COLOR A DO GOLF SCULPTUR ES: POLE CR EEK
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RIDE LIKE THE WIND
How to navigate blustery conditions
Elevating the Game.
Gripping the
TROPHY
The 25th Anniversary of Steve Jones’ U.S. Open victory
A MOTHER’S LOVE KRIS FRANKLIN
and other Colorado Moms share their passion for the game with their children
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CONTENTS | May 2021
DEPARTMENTS 8 Forethoughts Identity Crisis By Anthony Cotton
10 The CGA
Colorado’s Must-Have Golf App
19 The Gallery
(Gold) Crowning tomorrow's champions; Shuck comes to Cherry Hills; Hanson follows the sun; PGA women's clinic; Golf's impact on the economy
72 Blind Shot
Happy Mother's Day!
PLAYER’S CORNER 27 Play Away
Colorado’s Golf Sculptures explores Pole Creek Golf Club. By Chris Wheeler
32 Lesson PHOTOGRAPH BY JAMIE SCHWABEROW/CLARKSON CREATIVE
60
How to stay calm on the course when the gusts come a’blowin’. By Elena King
38 Profile
Brown Bagging It with The Babe By Scott Gardner
42 Fashion
A fresh bloom of golf clothes and accessories this season By Suzanne S. Brown
FEATURES
SIDE BETS
58
49 Fareways
Golf on the Dark (Chocolate) Side
Club Life Elevated
By John Lehndorff
From Tee To Green, Snowmass Club is reestablishing its alluring cachet. By Daniel B. Glover
52 Nice Drives
Lincoln Aviator; Chevrolet Silverado and Suburban. By Isaac Bouchard
60
The Gift That Keeps on Giving An early love of golf has only grown deeper for these Colorado Moms who share their passion with their children. By Anthony Cotton
68
Feeling It Yuma’s Steve Jones smiled his way to the 1996 U.S. Open title as the “ultimate underdog,” taming “The Monster” and a pair of heavyweight contenders. By Andy Bigford
Mother and son Kris and Jaxon Franklin at The Ranch Country Club. Photograph by Jamie Schwaberow/Clarkson Creative COLORADO AVIDGOLFER | May 2021
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ILLUSTRATION BY DAVE PALMER
ON THE COVER
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The Country Club At Castle Pines Debuts Its Newest Golf Experience THE CRAGS The Crags is the first new amenity added since the approval of the Club’s $17 million expansion project that will soon boast a clubhouse renovation, cliffside infinity edge pool, fitness center and a full complement of racket sports. It is destined to be one of the best 18-hole putting courses in the country. The massive, one-acre putting course is built with the same attention to detail as the Club’s Jack Nicklaus Signature Golf Course. Perched at nearly 6,700 feet and built on a series of rocky crags on the western cliff behind the Clubhouse, The Crags is fully outfitted with lighting, music and fire pits so Golf Member families and their guests can enjoy an endless supply of fun, friendly competition and drinks while marveling at the unrivaled mountain views all around them.
TO INQUIRE ABOUT AN INVITATION TO GOLF OR SOCIAL MEMBERSHIP, CONTACT:
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May 2021 | Volume 20, Number 2 president and group publisher
A llen J. Walters founding editor
Jon Rizzi
SALES, MARKETING & ADVERTISING associate publisher
Chris Phillips
vp of sales and marketing
Lori Perr y
director of sales & marketing , golf passport and events
Mike Car ver
digital strategist and content manager
Lacey Colvin
business and operations manager
Cindy Palmer
ART & EDITORIAL editor
Anthony Cotton creative director
Jani Duncan Smith art director
Chelsea Oglesby editor - at- large
Tom Ferrell
automotive editor
Isaac Bouchard style editor
Suzanne S. Brown contributors
Sam Adams, Andy Bigford, E.J. Carr, Clarkson Creative, Tony Dear, Denny Dressman, Sue Drinker, Dick Durrance, Chris Duthie, Neal Erickson, Scott Gardner, Garo Productions, Ted Johnson, Kaye Kessler, John Lehndorff, Kim McHugh advertising inquiries : cindy@coloradoavidgolfer.com
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Colorado AvidGolfer (ISSN 1548-4335) is published eight times a year by Baker-Colorado Publishing, LLC, and printed by Publication Printers Corp. Volume 20, Number two. 6143 S. Willow Drive, #406, Greenwood Village, CO 80111. 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 © 2021 by BakerColorado Publishing, LLC. All rights reserved. Reproduction without permission is prohibited. Postmaster: Send address changes to Colorado AvidGolfer, 6143 S. Willow Drive, #406, Greenwood Village, CO 80111. The magazine welcomes editorial submissions but assumes no responsibility for the safekeeping or return of unsolicited manuscripts, photographs, artwork or other material. magazine partner of choice :
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Identity Crisis PHOTOGRAPH BY JAMIE SCHWABEROW/CLARKSON CREATIVE
Stan Fenn & Doug Perry
Forethoughts
Listen online or on your radio
EVERY SATURDAY 7-9 a.m.
IT IS A question that gets asked a lot on the golf course, during the random weekend pairing between parties who are about to spend the next four hours or so in collective misery. “What kind of work do you do?” Perhaps it’s the simplest of questions, a mere conversational gambit designed to help while away the time. But more often than not, the query doesn’t strike me that way—maybe it’s just my penchant for tumbling down metaphysical rabbit holes, or soaring on flights of fancy—or just trying to think about anything else but the pending horrors that await over the remaining holes—but somewhere in my brain, those seven words often get twisted into something entirely different… “Who are you?” And that, of course, is an entirely different kettle of fish—unless it isn’t. How many of us indeed immediately revert to one’s job, or career, when asked to describe who they are? If someone asked you that question, what would the answer be? What sentiments would the query prompt—would you revert to your work, your job, your career (Speaking of golf, wouldn’t you love to hear Tiger Woods answer that question today, and then compare it to what his younger self, say, circa 1997-2017, might have said)? It might be completely understandable how a PGA TOUR golfer (or an all-star Major League Baseball shortstop, or a world-class chef) could possibly conflate what they do with who they are. But it’s clear, from recent conversations with Trevor Story of the Colorado Rockies, or Denver restaurateur Frank Bonanno, that that isn’t the case—and it certainly doesn’t apply to the people featured in this month’s cover story. While Kris Franklin and Janet Moore are two of the greatest, most accomplished golfers in Colorado history, spend a few moments with them and it’s clear that their North Star isn’t their Hall of Fame careers (Moore is already in the state’s shrine; Franklin, forever hoisting championship trophies, is a shoo-in for entry someday), but rather, family. Moore readily admits that she never really gained success as a golfer until after she became a mother, which, she says, allowed her to put “everything in perspective.” In time, it also allowed her to share, and pass along, her love of the game to her children. On page 60, Moore and Franklin describe the role golf has played in their family’s lives. Franklin tells a story of how another Colorado Hall of Famer, Mark Crabtree, would spend hours hitting golf balls at the practice range, while his University of Colorado teammate, Steve Jones, would take the same amount of time, but allocated it to working on his short game. And as accomplished a career as Crabtree has had, perhaps that difference is the reason why his résumé doesn’t include a U.S. Open championship. On page 68, we take a look back at 25 years ago, when Jones, who grew up in Yuma, took down two of the game’s greats and won the national championship. Speaking of identities, unless you’re a golf design nerd, chances are you rarely find yourself pondering the hows and whys behind a course’s construction while you’re traversing its grounds. But you might just change your way of thinking after looking at a new feature on page 27. In “Colorado Golf Sculptures,” Chris Wheeler, a long-time documentarian, turns his lens to Pole Creek Golf Club in Tabernash. Along with some stunning photography, Wheeler gives an insightful look at the ideas and thinking that went into the formation of the course. With this issue, my time as editor of Colorado AvidGolfer has come to a close. I would like to thank Ray, Don and Dick Baker, along with Allen J. Walters and Chris Phillips for bringing me on board, as well as the magazine’s founding editor, Jon Rizzi, for his continued guidance. And I would be remiss if I didn’t cite the team—Cindy, Hillary, Jani, Lacey, Lori, Mike, and, last but certainly not least, the totally, absolutely fabulous Chelsea Oglesby—who go above and beyond (and then even further than that) to make each issue happen. Keep doing what you do! —ANTHONY COTTON
CORRECTION: In the April issue of Colorado AvidGolfer, Kevin Collins, the managing partner at Ravenna Golf Club in Littleton, was misidentified. We regret the error. COLORADO AVIDGOLFER | May 2021
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KEEPING TABS: The USGA-GHIN mobile app not only sets handicaps for players, but also lets them monitor their game shot-by-shot through numerous statistics.
AT THE CGA, we know many people prefer to put their phone away and enjoy a quiet round of golf without the distractions it might bring. For our 62,000 members we say, hit your Do Not Disturb button and launch your free USGA-GHIN Mobile app to get the most out of your round. The ability to track scores and manage your game has never been easier since the launch of the updated app. Ed Mate, CEO of the CGA, shared his feelings plainly: “I am addicted to the game-tracking statistics now available on the new USGA-GHIN App! A USGA handicap has always been a great way to measure your game and track your progress and now it goes way beyond a simple number.” In a recent survey of CGA members, we found that 74% of our members are using the app to post their 18- or 9-hole total scores. Surprisingly though, less than 25% of our members are taking advantage of the new upgrades which include hole-by-hole scoring and the ability to track your stats to help you improve your game. With the GHIN Mobile app, you can view your recent scoring summary and track your putting, approach shot and driving accuracy. The app allows you to utilize the handicap calculator to simplify the new World Handicap System when you post hole-by-
COLORADO AVIDGOLFER | May 2021
hole shots, either during or after your round. Another benefit of the updated app is the ability to connect with your friends, follow competitors and keep track of your group scores. To help you navigate the GHIN Mobile app, the CGA has developed simple videos on our website that teach you how to use the updated software. This series of videos provides simple stepby-step instructions about how to post hole-by-hole scores and game information from your round. Advancements in the system are continuous, as the USGA continues to improve the system. You didn’t hear it from us, but we were excited to learn the app will soon have GPS range finder capabilities. This technology is on the way and being prepared to launch during the 2021 golf season. If you are not a member of a club or golf league in Colorado, it is easy and affordable to become a CGA member. One great way to receive a handicap is by visiting coloradoavidgolfer.com and becoming a Colorado AvidGolfer Golf Passport Plus member, which includes an official USGA Handicap, the Golf Passport and access to the GHIN Mobile app. The GHIN Mobile app is free to download on Apple or Android app stores. Visit coloradogolf.org to learn more about membership or how to access the GHIN Mobile system and score posting videos.
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Proud Sponsor of Great Drives Golf Passport Member Conditions: 2021 Member Privileges. All rates include a cart unless offer specifies differently. Visit coloradoavidgolfer.com/golf-passport for complete details regarding rates, available tee times, number of rounds and reservation policy. Tee time requests are on a space available basis to Golf Passport members and participating courses’ rain check policies will apply. Unless otherwise stated, the golf offers are good from January 1, 2021 – December, 31 2021, excluding holidays, special events, tournaments or closure to environmental or economic conditions. Mountain seasons may vary slightly. The Golf Passport is limited to one per person and is non-transferable. Prices do not include sales tax. Some courses may require a credit card to secure a tee time prior to play. If a tee time is cancelled, the golf course may charge for its discounted fee. Colorado AvidGolfer reserves the right to make reasonable modifications to the Golf Passport, effective upon notice by e-mail or first class mail to the Golf Passport member. A Golf Passport member may reject any such modification by responding in writing to Colorado AvidGolfer and returning the Golf Passport within ten (10) days. The Golf Passport member will receive a prorated refund. However, no refund will be given if the Golf Passport Member received the Complimentary Two Night Stay at CasaBlanca Resort and Two Rounds of Golf at CasaBlanca or Palms Golf Club. The Golf Passport member agrees that he or she is not entitled to any additional compensation. Colorado AvidGolfer disclaims all liability for damage or loss or property or injury to any person occurring while using the Golf Passport. If ordered online, please allow up to 10 days for delivery of your Golf Passport. Golf Passport membership includes a digital subscription to Colorado AvidGolfer with the option to opt-in to the mailing subscription for an additional fee. Members will also be subscribed to the Colorado AvidGolfer weekly newsletter list and can unsubscribe at any time.
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The Gallery
NEWS | NOTES | NAMES
(Gold) Crowning Tomorrow’s Champions
PHOTOGRAPHS COURTESY OF GOLD CROWN FOUNDATION
FOCUS IN: Whether it’s introductory leagues for middle schoolers or fall tournaments to help high schoolers prep for their seasons, the Gold Crown Foundation offers programs for all types of golfers.
WHEN VALOR CHRISTIAN’S boys’ team won the Class 5A championship in golf last fall, it brought a smile to Brian Lee’s face; in fact, as he scrolled down the final standings, his grin got bigger and bigger. “Every year we have 10 to 12 of their players in our program; Ralston Valley finished fourth—every year they have 12 to 15 kids with us,” said Lee, the program director for the Gold Crown Foundation, the Colorado nonprofit that offers athletic and enrichment programs to almost 20,000 youth annually. While Gold Crown is synonymous with basketball and volleyball, hosting hundreds of tournaments and leagues in its fieldhouse in Lakewood, golf is quickly making a name for itself as well. “It’s really been starting to gain traction the last five or six years,” Lee says. “Kind of the way our youth basketball programs have become feeder systems for the area’s high school programs, our golf programs have become feeders for some of the top high schools—it’s really cool to see the impact we’re having.” And, as is the case with hoops, the opportunities to join in the fun are ubiquitous, with programs running throughout the spring, summer and fall—according to the foundation, 31 high school teams participated in their “Back to School” series, comprised of four weeks of nine-hole tournaments played at courses in the metro Denver area and open to individuals or “high school players looking for extra tournaments, or for JV programs that do not have a league to play in.” There are also similar middle school procoloradoavidgolfer.com
grams for sixth to eighth graders; overall, in 2020, officials say they offered “opportunities” to more than 500 players. “I love that we continue to fill niches and voids,” Lee said. “Because of COVID-19, we noticed the girls’ season was getting off to a bit of a late start this year, so we created a little four-week program so that they would be able to get out and knock a little bit of the rust off before they got started with their schools and they could enter their tryouts with some confidence. “It’s about giving them opportunities and helping them achieve whatever goal they have in the sport, whether it be just picking up the game and just being able to play with their friends, or to make their high school team, or maybe take that next step and play in college.” Lee spent some time working for Troon Golf and playing on some of Arizona’s mini-tours before moving to Colorado in 2012. After a stint at The Ridge at Castle Pines Golf Club, he joined Gold Crown in 2015, continuing to feed an itch that started after getting the bug as a seventh-grader. He eventually became proficient enough to earn a scholarship to the University of Nevada-Reno, but lost it when (perhaps in a bit of foreshadowing, given his current employer) he injured an ankle playing in a basketball league. “I was actually playing with my Dad,” Lee said. “It was a bad decision, but it led me to where I am today, and so I really wouldn’t change anything.” Speaking of COVID, another benefit of Gold Crown was, with all the grownups hogging all the
19
tee times at courses throughout the area, there was a haven for youngsters to play. And, with spring and summer seasons burgeoning, chances are the need will be equally great this year. “And courses are actually starting to see the value of starting to cater to and build up that next wave of golfers,” Lee said. “We have great relationships with the City of Denver courses, as well as Jeffco and regionally...and all of us just love the idea of how much the game is growing—it’s a really cool bond that we’re all sharing.” goldcrownfoundation.com/golf-programs
UNBRIDLED JOY: Kids can learn golf etiquette, the rules of the game (and the excitement of a well-struck shot) by joining one of Gold Crown’s junior programs.
May 2021 | COLORADO AVIDGOLFER
The Gallery
Shuck Hoping to Blossom at Cherry Hills...
PHOTOGRAPH BY PREMIER AERIALS
SOME SIX MONTHS after its highly-regarded pro John Ogden left to become the director of golf at Jack Nicklaus’ Muirfield Village in Ohio, Cherry Hills Country Club recently announced a replacement—Andrew Shuck. Just the seventh head pro in the prestigious club’s 99-year history, Shuck is coming to Colorado after spending more than a decade at the Charlotte Country Club. He’s also been a head pro at the Ocean Forest Golf Club, in Sea Island, Georgia and the McArthur Golf Club, in Hobe Sound, Florida. In 2017, Shuck won the Carolina PGA Section Bill Strausbaugh Award, which recognizes a PGA Professional who demonstrates exceptional character, integrity and leadership by way of teaching and mentoring other PGA Professionals, Shuck has mentored 21 former Assistant Golf Professionals who went on to earn PGA Head Golf Professional positions throughout the industry. The following year, Charlotte hosted the U.S. Mid-Amateur Championship; in 2023, Cherry Hills is slated to host the U.S. Amateur for a third time—the club also held the event in 1990 and 2012. In between now and then, Shuck will help shepherd a major, multi-million dollar renovation project at the club, which includes a new clubhouse along with new kitchen and dining facilities. chcc.com
NC TO CO: Andrew Shuck worked at Charlotte Country Club before being hired as the new head golf professional at Cherry Hills Country Club (pictured here).
THE SHOT
that keeps you coming back.
LakewoodGolf.org COLORADO AVIDGOLFER | May 2021
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coloradoavidgolfer.com
...While Hanson Follows the Sun AFTER 21 YEARS, Jeff Hanson says it’s time to trade in his snowblower, perhaps for something more aquatic in nature. After 21 years as the director of golf at the Red Sky Golf Club near Vail, Hanson is moving on, taking on the same role at the Ponte Vedra Inn & Club in Florida. “I’ve always wanted to live in a warm weather climate, and this was just a great opportunity,” Hanson said.
PHOTOGRAPH BY JEFF ANDREW
CO TO FLA: After playing a major role in its design, Jeff Hanson is leaving Red Sky Golf Club (Fazio course pictured here) near Vail to become head pro at the Ponte Vedra Inn & Club in Florida.
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That’s not to say that there aren’t pangs of anguish at what Hanson’s leaving behind. The former director of golf at Beaver Creek Golf Club, head pro at Glenmoor Country Club and an assistant pro at both Cherry Hills and Columbine, Hanson played an instrumental role in the creation of Red Sky, from the design of the club’s Fazio and Norman courses to how the club was organized. At Red Sky, Hanson ran everything except the food and beverage services. “Being there from the beginning, developing the programming and everything...it’s been a really quick 21 years,” he said. “I just think it has such an incredible membership; two of the top-100 courses in the country...it’s hard to believe all that we accomplished there.” Even so, it’s clear how excited Hanson is with his move. Located near Jacksonville (and PGA TOUR headquarters), the Ponte Vedra Inn & Club also has a pair of courses, the Ocean and Lagoon, the latter, featuring a front nine designed by Robert Trent Jones. “It’s a family-owned business (Gate Petroleum); there’s an unbelievable hotel right on the ocean and two incredible golf courses right across the street,” he said. “It’s all just super attractive.”
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May 2021 | COLORADO AVIDGOLFER
The Gallery
A Major Deal POWER SUMMIT: Founded by former LPGA star Jane Blalock, the KPMG Women’s PGA Golf Clinic is coming to TPC Colorado in Berthoud in August.
PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY OF KPMG
WHEN IS A major championship more than just a major championship? When it empowers executive women and future leaders of the game. That’s the mission of the PGA’s KPMG Women’s PGA Championship; this year’s edition is scheduled for June 24–27 at the Atlanta Athletic Club, the sixth major to be held at the facility. The tournament is held in conjunction with the KPMG Women’s Leadership Summit and an ongoing charitable initiative, the KPMG Future Leaders Program—all focused on the development, advancement and empowerment of women on and off the golf course. Another aspect of the event is a series of KPMG Women’s PGA Golf Clinics, held throughout the summer at courses across the United States. Able to meet only three times in 2020 because of the pandemic, a full slate of 12 clinics are scheduled for this year, with one set for Denver—August 30 at the TPC Colorado Golf Club in Berthoud. The clinics, founded by 27-time LPGA Tour winner Jane Blalock, are a full-day program in which participants will learn the fundamental aspects of social and business golf; there’s also personalized instruction, play and assessments
from PGA Club Professionals/LPGA Teaching and Club Professionals, a keynote speaker, breakfast, lunch, and a closing networking reception. The clinic series was intentionally scheduled for late July in the hopes that COVID-19 vaccinations will have become more prevalent across the country. “It is a remarkable day of immersion into golf,” Blalock said, “and a significant opportunity to build and strengthen your company’s or organization’s relationship capital, particularly at a time
CGA members save up to $18 on green fees every time they play!
when so many are anxious to return to face-toface, in person engagement.” All skill levels are welcome, from “never touched a club” to experienced players, and each group is made up of no more than eight women who are paired with the same PGA/LPGA Certified Coach for the day. Total attendance ranges from 72–96, depending on club capacities and may be limited in some markets to adhere to COVID health and safety guidelines. kpmgwomenspgaclinics.com
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The Gallery
Golf by Numbers THE COLORADO GOLF COALITION, in collaboration with the National Golf Foundation and Radius Sports Group, a sustainability consulting firm focused on connecting sustainability and sports, recently released a report focusing on the economic impact of the game in the state. Here are some of the notable figures from the report, found at coloradogolfimpact.org:
19,400
$1.3 billion
The number of jobs supported by golf in the state.
The direct economic impact of golf in Colorado in 2019.
>1%
Of the state’s annual water consumption is used by golf courses, with approximately 97 percent of Colorado golf courses employing at least three or more water conservation measures.
33,061
$35.6 million
The number of acres of green infrastructure at courses devoted to wildlife habitat and improved quality of life.
COLORADO AVIDGOLFER | May 2021
The amount raised at Colorado courses for charities like The First Tee and PGA REACH.
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DISCOV ER
ONE Of cOlOr adO’s bEst cOursEs — tHE rIdGE
Located just south of Denver, The Ridge at Castle Pines North is an award-winning example of Tom Weiskopf’s fluent, wellproportioned layout that presents players with roomy fairways, sculpted bunkers and large, rolling greens. The Ridge is recognized by various golf publications as one of Colorado’s top golf courses. More specifically, The Ridge has been voted as the top Denver region golf course, as well as the top golf course in Colorado multiple times by Colorado AvidGolfer.
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Player’s Corner PLAY AWAY
Golf...By Design “Colorado’s Golf Sculptures” tells the story of the design and vision behind some of our state’s most beautiful golf courses. In this issue, we feature Pole Creek Golf Club in Tabernash. By Chris Wheeler PHOTOGRAPH BY WHEELER GOLFSCAPES
WORKING THE LAND: Pole Creek Golf Course was built on a former working ranch. The nine-hole Ranch layout (the green on No. 4 pictured here) is where the ranch’s structures were located.
IT BEGAN WITH a dream as grand as the mountain peaks that tower over Winter Park. In the 1970s, a Grand County native named Wendell Ley donated a spectacular tract of land along Pole Creek to the Fraser Valley Metropolitan Recreational District. Local businessmen envisioned a golf course that would be a summertime counterpart to Winter Park Ski Resort. “Back then, there wasn’t a lot going on here in the summer,” says Mary Moynihan, Pole Creek’s Clubhouse Manager. The Fraser Rec District went big, hiring the esteemed design firm of Kirby, Player and coloradoavidgolfer.com
Associates (yes, golf legend Gary Player). The architect assigned to create the new course outside of Winter Park was a rising star named Denis Griffiths. “During our first trip in 1979, we looked at 3–4 potential sites,” said Griffiths. “As soon as we walked the (Pole Creek) land, you realized it was the perfect place for a golf course.” The future Pole Creek Golf Course had been a working ranch since 1895. “What is today The Meadow Course was an open area where they grew hay,” remembers Moynihan. “The Ranch Course is where the old ranch structures were located.”
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Bisecting the land was the meandering Pole Creek. In the distance were majestic James and Parry Peaks, along with Devil’s Thumb. “The east/ west orientation of the valley certainly identified the course focal point: the Continental Divide,” recalls Griffiths. “Having the ability to take the holes back and forth is part of what made the site so good.” Griffiths and his team approached the Pole Creek job with the idea of honoring the land’s ranching heritage while embracing its natural beauty. “First time I saw that land, you could see May 2021 | COLORADO AVIDGOLFER
Play Away
PHOTOGRAPH BY WHEELER GOLFSCAPES
MEADOW LARK: A view of the Continental Divide from the second hole on The Meadow course at Pole Creek Golf Club. Officials say the design’s goal was to enhance the natural beauty that was already present.
just 11 days without frost,” remembers Kosak. “You can only imagine the challenge of growing Kentucky Bluegrass high in the Colorado Rockies.” Four ponds were created for water storage. Only a few trees had to be cut. Today’s Ranch No. 3 was the first hole to be built and the other 17 soon
PHOTOGRAPH BY WHEELER GOLFSCAPES
the golf holes—they came right out,” said Mike Kosak, Pole Creek’s first Superintendent. But building a golf course at 8,600 feet came with a mountain of challenges. The growing season is just 100 days. And then there’s the weather. “The year we planted seed, there were
SHEER PERFECTION: After it was built in 1985, designer Denis Griffith said he knew early on how special Pole Creek Golf Club could be. “As soon as we walked the land, you realized it was the perfect place for a golf course.”
COLORADO AVIDGOLFER | May 2021
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followed. Griffiths and Kosak were determined to use a light touch. “Our job was to enhance the beauty of what was there,” said Griffiths. “That was our ultimate goal.” Eighteen holes of mountain golf, dubbed The Meadow (front 9) and The Ranch (back 9), opened in 1985. It did not take long for the golf world to notice. Golf Digest honored Pole Creek Golf Club as the best new course in America in 1985. Thirty-five years later, the accolades continue. For the fourth consecutive year, Pole Creek has been honored with the CAGGY Award for Colorado’s best mountain course. Course Pro J.T. Thompson says: “Even if you are not at the top of your game, you still have the magnificent views. It’s like a walk in the park.” Denis Griffiths went on to design courses around the globe, including St. Andrew’s Bay in Scotland. He has collaborated with Snead, Sarazen, Trevino and other legends. But Colorado remained close to his heart. The Griffiths-designed Fox Hollow Golf Course opened in Lakewood in 1993. The Homestead at Fox Hollow, another Griffiths course, opened nine years later. The Ridge, a 9-hole tract that overlooks the Pole Creek, opened in 2000. The Ridge is a golfer’s climb through a forest of towering lodgepole pines. It is at once a heart-pumping and cerebral experience—punctuated with breathtaking views. “We wanted to create something very different from The Ranch and The Meadow,” said designer Denis Griffith. “We want to create coloradoavidgolfer.com
Play Away
PHOTOGRAPH BY WHEELER GOLFSCAPES
ISOLATED BEAUTY: Lupine wildflowers rim the fairway of 439-yard, par-4 fourth on The Ridge. Designer Denis Griffiths wanted each hole to be isolated from the others on the course.
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NATURE WALK: The signature hole on The Ridge is the 556-yard, par-5 ninth hole, which begins 140 feet above the Pole Creek Valley. The design gives golfers a sense of seclusion while playing the course.
like you are in the wilderness.” And there’s also the views. The Ridge’s signature hole is No. 9, a 556-yard downhill Par-5 that begins 140 feet above the Pole Creek Valley. Many consider it among the best finishing holes in Colorado golf. “The drama of standing on the ninth tee is unparalleled,” says Griffiths. “It’s a real ‘Whoa Nelly.’” Today, The Ridge completes the puzzle of Pole Creek’s three courses—a 27-hole trinity of mountain golf. “It is a place where you can feel isolated in the beauty of the landscape,”
says Burks. The Ridge also fulfills the dreams of residents who dreamt of world class golf near Winter Park. Pole Creek’s first superintendent, Mike Kosak, sums up the feelings of all who created this sculpture of Colorado golf: “On that property, golf was meant to be played.” Chris Wheeler is an avid golfer who was been creating documentary films for more than three decades. Many of his award-winning works tell the stories of our National Parks.
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PHOTOGRAPH BY WHEELER GOLFSCAPES
diversity without making The Ridge a totally different course.” Construction of The Ridge began in 1997. “When we started building the course, every hole—with the exception of number 5—was completely covered with trees,” says Larry Burks, who was Pole Creek’s Superintendent at the time. Griffiths charted the 9-hole layout by studying contours from a topographic map. After hundreds of hikes through the dense forest, Griffiths began to see a beautiful course. “We would clear a 40– 50-foot corridor that gives you a slot you could see through,” said Griffiths. “That helps give you the view of how the land lays out.” Next came the daunting task of carving a golf course out of the thick alpine forest. Once the course was roughed out, water had to be pumped up from Pole Creek, a mile and a half uphill journey. Three interconnected holding ponds were created to feed water to the fairways and greens of The Ridge. Equally important was grading the land to keep the water moving off the ridge and into the valley. “The three most important words in golf are: drainage, drainage, and drainage,” says Superintendent Burks. Each hole of The Ridge is isolated from the others, shielded by the towering pines. Every July, the forest floors are carpeted with spectacular displays of lupine. Today, it is Pole Creek’s most popular course. “There is a reason everyone wants to play The Ridge: the trees and the seclusion,” says Burks. Griffiths wants it to be more than about golf. “It’s like: I am in the middle of nowhere. I love this,” says the designer. “The farther from the clubhouse, the more you feel
Player’s Corner LESSON
Ride Like the Wind How to stay calm on the course when the gusts come a’blowin’. By Elena King
ILLUSTRATION BY DAVE PALMER
DID YOU KNOW that a headwind hurts more than tailwind helps—up to twice as much? If you are calculating the same amount for your golf shots, into and down wind, you may want to reconsider! In my years of teaching, I have found golfers tend to underestimate the effect of the wind, be it head-, tail- or crosswind. In calm conditions, the air moves into the ball at the same speed the ball is traveling. In a headwind, the ball flies higher and lands steeper due to lift and drag. Lift makes the ball rise and drag makes it slow down. The faster the airflow, the greater amount of lift and drag, making shots balloon when hitting into the wind. A common misconception is that the ball spins more when hit into a headwind, that it’s the extra lift from COLORADO AVIDGOLFER | May 2021
the added airflow that makes the ball fly higher. In reality, in a headwind, spin is the enemy! Swinging harder is not the answer, as more clubhead speed will most likely create more spin. Using a club with less loft can optimize conditions by reducing spin loft and spin. On the flip side, a tailwind with too little spin will cause ball to fly lower and land flatter. Ideally in a tailwind, launching it higher is beneficial to get more spin, loft and the ball will land steeper. Headwind hurts more than a tailwind as lift and drag do not behave linearly. This why a headwind hurts more than a tailwind helps. In the charts on the following pages, you can see how differently headwinds and tailwinds impact the golf ball’s flight and distance.
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Lesson CALCULATING DISTANCE IN THE HEADWIND A great rule to use is to add 1% for every 1 MPH of headwind. The following distances would change like this: 100-yard shot into a 5 MPH headwind = 105 yards 200-yard shot into a 5 MPH headwind = 210 yards 100-yard shot into a 10 MPH headwind = 110 yards 200-yard shot into a 10 MPH headwind = 220 yards 100-yard shot into a 20 MPH headwind = 120 yards 200-yard shot into a 20 MPH headwind = 240 yards 100-yard shot into a 30 MPH headwind = 130 yards 200-yard shot into a 30 MPH headwind = 260 yards CALCULATING DISTANCE IN THE DOWNWIND When playing downwind, use 0.5% instead, so judging your distance in the wind would look a bit like this: 100-yard shot with a 5 MPH tailwind = 98 yards 200-yard shot with a 5 MPH tailwind = 195 yards 100-yard shot with a 10 MPH tailwind = 95 yards 200-yard shot with a 10 MPH tailwind = 190 yards 100-yard shot with a 20 MPH tailwind = 90 yards 200-yard shot with a 20 MPH tailwind = 180 yards ILLUSTRATION BY DAVE PALMER
100-yard shot with a 30 MPH tailwind = 85 yards 200-yard shot with a 30 MPH tailwind = 170 yards
no wind
10 MPH tailwind
20 MPH tailwind
10 MPH headwind
20 MPH headwind
153 yards
161 yards
165 yards
140 yards
123 yards
-
+8 yards
+12 yards
-13 yards
-30 yards
TABLES ADAPTED FROM TRACKMAN
AMATEUR 6 IRON CARRY IN YARDS HEADWIND AND TAILWIND (80 MPH club head speed and same launch conditions)
AMATEUR 6 IRON SIDE TOTAL CROSSWIND (80 MPH club head speed and same launch conditions) no wind
5 MPH
10 MPH
15 MPH
20 MPH
0 feet
19 feet
39 feet
60 feet
81 feet
COLORADO AVIDGOLFER | May 2021
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Lesson
The way golf should be
STRATEGIES FOR HITTING INTO A HEADWIND: LOWER THE TRAJECTORY OF THE BALL FLIGHT Club choice: • Take one or more clubs longer depending on the wind’s MPH. • Longer clubs have less loft and will help you keep the ball lower and prevent less lift and drag. • Most golfers try to swing hard into the wind. Take plenty of club and swing smoothly; this will also keep you from swinging at your fastest club head speed and creating more spin, which as noted above is what you’re trying to avoid. Technique changes: • Ball position–play the ball back in your stance a little of your normal ball position. • Keep more pressure forward (on your target side foot) at address and in swing. • You can try a shorter backswing as it will also create less speed. If so, take more club. • Finishing in a lower position will help decrease loft at impact. • Visualize low!
ILLUSTRATION BY DAVE PALMER
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STRATEGIES FOR HITTING WITH A TAILWIND: RAISE THE TRAJECTORY OF THE BALL FLIGHT Club Choice: • Take one or more less clubs depending on the MPH. • The shorter clubs will give you more loft to hit it higher and prevent the wind from knocking it down more. • Take a full swing to create more club speed which add launch and spin. Technique Changes: • Ball position–Move the ball forward in your stance of your normal ball position. • You need speed–do not be afraid to swing at it, of course in good balance! • Finish high–improve the angle of your club face at impact to add more loft and assist the ball in flying higher. • Visualize high! Elena King, LPGA, is a Top 50 LPGA Teacher and winner of Golf Digest “Best in State.” She owns ExperienceGolf at CommonGround Golf Course. Reach her at www.experiencegolf.biz.
COLORADO AVIDGOLFER | May 2021
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Go to Pyramid-Putters.com to see the short demo video with Blair O’Neal.
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Player’s Corner PROFILE
Brown Bagging It with The Babe A neighborhood bicycle ride leads to a memorable encounter for a young Denver boy. By Scott Gardner PHOTOGRAPH BY AP PHOTO © AP1951
POWER COUPLE: Ben Hogan and Babe Zaharias congratulate each other at the World Championship Golf Tourney at Tam O’Shanter Country Club, near Chicago, Ill., on Aug. 12, 1951. A year earlier, following a victory in the Women’s Western Open, Zaharias invited 14-year-old Jerry Karsh of Denver to Park Hill to join the duo for a round of golf.
IF YOU’RE LIKE me, you’ve probably played golf by yourself, late on a summer evening. Your score stinks and the thought of penciling in another double bogey on your mustard-stained scorecard has as much appeal as fishing out a carp from the lake—where you chunked your second shot moments ago—and having it for dinner. But on the next tee, you pluck two worn balls from the bag and for the remainder of the COLORADO AVIDGOLFER | May 2021
round it’s match play—you versus Ben Hogan for the U.S. Open. This begs the question—what would you give to play with the greatest golfers of your generation? Well, if you’re longtime Denver native Jerry Karsh, the answer can fit into a small paper bag. Karsh, now 85, is a modern-day renaissance man, who’s enjoyed career success in both Hollywood and Denver in the entertainment
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biz, as a television production-coordinator and producer-director. If you’re a cinephile, you may have seen his Hollywood work in a “A Walk on The Wild Side,” or “The Bird Man of Alcatraz.” Locally, Karsh was instrumental in getting KRMA Channel 6 off the ground in the mid 1950s, and later in the decade, worked at KUSA Channel 9, producing local children’s programing, such as “Fred & Fae” and “Sheriff Scotty.” Karsh also coloradoavidgolfer.com
PGA HOPE (Helping Our Patriots Everywhere) is a year-round program designed to keep interested veterans playing golf in order to embrace their wellbeing. PGA HOPE includes an introduction to the sport of golf, golf instruction, playing opportunities and social events.
Home for a Hero
Since 2016, Colorado PGA REACH has presented keys to seven (7) Combat Wounded Veterans. The recipient of the 2021 home will be presented at the Colorado PGA REACH Invitational on July 21, 2021, at The Golf Club at Bear Dance.
PGA REACH Invitational
The Colorado PGA REACH Invitational is the Foundation’s largest annual fundraiser and has become a “can’t miss event!” The all-inclusive experience will again be hosted at the home of the Colorado PGA, The Golf Club at Bear Dance. Register to play using the QR code!
We have partnered with Mile High Golf Trail, a team that is dedicated to consistently providing an award-winning and diverse golf experience for every patron, everyday. Play one (1) round at each of these 4 Award Winning Properties for $249! Bear Dance | Plum Creek | Colorado National | Riverdale
Proceeds from Mile High Golf Trail Fore Pack Purchases help fund our Home for a Hero. https://www.milehighgolftrail.com/product/trail-pass/ Colorado PGA REACH is the 501(c)(3) charitable foundation of the Colorado PGA. To learn more about the MILITARY PILLAR of Colorado PGA REACH and programs for juniors, visit us online at coloradopga.com or call 303-996-1597
Profile
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PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY OF THE COLORADO GOLF ASSOCIATION
spent time in the early ’60s as Assistant Controller of the Grinberg Film library, then the largest of its kind in the world. Not bad for someone who started his television career at Channel 9 working as the night shift janitor, before going on to earn his Radio and Television Communications degree from the University of Denver. Currently, Karsh is founder and President of Karsh Forensic Consulting, which has been involved in valuing business and personal assets for some of the highest profile divorce and corporate acquisition cases in the country. Interviewing Karsh at his Aurora office overlooking the Rockies to the west, it didn’t take long to realize that from an early age, he wasn’t afraid to take a chance—which more often than not, landed him in the right place at the right time—a trait passed down from his paternal grandfather who barely escaped the Russian pogrom against the Jews back in 1887, before emigrating to the United States. On a warm summer day back in 1943, the then-seven-year-old Karsh was exploring his Park Hill neighborhood on his bicycle. Racing his vintage Schwinn down Dahlia street, he came upon the curious sight of a full-grown woman, wearing a long dress, out in her front yard swinging a golf club. Unfamiliar with STAY HUNGRY: Babe Zaharias sinks a putt during the 1950 Western Women’s Open at Cherry Hills Country Club. As a the game, Karsh skidded to a stop 14-year-old, Jerry Karsh of Denver attended the tournament—and ended up sharing his sack lunch with the legendary golfer. to observe. “She was not just foolWhen he returned home that day, Karsh said he told his mother, “I’m hungry, Babe ate my lunch!” ing around, but really swinging the club!” he remembered. She eventually stopped to dab the perspiration from her brow When a sunburned and tired Karsh arrived Later that evening, when again Karsh was and noticed the curious lad. She asked Karsh if back home that evening, his mother called out to head-deep in the refrigerator, his mother asked he played golf and after shaking his head no, he him, asking how the tournament went. Standing him how his round with the Babe went. peddled off, leaving the words “My name’s Babe” up from the open refrigerator door, Karsh replied He responded, “Babe and Louise didn’t fading away behind him. “I’m hungry; Babe ate my lunch!” speak to each other and Ben only said ‘hello,’ Fast forward to the 1950 Women’s Western A month after Babe’s victory at Cherry Hills, before we teed off and ‘nice to play with you, son’ Open, contested at Cherry Hills Country Club. Karsh arrived home from his daily bike ride to after the round.” Babe Zaharias, voted the Greatest Female Ath- find his mother waiting. She said that Babe was “That’s it?” she asked. lete of the First Half of the Twentieth Century, looking for him. Karsh thought maybe she wanted “Oh, and Babe told me that I stand far from was battling Peggy Kirk in the match-play final. him to caddie for her, which he had done once or the ball!” The match made its way to the sixth green, where twice in the past. He laid his bike up against the So much for a glamorous round with golf then-fourteen-year-old Karsh sat cross-legged, garage door and scrambled into the family car. His superstars. The official reason why Karsh was inwatching along with a hundred or so other patrons. mother dropped him off in the parking lot of the vited to join that illustrious threesome that day at After lining up her putt on the green, Zaharias now-shuttered Park Hill golf course at 35th and Park Hill was on account of his birthday; however, noticed Karsh, who had a sack lunch perched in Colorado Blvd. my theory lies in the age-old adage that there are his lap. She strolled over to say hello. Waiting for him was Babe, wearing her no “free lunches” in life, and that the Babe was “I see you’ve come prepared,” she said, customary long dress and holding the bag of simply paying Karsh back for the sack lunch he smiling. Zaharias, who hadn’t had time for break- clubs she had collected for Karsh over the years. provided her at Cherry Hills. fast, was hungry. In fact, when she putted on the She asked Karsh if he wanted to play golf with But if there’s a moral to this story, it’s got previous greens, the hushed gallery could hear her Louise Suggs, Ben Hogan and herself to celebrate to be that if you see an athletic-looking woman stomach gurgle. For the next several holes, Karsh his recent birthday. Suggs, an eleven-time major practicing her golf swing out in her front yard, stop sacrificed the contents of his lunch for the greater champion and fierce rival of Zaharias’ on the and say hello, but be careful—she might just end good of the game. First the sandwich, then the LPGA, was in Denver discussing the formation up “eating your lunch.” potato chips. “She even ate my banana,” Karsh of the LPGA tour with Zaharias. Hogan, making remembered with a smile. Zaharias, however a rare appearance in the Mile High City, was Scott Gardner, a contributing writer for Colorado didn’t slip on the peel, as she went on to win that joining Zaharias in a charity event for children the AvidGolfer, lives in Aurora and blissfully grew up championship match by a 3 & 2 margin. playing and caddying at Lakewood Country Club. following day.
Player’s Corner FASHION
Teeing it Up Bursts of color, crossover appeal and new companies are putting a fresh bloom on golf clothes and accessories this season. By Suzanne S. Brown
SHARK TANK The Shark’s influence continues in the golf world through Greg Norman’s extensive apparel offerings geared to men, women and children. The top line in the group is GN Collection, menswear with equal attention given to performance fabrics, technical innovations and on-trend styling. The spring collection includes a vibrant Sunset group with tropical print polos, $80, in fabrics that include recycled polyesters, and UPF sun protection ratings from 15 to 50-plus. The summer collection features pieces like the Victory Polo, $80, in the company’s PlayDry fabric that wicks moisture from the skin and keeps the body cool and dry. It’s shown with the Liberty Shorts, $76; in a stretch fabric with flat front styling and a 10-inch inseam. See the full line at gregnormancollection.com
SHOE IN When a course is hilly or conditions are wet, spiked golf shoes can offer more grip, stability and traction than flat-bottomed shoes, which is why they’re the choice of many competitive golfers. But they can also be heavy and clunky. Adidas set out to create a spiked shoe without those drawbacks and after two years in the making, the ZG21 has debuted. The company’s lightest spiked shoe to feature its trademarked Boost cushioning, the ZG21 provides shock absorption and stability in its EVA foam foot bed. The shoe’s four-layer upper is also lightweight and waterproof and the outsole has six cleats and a thick TPU construction. The ZG21 comes in four models and several colors, with the styles priced at men’s laced, $180; men and women’s BOA lacing, $200 and $190; and juniors, $65. adidas.com
FUN AND FUNCTION Dianne Celuch and Tami Fujii are friends and business executives-turned-entrepreneurs whose mission in starting their apparel line in 2017 was to make golf accessible and fun for women. The company, Kinona (it means “shape” in Hawaiian), creates figure-flattering apparel using Italian fabrics made of regenerated nylon and Lycra. The materials have such features as four-way stretch, UPF 50-plus sun protection, and are antimicrobial and moisture-wicking. Styling details include pockets with tee holders, while skorts and dresses have mesh undershorts with gripper tape so they don’t ride up on the leg. Among the spring offerings are a sleeveless dress with zip neck, two pockets and ruching one side. It comes in navy blue or a foulard print, $169. The ruching detail is also found in a shirt that has shaping details for a comfortable, flattering fit, $99; and a tailored skort, $129. Full collection at kinonasport.com COLORADO AVIDGOLFER | May 2021
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PLAYING THROUGH Clubhouse closures at golf courses last year forced many players to buy their apparel online. Then again, that’s how a lot of guys like to shop anyway. Among the brands embracing this trend is Devereux, which has decided to take its business direct to consumers and stop wholesaling. Making a statement of “same brand, new direction,” the company says it can be responsive to consumers by creating affordable, frequent, smaller collections throughout the year rather than big seasonal rollouts, such as the “peachy” one it offered for the Masters. Among the other offerings is the DVRX Running Man cotton blend hoodie, $68, to wear when running from the course to home and everywhere else life takes a guy. Spring options also include drawstring waist shorts, $54; joggers, $68; easy quarter zips, $74; patterned polos, $64; and snapback hats with the company’s signature G*LF logo, $35. See the full collection at dvrxthreads.com
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Fashion
WHAT LOHLA WANTS Lisa O’Hurley grew up playing golf and spent a decade at the Golf Channel before moving over to the apparel side of the business. With a 5-handicap (and a hole-in-one she got at Eagle Springs Golf Club in Colorado), she knows what features golfers need and want in their clothes, plus she has a taste for designer fabrics and styling. O’Hurley spent seven years with the European brand Golfino before recently launching her own company, Lohla Sport. The name that her son helped her come up with is a combination of her initials: LOH (she’s married to actor John O’Hurley) and LA, for her home in Los Angeles. The look is European-influenced and designed by Paul Rees, who has been at such brands as Burberry and Golfino. O’Hurley’s spring collections pay tribute to California hot spots Venice and Malibu, but the sleek looks have coast-to-coast appeal in their vibrant coloring and designer fabrics. Tops are $90-$140; skorts and pants, $140; and outerwear, $210-$230. You’ll find the collection at such Colorado clubs as Red Sky Golf Club and Telluride, as well as online lohlasport.com
BREAKING DOWN BARRIERS Sammy Berger and Tara Collins like to play golf, so when the University of Denver alumnae found themselves with time on their hands during last year’s pandemic, they started hitting the links more often. Then they went to shop for golf wear and found they didn’t like the colors, patterns and lack of function in women’s golf clothes. So they started their own company, Prio Golf. The business is named for Gloria Minoprio, a professional golfer who stood out for wearing pants as she played a major championship in England in the 1930s. The athlete’s ground-breaking fashion choice led to more freedom of choice for women and that’s what Prio aims to offer in the apparel line it’s creating. As they put a collection together for fall 2021 delivery, Berger and Collins are also looking for ways to lower the barriers for women to enter the game, so for spring, they created a “Ladies Golf Etiquette Starter Kit” that includes practical advice on topics like setting tee times, renting clubs, etiquette around other players; plus golf balls, tees, a divot tool and hat. The kit is $50, and Colorado AvidGolfer readers can get a 10 percent discount by using the coupon code COAvidGolfer10 at priogolf.com. COLORADO AVIDGOLFER | May 2021
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Fashion
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OVER THE MOON Crossover apparel has been all the buzz in golf wear in recent seasons–clothing that takes you seamlessly from the course to other activities. But usually that means from the links to the office or a restaurant. For the partners behind Denver-based Moonshine Golf, those other pursuits are likely to be fishing, hiking or hitting a brew pub. Which helps explain their camo-printed polo shirts, a hybrid fishing/golf shirt, bamboo hoodies, T-shirts and hats. Andrew Mikowski, one of the founders, describes Moonshine as a “laid back golf brand with a country vibe.” Men’s polos sell for $65; women’s $60; hoodie $69; and the golf/fishing shirt is $89. Full collection at moonshinegolf.com
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PIN PLACEMENT When Nick Metz didn’t like the headcover that came with his new driver, he tried to buy one. But he didn’t like what he found. The covers were either too expensive, lacked style or both. So the entrepreneur with experience in the apparel industry joined with a couple of partners and created Arvada-based Pins & Aces Golf Co. Partner and general manager Alex Bard was able to use his contacts in Asia to source fabrics, materials and manufacturing and the company was soon turning out whimsical club covers that feature flamingos, graffiti, Abe Lincoln, ham and eggs and other motifs, $30 to $45. They also have covers themed to states (check out Colorado and Arizona) and this year will start producing college team headcovers licensed by the NCAA. Other products include golf bags, ball markers, towels and gloves. On the apparel side, they offer colorfully patterned polos for men and women, $60. pinsandaces.com Suzanne S. Brown is the former fashion editor at The Denver Post. coloradoavidgolfer.com
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Side Bets
IT’S IN THE (DONUT) HOLE: While your waistline might argue otherwise, eating the right kinds of chocolate can be beneficial for golfers making the rounds.
FAREWAYS
Golf on the Dark (Chocolate) Side Fitness experts say it’s OK to enjoy Colorado’s fine bean-to-bar dark chocolate. By John Lehndorff CHOCOLATE IS probably not the first food you think about when choosing a healthy snack to consume at the 9th hole. Reasonable people might wonder: “Is chocolate good for golfers?” When asked, two noted Colorado sports nutrition and fitness experts admitted that nobody had ever asked them that question, nor had they ever recommended that any athlete or golfer consume chocolate. That said, Laura Anderson of the University of Colorado’s Performance Nutrition Department and golf fitness guru Dee Tidwell both grudgingly admit that chocolate is not always just candy; it can be a vitamin- and nutrient-packed superfood. However, when you belly up to the chocolate bar, much depends on the kind of chocolate you choose as well as the quantity. JUST DESSERTS FOR A COLLEGIATE GOLFER “I can confidently say that none of our CU golfers would be carrying dark chocolate bars with them on the course,” says Laura Anderson. As Associate coloradoavidgolfer.com
Athletic Director in the Performance Nutrition Department at the University of Colorado Boulder, she oversees feeding nearly 400 CU Buffs in sports ranging from football to track. She is a former sports dietitian with the United States Olympic Committee. “A big thing you have to think about is large fluctuations in blood sugar. The good thing about dark chocolate with a high cacao percentage is you get less sugar. The cocoa butter is a good fat. So, it doesn’t tend to spike blood sugar,” she says. Dark chocolate also includes some good flavanols—also found in tea and red wine—that lower blood pressure and improve blood flow, along with nitrates that produce nitric oxide. Important minerals like magnesium, selenium, zinc, potassium and phosphorus, as well as Vitamin E, are also plentiful in dark chocolate. “I could see dark chocolate with nuts and dried fruit in a reasonable quantity as a great snack for golfers,” Anderson says. However, not just any chocolate can fill the nutritional bill. It has to be dark chocolate with
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a high percentage of cacao—at least 70% or higher. That means no milk chocolate. “You need to look at the ingredients: there shouldn’t be more than three or four ingredients including cacao,” she says. GOLF: THE ONLY SPORT THAT COMES WITH CATERING Golf presents a fitness challenge because it is the only major participatory sport that offers extensive snacking opportunities while you are playing, not to mention mobile cocktail service. The most famous Colorado golf course dish is the super-rich chocolate ice cream shake served at the turn and elsewhere at Castle Pines Golf Club. That’s not a surprise since the designer of Castle Pines, Jack Nicklaus, is a famous fan of ice cream. “Most golfers grab something easy—a hot dog, grilled cheese or beer. They don’t tend to think about good food choices,” says Dee Tidwell, owner of Colorado Golf Fitness in Greenwood Village. He has twice been voted among the Top May 2021 | COLORADO AVIDGOLFER
Fareways 50 Golf Fitness Professionals in the country by Golf Digest magazine. “I encourage golfers to eat raw nuts, a turkey sandwich or other protein at 6 and 12 to keep going,” Tidwell says. Tidwell is dubious about chocolate for practical reasons. “The melt factor is problematic with chocolate, given how hot it is on a golf course,” he says. Basically, most of the chocolate sitting on the grocery shelf is not the kind of chocolate Laura Anderson and Dee Tidwell recommend. Most commercial chocolate is a commodity with little transparency. The wrapper will not tell you where the cacao was grown or its environmental impact. The truth is that most big chocolate companies can’t guarantee that wage slave and child labor isn’t used to harvest their cacao. WHY AN $8 CHOCOLATE BAR IS WORTH IT Thankfully, a new generation of chocolate makers are producing better chocolate. They source the beans from the farmers themselves and make sure they are paid a fair price. These artisan bars advertise their high percentage of cacao and boast mouth-filling flavors ranging from floral to nutty along with complex and yummy aromas. It’s remarkable considering that the best bean-to-bar single origin dark bars use only two or three ingredients: cacao beans and sugar and sometimes additional cocoa butter. Good dark chocolate isn’t bitter. Bitterness is a sign of badly made chocolate that is often covered up with sugar and artificial flavorings. The lengths these chocolate makers go to in order to assure quality and transparency means that these chocolate bars are much more expensive than their Hershey’s and Cadbury counterparts—as much as $8 to $10 or more per bar. It’s a small price to pay for chocolate you feel good about eating and can appreciate the same way you savor top-shelf coffees, teas, wines and spirits. DARK CHOCOLATE, PUTTING AND THE 17TH HOLE? “Golf is interesting from a physiological perspective because it’s a sport involving lowintensity exercise that has these bouts of highintensity movement,” says Laura Anderson. “They are out there so long—3½ to 4½ hours, and that doesn’t include delays throughout the day. It’s a stretch to say it is ‘performance-enhancing,’ but the different compounds in dark chocolate can help with the cognitive component of the sport,” she says. Chocolate contains two eye-opening compounds—caffeine and theobromine— which also account for its reputation as an aphrodisiac. “People don’t think of chocolate as necessarily a health food, but it is…or at least it can be,” Anderson says. A Coloradan since 1976, John Lehndorff is the former Dining Critic of the Rocky Mountain News and Food Editor of the Boulder Daily Camera. He hosts Radio Nibbles on KGNU. COLORADO AVIDGOLFER | May 2021
THE 70% SOLUTION: To get the best cognitive performance boost, golfers should choose chocolates made predominately (at least 70 percent) of cacao.
TASTE COLORADO’S TOP BEAN-TO-BAR CHOCOLATE For more than a year, I’ve been lucky enough to host monthly virtual tastings of bean-to-bar chocolate from around the world through the Boulder Bookstore’s Chocolate Club. I’ve had an opportunity to sample more than 100 of the world’s best bars, including my favorites handcrafted in small batches in Colorado. CULTURA CRAFT CHOCOLATE 70% WHISKEY AND NIBS This Denver chocolate maker soaks cacao nibs in Colorado-distilled Deerhammer American Single Malt Whiskey to craft a bar that has won numerous international awards. The Cultura café is a must-visit destination for bars and drinking chocolate. $5 mini-bar. Cultura Craft Chocolate: 3742 Morrison Rd., culturachocolate.com FORTUNA CHOCOLATE DARK 75% MEXICO Organic stone-ground single-estate cacao beans from Chontalpa, Mexico and organic sugar are the only ingredients in this Boulder company’s silky smooth dark bar. For baking and cooking, use Fortuna’s Stone Ground Cacao. $5 mini-bar. Fortuna Chocolate: fortuna-chocolate.com DAR CHOCOLATE DARK COFFEE 90% ECUADOR Dark-roasted Ecuadorian cacao beans and coffee beans are melded into a creamy but powerful bar with only a hint of sweetness. $7. Dar Chocolate: 12189 Pennsylvania St., Thornton, darchocolate.com ANIMAS CHOCOLATE CO. HIGHLINE BAR 75% BELIZE Small batches of organic cacao from southern Belize are roasted and ground in Durango to make one of the best-tasting dark bars Colorado has to offer. The shop is a great place to view the chocolatemaking process. $9. Animas Chocolate Co.: 920 Main Ave., Durango, animaschocolatecompany.com MOKSHA CHOCOLATE DARK CHOCOLATE 72% PERU Boulder’s Moksha sustainably sources rare Criollo cacao from Peru’s Alto Mayo valley to create a gem of a bar: barely sweet, intensely fudgy with lots of berry aroma. $9. Moksha Chocolate: mokshachocolate.com NUANCE CHOCOLATE 70% PAPUA NEW GUINEA Instead of using the sun, these beans are dried over fires, giving these smooth bars an appealing hint of smoke. Nuance offers the state’s widest selection of single origin bean-to-bar chocolate, including Ghana Extra Dark 90%. $8.50. Nuance Chocolate: 214 Pine St., Fort Collins, nuancechocolate.com
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Side Bets NICE DRIVES
No Longer Exceptions, But Exceptional Now part of the mainstream, big rigs may be here to stay. By Isaac Bouchard NOW THAT pickups, SUVs and crossovers comprise over 75 percent of new vehicle sales in the United States, it seems time to evaluate them as we do cars. They are no longer the exception for the “urban cowboy”—they’re now the normal mode of transport that Americans choose. Nor do they necessary signal to others that their owner is outdoorsy or adventurous. As they have become more ubiquitous, that vibe has diminished. In that spirit, here is a cross section of some of the most recent.
2021 LINCOLN AVIATOR GRAND TOURING EPA Ratings: 56 gas/elec 0-60mph: 5.0sec Price as tested: $90,460 Lincoln has done a superb job of reestablishing itself as a true luxury vehicle maker. And since the public has switched parties and overwhelming votes for SUVs and crossovers now, it is timely that the new Aviator was ready. In its standard form it is terrific; with a strong, twinturbo 3-liter V6, smooth 10sp automatic, lovely interior and (to these eyes) gorgeous styling. They have certainly upped the ante with the Grand Touring model, whose plugin hybrid drivetrain allows it to go about 20 miles on electrons and significantly bumps power and torque. Totals of 494 ponies and 630lb-ft of twist mean it is competitive with all but the hottest class entrants, and mixed-use fuel economy in the mid-20s mean it is pretty equivalent to what BMW gets from the plugin X5 45e. The Lincoln’s third row is more habitable too, on par with those in the Audi Q7, Volvo XC90 and Cadillac XT6 (whose powertrain offerings and interior ambiance are far behind the others). The Aviator has the kind of serene ride that many of us find vastly more useful than the ability to circle a skidpad at 1g; there is even the option of a camera that scans ahead for potholes and
COLORADO AVIDGOLFER | May 2021
Lincoln Aviator
the like, so as to prime the computer-controlled suspension to better deal with our awful roads. Steering precision is great and the brakes feel nicely calibrated—hard to do in a hybrid. About the only noticeable area for improvement is that the Aviator kicks the gasoline engine back on more frequently (and noticeably) than some other plugins due to its small electric motor. Lincoln is right there on tech and customer interaction, too. Their warranty is fully competitive (including up to eight years and 100,000 on the hybrid’s drivetrain) and there is concierge services that come with top models. You can unlock and start the Aviator from your phone, there is wireless Apple and Android phone sync, great sound systems from Revel with up to 28 speakers and lovely graphics for the two screens. The intuitiveness and simplicity of controlling the Lincoln through them is also a calming respite from the overly complex systems in many rivals. Completing the focus on occupant comfort are the optional Perfect Position front seats, which can be adjusted 30-ways (!) and are of course heated and ventilated. Interior material quality is on par with the competition from Europe, too, and the color palette options are daring yet classy. Making Lincoln aspirational to those of us in midlife was always going to be hard, but with vehicles as good as the Aviator Grand Touring, they have cracked the code.
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2021 CHEVROLET SILVERADO 2500HD & SUBURBAN EPA Ratings: Silverado N/A; Suburban 20/26/22 0-60mph: Silverado 8.0sec (est); Suburban 8.5sec Price as tested: Silverado $61,220; Suburban $75,300 The General shows its truck-building acumen with these two heavy haulers—one for people and one for gear. Based on a shared platform, they can accomplish most any outsized mission, yet are perfectly acceptable daily drivers. To these eyes, they both look the part; the Silverado, dressed up in Z71 Sport trim, boasts a bitchin’ body-color panel that bisects the huge grill and prominently spells out CHEVROLET, evoking some of the company’s glorious past. It could use a bigger wheel/tire combo to fill out those fender wells, but many owners will choose to do that for themselves. The Suburban High Country goes for refined elegance and succeeds; its form language is clean and it leaves plenty of air for the Cadillac Escalade (also built on the platform) to strut its stuff. Inside, the Chevy is beautifully designed and finished in high quality materials; sadly, the same cannot be said of the pickup, which suffers from the company’s penchant for letting the “bean counters” cut material quality to save $50 per vehicle. It also lacks a less-than-cohesive coloradoavidgolfer.com
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Nice Drives
2021 TOURNAMENT SERIES LINEUP
Chevrolet Silverado
design inside—unacceptable when the trucks from Ram and Ford are now so good. If the scuttlebutt is right, next year the Silverado might get an interior like the Suburban, which would be terrific. They both drive great; the Suburban glides—as nicely as a Rolls-Royce in my experience—and is exceptionally quiet. It certainly shames its archrival Ford Expedition in the former category. The test vehicle featured the 3-liter turbodiesel, which is refined and fairly quiet, but perhaps not the best engine option for this leviathan. To me, that would be the sonorous 420hp, 6.2-liter V8. But it is pretty cool to get 25mpg on the highway, because of the diesel. Now that it has an independent rear suspension, the Suburban boasts class-leading room for cargo and people, and the middle and back rows are quite comfortable. This can also be said of the Silverado 2500HD, which had its wheelbase stretched 10 inches in this new model, meaning there is no need for a “mega” cab—this one has all the space one could want, and a standard bed that is so capacious few will want the longbox option. The engine lineup for the 2500 is strong too, with the tester’s gasoline 6.6-liter V8 providing more than adequate power. 401 horses move it along smartly when nothing is hooked to it, and even towing my flat-front trailer and its 6,000lb load (well within the 17,000-plus pound max tow rating), it could easily run well above the speed limit, thanks to its 464lb-ft of torque. The only areas where the optional Duramax diesel beats it is high altitude pulling power, and that you cannot get the slick 10-speed automatic with the gas engine. Real world fuel economy on both engines is almost the same too, so there is a good upfront value play to go for the 6.6L. The 2500HD’s frame feels like the strongest in the class, its chassis tuning is great and its steering is superb. It’s wonderful that we have reached the point where a ¾-ton truck like this Silverado can be one’s only vehicle; I’ve owned two prior versions and while they were true workhorses, they didn’t suit urban living nearly as well as this one. Thanks especially to its updated suspension and improved interior, the Suburban continues to be the best bet in many ways for large families who need to take it all with them.
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Automotive Editor Isaac Bouchard owns Denver-based Bespoke Autos (isaac@bespokeautos.com; 303-475-1462). Read more of his automotive writing, reviews and recommendations on coloradoavidgolfer.com and bespokeautos.com. coloradoavidgolfer.com
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The Country Club at Castle Pines featuring Two Days of Golf Pairings Party before the Event Cocktail Reception and Dinner Party after Day 1 On-Course Food, Cocktail Stations, Player Gift Bags and much more Competitive and Non-Competitive Flights A Chance to Win a Two-Year Lease on a BMW
To learn more or to register, visit coloradoavidgolfer.com/schomp-bmw-cup or contact Mike Carver | 720-493-1729 ext. 15 | mike@coloradoavidgolfer.com
A two-day Colorado Golf Experience like no other!
Colorado Section
Club Life
Elevated
From TEE TO GREEN, Snowmass Club is reestablishing its alluring cachet. by DANIEL B. GLOVER LINKED TO THE AULD SOD: Although high up in the mountains, playing on the Snowmass Club’s pastoral, Jim Engh-designed links style golf course delivers an experience closer to something found in Ireland.
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“We’re very family-oriented…it’s an all-inclusive
mountain experience for all ages and interests.”
PHOTOGRAPHS COURTESY OF SNOWMASS CLUB
SALAD DAYS: While the club features an ever-changing menu, the Cobb salad has been a staple and member favorite at Snowmass Club for more than a decade, while the club’s burgers were recently named the best of Aspen/Snowmass.
TENNIS ANYONE: Promising a family-forward experience, Snowmass Club provides numerous, year-round opportunities for fun. Along with golf, tennis and Pickleball, the club is in the midst of a capital improvement project that features a complete renovation of the spa and fitness area. The new layout will include specialized Spin and Pilates studios.
TO THE ROOTS While it’s been around for four decades, over the last couple of years under the current ownership, Snowmass Club has placed great emphasis on becoming a more welcoming place. “The owners of the Snowmass Club all have strong local ties. They are respected business owners, industry leaders and long-time supporters of the local community who are combining their expertise and enthusiasm to make the club one of the top year-round mountain clubs in the world,” says Joanna Mallory, Snowmass Club’s Marketing and Communications Director. Just a short drive from Aspen, nestled in Snowmass Village, Snowmass Club is indeed focused on its “familyforward” atmosphere, an attitude that permeates every aspect of its operation, be it recreationally at its yearround pools or 11 outdoor tennis and Pickleball courts, or gastronomically as members dine at the recently redesigned Three Peaks Restaurant and Black Saddle Bar & Grille. AN IRISH TWO-STEP Noted Colorado golf fixture Jim Engh took on a redesign of Snowmass Club’s course in 2005, in the process pulling off an impressive two-step—remaining true to and taking cues from the ranching families that had inhabited the land decades earlier, but also envisioning a layout that would hearken memories of the traditional links courses found in Ireland. coloradoavidgolfer.com
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That duality can perhaps be most notably found on the 535-yard, par-5 fourth hole, which not only features massive bunkering, but also offers an unobstructed view of Mt. Daly, rising majestically at more than 13,000 ft. Golfers shouldn’t be so entranced by the splendor that they fail to take heed of the sights much closer to terra firma—the hole narrows as you progress and requires an approach shot over a creek that crosses in front of the green. IN AND OUT Away from the links, Snowmass Club offers multiple opportunities for members hoping to maximize their connection to nature. Besides golf, there are also extensive hiking trails, as well skiing and snowboarding at nearby Snowmass Mountain. There’s also a dedicated Nordic Center, with cross-country skiing across the golf course in winter. Those seeking an indoor respite will certainly find it in the club’s redesigned spa and fitness area—anchored by a new clubhouse, members will be able to pedal and stretch to their heart’s content in the new Spin and Pilates studios. Members come here for the natural beauty, the incredible range of indoor and outdoor activities and amenities—for all seasons and all ages—and the amazing community of people who call this place home.
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The
Gift
That Keeps
on
Giving
An early love of golf has only grown deeper for these Colorado Moms who share their passion with their children. By ANTHONY COTTON | Photographs by JAMIE SCHWABEROW/CLARKSON CREATIVE COLORADO AVIDGOLFER | May 2021
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UNWAVERING SUPPORT: Although she isn’t likely to offer swing tips, Jami Mason (right) says she’s always available to offer support to her daughter Jessica, who plays at Holy Family High School.
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GOOD ADVICE: Kris Franklin (left) insisted her sons Jaxon (right) and Walker not blame others and take responsibility for how they performed on the golf course.
WHEN JAXON FRANKLIN returns home to Westminster from his classes at the University of Northern Colorado, he takes up residency in the family’s basement, where, like clockwork, his mornings are punctuated with an all-too-familiar sound. “It’s 7 o’clock in the morning and I’m hearing golf cleats on the floor—and I’m like, ‘geez, she’s going out to play,’” Franklin says of his mother, Kris. “She works so hard—she plays in the morning, then comes back and practices and then she goes out to play again in the evening. “When I think of her and golf, it’s about how competitive she is; she’s just so driven.” From taking up the game at a very young age under the tutelage of her father, legendary Colorado prep coach George Hoos, to playing through college and around the world as a member of the Japanese version of the LPGA Tour, golf has indeed been one of the guiding forces in Franklin’s life. And of course, after regaining her amateur status in 2017, she’s been one of the top players in Colorado. But as it turns out, these days, Franklin’s favorite memories aren’t hoisting one sort COLORADO AVIDGOLFER | May 2021
of trophy or another, following yet another tournament win at some course across the state—rather, they’re being made closer to home. “It’s at 6 or 6:30 in the evening out at The Ranch; when everyone else has left and gone home for dinner or whatever, and we just jump out on the course and play together,” Franklin says of her family—husband Brent, Jaxon, and her younger son, Walker, have spent at the Westminster country club. “There are times when I feel pretty small and insignificant because their swings are so strong and powerful and they’re just sending the ball soaring and I feel like I’m just putting it out there with a 7-iron or something,” she says, “but it’s so beautiful, just going out and laughing at each other, or one person’s upset because they’re not playing well and everyone else has to be quiet… “You’re out there and saying to yourself, ‘How blessed are we?’” Franklin says when her boys were younger, the family spent time together watching soccer matches or baseball games, adding that if it were necessary, she would have figured out a way to make sure she was
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a part of her children’s lives. But as it turns out, that wasn’t really necessary, because it always came back to golf. “It really is the family business,” says Jaxon. “But for her, it’s a passion that I can’t even describe…I can’t put into words how much she loves the game—it means everything to her.” While Jaxon (who is named after Jaxon Brigman, a journeyman pro golfer best known for signing an incorrect scorecard at Q-School, costing him a spot on the PGA TOUR) is taking a break from the game, Walker is a freshman playing for the men’s team at the University of Louisville. Meanwhile, Brent, a member of the Canadian Golf Hall of Fame, is the associate head coach of the women’s team at the University of Colorado. “I love being with them and being a part of it with them,” Kris says. “It’s really neat when you get to play alongside them, maybe compete against them…I will drop anything and everything in the world for that time with them—without a doubt.” Maybe it’s the equivalent of a father and son sharing a game of catch, as famously coloradoavidgolfer.com
depicted in the baseball movie “Field of Dreams”—a parent sharing their passion with a child, which in turn perhaps creates a spark in the younger person and leads to a lifelong bond. It certainly isn’t a given that it will happen, it’s not automatic—how many Millennials or Gen-Zers are wrinkling their noses at the idea of spending two or four hours on a golf course, let alone with their parents? As if! But when it happens… “The love of the game will be passed on to the next generation, that’s the hope,” says Janet Moore, another Colorado women’s great and a member of the state’s Golf Hall of Fame. “I certainly have so many wonderful memories of playing with my parents; my Mom (Reta) ran the junior golf program at Lakewood Country Club—she had such patience…I remember one time, it was the second hole there, I broke 20—I mean, I literally shot a 17! I was so excited and my Mom was so happy for me. “Golf is the activity that binds our family together; Steven (the Moores’ oldest child) had a club in his hands when he was two and a half, and (daughter) Sarah used to run around with us playing in the bunkers on the Par-3 course we played—we used to have to bribe them with milkshakes to get them to come out with us…When Steven was 16 and Sarah was 14 we went to Scotland; I remember standing on the first hole of the Old Course at St. Andrews, taking it all in and realizing it was where golf started, and there I was with my kids, who I knew were feeling the same way about it as I was. “It couldn’t have been any more magical.”
MOTHER KNOWS BEST When Walker Franklin (unlike his older brother, there isn’t a golf-related story to his name, like, say, the biennial golf matches between the United States and Great Britain) was being recruited out of high school, it was often by colleges that had experienced success in golf, schools that had sent numerous players from their ranks into the pros. When Kris accompanied him on visits to the schools, she made it a point to ask the coaches what made those highachieving players different from the other members of the team. One area which often came up was being able to mentally navigate the course; how they were able to avoid putting themselves in bad positions that could ultimately lead to poor scores. Recently, she asked Brent to create a spreadsheet for Walker, to log statistics like how often he hit a green in regulation— or conversely, got into trouble by, say, shortsiding himself on his approach shots to the green. “For years we’ve been telling him not to shortside himself, that he can’t be shooting for tight, back pins,” she says. “But time and time again he does it, and later it’s always, ‘I know, I know, I shouldn’t have done it.’ So we made this spreadsheet and he went out and played and tracked everything and he saw he was three over par on the two holes where he’d shortsided himself. “It was like, ‘Aha!’—it really finally sunk in, and I think it was because it was coming from a different place than me; you can talk until you’re blue in the face, but until they really get it…”
Franklin says when it comes to golf, and the idea of dispensing advice, it’s probably best to give it in small doses. “I think they listen…my boys hear me, but do they apply what I say to them? I don’t know.” While she admits that it’s probably all in her head without evidence of proof, Franklin offers that one reason why they may not be fully on board is because, despite all her accomplishments on the course, her sons are merely tolerant of her efforts at playing “Old-Lady Golf.” “I don’t know…I think I’m doing okay out there,” she offers, before adding that she can remember only one time when she insisted that they listen about how things should be when they played the game. “Way back when the kids were young, they would get huffy with us—‘Well, I hit this shot bad because you told us to do it like that!’” she says. “Well, Brent walked off the course. “I know I’m airing some dirty laundry here, but I told those boys, ‘You listen here— do you even know who your father is? At one point he was ranked 85th in the world. The information he’s giving you is correct, and don’t you ever blame someone else for your play or your outcome. It’s you on the end of that stick.’” Jami Mason and her family are also members at The Ranch. Her husband Jim is a competitive player, as are their children, Jacob, a redshirt freshman on the CU golf team, and Jessica, a junior at Holy Family High School who’s good enough to play in this month’s qualifier (also at The Ranch) for PHOTOGRAPHS COURTESY OF JANET MOORE
THEN AND NOW: Janet and Kent Moore used to have to bribe their children, Steven and Sarah, with milkshakes to get them to play with them when they were children. The pair would go on to become collegiate golfers at Wheaton College in Illinois, where they’d eventually be coached by their parents. In one memorable season, Kent and Steven won a Father-Son Colorado Golf Association championship while Janet and Sarah won the Colorado Women’s Golf Association’s Mashie Championship.
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“Their dad is probably a lot better at knowing when not to say something… I guess I just expect a lot from my kids.”
UP CLOSE AND PERSONAL: Jami Mason is hoping to see her daughter Jessica (right) sink a lot of putts when she tries to qualify for the U.S. Women’s Open.
the 2021 U.S. Women’s Open at the Olympic Club in San Francisco. When it comes to golf, Jami Mason says she’s not about to try to give pointers to her children on how to swing the club. But as a former high school and college athlete herself, who works as a pediatric therapist, she says she knows something about how the human body works—both mentally and physically. “I can help them a little bit with things like their mental approach—they probably haven’t been as appreciative of that advice, COLORADO AVIDGOLFER | May 2021
but they kind of listen anyway,” she says. “Their dad is probably a lot better at knowing when not to say something, but mom tends to—I guess I just expect a lot from my kids— I’m not pushy, but I do expect them to give their best effort in everything they do, not just golf, but being a good person and a good citizen.” Jami and Jessica recently traveled to California and Nevada, looking at potential colleges. Wherever she decides to go, chances are Jessica won’t find herself strolling through the quad with friends,
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only to look up and see…her mom. That was the case a few years ago, when, as students at Wheaton College in Illinois, Steven and Sarah Moore found themselves being coached by their parents. “Kent and I had always thought it would be fun to coach college kids—not necessarily our own—and just before the school year began, an opportunity opened up where we could step in and help them out,” Janet recalled. “Steven was a senior, so it didn’t affect him as much; Sarah was a sophomore and actually, that same summer, she had coloradoavidgolfer.com
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decided she wasn’t going to play golf, but run cross country instead. But there weren’t many players who were available, so I asked Sarah if she would help us. “I would have to go to the track coach and ‘borrow’ Sarah from the team. The first time, she hadn’t played in months because she was running, but she shot a 76 on a Thursday and won the tournament, then went back to the track team and ran for it on Saturday…I know our children didn’t go off to college only to have their parents follow them, but it turned out to be a special time for all of us.” Sarah has a similar memory of that time. “It certainly wasn’t too hard for me having them there; knowing my parents, who they are and what they would give to the team and how they would mentor the players, I thought it would be awesome,” she said. “Growing up, she was always my coach and my mom; giving me pep talks or talking with me about my swing and thinking through my rounds. “It was fun to see her play that role with the other girls on the team, and seeing how much they enjoyed it—it was like she was their Mom too. She would cook these big meals and her office door was always open, so they would come in and talk about stuff and life away from golf.” FAMILY AFFAIRS Janet Moore has played in 30 United States Golf Association events; in Colorado, she has competed in countless Colorado Women’s Golf Association and Colorado Golf Association tournaments (her husband Kent is the current CGA president), as of 2020, winning almost two dozen of them. But interestingly, Moore says her run of sustained excellence didn’t begin until after she had children. “I believe it was the joy of motherhood; how it put everything into perspective for me,” she says. “It helped me prioritize—it took the self-imposed pressure off and just let me enjoy the game. From that point, I never put my identity into the game, and the great joy I got in my life after having them allowed me to appreciate golf more when I went out there to play.” There have been times throughout her career when either Steven or Sarah caddied for Janet—Sarah was on the bag in 2018 when her mom qualified for the U.S. Senior Women’s Open. In 2009, the duo combined to win the CWGA’s Mashie Championship—a first-ever victory for a Mother-Daughter team. COLORADO AVIDGOLFER | May 2021
FAMILY TIES: Kris Franklin (right) says her son Jaxon is a perfectionist like her; he says he can’t describe how driven she is in golf.
“Mom was off in the junk and Sarah was hitting all these great shots to tight pins,” Janet laughed. When George Hoos was off coaching at Boulder’s Fairview High School, young Kris Hoos would often tag along during practices at Flatirons Golf Course. “We would go out there every day, and I never realized he was giving me lessons— we were just hanging out,” she says. “So for me, it’s the idea of just giving time to your children, because when you look back, the greatest thing is not just enjoying the game of golf, but everything that your parents passed along to you. “My dad was kind of good at everything—fixing cars, fixing the house—we didn’t call people to come over and fix things, we learned all that from him. I flip houses, and I say I learned all of my trades from him— pouring concrete, electrical, plumbing—all of that was from my father. “And even with all of that, he still gave
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me the gift of golf.” For the Masons, golf has also become a multi-generational pursuit; Jami’s parents also are members at The Ranch, and they take every opportunity they can get to play with their grandchildren. And at this point, Jami is happy that she’s part of the love affair with the game. “In high school, I was more curious about other sports; I ran track and cross country and was a gymnast and played basketball—I got away from it. Now I’ve come back to it; obviously because of the kids, but between work and dealing with all that they’ve got going on, I would say I don’t get to play as much as I would like to. “So yes, there are times when I kind of kick myself and say, ‘Why didn’t I listen to my parents when they told me I should be playing this game?’” Anthony Cotton is the editor of Colorado AvidGolfer. coloradoavidgolfer.com
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Feeling It
Yuma’s STEVE JONES smiled his way to the 1996 U.S. Open title as the “ultimate underdog,” taming “The Monster” and a pair of heavyweight contenders. By ANDY BIGFORD
SOOTHSAYER: Jones said there were times during his career when he just knew he was going to win—that was the case at the 1996 U.S. Open at Oakland Hills.
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TWENTY-FIVE YEARS ago this June, on the eve of the 1996 U.S. Open at Oakland Hills in the suburbs of Detroit, 37-year-old Steve Jones was finally shaking off the debris from a three-year injury hiatus. The 6-foot, 4-inch Jones had missed the cut in four of his previous six tournaments, still adjusting to the unorthodox reverse overlap grip he’d been forced to adapt after tearing ligaments in his left ring finger in a 1991 dirt bike accident. The previous week, he’d shown promise with a field-leading 67 in the first round of the Memorial Tournament, but he followed with a 79, another MC, and a date with sectional qualifying for the Open. Jones made it, in a playoff no less, though no one had won a U.S. Open that way in two decades. Jones was not on anyone’s radar, except his own. “Every time I won,” recalls Jones now, “I felt it.” He suddenly had that feeling again at Oakland Hills. “I’d told a lot of people, ‘I’m going to win.’” Even after a four-over 74 in the opening round left him seven shots back, the confidence never wavered. Heading out for a late afternoon tee time for the second round, in danger of missing the cut and with the South Course’s treacherous greens scarred by a day’s spike marks, Jones passed the entourage of Greg Norman, who had just put up a headline-stealing 66. “Nice round, mate,” Jones told the Shark. Four-plus hours later, Jones walked off the 18th to be greeted by a sportswriter’s pique: “You ruined our story, Steve!” Jones had forced a rewrite by equaling Norman’s 66, and was now in a tie for second behind four players. “Sorry,” answered an earnest Jones. A Saturday 69 left Jones in solo second, a stroke behind Tom Lehman, and paired in the final group. It was the ideal company for Jones, who, along with Lehman, is deeply religious. After they hit their opening drives, these two blue-collar-type golfers set out in the biggest pressure cooker in golf, Jones with his youngest brother, Scott, on the bag. Lehman suggested they pray, and they did.
PHOTOGRAPH © USGA/ROBERT WALKER
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3:10 TO YUMA Steven Glen Jones was born Dec. 28, 1958, in Artesia, New Mexico. The family moved to Yuma, 140 miles east of Denver, when he was 11. Both his parents, Glen and Barb, coached youth sports, and they stayed busy with Steve and his five brothers. Jones was a strong athlete, competing in the hurdles and high jump in track (mostly to stay in shape) and earning All-State honors in basketball. He realized his hoops ceiling when he faced off against Tom Chambers, the Boulder Fairview star who went on to be a four-time NBA AllStar, in a state tourney. Glen introduced Steve to golf at age 12 at the local nine-hole muni, now called Indian Hills. Even with the late start, lack of formal instruction, and a limited junior career, Jones wanted to be a professional golfer, particularly when he watched TV coverage of PGA tournaments in Hawaii and California while he was snowbound in Yuma. When the U.S. Junior
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Amateur happened to come to Hiwan Country Club in 1976, he qualified. Jones was near dead, four down with five to play in his second-round match, when his caddie-father Glen mentioned that he’d just overheard his opponent inquiring about the tee time for his next round match. Jones never knew if that was true or if dad was just a world-class motivator, but he won the next five holes, eventually advancing to the semifinals. Jones was never on the national radar in recruiting circles; apparently, word of his two state sand greens titles hadn’t gotten out. His only fullride offer came from New Mexico State University in his birth state. University of Colorado coach Mark Simpson coveted Jones and cobbled together a threequarter scholarship, but that still left too big a bill. In the 11th hour, a booster stepped in to cover the remainder, and Jones is believed to be the first full ride golfer at CU (the school’s other U.S. Open champion, three-time winner Hale Irwin, came to Boulder on a football scholarship). Jones made All-Big 8 three times and bonded with Simpson, who would become a lifetime friend; Jones was one of the eulogists at the coach’s funeral in 2005. In the spring of his freshman season, Jones was diagnosed with atrial fibrillation, an irregular heartbeat, requiring a procedure that shocks the heart back to a normal rhythm. Jones would get the procedure every couple of years for most of the rest of his life. After graduation, Jones turned pro and moved to the Phoenix/Scottsdale area in late 1981, where he has mostly lived since. In 1985, through his friendship with longtime NBA All-Star Paul Westphal, who would eventually coach the Phoenix Suns, Jones was introduced to his future wife, Bonnie Buckingham. It was a rocky road to stay put on the PGA TOUR, but in five years, Jones figured it out. He broke through at the 1988 AT&T Pebble Beach National ProAm, defeating Bob Tway in a playoff (he also won the Colorado Open that year). The next season brought three titles: the MONY Tournament of Champions, the Bob Hope Chrysler Classic and the Canadian Open. Then came the bike crash and a seven-year victory drought…before Oakland Hills. CONQUERING THE MONSTER U.S. Open Sunday was a roller coaster, with Jones falling three behind Lehman after eight holes, taking a two-stroke lead after 12, and then being caught by Davis Love III on 15, with Lehman lurking one back. The NBC broadcast of the entire back 9 is available on YouTube, with Johnny Miller providing his usual candor and color. Jones is aptly described as a “streaky player” (he never had consistent results week to week) and a “really good putter”—with a Bullseye pop stroke that was deadly on the countless six-footers that are the heart of Open success. He’s also serenaded as the “ultimate underdog.” Even though Jones had won three times more on the PGA TOUR than Lehman, those victories had come a lifetime ago. The setting could not have been better for a classic May 2021 | COLORADO AVIDGOLFER
bad swing on the par 3 17th, pushing it right of the green into deep rough. He bogies and Lehman pars. This sets up the 18th hole drama, with Love, Lehman and Jones tied for the lead at -2 after 71 holes. Love III is two groups ahead and looking at a slick, downhill 20foot birdie putt for what could be the win. He leaves it short, then misses the par putt, falling to -1. (Love III would win the PGA Championship the next year.) Jones had a habit of never looking at leaderboards, but now he wants to know, and he finally asks his caddie-brother Scott where he stands. An anomaly on Tour, Jones draws the ball, but has been successfully fitting it into odd, uncomfortable hole shapes all week. The 18th is the ultimate test, a dogleg right with a reverse bank fairway that throws balls left. Lehman’s slightly wayward drive skitters into a fairway bunker on the inside of the dogleg and settles under the lip; Jones threads the needle—again. “That’s
PHOTOGRAPH BY STEVE JELLERSON
U.S. Open slog; this was no Chambers Bay or Erin Hills, but an old-fashioned Open, where carnage is plentiful and pars win. Ben Hogan had deemed this Donald Ross course “The Monster” back in 1951, when his winning score of 7-over capped a legendary comeback from a bus collision. Despite the four-inch deep rough, nasty doglegs, abundant water and ultra-slick greens, Jones remains calmly composed, wearing a smile the entire way, laughing with his caddie over the occasional mishit, and acknowledging the crowd. On the 16th, Lehman and Jones pause again to pray, this time Joshua 1:19: “Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord God will be with you wherever you go.” They need it: The last three holes rank 10th, third and first in scoring difficulty for the week, starting with the dogleg right par 4 16th. Jones flushes his drive and hits his second shot close, but just misses the birdie putt. Lehman bogies. Jones makes a rare
A GRIPPING STORY: Injuries have forced Jones to miss a full third of his 40-year professional career; after tearing ligaments in his left ring finger in a 1991 dirt bike accident, he was forced to change to an unorthodox reverse overlap grip. Coming off an injury-related three-year hiatus, he was a decided underdog in the 1996 U.S. Open.
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called clutch right there,” declares color analyst Miller. After Lehman fails to reach the green, Jones stands over the biggest shot of his life, a seven-iron from 168 yards. The shot is struck pure. It lands short, dances past the flagstick, and comes to rest a dozen feet above the hole, inside Lehman’s par putt, which he misses. (Two months later, Lehman would win the British Open and ascend to No. 1 in the world.) Jones now has two putts to win his national championship and the $425,000 winner’s check. He does not hold back, just missing the hole and running perhaps a foot by, which he’ll later call “probably the longest putt of my life.” He finishes the week with 74-66-69-69 (278). Tiger Woods, playing in his last U.S. Open as an amateur, finishes 16 strokes behind. In the 18th green celebration on Father’s Day, Jones hoists his perfectly cute kids, Cy and Stacy (then 5 and 3), and hugs his wife, Bonnie. Despite “feeling” that he’d win all that week, he tells Dan Hicks that the Open victory was “not in my wildest dreams.” It caps a big week in Colorado sports as the Colorado Avalanche also win their first Stanley Cup in a 4-0 sweep of the Florida Panthers. Jones thanks the Lord, and credits a recently published Ben Hogan biography for inspiration—and motivation to practice more. Later, he turns down a six-figure offer to promote the book because the author wouldn’t agree to clean up the coarse language. He brushes off countless outing offers with their big checks and generally eschews the spotlight. He’d entered the Open after having ended a long association with Titleist and joining clubmaker Cobra, and as the newly crowned U.S. Open champion, he manages to triple the contract. At 37, Jones knows his priorities—God, family, golf—and sticks to them. The headline in Golfweek’s Open recap sums it up: “Soul Survivor.” YOU NEVER KNOW On the pro shop deck at Mesa Country Club just south of Scottsdale, Jones arrives on a sunny Monday in early March wearing jeans, running shoes and a hoodie with the logo for Vortex, a rifle sight company. Hunting, both bow and rifle, and fishing are lifetime passions. On his way to the deck, members constantly stop him to chat; he is clearly at home here. This circa-1948 course, designed by William “Billy” Bell (who did Torrey Pines South, among others), looks more like a U.S. Open track than desert golf; coloradoavidgolfer.com
PHOTOGRAPH © USGA/LARRY PETRILLO
COLORADO PROUD: After besting Tom Lehman and Davis Love III in the final round, Jones, who grew up in Yuma, accepted the championship trophy from another Coloradan, then-USGA President Judy Bell of Colorado Springs.
tree-lined fairways and greens perched on steep hills, including the par-five finisher below us. He colorfully describes the local characters and typical money games, with loud music, nonstop heckling and sixsomes that sometimes grow to 10 or 20 players. The winners of the 2020 Member-Member here are PGA TOUR pros Brandon Harkens and Joel Dahmen, who just won a PGA event. A foursome is just finishing the 18th when the banter begins. Jones congratulates head pro Scott Wright on making his birdie putt, and the retort is quick: “It’s a lot easier than the 18th at Tucson.” Jones had just returned from playing in the Cologuard Classic Champions Tour event, where he came to the 18th in his opening round at Omni Tucson National at three under par, solidly in the top 10. He made an 8 on the par 4 and wasn’t heard from again. He still plays a fairly full Champions Tour schedule of 12-15 events per year and is not that far from breaking through, having finished T17 in the 2019 U.S. Senior Open and sixth in the 2019 Toshiba Classic. Staying healthy, and being able to practice, is always the issue: In 2019 alone, he had open heart surgery (the doctor told him he’d have lived maybe three more months without correctcoloradoavidgolfer.com
ing the defect) and had his gall bladder removed. This comes in the context of a 40year career in which he’d been sidelined for a full third of it by injuries; besides the heart issues and dirt bike accident, there was a broken thumb, shoulder and back woes, and even tennis elbow. After his Open win in 1996, Jones would collect three more titles: His hometown Phoenix Open, a second Canadian Open, and the Quad City Classic. He also won the JCPenney Classic, the PGA-LPGA team event, with Jane Crafter in 1987. His career earnings are $7.5 million, mostly coming before the onset of “Tiger money.” Jones returns annually to Yuma, where his mother and three brothers still live. He was inducted into both the CU and Colorado sports Halls of Fame in 2013, and still meets and plays with the CU golf team when they travel down to Scottsdale. The youngsters hit it past him by 50 yards off the tree, but he usually wins. At age 62, his best days may be behind him, but he can still compete. And if he gets that feeling again, you just never know. Andy Bigford is a contributor to Colorado AvidGolfer.
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May 2021 | COLORADO AVIDGOLFER
Blind Shot THE UNSEEN GAME
Happy Mother’s Day! PHOTOGRAPHS BY JAMIE SCHWABEROW/CLARKSON CREATIVE; COURTESY OF JANET MOORE (TOP LEFT)
Sarah and Steven Moore
From left: Jami Mason, Jessica Mason, Kris Franklin and Jaxon Franklin
Jaxon and Kris Franklin
COLORADO AVIDGOLFER | May 2021
Jami and Jessica Mason
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