Time for the Next Round

THREE YEARS AGO this month, I appeared on the cover of this publication beneath headline “Stepping Away.” Apropos of golf, I’d finished my 18— years, in this case—and was ready for the next round.

That next round turned out to be as executive director of the Colorado Golf Hall of Fame, on whose board I’d served for a decade, and writing occasional features for CAG and other publications.

Then, exactly two years ago, the fates conspired to lead me back to the editor’s chair of Colorado AvidGolfer while simultaneously sitting near the head of the table at the Hall of Fame. Keeping a cheek in both worlds has had its benefits. Those roles obviously overlap, especially in this issue, which celebrates the culmination of the Hall of Fame’s big 50th Anniversary project—relocating its museum from the Riverdale Golf Courses in Brighton to The Broadmoor in Colorado Springs.

Admittedly, that project absorbed many of the hours I would have otherwise devoted to these pages and our company’s other content channels. I haven’t allowed it to diminish what Colorado AvidGolfer has produced, but my 61-year-old body feels diminished as a result.

Burning the midnight oil for the past two years, I often found myself repeating the advice James Truman, the former editorial director of Condé Nast, once gave me: “Never underestimate the masochistic tendencies of writers.” He could have included editors who also write.

Which leads me to saying that this will be my last issue as the editorial director of Colorado AvidGolfer. I’ll confine my masochism to writing and leave the editorial direction to Jim Bebbington, a 30-year veteran of the Ohio newspaper business whose passion for golf has quickly brought him up to speed with the state of the game in Colorado.

Jim’s title of content director reflects the changing nature of the media business. His experience in combining newspaper, digital, broadcast TV and radio resources will serve the company well, as will his ability to direct and social media strategies that will bring Colorado AvidGolfer new audiences.

He’ll have the help of the highly capable Art

Director D.T. Carel and Digital Marketing Manager/ Content Strategist Brandon Kusek—both of whom I’ll miss working with. I’ll also miss working with AvidLifestyle Editor Heather Shoning, a fellow member of the shrinking tribe of print publication editors. The issues that she, Brenna Farrell and Lori Perry produce always provided a welcome break from a steady diet of golf, golf, golf.

I can’t sign off without thanking CAG Publisher Allen J. Walters for his support and friendship over the years, and Associate Publisher Chris Phillips for his camaraderie and those business buddy trips we took over the years.

I emptied my contact list during my last farewell, so I won’t do it again. Suffice it to say I have every intention of remaining close to the members of the golf community and contributors I’ve come to consider friends.

I’m grateful to you for reading and supporting the magazine, and I’m sure you are grateful that Jill McGill is on this issue’s cover, and not me.

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