G O L O W W I T H M I L E H I G H G O L F AT $ 5 2 . 8 0 (see page 13)
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Elevating the Game.
PARKS &
DRIVES:
ROUNDS from YELLOWSTONE to GLACIER
MEET Colorado’s
GOLFCAR KING
JOE SAKIC will provide a million meals for hungry kids via his tournament at SANCTUARY, where charities have now raised more than $100 MILLION
PLUS:
THORNCREEK’S RENAISSANCE GOLF along the GUNNISON Streamsong’s BLACK Beauty
AUG/SEPT 2018 | $3.95
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CONTENTS | August/September 2018
58
FEATURES
50 A Course in Charity 30
DEPARTMENTS 6 Forethoughts
38 Fashion Renegade Men’s Styles. By Suzanne S. Brown
A Matter of Conveyance. By Jon Rizzi
SIDE BETS
8 ’net Score
41 Fareways
in our Tournament Series.
44 Getting Home
Watch our Get Golf Fit video and play
10 The CGA
A Colorado caddie’s Nantucket nectar. By Erin Gangloff
19 The Gallery
The Broadmoor rocks the U.S. Senior Open, Thorncreek reopens, Jennifer Kupcho ranks first, Folds of Honor comes to Denver, Brandt Jobe rises.
64 Blind Shot
Golf gives a hero a home. By Kim McHugh
PLAYER’S CORNER
Fogo de Chão. By Gary James Pradera is Eden in Parker. By Martin Yaeger
46 Nice Drives
As Joe Sakic’s annual Sanctuary tournament helps to provide its 21-millionth meal for needy kids, the Sedalia club will pass an equally notable philanthropic milestone. By Jon Rizzi
54 Dos of Reality Dos Rios Golf Club’s old-school layout makes the journey to Gunnison well worth it. By Jon Rizzi
58 Parks and Drives Montana The National Parks bucket-list trip from Yellowstone to Glacier gets even better with detours for spectacular golf, quirky lodging and icy craft brews. By Jack Miller
Audi Q5, Volvo XC40 and Hyundai Kona. By Isaac Bouchard
Special Section 13 MILE HIGH GOLF
AT $52.80
Fabulous fall deals at 11 great
courses.
30 Travel
Streamsong’s New Black Course.
By Tom Ferrell. Plus: a Sebring side trip.
36 Profile
Tom Bauerle of Colorado Golf & Turf. By Jon Rizzi
COLORADO AVIDGOLFER | August/September 2018
ON THE COVER Joe Sakic at the Avalanche Charity Golf Classic. Photograph by Michael Martin.
2
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GO W E S T GOLF E R S, A N D P U R S U E G R E AT N E S S
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August/September 2018 | Volume 17, Number 5 publisher
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digital and social media manager
A lex J. Rajaniemi
office and operations manager
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Melissa Holmberg ART & EDITORIAL art director
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The path to your future is rarely a straight shot
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Drew Kor t contributors
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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 17, Number five. 7200 S. Alton Way #A-180, Centennial, CO 80112. Colorado AvidGolfer is available at more than 250 locations, or you can order your personal subscription by calling 720-493-1729. Subscriptions are available at the rate of $17.95 per year. Copyright © 2018 by Baker-Colorado Publishing, LLC. All rights reserved. Reproduction without permission is prohibited. Postmaster: Send address changes to Colorado AvidGolfer, 7200 S. Alton Way #A-180 Centennial, CO 80112. The magazine welcomes editorial submissions but assumes no responsibility for the safekeeping or return of unsolicited manuscripts, photographs, artwork or other material.
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Forethoughts
A Matter of Conveyance
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WITH LAST month’s debut of our online “Get Golf Fit” video series presented by Michelob ULTRA, you might find it somewhat ironic that this month’s issue both indirectly and directly celebrates the sport’s symbol of anti-fitness: the golf car. The data show golfers burn at least twice the calories and get more cardiovascular and aerobic benefits from walking the course than they do from riding it. However, without the existence of the golf car, at least one-third of all golf courses in Colorado—especially those in the mountains—would never have been built. And without one course in particular, a number of charities would not have raised $100 million over the last 21 years. That course, Sanctuary, in Sedalia, occupies some 220 acres of land so steep and rugged that three world-renowned course architects declined the project or wanted double their customary fee to design it. As most people know, the owner of the property, RE/MAX Co-founder Dave Liniger, hired his friend, Castle Rock-based architect Jim Engh, to create the course. The magnificent layout that resulted earned national awards and jump-started Engh’s career in the United States. With his wife and partner, Gail, as the club’s only two members, Liniger dedicated Sanctuary to hosting charitable organizations devoted to the arts, children, health care and crisis management. To qualify to hold their event there, the charities must maintain low expense-to-revenue ratios and have the horsepower to maximize one of the 30 days made available each season. The average event nets in excess of $190,000 net dollars. One of the first, Joe Sakic’s Celebrity Classic, has to date brought in more than $5 million for the Food Bank of the Rockies children’s programs—enough to provide 21 million meals to food-insecure kids (see page 50). Yet I’ve heard the only person to walk and play the entire 18 at Sanctuary was an early rater from Golf Digest. Golf cars make possible the Linigers’ largesse. Those cars come from Club Car and Tom Bauerle of Colorado Golf & Turf (see page 36), who recognized the potential dangers of drivers distracted by Sanctuary’s jaw-dropping views while perching atop precipices and winding down wildly twisting paths. Rather than coasting and gaining speed downhill when taking your foot off the accelerator, the Club Cars at Sanctuary brake. “It’s called ‘pedal up’ mode,” Bauerle explains. “Otherwise, you’d be going 50 mile per hour.” Can you imagine playing in a charity golf event without golf cars? They sure make shotgun starts easier, and they give you a place to stash your swag, not to mention a place to hold what you trade in those drink tickets for. On many courses, these vehicles provide the only shade. Don’t get me wrong. I love to walk when I play golf. I do it every chance I can, and if I were to join one club in Colorado, it would be Ballyneal. Walking and playing with a caddie is at the soul of the game (as well as its sole). However, charity is good for the soul too. The money golf tournaments help raise for worthy causes far outweighs the lack of tradition or FitBit steps that result from riding in a golf car. One last thing: it’s a golf car, not a golf cart, just like it’s a green fee, not greens fee. When you have a name, as I do, to which people insist on adding a letter, you tend to get exercised about things like that. —JON RIZZI
T R A I L B L A ZI NG F O R 4 5 Y E AR S
39 LOCATIONS FROM DENVER TO DURANGO
COLORADO AVIDGOLFER | August/September 2018
6
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’net Score
STAR FITNESS: Witczak and Carpenter present a balanced approach.
INFO | BLOGS | DIALOG
2018
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Monday, 8/20 8:00 a.m. 4-person Shamble
Tournament Series ’18 TAKE YOUR newfound balance and tuned-up 15th club (aka, your body) and put it to the test this summer at Colorado’s No. 1 Golf Tournament Series! The 2018 Colorado AvidGolfer Tournament Series presented by Michelob ULTRA is BACK and returns to private, Club Corp-owned Blackstone on August 20th at 8:00 a.m. before making its final stop at Troon Golf’s The Ridge at Castle Pines on September 5th at 1:30 p.m.
#GetGolfFit Series
Our first event at Colorado National was a smash hit, with nearly 100 players teeing off in two divisions (competitive and non-competitive) for the chance to win a Buffalo Thunder Golf Trip and MORE!
LAST MONTH, we teased a new featured series based around balancing your life both on and off the course. This month, we’re excited to say it isn’t just a tease… We’re proud to announce that the Colorado AvidGolfer #GetGolfFit Series presented by Michelob ULTRA is LIVE! Join Jason Witczak (Director of Instruction at The Pinery and The Club at Pradera) and Elizabeth Carpenter (@elizabeth_diane22) as they take you through 15 one-minute workout videos designed to get your body into the best golf shape possible. With help from the talented team at Garo Productions and our partners at Anheuser-Busch, this is Colorado AvidGolfer ’s first foray into the world of produced video and we couldn’t be more excited to help you transform your game, your body and your work-life balance. Be sure to check in every other week as we unveil brand-new workouts designed to get you playing and feeling your best for the rest of 2018 and beyond. coloradoavidgolfer.com/lifestyle/fitness
COLORADO AVIDGOLFER | August/September 2018
Complete with the best gift bags you’ve ever seen from us (check out our Instagram for player testimonials), you really can’t afford to skip another event. Hurry, though. SPOTS ARE FILLING FAST. Don’t Miss Out on Your Chance to WIN: coloradoavidgolfer.com/cag-events/ tournament-series
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The CGA
ARRIVAL PARTY: Quincy Slaughter (center) with Camp Sankaty Head Director Dave Hinman (left) and caddie Liam Flaherty.
SERVING ALL COLORADO GOLFERS
Solich Academy alumnus Quincy Slaughter blazes a new trail to an Evans Scholarship. By Erin Gangloff ROUGHLY 2,000 miles east of Denver floats a green oasis surrounded by deep blue ocean, its beaming red-and-white lighthouse beckoning visitors to Sankaty Head Golf Club on Nantucket Island. For some, the opportunity to play this private course—which counts among its members such business titans as retired General Electric CEO Jack Welch—only results from the most exclusive of invitations. For Quincy Slaughter of Aurora, Colorado, this rarefied ground represents an isle of opportunity. Three years ago, you would find Quincy talking about Jim Owens’ Cowboy Ethics and the “Code of the West” during a leadership session of the Solich Caddie and Leadership Academy at CommonGround Golf Course. Quincy came to the Solich Academy, run by the Colorado Golf Association, through a recruitment effort with Boys Hope Girls Hope of Colorado, whose mission is to help academically capable and motivated children-in-need meet their full potential. Quincy’s star quickly rose as a caddie and as a leader within the program. “He was always willing to lead and share in our weekly leadership classes no matter the topic being discussed,” said Emily Olson, CGA Manager of Caddie Programs. “Quincy is hardworking, and it shows by his drive and determination both on the course and in the classroom.” After his second year in the Solich Caddie and Leadership Academy, Quincy was ready to caddie at a private Denver-area club when a new opportunity arose. During a CGA caddie development meeting, committee member and renowned golf-course designer Jim Urbina brought up Sankaty Head, where he’d been consulting, and its time-honored caddie camp. The camp has been in existence since 1930 and annually houses 60 young men from around the country for the summer. The kids work six days a week as caddies at the prestigious club, eat meals together, receive college prep courses and even listen to guest speakers such as Welch
talk about leadership. Urbina had already started talking to the camp director, Dave Hinman, about the Solich Academy and the idea of sending one of its caddies to Sankaty Head. The caddie camp sounded very familiar to CGA Executive Director Ed Mate. He had read about it in a Golfweek magazine he’d received years earlier from George Solich with a note that read, “We should do this in Colorado.” Thus began the process of creating the Solich Caddie and Leadership Academy. “It was as though our program was coming full circle, back to where the original idea came from,” Mate said. “The only thing left to do was select the right caddie from our program and connect them with Dave Hinman.” The CGA did just that. Quincy would “ride for the brand” of the Solich Academy. This would not only be a big opportunity for Quincy but also his first time on a plane by himself and the first time that he would see an ocean. Urbina agreed to meet Quincy at New York’s JFK airport and fly with him the rest of the way to Nantucket. Urbina recalls watching him on the flight. “Quincy was glued to the window when the deep
ALL SMILES: Slaughter at CommonGround with fellow Solich Academy caddie Liyanos Abato.
COLORADO AVIDGOLFER | August/September 2018
10
royal blue of the Atlantic Ocean appeared,” the course architect recalled. “It was completely magical to watch him as he saw things for the first time. It was as though I was seeing them for the first time myself.” Quincy’s summer was filled with new adventures, hard work, friendships and lasting memories. Upon his return home, he shared his stories and encouragement with the current Solich class at the year-end banquet. He told them he planned to return to Sankaty Head for the following summer, hopefully with another caddie from the Solich Academy, but first he would finish his senior year of high school and apply for the Chick Evans Caddie Scholarship. In true Code of the West fashion, Quincy lived up to Code No. 6: “When you make a promise, keep it.” Quincy applied for and received the Chick Evans Caddie Scholarship. After graduating with honors from Aurora Central High School last spring, he returned to Sankaty Head to caddie, this time with fellow Solich Caddie alumnus Kyle Arbuckle. In August, Quincy will begin his freshman year as an Evans Scholar at the University of Colorado to study physics and engineering. At the final leadership class each year the Solich Academy caddies are asked to write their own personal “11th and 12th Code of the West” principles. Quincy’s 11th principle was “Walk by faith and not by sight and love always because love never fails.” His 12th principle was “Follow your heart, whether it be to the moon or the stars.” Here’s to following his heart no matter where it leads him! Erin Gangloff is Managing Director, CGA Programs. Never taken a caddie? Try it this fall at CommonGround Golf Course, the home course of the Colorado Golf Association, now through September. For more information about the Solich Caddie and Leadership Academy, contact Emily Olson at 303-974-2109 or eolson@coloradogolf.org. coloradoavidgolfer.com
PHOTOGRAPHS COURTESY OF COLORADO GOLF ASSOCIATION
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Plan to PLAY
11 of Colorado’s BEST COURSES for $52.80
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Courses Include APPLEWOOD GOLF COURSE BROADLANDS GOLF COURSE COLORADO NATIONAL GOLF CLUB COMMONGROUND GOLF COURSE INDIAN TREE GOLF CLUB HAYMAKER GOLF COURSE PLUM CREEK GOLF CLUB POLE CREEK GOLF CLUB RACCOON CREEK GOLF COURSE RED HAWK RIDGE GOLF COURSE THE RIDGE AT CASTLE PINES
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August/September 2018 | COLORADO AVIDGOLFER
Mile High Golf at $$52.80
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Applewood Golf Course 14001 West 32nd Avenue, Golden, CO 80401 303-279-3003 | ApplewoodGC.com
Opened in 1961, Applewood Golf Course has been regarded as one of the best Denver golf locations for the whole family. Set against the foothills of the Rocky Mountains and 15 minutes from Denver, the course is a tribute to its breathtaking surroundings as well as the beauty of the game of golf itself. Whether you’re looking for tournaments, leagues, a wedding location or even 18 holes of golf, Applewood is a location that won’t disappoint.
OFFER INCLUDES: 18 holes of golf, cart, range balls, hot dog, chips and soft drink for two (2) players for $52.80. Offer valid any day after 1 p.m. To book your Mile High Golf at $52.80 tee time, please call 303-279-3003 or book online at ApplewoodGC.com up to 7 days days in advance.
MILE HIGH GOLF AT $52.80 DATES are Monday, September 17th through Sunday, September 30th.
Broadlands Golf Course 4380 West 144th Avenue, Broomfield, CO 80023 303-466-8185 | TheBroadlandsGC.com
Our Par-72 course can stretch 7,289 yards from the Championship Black Tees, to 5231 yards from our begineer Silver Tees. Consistently rated the best golf course in Broomfield, The Broadlands offers superb playing conditions, a large practice facility and a staff deeply committed to your enjoyment on and off the golf course. The Broadlands is a fantastic value and a fun, challenging golf course from all of our 5 sets of tees.
OFFER INCLUDES: 18 holes of golf including cart and one large bucket of range balls for one (1) player. Valid Monday-Thursday anytime. To book your Mile High Golf at $52.80 tee time, please call 303-466-8185 or book online at TheBroadlandsGC.com up to 7 days in advance. MILE HIGH GOLF AT $52.80 DATES are Monday, September 17th through Sunday, September 30th.
Colorado National Golf Club 2700 Vista Parkway, Erie, CO 80516 303-926-1723 | ColoradoNationalGolfClub.com
Colorado National Golf Club provides both an accessible and challenging championship golf experience, with 7,676 yards and 5 sets of tees. Designed by award-winning golf course architect Jay Morrish, this 232-acre championship par-72 course offers breathtaking panoramas of the Rocky Mountains’ northern Front Range. Colorado National Golf Club is the home club of the University of Colorado Buffaloes.
OFFER INCLUDES: Green fee, cart, range balls and a sleeve of new balls for one (1) player. Valid Monday-Thursday anytime and Friday-Sunday after 12pm. To book your Mile High Golf at $52.80 tee time, please call 303-926-1723 or book online at ColoradoNationalGolfClub.com up to 7 days in advance. MILE HIGH GOLF AT $52.80 DATES are Monday, September 17th through Sunday, September 30th.
COLORADO AVIDGOLFER | August/September 2018
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Mile High Golf at $$52.80
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CommonGround Golf Course 10300 East Golfers Way, Aurora, CO 80010 303-340-1520 | CommonGroundGC.com
Designed by world-renowned architect Tom Doak and owned by the Colorado Golf Association, the state’s newest public course is also one of its most affordable golf experiences. It measures 7,200 yards and features mounded fairways, huge green complexes and plenty of subtle elevation changes. While challenging enough to co-host the 2012 U.S. Amateur, CommonGround has multiple tees to create an enjoyable experience for all abilities.
OFFER INCLUDES: 18 holes of golf, cart and a small bucket of range balls for $52.80. Valid anytime Monday through Thursday and after 1 p.m. Friday through Sunday. To book your Mile High Golf at $52.80 tee time please call 303-340-1520 or book online at CommonGroundGC.com up to 6 days days in advance. MILE HIGH GOLF AT $52.80 DATES are Monday, September 17th through Sunday, September 30th.
Haymaker Golf Course
34855 U.S. Highway 40 East, Steamboat Springs,CO 80487 970-870-1846 | haymakergolf.com Haymaker golf course is a gem located in the lush, green Yampa Valley of Steamboat Springs, Colorado. Mount Werner is nearby, the spectacular Flat Top mountain range can be seen in the distance, and directly ahead of you is a challenging, Scottish links-style course with native grasses and wetlands enhancing the wide open fairways. Haymaker offers a complete practice facility and welcomes families and golfers of all abilities.
OFFER INCLUDES: 18 holes of golf for $52.80. Player’s special 10% off apparel in the golf shop. Valid any day of the week after 11:00 a.m. To book your Mile High Golf at $52.80 tee time, please call 970-870-1846 or book online at HaymakerGolf.com up to 7 days in advance. MILE HIGH GOLF AT $52.80 DATES are Monday, September 17th through Sunday, September 30th.
Indian Tree Golf Club
7555 Wadsworth Boulevard, Arvada, CO 80003 303-403-2542 | indiantree.apexprd.org Folklore has it that the famed “Indian Tree” was a rare Hackberry tree on the grounds of Indian Tree Golf Club. Its seed was toted westward by a young indian brave and planted at the crest of our local foothills below the splendid views and peaks of the Colorado Rocky Mountains. With tree-lined Kentucky Bluegrass fairways, rolling terrain Penncross Bentgrass greens, and a picturesque clubhouse, the spirit and sacred atmosphere of this lone tree can now be felt throughout our delightful course, located just 20 minutes from downtown Denver.
OFFER INCLUDES: 18 holes of golf for two (2) players with cart and free range balls for $52.80. To book your Mile High Golf at $52.80 tee time, please call 303-403-2542 or book online at indiantree.apexprd.org up to 7 days days in advance. MILE HIGH GOLF AT $52.80 DATES are Monday, September 17th through Sunday, September 30th.
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August/September 2018 | COLORADO AVIDGOLFER
Mile High Golf at $$52.80
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Plum Creek Golf Club
331 Players Club Drive, Castle Rock, CO 80104 303-660-2200, ext. 1 | GolfPlumCreek.com Located in beautiful Castle Rock, Plum Creek is a former TPC course that hosted a Champions Tour event for several years. Past champions include Miller Barber, Lee Elder, Bruce Crampton and Gary Player. This Pete Dye designed layout features many of the state’s best holes. The par-3 12th consists of 10,000 railroad ties surrounding the green. “The Best Finish in Colorado” is highlighted by the par-3 17th—an all-carry over water.
OFFER INCLUDES: One (1) green fee, range balls and cart with GPS for $52.80. Offer valid Monday through Friday, anytime and Saturday-Sunday after 1:00 p.m. To book your Mile High Golf at $52.80 tee time, please call 303-660-2200 or book online at GolfPlumCreek.com up to 7 days in advance. MILE HIGH GOLF AT $52.80 DATES are Monday, September 17th through Sunday, September 30th.
Pole Creek Golf Club
6827 County Road 51, Tabernash, CO 80478 970-887-9195 | PoleCreekGolf.com Pole Creek Golf Club is everything a Colorado mountain golf course should be. Treat yourself to 27 holes of high altitude Colorado Classic Mountain Golf on three distinct courses: The Ranch, The Meadow and The Ridge. Pole Creek’s design was conceived by Denis Griffiths, who incorporated existing lodgepole pine, valley meadows, sagebrush and a variety of water hazards including five lakes to create a diverse course appealing to a wide range of golfers.
OFFER INCLUDES: One (1) green fee, range balls and cart for $52.80. Offer valid Monday through Thursday and Sunday after 11:00 a.m. To book your Mile High Golf at $52.80 tee time, please call 970-887-9195 or book online at polecreekgolf.com up to 7 days days in advance. MILE HIGH GOLF AT $52.80 DATES are Monday, September 17th through Sunday, September 30th.
Raccoon Creek Golf Course 7301 West Bowles Avenue, Littleton, CO 80123 303-973-4653 | RaccoonCreek.com Come see our NEW CLUBHOUSE! This Denver-area golf course is a par-72 that plays between 5,130 and 7,045 yards depending on tee location. The established landscape provides challenging elevations and water hazards for the experienced golfer, while our fairway designs can be used to make Raccoon Creek the perfect course for the first-time golfer to learn the game.
OFFER INCLUDES: 18 holes of golf and cart for $52.80. Offer valid Monday-Thursday anytime, Friday-Sunday after 12:00 p.m. To book your Mile High Golf at $52.80 tee time please call 7 days in advance 303-973-4653 or book online RaccoonCreek.com up to 14 days in advance. MILE HIGH GOLF AT $52.80 DATES are Monday, September 17th through Sunday, September 30th.
COLORADO AVIDGOLFER | August/September 2018
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Mile High Golf at $$52.80
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Red Hawk Ridge Golf Course 2156 Red Hawk Ridge Drive, Castle Rock, CO 80109 720-733-3500 | RedHawkRidge.com
Enjoy outstanding playing conditions on bentgrass greens and lush, generous bluegrass fairways that lie in contrast with the scrub oak and native grasses. The beautifully manicured greens challenge golfers with subtle undulation. Five sets of tees welcome players of all experience and skill levels to enjoy a course with risk/reward opportunities through extensive mounding, strategically placed bunkers and greenside lakes.
OFFER INCLUDES: Golf and cart for one player. Offer valid only after 12:00 p.m. MondayThursday. To book your Mile High Golf at $52.80 tee time please call 720-733-3500 or book online RedHawkRidge.com up to 6 days days in advance. MILE HIGH GOLF AT $52.80 DATES are Monday, September 17th through Sunday, September 30th.
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Consistently ranked as one of the best daily-fee courses in Colorado, The Ridge at Castle Pines challenges golfers with massive elevation changes, myriad lakes and streams, and expanses of pine and Gambel oak. Stick around after your round for a brew and some seriously good grub on the clubhouse patio, which provides stunning views of Pikes Peak and Devil’s Head.
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The Gallery NEWS | NOTES | NAMES
2018 U.S. Senior Open Champion David Toms
What a Show!
Miguel Ángel Jiménez
Photographs by E.J. Carr
THE 134,500 spectators who attended the 39th U.S. Senior Open June 24-July 1 at The Broadmoor in Colorado Springs did not leave disappointed. In the end, only two shots separated the top seven players, as 51-year-old David Toms broke a five-way tie Sunday with a 16-foot uphill birdie on 16, and cemented his lead with clutch par putts on 17 and 18. The Louisianan’s 3-under-par 277 edged by one Jerry Kelly (who’d led after each of the first three rounds), Miguel Ángel Jiménez and Tim Petrovic. Colorado Hall of Famer Brandt Jobe, Paul Goydos and Paul Broadhurst tied for fifth at 1-under. The big winner was The Broadmoor. The five-star, five-diamond resort celebrated its 100th birthday with a flawless performance. The course brilliantly acquitted itself, as a tough but fair test that elicited admiration from the players, and the spectators experienced the seamless, five-star hospitality in which The Broadmoor majors. The USGA took notice, too. It announced the resort would again host the event in 2025.
Fred Couples
Paul Goydos (and honorary Chairman John Elway)
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August/September 2018 | COLORADO AVIDGOLFER
The Gallery
PHOTOGRAPHS BY EJ CARR
The Broadmoor’s Mike and Shauna Sartori, Russ Miller, David Luna, Colin Francis and Jack Damioli (l-r) Jerry Kelly
Hale Irwin Corey Pavin Tom Kite John Smoltz
Davis Love III
Bernhard Langer Jay Haas
Tim Petrovic Jarmo Sandelin Tom Lehman
Rocco Mediate
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The Gallery
Thorncreek Rising ON JULY 22, 652 days after closing for an extensive renovation project, Thorncreek Golf Course officially reopened amid great excitement. Owned and operated by the City of Thornton, the 26-year old facility underwent close to $10 million in upgrades to enhance playability, improve course conditions and modernize the clubhouse. “We were looking for a better all-around experience,” says Thorncreek’s PGA Head Professional Chris Swinhart, who oversaw the execution of the plan. “We wanted to improve pace of play and also to make it more welcoming and family-friendly.” Working with original Thorncreek course architect Baxter Spann and the construction
company Landscapes Unlimited, Swinhart and his team deftly accomplished those goals. The look and feel of most holes have completely changed. Course Superintendent Doug Fisher planted more than 24,000 pounds of new seed on all tees, fairways, greens and some rough areas. Of the course’s original 40 bunkers, 14 vanished, resulting in wider fairways and chipping areas around larger greens. The bunkers that do remain employed the Better Billy Bunker construction method, which promotes better drainage. One of the bunker casualties came on the right side of the first fairway, making the landing area wider and more forgiving. Similar addition by
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WATERING HOLES: Big Dry Creek meanders along the redone first (above) and 17th.
appropriate tees, the course has replaced the color tee system with a numerical one gauged by handicap and driving distance. The One tees are for 0-4 handicaps who drive it more than 275 yards; the Twos, 5-10 and 250-275, and so on. The men have five sets of tees instead of four; the women three instead of two. From the tips, the slope rating has gone from 73.8/130 to 72.8/134—a one-stroke differential that’s roughly the same from the other tees. “It’s not going to be as punishing but it’ll still be a challenge,” Swinhart says. “We’ve taken everything up a few notches.” thorncreekgc.com
20-MONTH ITCH: Thorncreek PGA Pro Chris Swinhart has amped up course quality and playability.
coloradoavidgolfer.com
PHOTOGRAPHS BY E.J. CARR
RISK-REWARD: The redesigned 536-yard 14th.
subtraction took place on holes six, nine, 12, 14 and 18. Gone, too, are many of the split-rail fences (repurposed as hazard and OB stakes), overgrown shade trees (thus reducing frost delays), the unsightly cart paths splitting numerous fairways (rerouted to the outside edges) and severe greenside mounding (shaved down for easier access). Most delightfully, the drainage ditch that crossed the landing zone on the par-5 16th has become a culvert beneath the fairway. Players can now hit driver off the tee, but from the 642yard tips, they’ll still have to avoid the bunkers 305 yards away. To entice scoring opportunities, Spann enlarged the green and moved it 20 yards left of the hazard. The age of the irrigation infrastructure necessitated a complete replacement of the system. The new system features 2,056 new heads and far greater coverage, control and efficiency. Despite using 2,250 gallons of water per minute compared to 1,600 with the old system, the new system uses 15 to 20 percent less water than it did before. The course also installed 9.3 miles of new drainage and built plumbed comfort stations by the fifth tee and 14th green. For “curb appeal” from I-25, the team placed particular emphasis on the bunkered green complex on hole six and the rock wall on the seventh tee, and the views from E, 136th Avenue and Washington Street are more inviting than ever, with a view of the lake on hole nine and the one between numbers 10 and 18. Thorncreek’s updated clubhouse is also a drawing card. Designed by D2C Architects and built by Mark Young Construction, the structure boasts a modernized golf shop and inside seating area that leads to a 2,000-square-foot covered outdoor patio area with big-screen TVs and access to the bar and restaurant, which is now served by a greatly expanded commercial kitchen. The allweather space will be ideal for lunch, dinner and tournament groups. The new practice facility boasts a 320-square-yard teeing area, well-marked target greens and a 13,000-square-foot putting green. To improve pace of play and promote use of skill-
The Gallery
BIG TIMER: In Ohio, Kupcho finished ahead of stars Lexi Thompson and Stacy Lewis.
She’s No. 1
TRAVELING COACH: After three years in Oregon, Cilek has taken the reins at CSU.
IF ANY DOUBT persisted that 21-year-old Jennifer Kupcho, currently ranked as the No. 1 amateur in the world, was ready for the LPGA Tour, the Westminster native erased it during the LPGA Marathon Classic July 12-15. Kupcho, who qualified for the event by virtue of her victory in May’s NCAA Division I Championship, shot a 9-under-par 275 to finish tied for 16th, five shots behind winner Thidapa Suwannapura. On the strength of a third-round 66, Kupcho entered the final round at Highland Meadows Golf Club outside Toledo, Ohio, tied for fifth. She closed with a one-under-par 70, finishing all four rounds at par or under. A member of the victorious Curtis Cup and Arnold Palmer Cup teams, the Wake Forest University senior-to-be will head to Q-School in the fall and defer turning pro until after she graduates. wagr.com
Golf by Numbers
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new fourplex lodges—complete with a private living area, stocked wet bar and a fire pit on the rear deck overlooking the first fairway—should open before the end of the golf season at Ballyneal Golf & Hunt Club in Holyoke. They will complement the four existing lodges to accommodate the club membership, which has reached capacity. The buildings represent the latest in a string of recently added amenities, including the 12-hole Tom Doak-designed Mulligan par-3 layout, 18-hole Commons putting course (complete with glow-in-the-dark balls and flags), 10-station sporting-clay course, and, coming in 2019, a world-class bocce pitch. ballyneal.com
New Ram Ma’am WITH COLORADO STATE University women’s golf coach Annie Young leaving to take over the University of Tulsa women’s golf program, CSU has hired Laura Cilek to lead the Rams. Cilek comes to Fort Collins after spending three seasons as associate head coach at the University of Oregon, which has competed in three consecutive NCAA Regionals and two consecutive NCAA National Championships. The former captain of the University of Iowa women’s golf team, Cilek inherits a Rams squad that finished third in the 2018 Mountain West Championship behind the strong play of returning players and reigning USGA Women’s Four-Ball champions Ellen Secor and Katrina Prendergast. colostate.edu
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JACK DANIEL’S TENNESSEE RYE
The Gallery
Patriot Game
FLAG DAY: Denver will hold its inaugural Folds of Honor Tournament September 23-24 at Cherry Creek Country Club.
TOM BRADY won’t be leading his team into town this season, but patriots will be playing here in the fall. The inaugural Patriots of Denver Golf Tournament kicks off September 23-24 at Cherry Creek Country Club. The event benefits the Folds of Honor Foundation, a national 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 2007 by Major Dan Rooney—a decorated F-16 pilot and PGA Golf Professional with the singular mission of providing educational scholarships to spouses and children of America’s fallen and disabled soldiers. To date, Folds of Honor has raised in excess of $100 million ($16.5 million last year) and awarded more than 16,000 educational scholarships. Although Labor Day will bring the Folds of Honor-Colorado Springs Patriots Golf Tournament to The Broadmoor, the Patriots of Denver Golf Tournament represents the first Denver-based tournament to dedicate itself completely to benefiting the charity. The event is the project of Doug Campbell, a co-owner of Alpha Capital Management who has played in Folds of Honor tournaments at Baton Rouge’s University Club in Louisiana and La Quinta Country Club in California. Campbell isn’t a veteran, but he and his wife, fellow Alpha Capital owner Dora Monahan, both had fathers in the military, and two of their respective children—Lauren Campbell and Steve Monahan—currently serve as lieutenants in the Air Force and in Navy. “I’ve heard Major Dan speak and have seen firsthand from the surviving spouses and children the direct impact that the Folds of Honor scholarship had on them,” Campbell says. A member at Cherry Creek Country Club, Campbell put together a 15-person board that included Head PGA Professional Jim Owens. Club owner Karen Hart agreed to host the event, which begins with a Sunday-night celebration dinner featuring speakers and an auction, and continues Monday with 18 holes in a two-person shamble format. “We’ve focused it all on the scholarships, which are each $5,000,” Campbell says. A twosome costs $1,250, the price of one-quarter of a scholarship, and also gets two seats at the dinner. “That’s the ‘1-Star Patriot’ package,” he explains. With each “Star,” the package price doubles, as do the number of twosomes, seats at the dinner and scholarship contribution—all the way to the $15,000 5-Star Patriot package, which covers three scholarships, six two-person teams, a Spa Day for non-golfers and 24 seats to Sunday’s dinner. Thanks to Folds of Honor’s partnership with the PGA of America, “everyone gets an awesome gift bag,” says Campbell, who aims to generate between $150,000 and $200,000 this year, but he wants more members of the business community to get involved. “We need to spread the word about this great organization.” foldsofhonordenver.org
experienceThe Ridge
Enjoy The Ridge’s Newest Dining Experience
The Ridge, located in Castle Pines, Colorado is excited to announce the re-launch
of The Ridge restaurant. Named after Grace Park, a 12-year LPGA Tour Player, Park Place will offer a fresh, new ambiance, unparalleled food choices & upscale service. In addition, Park Place has recently hired a BRAND NEW Executive Chef & Sous Chef! Visit www.PlayTheRidge.com or call 303.688.4575 for reservations today.
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The Gallery GOING TO THE MATT: Kuchar holds forth at The First Tee of GVR CoBank Colorado event.
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Matt’s All, Folks! MATT KUCHAR’S undeniable star power entranced the crowd of nearly 200 children and parents at The First Tee Green of Valley Ranch CoBank Colorado event on June 30. The congenial winner of the 1997 U.S. Amateur championship, seven PGA TOUR events and a bronze medal at the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro talked about how as a kid sports like table tennis, basketball and tennis really helped develop his hand/eye coordination. Kuchar, who has nearly $44 million in career earnings, also fielded a dozen or so questions from the kids, including one about The First Tee Core Value of honesty. “It’s a really important thing in the game of golf and it is an everyday thing, too,” says Kuchar. “When you see the way
people mark their ball, the way they take drops from a hazard, everybody plays by the rules and you don’t fudge. There are a thousand ways to try to cheat the game, but nobody wants to be known as a cheater because once you get that stigma, it sticks, and nobody wants to play with you.” Minutes before the exhibition ended, “Kuch” reached into his daypack and unveiled his Olympic bronze medal, which drew many oohs and ahs. Once it made its way through the audience, Kuchar returned it to his pack, took a seat and signed event postcards, tee shirts, ball caps and golf balls, posing for photographs and inviting families to enjoy the free pizza and soft drinks. coloradoopen.com
ROSS LIKE A BOSS: Macdonald will vie for CU’s top spot this season.
strokes stood between Castle Rock’s Ross Macdonald and runner-up Barry Erwin in the 36th CGA Western Chapter Championship, held July 14-15 at The Bridges Golf & Country Club in Montrose. Defending his title in the 36-hole event, the University of Colorado junior finished by blistering the back nine with a 7-under 29 that included two eagles and three birdies. Macdonald came in second in the Pac-12 Conference championships in May and lost to A.J. Ott in the finals of the CGA Match Play in June. coloradogolf.org
4,000
+
kids under the age of 17 participated in the Junior Golf Alliance of Colorado Youth Experience on the first hole of West Course at The Broadmoor during the U.S. Senior Open (June 25-July 1). After hitting from one of the 20 stations on the BirdieBall driving range, participants got to take home a commemorative BirdieBall with the U.S. Senior Open and JGAC logos on it. birdieball.com
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NEW 2018 RANGE ROVER VELAR
PHOTOGRAPH BY E.J. CARR
TAKE CENTER STAGE WITH EVERY TURN
2
PLUMB BOBBER: It’s lining up to be another solid season for Brandt Jobe.
shots—the same number that separated him from winner David Toms (with whom he was tied for the lead going into the 15th hole on Sunday) at the 39th U.S. Senior Open Championship at The Broadmoor—also kept Colorado Golf Hall of Famer Brandt Jobe out of a playoff with Jeff Maggert and eventual winner Vijay Singh at the Constellation Senior Players Championship July 12-15 at Exmoor Country Club outside Chicago. Jobe shot 18-under par for the tournament, good enough for third place and $201,600. It was his seventh top-five finish in a PGA Tour Champions major, including a tie for fifth in the U.S. Senior Open. As of July 16, he ranked 15th on the Charles Schwab Cup points list with $605,613. He finished ninth last season. brandtjobe.com SHIFTING SANDS: A raked bunker (left) and one ironed smooth by the Bunker Wizard.
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Bunker Wizards are replacing traditional rakes to smooth the greenside bunkers at Green Valley Ranch Golf Club. Resembling a paint-roller frame, the product features spring steel stainless steel wires that fling the sand into the air as they are rolled across the bunker. When the sand lands, it naturally compacts flat, smooth, and uniform, without leaving the annoying troughs or furrows left by rake tines. “We’re one of the first in the world to have them,” says Green Valley Ranch Superintendent Barry Kendall, who ordered 245, including two larger versions to attach to his staff’s SandPros. “We’ll put them in the fairway bunkers next. Hopefully we’ll be a trendsetter.” gvrgolf.com
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August/September 2018 | COLORADO AVIDGOLFER
Player’s Corner TRAVEL
Back with Black The third course at Streamsong, designed by Gil Hanse, completes the Florida resort’s golf portfolio. By Tom Ferrell CLOSE YOUR EYES and imagine your perfect version of Florida. Perhaps you are in the dunes on a beach overlooking the Atlantic. Or maybe your vision leads you to the sugar-sand paradise of the Gulf coast, or to the wealthy enclaves surrounding West Palm and Jupiter. You could even find yourself on a sultry night among the beautiful people of South Beach. But it’s safe to say that only the most hardcore golfers and aficionados would see themselves almost smack dab in the middle of the state, in 15,000 acres of Florida prairie more than 20 minutes from the nearest Wal-Mart and at least an hour away from the Magic Kingdom or the gleaming high-rises of Tampa-Clearwater. Those intrepid souls, however, have a vision
all their own. They imagine themselves in a fantasyland of emerald fairways, sandy scrapes, towering dunes and thrilling golf shots. They imagine Streamsong. Streamsong doesn’t have the breathtaking ocean views of Bandon Dunes. It lacks the old-country Nova Scotia charm of Cabot, the opulent luxury of Whistling Straits or down-home ‘Sconnie hospitality of Sand Valley. But with the opening of the Black Course in the fall of 2017, Streamsong has something that no other golf resort in the world can claim: courses by each of the Big Three of modern golf architecture—Coore & Crenshaw, Tom Doak and, now, Gil Hanse. “It’s always been part of the plan to have
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the three world-class courses,” says Scott Wilson, the PGA Director of Golf at Streamsong Resort. “The Black provides a totally different look from the Red and Blue. It’s big and expansive. Bring your imagination.” It took a lot of imagination to envision a golf resort in the landlocked center of Florida, set amid over 200,000 acres of mining land. But a small team of executives at the Mosaic Company (the world’s largest supplier of phosphate and potash) did envision it. From that point, it took a lot of work, and a lot of persuasion on the part of former Mosaic CFO and Streamsong project lead Rich Mack. “There was a lot of debate within the comcoloradoavidgolfer.com
Getting There
Streamsong is located within 90 minutes of either Tampa International or Orlando International Airports.
PHOTOGRAPHS BY LARRY LAMBRECHT
DEALS & DETAILS Streamsong is walking only during the winter months. The resort maintains an outstanding caddie program. Carts are available in spring and summer (where great deals abound if you can stand the heat). Additional resort activities include bass fishing, sporting clays, and the Aqua-Pietra spa. The Lodge at Streamsong features two outstanding restaurants and the Fragmentary Blue rooftop bar. If you’re lucky, you might see a satellite launch from Cape Canaveral light up the night sky. Get all the details at streamsongresort.com
INLAND BEACHFRONT: The heavily guarded greens on the par-4 ninth; par-3 fifth; and par-3 seventh (clockwise from above).
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pany about the project,” Mack says. “It’s certainly not the core business of Mosaic to own and operate resorts. But we did believe in it, that it was the highest and best use of a former mining site, and that it would provide another economic engine for Polk County. But we knew that to make Streamsong a viable operation, we needed a third course.” The first two courses at Streamsong—Red and Blue (designed by Coore & Crenshaw and Tom Doak, respectively)—opened, along with the sleek and seemingly out-of-place modern clubhouse in 2013. The following year, the 200-room Lodge at Streamsong opened. Now the hard-edged modern motif began to work, as multiple buildings created symmetry and melded visually with the striking sight lines and contours of the golf courses. In short order, Mosaic announced that Gil Hanse, arguably the hottest designer in golf, would build the Black course, utilizing a vast expanse of land to the south of the existing courses. Hanse, for his part, knew that his work would have to be something special. “For years, I’ve studied what Bill (Coore) and Ben (Crenshaw) and Tom (Doak) do with shaping, with strategies, with routings,” Hanse says. They’re the best in the game. So to have a course
August/September 2018 | COLORADO AVIDGOLFER
placed alongside their work is a huge honor—and a lot of responsibility.” The Red and Blue courses maneuver through huge dunes created by mining operations and naturalized over 40 years, with significant elevation changes, water and trees. The land assigned to Hanse may appear somewhat bland by comparison—at first glance, that is. But Hanse, his design partner Jim Wagner and their Caveman Construction team have never shied away from a bulldozer, nor from the belief that golf is at its heart a social game where friends can challenge themselves and each other and have a heroic moment or two to recount later in the bar. Wilson, who oversees all the golf operations at Streamsong, believes Hanse and his team succeeded on all levels. “The first thing you notice is how unique the Black course is,” Wilson notes. “It anchors an entirely new section of the property (complete with its own stunning glass and steel clubhouse, the Gauntlet putting course, a stateof-the-art practice facility and a short course) and it’s just huge in scale. But the greatest benefit is the added debates over drinks at the end of the day. I love hearing how our guests rank the three courses. They really are three unique experiences.”
Full disclosure: I have played Black four times now, and I love the course. I love the size and heaves of the greens. I love the blind and semi-blind shots. I love the shotmaking options. But if Black has a weak hole, it is number 4, a stout par-5 that is unnecessarily penal and severe. The hole begins with a drive into a ribbon of fairway notched between a high dune on the right and wetlands on the left. Succeed at that, and you get to play a mid-iron to an awkward slice of fairway set over the wetlands and well above the tee shot landing area. Those who can navigate the first two shots then encounter a semi-blind pitch to a massive green that has several clear no-go zones. Play to limit disaster and then move on to the spectacular fifth. The first time I played the fifth I looked up to the sharply elevated green and saw the tiny flag fluttering in the breeze, and I asked my caddie: Can you drive this one? He laughed and said, “I hope so. It’s a par3.” A huge expanse of fairway runs up the hill to the green, and a 30-foot blowout bunker protects the right side. It’s one of those memorable shots that Hanse pursues with every project, with an exhilarating tee shot and a long walk up to reveal the result—all that is good in golf!
PHOTOGRAPH BY LARRY LAMBRECHT
PENULTIMATE TEST: Streamsong Black’s stirring par-3 17th sets up the wildly entertaining par-5 finisher.
Sebring Your A-Game Streamsong Resort’s 54 holes of destination golf sit the same number of miles from one of Florida’s unsung locations—unless, of course, you march to the turbocharged tune of motorsports. Then you know about Sebring. For 68 years, world-famous drivers such as Mario Andretti, Bobby Rahal, A.J. Foyt—and even Steve McQueen and Paul Newman—have raced at Sebring International Racetrack in Sebring, Fla. Home each March to the 12 Hours of Sebring Race, the track isn’t a NASCAR-like oval of left-hand turns but a 3.74-mile track of 17 tight lefts and rights similar to the Circuit de la Sarthe in France, where the 24 Hours of Le Mans takes place. Even if you’re watching souped-up Porsches, Audis and Ferraris, 12 or 24 hours is a long time. But this November 9-11 the racetrack will host the first-ever Michelin International Motor Sports Association SportsCar Encore, a four-hour race featuring a mix of LMP3 (Le Mans Prototype 3) vehicles, as well as the slick GT3, GT4 and TCR touring models.
Like its Streamsong siblings, the Black has little traditional rough. Instead, native sand and vegetation border the fairways. Hanse begins the journey innocently enough, with a friendly par-5 that introduces the risk-reward elements of the course, the dramatic bunkering style and the wild and rollicking greens that characterize Black. Take the opportunity to get off with a par or even a birdie, because you are going to need that cushion as you begin the toughest stretch on the course. Short par-4s have become something of a design showcase in the modern game, and few are better than Hanse at creating short holes with character. Number 2 is case in point. Options abound off the tee, although only the longest and boldest can take a shot at driving the green. Most will play a long iron and challenge the left fairway bunker for a better angle at the sliver of elevated green. Those who play directly at the pin will likely bound over the green and face a daunting up and down. Listen to the caddie and play safely to the right of the flag for a shot at gaining a stroke.
A round at Black ebbs and flows easily, with scoring opportunities mixed in among genuinely unique tests, like the par-4 ninth with its blind punchbowl green. One of my playing partners looked all over the green and surrounds for his ball, only to find it in the cup. Both nines at Black have Figure-8-like routings, so you’ll interact with plenty of golfers during your round. And you’ll all want to tell the stories of how you finished at the wildly entertaining par-5 18th. Take your drive down the left side and then make your decision—lay up or go for glory on an almost 90-degree turn across the gator-filled lake. The lay-up demands a tough pitch as well. Either way, it’s a fitting end to the round. Don’t rush off when you finish your round at Black. Instead, grab a cold one from the Bone Valley Tavern inside the clubhouse and settle your bets on the Gauntlet putting course while you plot your way back to Black.
You can watch the Encore in roughly the same amount of time it takes to play a round of golf at one of the 13 golf courses amid the orange groves, shimmering lakes, moss-covered oaks and charming small towns along Sebring’s Citrus Golf Trail. Best bets consist of the Turtle Run and Deer Run courses at Sun ’N Lake Golf Club, Highlands Ridge Golf Club’s North and South courses and Harder Hall Country Club, where such stars as Brittany Lincicome, Stacy Lewis, and Colorado Golf Hall of Famer Tish Preuss have won the Harder Hall Women’s Invitational. Other attractions include the wildly diverse flora and fauna in Highlands Hammock State Park, homemade orange ice cream at the Maxwell Grove House, fishing on Lake Istokpoga and going 40 mph through curves and straightaways at Sebring Kart Racing. For Stay and Play options, visit VisitSebring.com or call 800-545-6021. —J.R.
Tom Ferrell is CAG’s editor at large.
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Player’s Corner PROFILE
That’s How He Rolls Tom Bauerle’s company, Colorado Golf & Turf, keeps the state’s courses moving. CAR STAR: Bauerle has run Colorado Golf & Turf for 35 years.
PHOTOGRAPHS BY EJ CARR
IN 1983, Tom Bauerle, a Denver-area CPA with his own accounting firm, received a fateful phone call from his friend and “fellow golf nut” Ken Peden. “How would you like to get into the golf business?” asked Peden, who owned a wholesale floorcovering company. “Club Car is looking for a distributor in Colorado.” “Great,” Bauerle replied. “What’s a Club Car?” He wasn’t the only who didn’t know. At the time, the vehicle synonymous with on-course transportation in Colorado was E-Z-GO. Club Car, then a 20-year-old company that a group of former E-Z-GO executives had purchased in 1978, had maybe 5 percent of the market share. Not long after getting the distributorship and naming it Colorado Golf & Turf, Bauerle bought out Peden and sold his accounting firm. Today Club Car’s Colorado market share is closer to 60 percent, and golfers in Colorado are starting to ask what an E-Z-GO is. Owned since 1995 by global manufacturing giant Ingersoll-Rand and headquartered in Augusta, Ga., Club Car has continually innovated its golf-car line while expanding its offerings to include commercial utility vehicles (including rugged four-wheel-drive 4x4s) and personal-use transportation (the slick new Onward and Tempo models). Whatever Club Car comes up with, Colorado Golf & Turf will sell, lease, rent, finance, customize, accessorize, maintain, repair, refurbish and upgrade it to satisfy its customers. “We didn’t get there on price,” Bauerle says of his company’s dominant position in the marketplace. “We got there on a quality product and service. We come out of pocket a lot for stuff that the manufacturer doesn’t cover. Plus, we have three guys in the field full-time and eight technicians here. Nobody else has that.” An instance of this commitment to service came at Telluride Golf Club this summer, when an eight-person Villager 8 needed repairs before a wedding on July 6th. “And they called on the 2nd,” Bauerle relates. “We figured out how to get a guy down there, used a technician to make a
delivery to Durango and then get it done over the July 4th holiday. Other guys probably wouldn’t have had a way to accomplish that.” “We step up and supply batteries and loaner golf cars to make sure the courses stay operational,” says Director of Sales Drew Hunter. That dedication to going the extra mile permeates through Bauerle’s entire 30-member team and has won Colorado Golf & Turf lifelong customers throughout its territory (which includes Colorado and most of Wyoming). Bauerle also owns Nebraska Golf & Turf in Lincoln. An Ohio native, Bauerle came to Colorado during the Vietnam War and was stationed at Lowry Air Force Base. He settled here and his passion for golf grew. He plays out of Meridian Golf Club in Englewood, where PGA Professional and longtime Colorado Golf & Turf customer Paul Lobato joking-
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ly refers to him as a “four handicap off the tee and a 40 with a wedge in his hands.” Bauerle’s actually an 11, but he’s better than a scratch player when a Monday event suddenly has 150 players instead of 100 and Lobato needs more cars delivered. “Anytime he can help you out, he does, and that creates a sense of loyalty.” “I’ve never had a discussion with him where he said, ‘I don’t think we can do that,’” says Jeff Seltz, Head PGA Professional at The Club at Rolling Hills in Golden. “He is aces in all regards, a man of sincerity and integrity,” says Scott Erwin, the PGA Director of Golf and Owner representative at Aspen’s Maroon Creek Club, where the fleet of black Club Cars gets outfitted with fine leather upholstery, Visage GPS, chrome wheels—all leased for one season of less than 10,000 rounds. coloradoavidgolfer.com
CG&T doesn’t only serve private clubs. Jim Hajek at Fossil Trace, Bob Persichetti at Red Hawk Ridge, Jeff Boyer of Eagle Trace and dozens of other PGA Professionals at Colorado public courses also share Tom Bauerle stories. One comes from Eric Feely, the PGA General Manager at The Bridges Golf & Country Club in Montrose, who praises Bauerle not only for helping maintain an aging fleet after the course was bought out of receivership in 2010, but also for the product and money he donated to the Owen Daniel Reak Dolphin House Golf Tournament, an event in which Feely has a deep personal connection. “And Tom’s a huge supporter of the PGA and the Western Chapter,” Feely notes. Bauerle was made an honorary member of the Colorado PGA
ers, spreaders and other allied equipment needed for the turf portion of the operation. While Colorado Golf & Turf’s administrative offices occupy the modest two-story building near the road, a vastly larger, hangar-like structure houses a sales showroom gleaming with a variety of Club Car models in dozens of colors and configurations and featuring multiple accessories—from Visage GPS systems to fly-rod holders. “The big piece of our business now is private cars,” Bauerle shares. “More and more communities—like BackCountry in Highlands Ranch—are allowing private cars, as are more golf courses, such as Country Club of the Rockies, Pinehurst, Blackstone and Black Bear.” Bauerle says Club Car’s new Onward and Tempo have been the most popular models.
CARGAZER: From his office, CG&T’s Drew Hunter can track the status of every Visage GPS-equipped vehicle.
Section and sits on the Colorado PGA REACH Board of Trustees. His company is a Gold partner of the Rocky Mountain Golf Course Superintendents Association. “Tom’s always understood the needs of the superintendent,” says Steve Datweyler, the Course Superintendent at the Club at Ravenna in Littleton. Datwyler, like many of his colleagues, got his John Deere equipment from Colorado Golf & Turf, which no longer sells or leases the brand but does a brisk business in refurbished models as well as parts and allied products. “When we were in receivership after 2008, Tom and his staff asked what they could do for us,” Datwyler says. “He knew we had needs and they were willing to do whatever they could to help.” Ravenna’s gates lie just two miles from Colorado Golf & Turf’s nine-acre complex on the west side of South Wadsworth near Waterton Canyon. After relocating a couple of times, the company set up shop on this rolling parcel that can accommodate more than 1,000 golf cars (and, yes, according to the American National Standards Institute, they’re cars, not “carts,” because they are self-propelled). The cars share the lot with beverage cars, six-seaters, range pickers, Carryalls and other vehicles for tasks related and unrelated to golf, such as housekeeping, trash collection, maintenance and equipment haulage. A number of multiple-seat cars can be rented for events like weddings and dog shows. There’s also space devoted to the refurbished tractors, mowers, blowcoloradoavidgolfer.com
“Families come in with two or three small kids and they’re climbing all over them,” he says with a smile. “They’re writing a $12,000 check for something to ride around the neighborhood, go to the pool, the tennis court, to dinner at the neighbors’.” Since Colorado law allows use of vehicles on roads but rules vary by town or city, Bauerle’s staff gladly walks customers through the differences between an ordinary golf car (federally limited to 15 mph); a Personal Transportation Vehicle with minimal safety modifications for street use (20 mph max); and a “Low Speed Vehicle” (LSV), which is fully equipped with safety equipment and requires a federal Vehicle Identification Number (25 mph max). Along with private golf-car ownership, a concurrent trend Bauerle sees is more golfers seeking alternatives to golf cars. He cites as examples GolfBoards, Golf Bikes, Segways and Golf Scooters. Club Car, too, has its Tempo Walk, a stylish autonomous club caddie that offers golfers stateof-the-art wireless technology including GPS yardage and hands-free remote control. “Anything that brings more people to the golf course is good for the game,” philosophizes Bauerle, who has played no small part in its growth in Colorado. “If something generates interest and revenue, then everyone benefits.” To learn more about Colorado Golf & Turf, visit cologolfandturf.net.
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Player’s Corner FASHION
PHOTOGRAPH BY TAMMY HODGES
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Sartorial Shakeup
These menswear brands are designing apparel and accessories that are anything but par for the course. By Suzanne S. Brown
BOYS CLUB Guys who wouldn’t be caught dead wearing clothing sporting the same brand name as the equipment in his bag or emblazoned with a logo featuring the name of a senior golfer gravitate to labels like Naughty Boy Golf. The brand was founded with the idea that golf wear should be bright and daring rather than country-club conservative. Aggressive patterns and prints, colors that clash, and shirts that are meant to be worn untucked rule with Naughty Boy. Despite the in-your-face styling, NBG shirts conform with club requirements for collars and sleeves, and the fabrics are designed to perform. nbggolf.com
< FORE SIGHT Giannulli Mossimo earned his stripes as a sportswear designer, but insiders know him lately as the force behind the fashion-forward golf label G/FORE. Mossimo has a passion for the sport and says on his website that he wanted “to help inject a little more fun and flair back into the game.” T-shirts have cheeky sayings like “No 1 CARES what you shot,” $55, and leather club covers, $200, sport a logo with a skull and crossed tees. A resurgent Bubba Watson has worn puffy G/FORE Disruptor high tops, $250, in his PGA Tour wins this year. The brand caught the notice of golf’s major players and was bought earlier this year by Peter Millar, with which it first collaborated on shoe designs. Let’s hope it doesn’t lose its edge. gfore.com
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MAJOR FEAT Golf footwear has come a long way since the days of metal spikes and saddle shoes. Many now look and feel as comfortable as your favorite pair of sneakers—or sandals. Created by Minnesotan Sam Swanson, Swannies now come in three color combinations, $59. The soccer-slide style sandal has an adjustable strap, slip-resistant footbed and soft spikes. The company also sells shirts, shorts and accessories, and sponsors nine-hole Swannies Party Scrambles around the country. None of the events, which also feature such games as cornhole, are scheduled in Colorado—yet. swannies.co
VISIBLE INK With a motto of “violating the rules of golf fashion since 1999,” Tattoo Golf offers bold color-blocked polos, patterned pants and shorts, visors, caps, belts and such accessories as knit club covers with pompoms, $18 each. The brand’s logo features a skull and crossed clubs, indicating a take-no-prisoners approach to the game (or maybe just someone with a sense of humor). Tattoo even takes the guesswork out of deciding what to wear on a given day by offering Outfits of the Month featuring a performance fabric shirt and shorts in ProCool material, $115. Co-owner Greg Shaw says groups often buy the outfits for tournament wear. The brand has a women’s collection as well. tattoogolf.com
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WHO’S YOUR CADDY? Long before Caddyshack, actor Bill Murray knew a thing or two about golf. Growing up in the Chicago suburbs, he and his five brothers enjoyed playing and caddying. “But let’s be honest here, golf can be stuffy and somewhat boring,” the William Murray website states, noting the brand “is about infusing the game with energy and a little irreverence.” The classic Murray tartan plaid in royal blue, green, red and black shows up as an accent on many items or on its own in a button-down, $90, or reversible bucket hat, $36. Going a little bolder, there are multiple variations on camouflage prints in shirts, $72-$80, and pants, $90. In the Critter Camo print you start seeing little squirrels, foxes and deer and then wonder whether you’re looking at camouflage spots or bunkers. williammurraygolf.com
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LOUD AND PROUD John Daly is among the more colorful members of the pro tour in the United States, so it’s only fitting that he wear the industry’s boldest brand: Loudmouth Golf. Founded in 2000 by Scott “Woody” Woodworth, the company has grown to include a line for women as well as licensing deals with college and pro teams, and beer brands. Featuring oversized prints of such items as pizza slices and tropical flowers or geometrics in eye-popping colors, Loudmouth’s shorts, $80-$90; pants, $100-$110; and shirts, $55-$80, turn heads. While the brand makes its biggest impact in the golf world, other sports have picked up on the look. Check out the Norwegian men’s curling team. loudmouthgolf.com
Suzanne S. Brown is the former fashion and features editor for The Denver Post. She also contributes to Mountain Living and Colorado Expression. coloradoavidgolfer.com
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August/September 2018 | COLORADO AVIDGOLFER
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Side Bets | FAREWAYS FOOD | REAL ESTATE | CARS
GAÚCHO MARKS: Fogo’s Servers carve skewered, perfectly seared meats tableside, while diners help themselves to the bountiful Market Table (left).
The Carnivore’s Candy Shop As the Brazilian churrascaria Fogo de Chão sets to open its second Denver-area location, what’s the steak behind the sizzle? By Gary James WHERE HAVE all the cowboys gone? More specifically, where can their love of cooking on the open range be found? Look no further than Brazil’s rich gaúcho heritage, where the centuries-old grilling tradition of churrasco glows at the Brazilian steakhouse Fogo de Chão (“open fire in the ground” or “campfire”). In the ’80s, brothers Jair and Arri Coser took over the first upscale churrascaria in Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil’s southernmost state. In 1997, they opened their first U.S. Fogo de Chão in Dallas. Now the international chain operates 40 stateside locations, and word is out that Fogo de Chão (pronounced Fo-Go de Shown) is going to be taking the place of Richard Sandoval’s La Sandia in the Vistas at Park Meadows. Fogo already operates a sanctuary of skewered meats in LoDo, at 15th & Wynkoop, and I made a recent visit to luxuriate in a meat bath. What makes Fogo special is that traditions of Brazilian cuisine blend with Brazilian hospitality, the latter embodied by the lovely Marcella. A self-professed golf nut who wanted to know everything about the recent U.S. Senior Open at The coloradoavidgolfer.com
Broadmoor, she reciprocated by tending to me during my repast. The symbols of a steakhouse that presents fine dining were on display—white tablecloths, stylish silverware, modern décor. But Marcella noted that the Brazilian spirit was more casual. “It’s just like an American barbeque, people getting together,” she explained. “In Brazil, the food is sourced from the community. All of the meats—cows, chickens, pigs—come from the farmers. Vegetables come right from the garden.” You start by visiting the gourmet Market Table, a spread with more vegetables than your local supermarket’s produce section, plus feijoada—a traditional Brazilian black bean stew made with sausage and served over rice—as well as a selection of smoked salmon, prosciutto, hearts of palm, bread and cheeses. The influence? “The Pampas are the lowlands that cover southern Brazil,” Marcella explained. “They are bordered by Argentina and Uruguay, and in those cultures, the wives are of Italian and German descent. The husbands were
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Rodizio’s Coração de Frango Temperado
Where Else to Meat The competing Brazilian steakhouse chains in the Denver metro area also offer exceptional fare. Get beefed up at Rodizio Grill (18th & Wynkoop in LoDo) with the Maminha (cut from a bottom sirloin steak) and the Miolo da Paleta (a centercut skirt steak). Unique to Rodizio is the appetizer the flavorful Coração de Frango Temperado—that is, chicken hearts. Obviously, the Lone Star state’s cowboy culture intersects at Texas de Brazil (in the shops at Northfield Stapleton). If you typically find churrasco barbeque too salty, this eatery does the best job of supervising the sodium.
August/September 2018 | COLORADO AVIDGOLFER
Side Bets | FAREWAYS Brazilian, the cowboys of the Pampas.” Ah, os gaúchos. For the main course, you flip over your table coaster from red to green… and a procession of skewer-wielding gaúchos move nimbly to your table peddling a variety of fire-roasted meats, carved and served right in front of you—and replenished as many times as you wish. The gaúchos are garbed in black bombachas, the baggy pants that came to Brazil with the Turks and held up by the leather guaiaca, a broad belt with pockets. High-top boots and a silken scarf knotted at the neck complete the ensemble. “They are bringing Brazilian tradition to the tables,” Marcella noted. “The churrasco is on skewers—in Argentina and Uruguay, the meats are served on little grills.” Roasting steak slowly exposes the natural flavors. Seasoned with rock salt and perfectly seared, it’s candy for the carnivore. Among the cuts I sampled were the signature Picahna (the prime part of the top sirloin), Filet Mignon (beef tenderloin) and Beef Ancho (a rib eye grilled over direct heat so the marbling was broken down flawlessly). I also tried the well-seasoned chicken, lamb (cordeiro, or leg of lamb, and chops) and pork. The servers keep bringing you meat until you capitulate and flip your coaster back over to red. To ensure your food coma, the feast arrives accompanied by endless sides of mashed potatoes, plantains and fried polenta. Then it’s time for a unique dessert, Papaya Cream—
FOGO À GO-GO: Clockwise from above, Mango Chilean Sea Bass; grilling meats on skewers; caipirinhas in the making; Papaya Cream.
STAY & PLAY Come play Breckenridge’s 27 hole golf course designed by Jack Nicklaus. After a day of teeing off stay at Beaver Run Resort, nestled between mountain and Main Street. Beaver Run Resort has everything you need for your Rocky Mountain escape. CALL OR GO ONLINE FOR GREAT RATES!
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fresh papaya whipped with vanilla ice cream and topped with the black currant liqueur, crème de cassis. Fantastically simple, sweet and refreshing, you won’t see it on any other menu. Bonus points for light and delicately prepared seafood options (such as the Mango Chilean Sea Bass), a superb traditional cocktail (the caipirinha, made with Fogo’s own premium aged Cachaça, the popular Brazilian spirit distilled from sugar cane), and even a red wine to pair with the variety of rich and lean cuts (Fogo’s own Gran Reserva, a Malbec from Argentina’s Mendoza region). In an industry where employee turnover is higher than ever, it’s heartening to encounter a staff that raves about a company that takes care of its people. Marcella, who has been at the Denver location since it opened, reminisced about the time founding brother Jair visited in 2010. Manager Karen has been with Fogo for ten years. But let’s not be coy—you can’t beat the meat at Fogo de Chão. My tri-tip: come hungry, bring your crew and know your modal verbs. It’s all-you-can-eat, not all-you-should-eat. Fogo de Chão 1513 Wynkoop St.; 303-623-9600; Coming soon to The Vistas at Park Meadows, 5128, 8419 Park Meadows Center Dr., Lone Tree fogodechao.com
Read more of Contributor Gary James’ Fareways columns on coloradoavidgolfer.com.
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ALL OF A PIECE: Pradera’s Jim Engh-designed course is as architecturally stunning as the homes surrounding it.
Side Bets | GETTING HOME
Finding Eden in Parker Pradera’s clubby community, stunning setting and magnificent golf course make it paradise for those who live there. Text and Photographs by Martin Yeager EVERY THREE MONTHS, one of Pradera’s residents makes sure he stops by to check in with his neighbors. The 700-home community located around Jim Engh’s award-winning course at The Club at Pradera requires quite a stroll to visit every residence, but Dotson Skaggs of the Kentwood Company makes a point of staying in touch with almost everyone in the neighborhood. In many ways, it is that kind of personal commitment and connection to this special place that makes Pradera one of the most desirable golf communities. Dotson, who has lived in Pradera for the past 13 years, knows every street and every home. He has made it his mission to represent the community for both homebuyers and residents looking to move on or move up. In late July, he reached a milestone by closing over 100 real estate transactions in the community. “I love living here because of all our great neighbors,” Dotson says. “Watching Pradera grow into a premier golf community feels like I am part of something special. For us, we love the seclusion and the quiet yet knowing we are just minutes away from the rest of the Metro area.” Pradera started in 2004 and remains one of the most pristine golf settings in Colorado. Custom and semi-custom homes line the south
end of the course, offering incredible vistas of the rolling hills that define the area. Along the north, homes built by DR Horton reflect a more traditional setting. The newest addition to the area is Vistancia—a gated community about a mile northeast of the clubhouse that offers its own unique blend of custom and semi-custom homes—provides another dimension to living in Pradera. And living is the deciding factor, as more and more homebuyers along the Front Range look for a full range of amenities and social opportunities in a clubhouse atmosphere. Golf remains the central component, yet it now serves as one part of a portfolio of lifestyle choices. Schools, commuting, privacy and the chance to step away from the pulse of the metro area plays a more significant role than ever before. Add the open space and a meticulously maintained course and you have the combination of amenities that attracts a broader range of new homeowners. “About half of the buyers I work with are from the Denver area,” shares Dotson. “Yes, we are seeing the appeal to buyers from other states, while the interest in living a club lifestyle is certainly attracting families as well from other neighborhoods.” Andrew Bustamante, Director of Membership
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the average number of golf community homes averaged around 540. Discovering the perfect setting is becoming more appealing at the same time more homes are becoming available. Pradera offers a great cross-section of both architectural styles and home prices, defining Pradera as one of the best choices for homebuyers seeking to find the perfect community. The blend of new home construction along with an affordable list of resale homes presents a unique opportunity to look into life at Pradera.
PARKER HOUSE ROLL: 4967 Carefree Trail is the perfect example of life along the fairways at Pradera. The home was sold by the Kentwood Company for $1,260,000.
at The Club at Pradera, recognizes the trend in younger membership emerging in 2018. “We offer a full golf membership to those over 40 and a junior membership for those 39 years of age and younger. To date, we have seen more junior members join the Club than the full.” For families not engaging in golf, the Sports Membership provides full access to the clubhouse, tennis, dining and the social events. One of the best advantages to Pradera is the collection of residences ranging from attached homes in the Village at Pradera along
I-25 & TRAMWAY ROAD
Martin Yeager, Colorado AvidGolfer’s real estate feature writer, is a realtor with the Colorado Fairway Home Team at Keller Williams DTC. Reach him at Martin@fairwaysColorado.com and 303-668-9393
with more traditional single-family homes. Prices for these homes range from the low $600s to the mid $800s, while the semi-custom and custom homes offer a greater range of options and start in the mid $800’s and top out just over $2,000,000. The new homes in Vistancia also start in the mid $800s. Prices across the metro area for golf communities have leveled out a bit more in 2018 with an increase in available homes compared to the past two years. Currently, there are 625 homes for sale in comparison to 2017 when
CLOSE TO HOME. FAR FROM ORDINARY.
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*Price is per night per person/double occupancy staying Sunday - Wednesday night. Minimum two (2) night stay required. Price is subject to availability and/or blackout dates. Not applicable to groups (17 or more), conventions, or other discounts or specials.
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Audi Q5
A Crossover Cross Section The latest offerings from Audi, Volvo and Hyundai deliver power and utility at different price points. By Isaac Bouchard 2018 AUDI Q5
EPA ratings: 23/27; 25mpg combined 0-60mph: 5.8sec Price as tested: $56,100 The compact luxury segment of crossovers has begun to eclipse that of sports sedans, long the defining product of companies like Audi. Therefore it comes as no surprise the company invested in an all-new factory in Mexico to build this new, second generation Q5. New also accurately describes this Audi itself, with body, interior, drivetrain and infotainment system all freshly redone. From the outside, this Q5 certainly looks different than before, with the busy lines and intricate detailing. Inside, we find the current Audi themes of flattened linearity to the dash front, center stack and the console. There’s more room in front and
Hyundai Kona
especially in the back seat, with slightly more cargo volume as well. Quality isn’t quite as uniform as the prior machine; whether this is because of where the Q5 is made, or a cost-cutting choice on Audi’s part, is unclear. The infotainment system is a typically excellent affair, with sharply drawn graphics and intuitive menus. The configurable Virtual Cockpit instruments serve as an excellent example of how Audi demonstrates its technological excellence in a literally in-your-face manner. Along with the A4 sedan and Allroad, with this Q5, it seems Audi is continuing its search for the perfect blend of sports and luxury in the driving experience, with the latter getting greater emphasis—a proper choice based on how these vehicles are used. It’s all well and good to talk about how many g’s a sporty German driver’s device might pull in a corner, but how smoothly it absorbs crap roads is much more relevant. In this regard, Audi has basically nailed it with the Q5—at least in the Prestige trim, with its adjustable damping. Lesser models only ride compliantly on smaller wheels, but this one copes exceptionally well with the extra mass of 20-inch footwear. Its first-rate noise suppression solidifies the luxurious vibe. The Q5 handles like Audis usually do, too, with a balance that leans towards nose-led and inert, but not objectionably so. Steering is accurate and weighting good, not something one could always say of older models. Braking has good feel through the pedal and strong retardation. The updated 2-liter engine features 252 horses and 273lb-ft of torque and feels even stronger—with punchy acceleration at most all
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speeds, running vibration-free right to redline and very little engine noise. It is also efficient, easily achieving fuel economy in mid-20 mpg thanks in large part to the excellent gearing and programming of the eight-speed gearbox and also to the newest version of quattro drive, which is more of an on-demand system than earlier iterations. All said and done, this critical offering for Audi represents a top-tier entrant in the luxury crossover category.
2018 VOLVO XC40
EPA ratings: 23/31/26mpg 0-60mph: 6.2sec Price as tested: $45,835 Volvo continues its stunning return to market relevance with the new XC40, a premium compact crossover that is not only a superbly executed piece of design but also really enjoyable to drive. Its chunky, broad shouldered and four-square stance and contemporary forms blend superbly to create a unique aesthetic—something increasingly hard to do in this segment, and moving the Volvo design canon forward without betraying the venerable firm’s heritage. coloradoavidgolfer.com
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Inside it’s equally intriguing, with new uses of materials like the “Cutting Edge” inlays in the dash and a unique interpretation of how to design door panels. Materials are modern and class-appropriate, and the nine-inch tablet-like infotainment system (aside from its slowness to boot up when the XC40 is first started) is wonderful to use and offers Wi-Fi, Android Auto and Apple CarPlay. There’s decent room front and back, a generous cargo area and all the practicality that comes standard with the two-box utility vehicle shape. The “sport” side of what we used to call SUVs is well handled too, with a torquey 2-liter turbo punching through an eight-speed automatic. Enthusiast requests for acceleration are aptly answered with 248hp and 258lb-ft of torque. 0-60mph takes 6.2 seconds, which is a tick or two faster than most competitors. Also, it doesn’t suffer from the non-linear power delivery that can afflict the super- and turbocharged version of this engine, which comes in the larger Volvos. The XC40 debuts a new platform for the company, and it is a commendable blend of rigidity, noise suppression, good ride quality and fasttwitch responses. Steering is accurate and brake feel decent. When one is stuck in urban gridlock, the pain is made more tolerable with the adaptive cruise and lane keeping functions of the optional Pilot Assist system, which are amongst the best available. In summation, the XC40 comes across as one of the most pragmatic, fun and hip entrants into this rapidly expanding segment. Volvo is also being audacious in how it plans to move the XC40 into homes, with a bundled offering of insurance, maintenance and payment, called Care by Volvo.
2018 HYUNDAI KONA
EPA ratings: 26/29mpg; 26mpg combined 0-60mph: 6.6sec Price as tested: $29,775 With a lineup heavily weighted towards sedans, Hyundai saw its sales stall during the explosion COLORADO AVIDGOLFER | August/September 2018
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in crossovers as the Korean company lacked the production capacity to deliver fresh offerings in the now de rigueur light truck segment. The Kona represents one of the first of a new generation of two-box movers from Hyundai, and if its execution is any indication, the company had better get set for another jump in production demand. The Kona joins such subcompact crossover class leaders as the Mazda CX-3 and Subaru Crosstrek at least in Limited and (as tested) Ultimate trim. Running big brother Tucson’s 1.6-liter turbo engine in a smaller, lighter package, it outperforms most of the competition in the class, zipping past 60mph in just over six seconds, and running hard at most any altitude. The seven-speed twin-clutch gearbox has undergone software revisions to remove most of the hesitancy that plagued it in normal or eco mode, making it an excellent dance partner to this potent, 175hp/195lb-ft motor. Fuel economy doesn’t suffer either, demonstrating that you don’t need to resort to pathetic CVT-type trannies or gutless engines to generate good EPA numbers. The Kona’s chassis is also something of a surprise; prior Hyundais often couldn’t combine good ride and handling, coloradoavidgolfer.com
but this one sure does. It turns in adroitly, handles in an engagingly interactive manner— partially due to brake-biased torque vectoring— and rides really well. Isolation is better than the Mazda and on par with the Subaru. Inside, the Kona suffers the compromises inherent in this size vehicle; while room is excellent in front for folks of most any size, those in the back better hope the driver and front seat passenger are of small stature, or be really good at holding yoga poses. Cargo room is fine, especially with the seats folded; this Hyundai will work well for most kid-free households. Interior quality is class-average, with cheaper moldings low down and some really nice ones nearer eye level. The placement of the infotainment screen is great, and it is fast reacting and intuitive to navigate. Oddly, however, there is only one USB port. Although the color palette is blasé (with the exception of the lime green trim on a few models), the exterior is quite extroverted. The Kona succeeds in looking distinctive in a class that is hard to stand out in. But it’s really the powertrain and performance that distinguish the Kona. Since Nissan decided to replace the funky, fast, turbocharged Juke with flaccid, mainstreamed models, nothing else will run with it here, especially for the price.
Contact CAG Automotive Editor Isaac Bouchard at isaac@bespokeautos.com for help saving time, money and hassle when buying or leasing a vehicle.
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Hyundai Kona
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A Course in Charity As JOE SAKIC’s annual SANCTUARY tournament helps to provide its 21-millionth meal for needy kids, the Sedalia club will pass an equally notable philanthropic milestone. By JON RIZZI DURING HIS Hall of Fame NHL career, Joe Sakic scored 1,641 points, with every goal and assist coming as a member of the franchise for which he now serves as executive vice president and general manager. Yet as gratifying as it was for him to put 625 pucks into the net for the Avalanche, putting more than 20 million meals in the stomachs of hungry children carries even more significance for the man appropriately known as “Super Joe.” Those 20 million meals have resulted from funds raised at the Joe Sakic Celebrity Classic Golf Tournament, which will take place August 16 for the 21st consecutive year at
COLORADO AVIDGOLFER | August/September 2018
Sanctuary, the breathtaking golf course in Sedalia owned by RE/MAX founders Dave and Gail Liniger that devotes itself wholly to hosting charity golf events. Sakic’s tournament benefits Food Bank of the Rockies, which reports that one in every six Colorado children suffers from “food insecurity”—in other words, they don’t know where their next meal is coming from. “Ten years ago, that number was one in four,” says Kristina Thomas, the Food Bank’s Community Engagement Manager. “So we’re making progress.” Sakic got involved with the Food Bank in 1998, the
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FEEDING TO THE HOLE: Sakic, here putting at Sanctuary, has raised $5 million for Food Bank of the Rockies. Sanctuary.
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year after Sanctuary opened, when a “neighbor friend” approached him about helping the children’s programs. “I did my homework, met the people and it was an easy decision to do the tournament,” he says. “We’re all really privileged to lead the lives we do, and we need to do what we can to give back. Everybody’s really proud to help the kids who really need our help. They’re the future, and we know how important nutrition is.” His commitment to ending childhood hunger is real and sincere. “Joe occasionally drops in unannounced at Food Bank board meetings and he’s served pizza to kids at Food Bank events at schools and Boys & Girls Clubs,” says Mark Boshoven, a senior VP at RBC Wealth Management and Food Bank of the Rockies board member, who has chaired every tournament since 1998 “and here we are, $5 million later.” The tournament sells out every year. To get more people involved, on the following day The Hangar at Stanley Marketplace in Stapleton will host the Joe and Debbie Sakic Bringing Hope to the Table Celebration. The $250-per-person event, which has a history as long as the tournament’s, has evolved from a small cocktail party and autograph session into a gala dinner and auction presented by CoBank and RBC Wealth Management and featuring comedy by Jake Johannsen. “I look forward to those two days every year, because it’s so great to see so many people give to a greater cause,” says Sakic. “At the end of the day you realize how important it is to help kids out. Imagine the happiness it brings to a kid knowing he or she is being fed due to the kindness of strangers.” The tournament and gala raise enough money for the Food Bank of the Rockies to provide more than one million meals to at-risk children through programs like FBR’s Kids Cafe, which last year served 621,000 meals to children identified as at-risk of hunger at 78 sites during the school year and 59 sites over the summer. FBR also provided more than 175,000 Totes of Hope on Fridays to children who otherwise would go without until school on Monday, as well as more than 200,000 after-school snacks containing at least two of the four basic food groups. “Every year we raise one million meals for the kids,” says Sakic. “It’s a great accomplishment, but hunger’s not going away and we have to keep doing more.” Doing more for the public good is what inspired Dave and Gail Liniger to turn their surreal Jim Engh-designed golf course, which opened in 1997 into a venue devoted exclusively to hosting charity events. “Our companies made us wealthy and this was an opportunity to give back to the community where we founded them,” says Dave Liniger, who in 1997 challenged the 12 charities he and Gail had selected from more than 300 applications to net $100,000 during their one-day golf event. “We said, ‘It’s free of charge. You don’t have to pay cart fees or green fees and you keep what you net.’ It evolved to what it is today.” Today, between 25 and 30 charities annually hold their events at Sanctuary, including Children’s Hospital and Anchor Center for Blind Children, which have both hosted an event every year since 1997. The Food Bank and Craig Hospital have the next longest run, hosting an event every year beginning in 1998. With the average Sanctuary event raising $190,000, a week before the Joe Sakic Celebrity Classic—which usually nets upwards of $250,000—Sanctuary should eclipse $100 million in donations. “The $100 million is significant and the Linigers have contributed to those groups,” says Rudy Zupetz, the one and only PGA Professional Sanctuary has ever known. “But what’s really cool is they’ve inspired the community to multiply their contributions by four times, five times. That’s just phenomenal. They could write a check to these COLORADO AVIDGOLFER | August/September 2018
NO ORDINARY JOE: Debbie and Joe Sakic also annually host a dinner in support of The Food Bank of the Rockies; Joe always tees it up at the tournament.
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CHARITY’S HOME COURSE: For creating Sanctuary (above), Gail and Dave Liniger received the Colorado Golf Hall of Fame’s 2015 Lifetime Achievement Award.
PHOTOGRAPH BY CHIP BROMFIELD/PRO-MOTION PHOTOGRAPHY, COURTESY OF COLORADO GOLF HALL OF FAME
organizations and call it good, but they’ve created a facility that multiplies that money and benefits many worthy organizations in the Rocky Mountain Region and on a national and global scale.” Dave Liniger credits the charitable milestone to the “thousands upon thousands of golfers and companies who have sponsored and given the money to their favorite charities. Gail and I have the property but it is the community that has given all the money.” He concedes that selecting which charities to host is a “difficult task but a very rewarding part of our life.” “It’s a wide range of beneficiaries in terms of the arts, children, health care and crisis management,” Zupetz explains. “Our goal is not to have the charities bumping up against each other seeking the same sponsorship dollars.” Limiting the number of events each year also keeps them “special” and maximizes the amount of money raised. The Linigers also annually make available for auction “a number of foursomes to worthy organizations that maybe don’t have the horsepower to maximize a full day out here,” Zupetz says. “Mr. and Mrs. Liniger will review approximately 600 applications and they’ll donate approximately 80 to 100 foursomes, each requiring a minimum bid of $1,600. That money goes straight to each charity’s bottom line.” Liniger praises Zupetz, Catering Manager Brad Thompson and Course Superintendent David Hare—all of whom have been at Sanctuary for its entire existence—for making it a place to which people want to come back. After all, when a charity holds its tournament at the same place every year, it runs the risk of getting stale or repetitive. A big part of why they want to return, Zupetz elaborates, “is because with the facilities, vision and resources that the Linigers have provided to Sanctuary, our staff is able to take care of some of the things that can sidetrack charities. Here they can focus on raising those dollars, knowing that the day of the event will go smoothly.” Plus, you won’t find a more spectacular and serene golf setting in all Colorado. “It never gets old,” Sakic says. “The course sells itself. We always have a great time. Dave and Gail have been so supportive of the Food Bank and the community. What they do at Sanctuary and what they give back speaks volumes about the kind of people they are.” To learn more about the Food Bank of the Rockies, visit foodbankrockies.org.
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August/September 2018 | COLORADO AVIDGOLFER
A Dos of R From Denver, it takes about as long to drive to Gunnison’s DOS RIOS GOLF CLUB as it does to play the course—and the old-school layout is worth every minute.
PHOTOGRAPHS BY JEFF IRWIN
By JON RIZZI
BLAME IT ON RIOS: The 13th green (top) squeezes between the Gunnison River and Hartman Rocks; water also plays into holes five (right), nine (below) and 13 others.
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Reality
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A ROSE IS a rose is a rose and is certainly not a river, let alone two. So why, then, does the logo for Dos Rios (Spanish for “Two Rivers”) Golf Club in Gunnison feature a bright red flower? After all, given the meandering shape of the last letter in both “Dos” and “Rios,” someone surely could have floated a more riparian option. But apparently one of the folks who financed the building of the course in the early 1960s loved roses and submitted the stenciled logo. It stuck. A member-owned course that’s open to the public, Dos Rios Golf Club takes its name from the Gunnison River, which splits for 1,500 yards as it runs west through the valley and golf course, forming two forks that eventually rejoin on the way to Blue Mesa Reservoir and the dramatic Black Canyon of the Gunnison. Dos Rios could also be called “Dos Nueves” (two nines): The first nine holes, designed by Colorado Golf Hall of Famer John Cochran in 1964, border the northwest bank of the river’s north fork and today comprise the par-35 front nine; the par-36 back— crafted in 1980 by another Colorado Golf Hall of Fame member, Dick Phelps—lies southeast of the south fork. Of the two, Phelps’ nine is the more challenging. The dense stands of mature trees lining virtually every fairway dictate strategy and are equally as penal as the ubiquitous water, which comes into play on every hole of the back nine and all but the first two holes of the front. Despite being perched at 7,000 feet, Dos Rios isn’t a mountain course with elevated tees and dramatic vistas. It sits in a valley, its relative flatness making it eminently walkable; it also means much of the trouble—especially the creeks and streams that snake through the fairways—is invisible from the tee, making the club’s complimentary yardage guide an indispensible piece of equipment. The water makes its debut as a stream crossing the fairway at the elbow of the dogleg-left 343-yard third. It sits in a pond left of the fourth tee; guards the fifth, seventh and eighth greens as a creek; creates a lake to carry on the picturesque 202-yard par-3 seventh; and lurks along the right side of the par-5 ninth. A quarter-mile walk (or ride) from the ninth green delivers you to the harder nine, which begins with the 389-yard 10th. The stream bisecting the fairway 160 yards from the pin can easily snare the average player’s drive (especially an average player who neglects to consult his yardage guide), so tee off with an iron or hybrid and use it again for your approach. While the par-4 11th and lake-fronted par-3 12th are memorable, the par-5 13th and 16th are unforgettable. A pond and a stream carve the 13th into two distinct fairways and a green. You basically leapfrog towards a putting surface that’s dramatically framed left and right by cottonwoods and along the bottom by the rock wall fringing the stream—all of it pressed against the mammoth black backdrop of Hartman Rocks. On 16, four separate ponds divide the 529-yard hole into risk-reward checkerboard, inviting the opportunity to get on in two with a 250-yard water carry or lay up to 100 yards with a long iron to the left fairway. Ten holes at Dos Rios require clearing water to reach the
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Discover Heather Gardens BACK TO BACK: Consecutive carries await on the 174-yard 7th, which features the front nine’s deepest green, and 363-yard 8th (below), where a stream fronts the green 30 yards out.
The most beautiful executive 9-hole public golf course you’ve never seen. Heather Gardens Executive 9-hole Golf Course is a hidden treasure. It’s close to the junction of Parker Road and I-225, and near Yale Avenue – yet it’s hidden from traffic, nestled in the exquisite urban enclave of Heather Gardens. The par 32, 2,461-yard course’s traditional design is enhanced by its lush, treelined fairways, elevated greens and well-positioned bunkers. Heather Gardens is a public course, open to golfers young and old. Come see what you’ve been missing. Book your tee time now. 2888 S. Heather Gardens Way, Aurora CO 80014 | 303-751-2390 | heathergardensgolf.com
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green in regulation, so why should the treelined 397-yard 18th be any different? One of the wider parts of the Gunnison’s south fork protects the broadest, deepest green on the course, so club up on your approach. The downhome vibe of Dos Rios’ Los Dos Grill makes it the perfect spot to recount the round—and count the round objects you sent swimming—over frosty Alaskan Ambers and a hearty fish sandwich with fries. Ranging from 4,593 to 6,512 yards, the layout doesn’t reward length as much as accuracy, strategy and shotmaking. It protects par with trees, water and undulant greens into which players tend to read too much break. Dos Rios is well worth the three and one-half-hour drive from Denver, especially if you sleep at the nearby 52-room Water Wheel Inn, which offers stay-and-play options and puts you close to the trails at Hartman Rocks, pasta at Garlic Mike’s, star-gazing at Gunnison Valley Observatory and the wild times and wildflowers in nearby Crested Butte. Speaking of flowers, the only roses on the course at Dos Rios appear on the 18 flags marking each hole, but that doesn’t preclude the occasional thorny situation. Otherwise, it wouldn’t be golf, now would it?
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Jon Rizzi is Colorado AvidGolfer’s editor. For more on Dos Rios Golf Club, visit dosriosgolf.net or call 970-641-1482.
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BIG SKY, BIG HOLE: The par-5 sixth at The Reserve at Moonlight Basin spans 633 of the courseâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 8,000 yards.
Parks& The national parks bucket-list trip from YELLOWSTONE TO GLACIER gets even better with some detours for spectacular golf, quirky lodging and some icy craft brews. By JACQUES MILLER
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UNDER THE BIG SKY of Montana sprawls what celebrated writer and sometime golfer William Kittredge called “the last best place”—a landscape of crystalline lakes and rivers, of saw-toothed mountains girdled by picturesque cirques, of animals so majestic they have come to symbolize our nation. It’s the land that has inspired, among others, Lewis and Clark, Teddy Roosevelt and John Steinbeck, who jokingly said, “Montana seems to me to be what a small boy would think Texas is like from hearing Texans.” The fourth-largest state in the union, Montana trails the Lone Star State in size, but it ranks 48th in population density with only 6.8 people per square mile. Compare that to the 96.3 in Texas (ranked 29th) or the 48.5 in Colorado, the country’s eighth-largest state.
Drives &in Montana coloradoavidgolfer.com
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Montana is Colorado writ large. The foremost expression of this comes in Yellowstone and Glacier national parks—and the stops along the 500 miles between them, including a good number of the state’s 103 golf courses. BOZEMAN TO YELLOWSTONE Fly direct into Bozeman Yellowstone International Airport, some 90 miles north of the west entrance to Yellowstone. Rent a car and kick things off in Bozeman, home to Montana State University and the world-renowned Museum of the Rockies, which houses the largest collection of dinosaur remains in the United States including the largest Tyrannosaurus skull ever discovered. The choice for golf here is the Weiskopf-designed Black Bull Golf Club, a mountain-framed 7,200-yard links-style layout in the Gallatin Valley with perpetual residency among the state’s top 10 layouts, according to Golf Digest. Featuring a slick new clubhouse and some of Weiskopf ’s best work (including a number of drivable par 4s), this private club allows guest play ($125-$150) only through October 1 of this year. Get there while you can. Sidle up to the bar at Bridger Brewing and try a Vigilante IPA. Every major hotel chain has a spot along the interstate if you’re so inclined or you can stay downtown at a funky, retro motel like The Lark. Driving towards Yellowstone National Park, head through Gallatin Canyon to the resort town of Big Sky. Legendary newsman Chet Huntley envisioned this place in the early 70s and it continues to blossom. Purely from a golfer’s perspective, the town of 2,300 boasts Arnold Palmer’s first design at Big Sky Resort, two private Weiskopf-designed courses (Spanish Peaks and Yellowstone Club) and the new Nicklaus Signature course, the Reserve, in the community of Moonlight Basin. Moonlight Basin is a private community with rental homes (starting at $350 per night) that include playing privileges at the Reserve, whose numbers boggle the mind: 8,000 yards from the tips, 10 miles of cart paths, and a 777-yard par 5 with a 600-foot elevation drop from tee to green. The impressive hang time on a well-struck drive from the elevated tee box on hole no. 1 is a great start to the day. The par-5 sixth epitomizes the dramatic elevation changes and awe-inspiring backdrops that infuse the course. The well-stocked Comfort Station between holes 12 and 13 will fuel you for the 777-yard 17th (it’s only 676 from the blues). The split fairway to an elevated green on the short par-4 18th provides
SIGNATURE HOLE: The Grand Prismatic Spring in Midway Geyser Basin is Yellowstone’s most photographed thermal feature.
Black Bull Golf Club
COLORADO AVIDGOLFER | August/September 2018
Old Works Golf Course
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a fun ending to a memorable round. In addition to the Green Bridge IPA at Beehive Basin Brewery, one lasting impression of Big Sky is the omnipresence of Lone Peak, which doesn’t reveal itself until you turn off the “highway” into Big Sky and from that point onward, you don’t not see it. It looms large and magnificent. You really have to experience Yellowstone National Park to believe it. Otherworldly with geysers shooting water hundreds of feet into the air, boiling mud pots, natural hot springs, amazing waterfalls—and those are just some of the water features. Add to that the wildlife component with bison, bears, and wolves. An architecture buff might not leave the historic lodges like the Old Faithful Inn. If it’s booked, the park offers eight other lodging options and there are several hotels just outside the park in the town of West Yellowstone.
Whitefish Lake Golf Club
The Ranch Club
PHOTOGRAPH BY TIM RAINS
PEAK OF NATURE: Glacier National Park’s majestic landscapes earn it the title of “Crown of the Continent.”
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FROM SUPERFUND TO SUPER FUN Venturing out from Yellowstone, take the path less traveled and go through Ennis and Virginia City and Sheridan (pit stop at Ruby Valley Brew to meet Cross-Eyed Mary) and Twin Bridges en route to the Old Works Golf Course in Anaconda. This, too, is a Nicklaus-designed course and uniquely sits on the site of a former Superfund site. Anaconda was home to the smelter operation that processed copper ore from the mines in nearby Butte. When the smelter operations closed, the town retained the smoke stack, as an ode to the town’s origins, and the golf course winds through relics of the old smelter operation including black slag bunkers. Take the scenic route from Anaconda to Missoula by way of Georgetown Lake and Phillipsburg. Lodging options include the Historic Broadway Hotel, offering easy access to the renowned Sweet Palace candy store. At the Philipsburg Brewing Company give the Otter Water a pull. From Philipsburg, head to “lil’ Boulder”: the college town of Missoula. Drop by Draught Works for a sample of My Ruca and amble across the tracks to the Northside KettleHouse for a Double Haul. Slide a tee in the ground at The Ranch Club, a private community with hotel partnerships and unaccompanied guest play options for the traveling golfer. This golf community boasts a links-style layout designed by Robert Trent Jones Sr. acolyte Les Furber. The course has nary a tree in play and the fairways are wide. Miss them and the rough will make you pay. Standout holes include the par-5 seventh
August/September 2018 | COLORADO AVIDGOLFER
I DAHO Missoula
Phillipsburg
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W WYO YOM MIINNG G that offers two routes—both requiring a water carry—to the same goal, and the risk-reward left-dogleg par-4 16th. This hole holds birdie potential for long hitters, but two massive bunkers and the ever-present native rough mean the bogeyman is always watching. GETTING TO GLACIER From Missoula, venture north to Flathead Lake on the way to Whitefish. Two equidistant options present themselves. The eastern route around the lake goes through the artsy community of Bigfork, where galleries, shops and restaurants line the streets. Flathead Lake Brewing Company is worth a stop for a bite and a Citrus Smash IPA. If you take the western route around Flathead Lake, stop at Tamarack Brewing Company in Lakeside for some fish tacos and a Hat Trick. Whitefish Lake Golf Club is a 36hole layout with North and South courses. The older North course offers views across Whitefish Lake with the ski runs of Whitefish Mountain Resort looming in the background. The South features water on six holes, as well as an open view of Big
Mountain. The Lodge at Whitefish Lake offers stay and play packages. Just down the road, the Great Northern Brewing Company’s Going to the Sun IPA is a nice precursor of what’s to come. The West Glacier entrance to Glacier National Park is just over 30 minutes from Whitefish. While Yellowstone stands out for its unique water and thermal features, Glacier offers dramatic views of glacial-carved peaks with the winding Going to the Sun Road offering passage up and over the top at Logan Pass. Do yourself a favor and get out of your car and do some exploring on foot. If a one-mile walk is what you’ve got in the tank, check out the Trail of the Cedars. If you can make a day of it, take a hikers’ shuttle to Logan Pass and hike the Highline Trail. As with Yellowstone, historic lodging options exist in Glacier National Park with more traditional hotels in the surrounding communities. “Traditional,” of course, is a relative term in this singularly exceptional part of the world.
INFO TO GO United Airlines offers direct flights from Denver to Bozeman (2 hours from West Yellowstone) and Glacier Park International Airport (30 minutes from West Glacier) back to Denver. LODGING Bozeman: larkbozeman.com Big Sky: moonlightbasin.com/lodging Yellowstone National Park: yellowstonenationalparklodges.com Phillipsburg: broadwaymontana.com Missoula: stonecreeklodgemt.com Whitefish: lodgeatwhitefishlake.com Glacier National Park: glaciernationalparklodges.com GOLF Big Sky Resort Golf Club: bigskyresort.com/golf Black Bull Golf Club, Bozeman: blackbullbozeman.com Old Works Golf Club, Anaconda: oldworks.org The Ranch Club, Missoula: ranchclub.com/request_tt The Reserve, Big Sky: moonlightbasin.com
Wyoming-based writer Jack Miller is an avid outdoorsman and an average golfer.
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Whitefish Lake Golf Course: golfwhitefish.com coloradoavidgolfer.com
Set against the iconic red rocks of the Dakota Hogback near Waterton Canyon in Littleton, The Club at Ravenna offers access to one of Coloradoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s premier residential communities and private golf courses amidst an unusually stunning backdrop and features a gorgeous collection of custom and semi-custom homes, designer specs, golf villas and home sites.
RavennaGolf.com 720.956.1600 2018 Colorado AvidGolfer CAGGY WInner: Best Denver Region Club, Best Par 3 (#16), Best Par 5 (#14) Golfweek: Top 100 U.S. Best Residential Courses eight years in a row
PGA REACHED: Flanking wounded warrior Darnell Williams and his fiancee Brittany are members of the USAFA’s Wings of Blue skydiving team and Southwest Greens co-owners Stuart Bruening (red shirt) and Dan Bennett, whose courses sponsored the presentation.
Blind Shot THE UNSEEN GAME
Home for a Hero ON JULY 18, I had the privilege of attending my third consecutive Colorado PGA REACH Invitational, the largest fundraising tournament of the year for the Colorado PGA’s 501(c)(3) foundation. Colorado PGA REACH supports programs that correspond with the organization’s three key pillars—Youth Development, Diversity and Inclusion and Military Personnel Support. This year’s tournament, like the two preceding it, focused on the Military pillar, with a ceremony culminating in the presentation of a wounded soldier with the keys to a mortgage-free, move-in ready home. Unlike the two previous events, however, this one took place in Larkspur at The Golf Club at Bear Dance, whose operating company, Southwest Greens, sponsored the event through proceeds from its Mile High Golf Trail Fore Pack, which features rounds at four courses—Bear Dance, Colorado National, Riverdale and Plum Creek. The recipient of this year’s home, SPC E4 Darnell Harrison (U.S. Army-Ret.), served as a combat infantry machine gunner in Afghanistan. He enlisted in 2010 and sustained injuries in 2012 when his unit came under attack from RPG, AK-47 and 82mm enemy shelling. The son of U.S. Army veterans, he survived 41 firefights and
earned the Global War on Terrorism Medal, the Army Commendation Metal, the NATO Medal and the Purple Heart. Before being presented the key, Harrison received acknowledgement from Colorado PGA Executive Director Eddie Ainsworth, Texas-based Military Warriors Support Foundation volunteer Sgt. Major David Dougherty and the six-member Wings of Blue parachuting team. The jumpers wowed the crowd with an aerial “drop in” onto the driving range with the lead skydiver waving red, white and blue streamers and the other five wielding flags representing the Army, Marines, Navy, Air Force and Coast Guard. Following the pageantry, Southwest Greens co-owners Stuart Bruening and Dan Bennett joined in presenting Harrison with the keys to a three-bedroom home in Tucson, where he’ll live with his fiancée, Brittany Berry, a Marine Corps veteran, and infant daughter, Memory. “I first learned about it over the phone,” says Harrison “I was so excited I wanted to scream. I have PTSD and I tend to worry a lot, so when they told us we were being given a house that was a big weight off my shoulders. It’s definitely a life-changer for me. I’m very grateful.” Over the last seven years, the Military
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Warriors Support Foundation has awarded nearly 800 mortgage-free homes to combat-wounded veterans and Gold Star spouses through its Homes 4 Wounded Heroes program. Each family also receives three years of family and financial mentoring so that they may learn the skills necessary to become successful homeowners. “Colorado PGA REACH provides this program at no cost to our veterans to help make a positive difference in their lives,” says Ainsworth. “It is such an honor for us to be able to support our combat wounded heroes in such a tangible way.” Reporting on these soldiers for the last three years, I’ve heard stories of horrific firefights, where they’ve seen platoon-mates killed or later succumb to combat-related injuries. It all serves as a chilling reminder of the sacrifice those in uniform make on our behalf. To see these proud warriors overwhelmed by emotion as they’re handed the keys not only illustrates the demonstrable impact of the CPGA REACH, Mile High Golf Trail and Military Warriors Support Foundation, but also the appreciation and gratitude of those service members and their families. coloradopgareach.com —Kim D. McHugh coloradoavidgolfer.com
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