder County town has earned a reputation for bodacious brews. By Cody Gabbard DESPITE CONCERNS that the current craft beer market is nearing saturation, new breweries are still opening at the rate of almost two per day according to the Brewer’s Association. Denver, Boulder and Fort Collins might be the most visible beer-soaked cities in Colorado, but smaller towns now seem to have as many breweries as they have traffic lights. One of the more varied in terms of styles of beer available is Lafayette, in eastern Boulder County. The hometown of Indian Peaks Golf Course currently has four top-flight taprooms.

Not only are they able to coexist, they are also able to thrive, offering different atmospheres and unique beers while pushing each other to be the best they can be.

list of awards testifies to their philosophy of creating uncompromising classics, including medals for their Amber Altbier (a German amber) and Kölsch (a German pale ale with attributes similar to light lagers), both of which are known for subtle nuances that require perfect technical skills and attention to detail. A rotation of quality food trucks appears throughout the week, allowing Liquid Mechanics to focus on what it does best. A full calendar of live music and other entertainment keeps the place hopping every night.

THE STANDARD-BEARER

THE HOMEBREWER AT HEART

Located outside of the historic district amidst the sprawl of the suburbs, Liquid Mechanics Brewing Co. gives a warm, inviting character to a space formerly inhabited by a gym. Liquid Mechanics brews a wide range of offerings, but with the intent to make them as true to the guidelines as possible. “He’s a beer geek, he loves to pick a style of beer and try to brew it better than anyone else,” says co-founder Davin Helden, referring to head brewer Seth Townsend. Liquid Mechanics’

Front Range Brewing Company feels like a place begun by a homebrewer who just scaled-up his system to meet the growing demand of his buddies. And that’s not a bad thing. Known for its award-winning Altitude Red Ale, Front Range brews everything from big, American IPAs to classic Belgians, but with the curiosity of a try-anything-once experimenter. Their small batch program (which taps a new beer every Wednesday) allows for creative concoctions that have included

coloradoavidgolfer.com

a Girl Scout Coffee Stout, Breakfast Cream Ale (with cinnamon toast crunch added to the mash) and a habanero-Mexican chocolate Russian Imperial Stout. Founded, owned and operated by two families, the first brewery in Lafayette exudes a homespun vibe, and it’s not uncommon to see a family with a few small kids relaxing at a table. The kitchen offers wings, wraps and flatbreads. Open-mic nights, trivia contests and

297 US Highway 287 720-550-7813; liquidmechanicsbrewing.com

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May 2016 | COLORADO AVIDGOLFER

Excellence Exists at Red Hawk Ridge

Side Bets | TAPPING IN

A Golf Digest Top 100, Jim Engh course minutes from the Denver Tech Center, in Castle Rock

COUNTRY CLUB

conditions

At public course prices.

MOUNTAIN-STYLE

play

Along I-25 in the Front Range.

BREWS EASILY: Post Brewing’s patio; an Odd13 concoction (bottom).

local music acts bring in the crowds. Seventeen Colorado liquor stores carry Front Range’s beers.

400 W South Boulder Rd #1650.

303- 339-0767; frontrangebrewingcompany.com

THE GATHERING PLACE While beer is at the heart of each of Lafayette’s breweries, The Post Brewing Company also serves homemade fried chicken—and a full menu of fabulous entrees. As partner and brewmaster Bryan Selders puts it, “it’s about the total experience.”

From the big outdoor patio, to the 360-degree bar and large dining room, The Post caters to families big and small. Eschewing the current American craft beer tendency to make enamel-shredding IPAs and to super-size every style into doubles, triples and imperials, The Post focuses on über-drinkable American session beers with a nod to their English ancestors. Those include the light yet complex Meathooks Mild Ale, whose toasty notes with bread crust flavors lead to a dry finish,

Now offering custom club fittings.

Red Hawk’s Multi Vendor Demo Day 4 - 7 p.m., Wednesday, May 11 Special orders are welcomed!

105 W Emma St. 303-593-2066; postbrewing.com

THE QUIRKY NEIGHBOR Big, bold flavors in a laidback atmosphere reward patrons of Odd 13 Brewing. From an array of sours, to several styles bursting with hops, subtlety will not be found here. “We brew beers that we like to drink,” says head brewer Brandon Boldt. The overall demographics skew a bit younger compared to their Lafayette counterparts, which isn’t surprising considering the comic book theme. Each beer comes with its own character, created and drawn by friends of the brewery, and origin story, such as the “Doctor Cougar” saison and “Codename: Superfan” American IPA—the latter of which avoids the “hoppy” bitterness associated with “West Coast”-styled IPAs in favor of a softer, more nuanced “East Coast” profile.

Another equally flavorful, but very different beer, “Love Machine,” is an assertive cherry sour, with a background of chocolate from cacao nibs and aromatics suggestive of a sweet red wine. The beer itself is not overly sour or funky, but rather more tart like a sour cherry, and balanced with a medium-full body for a smooth mouthfeel.

301 E. Simpson St. 303-997-4164; odd13brewing.com

For tee times and other information call 720-733-3500 or check out our new website, RedHawkRidge.com.

COLORADO AVIDGOLFER | May 2016

as well as the Sip-N-Rotate IPA, which utilizes different hop varieties for each batch. The best part about this brew is that despite its 6.8% abv, it’s eminently quaffable. The hallmark of Selders’ beers is that the light, mild beers drink with much more complexity than you would expect, and the larger, sometimes hoppier offerings drink like session beers. Selders, who tests his beers in a lab for consistency, will send several of The Post’s flagships to the canning line soon.

Contributor and homebrewer Cody Gabbard regularly writes CAG’s Tapping In column.

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coloradoavidgolfer.com

Side Bets | NICE DRIVES

A Decade of Difference Audi and Toyota change the SUV landscape with the first new Q7s and Tacomas in ten years. By Isaac Bouchard 2017 AUDI Q7

0-60mph: 5.5 seconds Price as tested: $79,325 EPA ratings: 19/25mpg; 21mpg combined Ten years after the original Q7 reset the bar in the luxury SUV class, Audi has raised it again. Build on a new platform that will underpin VW, Porsche, Bentley and other group machinery, the new Q7 is lighter and stiffer, benefiting performance and efficiency. What it is not—to many folks’ eyes, anyway—is better looking. The front is aggressive, in the modern truck idiom, but the general form is slab-sided and thick and only really coheres when spec’d with the largest available wheels.

Thankfully the Q7’s interior is so stuncoloradoavidgolfer.com

ning you’ll soon forget any exterior deficiencies. Slightly shorter outside, there is actually more room for humans and their accoutrements within; that squarer shell equates especially to a more inhabitable third row. The place to be, however, is in front, where two huge, thin-film screens convey so much information so elegantly you’ll forget to look out the windows. Materials, texture and design are typical Audi, meaning class-leading.

The Q7 is also the current dynamic benchmark for this segment, at least when equipped with air suspension and four-wheel steering. The former combines superb ride characteristics in its softer settings with excellent body control and handling in Dynamic mode. The helm is accurate enough that placing the Audi’s 5,000-pound mass on a convoluted mountain road is second

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nature; rear-steer helps here in that it moves the Q7 more of a piece at high speeds by steering the back wheels a few degrees at turn-in. In the city the system turns these out of phase with the fronts, imbuing this large SUV with a smaller turning circle.

The Q7 is only available with one engine right now (the TDI model was delayed due to Dieselgate), but it’s a peach. Three-liters of supercharged muscle (333hp/325lb-ft) and an adroit eight-speed automatic shrug off altitude and load, giving the Audi 0-60 ability in the mid-fives and accelerative alacrity in all traffic scenarios.

Forthcoming models with bring other options, and at some point a larger Q9 build off the same platform will mean more room—for more money.

Meanwhile, Audi has a stellar three-row luxury crossover in the Q7, with rewarding May 2016 | COLORADO AVIDGOLFER

Side Bets | NICE DRIVES

PRESENTED BY Michael Trinen in Fort Collins of

TWO PGA PROS WHO CAN “TALK” A GREAT GAME.

dynamics, a sumptuous interior and excellent performance. If we had to wait this long, it was definitely worth it.

2016 TOYOTA TACOMA TRD SPORT

EPA ratings: 18/23mpg; 20mpg combined 0-60mph: 7.6 seconds Price as tested: $35,280

Stan Fenn and Doug Perry at KCOL 600 and iHeart radio

EVERY SATURDAY MORNING from 7-9am on radio, computer or phone.

COLORADO AVIDGOLFER | May 2016

The Tacoma is a veritable institution. Its legacy goes back to the Toyota Hilux—simply called the “Pickup” here—whose 22R motor could easily cover 300,000-plus miles. The last version was responsible for over 70 percent of the sales in its class, and has the highest real-world residual value of any vehicle here in Colorado. The question is, how did Toyota do with its replacement—the first new “Taco” in over a decade?

The Tacoma TRD Sport looks new, with a blockier nose and more prominent creases, shapes and off-roadish accents. From the driver’s seat, the hood and its faux scoop resembles an Aztec pyramid. The cab itself is mostly a carry-over though, meaning the same high floor— making ingress and egress harder—and the same legs-splayed driving position.

That there isn’t even an option for a power driver’s seat exacerbates this, but otherwise the Tacoma’s cabin is nicely updated, with geometrically themed, chunky shapes and nice textures for the seats and trim. The latest Entune interface boasts a much richer, high-resolution screen and fast processor. It is intuitive in use, too, making it one of the nicest touch-screen systems available.

Back seat room remains a bit tight, but at least this latest Toyota truck is quieter and more refined than its predecessor.

It might ride a bit better too, but it’s not up

42

to the high standards set by the Chevrolet Colorado or the GMC Canyon—both of which have more solid frames and even coil sprung rear suspensions. In this area Toyota maybe could have moved the game on a bit further, as the Tacoma is, dynamically, old school. It shudders over typical road imperfections, and handles ponderously—though the steering, still with hydraulic assist, is pleasing in heft and loads up nicely as you approach the truck’s modest handling limits. It stops well too, in spite of drum rear brakes, thanks to carry-over four-piston front calipers.

There is something new under that hood, though. Gone is the old 4-liter engine, replaced by a direct/indirect-injected V6. Down a half liter in size, it has 42 more ponies—for a total of 278hp—and about the same torque, at 265lb-ft.

It is slightly smoother and more refined, with a really nice rush of power at the top end, which is ably exploited by the new six-speed automatic (there is still a manual available too). 0-60mph is adequate, being dispatched in the mid-7s, but compared to the GM trucks’ powertrain offerings of a 305hp V6 or turbodiesel four, Toyota has some catching up to do.

But what those vehicles can’t offer is the Tacoma’s unmatched sense of toughness, which owes to its genuinely rugged underpinnings and almost unrivalled durability and longevity. There is primitive quality about the way the Tacoma goes about its business. It’s compelling in the same way that a Jeep Wrangler is: engagingly honest and absent of many of today’s contrived conveyances. And, as an ownership proposition, this Toyota is simply unbeatable.

Automotive Editor Isaac Bouchard is the owner of Englewood-based Bespoke Autos (303-475-1462). Read more of his writing on coloradoavidgolfer.com and bespokeautos.com. coloradoavidgolfer.com

S P ECI A L A D V E R T ISIN G SEC T I O N

Putting the NEW in New Mexico

ALBUQUERQUE, SANTA FE and HOBBS reveal the surprising variety of golf experiences in the Land of Enchantment.

Just as Colorado isn’t all snow-peaked mountains, New Mexico isn’t all desiccated desert. Albuquerque, the state’s most populous city and a university town, sits at the base of the beautiful Sandia Mountains. Santa Fe, the state capital, oozes with culture and history, its art galleries and restaurants on par with those of New York and San Francisco. And small-town Hobbs, the oil-rich outlier on the state’s southeastern edge, is equal parts West Texan independence and New Mexican charm.

Each of these cities offers a golf experience as distinctive as the cities they inhabit.

Other outdoor pleasures await at Sandia’s fabulous pool and, nine stories above, at the lively rooftop patio and lounge connected to the resort’s five-star restaurant, Bien Shur.

A number of Bien Shur’s savory appetizers are available in the lounge, as is the signature watermelon-mint martini and a selection of 20 wines at only $20 per bottle.

Sandia provides the ideal base from which to explore golf at Paa-Ko Ridge, Twin Warriors, Isleta Eagle and the University of New Mexico Championship Golf Course. Food-wise, you can’t go wrong with the venerable El Pinto, Zinc or MÁS Tapas at the Andaluz Hotel.

ALBUQUERQUE

Sandia Resort & Casino

Sandia Resort & Casino Towa Golf Club ble tournament or wedding venue. The building connects—conveniently, through the Bridal Suite/Dressing Room—to the equally magnificent Green Reed Spa and its 14 new treatment rooms and salon. Green Reed’s encyclopedic menu of natural treatments and therapies means guests get pampered and rejuvenated in luxurious comfort.

All 228 of Sandia’s lavishly decorated rooms and suites showcase views of the city skyline or the Sandias. The resort’s plush, 140,000-square-foot casino features myriad gaming options, and the resort’s 4,000-seat outdoor Amphitheater has scheduled a decades-spanning summer lineup featuring the Steve Miller Band, Goo Goo Dolls, Collective Soul, The Band Perry, Pat Benatar and Melissa Etheridge.

PHOTO BY TONY ROBERTS PHOTOGRAPHY

“Sandia,” Spanish for watermelon, suggests the color of the New Mexico mountain range of the same name that dominates the eastern views from Sandia Resort & Casino, the pueblo-owned resort that has for 10 years set the standard for luxury in Albuquerque.

The resort’s Sandia Golf Club boasts a challenging, playable Scott Miller-designed layout, which stretches from 5,112 to 7,755 yards and this September will host the New Mexico Open. Last spring, Sandia opened its stunning Sandia Golf Event Center, a sprawling facility appointed with modern New Mexican décor and high end finishes. Its 5,300-square-foot ballroom divides into as many as four separate spaces, with an all-glass north wall facing the Sandias. Another collapsible glass wall erases the boundary between indoor and outdoor patios.

The Event Center spills onto a dramatic private lawn, making for an especially memora-

30 Rainbow Rd. NE, Albuquerque 800-526-9366; sandiacasino.com

Rockwind Community Links

Sandia Golf Event Center COLORADO AVIDGOLFER | May 2016

44

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S P ECI A L A D V E R T ISIN G SEC T I O N

third hole. Recognizing there’s more to do in Santa Fe than play golf, Towa always discounts golf for resort guests whether they’re staying at Buffalo Thunder or any other Santa Fe resort.

SANTA FE

Buffalo Thunder Resort & Casino Santa Fe’s unparalleled arts and restaurant scene perpetually packs downtown with visitors from every corner of the globe. Fourteen miles north of the plaza stands a resort that brings everything great about Santa Fe into a place far from the madding crowds. Owned by the Pojoanque pueblo, the Hilton Buffalo Thunder Resort Casino proudly displays more than 400 works—including pottery, paintings, sculpture, mosaics, weavings and designs—representing every Native Tribe within New Mexico.

Pueblo pride radiates from the resort’s traditional architecture to the detailed, handmade valences and headboards in the 398 lushly furnished rooms and suites—all of which now have keyless entry via your smartphone. Swirls, so predominant in New Mexican Pueblo culture, manifest themselves in the curving lobby that

HOBBS

Rockwind Community Links

Sandia

PHOTO BY TONY ROBERTS PHOTOGRAPHY

Rockwind

Buffalo Thunder Resort and Casino 30 Buffalo Thunder Trail , Santa Fe buffalothunderresort.com; 877-455-7775

leads to the enormous casino, the décor of which echoes the curvilinear forms. They also appear in the swirling staircase that brings you to Wo’ P’in Spa, a sanctuary of indigenous healing, serenity, health and balance.

Serving gourmet meals and an awardwinning selection of wines, The Red Sage tops the list of Buffalo Thunder’s six restaurants. A more casual option—as well as a killer breakfast buffet and a kick-ass margarita—awaits at the Iguana Café.

Unlike any other resort in Santa Fe, Buffalo Thunder has a golf course. Towa Golf Club sports three nines—Piñon, Valley and Boulder—that roil dramatically through surreal rock formations and outcroppings, with the Sangre de Cristo and Jemez mountains framing numerous holes all designed by Hale Irwin and William Phillips.

Thanks to major tribal investment in new turf treatments and bunker renovations, all 27 holes are better than they’ve ever been. Proof came last year when the World Golf Awards named it North America’s Best Golf Hotel 2015.

The Towa Golf Academy offers instruction from two PGA professionals—one of whom, Jeff Mitchell, won the 1980 Phoenix Open. The club also hosts the Gruet Golf Classic, a highlight of September’s Santa Fe Wine & Chile Fiesta, which features gourmet food and drink every

A direct flight from Denver to Lubbock will get you to Hobbs in less than three hours.

That’s faster than driving to Hobbs from Albuquerque (or from Denver to Grand Junction)— and it’s definitely worth the trip.

Ranked by Golf Digest as one of the as one of the 10 Best New Courses of 2015, the Andy Staples-designed Rockwind Community Links has redefined what a course means to a town and its residents. In addition to hosting rounds, the course welcomes diners to its grill and outdoor patio, walkers and joggers to the 3.3-mile trail along the course’s perimeter and picnickers to a table by the fifth tee.

The course is a magnificent walk ($30) and ride ($46), with short distances between greens and tees and a routing that also affords the flexibility to play six-hole loops. “Express tees” shorten each hole for beginners and those with slower swing speeds. Coffin bunkers, punchbowl greens, chocolate-drop mounds and other classic architectural touches abound, as do caliche walls and viewing benches. Rockwind has more water and trees than any place in Hobbs.

Rockwind is a 36-hole-a-day, must-play venue. You can even add an emergency nine on its perky L’il Rock Par-3. The same owners of the Rockwind Grill own Pacific Rim, arguably Hobbs’ best restaurant. For non-golf fun, head to Carlsbad Caverns, Roswell’s UFO Museum or the surprisingly fun city of Lubbock—home of the Buddy Holly Center and dozens of theaters, galleries and museums—just an hour’s drive away.

Rockwind Community Links 5001 Jack Gomez Blvd, Hobbs 575-397-9297; rockwindgolfcourse.com

Buffalo Thunder COLORADO AVIDGOLFER | May 2016

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coloradoavidgolfer.com

15TH CLUB

HEALTH + FITNESS

OFF THE CUFF: In checking Bertsch’s shoulder, Roskopf considers all muscles affecting the area. “Your torque generators and stabilizers have to fire effectively.”

Going to the MAT WIth the help of Greg Roskopf, the celebrated developer of Muscle Activation Therapy, pro golfer Shane Bertsch looks to shoulder his next challenge. BY JON RIZZI

COLORADO AVIDGOLFER | May 2016

thousands of active individuals in the 38 states and 14 countries served by certified MAT practitioners.

“He really is a miracle worker,” Bertsch says. “He certainly helped me. Even if I go to him without an injury, he gets me moving better and feeling stronger. He gets my body more lively and fired up.”

Bertsch says this in late March as he waits for an appointment at MAT headquarters in Englewood’s Inverness Business Park. Rows of weight machines shimmer in the sundrenched space, their red cushions all sporting the MAT logo. Behind large windows and closed doors, MAT practitioners assess and treat clients.

Bertsch, who has played in nine PGA

48

Tour events this season, wants Roskopf to check his left shoulder for the third time in as many weeks. A “clicking, popping pain” nags him every time he takes the driver back. He “could hit irons and wedges all day.”

Roskopf lays Bertsch on a treatment table, having him flip every few minutes from supine to prone as he tests the flexibility of the golfer’s hamstrings, which indicates the relative strength or weakness of the supporting flexor muscles. Briskly walking from one side of the table to the other, Roskopf focuses on Bertsch’s shoulders.

The former football player moves his powerful frame from the golfer’s left arm to his right, pushing the extended limb coloradoavidgolfer.com

PHOTOGRAPHS BY TREVOR BROWN/CLARKSON CREATIVE

VETERAN PRO GOLFER Shane Bertsch knows pain. The 46-year-old Parker resident, who has toggled between the Web.com and PGA Tours during his 24-year career, suffered a broken metatarsal and ligament damage during the 2009 season and broke his hand in 2010.

Neither injury resulted from playing golf, but to accelerate his return to the game after both surgeries, Bertsch enlisted the services of Greg Roskopf, the developer and owner of Muscle Activation Techniques (MAT).

Roskopf ’s trademarked, counterintuitive approach has made devoted clients of hundreds of elite athletes—from John Stockton to Peyton Manning to DeMarcus Ware to Amy Van Dyken-Rouen—and

with one or both hands while sensing the shoulder with the other; back and forth he goes, comparing resistance, range of motion, muscle contractile efficiency and strength.

One of MAT’s foundations is that muscles that are tight or not firing correctly— for example, the ones in Bertsch’s shoulder— result from weaknesses in other muscles. In this case, the pectoral, trapezius, deltoid and infraspinatus. “You have to have your torque generators and stabilizers firing efficiently,” Roskopf says. “You want to avoid putting stress on the shoulder.”

Assessing and treating in the same hourlong session, Roskopf pushes and probes to activate the muscles that move Bertsch’s shoulder into the backswing position. “You have to consider all the muscles affecting the area,” Roskopf explains. “There’s a group that moves and a group that holds the bones. Their alignment has to be right. You have to understand biomechanics and do detective work.”

That detective work occasionally requires medical assistance, so Roskopf recommends that Bertsch—who leaves feeling better but again reports pain while swinging the club—undergo an MRI. The results reveal a tear in the labrum—the stabilizing cartilage disc attached to the

shoulder socket—which also can weaken the attached ligaments.

MAT doesn’t fix tears; surgery does.

“Greg told me right away by testing my muscles that something was wrong in the rotator cuff area,” Bertsch says. “I think if I’d been seeing him regularly, and not been away on the Tour, he would have assessed the weakness earlier and have avoided surgery.”

Bertsch considered just playing through the pain. But there’d be no time to rest it, since the PGA Tour no longer has an off-season.

Besides, he says, “it wasn’t going to heal itself; I worked too hard to get back on the Tour not to get this fixed.” He underwent surgery to repair the tear and, although doctors said

“Greg really is a miracle worker,” Bertsch says.

“Even if I go to him without an injury, he gets me moving better and feeling stronger.

He gets my body more lively and fired up....

Once we get the mobility back in my shoulder, I know for sure he’ll help.

I believe 100 percent in what he does.” coloradoavidgolfer.com

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May 2016 | COLORADO AVIDGOLFER

15TH CLUB

HEALTH + FITNESS

But injuries happen in sports. Those who have them seek him out, looking to get back quicker. When he was recovering neck-fusion surgery, Peyton Manning would fly Roskopf to Indianapolis every week and kept seeing him throughout his time in Denver. In 2014, Arizona Cardinals quarterback Carson Palmer worked with Roskopf to overcome an injured nerve in his throwing shoulder. And earlier that year, Roskopf performed a miracle with Amy Van Dyken-Rouen, whom he had previously helped recover from shoulder surgery to win gold in the 2000 Olympics.

Paralyzed after an ATV accident had severed her spine, Van Dyken-Rouen was prompted by Roskopf to visualize lifting

up her leg. A light contraction followed, and over the last two years, she has made astonishing progress towards walking again.

Similarly astounding is Roskopf ’s devotion to spreading the gospel according to MAT. He traverses the country to work with athletes and teach MAT classes.

When he’s not checking for muscle strength, Roskopf shows a weakness for golf at Colorado Golf Club. The 17 handicap loves the game, and he’s not above dropping more than a few hints that Shane Bertsch is just one many PGA Tour athletes who will benefit from Muscle Activation Therapies.

For more information on MAT: 303-745-4270; muscleactivation.com.

AVAILABLE AT COLORADO’S LEADING PING DEALER

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PHOTOGRAPH BY TREVOR BROWN/CLARKSON CREATIVE

it would be six months before he’d play golf again, he’s shooting for four. He’s currently medically exempt.

“I’m going to see Greg at the end of the month,” Bertsch tells me in mid-April. “He’s certainly helped me get back before. Once we get the mobility back, he’ll get me going faster, tell me which muscles are weak and need work. I know for sure he’ll help. I believe 100 percent in what he does.”

Roskopf has unquestionably earned that vote of confidence. He first put MAT into practice 25 years ago and hung his own shingle in 2000. He remains a consultant to the Broncos and Nuggets; he complements other medical specialists—physicians, physical therapists, surgeons, massage therapists, strength coaches, chiropractors and trainers— rather than competing with them.

He focuses on improving the communication pathways from the brain to the muscles, resulting in greater stability and strength and less pain and inflammation.

“What I do is a neuromuscular overhaul,” he says. As a result, professional and amateur athletes see him regularly to improve strength and flexibility, enhance performance and prevent injuries.

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15TH CLUB

HEALTH + FITNESS HIPS SACRUM

COCCYX

Pelvis Lives!

Tuning up that critical performer in the golf swing can result in your greatest hits. BY DEE TIDWELL DO YOU STRUGGLE to keep your club on plane? Are you able to get your body to do what your golf instructor is trying to teach you to do? Is it difficult to “break free” of swing faults that you’ve struggled with for years or even decades despite hours of practice and instruction?

After hearing these complaints countless times during my 16 years in the golf-fitness industry, I’ve come to a conclusion: Amateurs have no clue how to use their pelvises properly.

You may hear it described as your “butt,” your “center of gravity,” your “core,” and maybe even your “bucket.” Most of those areas have something to do with the pelvis, but are not necessarily the pelvis itself.

Because the pelvis is so complex, let’s focus on a few important characteristics: COLORADO AVIDGOLFER | May 2016

The pelvis is elliptical.

It has four bones: the two hipbones, the sacrum (on top of which your spine sits) and coccyx.

Its function is crucial for golfers.

To facilitate lower body rotation through the hip joints To transfer created and stored energy from the ground, through the core to the torso, out the lead arm and to the club head.

The pelvis functions similarly to a mast on a ship. We know that mast is attached to the bottom of the ship. It needs to be very strong and sturdy because it attaches to all the sails and incurs the most stress in creating movement of the ship. The pelvis does the same thing with energy that is transferred from the ground the upper body.

Your legs rely on it for proper stability

52

so the leg muscles can create your ability to walk, squat, lunge, turn, twist, bend and otherwise get around. Your upper body essentially “sits” on top of it via your spine and rib cage (aka torso), relying on its stabilizing abilities so your torso, arms and head can move.

If you are like most amateurs, your pelvis doesn’t work well due to a prior injury or, most likely, because you sit at a desk all day. Constant sitting makes your pelvis function poorly and probably explains why your game continues to struggle with little or no improvement.

So how do you change it?

Start by turning the page...

Dee Tidwell owns Colorado Golf Fitness Club in Denver and has won multiple Colorado AvidGolfer CAGGY Awards. He has developed and tested a program of stretching, conditioning, stability, strength, and nutrition to improve any golfer’s ability on the course and in life. He has been a conditioning coach for winners on the PGA Tour, and as a Level Three (TPI) Titleist Performance Institute Certified professional, he brings extensive knowledge and expertise that quickly translates into permanent change and success for golf clients of all ages and abilities. coloradogolffitnessclub.com; 303-883-0435. coloradoavidgolfer.com

A NEW KNEE ISN’T NECESSARILY A BREAKTHROUGH. UNLESS IT’S YOUR NEW KNEE.

THE KNEE IS ARTIFICIAL. BUT THE CARE IS 100% HUMAN. Knee replacements are never routine. Not when it’s your knee we’re talking about.

That’s why we are proud to have earned The Joint Commission’s Gold Seal of Approval,® a recognized symbol of quality in healthcare. And why we’re happy to announce the opening of our new Orthopedic & Spine Center. It’s just the latest from a hospital that’s been putting people first for over 60 years.

Let the breakthroughs continue.

Learn more: 303-320-ROSE (7673) RoseOrthoSpine.com

15TH CLUB

HEALTH + FITNESS

PRIMING THE PELVIS Performing these four drills every day, you will begin to understand how you use your pelvis better. Not only will your game improve, but things like back pain will begin to diminish or even go away.

Do 3-5 times per week and especially before a lesson, practice or playing

ALL FOURS PELVIC TILT Use a mirror to gauge progress with this drill.

>

FIRST, SOME RULES: There should be no pain! If there is, seek professional help.

• Get on all fours with your wrists under your shoulders and hips and knees at 90°.

Be smart. Don’t be a typical golfer and think “more is better!” Quality always trumps quantity.

• Keeping your head neutral, begin to arch your back. Your butt will stick in the air.

Do 8-20 reps of each move. Start with 8 and progress as you can.

• Arch the opposite way, tucking your pelvis under you.

NOTE: Be sure your pelvis is moving and not your upper back/rib cage area! Work to feel your pelvis rotate on your hipbones.

Kambeitz Chiropractic Health & Wellness Center, P.C. has a variety of

>

BAND OR CABLE ROTATION ASSIST For demo purposes I am using both a band and cable handle. Use one or the other.

services to help you achieve your best golf game.

• Wrap yourself in a way that the cable/ band assists into hip rotation. In the photo, I am being assisted into my backswing and am therefore concentrating on feeling how my pelvis is turning onto my trail leg.

Personal Training Corrective Exercises Active Isolated Stretching Massage Therapy Chiropractic Care

Digital X-Rays Laser Therapy 8 weeks to Wellness Program

PELVIS ROTATION TEST/DRILL IN 5-IRON GOLF POSTURE The first time you do this, stand in front of a mirror and note how far you can move your pelvis without moving your upper body. It will improve over time and you want to have a baseline.

>

Computerized Nerve/ Muscle Scans

• Stand in 5-Iron golf posture and place a club in front of you vertically and with your hands on top of it and your elbows straight.

• Try to turn your pelvis right and left without moving your upper body.

7100 S Clinton St, Suite 110 Centennial, CO 80112 (303) 790-6000 kambeitzchiropractic.com COLORADO AVIDGOLFER | May 2016

NOTE: This is pelvis and torso separation and most of you reading this will find it a bit challenging.

54

NOTE: Allow your knees to “follow” the direction your pelvis is turning.

coloradoavidgolfer.com

PHOTOGRAPHS BY TANJA MELONE PHOTOGRAPHY

• Stay in posture and move as little as possible (like in your swing). This will teach what it feels like to use your pelvis.

>

LUNGE WITH KNEE KICK AND PELVIS ROTATION • Start in a good standing, posture position, then take a back step into a lunge where your knees end up close to 90 degrees at the bottom. Be sure your knees are tracking over your toes and not flexed past your toes!

The Secret to Stopping Your Back Pain from Controlling Your Game Is it frustrating to know that you can’t get out on the course or swing full out because of your low back pain? Have you missed a round or multiple days of playing because of your discomfort? How can you eliminate your back pain forever and avoid Dr. Jim Kambeitz

the common treatments that don’t work?

We have found that the problem will either stay the same, or more likely, progressively get worse. With state of the art technology and noninvasive treatments and therapies, we specialize in locating the root cause of your back pain so we can get you back on the course pain free. Over the past 18 years we have helped thousands of people overcome back pain and get back to enjoying the sport they love. Now is the time to take back control of your game!

• Stand up and drive the opposite knee so it ends up parallel with the floor.

• Then, rotate your pelvis so the same knee crosses over the midline without your upper body turning with it!

NOTE: This is harder than it looks, so if you can only go two inches across midline without your upper body turning, then that’s where you start!

If you do these regularly, you should not only feel a difference in how your pelvis moves, but your ability to rotate in your golf swing will become greater, more consistent, with less pain and more power! coloradoavidgolfer.com

7100 S Clinton St, Suite 110, Centennial, CO 80112 (303) 790-6000 | kambeitzchiropractic.com

55

May 2016 | COLORADO AVIDGOLFER

15TH CLUB

HEALTH + FITNESS

Become GOLF STRONG Developing strength is the second phase of golf fitness.

FOR GOLF AND ALL SPORTS, it is imperative to outline your annual training plan based on “Phases of Training.” The proper sequencing of your phases allows your body to progress in a way that reduces your chance of injury, avoids plateaus, holds your interest and puts you in the best possible condition.

In last May’s fitness issue (available online), we covered Phase 1 of the golf fitness progression: Stability, Mobility, and Muscular Endurance. Once you have completed six weeks of regular “Phase 1 training,” Phase 2, the “Strength Training” phase of Golf Fitness Development, can begin.

Simply defined, strength training is loading your body with weight-bearing movements specific to the desired results.

How much weight puts you in the strengthtraining zone? You need to select a weight

BY DILLON JOHNSON

that will allow you to produce no more than 4-6 repetitions of the movement.

Rest/Recovery is another important variable. During this phase, I suggest 2-3 minutes of rest between sets. Complete 4-5 sets. If you cut your rest short, you will not be able to reproduce the same training volume (weight x reps) in your next set, thus limiting your strength benefit.

The results of strength training differ for every player but the benefits can include a stronger foundation for your long and short game, added distance, improved consistency, increased power and the ability to get the ball out of deep rough and other tough lies.

Although we know every golfer has different needs, we have found these Phase 2 exercises to be very helpful in building golfspecific strength with most healthy adult

golfers. Spending 6 to 8 weeks developing your golf-specific strength is a prerequisite to having you ready for Phase 3: Power Development (Strength + Speed = POWER).

* If you have any health concerns/issues please contact your physician before attempting these exercises. Allow 48 hours of rest/recovery before training the same body part again.

Co-Owner of RallySport in Boulder (rallysportboulder.com), Dillon Johnson is Level 3 & Juniors Certified by the Titleist Performance Institute (TPI) and Certified by the Personal Training Academy Global (djohnson@rallysportboulder.com; 303-928-9007). Phase 3: Power & Club Head Speed Development will appear in an upcoming issue. Golfers interested in golf-specific training should meet with a Titleist Performance Institute Certified Golf Fitness Professional and complete a TPI Assessment (mytpi.com).

STRENGTH PROGRAM OUTLINE: DUMBBELL LOADED SPLIT SQUAT >

Complete the mobility and stability exercises covered in phase 1.

Slowly bend both knees towards the ground keeping most of your weight in your front heel.

Complete a warm-up set of your strength lift. 12-15 repetitions with much lighter weight.

Complete a 2nd warm –up set if you feel it is needed.

3-4 strength exercises per workout day.

COLORADO AVIDGOLFER | May 2016

PHOTOGRAPH BY TANJA MELONE PHOTOGRAPHY

WARM-UP: 10-15 minutes of medium-pace cardio to get a sweat going.

With a dumbbell in each hand, stand with one leg back and one leg forward.

Before your back knee touches the ground, slowly stand upright keeping your feet in place.

Complete all repetitions before switching sides.

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Everyone differs when it comes to fluid needs, but a good general guideline is to drink 8 ounces every 15 minutes. If it’s a hot day and you are sweating a lot, consider alternating with a sports drink to help replace electrolytes.

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15TH CLUB

HEALTH + FITNESS

>

SPLIT STANCE SINGLE ARM CABLE PRESS Set cable attachment to head height.

>

SINGLE DUMBBELL FRONT LOADED SQUAT Stand with your feet about shoulder width apart.

Keep your shoulders back and eyes pointing high.

Continue down until your hips align with your knees and then return to an upright position.

>

SPLIT STANCE SINGLE ARM CABLE ROW Set your cable attachment to chest height.

Place your right foot forward and your left foot back. Grab the cable handle with your left hand.

While pushing your chest out, push the cable handle out in front of your chest until your arm is fully extended. Repeat on other side.

While pushing your chest out, pull the cable handle to your left armpit.

Complete all your repetitions before switching sides.

< DUMBBELL LOADED SIDE LUNGE With a dumbbell in each hand, take a long side step to your left. Keep both feet facing straight in front of you.

Bend into your left knee, feeling like you are sitting back into a chair. Keep your right leg straight and right foot flat on the floor.

>

CABLE LAT PULL DOWN

Once you have reached your maximum depth, drive through your left heel, bring the feet back together and stand upright.

While seated at the lat pull down machine, grab the bar with your hands just slightly wider than shoulder width apart.

Complete all your repetitions before switching sides.

Keep your chest pushing out and slightly angled up; pull the bar down to your chest.

Try squeezing your shoulder blades together as you pull down.

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PHOTOGRAPHS BY TANJA MELONE PHOTOGRAPHY

With a single dumbbell held by both hands between your legs, slowly bend into your knees and hips keeping your body weight in your heels.

Place your left foot forward and your right foot back. Grab the cable handle with your right hand.

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15TH CLUB

HEALTH + FITNESS

PRACTICE Makes Present Yoga poses improve your flexibility, but a yoga practice will help you find your inner game. BY KATHLEEN HEINEY IS THERE A neighborhood in Colorado without a yoga studio? You can’t walk a city block today without bumping into a fitlooking person with a mat rolled under their arm and a beatific expression on their face.

Yoga isn’t spinning or step or Zumba.

A discipline practiced for more than 5,000 years hardly qualifies as a fad.

Since its origins in northern India, yoga has taken on many meanings—including union, connection, focus and mindfulness.

Its “practice” focuses on both the body and the mind.

With its myriad poses (asanas), the physical practice of yoga helps build strength, balance and flexibility—all of which reward golfers with obvious benefits.

But how can the mental components of a yoga practice affect the way you play golf?

To “practice” is to continue to try and improve upon something. In the same way we physically practice asanas on the yoga mat or flop shots from the fringe, the mental practice of yoga helps us to achieve mindfulness.

BREATHING Breathing is essential to keeping you in the moment. When you start to become distracted, frustrated or discouraged, breathe in through your nose for the count of 4, hold your breath for the count of 4 and exhale from your mouth for the count of 4. Do this two or three times and it will bring you back to the present.

A second exercise is to practice basic pranayama breathing. Inhaling through the nose fully and exhale out of the mouth as you are approaching your next shot. Create time and space in your round to practice breath work.

ASANAS PHOTOGRAPHS BY TANJA MELONE PHOTOGRAPHY

These yoga asanas, among others, open up your hips and side muscles, which are essential to the golf swing. < HIP OPENER: Shift weight onto left foot, place right ankle on top of your knee, sit back and low as if you were sitting into a chair. Keep your weight on all four corners of your foot and make sure the knee does not track past the ankle.

> HALF MOON: The half moon is important to stretch the side muscles critical to the golf swing.

Feet together, draw low belly up and in, engage your legs, lengthen the tailbone and honor the natural curve in your spine. Keeping your weight centered, extend arms over your head and fold gently to the right. Lengthen your left rib cage. Do the same for your opposite side.

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Mindfulness means maintaining a moment-by-moment awareness of our thoughts, feelings, bodily sensations and surrounding environment.

Mindfulness also involves acceptance, meaning that we pay attention to our thoughts and feelings without judging them— without believing, for instance, that there’s a “right” or “wrong” way to think or feel in a given moment.

How does this translate to your golf game?

First and foremost, mindfulness teaches us to be in the present. Often, when we play a round of golf we are rehashing the past and looking into the future of the next shot or next hole. This can set us up for failure.

Although golfers are notorious for their ability to recall every shot with every club from every yardage on every course they’ve ever played, the best ones have “short memories” when it comes to poor shots or “blowup” holes.

Many of the clichés you’ve heard about golf—“the most important shot is the next one,” “one shot at a time,” “file the good and forget the bad”—suggest the mindfulness approach.

When we incorporate mindfulness into our game, we become more aware of our thoughts both positive and negative. Once we are plugged in and more aware we are able to shift and create change. The best way to change any behavior is to create a solid foundation of awareness around it.

Golf is a lot like life. We forget that life, too, is a practice. We will never master either. However we continue to strive to be better and enhance performance. When we apply yoga principles to the game of golf we learn how to clear our minds, let go of what was, and be present to what is.

In a society that is fast-paced, constantly moving and changing, we are continually challenged to be present. The golf course is a perfect place to “practice” mindfulness.

The more mindful we become on the course the more present we can become in our daily lives.

The practice of yoga will change your game and your life. It is a commitment to yourself, becoming a better player, better person and, ultimately bringing more peace and happiness into your life.

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Kathleen Heiney is an LPGA Class A Professional, master fitness trainer and a certified RYT Yoga Instructor. She is the owner of LINC Golf & Wellness and offers her signature program, Yoga Fit FORE Golf. (lincgolfandwellness.com 303-380-7175). coloradoavidgolfer.com

@coloavidgolfer and

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May 2016 | COLORADO AVIDGOLFER

15TH CLUB

HEALTH + FITNESS

Tending the Garden The well-heeled Garden of the Gods Club is now also about the well-being of everyone.

DR. MIKE BARBER admits he’d “become a bit jaded” about health care. A board-certified cardiologist, internist and electrophysiologist in Colorado Springs for 27 years, he’d describe himself as an “aggressive interventionist who made a living by cutting on people.”

In 2013, the doctor voiced his concerns to his friend Judy Mackey. “Why is it sick care, not well care?” he asked. Mackey, the president and CEO of the employee-benefit consulting company Benefit Services Group, shared his view, having already created a HealthYOU division to help employers start and operate employee wellness programs.

“We came up with the idea of doing a mom-and-pop medical and wellness center in a house,” Dr. Barber remembers.

BY JON RIZZI

GODS-ON FAVORITE: The International Health and Wellness Center

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Plans for that house changed scale in a hurry. They learned Sunrise Company, which had owned the iconic Garden of the Gods Club since 2007, was about to sell the 260-acre property, complete with its 83room lodge, country club, recreation center and all related facilities (including the 27hole Kissing Camels Golf Club). So Mackey, along with Brenda Smith, a retired partner at the national accounting firm BKD, and other partners bought the club in October of 2013 for $10.3 million. Chief among the list of planned improvements: construction of a 14,000- to 16,000-square-foot wellness center.

With Barber as medical director, the International Health and Wellness Center (IHWC) will occupy 28,000 square feet— about twice the original estimate—when it opens later this year. Until then, however, the IHWC is already delivering what Barber calls “a unique new model of healthcare” from temporary digs on the property.

He has already assembled an all-star team of medical professionals with complementary areas of expertise. Dr. Robert Blaich, a world-renowned alternative health-care expert and author of the bestselling Your Inner Pharmacy, serves as Barber’s holistic counterpart. Chiropractic Doctor Shane Wells uti-

lizes state-of-the-art testing and treatments from the fields of functional neurology, applied kinesiology and chiropractic. Osteopath Jamie Wright, a metabolic expert, specializes in cutting-edge anti-aging, regenerative and functional medicine.

The IHWC team will be adding a naturopathic physician, physical trainers, dieticians and nutritionists. “We’re recruiting people to help with mindfulness and stress reduction,” Barber says. He’s also working with the club’s executive chef, Brian Knudson, to ensure the food throughout the facilities is healthful and fresh, with antibiotic- and hormone-free meat and fish and biodynamic wines.

“We have to talk the walk,” he says. “And I’ve been very cautious about who I bring on the team. We don’t need a Dez Bryant here.”

Once he and his team move into their permanent home, the club’s spa and salon will inhabit most of the second floor as an extension of the wellness center. It will provide medical massage, dermatological and other types of therapies, including sadhana and toxin-removing salt-spa treatments. It won’t have a fitness center. “Too noisy,” Barber explains. “It’s in another building.”

When a client arrives, he or she fills out a form and sits for 90 minutes with four team

members asking and answering questions that will determine who’ll take the lead and the course of action. “We work together on this to make recommendations and a program that addresses the underlying causes of any health concerns,” Barber says. “We’re not just going to put paint on rotting wood.”

The IHWC is open to the public, not just club members and resort guests. “But,” Barber warns, “we’re trying to stay out of the insurance-billing business.” The IHWC intends to appeal to executives and other individuals in high-stress-level jobs. “Corporate retreats and wellness and recreational experiences are all available on property,” the doctor says.

“The Wellness Center is positioned to become a world-class destination health and wellness enterprise,” General Manager Laura Neumann states.

This vision differs from that of the Hill family, which founded the Garden of the Gods Club in 1951 and ran it as a redoubt of exclusivity until 2007. But times change.

If health is the new measure of wealth, then those at the Garden of the Gods Club are very well-off indeed.

For more information: 800.923.8838; gardenofthegodsclub.com.

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May 2016 | COLORADO AVIDGOLFER

15TH CLUB

HEALTH + FITNESS

The SKINS GAME How to protect your largest organ from the dangers of cancer.

I HAVE A GOLF acquaintance I’ll call Casper. Not because he bears a resemblance to the late, great Billy, but because he reminds me of the “friendliest ghost you know.”

Casper is the quirkiest golfer I know— but he’s also the most precautious and the most practical. He earned his nickname by slathering himself in thick, white sunscreen that has an SPF higher than Stephen Hawking’s IQ. This caulk covers all parts that aren’t hidden beneath the long sleeves of his white shirt, matching pants and outré panama hat.

Although I once confused him with an OB stake, I’m loath to make light of someone so wary of skin cancer.

The warming sun, which those of us born before and during the 1960s grew

BY JON RIZZI

up worshipping with oils and lotions, now represents a carcinogenic fireball that produces malignant basal and squamous cells, and, worse, melanomas.

According to the Skin Cancer Foundation, 65% of melanoma cases are associated with exposure to ultraviolet (UV) radiation from the sun. Men older than 40 have the highest annual exposure to UV radiation, and white men over age 50 comprise the majority of melanoma patients.

Living in Colorado, we have 300 days a year of exposure. Even so, many golfers—the Anti-Caspers—still apply sunscreen with the same infrequency with which they buckle their seatbelts.

Don’t be that guy. Follow these Skin Cancer Foundation guidelines:

• Tee off at sunrise or in late afternoon — avoid the sun at its most intense (between 10 AM and 4 PM) • Whenever you can, seek shade on the course — stand under a tree or sit in your cart.

• Do Not Burn.

• Wear a hat with a brim extending three

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inches or more all the way around, shading your face, neck, ears, and shoulder tops.

• Wear long-sleeved shirts and long pants, covering as much skin as possible.

• Wear wraparound sunglasses that block 99-100 percent of UV radiation, protecting the eye, eyelid, and surrounding areas.

• Remember to protect yourself on overcast days: Up to 80 percent of the sun’s UV radiation can penetrate clouds and harm your skin.

• Apply a generous amount of water-resistant, broad-spectrum (UVA/UVB) sunscreen with an SPF of 30 or higher to all exposed areas 30 minutes before heading outside to play golf. Look for a sports sunscreen formula that is designed to stay put if you sweat and won’t run into the eyes and sting. An SPF 30+ lip balm will help protect your lips.

• Carry sunscreen with you, and reapply every two hours, immediately after sweating heavily, or at the ninth hole. Look for a sunscreen with The Skin Cancer Foundation’s Seal of Recommendation. Don’t forget to apply sunscreen to frequently overlooked spots, such as your scalp, neck, the backs of your hands and your ears.

Here are some products to help in your sun-blocking quest:

SUNSCREEN: Developed in Arizona specifically for golfers and distributed at PGA Tour events, Skin Sunscreen (skinsunscreen.com ) is 30+ SPF, non-greasy and doesn’t stain clothing. It’s truly sweatproof so it won’t sting your eyes like most sunscreens do. Used by the majority of PGA Tour players, it contains no PABA, parabens or nanoparticles. The product comes in spray, lotion and lip balm. Packaging ranges from foil packs to liter-pump bottles.

Available at most golf courses.

CLOTHING: The Ultraviolet Protection Factor (UPF) indicates what fraction of the sun’s ultraviolet rays can penetrate fabric. A shirt with a UPF of 50 allows just 1/50th of the sun’s UV radiation to reach the skin. UnderArmour (underarmour.com ) and Coolibar (coolibar.com ) lead the industry in high UPF golf clothing. Look also at SanSoleil (sansoleil.com ) and Solumbra (sunprecautions.com ) for fashionable options.

SUN SLEEVES: Known also as Sport Skins, these “cooling” breathable sleeves work with short-sleeved polos, keeping your forearms from getting burned. The most popular include Under Armour HeatGear (underarmour.com ), Nike Dri-FIT (nike.com ) and UVSkins (uvskins.com ).

HATS: Take a lesson from David Leadbetter or Greg Norman and rock a straw hat. But make sure it’s UPF 50. The Byron and Cameron (above) by Wallaroo (wallaroohats. com ) have style; so do Coolibar’s Crushable and Packable models. Both companies have a wide range of women’s chapeaux, as well as some cool bucket hats for those wishing to emulate Pinehurst’s iconic Putter Boy. EYEWEAR: UV-protective sunglasses not only can protect from cancers but also from macular degeneration and certain cataracts. Certain tints can also help you read greens. Oakley (oakley.com ) has long led the way in sports optics. Under Armour’s partnership with Zeiss Lenses has produced some sweet wraparounds—the Rival, Igniter and Big Shot. The Peak Vision GS4 (peakvision.com ), Maui Jim StoneCrushers (mauijim.com ) and Tifosi Jet Wrap (tifosioptics.com ) are also solid choices.

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May 2016 | COLORADO AVIDGOLFER

15TH CLUB

HEALTH + FITNESS

To Repair or Replace?

Advances in orthopedics can answer that question sooner than you think. BY JON RIZZI The golf swing puts unnatural stress on our backs, knees, elbows, hips and shoulders. Pain in these areas can keep you from enjoying more than just golf. As the expertise to treat these injuries has advanced with stem cells and plasma treatments, so has the ability of orthopedists to replace worn-out joints with new ones.

All doctors interviewed here cite the benefits of rest, non-steroidal antiinflammatories like Aleve and specific exercises as first steps in pain reduction.

Cortisone injections can help as well—but in moderation; any more than one every four to six months runs the risk of damaging muscle fibers. Avoid opiates, as they don’t treat symptoms and can be addictive.

PARTS UNKNOWN: X-rays of cervical disk and knee replacements.

keep their left heel on the ground, torquing their lower back on the backswing and hyperextending it on the follow-through.”

It’s no wonder that the most famous modern swinger, Tiger Woods, has had multiple microdiscectomies to relieve pain in his lumbar region. Woods, however, did not go as far as Retief Goosen. In 2012, the two-time U.S. Open champion had his degenerating L3‑L4 disk replaced with one made from titanium.

According to Dr. Ghiselli, disk replacements in that region of the back have not been as common or as efficacious as microdecompressions and microdiscectomies have been. These minimally invasive surgeries help decom-press the herniated disks and structures that pressure the nerve.

Another option is spinal fusion, wherein

DISK REWARD: Retief Goosen

BACK “Lumbar pathology is the most common spine injury among golfers,” Gary Ghiselli, M.D., of Denver Spine Surgeons says, referring to the lower back. He cites the modern swing as one of the chief culprits.

“Unlike the classic swing, players now COLORADO AVIDGOLFER | May 2016

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a doctor grafts two vertebral elements together to create a single immobile bone, thus stopping motion that generates pain. Spinal fusions traditionally require inserting large pedicle screws, which in and of themselves can cause chronic pain or problems at other levels. Dr. Ghiselli says he’s had greater success in recent years with interspinous stabilization, an outpatient procedure that promotes greater vertebral stability through the use of a small titanium clamp instead of screws.

While the lumbar region presents the most common problem for golfers, damage in the cervical spine (the seven vertebrae in your neck) can also cause issues.

Dr. Ghiselli tells the story of a famous orthopedic surgeon diagnosed with a herniated cervical disk that left his left hand so weak he found it difficult to operate.

“He was conflicted about having the procedure done to relieve it,” Dr. Ghiselli explains. Was he worried about the success rate? “Not at all. He said he was about to retire and his new relaxed grip was doing wonders for his golf game!”

Unlike lumbar disk replacement, cervical disk replacement is becoming a more accepted procedure. “The one- and two-level replacements are pretty phenomenal,” Dr. Ghiselli reports. “They’re FDAapproved and recent literature shows they may be superior to a fusion. That’s exciting!”

2016

Three Events.

Three Unique Colorado Experiences.

JUNE 13, 10am THE CLUB at PRADERA

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JULY 25, 10am BLACKSTONE COUNTRY CLUB

2-person BEST BALL— $125 per player

JOINT VENTURERS: Funk (knee) and Sutton (hip)

SEPTEMBER 7, 1:30pm THE RIDGE AT CASTLE PINES NORTH SCRAMBLE—$110 per player

KNEES and HIPS With a success rate between 90 and 95 percent, hip and replacements among older golfers have become as common as arthritis—which happens to be the chief reason to have them. The incidence of these replacements has increased more than 50 percent since the beginning of the century.

Even with all that surgical success, Joseph Assini, M.D. of Orthopaedic Physicians of Colorado, recommends patients with pain first try glucosamine coloradoavidgolfer.com

REGISTER TODAY! Details for third event coming soon.

coloradoavidgolfer.com/events For more information and to register contact Ryan McLean at 720-493-1729 ext. 15 or ryan@coloradoavidgolfer.com

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May 2016 | COLORADO AVIDGOLFER

ColoradoPGA TeeTimes.com Where Colorado Goes to Play!

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VIDEO GAME: Robotic-assisted MAKOplasty

supplements and viscosupplementation (also known as “rooster comb” injections) before going under the knife.

Minimally invasive arthroscopy works for meniscal tears but not for arthritic knees.

But if a partial knee or total hip replacement becomes unavoidable, Dr. Assini’s patients have MAKOPlasty, a procedure, he says, that “has revolutionized the way implants are put into the body.”

MAKOplasty enables surgeons like Dr. Assini to plan partial knee or total hip replacement procedures by using threedimensional computer imaging based on a CT scan. This allows them to determine optimal implant size, position, and alignment for each individual patient, and to map out accurately the areas of bone they want to remove.

“We expose degenerated part of bone, map it out with a GPS-type system and match it with what CT scan shows us right in the operating room,” says Dr. Assini. “Then the robotic arm system provides visual, auditory and tactile control—where the implant should be placed and how much tension should be used. It only allows us to cut within the affected area. It’s like a computer game. I look at the screen the whole time.”

MAKOplasty removes risk of misalignment. “On hip replacements, the precision of cup placement and accurate leg-length restoration is unmatched,” says Dr. Assini.

The success of MAKOplasty or any joint replacement depends on how well the implant incorporates into the bone. That takes time, so doctors recommend a minimum of four weeks before heading out to the golf course.

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ELBOW and SHOULDER The distinction between “tennis elbow” and “golfer’s elbow” isn’t sport-specific. “I see as many golfers with tennis elbow as with golfer’s elbow,” says Armodios “Hatz” Hatzidakis, M.D., of Western Orthopaedics in Denver. Both indicate epicondyle (the tendons that attach from the wrist to the elbow) inflammation that results from overuse.

The difference is which side of the elbow hurts (“tennis” affects the lateral, or outside; “golfer’s” affects the medial, or inside). In the case of golf, epicondylitis usually results from the wrist absorbing the vibratory force of a coloradoavidgolfer.com

stiff club hitting balls (or a root or hardpan).

For treatment Dr. Hatzidakis recommends rest and low-impact preventative exercises with light weights to strengthen and elongate the extensors, tendons and flexors in your wrists, forearms and elbows. “You want strong and flexible wrists,” the doctor says.

In addition to OTC anti-inflammatories, treatments include wearing an offload strap around the meatiest part of the forearm to deflect force away from the epicondyle.

“Lastly,” Dr. Hatzidakis says, “arthroscopic surgery can release the fibers and clean up the bone.” Rarely, an open repair with a one- to two-inch incision is required.

The shoulder has a wider range of motion than the elbow, with a greater variety of soft tissue, joint cartilage and bone issues that can cause symptoms. “Shoulders are more tricky,” says Dr. Hatzidakis. “If you’re experiencing pain, see someone earlier rather than later. Sometimes it’s hard to just exercise your way out of it.”, Arthritis can also affect the shoulder, causing pain and dysfunction

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BOLDER SHOULDERS: Dr. Armodios “Hatz” Hatzidakis.

that limits golf performance. For those who have exhausted other approaches—such as exercise, physical therapy or arthroscopy, shoulder replacement can be a durable option.

Patients with difficulty lifting their arm or swinging a golf club may also suffer with rotator cuff deficiency. This can result from a large tear in the rotator cuff (the four muscles that connect the humerus to the scapula and allow arm rotation) or other trauma.

Dr. Hatzidakis says he has also had success with reverse shoulder replacement, a process that reverses the anatomy and geometry of the shoulder, obviating the need of the rotator cuff to stabilize it for rotation.

The prosthesis provides the stabilization, allowing the deltoid to help raise your arm or swing the club.

For more information, visit Denver Spine Surgeons (denverspinesurgeons.com); Orthopaedic Physicians of Colorado (orthophysicians.com); and Western Orthopaedics (western-ortho.com). coloradoavidgolfer.com

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May 2016 | COLORADO AVIDGOLFER

15TH CLUB

HEALTH + FITNESS

Consider the Alternatives From salves to stem cells, what are the nonsurgical options when pain invades our golf games? BY BARBARA HEY ACHES, PAIN, INJURIES are inevitable in life, more so with each passing decade and even more so for those passionately focused on one particular activity. Golf, for example.

Every swing requires the body to move in an unnatural way that tests even the happiest muscles and joints. Without overall strength, flexibility and full range of motion, this repetitive, biomechanical challenge can lead to trouble.

But, there’s plenty to do to keep aches and pain at bay and to heal injuries before resorting to surgery. (Of course, for any extreme pain or injury, you need an orthopedist, pronto.) The most common areas of complaint for golfers are the lower back, shoulder and elbow. A variety of modalities can help.

Timing is critical, so don’t play through pain. The key is to act when you’re in the yellow zone—when you know something’s amiss, but before the pain becomes acute.

That action should encompass reducing inflammation to prevent further tissue damage, getting an assessment of what’s hurting and treating it, and making apporpriate adjustments in body mechanics or exercise regimen to keep it from coming back or becoming chronic. Herewith some healing options.

Reduce inflammation. This is step one when pain kicks in, whether it’s a minor strain or worse. Swelling signals cellular damage and can compound the injury and interfere with healing. Depending on the severity, your physician may prescribe a pain reliever or recommend an OTC nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medication like ibuprofen or naproxen. Many topical creams also promise relief, among them Aspercreme and Blu Emu creams, and homeopathics like Topricin and Traumeel. Use Biofreeze for a cold effect; Tiger Balm to bring the heat.

COLORADO AVIDGOLFER | May 2016

TENS up. TENS stands for Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation. Sold at drug stores, TENS units gently stimulate the body’s nerves with relaxing pulses to provide temporary relief to aching muscles. The user places electrode pads on the affected areas and uses a control unit to adjust the intensity.

Ice It. Applying cold promptly to the affected area both physically numbs pain and is a powerful counterpoint to inflammation.

Cold restricts blood flow and decreases swelling, and can help facilitate healing particularly during the first 48 hours after an injury.

This is the DIY icepack route.

Step into the freezer. Another option ups the cold factor considerably. Cherry Creek Spine & Sport Clinic in Denver offers Whole Body Cryotherapy, a sort of upright freezer into which you step (wearing undies FREEZE FRAME: UFC fighter Raquel Pennington chills soreness with Whole Body Cryotherapy.

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PADDED SUPPORT: TENS therapy stimulates nerves.

only) for sessions lasting two to three minutes. This blast of dry cold air cools the skin surface by as much as 50 degrees, walloping muscle soreness, joint pain and whole-body inflammation. “This helps anyone—weekend warriors and pro athletes—ease aches or pain, and with recovery from an acute injury or tough workout,” says Dr. Scott Sheil-Brown, chiropractor and founder of the clinic. The extreme cold stimulates the body’s own antiinflammatory reaction and also releases endorphins. End result: you feel better.

Warm Up. For chronic pain and arthritis, heat is the way to go. Applying a warm pack to sore shoulders, elbows or back or wherever you hurt—soothes stiff joints, relaxes muscles and help restore mobility. This is particularly important as prep prior to playing, and to lessen the likelihood of tweaking other body parts. Don’t try working around the pain. “You will make adjustments in how you move—even without realizing it,” says Brad Marquez, physical therapist at Select Physical Therapy, Ken Caryl. “Other parts will compensate, and the pain train picks up speed.”

Activate energy. Acupuncture is another option for curbing pain, and reducing inflammation, swelling and muscle tension.

At the Boulder Sports Acupuncture Clinic, acupuncture is the first-line treatment for aching athletes, and works its magic by restoring balanced energy flow and activating the body’s ability to heal itself. After assessing the injury and severity of pain, acupuncturist and clinic owner Steven Rizzolo often adds other modalities to accelerate healing.

These include “e-stim,” which sends pulsing current between two acupuncture needles to jumpstart stagnant energy. It’s effective in treating tenacious issues and chronically tight muscles that impinge movement coloradoavidgolfer.com

of the shoulder as well as low back pain.

Straighten up. “With most of the golfers I treat, the complaint originates with some kind of postural deficit,” Marquez says. For example, shoulder issues can often be traced to rounded-in posture/shoulder rolling forward/head leaning in. He works to retrain the body to achieve a full upright position, reversing the strain by opening the chest muscles, holding the shoulders and spine in better alignment. Then comes building strength, balanced strength and a strong core, to support proper posture and movement.

Movement analysis. Another way to stop the pain is to assess movement patterns, stability, motor control, and correct what’s not working. “We look at how a person moves, where the body moves freely or not,” says Eric Dinkins, a physical therapist at Select Physical Therapy in Castle Rock.

He also utilizes a laser motion guidance device that can be attached to any body part to provide visual feedback so you can make real-time adjustments. Another technique is mobilization with movement, in which he manually applies pressure to the problem spot—a strained elbow or stuck shoulder—to enable the client to move without pain.

Increase blood flow. And once the pain is gone, keep it from coming back. Dinkins advises not just going from the car to the course, but spending at least ten minutes getting the heart pumping before playing (a brisk walk, jumping jacks). “One of nature’s best pain remedies is to increase body heat,” he says. “Muscles become more elastic, range of motion gets better, performance improves.”

Stretch and hold. Daily stretching exercises—and holding each stretch a couple of minutes—goes a long way in maintaining spinal mobility and muscle and joint flexibility.

Hands-on release. After the acute phase or with an injury that recurs, another treatment Dr. Sheil-Brown recommends, in addition to chiropractic care, is Active Release Technique, which manually separates “glued” tissues—scar tissue and adhesions that linger after trauma and result in persistent tightness and limited range of motion.

Stem cell therapy. This last-resort treatment can help joints in bad shape due to repetitive injury or arthritis and extreme pain. “Most of our clients have exhausted all other treatments and not found relief,” says Kandace Stolz, President of Johnstown-based Premier Stem Cell Institute. “There are not a lot of remedies out there for people who have tried the range of other treatments to get rid of pain and want to avoid or postpone surgical repair or joint replacement.” coloradoavidgolfer.com

conscious sedation, if preferred) while bone marrow is removed from the back of the hip.

After a device separates the stem cells from the marrow. a doctor reinjects the cells under precise imagery guidance into degenerated joints and herniated discs, or into a diseased rotator cuff, elbow, ankle or wrist.

Premier also offers platelet-rich plasma (PRP), in which platelets and plasma, rich in the body’s own growth factors, are separated from a patient’s blood and injected into injured areas to speed healing, often for ailing tendons and ligaments.

“PRP is like giving construction workers espresso shots so they work extra hard and get more done,” explains Dr. Chris Centeno, who founded Broomfield-based Regenexx in 2005. “Stem cell injections are like hiring more workers.”

COMEBACK PLAYER: Former Bronco and avid golfer Don Horn has benefited greatly from Premier Stem Cell treatments.

With stem cell therapy, a treatment that has been in use for almost a decade, your own stem cells are extracted from bone marrow and injected into the problem area, a peripheral joint (shoulder, knee, hip) or into disc space in the spine. The stem cells then regenerate healthy tissue between bones and restore pain-free movement.

For most issues, this is a same-day procedure. Patients receive a local anesthetic (or

Barbara Hey is a freelance health writer.

For more information: Boulder Sports Acupuncture (bouldersportsacupuncture.com); Cherry Creek Spine & Sport (cherrycreekspine.com); Premier Stem Cell Institute (premierstemcellinstitute.com); Regenexx (regenexx.com); Select Physical Therapy (selectphysicaltherapy.com)

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May 2016 | COLORADO AVIDGOLFER

The Games of Golf TRIVIA | PUZZLERS

Ralph Guldahl

The 100-Year Party As the PGA of America celebrates its centennial, do you know its Centennial State immortals?

THE PGA OF AMERICA celebrates its centennial this year, having turned 100 on Masters Sunday.

Initially comprised of 35 men, it is now the largest working sports organization in the world, comprising more than 28,000 men and women dedicated to promoting the game of golf to everyone, everywhere. One of 41 PGA Sections across the country, the Colorado Section boasts a membership of 700, and ranks as a leader in growth-of-the-game initiatives. This month, two of its members, Ann Finke and Craig Stadler, will enter the Colorado Golf Hall of Fame. But of the 157 PGA Professionals enshrined in the PGA of America Hall of Fame, only 12 have significant ties to Colorado.

Arnold Palmer

Dow Finsterwald, Warren Smith, Vic Kline (l-r)

Can you match the feat to the pro?

1. Threw visor at Cherry Hills and designed Bear Creek

A. Charles “Vic” Kline

2. First golf professional at The Broadmoor

B. Jack Nicklaus

3. 29-time PGA Tour winner and pro at Green Gables

C. Walter Travis

4. Five-time Colorado PGA Player of the Year

D. Warren Smith

5. Winner of 1932 Broadmoor Invitation

E. Paul Runyan

6. Cherry Hills pro during 1978 U.S. Open

F.

7. Won U.S. Open at Cherry Hills wearing a necktie

G. Arnold Palmer

8. Head pro at Augusta National and The Broadmoor

H. Ralph Guldahl

9. “The Old Man” died in Denver in 1927

I.

Dow Finsterwald

10. 1958 PGA Champion and Broadmoor pro

J.

Ed Dudley

11. Won 1959 U.S. Amateur at The Broadmoor

K. Vic Ghezzi

12. Defeated Byron Nelson in 1941 PGA at Cherry Hills

L. Jim Barnes

Lawson Little

ANSWERS: 1-G, 2-L, 3-E, 4-A, 5-F, 6-D, 7-H, 8-J, 9-C, 10-I, 11-B, 12-K

COLORADO AVIDGOLFER | May 2016

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