Winter 2014

Winter Travel Special | Give It! Get It! The 2015 Golf Passport (see page 8) C

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Elevating the Game.

coloradoavidgolfer.com

Arizona

Rocks!

Sedona Golf Resort is just one of many great reasons to go OB this winter

Cabo’s

Post-Hurricane Comeback

Pauma Valley Colorado’s California Home Course winter 2014 | $3.95

Where the Pros Play in Scottsdale Jennifer Kupcho’s Dream Season The Ageless Kent Moore

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74470 56556 7 coloradoavidgolfer.com

Hole 10, Sedona Golf Resort

PARK MEADOWS

In Every Issue 2014

Contents

12 Forethoughts

Playing Pick-Up Sticks.

By Jon Rizzi

14 ’Net Score

Features 32 Lesson

Mirror, Mirror. By Trent Wearner

34 Profile

Winter

A typo and a Tiger.

16 Off the Tee

The Ageless Kent Moore. By Jon Rizzi

A knee-sock screed 38 Gift Guide and paragolf salute.

Great items to give.

Sidebets 19 The Gallery Jennifer Kupcho, CGA 43 Fareways and PGA award win Perry’s Steakhouse ners, Hall of Famers.

By Gary James; Ar nold Palmer’s

By Denny Dressman 84 The Games

of Golf

Golf’s wild kingdom.

Player’s Corner

29 15 Club th

High-flying yoga.

30 15 th Club

Resort-style golf fitness.

By Steven Heller

46 Nice Drives

The BMW M4 and Lexus RC F. By Isaac Bouchard

50 Risk/Reward

Does “aggressive” always mean “risky”?

By Christian Ravsten

54

Going OB in AZ and Beyond

OB Sports helps connect more than just the 300 dots on Arizona’s golf landscape.

62

Los Cabos Gets a Second Wind

Roughed up by Hurricane Odile, Mexico’s resort hub quickly roars back. By Kim D. McHugh

74

Livin’ in the Golfer’s Paradise

Where else but Scottsdale can you run into a tour pro on the course, another at dinner and a few more at the mall? By Joe Passov

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Colorado’s California Home Course For more than a half-century, Pauma Valley Country Club’s splendid isolation has made it a go-to place for those in the know. By Jon Rizzi

p h o t o g r a p h C o u rt e s y o f O B S p o rt s

18 tee, Eagle Mountain Golf Club, Fountain Hills, Arizona.

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Colorado AvidGolfer | Winter 2014

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T h e Q u e r e n c i a S tat e of M i n d A place in the world that truly speaks to your soul, making every desire a reality.

A unique and enviable living environment where you can do as much - or as little - as you want.

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Current developer offerings Rich in architectural detail, these spectacular homes are perched along the many ridge lines overlooking Querencia’s beautiful canyon landscape with expansive backdrops framed by views of the Sea of Cortez and the lights of the San Jose village.

Las C añadas

Club Vill as

L as Verandas

Located just a short golf cart drive away from Querencia’s Club Village, this intimate collection of just sixteen homes ranging in size from approximately 3,400 to 3,950 square feet of A/C space, is one of the most sought after addresses within Querencia.

This beautiful collection of single family homes are located steps away from Querencia’s Club Village, making the club’s amenities an extension of your home.

Currently we only have few remaining homes available. Ranging in size from 3,400 to 5,000 sq. ft. of A/C space.

Querencia’s newest addition to it’s residential collection, Las Verandas features two, three, and four bedroom condominium “homes. Located steps away from the magnificent Club Village and spectacular ocean, golf, and desert views.

STARTING AT $2,295,000 US

STARTING AT $1,945,000 US

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Club Vill a 4

This newest addition to our line up of luxury offerings is a spacious open concept 3 bedroom, 3 bath condominium.

Move in ready! Offering elevator service, underground parking, storage facilities & the latest technology in energy efficiency & sound reduction systems.

Brings contemporary design perfectly in line with subtle Mexican character to create the ultimate retreat for family and friends. Absolutely stunning views of the San Jose coastline reaching to Punta Gorda this home reminds one of an intimate coastal retreat.

This beautifully designed Villa showcases the “city lights” of San Jose del Cabo with sweeping views of the Sea of Cortez. A convenient distance to the Querenica Club House makes living in this highly sought after neighborhood, a true taste of Luxury.

$1,079,000 US

$3,995,000 US

$2,735,000 US

Winter 2014 Volume 13, Number 7

publisher

Allen J. Walters editor

Jon Rizzi associate publisher

Chris Phillips art director

Jeremy Cantalamessa editor-at-large

Tom Ferrell

automotive editor

Isaac Bouchard contributors

Sam Adams, Andy Bigford, E.J. Carr, Tony Dear, Denny Dressman, Sue Drinker, Dick Durrance II, Chris Duthie, Amy Freeland, Lois Friedland, Gary James, Ted Johnson, Kaye W. Kessler, Jake KubiĂŠ, Todd Langley, Kim D. McHugh, Bob Russo, Jerry Walters, Neil Wolkodoff digital and social media manager

Kate Stromberg office and operations manager

Cindy P. Nold projects and special events manager

Ryan McLean p r i n c i pa l s

Ray L. Baker, C. Don Baker, Dick B. Baker Advertising Inquiries: cindy@coloradoavidgolfer.com Editorial Inquiries and letters: jon@coloradoavidgolfer.com Customer Service and Subscriptions: 720-493-1729 Mailing address: 7200 S. Alton Way #A-180, Centennial, CO 80112 FAX: 720-482-0784 Newsstand Information: 720-493-1729

coloradoavidgolfer.com Colorado AvidGolfer (ISSN 1548-4335) is published eight times a year by Baker-Colorado Publishing, LLC, and printed by American Web, Inc. Volume 13, 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 2014 by Baker-Colorado Publishing, LLC. All rights reserved. Reproduction without permission is prohibited. Postmaster: Send address changes to Colorado AvidGolfer, 7200 S. Alton Way #A-180 Centennial, CO 80112.The magazine welcomes editorial submissions but assumes no responsibility for the safekeeping or return of unsolicited manuscripts, photographs, artwork or other material.

m a g a z i n e pa r t n e r o f c h o i c e :

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Colorado AvidGolfer | Winter 2014

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Weekend Play

Golf Courses

1/1–5/31

6/1– 8/31

Antler Creek, Falcon

$28

$35

$28

Mon-Thur anytime, Fri-Sun after 11am

Yes

3

Broadlands, Broomfield

$38

$38

$38

Mon-Thurs after 12pm

No

3

Broken Tee, Englewood EXCLUSIVE

$30

$30

$30

Mon-Thurs after 12pm

No

9

Buffalo Run, Commerce City

$39

$39

$39

Mon-Friday anytime, Sat-Sun after 2pm

Yes

3

Colorado National, Erie EXCLUSIVE

$42

$49

$42

Mon-Thurs anytime, Fri-Sun after 12pm; (season 3 Fri-Sun after 11am)

Yes

3

CommonGround, Aurora* EXCLUSIVE

$45

$45

$45

Mon-Thurs anytime, Fri-Sun after 12pm

Yes

3

Eagle Trace, Broomfield

$30

$30

$30

Mon-Thurs after 11am, Fri-Sun after 12pm

Yes

3

Family Sports Center, Centennial*

$19

$21

$19

Mon-Thurs before 4pm, Fri-Sun after 12pm

Yes

Unlimited

Fitzsimons, Aurora EXCLUSIVE

$26/$30

$26/$30

$26/$30

Mon-Fri after 11am, Sat-Sun after 1pm; Season 3 Saturday-Sunday after 12pm.

Yes

3

Foothills, Denver

$34/$47

$34/$47

$34/$47

Anyday after 1pm

Yes

4

Four Mile Ranch, Cañon City

$30

$30

$30

Mon-Fri after 11am

No

4

Fox Hollow, Lakewood

$46

$46

$46

Mon-Thurs After 1pm, Fri-Sun After 2pm

Yes

Unlimited

Green Valley Ranch, Denver EXCLUSIVE

$35

$40

$35

Shoulders: Mon-Thur before 9am, after 12pm, FriSun after 2pm Peak: Mon-Thur before 9am, after 1pm, Fri-Sun after 2pm

Yes

3

Heritage at Westmoor, Westminster

$45

$45

$45

Monday-Friday anytime, Sat-Sun after 1pm

Yes

Unlimited

Heritage Eagle Bend, Aurora

$34/$40

$49$55

$34/$40

Mon-Thur anytime, Fri-Sun after 12pm

Yes

2

Highland Meadows, Windsor

$34

$44

$34

Mon-Thurs after 12pm, Fri-Sun after 1pm

Yes

3

Highlands Ranch Golf Club,

$47/$58

$57/$68

$47/$58

Mon-Thur anytime, Fri-Sun after 1pm

Yes

5

The Homestead Golf Course, Lakewood

$36

$36

$36

Mon-Thurs after 1pm, Fri-Sun after 2 pm

Yes

Unlimited

The Greg Mastriona Golf Course at Hyland Hills (Gold Course), Westminster

$39

$39

$39

Mon-Thurs after 11am, Fri-Sun after 1pm

Yes

3

The Greg Mastriona Golf Course at Hyland Hills (Blue Course), Westminster EXCLUSIVE

$20

$22

$20

Any day, anytime

Yes

Unlimited

The Greg Mastriona Golf Course at Hyland Hills (Par 3), Westminster EXCLUSIVE

$12

$12

$12

Any day, anytime

Yes

Unlimited

Indian Tree, Arvada EXCLUSIVE

$35

$35

$35

First 2 seasons any day after 12pm, 3rd season any day, anytime

Yes

3

The Inverness, Englewood * EXCLUSIVE

$65

$85

$65

Mon-Thurs anytime, Fri-Sun after 12pm

Yes

3

Kings Deer, Monument EXCLUSIVE

$25

$40

$30

Mon-Thurs anytime, Fri-Sun after 11am

Yes

2

Legacy Ridge, Westminster

$45

$45

$45

Monday-Friday anytime, Sat-Sun after 1pm

Yes

Unlimited

The Links, Highlands Ranch

$31/$36

$35/$40

$31/$36

Mon-Thurs anytime, Fri-Sun after 12pm

Yes

3

Littleton Golf and Tennis Club, Littleton

$29/$31

$29/$31

$29/$31

Mon-Thurs after 11am, Fri-Sun after 1pm

Yes

3

Lone Tree Golf Club, Lone Tree

$51

$62

$50

Mon-Thurs after 11am, Fri- Sun after 1pm

Yes

Shoulders: Unlimited Peak: 2

Meadows, Littleton

$38/$50

$38/$50

$38/$50

Anyday after 1pm

Yes

4

9/1– 12/31

Available Tee Times

Total Rounds

Highlands Ranch

58 courses

Golf Courses

54

courses with weekend play

15

courses with exclusive offers Weekend Play

1/1–5/31

6/1– 8/31

9/1– 12/31

Available Tee Times

Murphy Creek, Aurora EXCLUSIVE

$35.50/ $43

$35.50/ $43

$35.50/ $43

Mon-Fri after 11am, Sat-Sun after 1pm

Yes

3

Omni Interlocken, Broomfield

$55

$65

$60

Mon-Thurs anytime, Fri before 12pm, Sat-Sun after12pm

Yes

3

Pine Creek, Colorado Springs

$39

$44

$39

Mon-Thurs after 12pm, Fri- Sun after 2pm

Yes

9

Quail Dunes, Fort Morgan

$23

$23

$23

Any day, anytime

Yes

3

Raccoon Creek, Littleton

$37/$44

$37/$44

$37/$44

Mon-Thurs anytime, Fri-Sun after 12pm

Yes

4

The Ridge at Castle Pines, Castle Rock* EXCLUSIVE

$50

$60/$75

$50

Sun-Thurs anytime, Fri- Sat after 1pm

Yes

3

Saddle Rock, Aurora EXCLUSIVE

$37.50/ $45

$37.50/ $45

$37.50/ $45

Mon-Fri after 11am, Sat-Sun after 1pm

Yes

3

South Suburban Par 3, Centennial*

$9

$9

$9

Mon-Thurs anytime, Fri-Sun after 12pm

Yes

Unlimited

Sumo Golf Village, Florence

$22

$27

$22

Any day after 12pm

Yes

2

Thorncreek, Thornton

$40

$40

$40

Mon-Thurs anytime, Fri-Sun after 3pm

No

Unlimited

Todd Creek, Thornton

$40

$45

$40

Mon-Fri after 10am, Sat -Sun after 1pm

Yes

3

Walking Stick, Pueblo

$32

$32

$32

Mon-Thurs anytime, Fri-Sun after 12pm

Yes

Unlimited

Mountain Courses

1/1–5/31

6/1– 8/31

9/1– 12/31

Available Tee Times

Breckenridge Golf Club, Breckenridge*

$75

$99

$75

Shoulder Seasons: Any day, anytime. Peak Season: Sun-Thurs after 12pm.

Yes

3

The Bridges, Montrose EXCLUSIVE

$30

$53

$30

Mon-Thurs anytime, Fri-Sun after 9am

Yes

2

Cedaredge Golf Club, Cedaredge

$35

$40

$35

Any day, anytime

Yes

Unlimited

Eagle Ranch, Eagle EXCLUSIVE

$35

$55

$35

Any day after 11am

Yes

2

Eagle Vail, Avon

$55

$99

$55

Mon-Thurs after 11am, Fri-Sun after 12pm

Yes

3

Golf Granby Ranch, Granby

$54

$54

$54

Anyday after 11am

Yes

Unlimited

Grand Elk, Granby

$32/$39

$45/$54

$39/$45

Mon-Thurs after 11am, Fri-Sun after 12pm

Yes

3

Grand Lake, Grand Lake

$40

$50

$40

Any day after 11am

Yes

3

Haymaker, Steamboat

$45

$56

$45

Any day after 11am

Yes

3

Keystone Ranch, Keystone

$69

$90

$69

Any day, anytime

Yes

Unlimited

Lakota Canyon, New Castle

$59

$70

$59

Mon-Thurs anytime, Fri-Sun after 11am

Yes

3

Pole Creek, Tabernash

$50

$50

$50

Mon-Thurs after 11am, Fri-Sun after 12pm

Yes

Unlimited

The Raven at Three Peaks, Silverthorne

$55

$89

$55

Any day after 12pm

Yes

Unlimited

Redlands Mesa, Grand Junction

$70

$70

$70

Any day, anytime

Yes

3

The River Course at Keystone, Keystone

$75

$105

$75

Any day after 11am

Yes

Unlimited

Tiara Rado, Grand Junction

$35

$35

$35

Mon-Thur anytime, Fri-Sun after 12pm

Yes

3

Vail Golf Club, Vail

$50

$89

$50

Sun-Thurs after 1pm

Yes

3

* * * *

Weekend Play

Total Rounds

Total Rounds

CommonGround offer: Must be CGA, CWGA or Golf Passport Plus member to get rate Family Sports: 9 Hole Executive Course South Suburban: Par 3- Cart not included Some seasons may vary

Go to coloradoavidgolfer.com for complete details.

2015 Member Privileges. All rates include a cart. Visit coloradoavidgolfer.com for complete details regarding rates, available tee times, number of rounds and reservation policy. Tee time requests are on a space available basis to Golf Passport members and participating courses’ rain check policies will apply. The golf offers are good from January 1, 2015–December, 31 2015, excluding holidays, special events, tournaments or closure to environmental or economic conditions. Mountain seasons may vary slightly. The Golf Passport is limited to one per person and is non-transferable. Prices do not include sales tax. Some courses may require a credit card to secure a tee time prior to play. If a tee time is cancelled, the golf course may charge for its discounted fee. Colorado AvidGolfer reserves the right to make reasonable modifications to the Golf Passport, effective upon notice by e-mail or first class mail to the Golf Passport member. A Golf Passport member may reject any such modification by responding in writing to Colorado AvidGolfer and returning the Golf Passport within ten (10) days. The Golf Passport member will receive a prorated refund. The Golf Passport member agrees that he or she is not entitled to any additional compensation. Colorado AvidGolfer disclaims all liability for damage or loss or property or injury to any person occurring while using the Golf Passport. The subscription expires with the Winter 2015 issue. One subscription per household. If ordered online, please allow up to 10 days for delivery of your Golf Passport.

Forethoughts

Playing Pick-Up Sticks

B

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Colorado AvidGolfer | Winter 2014

coloradoavidgo lf e r.c o m

FORETHOUGHTS PHOTO BY T e d M c I n t y r e

ack when I helped found Travel & Leisure Golf, one of our mock covers featured a photo-illustration of a globe, dimpled like a golf ball. Atop it stood a small golfer with a bag of clubs slung over his shoulder.

The image never appeared in print (and, alas, no longer does T&L Golf ), but I think of it every year when Colorado AvidGolfer assembles its warm-weather travel issue.

For 13 winters, the pages of this magazine have turned the world into a golf course. We’ve ventured as far away as Australia, South Africa, Guam and Argentina, while also giving you the best of the American Southwest, California and Mexico, the places to which most Colorado golfers escape.

This particular Coloradan often sees himself as that golfer in the aforementioned illustration. It’s part of my job, after all. This past year alone, I’ve had the privilege of playing golf in Scottsdale, Tucson, Mesquite, Jackson Hole, San Diego and Santa Fe—not a wide swath of the earth, but I’m not complaining.

I differ, however, from my illustrated avatar in that I did not bring my golf clubs on any of these trips.

After more than 15 years of cocooning my sticks in a travel bag, wheeling them clumsily through airports, paying to check them, waiting to retrieve them and renting a car large enough to accommodate them, I’d had enough. I decided just to throw my FootJoys and a few sleeves of balls in my carry-on and take my chances with rentals.

Yes, I know they won’t be custom-fit like the ones I own. But I firmly believe it’s the Indian not the arrows—or even the bow. I’ve found I can play to my handicap with just about any set. I just make sure to give myself extra practice time to adjust—mostly on the practice green.

And yes, I also know there are some fabulous services that ship sticks.

You’ve probably even read about them in this magazine. I’m not reluctant to use these services; I just like the opportunity to try different equipment to see how it compares to my own.

Courses today no longer rent out the Lynx and Hippo castoffs of yore.

You can often specify brand as well as shaft flex. At Grayhawk in Scottsdale, I played a great set of Ping G25s. The Nike Coverts I rented at Falcon Ridge in Mesquite helped me win two closest-to-the-pin contests.

I offset the cost of renting by considering the expense of twice having to check an oversized bag and having to tip the shuttle drivers and skycaps. And, I’ve discovered, most rentals come with two sleeves of balls that I might not necessarily use, but will happily trade or gift.

If I were ever invited to a play in a member-member at some out-ofstate club, I’d owe it to my partner to play my own gear. But in order for that to happen, I’d have to become a member somewhere and not just be the global golfer I fancy myself. —Jon Rizzi

Improve your drive with the all-new Lexus RC

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DIALOG

An attentive attendee at local charity event spelled out why it’s important to proofread signage.

BLOGS

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’net

Have You Voted?

INFO

|

Election Day came and went, but our polls are open until December 18!

Vote for your favorite instructors, courses, stay-and-play venues and travel destinations in the 2015 CAGGY Awards, which annually celebrate “The Best of Colorado Golf.”

This year, we have expanded the ballot to more than 50 categories and have already eclipsed last year’s record number of votes.

So, will the incumbents hold their top rankings, or will some dark horse challengers unseat them?

It’s all up to you. Just go to coloradoavidgolfer.com and place your vote. Polls close December 18 at 5 p.m. One ballot per email address.

CARDINAL NUMBER Who’s that in the selfie Tweeted by former Cherry Creek standout and current Stanford freshman Calli Ringsby (@calliringsby)? Why none other than the holder of the Stanford University Golf Course scoring record. No, not Tiger Woods. Cardinal sophomore Viraat Badhwar’s 59 came one day after an encounter with Stanford’s most celebrated alumnus, who practiced with the team and generously shared insights on everything from nutrition to competition. “It was probably the most I learned about golf in my whole life,” Badhwar, a member of Australia’s national team, said of his time with Woods. @calliringsby

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Colorado AvidGolfer | Winter 2014

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Socks that Suck

W

APRÈS-GOLF

| STYLE |

LOCAL KNOWLEDGE

Off theTee

By Marina Beach

CALVING HOLES: From top, Paula Creamer, Michelle Wie and Sandra Gal.

Para for the Course

A

s exciting as it is to watch last year’s RE/MAX Long Drive Champion Tim Burke crush a golf ball 427 yards, it was even more inspiring to see Matt Farmen hit one less than half as far in this year’s Second Annual ParaLong Drive World Championships in Mesquite, Nevada. Farmen, a 26-year-old Denver-based civil engineer, became a paraplegic 15 years ago in a sledding accident. Competing with only one arm from a paramobile unit, Farmen won his division with a 201-yard poke.

He was one of more than 60 men and women to compete in 20 categories. Double-amputee Jared Brentz of Nashville defended his Open Division title with a 340yard blast that was far shorter than the 409-yard one with which he won last year.

As detailed on coloradoavidgolfer.com, the event inspired awe and showcased innovations that allow these athletes to compete. Three of those innovators have strong Colorado ties: E.Q. Seymour, Founder and Chairman,

16

Colorado AvidGolfer | Winter 2014

hen it comes to golf attire, men have always had more stringent rules—collars, tucked in shirts, no jeans. Women, on the other hand, can slide by wearing a variety of clothing—from sleeveless polos to mid-thigh shorts or skirts.

But what’s with the wild-patterned knee-high socks that are all the rage on the professional and junior levels? The trend started in 2012 with Michelle Wie’s baseball socks and sneakers and continued with the red-and-white knee-high socks Paula Creamer wore at the 2012 Women’s British Open. Who was her fashion consultant? The author of Where’s Waldo?

This fashion does have a function. Players like Ai Miyazato, Kaneda Kumiko and Kim Ha-Neui say they can wear their solid, neutral color high socks in the mornings when it tends to be chilly, and easily remove them when it warms up in the afternoon. Some players also like to wear them because they prevent sunburn without trapping the heat the way pants do. But who wants a mid-leg tan line? Isn’t a regular golf tan line bad enough?

The trend shows no sign of abating, as junior players now regularly wear them. Style changes and new cooling fabrics are all well and good, but this one recalls those god-awful legwarmers of the 1980s. And they wouldn’t be necessary if shorts and skirts hadn’t gotten increasingly shorter, forcing players to find ways of covering more exposed skin. Ladies, this is golf—not tennis. Whatever happened to the rule of bottoms being long enough to pass the fingers with your arms resting at your side? That might be the first step in ridding golf of this current fad and continuing the sartorial sophistication that sets the sport apart from all others.

Freedom Golf Association. After a 50year career in international business, the University of Colorado grad lost both feet and a hand to sepsis. Founded in 2012, his Chicago-based nonprofit has already helped more than 650 individuals with special needs play golf, and he wants to take the program national. fgagolf.org Bob Radocy, Founder and President, TRS, Inc. The Boulder-based inventor and engineer is one of the leading innovators of body-powered prosthetic devices in the world, specializing only in individuals missing a hand or forearm. His versatile, high-performance prehensors allow athletes to compete in any sport they choose: from golf to weightlifting. trsinc.us Easton LaChappelle, Founder and President, Unlimited Tomorrow. Combining robotics, anatomy and 3-D printing, the 18-year-old from Mancos has created a brain-powered robotic arm and

hand that’s available via open source. The free platform makes the extreme technology accessible and affordable. Up next: an exoskeleton to help paraplegics walk again. unlimitedtomorrow.com CAG

INSPIRED PERFORMERS: Unlimted Tomorrow founder Easton LaChappelle (left) and ParaLong Drive division winner Matt Farmen. coloradoavidgo lf e r.c o m

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P h o t o g r a p h by J a n e h a r d y / C OURTESY OF THE C O L ORADO OPEN

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CAREER BEST: An opening-round 66 led Kupcho to low-amateur honors in the HealthONE Colorado Women’s Open.

JENNIFER’S AWESOME YEAR

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t the tender age of 17, Jennifer Kupcho had a season for the ages. Currently a senior at Broomfield’s Jefferson Academy, Kupcho in May thumped the competition by 14 shots to win the High School Class 4A state title at The Country Club of Colorado. She then took the Colorado Women’s Junior Stroke Play Championship by nine strokes at Buffalo Run Golf Club and outdueled Tori Glenn 6 and 5 in the finals of the Colorado Women’s Match Play Championship at Lone Tree. Then, in October, 14 shots separated her from the field in the Colorado Junior Golf Association Tournament of

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Champions at Omni Interlocken Golf Club.

“They were all fun,” she says, “but the one that really sticks out is the Colorado Women’s Open.” In the first round, Kupcho fired a career-low, bogey-free 66 to lead a strong field in the August championship at Green Valley Ranch Golf Club. Only a back-nine 42 (resulting in a 78) on the second day kept her from becoming only the second amateur (after current LPGA player Paige Mackenzie in 2006) ever to win the event. Kupcho finished tied for second, just two shots behind winner Kendall Dye. “It’s been coming; I can’t say I’m surprised,” says Ed Oldham, the PGA Professional at The Ranch Country Club in Westminster, of Jennifer’s success. Along with her father, Mike, who coaches her at Jefferson Academy, Oldham has worked for years with Jennifer and her brother Steven (the 2012 Colorado Golf Association Player of the Year and a senior on the University of Northern Colorado golf team). “We talked last year about not being satisfied with being one of the best players in Colorado, but

being one of the best players in the country,” Oldham says. To date, Kupcho has qualified for three USGA championships.

Oldham and Kupcho focus a great deal on course management. Although both describe her as “stubborn,” Kupcho absorbs the advice and ascribes much of this year’s success to putting games that “keep it fun to practice and help me stay competitively sharp.” She also gives a shout out to her dad, who has had her play against the course rating at different venues as a way to challenge her.

Kupcho considered eight Division I programs before signing a letter of intent to attend to Wake Forest, currently ranked in the top 10 in the country. “It’ll be fun to jump on that train with them,” she says. Before she does, however, she’ll receive the Colorado Women’s Golf Association’s 2014 Player of the Year and Junior Player of the Year awards, compete in some national tournaments and start for the Jefferson Academy girls basketball team. Anything else? “I’m looking forward to defending my titles.”

Winter 2014 |Colorado AvidGolfer

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theGallery

Mark Kelbel

Trent Weaner

Mollie Sutherland

Dave Lopez

John Ogden

Stephen Glowacki

Adam Finch

Kent Moore

Kimmie Bean

Barry Milstead

Jennifer Kupcho

Don Graham

Jim Hajek

Ross Macdonald

Anna Kennedy

Michael Harrington

Winners’ Tale

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Colorado AvidGolfer | Winter 2014

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P h o t o g r a p h s c o u rt e s y o f t h e p g a a n d c g a

ith the end of every Colorado golf season comes recognition of the amateurs and professionals who made it noteworthy.

On the amateur side, the Colorado Golf Association honored Michael Harrington (Kissing Camels) as its Les Fowler Player of the Year and Mid-Amateur Player of the Year; Kent Moore (Cherry Hills) its Senior Player of the Year; and Ross Macdonald (Country Club at Castle Pines) its Junior Player of the Year. The Colorado Women’s Golf Association named Jennifer Kupcho (CommonGround) its Player of the Year and Junior Player of the Year. Christie Austin (Cherry Hills) took home the Colorado Women’s Golf Association Senior Player of the Year trophy. Anna Kennedy (Denver), whose index dropped from 7.4 to 0.7, earned Most Improved Junior. cogolf.org On the professional side, the Colorado Section PGA named Barry Milstead (Valley Country Club) its Golf Professional of the Year; Trent Wearner (Trent Wearner Golf ) Teacher of the Year; and Geoff Keffer (Murphy Creek) Dow Finsterwald Player of the Year. Mark Kelbel (The Broadmoor) received the Bill Strausbaugh Award; Don Graham (Raccoon Creek) the Warren Smith Award; Mollie Sutherland (UCCS PGA Professional Golf Management program) the Horton Smith Award; and Stephen Glowacki (Red Hawk Ridge) the Youth Player Development Award. Adam Finch (Fossil Trace) won Assistant Professional of the Year; and Kimmy Bean (Cherry Creek) won for Player Development. George Karhoff (CC of Castle Pines) received the Vic Kline Award; Doug Rohrbaugh (Ironbridge) threepeated as Senior Player of the Year and Kyle McGee (Overland) won Apprentice Player of the Year. John Ogden (Cherry Hills), Jim Hajek (Fossil Trace) and Dave Lopez (Beaver Creek) were Merchandisers of the Year in the private, public and resort categories. The Colorado Chevy Dealers drove home with the President’s Plaque; and Kroenke Sports/ Golf at Altitude dialed in the Todd Phipers Media Award. coloradopga.com

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theGallery

Hall That and More

T

Dan Hogan

George Solich

Christie Austin

Dave and Gail Liniger

Robin Jervey

Ron Vlosich

Service Award. Revered local golf historian and Colorado Golf Hall of Fame member Dan Hogan will receive the Lifetime Achievement Award, as will RE/MAX founders Dave and Gail

Liniger, who over the past 18 years have netted nearly $100 million for charitable causes through their exclusive Sedalia golf course, Sanctuary. coloradogolfhalloffame.org

Thank

Your Caddie Denver 2nd & University

Kiosks FlatIron Crossing Park Meadows Mall

Arvada 6770 W. 52nd Ave. www.enstrom.com

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Colorado AvidGolfer | Winter 2014

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P h o t o g r a p h s c o u rt e s y o f t h e c o l o r a d o g o l f h a ll o f fa m e

wo individuals will comprise the Colorado Golf Hall of Fame’s Class of 2015: Christie Austin and Ron Vlosich.

Winner of more than 15 CWGA titles and a qualifier for 14 USGA national championships (including 10 Mid-Amateur), Austin has also won 11 club championships at Cherry Hills and three at Colorado Golf Club. Administratively, the University of Colorado graduate also served on the powerful 15-person USGA Executive Committee from 2007 to 2013, serving as the first woman to chair the USGA Rules of Golf Committee.

In the early 1990s Vlosich earned five Colorado PGA Player of the Year awards on

the strength of three consecutive Colorado PGA Section Championships. The Glenwood Springs native was the Section’s 2008 Senior Player of the Year and finished second to PGA Tour player Dan Halldorson in the 1982 Colorado Open. That same year he qualified for the U.S. Open.

A Head PGA professional at Green Gables Country Club for most of his career, Vlosich qualified for the PGA Championship in 1989, and for four U.S. Senior Opens and two Senior PGA Championships.

At the May 31 induction ceremony at Pinehurst Country Club, the Hall will also honor as its Golf Person of the Year George Solich, the event chairman of the BMW Championship at Cherry Hills Country Club. Former Colorado Women’s Golf Association executive director Robin Jervey will receive the Distinguished

B R A N D E L’ S R U L E S F O R S C O T T S D A L E G O L F

1. NEVER FORGET YOUR CAMERA {Because the scenery is spectacular}

“One of the things I love most about golf in Scottsdale is the scenery.

Everywhere you look — it's just incredible. And, the Sonoran Desert isn’t bad either.”

– Brandel Chamblee

GOLF CHANNEL ANALYST AND SCOTTSDALE GOLF AMBASSADOR

theGallery

Golf by Numbers

1

woman in the 95-year history of Pebble Beach Golf Links has aced a par 4. And it wasn’t the legendary Marion Hollins. Connie Gallagher, a 10-handicap Denver Country Club member who was in Pebble Beach to attend a wedding, accomplished the feat October 9 by hitting driver on the 253-yard uphill fourth hole. The 57-year-old Gallagher now counts three aces in her career. This one contributed to a score of 83 and a hefty bar tab.

MAT FINISH: Centennial council members at the future site of TopGolf.

7

members of the Centennial City Council—including Mayor Cathy Noon—hit ceremonial tee shots at the October groundbreaking for TopGolf ’s 65,000-square-foot facility at the corner of Havana and Easter. The international golf entertainment center will boast 102 climate-controlled hitting bays, lighted targets on which to play games (“TOP” actually stands for “Target Oriented Practice”), first-rate food and drink, dynamic event spaces and much more. With 22 facilities worldwide, TopGolf utterly redefines the golf experience. Look for it to open next summer. topgolf.com

FLAG DAY: Connie Gallagher flanked by playing partners Clif Louis (left) and Mike Gallagher at Pebble Beach.

GET IN THE GALLERY!

Got an item? E-mail jon@coloradoavidgolfer.com with news and notes. CAG

Insta

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Colorado AvidGolfer | Winter 2014

coloradoavidgo lf e r.c o m

IMPACTING LIVES THROUGH GOLF Colorado Golfers, My name is Eddie Ainsworth. I am the Executive Director of the Colorado PGA and it is my job to help grow the game of golf and increase the reach of our great game.

It is my privilege to tell you about COLORADO PGA REACH, the Charitable Foundation of the over 800 men and women who are PGA Members and Apprentices of the Colorado Section of the PGA of America. Through COLORADO PGA REACH we are on a mission to positively “Impact Lives Through Golf” and we accomplish this mission by focusing on serving three key pillars: Youth, Military, Diversity & Inclusion.

COLORADO PGA REACH works daily to support our PGA Professionals to make a difference in our local communities. COLORADO PGA REACH programming ensures that, regardless of your age or background, cost will never inhibit one’s involvement and enjoyment of the game of golf.

The activities of COLORADO PGA REACH are centered on a few guiding tenets: COLORADO PGA REACH strongly believes golf is a game for all.

COLORADO PGA REACH knows that introduction to the game at a young age can improve and advance opportunities for youth.

COLORADO PGA REACH has proven that golf is an excellent rehabilitation tool for our military veterans.

COLORADO PGA REACH strives to make golf inclusive of people from all cultural and ethnic backgrounds and for individuals with disabilities.

COLORADO PGA REACH strongly believes golf promotes family values, health, wellness, and fitness and leads to productive citizenship.

As a stakeholder of this great game that we all treasure, please let me encourage you to take a few minutes to learn more about the programs we offer over the next few pages. As you review them, if you would like more information or would like to get involved, please feel free to contact me at eainsworth@pgahq.com or 303-996-1593.

Heading into the winter months and holiday season, let me be one of the first to wish you and your families a joyous time with all the blessings that come with this wonderful time of year. I hope to see you out on the golf course often in 2015!

Very Respectfully,

Eddie Ainsworth, PGA Executive Director Colorado Section PGA

Impacting Lives Through Golf

Youth Pillar

The Youth Pillar of COLORADO PGA REACH seeks to improve and advance opportunities for youth. Introduction to the sport at an early age has proven to provide great opportunities in the area of education, health and wellness, and character building.

COLORADO PGA REACH programming will ensure that cost doesn’t prohibit youth from entering the sport and will serve as a central role in the golf industry’s effort to introduce the sport to youth of all ages and backgrounds in a safe, fun environment.

Some programs include: GOLF IN SCHOOLS Colorado PGA Golf in Schools Program is an introductory program at absolutely no cost to the students and no cost to the schools. The program, in partnership with the Colorado Open Golf Foundation, has been bringing golf to schools for the past four years where over 38,000 kids have been introduced to the game in over 160 schools.

PGA JUNIOR LEAGUE Golf’s version of Little League baseball has seen significant growth since its inception as a pilot program in 2012.

PGA Junior League teams consist of at least 10 players, managed by a PGA Professional, with each player receiving a uniform and PGA instruction. The format is focused on fun and recreation, and is a great way to begin in the sport.

The basics of the programming consist of three days of instruction at the school in conjunction with the Physical Education teachers, followed by a field trip to the local golf course.

Local Leagues consist of a minimum of four teams. At the conclusion of the regular season, an All Star team for the league is chosen. Those All Star teams compete for the Regional Championship with the Regional winners moving on to compete for the National Championship.

Multiple major champion Rory McIlroy has recently signed onto to become an ambassador for PGA Junior League Golf.

Impacting Lives Through Golf

Military Pillar

The Military Pillar of COLORADO PGA REACH seeks to improve the physical, mental, and social rehabilitation of our military heroes and their families through the sport of golf. The lifetime sport of golf has proven to be excellent for activity and competition, but has also allowed military personnel to assimilate back into their community through the social interaction the game provides.

Down Range Clinics In partnership with the VA in Washington, D.C., the Down Range Clinic series is a program created to provide military heroes with a free introductory golf experience.

PGA Professionals provide proper instruction on the game, the use of adaptive equipment when necessary, and are paired with our heroes by zip code to create a local hometown connection for them to stay in the game.

The Down Range Clinic has proven to be a great pre-cursor to PGA HOPE.

PGA H.O.P.E Helping our Patriots Everywhere (HOPE) is a year round program designed to keep interested veterans playing golf in order to embrace their mental, social, physical and emotional well-being. PGA Hope includes an introduction to the sport of golf, golf instruction, playing opportunities and social events.

Working in conjuction with the Warrior Transition Battalion at Fort Carson, over 100 military personnel and their families went through the program in 2014.

Diversity and Inclusion Pillar Diversity and inclusion are core values and a focus of COLORADO PGA REACH and we embrace the spirit of differences.

We work each and every day with the PGA of America to have our commitment to diversity and inclusion resonate throughout the organization, the activities, programs and business we conduct. We strive to look through a lens of diversity and inclusion at all times. As the PGA of America serves its members and grows participation in golf, we help drive the awareness that golf is in fact affordable, welcoming and fun for all individuals regardless of age, gender, ability, background or lifestyle.

Impacting Lives Through Golf

Diversity and Inclusion Pillar Current COLORADO PGA REACH Programming: Growth of the Game Grants Each year COLORADO PGA REACH awards Growth of the Game Grants to local PGA Members and golf facilities that offer programming that strives to make golf inclusive of people from all cultural and ethnic backgrounds and for individuals with disabilities.

Diversity-based Scholarships Beginning in 2015, Colorado PGA REACH will partner with the University of Colorado, Colorado Springs Professional Golf Management Program (UCCS PGM) to award a Diversity-based Scholarship to produce future golf industry leaders from all cultural and ethnic backgrounds.

USOC F.L.A.M.E. Program The Colorado PGA has partnered with the United States Olympic Committee’s FLAME (Finding Leaders Among Minorities Everywhere) program to introduce golf as a career enhancement option to a dedicated group of diverse college-age students enrolled in the USOC’s sports leadership program. The introduction of golf as a vehicle for professional development by PGA Professionals to a group of high-performing students is crucial to the diversification of both the participant base of golf and to the future leaders in the sports industry.

How Do You Get Involved?

With the help of our local partners, Colorado PGA REACH is able to invest in a limited number of these programs annually. With the continued growth, need, and demand for these programs we need the support of the local golf community and businesses to become partners with Colorado PGA REACH. Through your partnership...

We will be able to ensure that we are able to deliver a Golf in Schools Program to every school we can.

A new generation of young golfers will be developed through PGA Junior League Golf.

We will be able to provide adaptive golf equipment in our Down Range Clinics.

Veterans returning home from serving our country will be able to attend our PGA HOPE programs.

Golf will be introduced to tomorrow’s leaders through the USOC FLAME program.

Programs to grow the game of golf will be deliverable at your local facility.

A young boy or girl will be able to attend college with aspirations to become a Golf Professional.

PGA Reach Partner Levels Through your partnership, you will help us Impact Lives Through Golf!

If you are as passionate about the game of golf as we and our partners are, please join us in our mission by becoming a partner of Colorado PGA REACH. To learn more about what you will receive by partnering with us and for more information on Colorado PGA REACH, please visit us at ColoradoPGA.com.

Colorado PGA REACH is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Your contribution is tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law.

Member Partner | $100 Master Partner | $250 Legacy Partner | $500 Corporate Partner | $1000 and up

PROFILES

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FITNESS

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GIFTS

P h o t o g r a p h C O U RT E S Y O F Fa i r m o n t sc o t t s da l e p r i n cess

fitness

AIR IT OUT: Aerial hammock yoga stretches and strengthens golf muscles.

Take a Flyer in Scottsdale

T

om Weiskopf’s upgrades to TPC Scottsdale’s Stadium Course should no doubt heighten the challenge during the PGA Tour’s Waste Management Open (Jan. 29 – Feb. 1). The same holds true next door at the Fairmont Scottsdale Princess, where innovations at the Well & Being Spa at Willow Stream can elevate your golf fitness routine—literally.

The spa’s pioneering golf-specific programs involve, among other novel approaches, Aerial Hammock Yoga. The hammock decompresses the spine and joints, relieving some of the soreness; it also promotes deeper stretches and releases than when using a yoga mat. The closely supervised postures and

co l o r a d o a v i d g o l f e r. c o m

movements strengthen core and back muscles and improve hip flexibility.

Well & Being also leverages gravity with TRX Suspension Training, which, Lead Fitness Specialist Deborah Puskar says, “builds rotational strength for a more effortless swing, increases your range of motion and improves your endurance. We help you learn to generate power from your core for a more consistent game.”

And if you’re looking to improve your balance, stability and coordination, catch the SurfSet wave at the Well & Being. The “board” delivers the total body workout that incorporates the real movements of surfing—which, oddly enough, translate directly to golf. scottsdaleprincess.com; 866-540-4495 Winter 2014 | Colorado AvidGolfer

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15 th Club

Resorting to Exercise A quick pre-round routine can take

A.

the pain out of your road game.

By Steven Heller

W

orking in Scottsdale, I naturally see plenty of weekend warriors on golf vacations. They hit all the top courses, and go full throttle from the getgo. By the second or third day, they’re feeling it in their backs, shoulders, legs…and scores. Often the most stretching they’ll do involves reaching for ibuprofen.

It doesn’t have to be that way. Doing a few uncomplicated exercises in your hotel room before your round will make an immediate impact on your game. You’ll feel better, reduce the potential for pain or injury and may even get a few extra yards off the tee.

B.

g esy r a p hosf cto P h o t o g r a p h sp hco otuort hu e rt W esy es t i o n fK itekr l a n d Res o rt

The Mackenzies

Inspired by my work with LPGA player and 2006 Colorado Women’s Open champion Paige Mackenzie, the “Mackenzie One” and “Mackenzie Two” will improve back and hip stability and flexibility to reduce pain and improve range of motion.

Mackenzie One (3 sets of 10 on each side) • Assuming a golf posture with a slight shoulder tilt, place one knee on a towel or pad. Have the other foot pointed out directly away from knee that is on the ground.

That foot should be flat on the ground and leg should be 90 degrees.

C.

• Touch your shoulders making sure your chest is square on your extended knee is positioned directly over the extended foot. (photo A) • Begin sliding your weight over extended foot so that your knee is sliding “down the runway” created by your extended foot. (photo B)

Mackenzie Two (3 sets of 10 on each side) • Do entire Mackenzie One. • With your weight shifted as far as possible over extended foot, rotate your chest towards your extended knee so that you feel a big stretch in your hips and back. (photo C)

More Moves For more exercises, visit coloradoavidgolfer.com.

Boulder native Steven Heller is the fitness director at Scottsdale’s Westin Kierland Resort and the creator of FORE-MAX, an internationally acclaimed training program used by PGA, LPGA and Champions tour players, as well as amateur golfers of all ages. kierlandresort.com; 480-624-1500. CAG

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Colorado AvidGolfer | Winter 2014

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lesson

Mirror, Mirror on the Wall Winter gives you time to reflect on three ways to improve your game.

By Trent Wearner

D

uring the “off-season”—and especially for those who sit often—don’t let your posture and other fundamentals of your golf swing slide. Take a good, long look at yourself in the mirror before you do anything else.

POSTURE PERFECT

BABY GOT BACKSWING

Squaring up the clubface and other downswing problems often stem from inconsistent backswing position. Get off to a great start by making a backswing that sets up a simpler downswing.

Starting with the same posture you’ve developed above and the same position to the mirror, swing the club back trying to allow the club and hands to pass through the following checkpoints. Do it very slowly at first then speed up the motion to your normal pace: • With a mid-iron it’s likely you’ll see about three inches of space between your hands and your legs at address. Keeping that same three inches of space, turn your body and swing the club so that the clubhead passes through your hands. A slight hinge of the wrists has likely already occurred.

• The club shaft continues up the right forearm via wrist hinge and shoulder turn to a position at the top where the shaft is short of parallel and pointed down at the target line.

• From there the club shaft is so much more ready and so much easier to be swung down on the correct plane.

PUTTERING AROUND

• Tape a string to your mirror vertically.

• Face the mirror and address a ball with your putter.

• Your ball position should favor the foot closest to the target.

• Relax your arms and bend your elbows.

• Using the string (or tape as your see here) as a gauge, make sure the putter shaft is either perfectly vertical or leaning forward a couple of degrees at address.

• As you take the putter back and through, maintain the angle of the putter shaft.

Trent Wearner, PGA, is the 2014 Colorado PGA Golf Teacher of the Year.

He also won the award in 2004. Golf Digest ranked him the #1 teacher in Colorado the last two years, and his book, Golf Scrimmages, remains a blueprint of purposeful practice. He runs the Trent Wearner Golf Academy at Meridian Golf Club in Englewood. trentwearnergolf.com; 303-645-8000. CAG

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Colorado AvidGolfer | Winter 2014

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p h o t o g r a p h s by j e r e m y c a n ta l a m ess a

Most people unintentionally avoid proper posture simply because they think their rear end is pushed way out. But after seeing themselves in a mirror they say, “Hey, I actually look like a golfer now.”

• Position yourself so that you would be hitting a ball at a 90-degree angle away from the mirror (a right-handed golfer would see his/her right side in the mirror).

• While keeping the shaft of a club touching your back and rear, tilt from your hips.

You will notice how much straighter your back stays.

• Add a little knee bend while keeping your rear out and be sure to keep your shoulders back instead of caving in your chest. Sustain that posture as you put the club down as if to hit a ball.

• Do this a few times until you can feel how to get into such a posture and you no longer need to place the club behind your back. The mirror will tell you.

player’sCorner

profile

CGA Championship, Kent Moore is still at it. By Jon Rizzi

S

ir Thomas More’s unwavering faith led him into a fateful match with the heretical Henry VIII. The nobleman would lose his head but gain immortality as the subject of the famous play and film, A Man for All Seasons.

In contrast, Kent Moore’s strong faith and supportive family have helped him keep his head in duels with Bill Loeffler, Larry Eaton and wave after wave of the state’s foremost players. His first Colorado Golf Association victory came in the 1973 State Junior Match Play Championship, and he won his most recent CGA title—by a convincing six-shot margin—at

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Colorado AvidGolfer | Winter 2014

last September’s Senior Stroke Play. During the 41 years in between, he took the 1986 CGA Stroke Play, 1989 CGA Match Play, 1995 CGA Mid-Amateur and 2006 CGA Senior Match Play. All of which makes Kent Moore a Man for All Decades—or at least the five during which he’s competed.

Sitting in his manse overlooking the 17th hole at Glenmoor Golf Club—a course that didn’t even exist when he won the prestigious Cherry Hills Junior Invitational in 1973—Moore half-jokes that he’s not even the best golfer in his family. After all, Janet, his wife of 25 years, has won five Colorado Women’s Golf Association Stroke Play Championships and dozens of

P HOTOGRA P H BY E J C ARR

A Man for All Decades Forty-one years after winning his first SPOILS OF MOORE: The champ proudly sits with some of his hard-won hardware.

other CWGA and club titles—accomplishments that put her in the Colorado Golf Hall of Fame before her husband. Their children, Steven, 24, and Sarah, 22, both earned all-conference honors all four years they competed at Wheaton College in Illinois. Sarah “is probably the most gifted golfer in the family but plays the least,” Kent says.

“When you’re blessed to have a family like this, it clears your mind and gives you a tremendous advantage,” Kent, a devout Christian, explains. “Whether you’re playing in a club championship or any event, there’s always the fear or stress of those last three holes, but thoughts of my family give me a way to calm myself.”

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CADDIE DEAREST: Kent Moore and his father, Herbert, beam after the 1989 CGA Match Play Championship.

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Colorado AvidGolfer | Winter 2014

Moore’s family connection to golf began with his father, Lester. He introduced Kent to the game at Pinehurst Country Club, where he received lessons from head professional Marion Pfluger and Tinsley Penick, son of the legendary instructor, Harvey Penick. Lester Moore caddied for Kent until 1993.

Never a long hitter, Kent relied on crisp iron play and a superb short game to become the top player and captain of the Purdue University golf team. His college coach, Joe Campbell, had competed in the 1960 U.S. Open at Cherry Hills and had Kent on his bag during the 1978 U.S. Open there. “He introduced me to Dale Douglass and Jack Nicklaus,” Moore remembers. “We played behind Lee Trevino, who never stopped talking.”

By the end of the next decade people were talking about Moore. His victories in the 1986 CGA Stroke Play and 1989 Match Play put him in the same category as Hale Irwin and Brandt Jobe, future PGA Tour professionals who had also earned Colorado junior, match play and stroke play titles. Moore’s success in the finance and oil industries precluded any idea of playing golf professionally, yet he and Janet, whom he’d married in 1989, remained the devoted golfers they’d been since first noticing each other at Lakewood Country Club.

“I spotted her on the range there in 1981,” Kent remembers. “I asked Earl Svenningsen, the club pro, about her. ‘That’s Janet Ruma,’ he said, ‘…and she’s 17.’ The funny thing is, she’d asked her father about me. ‘That’s Kent Moore,’ he told her. ‘He’s 26….and has three kids.’ None of which was true, of course. But she was 17.”

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P HOTOGRA P H BY E J C ARR

finish in the HealthONE Colorado Senior Open and September’s dominating Stroke Play performance.

Kent’s dedication to the game extends beyond committing to each shot. He has served as the tournament director for the HealthONE Colorado Open, and in 2012 he and Janet volunteered to coach, respectively, the men’s and women’s golf teams at Wheaton College, the NCAA Division III institution 60 minutes west of Chicago that both children attended. They spend a total of five months there during the EVENLY MATCHED: Between them, Colorado Golf Hall of Famers Kent and Janet spring and the fall golf Moore have won more than two dozen state championships. seasons.

“It’s a Christian college,” Kent says of the school The two weren’t formally introduced for another year and a half. Janet went onto star on the Uni- that graduated evangelist Billy Graham. “There versity of Arizona golf team, qualifying for three are no scholarships; you have to have a desire to want to be part of the community. I coached Steve U.S. Women’s Amateurs during her time there. his senior year—and Janet coached Sarah for three “My favorite thing to do is caddie for her,” Kent years.” says. “She’s such a pure ball-striker.” He doesn’t Loeffler says Moore’s competitive fire and amimind having her on his bag, either. “I’ve been two down with two holes to play in a match, and she ability has not only made his friend a great player but a great coach. “It’s a wonderful combination of just looks me in the eye and says, ‘Let’s get this.’” qualities,” he says.

Kent has known how to get after it since he Moore’s players come from as far away as Caliwas a junior, says Colorado Golf Hall of Famer fornia and Connecticut, “and it’s amazing how Bill Loeffler. The two have competed against each good they are. When I was their age, nine birdies other for 45 years and have been good friends for in a round was virtually unheard of; not any more.” just as long. “He’s about the nicest guy you’ll ever As evidence, he cites the one-over 285 that won meet,” says Loeffler, “but he wants to kick the crap out of you on the golf course.” Loeffler recalls him the 1986 stroke play and the 12-under 268 that earned CU’s David Oraee this year’s title. partnering with Moore at an alternate-shot tour“One over is middle of the field now. The playnament: “I played terrible, but Kent’s short game ers are in better condition and so are the courses, won us the thing by seven strokes.” especially the greens. They’re faster and the Soft“My best memories of Kent and Janet revolve around their consistent commitment to golf,” says spikes don’t leave marks like the metal ones did.”

At age 59, Moore, however, has more than left Clayton Cole, the legendary former PGA head his mark on the game—in Colorado, at Wheaton, professional at Cherry Hills Country Club, where and nationally, where he has qualified for five U.S. the couple has been members for most of their marriage. “They never quit playing. Every day, Mid-Amateurs and three U.S. Amateurs. Of all the events he has won, the one at which he says he they would come out. They don’t take many lesfelt the most pressure was the 2009 CGA Fathersons. They found out what worked for them and Son Championship, because he wanted to win it stuck with it. The beauty of that approach is that it keeps you playing shots on the golf course instead with Steve.

And the one at which he felt the least presof thinking about your swing.”

Kent did work with instructors Mike McGetrick sure? “Any event where Janet is my partner,” the gracious champion jokes. “It’s like stealing.” and Paul Lobato this year because he “needed to get to a better position at the top” of his swing.

CAG He and Janet also attended a 90-minute talk on “golf flow” with noted sports psychologist Gio ValJon Rizzi is Colorado AvidGolfer’s editor and president of iante. The adjustments resulted in a low-amateur the Colorado Golf Hall of Fame.

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Message in a Bunker

or most amateurs, it’s drive for show and putt for…d’oh!

That’s usually because putts, which make up at least 42 percent of your total score, don’t comprise nearly the same percentage of your practice routine.

Arvada’s Anthony Aguilar wants to make the most of your putting practice. His Flex Putter Trainer is a flatstick with a flexible shaft that promotes “feel” by instantly magnifying the flaws in your stroke. Supple as a high-end fishing rod, the tapered shaft promotes better rhythm, pace, tempo and speed—as well as balance, timing, precise grip pressure, proper release and green speed. It immediately tells you if you’re pushing it, pulling it, coming out of it or getting too handsy. “You don’t want that shaft to bend,” he says.

A former touring pro who has qualified for the U. S. Open, Aguilar took his creation to the PGA Tour. Charlie Beljan, Richard Lee and Boo Weekley all saw immediate benefits. At last year’s Shriners Hospitals for Children Open, J.J. Henry shot a course-record 60 (with only 24 putts) after working with one; he and Mark Brooks now appear in Flex Putter’s YouTube video. Aguilar put his product in the hands of numerous players at this September’s BMW Championship, including winner Billy Horschel.

By creating a product that could help a professional putter, Aguilar believes he can help the player who shoots 80, 90 or 100. So does nationally known Craig “The Putt Doctor” Farnsworth, who finds the Flex Putter “a great way to get students to quiet their hands and use their bigger muscles.” Available with both Anser ($90) and traditional blade ($80) heads and varying shaft lengths. flexputter.com; 844-353-9788

“Hell Bunker.” “Church Pews.” “Big Nellie.” “Himalayas.” Golfers name bunkers, why can’t bunkers return the favor? Pilot and golfer Mary Whitworth noticed while flying that the shape of many golf course bunkers often suggested letters of the alphabet. She began photographing them. Spelling golfer’s names, words and sayings, she launched In The Sand Golf, which creates mugs, totes, prints and dozens of other cool items. inthesandgolf.com

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Dress Is More Breckenridge’s Traci O’Connor says she “always had a thing for fashion and design.” But it wasn’t until a few years ago, when the software executive found herself living in Abu Dhabi, that her creativity found a sartorial expression.

“I became addicted to golf,” she says, “and I created clothing pieces just for me.” The pieces were dresses, not the skirts she hated having to adjust on every hole. “And I loved moving about through the rest of my day without people thinking I’d just come off the golf course.” Encouraged by positive feedback and inspired by the diminutive sand gazelles called dhabi that often accompanied her rounds, O’Connor launched Roaming Dhabi Designs in 2013.

Made of moisture-wicking, antimicrobial, machine-washable fabric, her debut line—which also included tights, tops and skirts—confected a classic, streamlined style with a vibrant palette. Europeans in Emirati golf shops snapped them up. As she moves into the U.S. market, O’Connor says this year’s line reflects more of a functional fit. “It’s slightly looser, more forgiving in the hips and waist,” she explains. “It features clean, classic, simple lines. The main colors are periwinkle and black, and the designs are meant to slim and look elegant and draw the eyes up.”

Not only can they transition from course to conference room to cocktail party, O’Connor adds, “you can wear them into the next season.” $125-$150. Available in select pro shops and online orders via RoamingDhabiDesigns.com. (Five percent of net online sales goes to the LPGA-USGA Girls Golf programs.)

Swingin’ in the Rain

Into each life some rain must fall—even with 300 days of sunshine. Stay dry with Sun Mountain’s new Tour Series golf rainwear. It’s waterproof, breathable, durable, lightweight and quiet. The Tour Series collection is available now as a full-zip jacket ($199), long-sleeve pullover ($179) and pants ($199). The Tour Series full-zip jacket is available in black, navy and titanium/ steel/citron. The long-sleeve pullover is offered in gray, black, or royal, and the pants in black. sunmountain.com; 800-227-9224

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Chambers Bay Golf Course’s improbable mutation from an ugly, abandoned gravel mine to the site of the 2015 U.S. Open expresses itself gorgeously in America’s St. Andrews. This visually and journalistically lush paean exalts the vision of those who created a spectacular public space along Puget Sound that welcomes all forms of community activity—including championship-caliber golf on its dramatic Robert Trent Jones II links layout. $40. americasstandrews.com CAG

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TALL ORDER: Perry’s signature Seven-Finger-High Pork Chop.

High-Steaks Player Perry’s Steakhouse has the chops to carve its own delectable niche.

By Gary James

PERRY’S STEAKHOUSE & GRILLE

T

he steakhouse competition in south Denver is tougher than...uh, I can’t say a two-dollar steak, can I? Fleming’s, Brook’s, Del Frisco’s, Shanahan’s, Cool River—all offer an exceptional dining experience.

Now entering the fray is Perry’s Steakhouse & Grill, near the Vistas at Park Meadows Retail Resort. From Castle Pines and points south, Perry’s is a slightly closer destination, but approaching from the north for my first visit, I wondered: what could possibly set Perry’s apart? All of the big boys use USDA-aged Prime beef, so no advantage there.

When I was seated and started perusing the menu for appetizers, I noticed standard steakhouse fare: Ahi tuna, calamari... wait, Homemade Polish Sausage?

co l o r a d o a v i d g o l f e r. c o m

And that’s the entry point for the Perry’s story, which goes back 35 years to the Scarsdale neighborhood of Houston, where Bob Perry ran a modest meat market. When son Chris graduated from college, he came to work at the shop and added tables. Then the operation expanded into the space next door, and then Chris opened the first Perry’s.

Chris has since crafted an effective résumé. Legend has it he can look at a well-done steak and tell how much it weighed before it was cooked. Now the family-owned group of restaurants is expanding outside Texas. Earlier this year, Chicago got one; and in September Perry’s opened its 12th at Park Meadows. It’s the first-ever in Colorado, and it features all of Perry’s modern design touches—a towering wine wall, sleek yet gentle lighting, four private dining rooms for groups and special events, and an island bar.

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sideBets SLICES OF HEAVEN: Perry’s Chateaubriand medallions come with three sauces and steamed asparagus.

An open-concept kitchen space is where the steaks are cut butcher-fresh daily, but the first thing the crew does every morning is fire up the smoker. There’s not a lot of pecan wood in Colorado, but Perry’s uses nothing else; it’s as tasty as hickory, but with a lighter aroma and a mellow, nutty flavor...which informs the Homemade Polish Sausage. There’s a heavy Polish population in central Texas; every barbeque house in the state can do a brisket, but if you don’t have a good sausage, you won’t survive. Perry’s is heavy on the paprika, sliced thin, served with barbeque and Dijon dipping sauces and club crackers. I proclaim it the best of the wurst.

But there’s no topping the seven-finger-high Pork Chop, one of the most fantastic entrées ever to confront my carnivorous cravings. It’s a

hand-selected prime chop, rubbed with proprietary seasoning, dry-aged for two days, cured for another two, then slow smoked 4-6 hours. Upon order, it’s glazed, broiled for a bit of caramelization and served with homemade applesauce.

Perry’s used to bring the chop whole, but that proved a tad intimidating to diners who never eat anything bigger than their head. It’s now carved tableside into portions and plated as five pieces—the “eyelash” (the name Perry’s has given to the section found above the eye of the chop, the most marbled and melt-in-your-mouth tender), three baby back ribs and the center cut loin—topped with Perry’s signature herb-garlic butter (I thought I detected a hint of pecorino).

For a bargain, check out the Friday lunch special (where a smaller 5-finger chop is served for

$12.95 and comes with whipped potatoes) or the Sunday dinner special (the seven-finger chop with salad and dessert).

Such presentation is one way Perry’s elevates itself. There are plenty of tableside shows, and I recommend ordering Chateaubriand for two off the menu, a romantic, decadent meal that’s dished up with flair. The succulent uncut roast from the tenderloin filet is seared and roasted until it’s juicy on the inside, carved at the table and topped with Perry’s sauce trio—shallot merlot, béarnaise, black peppercorn reduction— with steamed asparagus. In the wrong hands, Chateaubriand can be easily mangled and look unappetizing, but Perry’s “specialists” expertly carve the slices on a slight angle, cutting across the grain (shortening the fibers, making the meat easier to chew) and portioning it into gorgeous, rosy medallions.

The Signature Flaming Desserts are also showstoppers. Go for the Nutty d’Angelo—crushed pecans are cooked in butter, then engulfed in a whoosh of flames with brown sugar and brandy, served over vanilla Häagen-Dazs dipped in white chocolate and toasted almonds to form a delectable shell.

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Colorado AvidGolfer | Winter 2014

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The secondary courses had outstanding touches. For an appetizer, I devoured Perry’s Signature Fried Asparagus—fat, tender spears cooked perfectly with snap, topped with sweet lump crabmeat and hollandaise. The Chopped Salad with Applewood-Smoked Bacon arrived with an Italian vinaigrette (skipping the mustard makes it more acidic than the French counterpart) served with warm Tuscan sourdough bread made by a local bakery. The killer side was the Sweet Sriracha Brussels Sprouts, flash-fried to get those babies to open up, then sautéed with peppers and sesame seeds, getting sweetness from caramelization and spice from the titular hot sauce.

Premium wines are specially created by Amici Cellars of Napa Valley; the winemaker makes Perry’s private label Chardonnay (a Bordeauxstyle white, perfectly paired with the citrusy component of the Fried Asparagus appetizer) and Cabernet. Also, my introductory Homemade Polish Sausage was washed down with a Breckenridge Manhattan made with bourbon from Breckenridge Distillery, showing some local love. Bonus points for the garnish of Luxardo gourmet cherries—not the neon red maraschinos or the candied horrors that some workaday bars use, but sour Marasca cherries soaked in sugar

syrup for a denser, meatier texture, a natural dark red color and a real fruit flavor that interacts well with the spirits.

Service is the other category where Perry’s throws down. Our waiter Jeff impeccably guided us through the meal, and I was more impressed than distracted by the managers’ earpieces. No, they weren’t expecting the president to walk in— anyone with a food allergy knows the sinking feeling of informing your server and hoping that word makes its way to the proper channels, but Perry’s people make certain that such details are covered every step of the way.

The eclectic setting also features live music daily in the bar and piped into the dining area. “Mr. Perry,” as the staff refers to him, works with a talent agency to meet his specific taste, which I’m happy to report, enjoyably ranges from Billy Joel’s “Piano Man” to 10cc’s “Dreadlock Holiday” to Lorde’s “Royals.” Me, I left humming Crabby Appleton’s “Go Back.”

I can’t wait to return to Perry’s. 8433 Park Meadows Center Drive, Lone Tree; 303-792-2571; perryssteakhouse.com CAG Gary James is a Boulder-based food and music writer. Read more of his restaurant writing at coloradoavidgolfer.com.

travel Fare

Food Fit for the King

by Denny Dressman

A

rnold Palmer’s Restaurant is much more than its no-frills name suggests.

Opened in 2003 in La Quinta, California, APR combines outstanding food and excellent service with a collection of memorabilia from Arnie’s illustrious golf career that can’t be found anywhere else, not even at his Bay Hill Club & Lodge in Florida.

Hundreds of framed photos and countless other mementos—almost a thousand in all— fill the walls and shelves of The Palmer Room, The Lounge and separate dining rooms dedicated to each of the majors Arnie won.

A framed Green Jacket is the focal point of The Masters Room, and highlighting the U.S. Open Room is a 3-foot-by-4-foot enlargement of Arnie’s famous follow-through after he tossed his visor upon winning the 1960 U.S. Open at Cherry Hills.

The flag from No. 18 at St. Andrews, signed

by Arnie, is part of the collection in The British Open Room; so too, a photo of Arnie and wife with the Queen of England, the Duke of Edinburgh, President George W. Bush and First Lady Laura.

Replicas of Arnie’s U.S. Amateur, U.S. Open,

co l o r a d o a v i d g o l f e r. c o m

Masters and Claret Jug trophies greet arrivals in the foyer. A large patio accommodates outside dining—with a putting green a few steps away. Guests are welcome to stroke a few, and often do.

Dinner entrées include steaks and seafood, but General Manager Dustin Nichols emphasizes, “the core of the menu has always been Mr. Palmer’s favorite comfort foods from his travels around the world.” That explains the Montgomery Inn Ribs from Cincinnati. “The meatloaf is a Palmer family recipe.”

Don’t be surprised to see Arnie himself tucking into a Filet Mignon Beef Stroganoff or a Latrobe Banana Split. He often spends much of January and February at his home at nearby Traditions Golf Club and visits the restaurant two or three times a week. arnoldpalmersrestaurant.com; 760-771-4653

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niceDrives

P h o t o g r a p h c o u rt esy o f BM W

HOT NUMBER: BMW’s new M4.

HEAR THEM ROAR The BMW M4 and Lexus RC F rocket into 2015. By Isaac Bouchard 2014 BMW M4 Price as tested: $86,200 17/24mpg; 19 mpg combined

U

S-40 around Berthoud Pass is one of the best driver’s roads within a couple hours of metro Denver. The surface is smooth, wide and perfectly cambered for shenanigans. Head up early in the morning and you’ll be well rewarded.

The right car is critical; it needs to be comfortable enough for a longish trip, and it really should have a turbo. A twin is even better.

Which makes the all-new BMW M4 the perfect vehicle for the journey I took on a gorgeous fall

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Colorado AvidGolfer | Winter 2014

Saturday. A two-door coupe version of the iconic and mechanically identical M3, it is the first of that celebrated lineage to have a boosted engine.

And despite what the chattering internet masses might say about any reduction in the car’s purity or throttle response, I for one am very happy that its inline six is having fistfuls of thin air forcefully shoveled into its intake system. Otherwise the M3’s power would have tailed off to about 4050 percent of its sea-level capacity, and the car wouldn’t be anywhere near as much fun.

In the M4’s case that’s a nonissue, and as I barrel towards the first 180-degree turn, I “double tap” the M2-labelled button on the steering wheel, calling up a host of performance parameters I had preloaded into the system. The shocks go to their stiffest setting, as does the throttle response and

shift speed—I’m now in full manual control of the superb seven-speed double-clutch gearbox—and even more importantly, the stability control is now completely switched off.

I stand hard on the stunning (optional) carbon ceramic brakes; the BMW sheds gobs of speed in a seeming instant; as I turn into the corner I trail off the binders, reveling in not only their stunning stopping power but incredibly progression, not something carbons are known for. The M4’s nose bites, and as I site the exit of the bend I roll hard into the throttle. The twin turbos spool up and soon the vast majority of the full complement of 425 horsepower is shunted through the incredibly effective M Differential. The car rotates into the most glorious, easily controlled drift, and almost before I can think, all the shift lights, visible in the coloradoavidgo lf e r.c o m

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head up display, have illuminated, and it’s time to pull back on the carbon fiber shift paddle for third, then fourth.

The M4 doesn’t seem to loose any urgency as the gear rams home, and in a heartbeat I am sling-shotted up the next strait at a faintly ridiculous speed, two wide black lines of Michelin’s finest tattooed into the road’s surface.

I exhale loudly and then tap the other M button on the wheel, loosening the shocks, engaging the stability program’s very well calibrated “M Performance Mode” and putting the gearbox back into automatic. The ride softens, the BMW unwinds, and we both slide into grand touring mode.

That, in a nutshell, is the new M4: Capable, practical daily driver one moment; red-clawed, license-endangering demon the next. While it has always been thus for those who live in thicker air, we’ve struggled up here with previous versions’ drops in performance, as precipitous as some of the cliffs along which I’ve ridden the edge.

What’s been lost in this latest M? Some measure of steering feel is surely gone, though the rack’s precision remains. There’s still enough feedback through the seat of my trousers to know that the front end has huge reserves of grip.

A measure of throttle response is also lost with

the switch to artificial aspiration, though it’s fairly minor. In compensation, this new motor punches out 406lb-ft pound-feet of twist—117 more than the glorious V8 it replaces, and at much lower RPMs. Gone for good is the banshee wail as that bespoke motor honed in on its almost 9000 RPM redline. In its place is an artificially enhanced soundtrack that, for all its interest, rarely compares.

In every other respect the M4 is The One. The attainable, 911-humbling four-passenger Bavarian express that has such a breadth of ability it is hard to imagine anything near its price being comparable.

2015 Lexus RC F 16/25mpg; 19mpg combined Price as tested: TBD Lexus certainly isn’t afraid to take a shot at the BMW M4. Outside, its new RC F coupe is so visually arresting that the German car almost looks a wallflower next to it. Scoops, creases, curves, flares, black chrome and optional carbon fiber all compete for your attention, and if the overall design lacks the BMW’s cohesion, it certainly bests

it in bravado.

Inside the Lexus tops the M car in material quality and seating comfort. The powered steering wheel tilts and telescopes to a perfect position and the wonderful stitch patterns on the doors and seats (meant to mimic the human musculature) are superbly executed. Its seats are ventilated, and if the Lexus infotainment interface still isn’t quite as good as BMW iDrive, the RC F’s main instruments, including a powerslide bezel for the tachometer, top anything on the market.

The RC F’s 5-liter, 4 and immediately rewards you with the gloriously classic V8 backbeat, here denoting 467 horsepower. While the M4 has fewer ponies in the stable, it does trump the Lexus’ 389lb-ft of torque, produced higher up the RPM range than in the force-fed BMW inline six. The Japanese car undeniably sounds better, with a glorious duet made up of induction honk (piped into the cockpit) and exhaust bellow that makes the M car’s synthesized soundtrack sound anemic in comparison.

It channels power through an eight-speed automatic, and while it can’t match the lightning shifts of the BMW’s twin-clutcher, it works well enough both on the street and at the track. The RC F is fast, too, with 0-60 barnstormed in 4.4

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P h o t o g r a p h c o u rt esy o f l e x us

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seconds. What really works against the Lexus is its extra mass, some 400 more pounds than the M4. Not only is the BMW about a half-second faster in the above yardstick of acceleration, but feels that way. It also means the Lexus needs firmer springs and shocks to keep its masses (balanced 55/45 front to rear) from moving around too much, which in turn creates a ride that is much stiffer than the BMW’s, if quieter.

The other time you really notice the RC F’s extra avoirdupois is on the track, where, despite its stiff suspenders, its body moves around more under braking and through direction changes. That doesn’t mean it’s not a talented track day companion. Massive Brembo brakes and superb steering feel—better than the M4’s, in fact—ensure it’s still fun to pitch around. You just need to be patient and make sure the RC F’s body has settled before trying any other moves.

One interesting note is that the Lexus handles very differently depending on whether it has the optional, Torque Vectoring Differential or standard Torsen rear differential. The TVD uses a host of sensors to keep the Lexus on line, and will make most drivers faster. But the Torsen is more fun for top-tier wheelmen, as it allows the kind of beautiful, tail-out shenani-

EXTRA-MASS APPEAL: The Lexus RC F.

gans the M4 excels at.

The RC F is a great car: fast, superb sounding, dynamically accomplished and beautifully built.

I can see many choosing it over the “default” M car, if for no other reason than to be different. It could do with a diet, or perhaps a really well calibrated set of adjustable shocks to better control the body motions on track while allowing a more cosseting street ride. And of course

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its lovely, naturally aspirated engine doesn’t run at high altitudes like the M4’s new motor.

But the Lexus has a charisma, and character in spades, which is so refreshing in a universe of dull, predictable, appliance-like vehicles.

CAG

Read more of Isaac Bouchard’s automotive writing at coloradoavidgolfer.com and nicedrivz.com.

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player’sCorner

riskReward

and the same. By Christian Ravsten

I

recently played golf with a good friend on a beautiful day at Redlands Mesa in Grand Junction. I was up by four strokes with a steak dinner on the line. On the par-5 13th my drive split the fairway, but it put me in a very precarious position relative to the pin.

I had 186 to the flag, but water and sand bunkers stood between my ball and the shallow green. My buddy told me it was too risky to go for the green on my next shot because of the hazards. The day before he had risked­—and rinsed—this same shot.

He stressed the importance of laying up to the wide part of the fairway near the green, where I would have more opportunity to play my third and fourth shots safely. Part of his comment was an effort to “get in my head,” but it was also a fair assessment because of his recent experience and my desire to win the hole and the round.

A missed shot into one of the bunkers or the water was, in his opinion, just too risky. As I pondered his comments, I asked him if being aggressive was the same as being risky. He assured me that, in this case, it certainly was.

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Colorado AvidGolfer | Winter 2014

Christian Ravsten is VP of Market Analytics at RiskMD, a Centennial based financial firm specializing in helping business owners reduce taxation, market risk and legal risk. Reach him at 855-448-7463; Christian@YourRiskMD.com.

coloradoav idgo lf e r.c o m

i l lus t r at i o n c o u rt esy o f i s t o c k p h o t o / g e t t y i m ag es

Is being aggressive always risky?

They might not always be one

But was it? Was the level of risk for him the same as it was for me?

Since I was up four, I wasn’t risking much by being aggressive and going for the green. I also knew that the conditions were such that I could get on with a good swing…and I’d also been hitting the ball more consistently than my friend had… and if I landed the green, I’d likely reach my goal of beating him because he’d already committed to laying up. Then again, did it matter if I beat him on this hole or on the next? I had no time frame for winning.

Until that point, I had not played very aggressively, so why should I change?

A woman recently came to see me about her investments. She had lost a great sum of money from her retirement accounts during the recession and wanted my help in making up her losses. Her game plan was to invest more aggressively now, so she could make up for the lost time and assets. She wanted to retire on the same date as she originally planned, and with the same level of income from her retirement accounts, yet she did not want to take a high level of risk.

She didn’t mind being aggressive, but she did not want to be risky. Theoretically, she wanted to have her cake and eat it too.

Her situation sounded a lot like my situation with my buddy during our round.

But was it really the same thing?

The answer to the question of aggressive versus risky depends what your goals are, the time frame with which to achieve those goals, and what you stand to lose in relationship to your present situation. If you lose very little in relation to your goals, then there is very little risk. On the other hand, if you are putting all of your assets on the line, then you have exposed yourself to real risk, and you have been too aggressive.

We see this all the time with investors. They put all of their money in aggressive investments in order to achieve high rates of return. Then, when the market falls, they double down and start pressing in order to make up for lost time and lost returns. In the short run this may prove fruitful, but in the long run, it only increases risk. They lose more money during market corrections— and precious time in the race to meet their goals.

Remember the moral of Aesop’s Fable of the Tortoise and the Hare? Slow and steady wins the race.

So many of us want to retire with a “Champagne lifestyle” after we have made and saved off a “Budweiser budget.” As investors, we must be willing to live within realistic expectations of our investment budgets. For example, rather than setting goals that will be achieved by 12 percent rates of return, we may be better served by setting goals achieved by more realistic rates of return, and funding those goals within proper budgetary guidelines and realistic time frames.

In other words, when we have setbacks in our investments, we should either increase our deposits into our investments and/or lengthen our time frames to achieve our goals and/or reduce our expectation of the how much we will have at the original expected date.

Increasing the aggressiveness of the investment does not always mean you will achieve your goals; it just means you are being more risky.

On the contrary, if by being aggressive you stand to lose very little in relation to your goals, you are not exposing yourself to great risk.

Then you could be­—like I was—putting for eagle and on the way to achieving your goal. CAG

Ron Schroeder, CO Senior Open Champion Kendall Dye, CO Women’s Open Champion

Ian Davis, CO Open Champion

Steve Lockton 2nd Guy Golf Charles L. Young Sr. Foundation

OB AZ

Going

in

and Beyond

OB SPORTS helps connect more than just the 300 dots on Arizona’s golf landscape.

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Colorado AvidGolfer | Winter 2014

coloradoavidgo lf e r.c o m

ven for Colorado GOLFERS

accustomed to the geological spectacles at Arrowhead and Redlands Mesa, the 10th hole at Sedona Golf Resort proves uniquely transcendent. Directly behind the green of the 210-yard par 3 looms the magnificence of Cathedral Rock, its rippling, variegated spires climbing ever heavenward. Tee shots fly directly towards them, hovering in midair against the inspiring sandstone; putts drop in the shadow of the Cathedral’s imposing presence.

The hole, which appears on the cover of this magazine, ranks among the most photographed in the Southwest, and the impeccable 6,646-yard Gary Panks design one of the most enjoyable in a state filled with more than 300 spectacular courses.

OB’S ARIZONA ZONE

Longbow

Nineteen of those courses, including Sedona, comprise the Arizona portfolio of OB Sports, the 42-yearold Scottsdale-based company that operates 48 public, private and resort courses in 16 states.

In Arizona, OB’s daily-fee facilities include the PeteDye masterpiece at ASU Karsten in Tempe; the exclusive atmosphere of Eagle Mountain in Fountain Hills; Ken Kavanaugh’s celebrated Longbow in Mesa; the Phil Mickelson-owned McDowell Mountain in Scottsdale; 36 holes at Palm Valley in Goodyear; the uniquely pinelined Raven in Phoenix; the hidden treasures of Tegavah in Rio Verde; the five fun City of Tucson courses; and the superb Arizona National in Tucson.

The company also manages—and can arrange rounds at—the private clubs at Tatum Ranch (in Cave Creek), Chaparral Pines and The Rim (Payson), Talking Rock (Prescott) and Pinewood (Munds Park, near Flagstaff ).

CARD PLAYERS

ASU Karsten

OB runs four Colorado courses: On the public side, Colorado National Golf Club in Erie and Heritage Eagle Bend Golf Club in Aurora; on the private, Fox Hill Country Club in Longmont and Pueblo Country Club in Pueblo.

Card-carrying players from any of these clubs receive deep discounts (from 40 to 60 percent) at all OBmanaged public and resort courses—including Monarch Beach and Tijeras Creek in Orange County, Calif.; Sandia in Albuquerque; and five Las Vegas courses—as well as at select private ones.

Nonmembers of OB facilities can also purchase a rewards card ($109-$169, depending on the club) at a select courses to receive similar discounts. Those discounts also apply to preferred car rental rates, dining offers and more.

Winter 2014 | Colorado AvidGolfer

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LINKS TO EVERYWHERE: OB Sports Vacations can arrange discount stay-and-plays at classic golf destinations such as Pebble Beach.

BEYOND OB

Arizona National

Tegavah

Sedona Golf Club

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Even with its vast network, OB Sports doesn’t confine its services only to courses it manages.

OB Sports Vacations provides a one-stop shop for planning a trip that can include courses like WeKo-Pa, Troon North, McCormick Ranch, Dove Mountain and dozens of other Arizona standouts—as well as hundreds of courses across the United States, Canada, Mexico, Caribbean, Europe and the United Kingdom. From Pebble to Pinehurst to Prestwick, OB Sports Vacations packages discounted lodging, car rental and activities to create definitive experiences at prices you’d be hard-pressed to beat.

A recent stay-and-play at Pebble Beach was “too low to advertise,” according to the website, but publicized deals have included three nights and three rounds on Alabama’s Robert Trent Jones Trail for $209 per person per night; three nights at the RitzCarlton and three rounds of golf at Georgia’s Reynolds Plantation for $370 per person per day; four nights at Mesquite’s Casablanca Resort and rounds at Wolf Creek, Conestoga, Coyote Springs and Coral Canyon for $209 per person per day; and $2,129 per person for six nights lodging, rental car and five rounds (at courses like Royal Troon, Prestwick and Turnberry) in Ayrshire and Western Scotland.

In Arizona, $219 per day can get you a luxury suite at the

Colorado AvidGolfer | Winter 2014

Marriott at McDowell Mountains, plus rounds at TPC-Scottsdale’s Stadium Course, Legend Trail, SunRidge Canyon and The Raven-Phoenix.

OB Sports Vacations also lets you customize an itinerary. In Tucson, for example, this can include rounds at The Gallery, Starr Pass, Ventana Canyon, Vistoso and Dove Mountain.

IN-NETWORK

OB’s best deals naturally come at properties it manages. How does $159 per person per day sound for four nights at the Scottsdale Resort and Conference Center and four rounds of golf at Eagle Mountain, The RavenPhoenix, Tegavah and Longbow?

If you bring a group of eight or more, OB throws in a one-hour Swedish massage for the group leader.

You can also get one at the Hilton Sedona Golf Resort & Spa as part of a two-night, two-round package. The spectacular, rugged scenery invites not only golf, but also hiking, biking and other forms of physical activity that lead to the massage table.

And for those indulging in all that OB Sports has to offer, these kneads might be your only needs.

Eagle Mountain

Raven-Phoenix

CAG

For more information on OB Sports properties, visit obsports.com; for specialized vacation planning, visit obsportsgolfvacations.com or call 888-882-7798.

Palm Valley

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LOS CABOS

gets

A SECOND WIND Roughed up by Hurricane Odile, Mexico’s resort hub quickly roars back.

P H O T O G R A P H C O U RT E S Y O F P U E B L O B O N I T O R E S O RT S

By Kim D. McHugh

E

arly last September,

when the tropical storm that would become Hurricane Odile was gathering intensity in the Pacific Ocean, people on the Baja California Peninsula initially had little cause for concern.

Forecasters predicted the path would avoid land as it tracked northwest and out to sea.

But on September 13 Odile’s Category 4 (135 mph) winds took an unexpected turn co l o r a d o a v i d g o l f e r. c o m

directly towards the peninsula.

The winds slowed to Category 3 (125 mph) when Odile made landfall September 15, but the storm ranked as the most severe to bludgeon Cabo San Lucas and San José del Cabo in nearly 50 years. It caused severe flooding, pummeling hotels, disrupting power, crippling the international airport and forcing reportedly 30,000 tourists and nearly 70,000 locals to seek shelter.

Averaging 10 inches of rain annually, the southern part of the peninsula saw seven

inches fall in about an hour as the storm hovered. An estimated 12 inches fell over the next 36 hours.

Although battered and dazed, area business owners, residents and tourists stranded in Mexico’s third most popular vacation destination all witnessed an immediate response from the Mexican government, which mobilized federal troops, police and natural disaster-related personnel to begin the process of rebuilding.

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COAST IS CLEAR: Quivira premieres, as planned, this December.

(the equivalent of Colorado’s Xcel Energy) dispatched more than 5,000 employees and some 3,000 trucks to the region to begin replacing the sub-stations, thousands of electrical line poles and fallen wires. Similar efforts were done by the telecommunication, and natural gas and water companies, and the government also sent 3,000 soldiers and federal police to assist in the recovery effort.

“You have to give a lot of praise to the Mexican people,” says Jason Ballog, PGA Director of Golf at One & Only Palmilla.

“They understood what they needed to do, they understood that this is their livelihood and so they were out there in full force cleaning up and working hard. They knew they needed to get ready for the high season and they did an amazing job.”

SILVER LININGS

Surprisingly, damage to Cabo’s 14 golf courses was limited largely to lost vegetation and sand erosion. While winds from the hurricane uprooted hundreds of cacti, palms and shrubby trees the fairways and greens soaked in much needed moisture, leaving the courses incredibly lush.

“No doubt Cabo got hammered,” says Dave Osborne, director of SV Capital, an Englewood-based real estate investment and development firm that has a role in a boutique

66

luxury hotel and golf project in Chileno Bay, just south of San José del Cabo. The Tom Faziodesigned course “actually fared very well and is probably in better shape than it was before because of the amount of rain we got, which filled the retention

grand opening, Quivira’s Jack Nicklaus Signature Golf Course, according to PGA Director of Golf Brad Wheatley, only sustained minor sand intrusion and cactus loss, and the beachfront clubhouse also weathered the storm.

Pueblo Bonito. “I have always insisted on building structurally sound, high-quality facilities, and because of this requirement, our recovery time was fast.”

Three Stay & Play packages, each including treatments at what Condé Nast Traveler readers ranked among the “Top 25 Spas in Mexico & Central America,” are in place to encourage visits to the luxury resort.

BUSINESS AS USUAL

DIAMANTE DUO: The Dunes course (above) is open; El Cardonal debuts in December.

ponds and the lake.”

“The arroyos were flowing like rivers and a lot of the bunkers lost sand because of the wind,” explains Palmilla’s Ballog. “But other than that we’re in pretty good shape.”

Ballog confirms the course’s automated irrigation system suffered a substanital beatdown, and that a metal maintenance hangar where mowing equipment is stored was destroyed, but otherwise the course didn’t take much of a hit. It will reopen in March, at the same time as the resort, which sustained heavier damage.

Scheduled for a December 4

Colorado AvidGolfer | Winter 2014

“We are very pleased to welcome guests once again to our five Cabo San Lucas resorts, which are as spectacular as ever,” he says, referring to the family of Pueblo Bonito Oceanfront Resorts, “and to unveil the new Quivira Golf Club.”

Located at the tip of the Baja Peninsula, the gorgeous 7,139yard layout rewards golfers who enjoy play along massive dunes, sheer cliffs and desert foothills.

“We worked hard to reestablish all services and to repair, even improve, aspects of the resorts,” commented Ernesto Coppel, the owner of Quivira and

According to the Los Cabos Tourism Board, the Los Cabos International Airport resumed operations in late October with flights provided by eight major U.S. and Canadian carriers serving the region. Fifteen ships from Princess Cruises, Holland America, Carnival and Norwegian Cruise Line have come into the cruise ship terminal, which was undamaged, and more than 90 percent of the restaurants and retail stores have reopened.

Of the 59 hotels in the Los Cabos Hotel Association, 15 were up and running by mid-October and more are scheduled to be operational by early December.

Sirena del Mar, Cabo Azul Resort & Spa and Meliá Cabo Real should open by January 2015; ME by Meliá Cabo plans to open in February.

“We are extremely grateful for the overwhelming support the destination has received from the local community, the federal and state government,

coloradoavidgo lf e r.c o m

experienceMexico Palmilla Golf Club—among the world’s finest venues Breathtaking natural beauty and the inspired design vision of Jack Nicklaus

elevate Palmilla Golf Club in Los Cabos, Mexico, to its place among the world’s finest venues. Poised on a secluded private peninsula at the southern tip of the Baja coast, Palmilla’s three distinctive nines—the Arroyo, the Mountain and the Ocean—wind through a unique seaside desert framed by picturesque vistas of the vivid blue Sea of Cortéz and punctuated by magnificent cardón cacti and wildflowers. Through a range of elevation changes, arroyos and rugged mountain terrain, the course strikes the perfect balance between challenge and playability.

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A RAW ODILE: Cabo’s Marina got pummeled (left) but rebounded with flying colors.

our airline partners, wholesalers, incentive houses and of course, our visitors,” explained Renato Mendonça, President of the Los Cabos Hotel Association. “Los Cabos is full of surprises for everyone, nothing can stop us.”

Those hardest hit—One & Only Palmilla, The Westin Resort & Spa, Hyatt Ziva Los Cabos and Hilton Los Cabos Beach & Golf Resort—intend to open in March. Hyatt Place Los Cabos anticipates reopening in July.

Held October 14 to 18, winning anglers reeled in some of the estimated $750,000 in cash and prizes during the Los Cabos Billfish Tournament. Bisbie’s Los Cabos Offshore Charity Tournament and Black &

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Colorado AvidGolfer | Winter 2014

Blue Marlin Tournament took to the Sea of Cortez October 18 and 19, and October 22 to 24 respectively. Quickly getting back to full strength is the marina’s fishing charter boat industry.

It appears that the luxury property rental market looks largely unaffected as well.

“We’re sold out for Thanksgiving, and Christmas and New Year’s are booked solid,” said Dave Girard, SunCabo Vacations.

“Wi-Fi is back, the marina is open, you can go deep sea fishing and parasailing. It’ll be a busy season.”

Girard, a partner in the Vancouver, Canada-based upscale villa and condo rental

business, reports his company rescheduled a handful of guests who’d planned to visit in October, but that they’d had no cancellations.

In mid-October the Mexican Tourism Board launched an advertising campaign— “Los Cabos. Unstoppable.”—aimed at rebooting tourism to the area. Funded by the Mexican Government, the $5 million promotion kicked off with social media in part featuring locals and using the hashtag #unstoppable. Television ads and print ads followed in early November.

PLAY ‘EM ALL!

At press time nine courses had opened, including the back nine of Cabo del Sol’s Nicklaus-designed Ocean Course and Cabo Real, a Robert Trent Jones. Jr. design measuring 6,848 yards from the championship tees.

Welcoming back golfers in October: the semi-private, 7,328-yard Roy Dye-designed Cabo San Lucas Country Club; Club Campestre San José, a Nicklaus design spanning 7,055 yards from the championship tees;

coloradoavidgo lf e r.c o m

and Querencia Golf Club, a private Tom Fazio layout measuring 7,050 yards,.

Also playable in October were the two nines at Puerto Los Cabos Golf Club: the front nine Mission Course designed by Greg Norman and the back nine Marina Course designed by Jack Nicklaus. Twenty-seven holes at Cabo del Sol are slated for a November opening—all 18 at Tom Weiskopf ’s Desert Course and the front nine of Nicklaus’ Ocean Course.

Designed by Davis Love III, the highly regarded, private 7,300-yard Diamante Dunes Course will welcome players in November. And a month later Diamante will unveil its private El Cardonal Course, Tiger Woods’ much anticipated layout.

El Dorado Golf and Beach Club, a private club, is keeping members apprised on an opening date.

Of the over 160,000 reviews on TripAdvisor.com, Cabo San Lucas remains a favorite. “Paradise…even with a hurricane! The hotel is going above and beyond caring for each guest.” stated an October post describing a trip to Esper-

anza, an Auberge resort.

The well regarded destination has eight properties on the Condé Nast Traveler Best Hotels and Resorts in Mexico 2014 list, four hotels scored five-star of five possible stars on the U.S. News and World Report’s Best Hotels list and Elite Traveller readers named the Armonia Spa at Pueblo Bonito Pacifica, The Spa at Las Ventanas al Paraiso, Paz Spa at Cabo Azul, The Spa at the Westin Resort & Spa and Spa Marquis at Marquis Los Cabos among the best spas in Cabo.

For 60 years Los Cabos have welcomed visitors and no question travelers will keep returning. And they’ll be blown away by such welcoming hospitality.

La Paz

Hangs Tough

O

n the Sea of Cortez, around 100 miles north of Cabo San Lucas, the popular tourist destination of La Paz was spared the brunt of Odile, which had dissipated somewhat as it made its way up the coast.

“We are pretty much recovered, fortunately, and did not have any real damage,” reports Gerardo Rojano, sales & marketing VP at CostaBaja Resort & Spa. “La Paz is a well protected area because of the mountains and the bay.”

An avid golfer, Rojano said play on the resort’s Gary Player Signature Golf Course resumed four days after the storm. A two-night Stay & Play golf package, good through December 31, 2014, invites play for two, a complimentary room upgrade and buffet breakfast. costabajaresort.com; 877-392-5525. —KDM

CAG

Contributing Editor Kim D. McHugh is a Lowell Thomas Award-winning writer. For information on Stay & Play and post-Odile special packages, contact the resorts or visitloscabos.travel. For a list of Hurricane Odile relief funds, visit coloradoavidgolfer.com.

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t h e

’ s r e f l o G e s i d a r a P

’ n i v L i

i n

on the o r p r u to a to in n you run a c le a d s tt o c S t u mall? e th t a e r Where else b o m w fe ner and a in d t a r e th o n a , e cours

By Joe Passov

74

I

t usually starts with

a double-take—or maybe a squint. Often it’s a cupped hand to the mouth, with a turn of the head, where you say to your buddy, “Is that who I think it is?” When you’re journeying through Scottsdale, and you think you’ve spotted a famous tour pro, teacher, or golf course architect, chances are, you did. With apologies to Dallas, Orlando and the Palm Beaches, Scottsdale, Arizona, is ground zero for golf personalities.

The Powering Inferno

As proof, we’ll start with one of the city’s biggest boosters, Tom Weiskopf, who moved to the area in 1973. “Forty years ago,” says Weiskopf, “when you thought about a Scottsdale

Colorado AvidGolfer | Winter 2014

golf vacation, you thought about three things: Images of the Wild West—mountains and cactus and horses and such—the Grand Canyon up north, and the good weather. Championship courses weren’t part of the package. Today we can compete against any market in the country in terms of the quality of the golf courses and the golf experiences.”

Maybe Weiskopf is biased. After all, he’s designed or codesigned many of the region’s top 10 courses. The one he calls home is the private Silverleaf Club in north Scottsdale, a 2002 solo creation that appears to be swallowed up by the McDowell Mountains. Its sprawling, artistically sculpted bunkers embrace strategy and aesthetics as well as any course around.

Yet, it’s the jaw-dropping 52,000-square-foot clubhouse that earns much of the acclaim, one reason being that it houses

coloradoa vidgo lf e r.c o m

TOM SAYS: Among many faves, Lehman likes TPC Scottsdale (opposite).

Lehman’s Turns Right around the corner from Silverleaf is the private Country Club at DC Ranch, where Tom Lehman resides in a home on the 10th hole. The 1996 British Open Champion, 2006 Ryder Cup Captain and all-around Champions Tour stud is a huge cheerleader for Scottsdale. He’s always been a fan of his home course, designed in 1997 by Scott Miller, stating, “I especially enjoy the par-3s, which are as about as good as they get, as a group, in the Valley of the Sun.” And that was before he was asked to redesign parts of the course—though he kept it as a playable, members spread, just as it had always been, with plenty of width, few intimidating forced carries and scenery in abundance, especially holes 12 through 14 that climb into the McDowells.

Still, Lehman is no homer. He’s fond of many other tracks in town, from parkland-style Phoenix Country Club (“wall-towall grass, so much history”) to Estancia and Desert Mountain, which he calls “great private clubs.” For public play, he says, “I personally like TPC Scottsdale a lot. A lot of guys like Grayhawk. And Verrado (a course 30 miles west of Phoenix that he co-designed with John Fought) is a nice place to go.”

Since he moved to my neck of the woods in 1990, I’ve seen Lehman out on the town at Z-Tejas restaurant, where his fiery favorites are Voodoo Tuna and Diablo Chicken, and at Fleming’s at DC Ranch, where he and wife Melissa “split a steak and have a beer and watch the sunset.” He’s a fan of Kierland Commons shopping area and the Tommy Bahamas restaurant there—“They have a really nice patio”—and tells visitors they have to try Old Town Scottsdale for the restaurants and pubs.

“We like Frank & Lupe’s, a little hole in the wall that has great Mexican food.”

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP: Silverleaf Club; its designer Tom Weiskopf; member Arron Oberholser; and Scottsdale pitchman Brandel Chamblee.

Tom’s Tavern, a cozy monument to Weiskopf ’s spectacular, if roller-coaster, career. Rare photos, clippings, trophies and more line the walls. Weiskopf gave up drinking in 2000, but at Tom’s Tavern, a Diet Coke works fine for a history-minded golfer.

Equally impressive is the course conditioning, which continues to wow fellow members Arron Oberholser, former winner of the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am and now with Golf Channel, and Paige Mackenzie, an LPGA stalwart who just completed a yearlong stint with Golf Channel.

Not long ago, Oberholser tweeted, “Unreal morning at Silverleaf Club. You could eat your breakfast off these fairways. So pure.”

Tim Clark, winner of the 2014 RBC Canadian Open and the 2010 Players Championship is another Silverleaf regular, as is Colorado’s own Jonathan Kaye, twice a winner on the PGA Tour.

c o l o r a d o a v i d g o l f er. c om

Chamblee Chimes In Another flag-waver for Scottsdale who relishes south-of-theborder cuisine is Brandel Chamblee, the official spokesperson for Scottsdale golf. I bumped into him and his kids recently at Spotted Donkey Cantina, a festive spot at El Pedregal, a small shopping/dining/retail mall adjacent to the Boulders Resort.

I can vouch for the Donkey Nachos appetizer, which features pulled pork. Chamblee, whose acclaimed outspokenness as a Golf Channel Analyst makes folks forget he once won a PGA Tour event, plays all over town, without ties to one club.

“In truth there are a great many places to play golf around the world,” says Chamblee. “But when you factor in the quantity and quality of courses, the beauty of the desert, the consistently perfect weather and all the fun there is to be had off the course, no one else comes close to Scottsdale for my money. Look at it this way: I work in Florida, but I choose to live in Scottsdale.

What more of an endorsement do you need?”

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is also partial to Roaring Fork in downtown Scottsdale for its “Old West culinary experience.”

Pros, Architects, Instructors

Cristie Kerr at Mirabel

Chamblee will get no argument from LPGA Hall-of-Famer Betsy King, nor from future Hallof-Famer Cristie Kerr. King hangs her shingle at the private Pinnacle Peak Country Club, one of the city’s hidden gems. Originally surrounded by desert during the late 1970s, Pinnacle Peak is now an oasis with great greens tucked away in the heart of North Scottsdale.

Get Cristie’s Love Kerr is partial to Mirabel, a private golf enclave in the farthest reaches of North Scottsdale where she lives and plays.

The club earned early notoriety for two reasons back in 2001.

First, its flavorful, tender beef jerky proved so addicting, Roger Clemens ordered 50 pounds of it to be shipped to the New York Yankees clubhouse (Kerr is another huge fan and so am I).

Second, its graceful Tom Fazio design replaced an existing public Greg Norman creation called Stonehaven that never actually opened. Stonehaven was to be target golf to the extreme. Mirabel is a desert layout, but has plenty of grass where it’s needed, even at its signature par-3 11th, which rolls out vistas of Granite Mountain and Pinnacle Peak.

Off-course, Kerr favors Binkley’s (“a foodie’s dream”) and Cowboy Ciao in Scottsdale’s Old Town (“hearty cowboy fare with flair”). Another Cowboy Ciao supporter is Kirk Triplett, a threetime winner on the PGA Tour and who is currently rocking it on the Champions Tour. Triplett

Martin Laird at Estancia

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Colorado AvidGolfer | Winter 2014

On the golf front, Triplett spends time at TPC Scottsdale, where PGA Tour players get golf and range balls gratis as a membership perk.

“It’s a not a desert course,” says Triplett, “but it’s newly renovated and very interesting.” Triplett also touts We-Ko-Pa’s 36 public holes, citing the Coore/Crenshaw-designed Saguaro as “a beautiful walking course” with “unique looks.”

When five-time winner and lifelong resident Billy Mayfair was recently asked where people were most likely to run into a Tour player, he responded “Out at the TPC Scottsdale. On any given day, players from all tours will be hitting balls on the practice range.” Typically, that’s where you’ll find Kevin Stadler, who captured the Waste Management Phoenix Open in 2014 on the Stadium layout that original co-designer Tom Weiskopf just renovated. Among others who frequent the TPC are Ricky Barnes, Robert Garrigus, Martin Laird, Troy Merritt and Parker McLachlin.

In addition to the Tour players who call Scottsdale home, so do leading architects and instructors. Weiskopf takes top design honors for quality and quantity, but Bill Coore is closing fast, thanks to his We-Ko-Pa and Talking Stick creations, and for his brand-new restoration of tony Paradise Valley Country Club, where many of the area’s movers and shakers belong, including three-time U.S. Open champion Hale Irwin. Brian Curley, the busiest architect in China on behalf of his Schmidt-Curley firm, keeps his home and office in Scottsdale.

Instructor Stan Utley, a one-time PGA Tour winner, who has taught Sergio Garcia, Bill Haas and Peter Jacobsen, among many others, calls Grayhawk home and eats Mexican food three or four times a week, particularly at Jalapeño Inferno Bistro Mexicano.

Phil Mickelson hangs...

...at Whisper Rock...

Whisper Rock Is No Secret Grayhawk’s popular public courses have hosted many PGA Tour events and were Phil Mickelson’s hangout before he moved back to his hometown of San Diego in 2001. Lefty still has a soft spot for “my second hometown,” where he lived for 12 years (the Grayhawk logo continues to adorn his golf bag).

For a healthy dose of Mickelson memorabilia, check out Phil’s Grill at Grayhawk. The last time I was there, legendary instructor (and CBS broadcaster) Peter Kostis was lunching at the next table with one of his longtime students, Franz Klammer, the 1976 Olympic Gold Medal-winning downhiller from Austria. Kostis hosts the Kostis McCord Learning Center at Grayhawk, though when he and fellow CBS colleague Gary McCord have down time, they can usually be found at Scottsdale’s über-hangout, Whisper Rock Golf Club. For tour players worldwide, “the hang” at “the Rock,”

...and sometimes at Grayhawk.

Hale Irwin at Paradise Valley

coloradoavidgo lf e r.c o m

is the best golf experience anywhere.

A recent check of the handicap board at Whisper Rock showed that Martin Kaymer was top dog, with a plus 6.9 index. England’s Paul Casey, who played for Arizona State, wasn’t far behind.

I had a very pleasant conversation with Casey a little while back at Eddie V’s, perhaps the best fish restaurant in Scottsdale, with much of the conversation centered on Whisper Rock. McCord usually holds court in the grill room, chatting up Kevin Streelman, Chez Reavie, or even 2006 U.S. Open champ Geoff Ogilvy, who recently moved back to Scottsdale after a few years away. Mickelson, who co-designed the first 18 here, the Lower course, always stops back during the Phoenix Open for catchup time with his old pals.

Scottsdale glory reached its peak on tour a couple of years ago, when Whisper Rock’s Kaymer

WHISPER ROCKERS: Gary McCord and Martin Kaymer.

battled Estancia’s Bubba Watson in a PGA Championship playoff in 2010. Kaymer won. Watson moved back to Florida full-time in 2013, though he again won this year’s Estancia club championship.

We’ll let Tom Lehman sum up what attracts so many tour pros to Scottsdale. “It’s a big place, but still has a small-town feel,” says Lehman. “There’s a freshness to it. I like that it’s new and neat. The fantastic weather, the living desert, the phenomenal sunsets with that red glow—it’s just a magical place.”

It should come as no surprise, then, that the stars of the golf world make Scottsdale burn that much brighter. CAG

Golf magazine Senior Editor Joe Passov has written more than 750 articles for nearly 60 publications since 1987. The former editor-in-chief of Links Magazine, “Travelin’ Joe” has played more than 1,200 courses in 46 states and 21 countries. co l o r a d o a v i d g o l f e r. c o m

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Colorado’s

Cal i f Home Course For more than a half-century, Pauma Valley Country Club’s splendid isolation has made it a go-to place for those in the know.

By Jon Rizzi

M

uch like

the fuyu persimmon orchard behind its first green, Pauma Valley Country Club provides a treat about which few people know. But as with anyone who savors the succulent, tomato-sized fruit, those fortunate enough to get a taste of this

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Colorado AvidGolfer | Winter 2014

Southern California Eden often find themselves indulging time and again.

Until last winter, I counted myself among the uninformed. Despite 20 years of covering golf and myriad visits to SoCal, I had never heard of Pauma Valley, which sits at the base of Palomar Mountain, an hour’s drive northeast of San Diego. (However, I did know persimmons were more than just the woods preferred by better golfers for

most of the 20th Century.)

Bill Milam, the CEO of Centennial’s International Jet and a member at Sand Hills and Colorado Golf Club, first tipped me off about Pauma Valley last December.

He and his wife, April, had recently joined and raved about Pauma’s secluded setting, its reasonably priced national membership, its tree-lined course, its 26 guest cottages, and—remarkably—its own airport with 20 coloradoavidgo lf e r.c o m

ornia hangars and 3,000-foot runway.

Two months later, Pauma Valley came up again. Colorado Golf Hall of Fame member Gary Potter regaled me with tales of the club of which he’d become enamored shortly after competing in the 1972 Pacific Coast Amateur.

“At the time it was a top 100 course in the country,” he said. “I joined, and a group of us from Denver Country Club would go every year. We just fell in love with it.” co l o r a d o a v i d g o l f e r. c o m

Months would pass before I would get to see why.

A CELEBRATED PAST A quick bit of history bears out Pauma’s pedigree. Developed in the late 1950s by real-estate investors, Pauma Valley Country Club enlisted Robert Trent Jones Sr., to create his first California layout. Ted Robinson helped implement the design, and the course,

which now tips out at 7,077 yards, opened to the public in 1961 to high praise.

As word of the course spread, three years later Pauma welcomed Shell’s Wonderful World of Golf. Arnold Palmer and Gary Player took on Jack Nicklaus and Mike Souchak.

Playing the course from the tips, none of these prime-time pros (who at the time had already won 12 majors between them) broke 80. They reshot the entire Winter 2014 | Colorado AvidGolfer

79

THE LOVELY JONES: Palomar Mountain hovers behind Pauma’s par-4 15th.

match from the white tees.

By that time, the Utah Construction and Mining Corporation had acquired control of the club with the goal of making it “an exclusive private club for select members,” according to a club history. Those members would eventually buy the club from Utah in 1966.

Palmer so loved Pauma that he tried to purchase it from the members in 1970. They wouldn’t sell, and the King went on to buy Bay Hill in Orlando.

The challenging course, stunning setting and unpretentious seclusion that enticed Palmer also appealed to such highprofile members as prosthetic heart-valve pioneer Donald Shiley and the evangelist Billy Graham, who, when asked what he thought Heaven looked like, said he hoped “it looked a lot

RANGER BILL: Murray is “just one of the guys,” says one Pauma member.

like Pauma Valley, California.”

John Wayne’s ranch house, which once served as the clubhouse, now bestrides the 14th tee. Phil Mickelson would tune

80

Elway from joining Pauma). Bob Bauers and Jim English come from Boulder Country Club; Hal Johnson and John Baxter from Fort Collins Country Club. a“Most of the players are good golfers and don’t need to be partying all the time,” says Potter, who calls Pauma “an understated alternative to the ritzier clubs in Palm Springs and Scottsdale. Nobody’s here to impress anybody.”

“We weren’t running it like a business in those days,” he admits. “We thought we could run a hospitality business, and we couldn’t.”

A year after helping institute a modestly priced national membership, in 2012 Wehr joined Johnson at Fort Collins Country Club, where Sequoia Golf—the company that also owned Colorado’s Blackstone and Black Bear clubs—had the management contract. Sequoia had turned around the memberowned FCCC’s fortunes.

After looking at a number of golf management companies, Wehr and the board decided to go with Sequoia. The contract began in early 2013. “We ceded management, not operational, control,” Wehr says. “It was a total game-changer.”

Sequoia brought in as the general manager Steve Vlahos, whose experience included

up at Pauma for the Bob Hope “A TOTAL GAMEClassic, and Ann Quast Sander, CHANGER” the winner of three U.S. WomThat low-key approach, howen’s Amateurs, one British La- ever has its pitfalls. “It amazes dies Amateur and four U.S. Se- me that I know some serious nior Women’s Amateurs, has a players at Aviara and La Costa— room in the clubhouse dedicat- less than an hour away in Carlsed to her feats. Notable current bad—who have never heard of members include 1980s rocker Pauma Valley,” says Johnson. and 7-handicap Huey Lewis “If you’re a player, you would and actor Bill Murray. The Cad- think you’d know the best golf dyshack star owns three houses course in San Diego,” echoes there and plays to an 8. club president Steve Wehr. He A one-time Regis University student, Murray is far from the only Colorado tie to Pauma Valley. Ray Stenzel, the Colorado Golf Hall of Famer who would build Fox Acres Country Club in Red Feather Lakes, was a charter member. He later entreated Don Brandenburger, the architect of many homes in the gated Pauma Valley Country Club enclave, to ply his craft at Fox Acres.

And those persimmons behind the first green? The late, legendary automotive dealer and philanthropist Kent Rickenbaugh of WINDOW SEAT: Pauma’s dining area serves up panoramic views of the course.

Denver planted the original 2,000 trees that now produce the fuyus and his wife moved to Pauma Yorba Linda and Marbella cultivated by club members Ron from Marin County, where he country clubs in Southern CalSlifka and Ann Kezeor. belonged to Meadow Club and ifornia. The Pauma members Today 50 members come from Olympic. “At some point in time immediately embraced his Colorado—that’s 13 percent of you can’t just say ‘build it and commitment to maintaining the total membership. Denver they will come.’ Otherwise, we’d the mystique and overall classic feel of the club, while inCountry Club members include become Lonesome Dove.”

Potter, Henry Higginbottom, Sitting in the clubhouse’s cozy vigorating it with new ideas Rich Schierberg and new Colo- sunlit dining area, Wehr explains and energy. He made sure he rado Golf Association director the challenges the club faced a remained visible and accesDoug Jones. Business leaders few years ago, when a combina- sible, often staying overnight Doak Jacoway and Bob Albin tion of aging membership, eco- because of his dedication.

“He understood the delicate head up the Cherry Hills contin- nomic recession, and perceived gent (only an airport runway too exclusivity and remoteness con- dynamic of keeping it a bestshort to accommodate his private spired to put Pauma in a less- kept secret and exposing it without losing the quality that jet reportedly prevented John than-ideal financial situation.

Colorado AvidGolfer | Winter 2014

coloradoavidgo lf e r.c o m

makes it special,” member Fred Clarey, who until recently belonged to Bel-Air, says of Vlahos.

“This club was on the launching pad waiting for someone to put a match to it,” Vlahos says.

And that’s what Sequoia did, cutting hundreds of thousands in expenses and resetting dues from $895 to $695 per month to bring them in line with the market. They also incentivized members with referral programs.

Vlahos and new Food and Beverage Supervisor Eric Stear fired up the creative juices of Executive Chef Juan Ibarra, who’d been there 21 years. “Grilling with Juan” has become a Friday night staple, and inspired dishes like his shrimp martini, deep-fried avocado and honey-ginger misoglazed cedar plank salmon are just part of the reason the food and beverage operation will exceed $1 million in revenues for the first time. And this September, the club hired highly-regarded Jerry Hixson from La Jolla Country Club as its head PGA professional.

The moves succeeded. Pauma Valley has already signed up 60 new members this year.

A regular membership runs $10,000, with $695 monthly dues, a $1,800 annual food and beverage minimum, and unlimited golf.

Non-residents who live more than 40 miles away for at least six months of the year can join for $5,000, with $412.50 in monthly dues, $900 in F&B and 45 rounds per year at no charge. Another attractive option to Coloradans is the national membership.

An initiation of $2,000 and monthlies of $175 gets you and your significant other 15 rounds each, and no F&B minimum applies.

After ClubCorp purchased Sequoia in August, the Pauma board elected not to renew the contract. So as of November 1, Vlahos and his team will remain in charge and “somebody on a corporate basis is now overseeing and auditing everything,” explains Wehr.

“Sequoia sent us in the right direction,” he continues. “The word on the street is that Pauma Valley is the real deal again.”

WHAT ABOUT GOLF? An aircraft consultant who hangars his six-seat Beechcraft Bonanza A-36 at the Pauma Valley Airport adjacent to the course, Clarey calls the VFR daytime airport “an extraordinary amenity—impossible to replicate.” He could say the same for the club’s Woodworkco l o r a d o a v i d g o l f e r. c o m

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A BONANZA: Pilot Fred Clarey calls Pauma’s airport, just steps from the course, “impossible to replicate.”

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ing Shop, where skilled members have created beautiful pieces, many of which appear throughout the club; and the art gallery at the clubhouse entrance that displays the works of the many talented members.

The golf, however, is where Pauma distinguishes itself. Like many older California courses, it features poa greens and bermuda fairways framed by dozens of mature tree species, including ash, eucalyptus, pepper, willow, poplar and pomegranate. Even after 50 years of equipment advancements, the rolling layout ably exemplifies the “toughpar, easy-bogey” approach that defines Jones’ Colorado courses at The Broadmoor and Air Force Academy. The many right and left doglegs entice no shortage of risks, while nests of white sand—often with ball-snaring fingers— usually make you pay for the gamble.

It’s especially challenging for women, as my first playing partner, Heidi Person, points out.

A University of Colorado grad and multiple women’s club champion, Person grew up in a house on Pauma’s fourth tee and has qualified for numerous USGA championships. “The length from the women’s tees really makes a difference, especially on holes 4 and 14 which are 400-yard par 4s,” she explains. “It’s 5,875 yards; most other area courses are much shorter, like 5,500 to 5,600 yards. Mission Viejo is 5,200. Playing a longer course gives us an advantage in interclub matches.”

At 6,811 yards, the blue tees present a fair but stern test for a mid-handicap male accustomed to playing at altitude.

That test begins on the uphill, right-dogleg first, a 520-yard par 5 with a quick, sloping green that’s also accessible from the second fairway, should you push your drive. Situated in full view of the gallery on the clubhouse patio, the green on the picturesque par-3 third has more waves than the adjacent water feature, while the number 1-handicap, 420-yard sixth requires a river carry off the tee and an approach that avoids the minefield of bunkers guarding the coloradoavidgo lf e r.c o m

green. Similar bunkering protects the par-3 seventh and 400-yard par-4 ninth, where the long, narrow, peninsular green features water on three sides in addition to the sand.

The scorecard rates the tenth hole—a tight, uphill 380-yarder with a devilish green—as the toughest hole on the back nine, though that distinction could easily go to par-5 11th, with its bitty, fiddly green. Or the bunker-lined par-4 13th. Or the 450-yard brute that is 14. The 513-yard 17th, with its “Big Mouth” bunker yawning in front of the green, qualifies as well—no chance you’ll get on in two. A tough par 4 provides a stirring finish, but the most memorable hole is the par-4 15th, which plays right into the majesty of Palomar Mountain. Since Jones coined the term, it’s fair to call this Pauma’s “signature hole.”

As the sun sets on our round, Person and I watch Palomar Mountain’s crenelated flanks begin to blush. “When the mountains turn pink,” she says, “it’s time to drink.”

But as I learn the following day, after finishing another fun 18 holes, this time with Fred Clarey, Pauma has no “signature cocktail.” That lack of gimmickry, I think, seems entirely appropriate at a club whose members are as humble, welcoming and gracious as their modest clubhouse is. It’s a friendly humility that belies their status—or, better, confirms it.

That so many Coloradans connect with this place, therefore, comes as no surprise.

Count me among them. CAG Jon Rizzi is Colorado AvidGolfer’s editor.

For more information: paumavalleycc.com; 760-742-3721.

REMOTE ACCESS “If your wife is crazy about Nordstrom, this might not be the best place,” says Hal Johnson, who splits his year between homes in Pauma and Fort Collins. Pauma Valley’s seclusion is part of its appeal. Although the golf course is open seven days a week, the restaurant closes for dinner Monday through Wednesday. Off-course food options start across the street with El Rey (760-742-3343), where the homemade salsa goes down like the best gazpacho. For oldtime character (and characters), head to the Lazy H Ranch (lazyhranchresort.com; 760-742-3669): Curios and photographs fill the dining room walls and citrus and avocado trees surround the patio. The Pauma and Pala tribes have casinos within 10 minutes of the club, and Cal Tech’s world-famous Palomar Observatory and its 200-inch Hale Telescope (astro.caltech.edu/palomar) is a 45-minute drive up the mountain.

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Golf TRIVIA

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PUZZLERS

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