GREAT COURSES, GREAT DEALS! • THE 2021 GOLF PASSPORT, PAGE 11
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Elevating the Game.
POSITIVELY WE-KO-PA Two Shots at the Best Golf of Your Life
ON THE ROAD Rockies’ Bud Black and Others Recall Fave Road Trips
M’LIS WARD
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CONTENTS | Winter 2020
DEPARTMENTS
77 6 Forethoughts
Oh, the Places We’ll Go (Someday Soon) By Anthony Cotton
8 The CGA
With its annual awards, the CGA honors its best of the year.
17 The Gallery
The Denver Golf Expo goes virtual; Colorado PGA Section honors; Frost Creek charity; Vote CAGGYs; Golf by Numbers
64 Blind Shot
What Lies Ahead
PLAYER’S CORNER 23 15th Club PHOTOGRAPH BY JAMIE SCHWABEROW/CLARKSON CREATIVE
56
56
A buddies’ trip to the We-Ko-Pa Casino Resort proves to be the perfect antidote for the 2020 blahs. By Douglas Ceselli
When she was a child, M’lis Ward leaped off garage roofs—it was just a preview of the heights she would eventually attain. By Anthony Cotton
Born to Fly
Relanded in Mexico
ON THE COVER
SPECIAL SECTION
We-Ko-Pa Casino Resort
39 TROON GETAWAYS
Photograph by Lonna Tucker
COLORADO AVIDGOLFER | Winter 2020
30 Gift Guide
Tee Up These Holiday Gifts By Suzanne S. Brown
35 Nice Drives
BMW X3 30E, Buick Encore GX Essence, Kia Seltos SX Turbo. By Isaac Bouchard PHOTOGRAPH BY LONNA TUCKER
60 The Eagles Have
on and off the links. By John Lehndorff
Hit with a double whammy in 2020, Cancun’s Moon Palace Resort makes the turn to normalcy. By Theresa Smith
in Phoenix.
By Alex Fisher
Colorado golfers recall top meal memories
With the pandemic sharply curtailing travel, we revisit favorite golf trips of the past— with a peek at all the places we’ll go when things get better. By Anthony Cotton
Hole 14 of the Saguaro course at
Escaping trouble in the desert.
33 Fareways
46 We-Ko-POW!
Paris—or at least Bandon Dunes
26 Lesson
SIDE BETS
FEATURES
50 We’ll Always Have
There’s no time like the present to get in shape for next season. By Neil Wolkodoff
Just a quick drive away: the best Troon courses to play in Arizona.
2
46 77 coloradoavidgolfer.com
ALWAYS SHOW GOOD SPORTSMANSHIP. PREFERABLY WITH A ROUND OF JACK.
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LAST CHANCE TO
Winter 2020 | Volume 19, Number 7 president and group publisher
A llen J. Walters founding editor
Jon Rizzi
SALES, MARKETING & ADVERTISING associate publisher
Chris Phillips
vp of sales and marketing
Lori Perr y
director of sales & marketing , golf passport and events
Mike Car ver
digital strategist and content manager
Lacey Colvin
office and operations manager
Cindy Palmer
ART & EDITORIAL editor
Anthony Cotton creative director
Jani Duncan Smith art director
Chelsea Oglesby editor - at- large
Tom Ferrell
automotive editor
Isaac Bouchard style editor
Suzanne S. Brown contributors
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Colorado AvidGolfer (ISSN 1548-4335) is published eight times a year by Baker-Colorado Publishing, LLC, and printed by Publication Printers Corp. Volume 19, Number seven. 7200 S. Alton Way #A-180, Centennial, CO 80112. Colorado AvidGolfer is available at more than 250 locations, or you can order your personal subscription by calling 720-493-1729. Subscriptions are available at the rate of $17.95 per year. Copyright Š 2020 by BakerColorado Publishing, LLC. All rights reserved. Reproduction without permission is prohibited. Postmaster: Send address changes to Colorado AvidGolfer, 7200 S. Alton Way #A-180 Centennial, CO 80112. The magazine welcomes editorial submissions but assumes no responsibility for the safekeeping or return of unsolicited manuscripts, photographs, artwork or other material. magazine partner of choice :
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CAGGY AWARDS
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Forethoughts
PHOTOGRAPH BY JAMIE SCHWABEROW/CLARKSON CREATIVE
Oh, the Places We’ll Go (Someday Soon)
COLORADO AVIDGOLFER | Winter 2020
MY YOUNGEST SON lives in Phoenix, where he, of course, has a bevy of fantastic golf courses at his disposal. However, that didn’t stop him recently from hopping in his car with a buddy for a quick jaunt out to San Diego to tee it up. I have to admit to feeling more than a slight twinge of envy. An avid golfer could certainly do a lot worse than playing on a regular basis in Colorado, and this year—which will likely forever be known as golf’s COVID-19 season—there’s certainly been ample opportunity to get out and enjoy a round on any number of local tracts. Even so, there’s no denying the excitement and anticipation that accompanies the golf road trip. Whether it’s returning to an old favorite, or at long last making the excursion of a lifetime, the senses are heightened to the point where seeing your clubs moving towards you on the luggage carousel, or unpacking a suitcase (and perhaps laying out the next day’s outfit) can be an absolute rush. Of course, those sensations weren’t available for a whole lot of folks this year. With Europe off-limits for the most part, and even Hawaii closed for business for much of the season, the bucket list trip likely wasn’t in the offing. This issue of the magazine is usually a tribute to those excursions; the far-flung locales that spark a hankering, or perhaps put visions of birdies (and drinks with mini umbrellas in them) in your head before you go out to shovel the driveway. Perhaps you’re making do by thinking about one of the last times you boarded a flight or hopped in the car and hit the road—if that’s the case, you’re not alone. Beginning on page 50, a number of local golf enthusiasts tell stories about some of the favorite trips they’ve taken, as well as weigh in on some courses they’re looking forward to returning to when the time is right (Spoiler Alert: Colorado Rockies fans might want to look away, as manager Bud Black plans on doing some fraternizing with a division rival…). Speaking of baseball and looking ahead, how many great trips have combined golf and Spring Training? While the latter is still in something of a state of flux, we know a place that’s got you covered as far as great golf is concerned—on page 46, we visit the fabulous We-Ko-Pa resort. Of course, Cancun has long been a mainstay for the itinerant golfer, but this year the Mexican paradise was hit by a double whammy—not only was tourism curtailed by the pandemic, but, just when things were beginning to open up, the region was battered by a hurricane, submerging many courses under sheets of water. On page 60, we look at how one resort worked to make it through the trauma and its plans to make sure that your next visit there will lead to stories you’ll want to share with everyone you meet. And if you should happen to go on United Airlines, you might want to sneak a peek into the cockpit—perhaps you’ll catch a glimpse of a future playing partner. While she’s led a remarkable life that includes playing on a college national championship basketball team (with some Hall of Fame teammates) and becoming a groundbreaking pilot, M’lis Ward soars highest when she’s on a golf course. Come along for the ride on page 56. Although the theme of this issue is travel, there’s no shame in making Colorado your base of operations. From Metro Denver through the Western Slope, the Centennial State is chock-full of spectacular venues. As has been the case for the last 18 years, Colorado AvidGolfer has asked for your help in determining the best of the best, whether it’s places to play (or practice), instruction, or yes, where to go when you want to get away. Voting for our annual CAGGY awards is underway through December 31; go online to coloradoavidgolfer.com/2021-caggy-awards and make your choices—we promise this will be the least stressful election you’ll take part in during 2020. — ANTHONY COTTON
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The CGA SERVING ALL COLORADO GOLFERS
A Tribute to Drive and Commitment
The CGA honors its best of the year.
THE COLORADO GOLF ASSOCIATION is proud to recognize our 2020 Players of the Year. Each of our players demonstrated incredible drive and commitment this year to play through adversity and compete among a strong field of competitors. Our thanks to the more than 1,300 tournament players and 62 volunteers who worked 440 total days to support our 26 Championship events.
PHOTOGRAPHS COURTESY OF COLORADO PGA
CGA LES FOWLER PLAYER OF THE YEAR AND MID-AMATEUR (25 AND OLDER) PLAYER OF THE YEAR: COLIN PRATER Since a Mid-Amateur P.O.Y. started being named in 2008, Prater (of Cherokee Ridge Golf Course in Colorado Springs) is just the second golfer to claim both honors in the same year. Michael Harrington, also a Colorado Springs resident, landed both awards in 2014. In winning both of the CGA’s two majors—the Amateur and the Match Play—in 2020, Prater became the first mid-amateur to pull off that single-season sweep since Gary Longfellow in 1974.
SENIOR PLAYER OF THE YEAR: STEVE IVAN Ivan, who plays out of Patty Jewett Golf Club, has been a model of consistency at CGA senior championships in recent years. In the last seven CGA senior majors, the former University of Colorado golfer has never finished worse than runner-up, going first-second-second-secondsecond-first-first. Those last two indicate Ivan swept the CGA senior major titles in 2020, winning the Senior Match Play and the Senior Amateur, both limited to players 54 and older this year. It was the first time a player won both CGA senior majors in the same year since Harry Johnson in 2013. Combined with his victory in the 2017 Senior Amateur, Ivan now owns three CGA senior major championships to go along with the CGA Junior Match Play he won in 1979. COLORADO AVIDGOLFER | Winter 2020
WOMEN’S PLAYER OF THE YEAR: KIRSTY HODGKINS Australia native Hodgkins, a University of Colorado golfer who plays out of Colorado National Golf Club, landed the CGA Women’s P.O.Y. honor after a season in which she won the CGA Women’s Match Play and advanced to match play at her first U.S. Women’s Amateur. Hodgkins’ performance in 2020 was even more impressive given that she tested positive for COVID-19 earlier in the year. Her victory at Saddleback Golf Club was her first in Colorado, although she was low amateur in the 2019 CoBank Colorado Women’s Open.
WOMEN’S SENIOR PLAYER OF THE YEAR: KRISTINE FRANKLIN Franklin, a former touring pro who had her amateur status reinstated, only competed in three CGA championships in 2020, but was in contention in each case. She won the CGA Senior Women’s Match Play and finished runnerup in the CGA Women’s Senior Stroke Play and the inaugural CGA Women’s Mid-Amateur Stroke Play. Franklin’s victory at the Senior Match Play at Saddleback set a record as she became the first golfer to win four consecutive CGA women’s senior major titles—in her case two Senior Stroke Plays and two Senior Match Plays. This is Franklin’s third consecutive Senior Player of the Year award.
8
SUPER-SENIOR PLAYER OF THE YEAR: DAVID NELSON During his first six months as a Coloradan, Nelson won the senior division of the Charlie Coe Invitational at Castle Pines Golf Club (with Chip Lutz), and claimed individual titles in the Denver Senior Men’s Amateur and the Aurora Senior Amateur. Then in August at Gypsum Creek Golf Course, he captured his first CGA championship title by prevailing at the Super-Senior Amateur, limited to players 64 and older. While Nelson is new to Colorado, he’s certainly not new to success on the golf course. He’s qualified for 33 USGA championships, including earning medalist honors at a U.S. Senior Amateur qualifier in Colorado Springs in 2017. coloradoavidgolfer.com
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The Gallery
NEWS | NOTES | NAMES
Virtual Exposure Pandemic Knocks Denver Golf Show Online
PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY OF DENVER GOLF EXPO
A COUPLE OF months ago, given the disruptions the novel coronavirus was causing to large gatherings, Mark Cramer said, “I think you can tell where I’m leaning with this,” with regards to his prideand-joy, the Denver Golf Expo. In November, that inkling crystallized—the annual show, considered by many as the unofficial start of the golf season in Colorado, will not be an in-person event. Instead, said Cramer and his partner, his wife Lynn, the Expo will become virtual—kind of like a gigantic Zoom meeting. While the traditional Expo was scheduled for February, the online gathering will take place on March 12 and 13. “We’ve been watching this locally and nationally; the health officials and state government, and we’ve looked at what other trade shows are doing across the country, and it’s just the right decision—it would be selfish of us to go after a buck and put people at risk,” Mark said. The Cramers are hoping the event will be much more than making lemonade out of the sourness that has been the pandemic. Lynn Cramer looked at more than a dozen virtual platforms, eventually narrowing the list to two finalists. The winner was Showmetry, a Delaware company that she says will offer attendees just about everything they would get if they were standing in the Denver Mart. “The platform is really geared to the marketplace; it’s going to drive people to the exhibitors’ websites—people will be able to find show deals and specials, the golf courses and vendors will be there and people will be able to put together golf vacations,” she said. “They can win contests and door prizes; they’ll still be able to attend the instruction sessions...there will be networking possibilities for the exhibitors and vendors.
WELL-EQUIPPED: Expo officials say visitors to the 2021 online show will still be able to look at the newest gear.
“They’ll be able to set up their own online chats and educational sessions, as well as create their own giveaways. And we’re also trying to figure out some way of giving attendees some sort of points—we’re making a game, something fun to try and keep everyone engaged.” Of course, one of the biggest attractions at the Expo has been the opportunity for cabinfevered Coloradans to actually swing a golf club in the dead of winter, hitting balls into bays. That’s not going to happen online, but Mark Cramer says sponsors of such sessions, like Lenny’s Golf in Aurora, are still on board. “They’re one of the groups that have said they’re going to keep us whole because they want us to be back physically in 2022,” he said. “With this platform, Lenny’s can put up pictures of the
new clubs, and if people want to schedule an appointment to go to Lenny’s and hit those new clubs, it will be right there.” Lynn Cramer says it’s still a bit early to determine how companies are reacting to the move online. The Cramers have said they’re offering refunds to exhibitors and vendors who paid for 2021 Expo, expecting an in-person gathering. “Initially there have been some exhibitors who are scared of the new technology and just said ‘No way—put my money down towards next year,’” she said. “We’re still early; at this point all the information and marketing isn’t out there, but all our partners have been very supportive. “We’re just doing what we do; the best way we know how to do it.” denvergolfexpo.com
Frost Creek Provides a Warm Reception for Hawaiian Transplant—and His Charity SOME NOVEL CORONAVIRUS bad luck across the Pacific Ocean has turned into a stroke of good fortune for Colorado. By way of Hawaii, David Havens recently became the head pro at the Frost Creek Golf Club in Eagle—and he brought with him the newest chapter of a charity that will benefit kids throughout the region. Started on the Islands 10 years ago by Havens and his wife Susan, Spare for Change is a non-profit that has given out more than 30,000 free golf clubs to players of all ages and experience levels. Opening a Colorado branch after arriving in the state in May, Havens says he distributed more than 500 clubs in the Eagle area over the summer. coloradoavidgolfer.com
“Colorado is like a blueprint for what it’s like everywhere,” Havens said. “People want to play golf, but they don’t want to lose their left hand over it because it’s so expensive, but there are ways around that if you’re smart about it.” In essence, Havens says, he’s “recycling” golf clubs. Taking donations from players who have given up the game or purchased new sets, or from anywhere else—“people are always looking to get rid of clubs,” he says—Havens takes the old sticks and makes them new again for the younger set. “I bring them in to my shop and tell them they can watch me give the clubs a ‘haircut,’” he said. “It’s not the perfect shaft flex for a six-year-
17
old, but they don’t care—they basically just want a club they can beat the hell out of the ball with. That starts the process; they pick out the color grip they want and through it all there’s the buy-in from them.” Havens owns a golf academy on Maui called The Havens Experience, but that, along with most things golf on the Islands, were cratered with the onset of the pandemic. Things got to the point, Havens says, where he began looking “for a fun job” to take him through the summer. “I was asked to come in and help build some teaching programs and things like that, but I eventually got offered a full-time job,” he said. “I really continued on page 18 Winter 2020 | COLORADO AVIDGOLFER
PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY OF SPARE FOR CHANGE
The Gallery
FUTURE INVESTMENT: The founders of Spare for Change believe the earlier kids get into golf, the greater their commitment to the game will be.
knew nothing about Colorado or Frost Creek, but it couldn’t have worked out any better than if I’d researched it for years—it was meant to be.” In September, the non-profit put on the Spare for Change Frost Creek 100 Holes of Golf, which featured Havens and three other pros at the club, playing the eponymous number of holes over the course of a day.
“It was like a charity walk, where people donated money for each hole; we raised right around $25,000,” he said. “We used some of that money on starter sets—plastic clubs and the balls are like tennis balls. It’s a fun way to teach golf and have kids learn; I’m hoping to take them to all the schools in Eagle County and teach the kids there how to play.”
Havens says he also hopes to provide money to some of the PGA pros who assist him, in the form of scholarships, used to help pay their membership dues and other fees. “The thing that I find interesting about non-profits is that they’re mostly just for kids,” he said. “Mine is for kids and adults, because if the parents don’t play, the kids won’t play as much— to me that’s a problem. And the guys who help me build clubs, or put on events, sometimes they can’t afford to pay their dues, or take flights to Florida for their continuing PGA education. “I can’t just give them money, but I put it in the chapter by-laws that they can get scholarships. Because if you don’t have teachers continuing on in the PGA, you're not going to have new students—kids or adults.” Eventually, Havens says, the plan is to expand the charity from golf clubs to all kinds of sporting equipment. “That’s why I gave it the generic name, Spare for Change, because I want to go into other sports—people can turn in their old mountain bikes or skis for families that don’t have anything. I see kids coming home and sitting on the couch and becoming (video game) thumb warriors—I just want them to have another option. “It’s something that works—I know it’ll work here just as it has in Hawaii.” spareforchange.org
That’s Pro
COLORADO AVIDGOLFER | Winter 2020
Sherry Andonian
Joe Assell
Mark Bacheldor
Ryan Bakken
Nick Clearwater
Scott Erwin
Geoff Keffer
Bob Longmire
Josh Miller
Ed Oldham
Doug Rohrbaugh
Matt Schalk
Jeff Seltz
Ben Welsh
Tom Young
Seth Zacks
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coloradoavidgolfer.com
PHOTOGRAPHS COURTESY OF COLORADO PGA
THE COLORADO PGA SECTION recently honored its top professionals for 2020. Included among the award winners were: Players of the Year: Geoff Keffer, Assistant Professional at Lakewood Country Club, won his sixth Dow Finsterwald Omega Player of the Year award; six was also the lucky number for Doug Rohrbaugh, Teaching Professional at The Snowmass Club, the Omega Senior Player of the Year; Sherry Andonian of Valley Country Club, won her third consecutive Women’s Player of the Year award; and Seth Zacks of The Club at Ravenna won his first Associate Player of the Year award. Special Awards: Golf Professional of the Year went to Ben Welsh of Frost Creek; Nick Clearwater of GOLFTEC was named the Teacher of the Year; his co-worker at GOLFTEC, founder and CEO Joe Assell, was the recipient of the Warren Smith Award; Mark Bacheldor of the University of Colorado, Colorado Springs PGA Golf Management Program was the winner of the Professional Development Award; Scott Erwin of Maroon Creek Golf Club won the Bill Strausbaugh Award; the newest inductee into the Colorado Golf Hall of Fame, Ed Oldham of Ed Oldham Golf and The Ranch Country Club, won the Player Development Award; Tom Young of the Black Canyon Golf Club at Montrose won the Youth Player Development Award; Ryan Bakken of Thorncreek Golf Course was named the Assistant PGA Golf Professional of the Year. Merchandisers of the Year: Matt Schalk of Colorado National Golf Club was named Public Merchandiser of the Year; Jeff Seltz of The Club at Rolling Hills was named Private Merchandiser of the Year. Also honored by the Section was Josh Miller of GOLFTEC, who won the Charles “Vic” Kline Award. Bob Longmire, the creator of the PGA Jr. League and Doubles Golf, won the President’s Award. coloradopga.com
The Gallery
Golf by Numbers
Most Aces
IF CALIFORNIANS are going to insist upon moving en masse to Colorado, perhaps there’s something of a silver lining—at least as far as golfers who are in need of a little luck are concerned. According to the golf blog The Left Rough, since 1999 there have been more holes-in-one registered in California—2,515—than anywhere else in the United States; coming in second was Florida at 2,199. One would think that Arizona would likely be next—surprisingly it was Michigan, with the 1,351 aces in third. Arizona was actually in 10th at 879. Alas, Colorado did not make the top-10 cut, as it were. The blog said it studied nearly 30,000 holes-inone scored over that time frame in compiling its list.
California 2,515
1
4
2
Florida 2,199
3 New York 1,093
5
Texas 1,150 Colorado 345
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Open 11 am -10 pm Mon - Fri, 9:30 am to 10 pm Sat, 9:30 am - 9 pm Sun COLORADO AVIDGOLFER | Winter 2020
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Choose Your Weapons It’s probably safe to assume that drivers aren’t responsible for very many aces—so what club unleashes the most unbridled joy on a golf course?
2,938 7-iron
2,350 6-iron
1,958
2,819 8-iron
2,229 9-iron
PW
Speaking of Ballot Counting… BOY HOWDY, how about this election? Just when you thought things couldn’t get weirder, here comes another late surge in the voting, threatening to disrupt the outcome and leaving us all in a state of limbo. It’s all pretty reminiscent of that highly contested battle in 2016...when it looked like Colorado National was a shoo-in for the best course in the Denver region, only to be beaten out at the wire by Bear Dance. Look at it this way, when it comes to voting for the best in Colorado golf, you don’t have to worry about hanging chads, and the only Sharpies that come into play are the ones you use to mark your Titleists. It may not quite qualify as your civic duty, but we at Colorado AvidGolfer would certainly be honored if you’d take the time to cast your ballot for the 19th edition of the CAGGY Awards. This is the chance for you, the reader, to let your voice be heard, sharing your thoughts in over 60 categories, including courses, instructors and travel destinations. And, unlike those pesky electioneering officials, the only rule we have here is Vote Early and Vote Often—it’s like we’re from Chicago or something! Ballots are still being counted—the final tallies will be published in the Spring 2021 issue of Colorado AvidGolfer. coloradoavidgolfer.com/2021-caggy-awards
The Perfect Celebration Plan your Private Dining event at Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar and let our Private Dining Directors coordinate every detail. Visit us online at FlemingsSteakhouse.com/private-dining.
Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar 191 Inverness Drive West | Englewood, CO 303-768-0827 coloradoavidgolfer.com
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Winter 2020 | COLORADO AVIDGOLFER
Colorado PGA REACH “Making a Positive Difference in the Lives of Others through the Game of Golf.” PGA Professionals have many roles... Trained Instructor Business Manager Inspirationalist Elite Player Junior Golf Coach Personnel Administrator Handicapper Lifelong Learner Motivator Community Leader Tournament Director Financial Consultant Event Planner Director of Golf Innovator Golf Shop Operator Rules Authority Mental Fitness Trainer Clinician Master Club Fitter Humanitarian Food and Beverage Manager Influencer Team Captain Equipment Specialist Etiquette Coach Ambassador of Golf Club Repairperson Inventory Manager Public Speaker Competitor Professional Merchandiser Facility Director Fundraiser Counselor Private Tutor Promotor of Golf Mentor Friend ...But Just One Badge.
In a year like no other, we want to express our sincere appreciation to everyone involved for allowing the game of golf to be a respite during this pandemic. From the State House to the Clubhouse and everywhere in between, we valued each of you working together to permit the people of Colorado to enjoy the great outdoors in a safe manner. A special thanks goes out to the Experts in the Game and Business of Golf, our Colorado PGA Professionals. They wear One Badge but serve many roles at their golf facilities and in their local communities. These are the men and the women who deliver the programs of
Colorado PGA REACH
and who “make a positive difference in the lives of others through the game of golf!” Supporting the Three Pillars of
Colorado PGA REACH Youth Development • • • • •
Golf in Schools Drive, Chip & Putt PGA Jr. League Junior Golf Alliance of Colorado Youth on Course
Supporting Our Military • PGA HOPE ~ Helping Our Patriots Everywhere • Mortgage Free Home to a Combat Wounded Veteran
Diversity & Inclusion • • • •
Growth of the Game Grants College Scholarships Women’s Leadership Summit U.S. Olympics Finding Leaders Among Minorities Everywhere
Colorado PGA REACH
www.coloradopga.com/colorado-pga-reach ~ 303-681-0742
Player’s Corner 15TH CLUB
No Time Like the Present The winter of our discontent for the 50-plus golfer? Not if you make the commitment to an off-season fitness routine. To play better next season, get to work right now. By Neil Wolkodoff GIVEN THE INCREASED number of rounds played in the summer and fall, the winter might be a needed break if you are a golfer over 50. Yet the next couple of months are critical to how you approach your fitness and health heading into next season. First, let’s look at some numbers: on average, you likely played two or three times per week and probably walked more than you normally would. You might have walked for exercise once more per week, yet made no trips to the gym for aerobic or strength training. Your
golf was at least as good as normal, maybe a bit better because you were able to fine-tune your swing and tendencies. Let’s call this person Greg Golfer (for the sake of application, she can also be Ginny Golfer; the basic physiological relationships and axioms are applicable)—how does he or she approach the off-season, perhaps with the goal of improving their fitness, and maybe even dropping a few pounds? The average 50-plus golfer is a complex mix of sports activities, regular exercise, genetics,
medical history and even medications. The guidelines presented here need to be tempered with your individual factors, whether you do that in consultation with your physician or a trained health professional. Not surprisingly, the older golfer functions very differently at 63 than at 25. Possibly the worst thing Greg can do is approach the offseason using the training program of someone on the PGA TOUR or a similar caliber player. Those guys want to hit it a little further, whereas Greg (or Ginny) should be concerned with not losing
GO YOUR OWN WAY: Rather than copying the routine of a tour professional, the average golfer should ease into an off-season fitness program.
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15th Club distance and how to improve and/or maintain their health. Also, the PGA TOUR approach starts from a better base of fitness. Pros can take their habits and just bump things up a notch. And, when that is your job, it’s no problem exercising two hours per day. The key here is that the over-50 golfer needs a better fitness base—one that wasn’t provided from just playing more golf this season. This is an important distinction for the over-50 golfer to make, and is supported by 40 years of research. Golf is an activity that is best described as a low-level, calorically-additive benefit. In other words, it does add to health by having a minor impact on cholesterol and mental outlook, but it’s not a real fitness activity—at least it doesn’t provide the same impact that taking an indoor cycling class would have on your health. In short, playing golf does not build fitness in any area beyond, at best, a moderate level. So, even with playing three times per week, the fitness levels of Greg and Ginny are not optimal heading into the off-season. The next big difference between them and that totally-buffed tour player is the effect of age on appropriate exercise intensity, recovery and even the selection of exercises used after the clubs have been put away. After the age of 30, it takes 10% more time for every decade of life to make a training adaptation or result. If Greg or Ginny are over 65, it’s going to take them almost 40% longer for the muscles or body to adapt compared to a tour player. The idea isn’t where Greg and Ginny want to be next week—it should be where they should be after seven weeks. So how do they get there? The first step is to ease into any program and resist the urge to kick in the exercise turbocharger. Chances are, no resistance training was done during the golf season, so two weeks of three to four sets of 15-20 repetitions to get the joints ready for increased intensity is important. The same applies to just about everything else, from cardio to core training. Another aspect that’s often overlooked by the older golfer is recovery. It also takes 10% more time in that decade equation to recover from exercise. So, the tour player can pound it every day and feel fine—Greg and Ginny can’t. A good strategy is to exercise five days per week with a three/two schedule. Three days of exercise in a row, one day off, two days of exercise, then another day off. If there’s no bounce back in recovery, there isn’t a subsequent spring forward in improved abilities. Massage, compression sleeves and hot tubs can all help, but only if golfers have the basic schedule in place to take advantage of the extra benefits. THINK MACRO, NOT MICRO, AND GET RESULTS NEXT SEASON When it comes to offseason exercise, the temptation is to try to get “golf specific.” In reality, the only thing that is specific to golf is golf, and unfortunately, unlike basketball or similar sports, there is a minimal fitness training effect. For Greg and Ginny Golfer, the exercise selection should focus on the two major components— basic strength and aerobic fitness. If there is time COLORADO AVIDGOLFER | Winter 2020
HOME IMPROVEMENT: If uncomfortable going to a public gym, the 50-plus golfer can improve their game by creating their own setup at home. Resistance bands can be used as a substitute for weight machines. A reasonable goal would be to get 25-28 sets of exercise per hour—an optimal experience would be 42-50 sets.
for more, that’s great, but five days per week at 45-60 minutes is quite a bit for most 50-plus golfers. Regularity of schedule is more important than going nuts for two hours one day, then having to rest for the next three. Strength is not built on the golf course, just as it isn’t developed from daily activities, like vigorous yard work. Whether is it driving distance or precision with your iron game, strength and power really helps golf. Why doesn’t normal activity maintain or build strength? The reason is simple: as you get older, the body progressively loses its fast twitch, or power muscle, fibers. If you don’t stress the muscle and neurological or wiring system enough, the body continues its strength decline. In terms of resistance or weight training, at some point the weight has to be heavy enough that Greg can only perform 8-10 repetitions, or he won’t access that explosive muscle fiber. If you’re comfortable going back to your athletic club during these uncertain times, you’ll find circuits or rows of weight machines that work your body from head to toe. After a couple of weeks of getting your joints ready, try for three to four sets of 10 repetitions per machine twice per week. (If Ginny won’t go to a facility, then a carefully constructed program at home with resistance bands can be a reasonable substitute.) How much is enough? About 25-28 sets of exercise in an hour is average—optimal is closer to 42-50. Start with the basics, then add the icing to your training cake. Another thing—18 holes of golf (perhaps with a little range time included) takes about five hours. While that intermittent activity uses cardiovascular fitness, it does not actually
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develop cardiovascular fitness. It’s just not intense enough and not sequential—neither Greg nor Ginny have been walking up a hill for 50 minutes all at once, but rather performing it in two- or three-minute chunks. It might add up, yet the fitness results are very different. Because golf, no matter how they play it, involves some degree of walking—best to give the joints a break and train aerobically without any impact to the body. A combination of cycling, elliptical and maybe swimming is optimal. If picking out one activity at home, it would be the upright bike. Just choose a level where it feels like you’re on cruise control—not too hard, not too easy. It’s just as important to stretch it as far past 30 minutes as possible for maximum benefit. When Ginny can get to 50 minutes of sustained activity at this level, then add a session of interval training once per week, the result will be a good metabolic boost. Body awareness is a key component for older golfers. You can’t improve a swing that you can’t feel in space and time. From a purely fitness/results perspective, movement-focused classes have very limited effects on strength or aerobic fitness. However, they can build movement awareness. If Greg has extra time beyond the five sessions per week, then anything like movement based-yoga, Pilates—even Tai Chi— will probably help body awareness. Many of these are available on-demand, so they can be performed when schedules permit. Neil Wolkodoff, PhD, is the medical program director of the Denver-based Colorado Center for Health & Sport Science (cochss.com; 303-596-6519). coloradoavidgolfer.com
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Player’s Corner LESSON
Playing in a Desert Oasis How to deal with the native danger lurking just off the fairway. By Alex Fisher PLAYING GOLF can present many different challenges because no two rounds are the same. I’m often asked what I most love about the game; for me it is the fact that you have to adapt quickly to difficult situations. That certainly applies in Arizona, where the golf will certainly keep you on your toes. If you’re not distracted by the amazing scenery, you’re likely to have to adjust to more of a target-style golf course. Narrow fairways and fast undulating greens are probably not new challenges for most golfers, but having to navigate the harsh desert
(often off to the side of the fairways) presents an added challenge. Finding your golf ball is one thing, but imagine hitting your ball off of concrete with tons of rocks around you. It’s a hard shot that you don’t want to practice in the first place—but you’re probably going to have to deal with it at some point. For one, the ground is literally that hard and almost impossible for your club to penetrate the soil. Most golfers in Arizona will carry a desert club with them which they don’t mind taking chunks out of.
The most common mistake I see golfers make when hitting out of the desert is trying to pull off a miraculous recovery. More often than not, they make the situation even more dire than the one they just hit from because they are trying to play hero golf. You should always look for the path of least resistance. Definitely don’t put yourself into a worse spot; that’s how you rack up your score. Follow my simple rules to desert play and I guarantee you’ll be fully prepared for what Arizona can throw at you.
1.
PHOTOGRAPHS BY STEVE JELLERSON
THE DECISION MAKER Select the right club; i.e., one that will not compound your problems. I’d suggest no more than a wedge from the desert so that you’re not temped to bite off more than you can chew. Set-up to the ball with your weight slightly favoring your front foot. Keep the ball in the middle of your stance and make sure that the buttons on your shirt are lined up 2 inches in front of the ball. This will ensure that your weight remains forward and the club is less likely to ground out behind the ball.
2.
BACK SWING Make a lot of practice swings so that you can adjust to awkward lies. You’re probably going to have to deal with an uneven stance too. Make sure you’re balanced so you don’t lose your footing. As you complete your backswing, you want to make sure that you maintain your posture. Try and keep the distance between your chest and the ball so that you avoid dipping down or rising up.
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Lesson
3.
PHOTOGRAPHS BY STEVE JELLERSON
COMMIT On your downswing, you have to fully commit and drive the clubhead into the ground. I often see golfers pull out of a shot because they don’t want to hurt themselves or damage their golf club. Maintain your weight on your front foot and drive your trailing arm down at impact so that you hit the dirt. You want to feel like both arms are fully extended as they go through impact. If either arm remains bent, you’re likely to scull the ball.
4.
STICK IT! As the club comes to a rest on your follow-through, your weight should still be on your front foot. Staying balanced throughout the golf swing is a must. The desert floor represents an unstable surface, and if you try and hit the ball too hard, you’re likely to lose your footing. Try to swing the club without overpowering the shot. You’ll find that taking an extra club and swinging easy will help out with that. You’ve got this! Again, should your ball miss the fairway, the important thing is to not compound your troubles by trying to do too much. Whether it’s target-style golf or craftilycontoured green complexes, Arizona is truly an amazing place to play golf. You’ll rarely get the chance to tee it up surrounded by saguaro cacti and beautiful backdrops. The golf courses might look different, but you don’t have to feel intimidated playing them.
Alex Fisher is PGA Director of Instruction at the JW Marriott Camelback Golf Club in Scottsdale, AZ and The Glacier Club in Durango, CO. (602-363-9800).
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COPPER ROCK Hurricane, UT
NATURE’S BEST WORK COPPER ROCK GOLF COURSE
The sun rises on Southern Utah’s newest attraction. Copper Rock Golf Course and community combines innovative design with nature’s best work. Nestled in the colorful cliffs of Hurricane Valley, Copper Rock neighbors the Sand Hollow Reservoir and offers views of Pine Valley Mountain, Zion National Park, Kolob Fingers, and the red Dixie Cliffs.
TEE TIMES AVAILABLE ONLINE OR BY PHONE
8th HOLE Copper Rock
copperrock.com (435) 215-4845 1567 W Copper Rock Parkway
Player’s Corner FASHION
Tee Up These Holiday Gifts Santa’s on point with goodies from cocktail glasses to King Cheetah shoes. By Suzanne S. Brown SAY CHEERS TO TRAVEL Lift a glass to your favorite sport with this cocktail set from G/Fore. The mouth-blown crystal glasses each feature a different etched design, including the brand’s logo, a skull and tees and sayings the company has popularized, including “Pray For Birdies” and “No 1 Cares What You Shot.” The set of four 14-ounce glasses is $115 and comes in a gift box. gfore.com For his locker at the club or to take on any trip, the limited edition Camo Dopp Kit, also from G/Fore, combines swagger as well as service. The toiletries bag has a waterproof camouflage patterned shell, side strap handle, two-way zipper on the top, internal zipper security pocket and bottom zip for additional storage, $95. gfore.com
ORIGIN STORY You might not be able to golf in Scotland right now, but you can vicariously tour 14 of its top courses by paging through Scotland, Home of Golf, a collaboration of the father-and-son photography team of Iain and Christopher Low, and illustrations and text from author, historian and artist David Joy. The book features full-color photography from the air and ground of courses that span the sport’s six centuries, including Carnoustie, Cruden Bay, The Old Course and Prestwick. Accompanying illustrations and text highlight the champions and influencers that have graced famous Scottish courses through the ages, $45. amazon.com or scottishgolflibrary.com
COLORADO AVIDGOLFER | Winter 2020
GOING THE DISTANCE While it doesn’t promise to lower your score, Bushnell’s loaded-with-features Tour V5 Shift rangefinder will surely make your game more precise. The device can read distances from 5 to 1,300 yards, has a magnification level of 6x, features a slope algorithm that is improved over previous models and uses the company’s visual Jolt technology to emit a little buzz and put a red ring around the flag when the target is located. Bright optics and fast focusing are other attributes, as is the fact that the rangefinder is rainproof, attaches magnetically to the cart and comes with a carrying case, 3-volt battery and two-year warranty, $400. bushnellgolf.com
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PUSH AND PULL Push carts are a great device to use when walking the golf course, but let’s face it, they can be bulky to store and transport to and from the club. Not so with the Big Max Blade IP, which has been engineered to fold with three quick steps down to 34½ inches by 24½ inches and a depth of less than 5 inches. The brand originated in Europe more than two decades ago and is gaining a following in the U.S. for its carts and bags. The Blade IP, which has a five-year manufacturer’s warranty, is $350. us.bigmaxgolf.com
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IN THE BAG The golf bag that goes on a cart and holds every possible club and gadget you need to compete in a tournament or round with rivals is a serious golfer’s staple. But for shorter and more casual outings, a lightweight bag is a better choice, and Linksoul has created one that fits the bill. The Linksouldier Sunday Carry Bag weighs just 2.4 pounds and is made of polyester canvas. It has a handle grip for lifting and a double strap so it can be worn over one or both shoulders. Multiple pockets offer room to stash a jacket, water bottle, balls and accessories, $180. linksoul.com
WOODEN IT BE NICE Looking for something for the man who has everything? How about a wooden crate that he has to open with a crowbar (provided) before finding two dozen monogrammed golf balls, a multi-use tool and towel? Man Crates also has many other options, including crates filled with snacks, cocktail fixings, grilling products and hunting tools, starting at $40. The golf set is $80 plus shipping. mancrates.com
THE CAT’S MEOW Footwear for the golf course is a highly individual choice, with style often factoring in alongside fit and function. The statement-making Italian brand Duca del Cosma, which first debuted a spikeless hybrid golf shoe in 2004, now is based in Amsterdam and has offices in England, South Africa and the U.S. The company’s designs for women often include animal prints and a new limited edition women’s style, King Cheetah, takes that trend to the next level. A rare species seldom seen in the wild, and protected at such facilities such as the Hoedspruit Endangered Species Centre in South Africa, the king cheetah had Duca del Cosma’s co-owner Caroline van Wezel under its spell when she visited. So she adopted a cub, named it Duca and the company’s founder and designer Baldovino Mattiazzo created a lacquered leather and suede shoe inspired by the animal’s distinctive fur pattern. The show is available online and in select retail locations, with a portion of the $219 sales price being donated to the conservation center. ducadelcosma.us INITIAL ENCOUNTER Club logos are a common sight on apparel at golf courses, but what if you’d rather sport your own initials than the country club’s name? The women’s boutique brand Golftini has you covered and can custom embroider initials in script or block letters on such pieces as its hot pink quilted vest, $130, plus $15 for the embroidery. Monograms also are available on the company’s tech jackets, sweaters or even a polo shirt and can be white, light pink, hot pink, navy or black. Allow a few extra days for delivery when placing the order. golftiniwear.com
CAG Style Editor Suzanne S. Brown is a former editor for The Denver Post and contributor to Colorado Expression. coloradoavidgolfer.com
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LEADER OF THE PACK Emily Haythorn has built her Colorado business on colorful patterned women’s bags for golf, tennis, pickleball and casual use. Sassy Caddy’s newest offering, perfect for holiday gift-giving, is a backpack that is roomy and functional. It has an easy-access zip pocket and front slip pocket for a phone and keys. Side pockets allow for water bottle storage, while internal pockets are good for valuables and a padded one adds cushioning for a tablet. Adjustable straps allow the bag to be worn messenger-style or on the back. The design is made of waterproof faux leather and comes in metallic silver, black, honey brown and cobalt blue, $159. sassycaddy.com Winter 2020 | COLORADO AVIDGOLFER
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Side Bets FAREWAYS
A Bite at the Turn
Colorado golfers recall top meal memories on and off the links. By John Lehndorff
PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY OF PINEHURST GOLF RESORT
CRABBY PATTIES: The Jumbo Lump Crab Cake is a staple at North Carolina’s Pinehurst Resort and is often the focal point of a memorable meal.
FOOD MAY NOT be the first thing golfers recall about great days on the course. If truth be told, the bill of fare in the clubhouse is not usually the primary attraction. “Golf is usually more about drinking than eating. Every golf course has something they are famous for and it’s often a cocktail,” says Frank Bonnano, a Denver chef and restaurateur and inveterate golfer. That said, many courses are known for particular dishes. Think about the chocolate milkshakes at Castle Pines Golf Club and the seafood chowder dished at Maidstone Club on Long Island, as well as the Bill Burger—a hot dogshaped burger in a hot dog bun—served at San Francisco’s Olympic Club. The most renowned dish of all is the pimento cheese sandwich served at Augusta National Golf Club. Recently, we asked some Colorado golfers to share their favorite memories of food and the links. The dishes and the meal occasions they recall range from humble fare to truly magnificent feasts, much like the rounds of golf that preceded the meals. coloradoavidgolfer.com
SHANE BERTSCH A Denver-born PGA tour golfer since 1994, Bertsch won his first tour event in August at the Charles Schwab Series at Bass Pro Shops Big Cedar Lodge in Missouri. “We traveled a ton in my career in an RV. We home-schooled the kids and we cooked a lot because going out to eat gets old. What I hate the most is that to go out for a good meal for two can cost $100 minimum. We can get five days of groceries for that. The day I won the tournament, my wife had to go home before I finished, so I was alone the night after I won. We were staying in a time share and, for my victory meal, I ate four leftover Sloppy Joes all by myself with a couple of Coors Light. They were the best I ever had.” TOM FERRELL Membership and Marketing Director at the Colorado Golf Club in Parker “The meal I will always remember was in 2013 at Pinehurst in North Carolina. It was
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the annual meeting of Coore and Crenshaw, the Austin-based firm that designed a lot of courses, including the Colorado Golf Club. We got to play Pinehurst No. 2 with representatives of all the clubs, a total of maybe 60 people. This was the year before the course was used for the U.S. Open. The highlight of the gathering was annual dinner at Pinehurst hosted by Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw. The food and wine were great, starting with the lump crab cake they are famous for and the filet mignon they’ve been serving since about 1895. After the meal, I moderated a discussion with Bill and Ben about Pinehurst No. 2, the course we’d just played. With all the traditions and the history, it just all came together in this great moment of food and drink and golf.” PAUL STOLTZ Head Chef at Lake Valley Golf Club in Boulder “My most memorable golf meal was a long time ago when I was in my twenties. I was a newbie professional cook—definitely not a chef—and a newbie golfer. My golf instructor in Winter 2020 | COLORADO AVIDGOLFER
Fareways
thing. Since I introduced the CGA to Birdie Juice, you can now order a birdie juice metal flask at coloradogolf.org.”
PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY OF CASTLE PINES GOLF CLUB
JOHN TOBEY Owner of John Tobey Events “My favorite golf and food moment was in 1998. I was the Food and Beverage Director at the Country Club at Castle Pines and we arranged this amazing pairing dinner with Veuve Clicquot, the French winery. At the time they were mainly known for the Yellow Label Champagne, but we paired each of the six courses with a different wine, including some that weren’t available to the public. After a great round, we were greeted at the door with Veuve Clicquot Rosé and passed appetizers. I remember the menu from (then Executive Chef) Michael Farrell included scallops, an elk entrée with Brut Le Grande Dame and a dessert and cheese course with Veuve Clicquot Demi-Sec. Everything about it was extremely high caliber and highly memorable.” PINING FOR THIS: A conversation combining golf and iconic fare has to include the chocolate milkshakes at Castle Pines Golf Club.
Boulder invited me on his family’s golf vacation to Myrtle Beach. I felt like I was in over my head at that big golf course and I played like a beginner. After we played, we went to his motherin-law’s house on the course at John’s Island, the site for the Ryder Cup. I remember that the dish she made was just five ingredients: prawns, pasta, white wine, salt and olive oil—but it was one of the best meals I’ve ever had. It wasn’t just the taste—it was the smell and the look of the dish and the white wine we drank with it. It was also the feeling of the place as we looked out into the marsh. I went back to cooking understanding that sometimes less is more. When I’m cooking now, I take things out. The same thing with golf. I learned to slow down and focus. I’m a much better golfer now, too.”
JANENE GUZOWSKI A golfer since childhood, she is the first female President of the Colorado Golf Association. Her term ends in December. “My claim to fame is introducing Birdie Juice to male golfers. I’m going to say that every single man I golfed with over the past five years didn’t know it existed. I think Birdie Juice was pretty much a strictly female thing. The guys didn’t know that we were carrying flasks, bottles and shot glasses with us until I would whip out the Birdie Juice. I would keep bottles of Fireball—the Birdie Juice of choice, Rumchata, Jack Daniel’s Apple, Jim Beam Peach, and Butterscotch Schnapps… which I don’t care for. Sometimes there would be more than a few birdies. Keep in mind, Birdie Juice is just a fraction of a shot, not the whole
FRANK BONNANO Chef and owner of Bonnano Concepts, which includes Mizuna, Luca D’Italia, Salt & Grinder and Lou’s Food Bar in Denver “My most memorable golf meal was at The Links at Spanish Bay in Pebble Beach. I was there for a three-day golf trip. I shot an 81—not great, but pretty good—and then we ate at a restaurant at the course. They did this foie gras crème brulee (warm savory custard) that blew me away. I loved it so much I’ve since replicated it for events. Another time at Pebble Beach I decided to grab a quick bite. I was going to order a steak, but the waiter insisted that I get a club sandwich. He said it was ‘the best.’ He was right. It was a perfect club sandwich. Just the right bread. Great turkey. Perfect bacon. Everything was done just right. I think I shot an 80 that day.” John Lehndorff is the former Dining Critic of the Rocky Mountain News. He hosts Radio Nibbles on KGNU.
Taste Tour: A pro’s favorite spots Shane Bertsch, a Denver-born professional golfer, has been on the links and on the road since 1994. He shares some favorite dining spots he has discovered at various golf destinations. • New Orleans: “There’s a place there called Mutha’s that we love. You can get a roast beef sandwich for lunch and they put what they call ‘debris’ all over it, which is basically gravy. We also like the ACME Oyster House—a pretty famous place—that’s great for baked oysters and any kind of seafood you want.” • Texas: “A favorite in Texas at various locations is Pappasito's Cantina. They have really tasty Mexican food.” PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY OF PINEHURST GOLF RESORT
• Ohio: “On the mostly unhealthy side, in areas like Columbus we always like to stop at Skyline Chili for Coneys covered with cheese and chili.” • California: “We like to hit this place called the Little Chicken House in Pacific Grove near Monterrey. It’s a drive-thru that has barbecue ribs and rotisserie chicken.” • Hawaii: “We always make sure we go to the original Roy’s restaurant in Honolulu. We also really like Hawaii 3660 on the Rise—it’s a oneof-a-kind place.” Bonus: Janene Guzowski of the Colorado Golf Association recommends the Kūki‘o Championship Golf Course in Hawaii for its series of striking Comfort Stations on the course: “The Comfort Stations look like the snack aisle at Costco plus a full bar and frozen treats, bags of granola and giant jars of candy.” COLORADO AVIDGOLFER | Winter 2020
DIVINE DIANE: There’s no shortage of scrumptious dining choices for visitors to North Carolina’s Pinehurst Resort, but you can never go wrong choosing the Steak Diane from the Carolina Hotel’s Carolina Dining Room.
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Side Bets NICE DRIVES
A Changing of the Guard It’s not a haul to say these crossovers have come a long way. By Isaac Bouchard
BMW X3
AS CROSSOVERS HAVE taken the place of sedans as normal family transportation, they have become more and more like their four door forefathers. Noticeable trends are smaller wheelto-fender gaps, more aerodynamically friendly shapes, lower step-in heights and more and more car-like interior styling. If one were plopped blindfolded into many current models, it would be hard to tell you were in a vehicle once focused on off-roading or dirty work and hauling. These three clearly illustrate that trend; while they all have more ground clearance than a traditional four door and AWD, none look nor drive like SUVs of yore.
2020 BMW X3 30E
EPA ratings: 60 MPGe; 24 combined 0-60mph: 5.3 sec Price as tested: $65,020 Europe has pushed ahead with strict guidelines for fuel economy in new vehicles; though they measure it in grams of CO2 per kilometer driven, instead of miles per gallon like we do. This has led most car companies to bring plugin hybrids to market as fast as possible, as they score well in testing regimens. Now we are getting a taste of what these gas-electric hybrids can do as well. It is interesting to see if their complex and heavy drivetrains pay real world benefits, either economically or in economy. In the case of the BMWs, coloradoavidgolfer.com
the case seems strong for the latter. Whether it is the 6 cylinder X5 45e or the X3 30e tested here, these “sport activity vehicles” better the fuel economy of their gasoline-only versions, and have the ability to cover short distances (about 20 miles) on electric power only—as long as you charge them every day or so. But even when you can’t top up their lithium ion batteries, the extra torque provided by their electric motors makes them smooth, fast and refined. The downsides are the slight loss of cargo capacity—since the X3’s 12kWh batteries are under the floor of the cargo area—and the feeling of extra weight. This certainly doesn’t hurt ride quality, which is excellent; the X3 is less bothered by bumpy roads than most any other crossover in its class, and is one of the quietest as well. This latter quality is enhanced by the PHEV (plugin Hybrid Electric Vehicle) powertrain. The BMW’s enthusiast-focused heritage is apparent when you select one of the sportier drive modes; in Eco the X3 is somewhat slothful and unresponsive, all so as to generate the longest EV range possible and excellent fuel economy, which it readily achieves. The 30e routinely returned 3-5mpg better than a gas-only X3—and
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is possible to actually get over 40mpg if one is disciplined and used the Max eDrive setting— yet is very fast when Sport is selected, with instant electric thrust that seamlessly blends with the turbocharged gasoline engine. Independent testing shows it will hit 60mph in 5.3 seconds. Total system power is rated at 288hp/310lb-ft, placing it right between the 248hp X3 30i and 355hp X3 M40i models, just like its acceleration. Likewise, the transition from EV-regeneration to friction braking was nigh on undetectable, something hard to achieve in a plugin. When spec’d with the M Sport package and big wheels, the X3 30e looks every part the performance crossover— and it drives like it too, with skidpad and braking numbers that match the hotrod M40i. As long as you’re willing to pay the premium for the PHEV drivetrain, and aren’t overly concerned with recovering all its cost through reduced fuel usage, it seems a great way to go green. Winter 2020 | COLORADO AVIDGOLFER
Nice Drives
2020 BUICK ENCORE GX ESSENCE* EPA ratings: 30/32 /31 MPG 0-60mph: 9.3 sec Price as tested: $33,465 *Front wheel drive model tested
Buick has made a major comeback over the past decade; they’re one of the most popular brands in China and they’re once again aspirational for many folk here. The Encore is a solid entry in the compact class. Its styling is mature and attractive, its size seems well suited to empty-nesters or those who don’t have a big family yet, and its mix of tech and refinement is well-balanced and satisfying. Optional is a 155hp/174lb-ft turbocharged engine; despite only having 3 cylinders it is smooth, and there is enough low-end torque channeled through 9 transmission ratios to let the Buick keep up with urban traffic. The Encore’s ride is polished and refined, befitting the upscale image the company wants to project. Gone is most of the hobbyhorse motions of its smaller sibling, the Encore. There’s nothing especially rewarding about the way the Buick handles curves, but it’s nice to see a company not chasing useless lateral-g numbers at the expense of real world competence. Inside,
Buick Encore
this might be Buick’s most successful interior yet; the design is attractive and material quality a step above the average Ford, Chevy or basic Asian offering. But it is not good enough to compete with a Mazda CX-5, never mind most Acura, Audi or BMW models Buick would like to consider as the Encore’s competitors. There’s loads of standard and optional tech including a high def 360-degree surround view camera and head up display, and though its infotainment screen isn’t particularly large, the image is bright and responsive. If things like that matter more than punchy acceleration the Buick is a strong contender.
Kia Seltos
2021 KIA SELTOS SX TURBO EPA ratings: 25/30/27 MPG 0-60mph: 6.6 sec Price as tested: $29,485
Slotting into the Kia lineup between the Soul (front drive only) and the Sportage, the Seltos is similar in size to the Buick, yet different enough in execution and pricing to make an interesting alternative—especially now that Kia has entered that vaguely defined market arena above mainstream, but below premium, thanks to such excellent products as the Stinger and Telluride. In the top SX trim, its chiseled exterior, available two-tone paint schemes and big polished wheels really come into their own. Inside the design is fine but plastics are generally hard and shiny; likewise the seat coverings are faux leather, not real hide like that which covers the nicely sculptured steering wheel. Making such material choices less objectionable are an optional, 10.25in infotainment screen for the excellent UVO software, digital instrument cluster and all the modern driver aids, all for under $30,000. Based on the platform of the superbly executed subcompact Kona, top Seltos models come with the great 1.6-liter, turbocharged engine and 7-speed dual clutch tranny that make the smaller machine so much fun. 175 horses and 195lb-ft of torque make the bigger Kia quick too, with 0-60mph taking only 6.6 seconds. Its helm is responsive and handling decent; likewise ride quality and refinement are fine, though the engine is quite loud at full throttle. All in, this version of the Seltos is quite a bargain and the compromises Kia has made to keep its price down are smartly judged.
Automotive Editor Isaac Bouchard owns Denver-based Bespoke Autos (isaac@bespokeautos.com; 303-475-1462). Read more of his automotive writing, reviews and recommendations on coloradoavidgolfer.com and bespokeautos.com. COLORADO AVIDGOLFER | Winter 2020
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March 12, 13 Safety is Key.
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Course Spotlight | Ak-Chin Southern Dunes
An Ak-Chin in Your Heart Discover why Southern Dunes is a perennial must-play.
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lthough nestled in the desert, Ak-Chin Southern Dunes really plays more like a links-style course. Brian Curley and Lee E. Schmidt are listed as the designers but Masters champion Fred Couples served as a consultant on the project. The course underwent a renovation in 2014, which was designed to make it more “player-friendly”— to wit: the bunkering was reduced by 83,000 square feet, and the par-3 17th, once an approximate 240-yard blind shot, was shortened to just over 200 yards. Another nice touch was the addition of “Golf’s version of a bunny slope.” The practice area, #miniDunes, is designed to appeal to a younger crowd. akchinsoutherndunes.com
COLORADO AVIDGOLFER | Winter 2020
SACRED LAND The Ak-Chin Indian Community owns the 320 acres that houses Ak-Chin Southern Dunes. Part of its original May 1912 reservation, the community lost the land as the result of an executive order later that year. It was reacquired almost 100 years later, in 2012.
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520.426.6827 akchinsoutherndunes.com
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Course Spotlight | Troon North
True North
Pinnacle or Monument, Troon North is still the desert standard-bearer.
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hirty years ago, Tom Weiskopf came upon a piece of land that he said was so good, “anybody could have (designed them) and had them turn out pretty good.” Of course, the former British Open champion was being modest. From paying homage to his predecessors in golf design (the opening hole on the Pinnacle course is a 392-yard par-4 called “Mackenzie”— named for architect Alister MacKenzie, who designed Augusta National), to “The Monument,” the impossibly large boulder that challenges players off the tee on the 566-yard, par-5 third hole that inspired the facility’s second 18, Troon North Golf Club, designed with Jay Morrish, may well be Weiskopf’s magnum opus. troonnorthgolf.com
Course Spotlight | Eagle Mountain
The Eagle Has Landed
That is, if you can successfully navigate the greens at Eagle Mountain.
T
he newcomer to Eagle Mountain Golf Club may well be heartened by a quick glance at a scorecard that shows a tantalizing length of about 6,800 yards from the tips. However, visions of course records will likely become so many delusions of grandeur before long—most likely at the first misplaced approach shot. The challenge at Eagle Mountain comes from its immaculately-manicured greens, which feature multiple tiers and rolling contours. If you want a course where you can come out and channel your inner Loren Roberts, showing your friends that you’re indeed “The Boss of the Moss,” then Eagle Mountain may well be the place for you. eaglemtn.com
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Course Spotlight | Rio Verde
River of Dreams Rio Verde—golf and a lifestyle that will make others green with envy.
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he two 18-hole Tom Lehman-designed golf courses at Rio Verde stand as centerpieces of a vibrant community and together, they make up one of the bestkept secrets in the Valley of the Sun. The courses, Quail Run and White Wing, play to only about 6,600 yards from the tips, but the abundance of elevated greens, with subtle contours and shaved down edges, creates its own particular challenges. Then again, living a peaceful, relaxed life is the idea behind Rio Verde—why should playing 18— or even 36—holes of golf be any different? rioverdearizona.com
COLORADO AVIDGOLFER | Winter 2020
A NEW WAY OF CLUBBING DOWN Located in the McDowell foothills next to Tonto National Forest, there’s much more than golf to Rio Verde. The facility also features clubs for hikers, bikers and horse lovers, as well as an art studio. It also recently completed a $3.75 million clubhouse renovation.
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Rio Verde is our perfect fit. “We’re always meeting up for a round of golf, game of pickleball, drinks and dinner, or a fabulous event at the club. We stay busy and happy. This is our paradise!” Ron & Nancy Miller
“The people are so welcoming, you just feel like you’re at home within a short time of being here.” Chris & Diane McMullen
To learn more about our full and individual golf memberships please visit RioVerdeArizona.com Membership Director, Megan Liborio (480) 471.3410 mliborio@rioverdecc.com Golf – Tennis & Pickleball – Bocce – Pool - Fitness – Arts – Hike – Bike - Trails
We-Ko-
POW! A buddies’ trip to the WE-KO-PA CASINO RESORT proves to be the perfect antidote for the 2020 blahs. By DOUGLAS CESELLI
READY…AIM…: The Cholla course at We-Ko-Pa, designed by Scott Miller, is a quintessential desert golf layout and a worthy challenge for all players.
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PHOTOGRAPH BY LONNA TUCKER PHOTOGRAPH BY LONNA TUCKER PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY OF WE-KO-PA GOLF CLUB PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY OF WE-KO-PA GOLF CLUB
GOLF, AND A DOUBLE-DOWN: The excitement at the We-Ko-Pa Casino Resort doesn’t stop with the golf. After an exhilarating round on the Saguaro course (featuring the 197-yard, par-3 11th), visitors can settle accounts over a delicious meal at the Saguaro Grille. The facility takes full advantage of Arizona’s unique indoor/outdoor lifestyle with a fireplace, comfortable patio and large windows overlooking the 1st and 18th holes. After a full, fun day, complete your experience with a visit to the We-Ko-Pa Casino Resort. Opening 30 years ago as the first casino in the Phoenix area, the redesign features 167,000-square-feet of gaming action.
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COMMITTING TO A
buddies’ golf trip in 2020 was a lot like a New Year’s resolution to hit the gym and get in shape. The idea was inspiring and motivating. The planning was encouraging and exciting. The execution, however, was exhausting, but ultimately worth it. Especially when you have a chance to play with some of your best buds in Scottsdale—one of the world’s most complete golf destinations. So my buds and I took the plunge and did it. And if you’re dead set on setting off to Scottsdale for your winter golf trip, you’ll find no fewer than 20 incredible golf properties from which to choose. We-Ko-Pa Golf Club and their two award-winning courses—Saguaro and Cholla—need to be on top of your list.
THE SETTING
THE DIGS
We were lucky. We happened to be in town for the grand opening celebration of the all-new We-Ko-Pa Casino Resort—a Four-Diamond property—which features everything you can expect from a high-end gaming establishment outside of Las Vegas. We checked-in to We-Ko-Pa’s exclusive golf suites, which have a Augusta National “crow’s nest” feel to them, complete with a kitchen, living area and room for your friends to forget you took their money. More on that later. The new digs now rival the gaming and lodging competitors of Talking Stick and Ak-Chin—home to Southern Dunes in nearby Maricopa—but the golf is where We-Ko-Pa separates itself.
THE GOLF
We purchased We-Ko-Pa’s 36-hole package and decided to knock ’em down in one day with Saguaro up first. Let’s just get this out of the way from the beginning: the turf conditioning on both courses is incredible. Not a single blade of grass is out of place COLORADO AVIDGOLFER | Winter 2020
GO FOR IT: Many of the holes on the Cholla course (like the 588-yard, par-5 second) present a challenge for most golfers. Taking an aggressive line could lead to shorter approach shots—or potentially leave you scrambling to escape from some dodgy desert lies.
anywhere on the property and the bunker conditioning is exceptional—especially for desert courses. Unless you’ve been living under a rock and haven’t picked up any golf trade magazine—including ours—for the past decade, you know that We-Ko-Pa’s Saguaro course is one of the most decorated tracks in the southwest. Saguaro has held the top spot in Arizona’s public-course rankings for nearly 15 years straight. Evidence as to why is found on the first tee, where you’ll read a quote from “Gentle” Ben Crenshaw: “This old, boney ground has some sting to it.” Yes. The celebrated and worldrenowned design duo of Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw are to thank for this masterpiece which follows the natural elevation changes, hills, swells and arroyos of an ancient, boney land. They built the course without moving any dirt, and their minimalism philosophy led to a few interesting and unusual attributes for a desert course. Touted as “links style,” Saguaro offers the ability to walk the course—extremely uncommon for the Southwest. Saguaro also opens up the entire golf-shot arsenal, allowing players—like my mountain-course buddies—to play low runners, skied shortirons and other creative shots on approach to imaginative greens. And you won’t find any repeated holes or even repeated approach shots here. Each shot on every hole is completely unique to its specific and untouched original landscape cut by bygone riverbeds thousands of years ago.
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After an unexpected and expensive Nassau beat-down from my buddies, an outstanding Scottish-style ale from the local brewery and a perfectly crisp bratwurst from the Saguaro Grille—a standalone quasi-clubhouse—I was ready for Cholla, the older of the perennial award-winning sister courses. Designed by Scott Miller—the brain behind a number of awesome Phoenixarea golf courses, seriously, look it up— We-Ko-Pa’s Cholla course is a fair and rewarding golf experience where the line is clear and it’s up to you to execute. Trouble is straightforward, visible and penalizing. Don’t hit it there. But like its sister Saguaro, Cholla has no cookie-cutter holes. No “golf holes for the sake of golf holes.” The allure of Cholla resides in its risk/ reward nature. Sure, there’s risk on every hole—especially when you play from the desert like my buddies—but every hole has an aggressive line that transforms a 7-iron approach shot into a wedge and a 3-wood into a smooth hybrid. It pays to be on the correct side of a Cholla fairway—just ask my cohorts after I recouped my losses and then some. Here’s how it boils down. The setting is extraordinary. The digs are brand new and world-class. And the golf, well, the golf is about as good as it gets anywhere in the world. A must-play for anyone visiting Scottsdale. Douglas Ceselli is a contributor to Colorado AvidGolfer. coloradoavidgolfer.com
PHOTOGRAPH BY LONNA TUCKER
The Phoenix area is a sprawling metropolis built more out than up, but at the edge of the suburb of Scottsdale, about 30 minutes from Sky Harbor International Airport, the desert abruptly reclaims the landscape and steel skyscrapers and strip malls are replaced by spectacular sunsets and Saguaro cacti—found in only one place on earth: the Sonoran Desert. There are no homes or roads—or anything really—anywhere near the golf course, which gave us the incredible feeling of being alone and unbothered, something normally reserved for memberguest days at your local private club.
What happens when you mix the words ‘Sanctuary’ and ‘Colorado’
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We’ll Always Have Paris—
PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY OF BANDON DUNES
or at least Bandon Dunes
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PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY OF PEBBLE BEACH COMP ANY PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY OF ST ANDREWS LINKS
With the pandemic sharply curtailing travel, we hearken to memories of favorite golf trips of the past—with a peek at all the places we’ ll go when things get better. By ANTHONY COTTON | Photo illustrations by CHELSEA OGLESBY coloradoavidgolfer.com
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Winter 2020 | COLORADO AVIDGOLFER
GARY ALBRECHT PROBABLY isn’t like you and me. To be sure, like most folks—let’s be honest, like virtually anyone who’s ever held a golf club—Albrecht hit the links with abandon in 2020, taking advantage of a ready-made, social-distanced, friendly activity that was the perfect antidote to the restrictions mandated by the novel coronavirus. “Just like everybody else, I’ve never played this much golf in a season,” Albrecht said. But unlike almost anyone else, Albrecht, most often accompanied by his girlfriend, Suzy Leprino, has taken his game beyond Colorado’s borders—on numerous occasions. While the pandemic has played havoc with travel—at one point early on, United Airlines had canceled up to 97 percent of its flights— Albrecht has been something of a contrarian. There was a pre-COVID-19 trip to New Zealand. There’s been an excursion to Bandon Dunes. A stop at the Alotian Club in Arkansas; a private club founded by Warren Stephens, son of former Masters chairman Jack Stephens—“His idea was to create an Augusta National in the Midwest.”—and another at Torrey Pines South. COLORADO AVIDGOLFER | Winter 2020
That’s not even counting the day trips in Colorado to places like Frost Creek and Gypsum Creek. It’s not that he’s flouting safety and precaution; Albrecht is the head of the committee that oversees the operation of CommonGround Golf Course, the home course of the Colorado Golf Association. As such he was instrumental in the efforts there at the start of the pandemic to follow the mandates set by state and county authorities. “We took everything very, very seriously,” he said. Throughout his extensive personal travels, Albrecht said he and Leprino have been extremely cautious; for example, wearing masks and shields on airplanes. “We just felt that, with the extra precautions we took, we were safe.” Believe it or not, there were trips that Albrecht wanted to make that fell by the wayside because of the virus—like a journey to Ireland and Scotland. In that sense, he has joined countless numbers of golfers who’ve decided to forego taking buddy trips and once-in-a-lifetime getaways because of the current climate. But one thing that hasn’t been affected by the pandemic are our memories: To that end, Colorado AvidGolfer
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PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY OF ST ANDREWS LINKS
KING OF THE CASTLE: While it doesn’t have the same reputation as the Old Course, the Castle Course at St Andrews, built in 2008, is a mustplay when visiting the Home of Golf.
reached out to a few folks in and around the game, asking them to share some golf travel recollections—an unforgettable trip, their all-time favorite partners—as well as some of the locales they’re most looking forward to getting back to when conditions allow. These stories have been lightly edited for space and clarity.
ACROSS THE POND It doesn’t take long for recollections of favorite trips to make their way to Europe. Molly Greenblatt is an attorney and chairperson of the Colorado Open Golf Foundation I have been blessed with many opportunities to play golf in so many magical places with friends and family. Pebble Beach is always high on the list, but for my favorite trip I have to say Scotland with my family. We took my dad for a milestone birthday and I was new in my legal career, so taking a vacation with my family was a gift. Playing St Andrews with my dad and brother was a dream come true—the weather was far from ideal; it was freezing cold and pouring cats and dogs. It was the day that I learned about the real importance of good rain gear! We were so determined to play St Andrews that coloradoavidgolfer.com
the grounds crew was a half hole ahead cutting the holes on the green right in front of us so we would have holes to actually putt in. I loved every minute of that round, freezing and all! We still talk about that wild day! On the same trip, we played Carnoustie Golf Links right after the Women’s British Open was played there. I had the opportunity to walk the round with a local caddy who had caddied for Morgan Pressel. He set up the course for me to play just like the ladies had played and told great stories throughout the round. But what really makes the trip stand out in my memory is that my mom, who is now deceased, was with us and it was the last time she went overseas. She loved to travel and to see new and different places. I feel so blessed that I have that memory with her. While she loved the traditions of the game of golf, she was not an avid player, so she made sure we saw all of the golf history that surrounds St Andrews and joined in on the storytelling long after our rounds were over.
PHOTOGRAPH BY JOHN LEYBA
Drew Goodman is a broadcaster with AT&T SportsNet Rocky Mountain and the television voice of the Colorado Rockies In 2004, the Rockies finished that year as I recall in New York. My family spent the last few days with me, as I’m from New York. We flew the day after the season ended to Edinburgh and met my in-laws there for about 11 days. My three sons were very young then, but I still managed to get in three memorable rounds with my father and brother in law at Prestwick, Carnoustie, and the Old Course at St Andrews. That was golf nirvana. At Prestwick there was one par 3, that, had we not had caddies, we would literally have no idea which direction to
hit the golf ball. You literally could not see anything but shrubbery in every direction! I recall getting to 18 at Carnoustie and replayed in my mind the epic collapse in 1999 of Jean Van de Velde. I played the hole thinking the whole time and discussing it with my father-in-law, how the hell did he screw this one up so badly! Could have hit three 9 irons and two putted for the Open Championship! I guess there was something called pressure involved as well! Our final stop was St Andrews. What an unforgettable treat. As we stood on the first tee, we noticed an extremely tall guy walking down the adjacent 18th fairway toward us. When he got closer, I realized it was Randy Johnson, who had evidently done as I did and caught one of the first flights to Scotland at the conclusion of the season. So many memories of St Andrews: the enormous greens that are home to two holes, the pot bunkers where you could lose large farm animals, the gorse where golf balls go for a permanent burial without last rites, the wind, the rain, the occasional sun peeking through, and the fact that if you miraculously hit it fairly straight you will have a wedge in your hand on your second shot somewhat frequently. I actually played well there. My fatherin-law is an accomplished player and we were laughing because he went from rooting for me early, to shaking his head because I was beating him still on the back nine. He began reminding me that I was playing over my head with each successful shot! The golf Gods ultimately got me, along with a little choking as I finished double, double which prevented me from breaking 80. Still an unforgettable round and a place I look forward to returning to with my boys!
What’s a road trip without a little bit of wagering? Some bizarre happening that you and friends will discuss for years to come…maybe you can pick up some ideas here. Steven Hale is a long-time caddie on the PGA and other professional tours Life on the road nowadays is very boring, but the relationships still evolve around common interests outside of golf. The guys that love sports will tend to hang together. My group mostly revolves around live music. Going to see concerts while on the road is the only thing that gets me out of the room. Obviously, that makes this year even more difficult. There are so many cool aspects of Ballyneal that can bring a group together. But the firepits and the putting green at night can create friendships among strangers as well. The Commons is the one-acre putting green that has the cups and flags lit at night, to allow for some fantastic games that tend to grow, as soon as the lights start to glow. As with most golf trips, you can agree amongst yourselves to include any rules that you want to govern your event. And at Ballyneal, amongst our group only, we have a few beauties. My favorite is our version of the “burrowing animal” rule, which goes something like this… If you hit your ball into the fescue and assorted wilderness, and you and your playing partners are comfortable that it should be in the area of your search…there are obvious burrowing animal holes around the area, and the following must be witnessed and videoed—you have to stick your arm into the hole, up to your elbow, for a solid “threeMississippi” count. Afterwards, you get a free drop, whether you find your ball or not. Obviously, this has led to some moments of great anticipation—and even greater admiration as the legends grow when retelling the stories through the years. Joe Assell is the co-founder and CEO of GOLFTEC One time we were playing Bodega Bay Golf Course near Napa, California. The houses on Bodega Bay are the closest to the holes of maybe any golf course I have ever played! On the par 4 10th hole, my cousin was in the greenside bunker in two and blades his bunker shot over the green and it hits the chimney on top of the house on the other side of the green. The ball bounces down the roof onto the patio, takes a big
FAMILY TIES: AT&T SportsNet Rocky Mountain broadcaster Drew Goodman (left, playing with sons Zach and Jacob) wants a future match in Europe.
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FUN AND GAMES
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PHOTOGRAPH BY JAMIE SCHWABEROW/CLARKSON CREATIVE (TOP); COURTESY OF BANDON DUNES (BOTTOM)
your clubs (trying to keep up). But one of my friends is turning 60 soon and the talk is that a group of us will all go and play Pebble Beach. I’m really looking forward to that; I’ve rode my bike on a layoff there—there’s a 20-mile bike ride that goes from Monterey to Big Sur, and you ride right by Pebble Beach. I’ve done it two or three times and each time it just looks so nice. It would be really fun to do that. Joe Assell I would take my family on a trip through Scotland and Ireland. I was fortunate to go on a buddies’ trip where we played 12 rounds in eight days on some of the highestrated courses in the world. It was an epic trip and I would like my family to experience the same trip. CHIPS AHOY: In M’lis Ward’s golf circle, there’s something on the line with virtually every shot taken.
bounce onto the cart path, and another big bounce onto the green and rolls into the hole for a birdie off the chimney! Craziest golf shot I have ever seen!
DROPS IN THE BUCKET (LIST)
M’ lis Ward is a pilot for United Airlines and is on the Board of Directors for the Colorado Golf Association Somebody much smarter than us created this game; it’s a set of about seven or eight poker chips, and they’ll have words or phrases like “Birdie” or “Chip In” or “Hit A Tree.” But we always thought those sets didn’t have all of the things we like to bet on—like the Longest Drive—so our group has created our own set that now has about 16 of them; at the beginning of the round we designate how much each are worth— usually it’s about a dollar. During the round, whenever one of us does those things, good or bad, you get the chip. At the end of the round, you settle up—if you have good chips you have money coming in; if you have bad chips you’re paying out. It’s a fun thing, but what we’ve discovered is that it actually makes you focus more when you’re playing and maybe play smarter shots. You might be behind a tree and say “I’m just gonna try and blast it through”—that might work 10 percent of the time, but that other 90 percent, it’s going to hit the tree and go somewhere you don’t want it to go. So if it’s the end of the round, you’ll maybe realize you should just keep it low and punch it out, if only to avoid getting that chip. Choices like that help you manage your game better.
Gary Albrecht is an attorney and is on the Board of Directors of the Colorado Golf Association There’s a nine-hole course outside of Chattanooga in Tennessee called Sweetens Cove that I’d read about—it was fabulous. I went by myself and played for two days. The fact that it’s only nine holes makes it even more special—it’s so nice Peyton Manning has invested in it; it’s gone from being this place that only golf geeks knew about to this pretty well-known destination. I’ve been there twice but it’s a place I definitely have to get back to.
COLORADO AVIDGOLFER | Winter 2020
When the time is right, what’s the potential trip that gets you most excited? Perhaps you can tag along to these far-flung locales.
M’ lis Ward Typically what happens is a friend will call up and say, ‘Hey do you want to come play?’ and we’ll grab our clubs and hop on a plane and go. It’s rare to play on a layover because we really don’t have time and it’s hard to drag your clubs with you because we’re not flying to one place and back—it’s usually four or five different places in one day and then the next it can be two or three more, so you don’t want
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Molly Greenblatt Bandon Dunes, it was on the 2020 golf trip list but due to COVID-19, those plans were all scratched.
FAMILY FIRST Ask a golfer who they’d like to accompany them on a road trip and the answer usually hits close to home. Molly Greenblatt This one is easy. My father. I am truly
PICTURE PERFECT: With the debut of Sheep Ranch in June, Oregon’s Bandon Dunes now has six courses available to help golfers create their own indelible memories.
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Joe Assell I would take my dad and let him pick the other two. Steven Hale If a golf trip were thrown my way tomorrow, it would have to include my son, Andrew. He has just graduated college and is starting his new life in the working world soon. To have that one chance to hang out with him, have a couple of big-picture talks before he takes that next big step towards independence, would be cool. At least for me! Gary Albrecht “Two of my favorite people to play golf with were Tom Collins, like the drink…he went by TC and my other buddy went by PC—his name was Paul Caloway…He spelled his name with one L…we would always tease him that he was a letter short of being somebody. If I could choose anyone to play with today, they would definitely be included.” Paul Caloway died this past July; Tom Collins passed away from colon cancer in 2017—but not before providing Albrecht with a memory he’ll never forget. “We would always play at the Glen Falls Country Club; it’s out in the Adirondacks and is a Donald Ross course—it’s one of my favorites. On October 21, 2016, a beautiful fall day out in the Adirondacks…we come to 18…it’s 136 yards, the tee is right next to the clubhouse, with the green down below. Tom hits this beautiful shot to the green; it rolled up to the pin, kissed the flag, paused on the lip and dropped into the cup. Of course, everyone went nuts. “When we were leaving, he said, ‘That might be my walk-off—that may be the last shot I ever take on a golf course.’” Anthony Cotton is the editor of Colorado AvidGolfer.
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TEE TIMES AND TOASTS For Rockies Manager Bud Black, golf trips are a way to celebrate the spirit of competition and camaraderie. By the time the Los Angeles Dodgers were putting the finishing touches on their 2020 World Series triumph, Colorado Rockies Manager Bud Black was already formulating plans involving his National League West rivals. His thoughts didn’t involve defensive shifts or home-road splits— although getting away was definitely a consideration. No, Black was thinking not about baseball, but rather golf, along with his good friend Dave Roberts, the skipper of the newly-christened champions. “Dave and I worked together for five years and, as the crow flies, we only live about two miles away from each other in San Diego,” Black said. “He called me this summer and told me he wants to join a club and start playing more, get somewhere and start working on his game.” And while it may not be the optimum spot for a novice golfer, Black has some definite ideas on where he’d take his buddy for a golf trip. “We’d go somewhere where he could parlay the trip with a little work; he’s got his own wine label, called Red Stitch, up in the Napa Valley, so we would end up in Carmel and Monterey—just go right to the best spot. “For me, the most scenic golf in the world is right there; we’d go to Pebble Beach, Spyglass, Cypress Point—and he’d be hooked. I don’t know if you’re supposed to start with the very best, but hey, let’s do it that way.” Black has been an avid golfer since his playing days as a major league pitcher. During the 1980s, he led a group of Kansas City Royals players on trips that took place during and after seasons. These days, when the schedule is released for the upcoming season, Black of course first looks at it from a baseball perspective—but he admits other considerations are likely to come into play as well. “This year because of the coronavirus we were pretty much relegated to our hotel rooms, following all the protocols and guidelines, so golf was nonexistent this year,” he said. “But usually, I’ll take a look at the cities where we’re scheduled to have off days...I don’t really recall what that looked like this season because things got changed so quickly. “We may have had a day in St. Louis. I’ve never played Bellerive (Country Club) there; They’ve hosted the PGA Championship, maybe the U.S. Open. We may have had a day in Philadelphia...I’ve been fortunate enough to play Pine Valley (Golf Club in suburban New Jersey), but I’ve never played Merion Golf Club (also near the city)—that’s on my to-do list.” Now that the season is over and he’s freed from the restrictions that were essential to a successful completion of the 2020 season, Black says he’s eager to get back to golf. Whether it was crisscrossing the country with former teammates or getting back out there with current co-workers—“Our bench coach Mike Redmond, he loves golf too, and he’s never been to Pebble Beach...I’ve been talking to him about taking a trip, too—I guess that’s on the forefront of my mind, getting back to Pebble.” Wherever the locale, Black says the enduring value of his golf road trips are the feelings they engender. “You want to play good golf, but sometimes you’re playing with a minimum amount of sleep and maybe a touch of a hangover,” he laughed. “But the main thing is that they’re all centered around camaraderie—that’s the perfect word. It’s not just the four hours on the golf course—it’s the time after, having a meal, sharing the food and stories about the golf, being with the guys in an atmosphere that’s not highly pressurized like a baseball season. “I’ve just always enjoyed that aspect of it—the 19th Hole and the conversations that go along with it.”
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PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY OF COLORADO ROCKIES
blessed to have a great “girl dad.” We have played a lot of rounds together since I was 14 years old. I am convinced that the game of golf helped me have a wonderful relationship with my father. When most teens were fighting with or ignoring their fathers, I had mine, right there next to me, spending countless hours on driving ranges, putting greens and courses. And, even now, when golf is no longer my sole focus, we always talk golf—even in COVID—the FaceTime consists of conversations regarding how many up and downs he had, what was his best shot of the day and if his new swing tip is working! :)
Winter 2020 | COLORADO AVIDGOLFER
Born to
Fly When she was a child, M’LIS WARD leaped off garage roofs—it was just a preview of the heights she would eventually attain. By ANTHONY COTTON Photographs by JAMIE SCHWABEROW/ CLARKSON CREATIVE
COLORADO AVIDGOLFER | Winter 2020
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FRIENDLY SKIES: After leaving the Air Force, M’lis Ward joined United Airlines, eventually becoming the first African-American female captain in commercial aviation history.
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FOR SOME PEOPLE, it takes a little bit of time to find their footing in life, deciding what path to follow. But sometimes, the universe makes it crystal clear what destiny has in store. For Anne Ward, one of the first inklings of where her youngest child Melissa was headed came pretty early on. “I would have to get her off the top of the garage next door—she would climb up on the roof and jump off. The kids would come running in and say, ‘Mommy, Melissa’s on top of the garage again,’ and I’d run out and ask her to come down. She was just so fearless, even as a little baby. I had to be very, very careful with her because I really thought she might not live to be three—I thought, ‘Maybe if I can just get her to three, perhaps she would understand.’ “I told her one day about then, ‘Melissa, you can’t do these things because you could die.’ She just looked at me and I asked her if she understood what dying meant—that there would be no more Melissa, that we would have to give away all her things because she was never coming back. “She said, ‘Mommy, that’s serious.’ I said, ‘That’s what I’ve been trying to tell you.’” Understanding is one thing; letting that knowledge change who you are is something else. Which is why, many, many years after that Mother-Daughter chat, Ward, now known as M’lis, is still leaping off roofs. After college, she joined the Air Force, where she flew jets that reached speeds over 770 miles per hour, cracking the sound barrier—an experience that she describes today with a nonchalant, “kinda ho-hum.” When she left the military, she switched to a different kind of machinery, becoming a pilot for United Airlines, where she crashed through another wall—becoming the first Black female captain in commercial aviation. Anne Ward tells another story of a young M’lis sitting in a car driving through suburban Chicago and noticing the traffic at a small airport. “There were all these small planes; and she looks at them and she looked at me and she says, ‘Mommy look at all those cute little baby planes…you know, when I get big, I’m gonna fly a plane.’” For her part, M’lis says she doesn’t remember the story, adding that Mom might be romanticizing her daughter’s relationship with flight. “It wasn’t anything like, ‘My dad was a pilot, so I wanted to become a pilot,’ or I grew up watching planes land, and take off,
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out in the Podunk town where we lived and said that’s what I was going to be when I grew up,” she said. “That’s just not me; it just kind of fell into my lap and I said, ‘Sure, let’s try it.’” That may not be totally accurate either. Ward admits to being an “overachiever,” a rather benign description that doesn’t go nearly far enough to describe her life’s journey. At a time when very few women were even given the opportunity to try and become a pilot in the Air Force, she says she caught a break in her burgeoning career when one of the officers in charge of her collegiate ROTC unit talked her up to one of the men in charge of handing out the precious slots in the branch’s flight training program. At the time, the two were sitting in the stands at the University of Southern California, watching Ward as she played for the Women of Troy—as in the two-time national championship winning Trojan team led by Cheryl Miller, arguably the best women’s player of all time, and Cynthia Cooper, a four-time WNBA champion who, like Miller, is also a member of the Basketball Hall of Fame. While Miller and Cooper entered USC with immediate credibility; Ward was a walk-on, battling to first earn a place on the roster and then for every minute of playing time she could get. Oftentimes that meant pushing the team’s stars in practice, because the harder they worked there, the better they would play in the games. That in turn meant more blowout victories—which meant more opportunities for Ward to get on the floor. Of course, there were times when Ward pushed a little too hard in her role as scrappy underdog. “We were at practice one day before a game against Long Beach State, a game that we really needed to win,” she said. “The starters were kind of slacking and the subs were really taking it to them—I must have scored four or five baskets in a row, and our coach stops the practice and says, ‘Who. Is. Guarding. Melissa?’ And I yell out, ‘Coach—Nobody! Nobody’s guarding Melissa because they can’t stop me!’ So play resumed, and from that point, I don’t think any of my shots got near the top of the key, let alone near the rim. My shots were being blocked out of the gym—players were knocking each other over trying to get
Winter 2020 | COLORADO AVIDGOLFER
THE EYES HAVE IT: After winning a pair of national championships with the University of Southern California’s women’s basketball team, golf has become the competitive outlet for M’lis Ward. Carrying a 8.4 handicap, Ward played almost 100 rounds during the 2020 season.
to me. And I was like, ‘Good—it’s about time you showed up.’ “Being on that team was one of the most important things that happened in my life, because it taught me how to work hard; it taught me how to set goals, it taught me how to compete and want to win and never accept losing easily—it really set the tone for my entire life.” Which is why it’s perhaps not surprising that many of the people who spend time with Ward ascribe to a similar bent. Her best friend, Tanya Poel, who also flies for United, is another graduate of the Air Force flight training program. For a time, Poel also dabbled in competitive sports, even reaching one of her goals in 2004—qualifying for the Olympic Trials in the marathon. Another close friend, Carla Stearns, was an AllAmerican softball and volleyball player at the University of Northern Colorado and is a member of that school’s Hall of Fame. “We’re just like, ‘Set a goal and go do it,’” Ward says. “We just feel like that’s how everyone should be; we’re ‘If you don’t work hard for it, you don’t deserve to have it’ kind of people.” COLORADO AVIDGOLFER | Winter 2020
GOLF, A LOVE STORY So what does the woman who loves to compete and never wants to accept losing easily do when she decides to set aside the Chuck Taylors? Besides an ongoing flirtation with coaching hoops (a former assistant at Dakota Ridge High School in Littleton, Ward still coaches club basketball in the summer), she falls absolutely head-overheels in love with the one sport certain to crush the spirit of even the hardest working individuals, the pursuit that doesn’t care if your name is Tiger Woods—you can still make a 10 on a par-3 while defending your Masters’ championship—golf. “It really is a love affair—a competitive one,” Ward said. “You know how for some people, golf is a leisurely game? That’s not me; golf has become the place where I can continue my basketball career…people say ‘No one cares what you shoot’—well I care! I don’t want to ever put anything higher than an 85 down on the scorecard.” Of course, for Ward and her friends, amid the pandemic, playing golf was far more than “playing golf ”—“When everyone was quarantined, it was our escape from
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the compound; we had freedom because of golf,” she said. “We needed to feel like the world wasn’t falling apart, and golf did that; it really kept us all together, mentally and physically.” Over the course of the season, Ward says she posted about 90 scores; playing in leagues at Wellshire and Broken Tee golf courses, her handicap dipped as low as a 5.9 before settling at 8.4. If you’re reading this magazine, chances are you, or someone close to you, is so passionate about the game that others might regard you as a golf nut; there are undoubtedly stories you could tell that would demonstrate the lengths you would go to for the game. Ward probably has you beat. Given her current status with United, Ward actually only has to fly a handful of times per month. More often than not, the dates she chooses coincide with the worst weather Colorado has to offer. “On those days, I can take my plane up over the clouds and everything’s fine,” she said. “I’d rather do that than have to fly on a really nice day when I could be playing.” She comes by her passion for the game honestly. According to Anne Ward, M’lis’ father Grant would leave the house in Chicago early on Saturday mornings and not return until at least 36 holes had been played. And while he was more than willing to have his daughter tag along, some of Dad’s contingencies made M’lis reluctant to go all-in on the game. “I would go to the course with him when he practiced; but he refused to teach me the game because he said the cost of playing golf was so prohibitive that I would have to give up the other sports that I played,” she said. “I played basketball, volleyball, softball and soccer and I ran track and field—so that just wasn’t an option I was going to take. Later, I played some when I was in the Air Force, but golf in the Air Force is kind of joke; it’s really more of a drinking sport, but it’s something you have to do—a commanding officer says, ‘Hey, we’re all going out and playing golf,’ then you go play golf.” It wasn’t until she moved to Colorado that Ward’s relationship with golf finally blossomed. Walking on one day at Overland Golf Course in Denver, Ward found herself paired with some members playing a match in the course’s women’s league. “I don’t think the starter was supposed to do that, but that’s when I discovered there were these things called leagues where people played together regularly, so I started coloradoavidgolfer.com
doing that and from there I caught the bug. Playing basketball has gotten tougher as I’ve gotten older because the game is much more physical than it used to be; so I’m really glad that I play golf because it’s something I can do for a long time and it’s led to developing this great group of friends—it’s fantastic.” In addition to playing, Ward is on the board of directors for the Colorado Golf Association, serving on a committee that determines the ratings for courses in the state. The depth of knowledge and conviction she displays while talking about the process of establishing those guidelines at the recently redesigned City Park Golf Course in Denver is simultaneously educational and a little bit intimidating. “I have had the good fortune of getting to know M’lis through our shared passion for the game,” said Ed Mate, the Executive Director and CEO of the CGA. “M’lis is a consistently strong advocate for women’s golf and particularly, public women’s golf. She is never afraid to speak her mind and stand up for her beliefs. Like all of our board, her love of the game is clear and infectious— in a good way!” “FLY THAT”…BUT NOT FOR LONG In September, one of Ward’s coworkers at United’s flight training center retired; almost immediately, she said, he started applying for another flying-related job. “And that’s how most pilots are; they can’t imagine walking away from flying,” she said. “I’m like, ‘Dude, you’re 65—how ’bout playing some golf or going fishing, or maybe traveling? And he says, ‘I just love it too much.’ That’s not me; when I get to retirement age, the only flying you’ll see me doing is sitting in first class, drinking wine when I’m on my way to Europe.” When that day comes, chances are Ward’s golf clubs will be in the cargo hold. Right now, they can usually be found in the trunk of her spiffy high-performance sports car, the one with the vanity plates that read “FLY THAT.” But while we’re in a confessional mood, the truth is that M’lis Ward, the bad-ass, sound-breaking, fearless highflier…doesn’t like to drive fast. “I might go five miles over the speed limit—it drives people crazy,” she said. “But I’m not a typical pilot; when I’m not at work, I never wear a watch; everything related to an airline is about being on time—you have to get to the gate on time; you have to push off from the gate on time; you need to arrive at your destination on time; when you have a layover, you have to wake up on time to coloradoavidgolfer.com
catch the van to go out to the airport. “So, when I’m away from work, I don’t want to care about the time…besides, when you fly for a living, everything else is really slow, so why even try?” Of course, that leisurely attitude puts Ward in good stead on the golf course. And while she says one of the reasons she’s so willing to walk away from the cockpit is because she has so many other interests to attend to, it’s hard to imagine very many of them being conducted without a 7-iron in her hand. Already, plans are being made for a trip to Pebble Beach to celebrate a friend’s 60th birthday; a little further down the line, when more progress is made with the pandemic, Ward would love to tee it up in Ireland.
And at that point, perhaps the chronic overachiever will truly be ready to commit to slowing down. “You know, a lot of the golf leagues I play in, a lot of the women in them are retired and that’s all they do,” Ward says. “They play, like five days a week, and they’re in their fantasy football leagues… I’m a huge baseball fan—I’ve got Rockies’ season tickets. “So I’m thinking, I’ve got baseball from April to October, and I’ve got football from September to January, and I pretty much have golf year-round…I mean, to me, I can’t think of a more perfect life, you know?” Anthony Cotton is the editor of Colorado AvidGolfer.
NO NEED FOR SPEED: Although her ride is fly, M’lis Ward rarely cracks the speed limit. “I might go five miles over,” says the former Air Force pilot.
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Winter 2020 | COLORADO AVIDGOLFER
The
Eagles
Have
Hit with a double whammy in 2020, Cancun’s MOON PALACE RESORT makes the turn to normalcy. By THERESA SMITH PLAYING GOLF MAKES Carla Stearns feel “normal” again. Traveling to Cancun’s Moon Palace Resort in Mexico, and playing the 27-hole Jack Nicklaus signature course felt even more like a pre-COVID experience for Stearns, who played in mid-October just as course workers were completing repairs necessitated by a series of hurricanes. It was the second reopening for the trio of 9-hole courses, following closure from March 26-June 7 due to the pandemic. “I was leery about going, and flying, I hadn’t gone anywhere [during] COVID,’’ said Stearns, an Aurora resident. “I did a little research. I felt okay on the plane, and I really felt safe down there. They did a great job; it was fantastic.’’ A regular on the Colorado Golf Association flight leaderboards, and a former University of Northern Colorado softball and volleyball All-American, COLORADO AVIDGOLFER | Winter 2020
Stearns has turned to golf as respite from the hardships imposed by the virus. “Golfers have gotten to play all summer long; that’s about the only thing that we’ve gotten to do that’s made us feel like we’re living a normal life again,’’ she said. “And we’re really not, of course.’’ Golf is featured on the retirement menu for the former teacher, Grandview High School athletics director and Cherry Creek School District central office administrator. The sister of former New York Mets catcher John Stearns plays in the Broken Tee League and also joined her mother, Joan, in the Wellshire League. Joan, who passed away in July, was a 50year member of the Wellshire Women’s Golf Club. When Denver’s City Park Golf Course reopened on September 1, Stearns fired a hole-in-one on No. 8, the first ace of the hole since the $45 million renovation.
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“It was unbelievable, a shocker, so much fun!’’ Stearns said. “We know they’re luck, but I enjoyed it nonetheless.’’ Stearns’ visit to Moon Palace Spa and Golf Club on the Yucatan Peninsula, was her second, following a trip in spring 2019 with the same friends, who are members. “They invited me to go, and you get all the benefits of their membership while you’re there,’’ she said. “It’s a really nice place. The first day we played, we didn’t know if the course was going to be ready because of the cleanup from the hurricane. It came through as a [Category] 2; it was projected as a [Category] 4. But there were still leaves and branches down and water all over the place. When we got to the course, they said we would play one of the 9s twice, but when we got to the turn, they said if you wait a half hour, you can play a different 9.’’ Stearns and her playing partners coloradoavidgolfer.com
PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY OF MOON PALACE RESORT
Relanded in Mexico
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JUNGLE BOOK: The Jungle, which has wildlife roaming the grounds, is one of three Jack Nicklaus-designed nine-hole courses at the Moon Palace Resort.
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Winter 2020 | COLORADO AVIDGOLFER
PHOTOGRAPHS COURTESY OF MOON PALACE RESORT
BACK IN BUSINESS: The pandemic and hurricanes have shut the golf courses at Moon Palace down twice in 2020. Now reopened, visitors have been anxious to take their shot at intimidating holes, like the 425-yard, par-4 1st (left) and the 150-yard, par-3 8th on the Lakes Course (above).
PHOTOGRAPH BY JAMIE SCHWABEROW/CLARKSON CREATIVE
patiently waited and were rewarded with traversing the Jungle course, along with the Lakes course. “They did a great job and worked really hard getting it ready,’’ she said. The difficulty of the courses, including Dunes, appeals to the UNC Hall of Famer. “It is tight,’’ she said. “It’s the kind of course where if you hit it off the fairway, you’re in the jungle, and you never find your ball. So it’s hard. It’s a really hard golf course, but it is a lot of fun.’’ It is also unique, in terms of wildlife. Stearns was fascinated by the lizards, crocodiles and coati (raccoon-like) animals she observed. White-tailed deer also roam
THE NEW NORMAL: Initially leery of traveling, Carla Stearns said her October trip to Cancun’s Moon Palace Resort resembled a pre-COVID-19 experience.
COLORADO AVIDGOLFER | Winter 2020
the rough as part of the resort’s protection and seeing a rise in tee times and bookings and sustainable management program. at our golf villas.’’ As with thousands of travel-related Golf vacations are the stuff of retirement businesses, golf destinations like Moon dreams, and with golf-playing friends living Palace Resort experienced a significant in Scottsdale, Ariz., Stearns would love to decrease in golfers and visitors, because of head south this winter. COVID-19. “Depending on COVID, the numbers “We saw a decrease of about 60 percent are rising,’’ she said. “I feel if the numbers are versus 2019, due to the travel restrictions safe and I can go to warm weather and play a that were put into place earlier in the year, little golf over the winter, I will do that.’’ particularly from our main markets, which Safety first is the new normal. are the United States and Canada,’’ said “At the turn, you run into the restroom, Fernando Sandoval, the director of golf at you have your mask on,’’ she said. “It’s Moon Palace Resort. something that is a routine for us, and I think “In the recent months, however, we have it will be around awhile. It will be part of seen an increase as travel restrictions have life.” lifted and guests have been eager to travel— and the number of local residents booking Theresa Smith is a regular contributor to tee times has also gone up. As occupancy Colorado AvidGolfer. rises, we are seeing bookings for rounds of golf increasing and we are now currently 48 percent INFO TO GO down versus 2019. We are confident those numbers will Moon Palace Resort is offering promotional deals, continue to go up with holiday including the Winter promotion, offering up to 40 travel around the corner.’’ percent off; the Kids & Teens Stay Free Promotion; Reopening on June 7, after and the Work and Study from Paradise promotion, closing for six weeks because in which the longer you stay, the more you save. of COVID-19, was uplifting A complete list of current promotions can be for the staff, which established found by visiting thegrand.moonpalace.com. extensive safety protocols. Four airlines fly nonstop from Denver to “There was a huge sense of Cancun. For flight information, visit: Frontier Airlines flyfrontier.com; relief,’’ Sandoval said. “From not Southwest Airlines southwest.com; only the staff, but the golfers, United Airlines united.com; who were eager to get back Volaris Airlines volaris.com on the greens. We are slowly getting back to the new normal
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Blind Shot THE UNSEEN GAME
HERE WE ARE, the sun setting on the 2020 season. But where is this road taking us? Are we “flattening the curve” and en route to a much brighter 2021? If so, that would (ideally) mean more trips out to DIA, golf clubs in tow, ready to embark on all the trips that we missed out on this year because of the novel coronavirus.
COLORADO AVIDGOLFER | Winter 2020
PHOTOGRAPH BY JAMIE SCHWABEROW/CLARKSON CREATIVE
What Lies Ahead “There was never a night or a problem that could defeat sunrise or hope,” philosopher Bernard Williams once wrote—here’s looking forward to that becoming evident when first light dawns on the New Year. —ANTHONY COTTON
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