Colorado AvidGolfer Magazine August-September 2023

CONTENTS

AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2023 60

FEATURES 44 ¡Viva

Espana!

The Solheim Cup – and maybe Colorado’s Jennifer Kupcho – head to Finca Cortesin in Spain this fall.

By Tom Mackin

52

U.S. Amateur is at fabled Cherry Hills this month. The famous course will be the centerpiece of U.S. Amateur competition in August, and it is more than ready.

By Jon Rizzi

60

Rick George

Colorado’s athletic director, Rick George, has raised millions, built new facilities and helped athletes succeed. Now he’s made the biggest hire of his CU career.

By Jim Bebbington

DEPARTMENTS

08 Forethoughts

Excitement is in the air in Boulder.

19 The CGA

Colorado Golf Association board member Tom Markham continues service to the game and its players.

20 The Gallery

City votes to block TopGolf by limiting the heights of fences; A mesa course gets better; Rollingstone is ready for fall visitors; Lake Valley among courses with new owner; CGA match play youth winners continue summer of success.

64 Blind Shot

Getting a chance to launch the U.S. Women’s Open era at Pebble Beach.

By Jim Bebbington

SPECIAL SECTION 13

Fall Golf in Colorado

It is the best time of the year to visit Colorado courses. Before the cold nights lengthen, courses across the region have special deals.

30

PLAYERS CORNER

26 Lennys

The little shop that could on Denver’s Parker Road undergoes a complete makeover. By Kim D. McHugh

30 Golfer

vs. Nature

Fall golf is when people flood onto courses as the temperatures cool … and animals are there waiting for them. How to handle critters on the course. By Jay McKinney

SIDE BETS

34 Fareways

13

ON THE COVER

Where to go if you visit Boulder for game day for the first time in a few years. By John Lehndorff

40 Nice Drives

The Mercedes EQS450+, Toyota GR Supra and Volvo’s XC40 Recharge Twin. By Isaac Bouchard

University of Colorado Athletic Director Rick George on how golf and life prepared him to make the biggest coaching hire in CU’s recent history. Photo by Jamie Schwaberow, Clarkson Creative

PHOTO COURTEST OF UNIVERSITY OF COLORADO

AUG/SEPT 2023 | VOLUME 22, NUMBER 5

coloradoavidgolfer.com

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ALLEN J. WALTERS

ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER CHRIS PHILLIPS

CONTENT DIRECTOR

JIM BEBBINGTON

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MICHAEL T. COLANDER

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ART & EDITORIAL

art director

MICHELLE M. GUTIERREZ

art director , avidlifestyle BRENNA FARRELL

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TOM FERRELL

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ISAAC BOUCHARD

style editor

SUZANNE S. BROWN

editoria l int ern

JASMINE YING

contributors

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

Colorado AvidGolfer (ISSN 1548-4335) is published eight times a year by Baker-Colorado Publishing, LLC, and printed by Publication Printers Corp. 9350 E. Arapahoe Road #210, Greenwood Village, CO 80112. Colorado AvidGolfer is available at more than 250 locations, or you can order your personal subscription by calling 720-493-1729. Subscriptions are available at the rate of $17.95 per year. Copyright © 2023 by Baker-Colorado Publishing, LLC. All rights reserved. Reproduction without permission is prohibited. Postmaster: Send address changes to Colorado AvidGolfer,

This is an exciting time of year for golfers, football fans, and the people who love them

LAST YEAR a couple of my family members decided to go to their first CU Buffs football game. We’re all Ohio transplants. So they bought tickets at the last minute, paid a pittance, and sat in great seats among teeming hundreds of other fans and watched the game. They had a great time. Very intimate. Good action. And of course, the Buffs lost.

Those days are long gone. They evaporated when CU hired one of the most high-profile men in the game of football – Deion Sanders – to be the team’s head coach. Tickets are now a … tough ticket. For the home opener Sept. 9 against Nebraska the cheapest seat costs $210.

So why are we talking about this in a golf magazine? Because it is a veteran of golf tournament management who brought it about. For this issue we sat down with CU Athletic Director Rick George to understand how his background as a PGA Tour executive, Champions Tour director, and local PGA Tour stop operator helped shape how he approaches his job. He spoke frankly and passionately during the interview in his beautiful office overlooking the north endzone of Folsom Field.

George is nothing if not direct. In beginning answers to many of the questions his first word is ‘Look….’ As in: ‘It’s not that complicated; here’s the deal….’ CU fans needed that directness when it came time to bring in a new coach whose goal is

to not just incrementally improve the football program, but make it significantly better.

In the article, you’ll read how George describes his career to-date. He talked about how shoving stakes into the ground to set up a golf tournament and chasing touring pros all over the country to come to his tournament taught him the importance of hard work, paying attention to details, and relationships.

All of those traits – plus a multi-million salary – helped bring Coach Prime to Boulder. Now it remains to be seen if the program can return Buffs games to their status as must-watch football – not just here in the Rocky Mountains, but nationwide.

Elsewhere in this edition we kept the Buffs theme going through the excellent work of food writer John Lehndorff. John provides an expert guide to Boulder-area eateries for post-golf or pregame. I’m warning you now – the list will take several years for most of us to nosh through. So many great meals; so little time.

And lastly, the premier expert on Colorado golf – Jon Rizzi – has the definitive article summing up why Cherry Hills Country Club is among the eternals. With a fresh course renovation, the tract is ready to put the best amateurs to the test. If you’re planning to go watch the U.S. Amateur in August, Jon’s article is must reading.

JIM

THE MAN BEHIND THE CURTAIN: Rick George, right, University of Colorado’s athletic director, made the most high-profile hire of his career by bringing in Deion Sanders - aka Coach Prime - to be football coach. George has run golf tournaments, worked for the PGA Tour, and now is trying to put CU football back on top.

PHOTO BY CLARKSON CREATIVE

At Grand Elk Golf Community

CALL US TODAY TO SCHEDULE

YOUR FREE FITTING!

STATE-OF-THE-ART FITTING TECHNOLOGY AND THE BEST CLUBFITTERS AROUND.

Our shop has been around since the early 1980’s and has become a staple for excellent customer service, quality products, and an extremely knowledgable and friendly staff.

If you’re bored with the big box store mentality and want a more personal experience, then we invite you to stop by and experience the difference.

FALL GOLF in Colorado

APPLEWOOD GOLF COURSE

14001 W 32nd Avenue, Golden, CO

303-279-3003 | applewoodgc.com

Opened in 1961, Applewood Golf Course has been regarded as one of the best Denver golf locations for the whole family. Set against the foothills of the Rocky Mountains and 15 minutes from Denver, the course is a tribute to its breathtaking surroundings as well as the beauty of the game of golf itself. Whether you’re looking for leagues, lessons or the perfect location for a special occasion, your second family awaits you.

OFFER INCLUDES: 18 holes of golf with cart for $52.80. Valid anytime Monday-Thursday. To book your Fall Golf in Colorado tee time, please call 303-279-3003 or book online at applewoodgc.com up to 7 days in advance.

OFFER DATES are September 11-17

CHEYENNE MOUNTAIN RESORT COUNTRY CLUB OF COLORADO

125 E. Clubhouse Drive, Colorado Springs, CO 719-538-4095 | cheyennemountain.com

Championship-Caliber golf surrounded by the stunning Rocky Mountains. Tour-quality greens and gorgeous emerald fairways highlight our Pete Dye designed golf course. Play 18-holes yeararound in the Colorado Mountain air, reserve private or group lessons with a pro and stop by the golf shop to pick up all the best gear. You can also enjoy the amazing amenities of our onsite country club.

OFFER INCLUDES: 18 hole green fee, cart and range balls for $90. Valid Monday – Sunday, after 1:00 p.m. To book a tee time call 719-538-4095 up to 7 days in advance. Bonus offer: You will also receive 25% off pro shop voucher on soft goods only.

OFFER DATES are September 11 – October 8

COMMONGROUND GOLF COURSE

10300 E Golfers Way, Aurora, CO 303-340-1520 | commongroundgc.com

Designed by world-renowned architect Tom Doak and owned by the Colorado Golf Association, one of the state’s foremost public courses is also one of its most affordable golf experiences. It measures 7,200 yards and features mounded fairways, huge green complexes and plenty of subtle elevation changes. While challenging enough to co-host the 2012 U.S. Amateur and 2019 U.S. Mid-Amateur, CommonGround has multiple tees to create an enjoyable experience for all abilities.

OFFER INCLUDES: 18 holes of golf and a cart for $70. Valid anytime Monday-Thursday and after 1:00 p.m. Friday-Sunday. To book your Fall Golf in Colorado tee time, please call 303-340-1520 or book online at commongroundgc.com up to 6 days in advance.

OFFER DATES ARE SEPTEMBER 11-17

THE GOLF CLUB AT FOX ACRES

3350 Fox Acres Drive East, Red Feather Lakes, CO 80545 970-881-2574 | golfclubatfoxacres.com

Fox Acres is one of Colorado’s most breathtaking golf courses. This 18-hole course provides one of the most acclaimed getaways in the state. With holes that meander through rock outcroppings, peaceful ponderosa pines and pristine lakes, the setting is unlike anything else in northern Colorado—a course designed to challenge your mind and sharpen your game. There’s also a scenic driving range, 460 acres of pristine nature and fishing holes.

OFFER INCLUDES: 18 holes of golf with cart for $65 per person. Valid anytime Monday through Thursday and after 12:00 p.m. Friday through Sunday. To book your Fall Golf in Colorado tee time, please call 970-881-2574 or book online at golfclubatfoxacres.com up to 7 days in advance.

OFFER DATES are October 2-8

FALL GOLF in

Colorado

FAMILY SPORTS GOLF COURSE

6901 S Peoria St, Centennial, CO

303-649-1115 | ssprd.org

Family Sports Golf Course features the Denver Metro area’s only heated and lighted double-deck driving range. Enjoy infrared heaters while hitting range balls on cold days or nights. The shortgame practice area features two large greens, two bunkers and the ability to hit up to 75-yard pitch shots. The 9 hole, par 31, executive golf course is perfect for those short on time. In addition to South Suburban’s PGA teaching staff and GOLFTEC provide individual outdoor lessons onsite.

OFFER INCLUDES: Green Fee and ½ cart $22.00. Valid anytime 7 days a week. Reservations can be made after 7:00 pm 5 days in advance by visiting our website at ssprd.org.

OFFER DATES are September 11–December 31

GRANBY RANCH GOLF COURSE

2579 Co Rd 894, Granby, CO 970-887-2709 | golfgranbyranch.com

Experience the serenity of mountain golf at Granby Ranch Golf Course. The 18-hole layout is perfect for families and avid golfers alike. Playing at 8,100 feet with unparalleled Rocky Mountain views, abundant wildlife and strategically placed bunkers and ponds, Granby Ranch invites you to join us for a round of golf that features the Fraser River.

OFFER INCLUDES: $70 includes green fee, cart, and warm-up on the range. To book your Fall Golf in Colorado tee time, please call 970-887-2709 or book online at golfgranbyranch.com up to 30 days in advance.

OFFER DATES are September 11-17

INDIAN TREE GOLF CLUB

7555 Wadsworth Blvd, Arvada, CO 303-403-2542 | indiantree.apexprd.org

Folklore has it that the famed “Indian Tree” was a rare hackberry on the grounds of Indian Tree Golf Club. Its seed was toted westward and planted at the crest of our local foothills below the splendid views and peaks of the Colorado Rocky Mountains. With tree-lined Kentucky Bluegrass fairways, rolling terrain Penncross Bentgrass greens and a picturesque clubhouse, the spirit and sacred atmosphere of this lone tree can now be felt throughout our delightful course, located just 20 minutes from downtown Denver.

OFFER INCLUDES: 18 holes of golf with green fee and cart for $50. Valid only on weekdays, after 12 p.m. To book your Fall Golf in Colorado tee time, please call 303-403-2542 or book online at indiantree.apexprd.org up to 7 days in advance.

OFFER DATES are September 25–October 8

GREEN VALLEY RANCH GOLF CLUB

4900 Himalaya Rd, Denver, CO

303-371-3131 | gvrgolf.com

Host to all three Inspirato Colorado Open Championships and home of the TrackMan Range Experience, Green Valley Ranch Golf Club stretches to a demanding 7,249 yards and blends natural wetlands, creeks, and towering cottonwoods. The last three holes (known as the 3-Hole Challenge) make up one of the best finishes in Colorado golf—score par or better on each hole and the first drink is on GVR.

OFFER INCLUDES: 18-hole green fee, 18-hole cart fee with GPS, and warm-up bucket of range balls for $52.80. Valid anytime Monday-Thursday and after 1 :00 p.m. on Friday-Sunday. To book your Fall Golf in Colorado tee time, please call 303-371-3131 or book online at gvrgolf.com up to 7 days in advance.

OFFER DATES are September 25–October 8

LITTLETON GOLF & TENNIS

5800 S Federal Blvd, Littleton, CO 303-794-5838 | ssprd.org

Come visit our new club house due to open late summer to early fall! The par-63 executive, 18-hole course is a great choice if you’re looking to play a round on a naturally beautiful course. The title may say executive, but the challenge of the course is anything but that. Littleton Golf Course features two par 5s, five par 4s and some of the best playing conditions in the metro area. Located just west of downtown Littleton, adjacent to the South Platte River, the course is a great test of golf for players of all abilities.

OFFER INCLUDES: 18 holes of golf with cart and range balls for $59. Valid Monday-Thursday anytime and Friday-Sunday after 12 p.m. Reservations can be made after 7:00 pm 5 days in advance by visiting our website at ssprd.org.

OFFER DATES are September 11– December 31

RACCOON CREEK GOLF COURSE

7301 West Bowles Avenue, Littleton, CO 80123 303-973-4653 | RaccoonCreek.com

Raccoon Creek is a hidden gem in Littleton, SE of Denver. Our Dick Phelps design features terrific playing conditions, undulating greens, more than 3,000 mature trees, and water in play on 14 holes. Our outstanding Farmhouse/Clubhouse opened in 2018 and is one of the best after-golf hangouts in town.

OFFER INCLUDES: 18 holes of golf and cart for $52.80. Valid daily after 12:00 p.m. To book your Fall Golf in Colorado tee time, please call 303-973-4653, 7 days in advance or book online at raccooncreek.com up to 14 days in advance.

OFFER DATES are September 11 – October 8

FALL

GOLF

in Colorado

LONE TREE GOLF CLUB & HOTEL

9808 Sunningdale Blvd, Lone Tree, CO 303-799-9940 | ssprd.org

The Arnold Palmer-designed par-72 championship course features five set s of tees and stretches to more than 7,000 yards, with rolling fairways, fast undulating greens and incredible views of Denver and the Front Range. Lone Tree's practice facilities have a grass-tee driving range, large putting green and a short-game area featuring two chipping greens, two sand bunkers and one grass bunker. The 45,000-square-foot clubhouse offers 15 hotel suites, banquet facilities for 250 guests and an outdoor patio and bar.

OFFER INCLUDES: 18 holes of golf with cart and range balls for $85. Valid Monday-Thursday anytime and Friday-Sunday after 12 p.m. Reservations can be made after 7:00 pm 5 days in advance by visiting our website at ssprd.org

OFFER DATES are September 11–December 31

SOUTH SUBURBAN GOLF COURSE

7900 S Colorado Blvd, Centennial, CO 303-770-5500 | ssprd.org

South Suburban is a superbly maintained, 18-hole regulation course, with a suburban vibe and setting. Enjoy our signature undulating greens and beautiful mountain views. Our newly designed 18th hole is one of the best in the state, with water and an abundance of sand to test your game. Sharpen your skills on our new short-game practice area, which includes chipping, putting and a practice bunker, or on our challenging 9-hole par-3 course.

OFFER INCLUDES: 18 holes of golf with cart and range balls for $69. Valid Monday-Thursday anytime and Friday-Sunday after 12 p.m. Reservations can be made after 7:00 pm 5 days in advance by visiting our website at ssprd.org.

OFFER DATES are September 11–December 31

TIARA RADO GOLF COURSE

2057 Broadway, Grand Junction, CO 970-254-3830 | golfgrandjunction.net

When it's time to Golf Grand Junction, enjoy a round at Tiara Rado Golf Course! Located next to the spectacular Colorado National Monument, Tiara Rado Golf Course is fun and challenging for golfers of all levels, with five different tee locations, undulating greens and water penalty areas, and picture perfect backdrops on every hole. Tiara Rado Golf Course has a full practice area, golf carts, pull carts, rental clubs, full-service pro shop and restaurant.

OFFER INCLUDES: 18 holes of golf with cart for $28 per person. Valid Monday-Sunday after 11 a.m. To book a tee time, call 7 days in advance and reference Colorado AvidGolfer.

OFFER DATES are October 2-8

People make the CGA run

People of the CGA – Tom Markham

Tom Markham served as the Executive Director of the Lowry Redevelopment Authority from 1997 to 2012. The Lowry Air Force Base closed in 1994 after 63 years of operations. Part of that closure included transitioning the former Lowry Air Force Base golf course into what is now the CGA-owned CommonGround Golf Course. Tom played an instrumental role in selecting the CGA to become the golf course owner and operator. Following his retirement Tom was invited to serve on the CGA board and has continued to serve as an invaluable steward of this legacy project.

EM: How did it happen that the CGA was chosen by the LRA to redevelop the old Lowry Air Force Base Golf Course?

TM: The old course was part of the conveyance of land that the LRA was responsible for transitioning. We were not golf course developers, so we interviewed over 20 companies, but hands down the CGA was the best fit. They shared our vision of building a course that would be a true community asset. Truth be told, the CGA had a better balance sheet than many of the other entities interested in redeveloping the course. They had been putting money aside for an opportunity such as this and that financial planning, along with their non-profit mission made them a perfect partner.

EM: As you look at it today, are you proud of what you see?

TM: I could not imagine a better outcome. We didn’t know if the end result would be a simple upgrade to the old course, a redo of tees, greens and bunkers, or a wholesale change. The CGA did a masterful job. To end up with a Tom Doak-designed world-

class golf course is amazing.

EM: Tell us about your personal connection to the Air Force and to Lowry?

TM: I was in the 8th class at the Air Force Academy graduating in 1966. I served in the Air Force for over seven years during Vietnam and was honorably discharged as a Captain. President Eisenhower signed the bill creating the Air Force Academy in 1954 before the Air Force Academy was built in Colorado Springs. Not many people know that Lowry was the original home of the Air Force Academy. This has always given me a personal connection to Lowry.

EM: How did your love of golf play into the selection of the CGA?

TM: It figured in a lot. It made me want to educate my board on why the CGA was the right partner for us. Golf was always a big part of my life. Because of our financial success, the LRA was able to assist many new projects developed at Lowry. Two of my favorites are the Wings Over the Rockies Air Museum because of the wonderful legacy of the Air Force.  The second is what the CGA has accomplished with the development of CommonGround Golf Course and all the programs offered to the community.

EM: How did the community putting green come about?

TM: From the beginning, the CGA had the vision of creating a free space for the community where everyone can engage. Putting is something everyone can do. The LRA donated the money to create this space at CommonGround a couple of years after the course opened. We were honored to do it and we named it after Dave Herlinger who loved golf and was president of the

LRA board for many years.

EM: When you reflect on the big picture of Lowry and its transition from military to public use, what stands out?

TM: Everything we did at Lowry was driven by public use. We had one of the biggest and best affordable housing programs and we created a community land trust so that these 200 units will continue to be affordable. When you look at how housing prices have continued to go up and up you realize more than ever how important it is to create affordable options.

EM: What made Lowry stand out from the other base closures that were going on during the 1990s?

TM: Lowry was part of five rounds of closures that included 125 properties. Lowry was considered to be at the very top in terms of the final outcome and its financial success.

When I traveled around the country to visit other BRAC (Base Realignment and Closure) projects, I saw a lot of failures. We would not have been able to do all of the good things in the community had we not been financially successful. At the end of the day, we made a positive economic impact of $7 billion on Aurora, Denver and Colorado. I would say that is a success.

After retiring from the LRA in 2012 Tom Markham joined the CGA board in 2014. During the past 10 years, Tom has served on many CGA committees including the CGA’s golf course oversight committee. Thank you, Tom Markham, for being such a great champion for the CGA and for golf!

Ed Mate is the Executive Director/CEO of the CGA.

TOM MARKHAM

By Ed Mate

The CGA Serving All Colorado Golfers

Grand Junction: The Beauty of the Desert

By Todd Hartley

From the opening tee shot at the Golf Club at Redlands Mesa, it’s clear you’re about to play a rarity in Colorado: a true desert golf course. The sweeping views to the south are dominated by the spectacular sandstone spires of Colorado National Monument, and the lush green fairway below you is lined by barren scrubland that you’re pretty sure has its fair share of cacti to menace golfers looking for wayward drives.

It’s all part of the unique character of this award-winning club in Grand Junc-

tion that many consider the best public golf course in the state and the best course overall in western Colorado.

“I love it. What an amazing golf course,” says head pro Brandon Pinard, who arrived at the course sight unseen last summer and just took over the top spot last December. “I played competitively in high school and college, so I’ve played courses all over California and Hawaii, and this one is right up there with any of them.”

Designed by celebrated course architect Jim Engh, a master at working

with unconventional terrain, Redlands Mesa winds through the redrock desert, around and over dramatic stone formations, arroyos and cliffs, with big views from every hole and strategic decisions to be made on nearly every shot. The course is open to the public but also offers individual and family membership packages that include access to the club’s private pool and other facilities, as well as all the golf you can handle.

“It’s unlimited golf, unlimited everything,” says Sandra Weckerly, the

club’s general manager. “You don’t have any other fees to pay.”

That just means you’ll have more to spend after your round at Ocotillo, Redlands Mesa’s eclectic, upscale-casual restaurant, which has a reputation as one of the best dining experiences in Grand Junction. It’s a perfect place to sit on the deck and enjoy a post-round drink and some ahi wontons and watch the colors of the desert and the monument change as the sun sets somewhere out beyond Utah.

Lake Valley Golf Club now Troon managed

By Jasmine Ying

Management of the Lake Valley Golf Club in Longmont has been transferred and is now with Troon, a leading golf and golf–related hospitality management company. Troon announced in July that they have acquired control over the management of 18 golf clubs around the U.S. including the Lake Valley Golf Club. Invited, the company that previously managed the clubs,  owns and operates private golf and country clubs, city, and stadium clubs around North America. The CEO of Invited, David Pillsbury, said he is “thrilled to embark on this historic relationship with Troon” and provide a better experience for all of the members at these golf clubs.

With Troon’s resources and ex-

perience, the two companies plan to give their customers and members “extraordinary experiences, meaningful connections”, as well as offer “unrivaled services to their clientele”. The management teams and employees at all of the acquired golf clubs, including Lake Valley, will keep their respective positions, the companies announced.

Tim Schantz, CEO and president of Troon, says that Troon is “excited to welcome these outstanding clubs, their members, and management teams” to their company and hope that this new relationship can create new opportunities for both organizations.

Troon, which is based in Scottsdale, Arizona, manages more than 760 golf courses around the world,

including 7 locations in Colorado, such as the Heritage Eagle Bend Golf Club in Aurora, the Rollingstone Ranch Club in Steamboat, and The Ridge in Castle Pines. Lake Valley Golf Club, the 8th golf club that Troon will manage here in Colorado,

is a private country club that has an 18–hole golf course as well as the Persimmon Grill, a restaurant that is open to the public. The club also has an on–site golf shop and a lake for swimming, fishing, and non–motorized boat use.

LAKE VALLEY GOLF CLUB

Playing the Roll

By Todd Hartley

Agem of a layout designed by renowned course architect Robert Trent Jones, Jr., Rollingstone Ranch Golf Club plays along (and, on four holes, across) Fish Creek, offers up huge views of Mount Werner and Steamboat Ski Area from every hole and sometimes has distractions that most other courses don’t.

“There are some moose who live between the first hole and eighth tee,” says Andrew Donner, Rollingstone’s director of golf. “Many times we’ll a have a moose standing by the first tee, and we’ll have to accommodate it. They’re a little used to humans, though, and we haven’t had any issues with them.”

Bear and deer also frequent the course, and early in

the season, when the creek is running high, you might have to delay a tee shot to let kayakers paddle by. But that just gives you more time to soak in the surroundings.

“The back nine is just stunningly beautiful as you get back toward Fish Creek Canyon,” says Donner. “It’s a great course, a lot of fun.”

Part of the Sheraton Steamboat Resort, Rollingstone is open to the public, but resort guests can save with stay-and-play packages, and property owners in Routt, Moffatt, Grand and Jackson counties are welcome to join a semi-private club that gets discounted golf and preferred tee times. rollingstoneranchgolf.com

PHOTO COURTESY OF ROLLINGSTONE RANCH

ROLLINGSTONE RANCH GOLF CLUB

Voters restrict fence heights to stop a TopGolf

By Jasmine Ying

The city of Timnath, near Fort Collins, this summer prevented a TopGolf facility from being built along Interstate 25 in their town in a unique way.

When developers proposed building a TopGolf the city council put the issue before voters. Rather than try to change the zoning of the land, the council put a question up for a city-wide vote in June: should the city permit fences taller than 65 feet?

The argument against the project is that TopGolf nets top out at around 175 feet tall and can endanger wildlife in the area. Opponents of the project reached out to the Colorado Parks and Wildlife agency (CPW), which researched the issue and wrote a report that supported their concerns.

The site where TopGolf was planning to build is considered a High Priority Habitat by the CPW. It has nesting sites for bald eagles and rivers, creeks, and streams for fish and water life that require conservation in Colorado.

A Hall of Fame Win for Steve Jones

By Jon Rizzi

In honor of its 50th anniversary, the Colorado Golf Hall of Fame moved not only its museum to The Broadmoor Golf Club, but also its annual fundraising tournament, which took place July 6 on the club’s East course. Among the 17 inductees playing in the 23-team field was 1996 U.S. Open champion Steve Jones, whose team took first place after a scorecard playoff with a squad led by 1986 U.S. Mid-Am champion Bill Loeffler. Tournament proceeds will fund the Hall’s foundation, as will those generated by the organization’s Golden Anniversary Gala on November 18 at The Broadmoor. coloradogolfhalloffame.org

The report concluded the proposed facility would negatively affect all wildlife living or moving through that area, especially blue herons and bald eagles. Both of those species tend to fly below the proposed heights of the TopGolf nets. The nets were proposed to be 175–feet tall; bald eagles in the area fly anywhere from 25–feet above ground to 175–feet above ground. The CPW’s research also concluded that the lights and the sounds from the facility would also impact wildlife in the area.

Proponents said the business would increase tourism and some residents argued that the project would be a good thing for the town, a review by Denver TV 9News found.

Residents voted on the issue by mail in early June and voted 2-to-1 to limit fence heights in town: 2,321 yes votes to 1,026 no votes.

A TopGolf spokeswoman said they are “actively exploring alternative sites” for their next location in the area.

TEAMMATES (FROM LEFT) SUSANNAH THULSON, CGHOF PRESIDENT BOB WEBSTER, STEVE JONES, CU WOMEN’S GOLF ASSOCIATE HEAD COACH MADDIE SHEILS AND STEVE MOSER HOLD THE CHAMPIONSHIP TROPHY AT THE BROADMOOR.

CGA Match Play

By Jasmine Ying

Just a month after winning the individual state championship as well as defending her school’s state title at the Colorado Girls High School State Tournament, rising junior Brenna Higgins took another victory at the CGA State Junior Championship.

Higgins won the match play tournament from June 26th to June 30th and played five rounds at the CommonGround Golf Course. In the final match Higgins defeated 14–year–old Addison Hines 5-and-4.

Charlie Tucker, a rising senior at Rock Canyon High school and a 2022 U.S Junior Ameteur qualifier, won the boys competition against Noah Richmond, 1-up. Tucker won his last three matches 1-up each. In the tight final match both players traded holes in a back-and-forth match until Tucker parred the 18th hole. Tucker’s high school, Rock Canyon High School, took second in the Colorado Boys High School State tournament, with Tucker being the best scorer for his school and tying for 8th place overall.

COURTESTY OF COLORADO GOLF ASSOCIATION

By Kim D. McHugh Photogrphy by E.J. Carr

Marvelous Makeover

Lenny’s Golf and Ski Undergoes a Complete Renovation That Includes GC Quads

In 1985, Hubert Green won the PGA Championship at Cherry Hills, Microsoft released Windows 1.0, Back to the Future become the highest-grossing film of the year—and Supreme Ski and Lenny’s Golf opened its doors on South Parker Road in Aurora.

Aside from the absence of wood-headed drivers, if you’d walked into the iconic store just a few months ago, you’d think you were Marty McFly, traveling back nearly 40 years. The place had largely remained unchanged since proprietor Lenny Nosewicz hung the ‘OPEN’ sign decades ago. Walk in today, however, and you’d be gobsmacked by the results of a total makeover of the interior.

“There hadn’t been a lot of changes or really a need to change,” says Nick Nosewicz, Lenny’s son.

“Other than installing Astroturf in the hitting bay, we really hadn’t updated the shop over the years, but knew it was time to invest in the future, especially since we just signed a five-year lease. So we decided to get more organized by making improvements to better utilize the space.”

Nick, winner of the Colorado Golf Association’s Match Play in 2015 and this year, a qualifier in multiple U.S. Mid-Amateur championships and grandson of Colorado Golf Hall of Fame inductee, Ed Nosewicz, clearly knows his way around the game and how the updates to the store would benefit customers.

“We’ve been affecting golf swings day in and day out since the early 1980s,” Nick adds. “Being smarter with our space gives us the opportunity to

do a better job of fitting, which is something we take a lot of pride in. Whether you are trying to break one hundred for the first time or win your club championship, our goal is to fit you with clubs that improve the way you play the game. This project makes that easier.”

Facing a Tetris-like conundrum, where gamers are tasked with creating order out of chaos by moving, rotating and strategically placing puzzle pieces into place in a confined space, Lenny and Nick enlisted the skills of long-time customer, avid golfer and retired architect, Ken Goff, to work his magic. His assignment? Add fitting bays with leading-edge launch monitors, preserve the putting area, keep the skis, snowboards and boots retail and rental sections, and increase the size of the custom club

Player’s Corner Profile

assembly workshop, which does double duty as the ski and snowboard mounting, tuning and boot fitting area in the back of the shop, while working within the confines presented by the existing 3,000 feet of floor space.

“My dad has done such an amazing job in this place over the last 38 years just the way it was, but I told him that I wasn’t sure I could do this for the next 10 or 15 years if the shop stayed as is,” Nick adds. “It is tight in here and it’s always going to be tight. We’ve really grown the business, so I knew if we could utilize the space better, it would be more enjoyable for our customers and a better work environment for the staff.”

Along with the inherent space limitations, what made Goff’s assignment particularly

challenging was finding a Yin and Yang balance between golf and snow sports, having to keep in mind that the shop does about 40 percent of its business in skis, snowboards, bindings, boots and boot fittings. After studying the store’s footprint, taking copious measurements and gathering input from Lenny, Nick and staffers, Goff came up with initial ideas on how to reorganize the space to function more efficiently for both camps. Several revisions later, a final design was determined, which basically rotated the interior clockwise about 45-degrees.

Entering through the front doors, customers now see three brand new fitting bays along the right side and the point of sale and payment register to their immediate left. That

is now where gloves, tees, balls, headcovers and other incidentals are available. Corralled by a short wall, the putting area moved closer to the back of the store, while hard and soft goods (think clubs and bags during golf season; skis, boots and snowboards during winter months) occupy most of the remaining space. The left side serves as a ‘slot wall’ where seasonal merchandise is suspended by slot shelving.

Being a small, family-owned business, the shop couldn’t simply close during remodeling, so work was performed in stages by TB Custom Builders, a Castle Rock/Denver-based contractor with phase one focused on building the floor-to-ceiling fitting bays.

“The new bays have GC Quads, the $20,000 launch monitors you see when you watch ‘Live from the Masters’ on the GolfChannel,” Nick explains. “We chose them over Trackman because we think they work better indoors and align better with our space.”

Despite having what he believes are six of the best club fitters in Colorado, it pained Nosewicz to see his guys having to maneuver around the cramped and poorly laid out workshop, likening it to episodes of chef

MAKING ROOM WITHOUT EXPANDING:

Lenny’s, the golf and ski shop on Denver’s Parker Road, has been refurbished to make the tight quarters more comfortable for staff and customers.

Gordon Ramsay’s ‘Hell’s Kitchen’ where contestants were all but tripping over each other to make dinner service work without patron-angering delays and disappointments. He credits a 2022 trip to Augusta National for a much-welcomed change to that vitally important area where clubs are built and repaired, as well as where bindings are mounted on skis and snowboards, edges and bottoms of those products are sharpened and repaired, and boots are adjusted.

“I was invited to The Masters last year and was able to tour the PING trailer,” Nick says. “I took a video of how they store their grips, shafts and club heads, and was impressed at how efficiently that limited amount of space worked....”

He shared his findings with Goff and his sensei of club fitting, T. Marcus Hughes, who goes simply by the letter ‘T’. Aside from being a lifelong friend, T has been at Lenny’s Golf & Ski for going on 25 years. With many of the PING-trailer-inspired ideas incorporated into the phase-two makeover, along with custom-built workbenches, component storage cabinets and drawers, and improved lighting, the workshop is organized and measurably roomier.

“Without T there’s no Lenny’s,” Nick continues. “Not only is he one of the best golfers in Colorado,

but he also has kind of a cult following as a fitter, which is a reputation he’s really earned. Some of our customers only let T work on their equipment. We are so lucky to have him.”

With as many as three, four and even five techs at a time sharing the workshop space—some working on skis and snowboards, others doing golf associated work—the retrofitted area is vastly more efficient than its predecessor.

The final phase saw the installation of entirely new flooring, display and overhead bar and track lighting, including highly illuminating LED light panels, a new coat of paint and a modification of the drop-down ceiling to create more of an open feeling throughout the store. Nosewicz and Goff took cues from Jon ‘Fitzy’ Fitzgerald, a 15-year veteran of the Lenny’s team and sales manager to improve the retail experience. A skilled club fitter and savvy merchandiser, he brought his expertise to the floor—literally—so now customers can more easily browse the displays, soft goods and slot wall offerings. Though the store underwent significant changes to its interior, the Nosewiczs were acutely aware of the importance of keeping its legendary, ‘old fashioned’ service level and folksy environment.

“Lenny’s is very much like ‘Cheers’ where I feel like we are more than just a place to buy clubs or skis,” Nick says. “I think of it as a barbershop where people come to hang out and talk golf and look around. There are a lot of things we have going for us that will never change like that welcoming feeling from our staff when people walk in. I didn’t want to lose the Lenny’s vibe with the renovation and hopefully after this project that energy is only going to be enhanced for customers coming through the door.”

Fall is when golfers and critters try to co-exist

Elk, bear, moose, rattlesnake –Colorado courses can have them all

Story and Photos By Jay McKinney

KEEP YOUR DISTANCE: Golfers and animals can face off any time of year on Colorado courses, but Fall is when herds migrate, and some love to set up camp on golf courses.

From the fish in the water hazards to the squawking geese that fly overhead and make an excremental mess wherever they land, every golf course has its standard assortment of wildlife. However, as in many ways, Colorado is special.

Golfers in Colorado encounter more than your average squirrel.

Remote mountain courses have it the weirdest. Employees there roam the fairways every day, all day and have legions of stories about run-ins with bears, mountain lions, elk, foxes, birds of prey. In Fall, Elk come down out of the mountains and camp out on any flat ground they can find. Whether they are seeking shelter, water, food or rearing their young – animals find their ways onto Colorado courses all the time.

Ryan Davis worked at Arrowhead Golf Club from 2007-2022 as an assistant and superintendent of the course that is adjacent to Roxborough State Park and its abundance of wildlife.

“One time as I was setting up the course for play in the dark of the morning, I came across a black bear wading in the pond on hole 14,” Davis says. “He was just sitting in the water minding his own business as I walked up on him. I did not see him until I was standing on the island tee. We just looked at each other and I walked away.”

While course employees might not always see the wildlife, their traces are everywhere. Another time at Arrowhead a hungry black bear managed to break into an outdoor walk-in cooler one night. Munching on salmon, beef, and everything else in sight,

the bear feasted and then scattered the evidence all around the clubhouse grounds. The horticulturist found a whole ham with one bite taken out of it in the parking lot, indicating the bear must’ve been full after a while.

Mountain lions are even more elusive than bears but Davis said they have still made their presence felt. One former Arrowhead employee had a run in with a family of them multiple days in a row.

“It was a mom and her two cubs that were probably a few months old,” Davis says. “They would watch him mow the approach on hole 13 for about three days in a row. We told him not to get off his mower and called him Fancy Feast for a few days.”

While the bears and mountain lions may seem to pose the most risk, some herbivores can be far more dangerous. During

the rut season in the fall, elk are arguably the most dangerous animals to both people and the turf. Davis is now the superintendent at Hiwan Golf Club in Evergreen and says he would trade the mountain lions and bears for the elk every day of the week.

The massive animals can weigh more than 700 pounds and wreck a green just by walking on it. But during the rut season, it’s not uncommon to see two males sparring and tearing up grass like it is tissue paper. Just before Davis took the Hiwan job last fall, two bulls were digging their antlers into a green and the damage is still healing months later. Not to mention, the elk’s urine kills grass just as easily as gasoline and is a constant task for the grounds crew.

In Estes Park, the Lake Estes 9-hole course throws in the towel and closes every September due to the elk activity. While

PHOTO BY JOHN LEYBA

Player’s Corner Player’s Corner State of Play

WHAT TO DO IF YOU ENCOUNTER…

MOUNTAIN LION:

• Remain calm and either hold your ground or back away slowly.

• Maintain eye contact.

• Never approach a mountain lion. Give them a way to escape.

• Do not run or crouch down.

• If a mountain lion approaches you, do whatever you can to look larger and speak loudly.

• If the mountain lion attacks, fight back.

BLACK BEAR:

• Never run from a bear.

• Contrary to grizzly bear attacks, if a black bear attacks you, fight back and do not play dead.

MOOSE:

• Do not approach moose and leave the area if possible.

ALL CREATURES

GREAT AND SMALL: Colorado courses can offer run-ins with snakes, mountain lions, elk, moose, deer, raccoons, coyotes and all manner of bird.

they can be found wandering through the town and on the nearby 18-hole course that doesn’t close, elk really take over the 9-hole course since there are fewer golfers and an abundance of food and water.

“In all honesty it’s just too dangerous,” says Austin Logan, Estes Park’s Golf Operations Manager. “The male elk are super aggressive, and they don’t care if you’re in a golf cart, in a car, it doesn’t matter. At the 9-hole course there are also a lot of places where the elk can get trapped because of the river crossing the way it does.”

In 2020, Zak Bornhoft witnessed their aggression firsthand at Evergreen’s public golf course. On hole 17, Bornhoft and the rest of his group were surrounded by elk and one bull took exception to them playing through. The elk charged their golf cart and gored Bornhoft, lacerating his kidney. He recovered and told Colorado AvidGolfer then he would play Evergreen again.

Despite the potential risks, most wildlife encounters are harmless. The animals that inhabit golf courses are essential to the unique environments and have found a way to co-exist with the game. Just keep a safe distance and enjoy their beauty.

• Running from a charging moose is okay because unlike mountain lions and bears, it won’t trigger a predatory chase since they are herbivores.

• If running is not an option, hide behind something solid such as a tree.

ELK:

• Keep your distance.

• If an elk approaches you, back away slowly.

• Don’t turn your back on them.

RATTLESNAKES:

• Stop moving and stay calm.

• Slowly back away and give the snake its space.

• If bitten, stay calm and seek medical attention immediately.

Source: Colorado Parks and Wildlife

By John Lehndorff

Eating in Boulder after a roundor your first Buffs game in eons

Our Boulder food insider reveals his favorite destinations for pre- and post-game dining

Boulder is the proud hometown of the University of Colorado but after successive losing seasons it has been challenging to cheer for the CU Buffs football team. The celebrated arrival of Coach Prime, Deion Sanders, as the team’s new head coach has pumped up hopes (and ticket sales) for the 2023 season.

Winning will be on the mind of tens of thousands of fans heading to sold-out Folsom Field this fall, as well as one burning question: Where can we get something good to eat and drink?

Boulder has a well-deserved reputation for weirdness in politics and social matters, but that cartoon image of “The People’s Republic” has tended to obscure one of its biggest attractions.

Boulder has become one of the top dining destinations in Colorado with multiple James Beard Award nominations for local chefs and inclusion in the upcoming debut Colorado Michelin Guide. The quality and range of nonchain local restaurants and cuisines available is remarkable for a city Boulder’s size.

However, there are challenges facing hungry football fans of a suddenly popular team. On a typical fall Saturday, Boulder’s eateries tend to be jammed with diners anyway. Add in 5,000 or more red-clad Nebraskans and tables at the usual eateries in town could be hard to score.

That means reservations months ahead are de rigeur if you hope to dine at Boulder’s most highly celebrated restaurants. These include Frasca Food and Wine, Flagstaff House Restaurant, Corrida, Blackbelly Market, and Oak at Fourteenth.

For golfers and football fans alike (for which the Venn Diagram may be a complete circle) Colorado AvidGolfer offers the following guide to the city’s culinary attractions. We’ve focused on the under-the-radar bistros, bakeries, beer joints and vegan burger spots worth discovering, where you might actually get a seat.

THE PARTY IS ON THE HILL

If you want to be surrounded by Buffs, head up On The Hill, the student district neighboring the campus. Celebrating its 100th anniversary this

BACK TO BOULDER:

With the Buffs again an intriguing team to watch this fall, there are the many great options for pre- or postgame noshes near Boulder.

TIERRA TACO

RIVER WOODS

year, The Sink is the student hangout for beer, burgers and funky ambience. Good luck getting into The Sink on game days, but there are plenty of other options in the vicinity.

Start with Café Aion, where chef Dakota Soifer’s locally sourced menu ranges from spot-on paella to French bistro dishes. It has a great patio, too.

The Hill boasts plenty of funky little food spots such as Illegal Pete’s (burritos), Deun Deun (Korean), La Choza (griddled stuffed Mexican torta sandwiches), The Waffle Lab and Kim’s Food to Go (Vietnamese and Chinese).

DINING DOWN ON PEARL STREET

Like The Hill, Boulder’s Pearl Street Mall tends to be wall-to-wall with visitors before and after games. Head to Boulder’s two good food halls with stalls offering a variety of cuisines. Rosetta Hall features everything from fine Thai tastes at Chiang Mai to the exquisite desserts at Petite Fleur. Avanti Food & Beverage has a brag-worthy roof-top view, great Costa Rican fare at Pollo Tico and legit pizza at New Yorkese.

Other Pearl Street attractions range from fresh oysters at the original Jax Fish House &

Oyster Bar and afternoon tea at the Boulder Dushanbe Teahouse.

Boulder has a virtual taco trail you can follow downtown from upscale tacos at My Friend Felix to tacos with strong margaritas at Rio Grande Mexican Restaurant. You’ll find the widest taco filling selections at T/ACO and nearby at Centro Mexican Kitchen.

If you go beyond downtown, some of the most authentic tacos can be enjoyed at Coma Mexican Grill and at Tierra Y Fuego. The neatest place to eat tacos is next to the railroad tracks on the patio at Mcdevitt Taco Supply, set up at Sanitas Brewing Company.

IN NEED OF A BIG STEAK?

Boulder may have a tofu reputation, but big, beautiful, juicy steaks are still on the menus. First-class ribeyes, tomahawks and thick chops are easy to find, with reservations, at Steakhouse No. 316, Corrida, and two longtime Boulder favorites: The Boulder Cork and the venerable Greenbriar Inn.

DINING IN VEGAN WONDERLAND

Whether you are vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, GMO-free or lactose-intolerant, almost every Boulder restaurant offers some options. This

being Boulder, there are some standouts.

Leaf Vegetarian Restaurant serves inventive fine dining dishes that happen to be meatless. The informal Thrive focuses on raw foods, while Zeal offers dishes that can be customized as needed. Near Folsom Field is Flower Child, where students and Boulder’s many hippie retirees sit down for grain bowls.

One of our favorites is Meta Burger at Boulder’s 29th Street Mall, a plant-based fast casual burger joint that satisfies cravings without preaching. We go for a Supernova, a vegan patty with habanero jam, American-style ”cheese,” and pickled jalapenos on a soft bun with fries. For dessert: Deep-fried Oreos.

WHERE THE FOODIES ROAM

We send the folks who are serious about food and want to sample rare, local artisan pleasures to a short list of destinations that are all about the food. Dragonfly Noodle, guided by James Beard Award semifinalist Edwin Zoe, is one of only two Denver area eateries making its own perfectly slurpable ramen noodles.

Those in the know head to Amu for Japanese izakaya plates and Bramble and Hare for fare straight from chef Eric Skokan’s Black

START ON THE HILL:

The best first option for game-day food are eateries just off campus on The Hill, then include Pearl Street as well as options tucked in neighborhoods all over town.

PHOTO COURTESY OF WAYNES

PHOTO COURTESY OF TANGERINE

PHOTO COURTESY OF PASTA PRESS

We send the folks who are serious about food and want to sample rare, local artisan pleasures to a short list of destinations that are all about the food.

PURE COLORADO GOLF

K e y s t o n e R a n c h a n d T h e R i v e r C o u r s e

T h e p e r f e c t p a i r i n g o f b e a u t y a n d a d v e n t u r e

T w o d i s t i n c t d e s i g n s d e m a n d t h a t y o u p l a y t h e m b o t h

FALL GOLF EXPERIENCE

A Colorado AvidGolfer Signature Event

Presented By

Presented by

Side Bets Fareways

Cat Farm. They relax at River & Woods set in a renovated downtown home for chef Dan Asher’s ingredient-driven, big-flavor meals or settle in with chef Kelly Whitaker’s wonderful wood-fired creations at Basta.

We happily recommend foodies try the superior pizza and Southern Italian dishes at Pizzeria Alberico, a sister eatery to Frasca Food and Wine.

Other simple Boulder joys range from authentic dumplings at Flower Pepper Chinese Restaurant to scratch-made spaghetti carbonara at the Pasta Press and sweet, buttery kouign amann pastries at Moxie Bread Co.

TASTE THE WORLD NEAR FOLSOM FIELD

Sponsored by

Just down Folsom Street from the stadium at the intersection of Arapahoe Avenue is an impressive crossroads of affordable international eateries. You can grab gyros and spanakopita at Kalita Greek Café and go next door for masala dosa and goat curry at Tiffin’s India Cafe. Within walking distance are eateries offering sushi (Tasuki), empanadas (Rincon Argentino), steak frites (Le French Café), tamales (Pupusa Lovers 2), savory okonomiyaki pancakes (Osaka’s of Boulder), and momos (Gurgha’s Dumplings.)

GROWNUP LATE NIGHT SIPPING SPOTS

We know you won’t have any trouble finding a brewpub in the Silicon Valley of craft brewing, but grownup bars where you can enjoy a first-class cocktail in the late evening are few but worthwhile in Boulder. Start with the Corner Bar and License No. 1, both in the historic Hotel Boulderado. Serious drinks are also served at the breezier, modern T-Zero Lounge inside the St Julien Hotel & Spa. But if Boulder has a shrine to cocktails, it is The Bitter Bar with gifted mixologists who take the craft seriously.

Here’s one last insider’s dining tip: On game days, eat outside Boulder. For instance, the best barbecue available near Boulder is dished at Wayne’s Smoke Shack in Superior. Be in line at 10 a.m. Saturdays for luscious smoked pork belly. Lafayette, just east of Boulder, has quietly become a tasty mecca. Get breakfast at the award-winning Jeannot’s Patisserie & Bistro. Do try the stellar fried chicken at the Post Brewing Company, the Cajun-Hmong treats at Casian Seafood, the artisan tacos at Teocalli Cocina, savory New Zealand-style Tio Top Pies, and the OMG crave-worthy Mono Mono Korean Fried Chicken.

Finally, Acreage - set on a hill facing the foothills - boasts an incredible view from its expansive patio and Stem Ciders in the glasses.

FOLSOM EATS BRUNCH Where would Coach Prime brunch? A Guide

Nearly as soon as he arrived in Boulder to become the new head coach of the University of Colorado Buffs, Deion Sanders started going out to breakfast in Boulder with his family. He documented his fondness for a.m. spots like the 50-yearold Village Coffee Shop in videos on social media. With some CU home games kicking off as early as 10 a.m., we’ve assembled a roster of Boulder a.m. spots including those that impressed the Pro Football Hall of Famer.

THE BUFF:

Try the blueberry Saddlebags pancakes with sausage inside.

LE PEEP:

Try the pan-fried rainbow trout with eggs and potatoes

LUCILE’S CREOLE CAFÉ:

Try sausage gravy on a buttermilk biscuit with jam, red beans and grits, chicory coffee and beignets

TANGERINE (also in Lafayette and Longmont) : Try the house-made corned beef hash

Santo: Try one of the best takeout breakfast burritos in Boulder

WALNUT CAFÉ:

Try the huevos rancheros

DOT’S DINER:

Try the Southern breakfast with biscuit, ham and grits

FLEISHMAN’S BAGELS AND DELICATESSEN:

Truck parked at Full Cycle & Colorado

Multisport: Try a bagel breakfast sandwich with pastrami

SNOOZE, AN A.M. EATERY:

Try the pineapple upside down pancakes

PARKWAY CAFE:

Try the chile rellenos with eggs

JUST FYI:

Upscale weekend brunch is on the menu at Salt, Brasserie Ten Ten, Mateo and Chautauqua Dining Hall, but be sure to make reservations.

Lehndorff has written about food in Colorado since the 1980s. He is the former Food Editor of the Boulder Daily Camera and Dining Critic of the Rocky Mountain News. He writes Nibbles for the Boulder Weekl y and hosts Radio Nibbles

John

By Isaac Bouchard

To Go Electric or Gas

Good choices now abound

THE VARIETY OF CHOICES available to car shoppers these days is almost beyond imagination. From classic, rear-drive sportscars with manual transmissions to electric vehicles in all shapes and sizes to top shelf SUVs, the variety and overall excellence makes for an extremely compelling marketplace.

2023 MERCEDES EQS450+

2023 VOLVO XC40 RECHARGE TWIN AWD

EPA RATINGS: 85 MPGe 223 miles range

0-60MPH: 4.3sec

PRICE AS TESTED: $61,880

RATING: 4 Stars

VOLVO WAS ONE OF THE FIRST legacy car companies to commit to electrification and the XC40 is one of the first examples of this EV future. It shares all the core attributes of the gasoline counterpart: chunky good looks, a lovely interior of high-quality materials—including comfy wool seats, a wonderful blast from the past—and excellent practicality for a compact crossover. It has the full suite of driver aids and a decent semi-autonomous drive mode. About the only ongoing annoyance (shared with every vehicle that uses it) is the Google OS-based infotainment system, which seems slower in response than ideal. The Recharge is fun to drive, being really, really quick, with 402 instantaneous electric ponies meaning 0-60mph in only 4.3 seconds. This Volvo rides decently too, despite the Ultimate trim’s 20-inch wheels, and handles fine, though it is by no means an enthusiast’s machine. It also lacks range compared to the best-selling Tesla Model Y, with can travel up to 100 more on a charge. But for urban dwellers or those who have a dinosaur juice-powered vehicle for longer trips, the XC40 is a much more pleasing machine, being better built and feeling more luxurious. It is also—to these eyes at least—much better looking inside and out, including its groovy trim panels of backlit topographical relief maps.

EPA RATINGS: 85

MPGe 305 miles range

0-60MPH: 6.2sec (est)

PRICE AS TESTED: $112,600

RATING: 3.5 Stars

THE EQS SUV IS BASICALLY a rebodied version of their soap bar-shaped sedan, with an optional third row and the higher seating position so many like. The model tested, the 450+, is rear-drive only, and has the least power and torque but the greatest range of the lineup. Like all the EQS models, it is lovely inside, with gorgeous trimmings and boldly tech-forward vibe. It puts one in mind of the starship Enterprise from the 80s-90s series, with its banks of capacitive buttons and touchscreens galore. Thankfully voice commands work superbly for those who are tech-adverse. The EQS450 rides serenely most of the time, though certain road blemishes flummox the air suspension. Its crossover shape makes it very practical and its four-wheel steering means maneuvering in tight confines is a breeze. This Mercedes crossover even has some genuine off-road ability. The EQS450 and 580 models most Coloradans will buy or lease come in fast and really fast versions and have competitive real-world range. With EPA ratings of 285 to 305 miles versus the American EV, which is rated at 311348 miles between charges. The Mercedes excels in the areas the company was long lauded for, namely comfort and refinement and the EQS SUV is a compelling machine.

2023 TOYOTA GR SUPRA MANUAL TRANSMISSION

TOYOTA HAS EMERGED as one of the most accomplished purveyors of affordable sportscars, with a lineup that includes the rally-rocket GR Corolla, the second-gen GR86 and the GR Supra, which is now available with a manual transmission. Forget the four-cylinder model; what diehards really will want is the 382 horsepower, inline six version, whose ferocious acceleration is barely lessened by the lovely, stir-your-own 6-speed. Involvement goes way up, since it is a genuinely rewarding ‘box, with a welloiled feel and precise engagement of ratios. The clutch weighting is nigh-on perfect, and for those who don’t want to—or never learned how—to heel-toe downshifts, there is a superb auto-rev matching function.

EPA RATINGS: 19/27/21 MPG 0-60MPH: 3.9sec PRICE AS TESTED: $57,270

RATING: 4.5 Stars

A potent 368lb-ft of torque from the BMW-sourced engine (basically the same as that in the Range Rover) at low revs mean many gear changes can be by choice, not necessity. But the rate at which the tuneful 3-liter zings to its 7000rpm redline when gas pedal squashes carpet mean that its fast action is a boon. The rest of the Supra recipe remains intact: superbly accurate steering, easily rotated tail and decent ride quality and refinement. The rear suspension still feels a tad soft in damping and springing, no doubt to increase traction, but overall, this is one of the great, midpriced driver’s cars of the 21st century, only enhanced by the tactile involvement offered by that endangered species, the classic manual transmission.

Isaac Bouchard, Automotive Editor, owns Denver-based Bespoke Autos (isaac@bespokeautos.com; bespokeautos.com; 303-475-1462).

¡ VIVA ESPANA!

SOLHEIM CUP–and maybe Colorado’s JENNIFER KUPCHO–head to Finca Cortesin.

By Tom Mackin

The late college basketball coach Al McGuire reportedly once said, “The best thing about freshman is that they become sophomores.”

When it comes to the Solheim Cup, a biennial competition between professional women golfers from the U.S. and Europe, that saying could be changed to: “The best thing about rookies is that they become veterans.”

This year that could apply to Colorado’s Jennifer Kupcho, a rookie on the 2021 U.S. Solheim Cup team. Except she actually played much more like a steely veteran in her debut rather than an intimidated newbie. In fact, she and teammate Lizette Salas were the leading point earners for the U.S. team during its 15-13 loss to Europe at the Inverness Club in Toledo, Ohio.

“She doesn’t play like one, and I never approached her like one, and she definitely doesn’t have a game like a rookie,” said Salas of Kupcho after that competition.

Kupcho could be a leading presence again for the U.S. when they take on their European counterparts at Finca Cortesin in Spain this September 22-24 during the 18th Solheim Cup. If she makes the team, she’ll bring valuable experience gained two years ago in the hopes she and her teammates can prevent Europe from winning for the third consecutive time and fifth time in the past seven Solheim Cups.

She will likely feel a bit different than she did in

JJENNIFER KUPCHO IN 2021;

PHOTO BY LPGA

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

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

PHOTOS BY JACK AFFLECK

2021, however. In an interview with Rachel Bleier of Golf.com the day before play started that year, Kupcho was asked how about her experiences as a rookie. “It’s been really fun,” she said. “Definitely a little overwhelming. A little nerve wracking. I know I will be super nervous tomorrow but it’s been really fun this week.’

Kupcho was then asked to compare

the Solheim Cup atmosphere to what she encountered at the Augusta National Women’s Amateur, which she won in 2019 by four strokes. “I feel like at Augusta there were just as many fans maybe, but they’re definitely not as loud and rowdy as here (Inverness Club),” she said. “I think that’s what makes it more nerve wracking and crazy because everybody’s so rowdy.”

On that first day at Inverness, Kupcho and Lizette Salas won their afternoon four-ball match (where each team’s lowest score is used per hole) against Carlotta Ciganda and Sophia Popov, 1-up. The following day Kupcho and Salas started off with a 3 and 1 win in a morning foursomes match (alternate shot) against Anna Nordqvist and Matilda Castren. That afternoon the

FINCA CORTESIN: The Spanish course hosts the 2023 Solheim Cup in September.

and Leona Maguire, although Kupcho’s clutch chip-in birdie on 17 had provided a brief 1-up lead.

During the final day of singles matches, Kupcho lost to Maguire 5 and 4 as Europe retained the Solheim Cup with a 15-13 overall score.

And while it was the first Solheim Cup she played in, it was not the first one she saw in person. That took place at the Colorado Golf Club in Parker back in 2013, when then 16-year-old Kupcho caught some of the action. Europe dominated that year, winning 18-10, still the largest margin of defeat in Solheim Cup history. But she did get the chance to briefly meet a player that year who would be her team captain this year: Stacy Lewis, herself a member of four U.S. Solheim Cup teams.

“I remember meeting (American stalwart) Stacy Lewis and she was really nice — the same way she is out on tour to everyone,” Kupcho told ColoradoGolf. org in 2021. “I remember watching and thinking how cool it would be to be in that spotlight and be able to play and compete, especially with so many fans

and it being so competitive.”

When it comes to match play, Kupcho has had plenty of success. Her impressive resume includes wins in the 2014 and 2016 Colorado Women’s Golf Association Match Play Championships

and also in the 2018 Curtis Cup, when the U.S. team utterly dominated their Great Britain & Ireland counterparts, 17-3, at Quaker Ridge Golf Club in New York. Kupcho went 3-1-1 during that competition. She also played on the winning U.S. side in the 2018 Palmer Cup, played in France.

That overseas experience should come in handy this year as the Solheim

Spain. The host venue is Finca Cortesin, an elegant, award-winning resort located on 531 acres in the golf-rich Costa del Sol region, an hour south of Málaga-Costa del Sol Airport. The exclusive property includes three restaurants, two massive pools, a Beach Club, and its own shopping area. On-site accommodations, where both teams will be staying during the Solheim Cup, are exquisite.

The resort’s course, designed by American Cabell Robinson and opened in 2007, is laid out on two parcels of rolling topography divided by a road. The first section contains holes one through six, while the remaining holes are accessed via a tunnel underneath the road. Routing changes on that front side have been made for the Solheim Cup, which means the opening hole will be a drivable par 4, over water no less, that usually plays as the layout’s fourth hole. Glimpses of the Mediterranean in the distance are sprinkled throughout the engaging but challenging layout. A collection of strong par 4s, especially the uphill 15th where many matches may be decided, is another hallmark of the

Finca Cortesin is nestled between the Mediterranean and mountains of southeast Spain.

“I REMEMBER WATCHING AND THINKING HOW COOL IT WOULD BE TO BE IN THAT SPOTLIGHT AND BE ABLE TO PLAY AND COMPETE...”

PHOTOS COURTESY FINCA CORTESIN

course. The site hosted the Volvo World Match Play Championship in 2009, 2011 and 2012.

As for the U.S. squad breaking the 2-time losing streak this year, captain Lewis knows it will be a challenge. “I was looking at the Solheim Cup teams over the years,” she told ESPN.com this past June. ‘I was like, ‘Okay, you have a bunch of rookies, and then you have a bunch of veterans for a while and the U.S. wins for a while. And then we go the other way with rookies.’ There are

ebbs and flows to it. The Europeans, right now, have more of the veterans. They have more people with a lot of experience. And we’ve got to work our rookies up there, and they’re working their way into getting that experience.”

Just like Jennifer Kupcho did in 2021 and hopes to do so again, as a battle-tested veteran, in 2023.

THE 12 MEMBERS OF THE U.S. TEAM WILL BE DECIDED BY:

The seven top Solheim Cup point earners on the LPGA tour; LPGA golfers earn Solheim points for each top-20 finish through the CP Women’s Open Aug. 24 to 27.

The top two players on the Rolex Women’s World Golf rankings who are not already on the team

Three picks by team Captain Stacy Lewis.

Tom Mackin is a golf travel writer based in Scottsdale.

PHOTOS COURTESY FINCA CORTESIN

A JubileeCherry

By Jon Rizzi

Photography by Evan Schiller

At the 123rd U.S. Amateur Championship at Cherry Hills Country Club patrons will find themselves on hallowed ground — a 101-year-old golf course with one of golf’s finest architectural pedigrees and championship histories.

Designed by the esteemed William Flynn, the layout in 1938 became the first course west of the Mississippi to host a U.S. Open — and the last one in which the winner (Ralph Guldahl) played in a necktie. Fourteen more national championships have followed, including two U.S. Opens (1960 and ’78), two PGA Championships (’41 and ’85), a U.S. Women’s Open (2005) and three U.S. Amateurs (1990, 2012, ’23).

Each has produced its own electric moments. In the 2012 Amateur, it was Michael Weaver’s lip-out on the 18th in the championship match, which allowed unheralded Steven Fox to triumph over a field that featured the future winners of 68 PGA Tour events and seven majors.

What will this year’s Amateur deliver?

The stage is set, and with no grandstands or ropes along the fairways, patrons will have intimate access to the drama.

IN LIKE FLYNN AND UP A CREEK

With abundant risk-reward options, Flynn’s parkland layout has withstood the tests of time and technology, thanks to the club’s commitment to excellence, maintenance and a long-range Flynn restoration project that Tom Doak’s Renaissance Golf Design team completed last year.

Referencing Flynn’s original drawings, the Renaissance team restored every hole on the course, adding length where appropriate to accommodate today’s game and removing more than 2,000 trees between 2005 and 2022 to improve sightlines,

playability and reveal the course Flynn originally envisioned.

Flynn’s Cherry Hills layout follows the unconventional routing of Muirfield in Scotland — the front nine figure-eights on the interior of the property while the back nine runs counterclockwise along the perimeter. Its 17th hole features the first island green in the U.S., and throughout the course are influences of Pine Valley, one of the many masterpieces — others include Merion, Shinnecock and The Country Club at Brookline — on which the architect had worked. The restoration’s capstone, the “Creek Project,” reestablished the natural meander of Little Dry Creek. To mitigate flooding, over the years the club had straightened, channelized, bouldered and rerouted the creek away from fairways and greens, rendering it less tactical than Flynn had intended. “You can see in his drawings, he was routing the holes and implementing strategy based on the hazard,” explains Renaissance’s Eric Iverson, who oversaw this part of the project. Completed this year, the project has impacted nos. 7, 8, 14, 15 and 16.

“The creek holes have all been made much tougher,” says David Lee, a 43-year Cherry Hills member who’s a vice-chair of this year’s tournament and competed in the 1978 U.S. Amateur. “On any of them, if your shot’s even a little bit off, you’re in trouble.”

That’s because Cherry Hills, like most classic courses, rewards shot placement rather than shot distance, and strategy over strength.

“You can’t overpower it,” Lee explains. “On most holes you can hit irons off the tee, but most of the college kids in the Amateur play super-aggressively. Here, you need to know when to be aggressive and when to play smart. The key is keeping it in the fairway and positioning your shots

...Cherry Hills rewards shot placement rather than shot distance, and strategy over strength.

so you can play the optimal angle into the green. But you need to study the course hard to know what those are.”

The 312 entrants had better do their homework.

SO WHAT’S ON THE TEST?

Cherry Hills will play at virtually the identical yardage (7,405) that it did for the 2012 U.S. Amateur (7,409) and sport its usual championship par of 71, with the 487-yard 18th played as a par 4 rather than the par 5 that members play. However, renovations made during the last 11 years — particularly on those creek holes — have added considerable challenge.

The greens, which usually stimp at 12.6 for daily play, can roll as fast as 13.6 without limiting hole locations, Head Superintendent Joshua Hester says. “We don’t have roller-coaster greens; ours are subtly deceptive.”

And while the USGA hasn’t asked Hester to narrow any fairways, no intermediate rough will border them — only a 3½to 4-inch primary cut of dense ryegrass that will make finding the fairway even more imperative and take driver out of play on some holes.

That starts with No. 1. Although it will play at 396 yards — 50 longer than when Palmer drove the green in 1960 — at altitude most players in the field could reach the downhill par 4 with a 3-wood. To protect par, the USGA has recommended a more penal rough of four to five inches around the green on this and three other “short approach” par 4s — the well-guarded but reachable 323-yard 3rd, the 413yard left-dogleg 7th and the 429-yard 13th.

“I’ll be anxious to see how many of the college kids pull driver on those holes,” Lee says, pointing out that those who did so in 2012 “usually walked off with 5s.”

For the Amateur, Cherry’s par-35 front nine will check in at 3,420 yards, far shorter than the 3,985-yard par-36 back — and far more benign.

Fans might see holes halved by flocks of birdies on the par 4s at Nos. 2, 3, 4 — and even the uphill 9th, although the uninitiated routinely three- and four-putt its deceptively severe green.

The 554-yard par-5 5th might yield some birdies as well. Although it played as a long par 4 during the 2014 BMW Championship, the Pine Valley-inspired hole — with its fairway interrupted by

cross-bunkers, Greenwood Gulch and a massive bunker in front of the wee green — will remain a reachable par 5.

FIRST PEEK AT THE CREEK

Greenwood Gulch also defines the sinuous par-3 6th, yet it’s the water flowing on the left-dogleg par-4 7th and par-3 8th — Little Dry Creek — that defines the type of risk and reward on which a match can turn.

On the 417-yard 7th, which mimics Pine Valley’s 12th, Renaissance removed trees at the elbow of the dogleg to tempt players into reaching a long, narrow green that is 10 yards longer than it was in 2012 — but risking the dense rough and the steep, 20-foot embankment into the creek.

On the 222-yard one-shotter following it, the creek abuts the green to the right, forcing competitors to flirt with the bunkers guarding the left and right fronts of the putting surface. Players need to “hit the shelf left side of the green, and let the ball come off and down the slope,” Lee says.

MAKING THE TURN

Little Dry Creek doesn’t come back into play until the 13th hole. First players have

ROUGH FINISH: The 18th fairway pitches severely toward water.

to negotiate the 449-yard par-4 10th and the cross-bunkered 633-yard par-5 11th. Combined, the two holes now stretch 230 yards longer than Flynn designed them.

In contrast, the 201-yard 12th remains faithful to Flynn’s drawings. Tucked into the far northwest corner of the property, this postcard par 3 demands a long, angled carry over a pond. With very little room to miss right or left, “you have to hit the perfect shot into that green,” Shuck says. “And even then…Rory McIlroy four-putted there twice in the 2014 BMW Championship.”

Little Dry Creek crosses in front of the green on the 429-yard 13th, coming into play mainly for longer approaches from the fairway rough. The deeper grass encircling the green will snare shots that miss or don’t hold the putting surface. “Precision into the green is critical to winning this hole,” Shuck says.

FIGHT TO THE FINISH

The long, hard-left-dogleg 14th begins a five-hole closing gauntlet as demanding as any in golf — and that was true even before Renaissance’s “Creek Project” fortified holes 14 to 16.

Called “one of the most difficult par

4s in America,” by Ben Hogan, the 14th will play between 470 and 522 yards on different days of the championship. Whatever its yardage, the club’s PGA Head Professional Andrew Shuck calls 14 “a major swing hole, perfectly positioned in match play.”

Running along the steep bank left of the fairway, Little Dry Creek flows all the way up to the green and in front of it, taking the place of a greenside bunker and continuing along the entire left flank of the putting surface.

Lee says players lucky enough to find the rough rather than the creek off the tee may not be so fortunate. “Anyone in the deep stuff won’t get on in two unless he is super strong or has unreal swing speed.”

Iverson removed the back two bunkers on the par-3 15th to allow the creek to sidle up to the green. Like the preceding hole, 15 will play at two distances — 245 yards and 148 yards — with the tee for the latter directly behind the 14th green and adjacent to the creek. With water along its entire left side, the shorter version of the hole creates a more intimidating tee shot. “Any shot that misses the green left is just going in the creek,” Lee says.

The last creek hole, the 466-yard par 4 16th, could end many matches. Rather than bordering the green, the creek bisects the fairway, creating a left-to-right tee shot followed by the right-to-left approach. The more a player flirts with the creek, the better his angle to the green, but the greater the risk of losing a stroke to the hazard and the hole to his opponent.

Of the 63 matches played in the 2012 U.S. Amateur, only 35 made it as far as the spectacular 553-yard par-5 17th hole.

The cross-bunkered landing areas and exacting, go-for-it island green make the 17th the ideal stage for match play. Players looking to get on in two need to leave a comfortable yardage from which to hit, as the green and its surrounds are tight and unsparing.

Should a match go the distance, we’ll see how players handle the pressure of clearing the lake on the 487-yard par-4 18th while leaving themselves an unobstructed shot up the hill. Once there, they’ll putt on the same green where Arnold Palmer famously tossed his visor in 1960 — and where, on August 20, the newest champion of the oldest national amateur championship in the United States will receive the Havemeyer Trophy.

FIRST ISLAND GREEN: The 17th at Cherry Hills was the first island green in the U.S.

TOURN AMENT

HOW TO GO TO AND WATCH THE 2023 U.S. AMATEUR

WHERE

• The full field of 312 golfers plays stroke-play competition Aug. 14 and Aug. 15 at Colorado Golf Club, 8000 Preservation Trail, Parker, and at Cherry Hills Country Club, 4125 S University Blvd, Cherry Hills Village.

• Match play Aug. 16 to 20 will be at Cherry Hills Country Club.

SCHEDULE OF PLAY

• Monday, August 14th: 18 holes, stroke play

• Tuesday, August 15th: 18 holes, stroke play

—THE LINEUP—

May

• Wednesday, August 16th: Round of 64, match play - All matches through the championship held at Cherry Hills Country Club

• Thursday, August 17th: Two matches - round of 32 and round of 16

• Friday, August 18th: Quarterfinal matches

• Saturday, August 19th: Semifinal matches

• Sunday, August 20th: 36–hole championship match

PARKING

• Cherry Hill CC: Public parking is at Kent Denver School parking lot, 4000 E. Quincy Ave., Cherry Hills Village, with shuttle service to Cherry Hills Country Club. Shuttles begin an hour and a half before the first tee time.

• Colorado Golf Club: Free parking is available at the club, 8000 Preservation Trail, Parker. Follow signs for U.S. Amateur General Parking

BROADCAST SCHEDULE (ALL TIMES MDT)

June

• Wednesday, August 16th (Round of 64)

» 3 p.m. – 4 p.m. (Peacock)

» 4 p.m. – 6 p.m. (Golf Channel)

• Thursday, August 17 (Rounds of 32 and 16)

» 4 p.m. – 5 p.m. (Peacock)

» 5 p.m. – 7 p.m. (Golf Channel)

• Friday, August 18 (Quarterfinals)

» 3 p.m. – 4 p.m. (Peacock)

» 4 p.m. – 6 p.m. (Golf Channel)

• Saturday, August 19 (Semifinals)

» 1 p.m. – 2 p.m. (Golf Channel)

» 2 p.m. – 4 p.m. (NBC)

• Sunday, August 20 (Championship Match)

» 1 p.m. – 2 p.m. (Golf Channel)

» 2 p.m. – 4 p.m. (NBC)

HOW TO BUY TICKETS

You can buy tickets on the US Golf Association Website: championships.usga.org

• Gallery Ticket: $25 per ticket

» Good for any one day Monday – Sunday of the championship (Monday and Tuesday tickets will grant access to both Cherry Hills Country Club and Colorado Golf Club.)

» Tickets are free for children 17 and under when accompanied by a paying adult.

• Gallery Ticket 5–Pack: $20 per ticket

» Ticket package includes five (5) Gallery tickets that are good for any one day Monday – Sunday of the championship (Monday and Tuesday tickets will grant access to both Cherry Hills Country Club and Colorado Golf Club.)

By Jasmine Ying

RICK GEORGE AND THE BIGGEST HIRE OF HIS CAREERR

ATHLETIC DIRECTOR brought lessons from golf, baseball and coaching to remake CU sports

By Jim Bebbington | Photography by Jamie Schwaberow/Clarkson Creative

For 10 years Rick George, the University of Colorado Athletic Director, has worked to put CU athletes in a position to succeed.

He has raised more than $100 million dollars to renovate and build new facilities. He kept long-time, successful coaches on staff, and he brought in new coaches who have turned programs around. Most Buffs teams are winning. Some are champions. Student-athletes are graduating.

Then last December he rolled the dice on the highest-profile decision of his career. He is the man who hired a shy, little-known first-time Division 1 football head coach named … (checks notes)… Deion Sanders to lead CU’s down-trodden football team back to glory.

In a diverse career before he came to Boulder George worked for the PGA Tour, helped run the Texas Rangers, and ran a New Orleans PGA tournament to raise money for a children’s charity. He oversaw recruiting for the Buff’s national championship team in 1990. He’s had success at nearly every stop.

The Sanders hiring in December instantaneously put Colorado football back on the map. Sanders is a one-man multi-media circus – a trash-talking former NFL star who rivals Bo Jackson as the greatest two-sport athlete of his generation. Sanders is coming off a winning three-year stint as head coach of the

historically black college Jackson State University – his first college head coaching gig. He showed up in Boulder with video cameras rolling and appearances on ESPN and other national outlets filling his calendar.

For George, 63, it is arguably the biggest swing of his career. Running the PGA’s Champions Tour? Piffle. Helping lead the Rangers’ business operations under boss Nolan Ryan? A mere trifle. Trying to talk Tiger Woods into playing in the New Orleans Compaq Open? Pffft.

But bringing the Buffs back to national prominence by luring in one of the loudest, most charismatic football showmen in the country? Grab the popcorn, dear viewers: it’s going to be a show!

PRIME HIRE

In his office this past summer, George summed up his position when the 2022 football season ended in another disappointment and the school had dismissed head coach Karl Dorrell five games into the season, all losses.

“There were a number of highly qualified and impressive candidates interested in becoming the next head football coach at Colorado, but none of them had the pedigree, the knowledge and the ability to connect with student-athletes like Deion Sanders” George said. “Not only will Coach Prime energize our fanbase, I’m confident that he will lead our program back to national prominence

while leading a team of high quality and high character.”

At his introductory press conference, Sanders poured praise onto George.

“Rick is a whole other thing; I met my match,” he said. “I met somebody who was profound, passionate, that was caring, that stood on morals. A God-fearing man, devoted husband. He understands the game; understands people; understands life. And he will not stop until he has accomplished all that he has set out to accomplish.”

Sanders, who talks at press conferences like he is giving a church sermon, said George sold him on the opportunity.

“Now that I’ve gotten here and I see it and I understand it Rick, and I can grasp it and I can touch it and I can feel it and I can taste it I truly understand what you want,” Sanders said. “All you want is the opportunity to win, to compete, to dominate, to be amongst the elite, to be amongst the best. And darn it, I’m going to give you that.”

The Chancellor of the university, Phil DiStefano, gave George credit for making a hire that was more than a safe, optimistic step forward.

“Rick George worked tirelessly to conduct a nationwide search for a coach who would return our football program to prominence while also fitting in with the culture and values that make CU Boulder so special,” DiStefano said. “Rick set out to make a transcendent, transfor-

mational hire, and he succeeded.”

Sanders did not come cheap. He has an annual base pay plus payments for TV and promotional work of $4 million a year, according to his employment contract. He receives an additional payment of $1.5 million for supporting the football team’s inclusion into the school’s academic, citizenship and culture. There are incentives for wins too; if he were to lead CU to a 12-0 season, PAC-12 championship, a national championship and be voted coach of the year, he would receive in total an additional $2.4 million that season.

(George’s contract runs through 2026 and calls for him to earn $1 million a

year base and supplemental salary with incentives for academic performance of the teams, attendance at football and basketball games, and hitting fundraising goals of $20 million a year or more.)

But as the effort continued to recruit Sanders, George had to keep DiStefano appraised and to make sure members of the school’s board of trustees agreed with bringing in such a high-profile presence.

“We just kept (the Trustees) informed because you never know when you’re going through a process like this, who it’s going to be,” George said.

George began at CU in 2013 when the school had big aspirations for its sports programs. He immediately led a huge renovation project - updating Folsom Field and adding needed training facilities. George raised more than $100 million to make it happen and bring the projects in on time and on budget.

George’s connections at CU go back to the Bill McCartney 1990 national championship era. George was the director of football recruiting for that squad, having come to CU in 1987 from his alma mater, University of Illinois.

George left CU for Vanderbilt and began to work outside of football operations for the first time in his career.

In 1998 he took his first golf job. He served as the CEO of a New Orleans charity Fore!Kids, which ran the PGA Tour’s New Orleans stop – now called the Zurich Classic, but then dubbed the Compaq.

In that role he stumped across the

country, meeting with the biggest names in the game to encourage them to come to New Orleans.

Then the PGA Tour called. He ran the league’s Champions Tour for five years, adding to the number of events and prize money. He was executive vice president and chief of operations for the PGA Tour in 2010 when he jumped to a new role – helping run the Texas Rangers under team co-owner Nolan Ryan.

Then he returned to Boulder in 2013 to run the whole athletic operation.

“We want all of our teams to be successful,” he said. “You know what we put in place was an infrastructure we didn’t have. We didn’t have this facility seven years ago. We put programs in place for our student athletes under the umbrella of the Crawford family whole student athlete program, which is nutrition, psychological, health, leadership and career development, academics, all the different things that touch our student athletes. So we wanted to put that infrastructure in place and we finally got all that in place. Where we were missing is football wasn’t as successful as it needed to be. And so we made a change and we brought Coach Prime in and we’ll see what happens this fall.”

He said he has used all of his professional experiences – golf, baseball, coaching, recruiting, fundraising – as he worked to make CU better.

“I’ve learned something in every role that I’ve had and what it always comes

WEIGHT OF HISTORY: The Buffs football training complex is packed with reminders of the program’s glory days, and calls for their return.

COURTESY OF RICK GEORGE

RICK GEORGE AND ARNOLD PALMER

CU’S NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP TROPHY

back to is relationships and how you treat people,” he said. “I got the Ranger job because the search firm was a personal friend and connected us. When we ran the tournament in New Orleans, we did a lot of really positive things. The Commissioner noted that and asked me to come in and run the Champions Tour as the first President of that tour.”

He learned something at every step of the way.

“In New Orleans when I was running the Fore!Kids Foundation and that golf tournament, it was all about how do we make more money for children’s charities? So budgeting and revenue that you brought in and the expenses that you had all made a difference because the net all went back to children’s charity. And so in in every place that I’ve been, I’ve learned something that I’ve been able to take and build as I’ve moved forward in my career.”

“I had this conversation with (Retired PGA Tour Commissioner Tim Fincham) a long time ago is that everybody ought to go on the road and work on the road that comes into our organization because … it’s putting stakes in; It’s being up at 5 o’clock in the morning before the golfers come in, and setting the pins for the Rules Committee and. All those different things and just seeing all the work that goes behind the product that’s on the field.”

LEAD AND SUCCEED

Women’s golf coach Anne Kelley has coached at CU for 26 years and seen three ADs in her time. George impressed her quickly by listening to her and Roy Edwards, the men’s coach, about their ideas for a golf-centric office and workout space during the athletic department renovation.

“The biggest thing Rick has done in my opinion is what he did for our facilities coming in,” Kelley said. “The Olympic sport teams – golf, tennis, ski - they never had a locker room. We would work out in the morning and the ladies would have to go into a bathroom to change to go to class. Now our athletes can work out, shower, store their things. That’s what he does well, it’s just not football focused. We all know football drives the ship we all want football to do well. But he’s been very supportive of all the sports, especially women’s sports.”

JR Payne, who has coached the wom-

en’s basketball team for eight seasons, is one of the coaches George has brought on. She was coaching at Santa Clara University and had her team in the conference championships when a mutual acquaintance put the two together, and they met for a dinner.

“We always joke it was love at first sight,” she said. “It was a great first meeting.”

What are his marching orders for his coaches?

“The most important thing for Rick is for us to fulfill our jobs is we come to work every day to serve our student athletes,” Payne said. “To challenge them and help them become the capable adults they are trying to become.”

Winning of course matters; everyone in the department is competitive and wants to succeed, Payne said.

But George wants the students to succeed across the board and for the coaches to make that possible, and for CU to be seen in a good light.

Payne said when she took the job she attended an athletics department dinner; she knew no one other than George so she stood near him by the front door. Dozens of students from all the teams streamed through the door. “He greeted every single kid by name, and not just their name but he’s asking ‘Hey, your brother is a freshman at Cincinnati; how’s he doing?’” Payne said. “He really knows these kids. It’s wild. It goes to show his investment in all of them.”

In George’s office, through the main windows, the view shows the stunning Flatirons foothills that have made Boulder a destination for thousands of residents, hundreds of thousands of CU students and alumni, and millions of visitors.

This vision is meant to impress. When recruits and their parents are brought up to meet with George, they are seated on couches that give them no choice but to gawk at the rugged mountain beauty.

Then, framed on the wall near George’s desk, there is a poster that states the vision for the CU athletics department: “To be nationally recognized as a premier athletics department, by providing a world-class and holistic Student-Athlete experience, operating in a fiscally responsible manner, while consistently competing and winning championships.”

(On the floor too is a gigantic Barbie

play set – enormously pink - for his granddaughters Maddie and Harper when they come over to watch games from his office.)

As he leaves his office on a tour of the facilities, George walks into the department’s cavernous indoor-training facility.

“Way to go this weekend,” he shouts across the field to two women running drills on the track.

“Thank you!” one shouts back.

“That’s Avery McMullen, who’s a really good heptathlete and she’s a hurdler and sprinter, and that’s Abbey Glynn, and then (Track Head Coach ) Jenny Simpson who is our Olympian over there. They are getting ready to work out for their nationals in two weeks.”

(Glynn would finish 8th in the finals of the 400 meter hurdles; McMullen finished 10th in the finals of the heptathalon.)

With a lot of evidence of success around the complex – athletes training for NCAA championship tournaments, trophies on the walls and a very crowded football summer walk-on camp being conducted next door – George is asked about what’s next.

“At some point we’ve got to fix the West side of our football stadium and we’ve got to work on our basketball arena,” he said. Both need more boxes and upgrades; the football stadium work will likely cost another $100 million.

“But we’re redoing our track, we’re putting lights in for our soccer program, we’re fixing our lacrosse field, putting a new lacrosse field in all this summer. Look, we still got to go out and win football games and I think we’re doing things the right way and we’ve got the right people in place and now we just need support and we’re getting it. So we’re in a good spot.”

PRIME TIME Head Football Coach Deion Sanders and Rick George at the press conference announcing Sanders’ hiring.

Taking vacation to help run one of the biggest tournaments of the year

It takes a special person to take a week’s vacation to go cut grass.

Pam Brown of Dillon is a special person.

Brown is the retired superintendent of the Vail Resorts’ Keystone Golf property. She moved to the mountains from Indiana after college and, professionally, has never left. (She is retired from golf operations and is now is a full-time manager in Keystone’s ski lift operations.)

But you can take Brown away from agronomy, but you can’t take agronomy …. You know what I’m trying to say.

So for the third straight summer, Brown in July traveled to the site of the U.S. Women’s Open to take part in an annual rite. Women who work in turf management at courses all over the country convene at the U.S. Women’s Open to work. They cut greens, help the local crews, do whatever they can to help put on one of the year’s premier events in women’s golf.

Brown first did this in 2021, when the Open was at The Olympic Club in San Francisco. Last summer she went to Pine Needles Lodge in North Carolina. She spent most

mornings working with crews mowing greens – she said she scuttled along the edge of the green sliding a protective shield along the edge of the fringe so the mower wouldn’t chew into any of the frog-hair.

“We were helping cut fairways, change cups, working in the wonderful world of divots,” she said.

“I love turf maintenance. I love the game of golf. It’s really cool to see what it takes just to put on a major event like that. Seeing the head superintendent meeting with the USGA every day and seeing what they say and what they want. We had to cut the rough overnight between the practice round and round 1 because it was too long.”

The lure this year for Brown was doubly-strong because the tournament was held at Pebble Beach.

“I think of Arnold Palmer, Gary Player, Jack Nicklaus and incredible tournaments,” she said before the tournament. “I know I’m going to be the country mouse that goes to big city. In Colorado, just the humidity alone is so low and how it dries out during the day. (There) it may not get over 65 degrees. The ocean and the humidity are far different than

anything. With all that moisture the grass does grow a little faster.”

Brown’s career has come a long way. She grew up in rural Indiana, went to Eastern Kentucky University, and came to the rockies to see what mountain life offered. She worked ski lifts her first winter, then got a summer job cutting grass to keep a paycheck coming. When her manager learned she grew up on a farm he gave her more responsibility and pushed her to gain more training.

“For me I’m 60 and for many times I went to conferences I was the only woman in the room,” she said. “To see this evolve and see more women than I ever thought possible, that is what excites me. It’s intimidating if you’re the only woman in the room - especially in your 20s or 30s it can be intimidating. That’s one of the reasons I do it – to be a sounding board for them. I never thought I’d see this.”

Brown is open to more summer trips. The 2024 U.S. Women’s Open is at Lancaster, Pa., Country Club. She’s thinking about making it four trips in a row.

“It keeps my toes in the grass so to speak,” she said. — JIM BEBBINGTON

U.S. OPEN: Pam Brown, center, worked with the local grounkeeping crews at the 2022 U.S. Women’s Open in San Francisco.

PHOTO SUBMITTED BY PAM BROWN

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