JULY 2012

FEAR FACTOR: Color a d o ’s M os t In t i m idat ing Hol e s

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ANCHOR AWAY 6-Handicap Newsman RON ZAPPOLO Lines Up His Next Challenge

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InsideContents

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11

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In EvEry IssuE 6 Forethoughts Becoming a FU Fighter.

By Jon Rizzi 8 Chipping In Letters 11 Gallery Joy Trotter, Mackenzie Cohen, Hale Irwin, more.

88 The Games of Golf Spot the Differences Player’s Corner 19 Home Course The Golf Club at Bear Dance.

20 Lesson Alternative Putting Styles.

By Steve Patterson 22 My Shot Golf 2.0’s Real Benefits.

By Eddie Ainsworth, PGA 24 Players Calligrapher and Rules expert Mark Passey. By Doug Fitzgerald

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Features 26 Clubbing Up The Pinery turns 40.

By Greg Henry Sidebets 33 Fareways Tap Rooms about town.

By Lori Midson 36 Nice Drives The BMW M6 and 640i Gran Coupe, the Fiat 500 Abarth. By Isaac Bouchard 41 2012 HealthONE Colorado Open Course tweaks and The First Tee program add luster to Green Valley Ranch’s premier event.

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Colorado Destinations Where to stay & play in the Vail Valley & Summit County.

66

Game Changer After 12 years of anchoring the news, the accomplished golfer/sportscaster/musician Ron Zappolo will soon turn his attention to his true passion. By Sam Adams.

72

Fear Factor: Colorado Edition Is there a Colorado equivalent to the 17th at Sawgrass?

What holes whiten your knuckles, moisten your brow, quicken your pulse and pucker your...lips? By Jon Rizzi

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Keiser in the Kingdom Defying the downturn, Mike Keiser’s single-minded vision turned a coastal Oregon town into golf’s spiritual home with five courses—and counting. By Tom Ferrell

Cover: Photograph by Todd Langley, taken at Inverness Golf Club, Englewood.

ColoradoAvidG o lf e r.c o m

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INTRODUCING BAR LA CARTE A Whole New Way to Enjoy Your Evening at Fleming’s

JOB #: 12FMG350-93 CLIENT: FLEMING’S July 2012 Volume 11, Number 3 DESCRIPTION: Denver Avid Golfer BLC Ad VERSION: 1 of 1 SIZE: 4.75"w Julyx7.375"h 2012 Volume 11, Number 4 BLEED: .125 publisher INK COLORS: (4/0) 4cp Allen J. Walters SPECIAL INSTRUCTIONS: editor REVISE INSTRUCTIONS: Jon Rizzi

art director

Jeremy Cantalamessa editor-at-large

Tom Ferrell

dining editor

Lori Midson automotive editor

Isaac Bouchard contributors

Sam Adams, Andy Bigford, Tony Dear, Lynn DeBruin, Sue Drinker, Dick Durrance II, Chris Duthie, Amy Freeland, Lois Friedland, Barbara Hey, David R. Holland, Ted Johnson, Kaye W. Kessler, Jake Kubié, Todd Langley, Kim D. McHugh, Emily Ritt, Bob Russo, Jerry Walters, Gil Whiteley, Neil Wolkodoff

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media sales and sponsorship

John Cullen digital manager /account manager

Jim Plank

office and operations manager

Cindy P. Nold projects and special events manager

Vanessa Van Horn editorial intern

Morgan Cutter 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 #b-180, Centennial, Co 80112 FAX: 720-482-0784 neWsstAnd inFormAtion: 720-493-1729 Website: coloradoavidgolfer.com

191 Inverness Drive West, Englewood 303-768-0827 www.FlemingsSteakhouse.com/Denver 12FMG350-93_DEN_BLC_Ad.indd 1

5/29/12 3:50 PM

Colorado Avidgolfer (issn 1548-4335) is published nine times a year by baker-Colorado publishing, llC, and printed by American Web, inc. volume 11, number two. 7200 s. Alton Way #b-180, Centennial, Co 80112. Colorado AvidGolfer is available at more than 250 locations, or you July order your personal subscription by calling 720-493-1729. subscriptions are available at the rate of $17.95 per year. Copyright © 2012 by baker-Colorado publishing, llC. All rights reserved. reproduction without permission is prohibited. postmaster: send address changes to Colorado Avidgolfer, 7200 s Alton Way #b-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 :

For more info see page 40 or visit ColoradoAvidGolfer.com 4

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Forethoughts

Becoming a FU Fighter

M

embers of the Greatest Generation coined the crass wartime acronyms FUBAR and SNAFU. Members of the Latest Generation text LMFAO and party to the electropop pulsations of a duo with the same risibly obscene initials. And members of the Sadist Generation—also known as those with whom I regularly play golf—have discovered the PBFU. Politely translated, it stands for Post-Birdie Foul-Up. I’m sure 15th Club columnists Denise McGuire and Elena King could explain why a circled number on my card is invariably followed by a much higher one with no ring around it. Is it a self-fulfilling prophecy? All I can do is LMFAO and play on.

The last issue of Colorado AvidGolfer, which featured Mike McGetrick’s gripping account of personal and professional crisis, amounted to the journalistic equivalent of a birdie—maybe even an eagle. Nothing we’ve published in my decade at the helm of this publication has generated the kind of laudatory response that piece did.

While a story like Mike’s only comes along once every 10 years, a magazine like Colorado AvidGolfer comes out eight times a year. Therefore, any follow-up edition would surely have a bit of PBFU potential. Or at least be perceived as having it.

Thanks in great part to the deft writing of Contributing Editor Sam Adams and Editor at Large Tom Ferrell, I’m pleased to report this issue avoids such a problem.

Sam’s cover story on Denver newscaster Ron Zappolo (page 66) reveals his complex relationship with golf, a sport he takes seriously enough to want to become Inverness club champion but at the same time doesn’t want to care about too much. Compounding his conundrum is the career crossroads at which he finds himself next spring when his contract at Fox31 expires.

Tom’s visit to the golf mecca of Bandon Dunes (page 76) delightfully expands the definition of travel writing. Ostensibly in Oregon to see the newest of the facility’s five courses—Bandon Preserve—Tom uses the occasion to explore the world vision of founder Mike Keiser, the Johnny Appleseed of links golf. That Keiser could sustain such success during one of the most fallow periods in golf development history confirms both the purity of his dream and the flawlessness of its execution.

For most of us, flawless execution may indeed be a dream when it comes to playing the game. It gets even more fouled up when we’re faced with holes like the water-lined 15th at Riverdale Dunes. Or maybe it’s the possibility of hitting a car that makes you dread the first hole at City Park or holes 15-17 at Wellshire. In “Fear Factor: Colorado” (page 70), we look at some of the holes that quicken our pulses and tighten our grips. These are the ones you hate to play but love having played.

They’re also the ones where making par is like making a birdie—an accomplishment, alas, that often leads to a FU on the following hole.

— JON RIZZI

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What a great June issue! The McGetrick story (“Finding His Way”) was gut-wrenching in its honesty but offered encouragement and hope. It gave me a completely different view of this good man and his family.

The cover by Todd Langley is a great photograph.

The Wyndham Clark article (“Wyn-Win Situation”) by Sam Adams surprised me by showing the struggles of a young talented golfer trying to deal with the raw emotions that come with the pressure of high level golf rather than focusing on the usual “hot shot, young talent, going places” story.

As a golf history buff, I loved the City Park, Arrowhead and Hiwan stories. Keep up the great work! —Rob Mohr, Author, Golf In Denver I could never imagine going through what Mike McGetrick went through, especially with a daughter trying to take her life. It’s one of those kind of articles that give you goose bumps as you are reading. —Heather Franchini, Denver The McGetrick piece was phenomenal! I was fighting back tears reading parts of that. Well done!

—Doug Eibling, Tournament Director, 2013 Solheim Cup “Wow, what an eye-opening article by Mike McGetrick. It sent two messages to me; first, no matter how bad things in life get, through hope, faith and family, we can overcome. Secondly, we all need to look in the mirror and make sure our priorities are in order. Unfortunately, most of us put our jobs well ahead of our families.” —Russ Miller, PGA Director of Golf, The Broadmoor, Colorado Springs Great articles on Mike McGetrick and Wyndham Clark this month! Excellent work! Hope all is well. MarkFor what it is worth, I really appreciate Sam Adams’ style of writing. He tries to present the person he is writing about as a human being without judgment. He’s a good writer and a fair person.

— Mark Cramer, Owner, Denver Golf Expo.

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theGallery

theGallery NEWS

|

NOTES

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NAMES

The Joy of Victory

I

$11,000 first-place check. Huffer, who made her professional debut in the event, received $6,350 for her one-under 215 runner-up performance. Kelly Jacques of Longmont and Kayla Mortellaro tied for third at one over 217, followed by University of Colorado golfer Jenny Coleman (218), who claimed low amateur honors. A former UC-Irvine player, Trotter came in second in last year’s event by a single stroke, losing to Jessica Carafiello, who did not compete this year. In the proam portion of the 2012 Open, Huffer and Tom Lane beat Trotter and Al Linton by a shot, but they came in second to the team of Rebecka Heinmert and Molly Greenblatt. coloradoopen.com

p h o t o g r a p h by: Ja n e h a r dy / S h o t m a k e r S

t’s not how you start; it’s how you finish. Becca Huffer knows this all too well after the HealthONE Colorado Women’s Open, held May 30 - June 1 at Green Valley Ranch Golf Club.

Huffer, a three-time Colorado Women’s Golf Association Junior Player of the Year who just graduated from Notre Dame University, actually started and finished the third and final round in the same place—two shots behind California’s Joy Trotter. But going into the challenging final four holes, Huffer held a one-shot lead, thanks to a birdie on 12 after Trotter had bogeyed 10 and 11. Huffer, however bogeyed 15, 17 and 18, while Trotter made pars and took home the

A JOYFUL NOISE: HealthONE Colorado Women’s Open winner Joy Trotter.

Co l o r a d o A v i d G o l f e r. c o m

July 2012 | Colorado AvidGolfer

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theGallery All Hail Hale On May 7, just two and a half weeks before his impressive third-place finish (a smooth 10under 274) in the 2012 Senior PGA Championship, World Golf Hall of Famer Hale Irwin received the seventh annual Will F. Nicholson Jr. Award at Denver’s University Club.

Given to individuals for lifetime contributions to the game of golf, the Nicholson award carries particular resonance for the three-time U.S. Open champion who at age 14, won the first tournament he ever entered—a Jaycee event at what is now Flatirons Golf Club.

He would go on to star in multiple sports at Boulder High School and at the University of Colorado, where he became an all-Big 8 defensive back and won the 1967 NCAA Men’s Golf Championship. Prior to the Nicholson ceremony, Irwin said he brought the same intense effort to golf that he brought to football because he considered himself undersized, under-talented and under-skilled.

“I looked at every golf course as a football field. I was a little guy even then, so I had to play technically better than the next guy; I had to play over my weight. All that effort is what could take to the golf course.”

Irwin said he gleaned his approach from observing previous Nicholson-award winners Arnold Palmer (“he just loved to play”) and the “more businesslike” Jack Nicklaus. “They were like Mutt and Jeff.”

SENIOR’S MOMENT: Nicholson Award-winner Irwin.

Irwin’s efforts in the philanthropic arena also earned him distinction. There’s the Hale Irwin Center for Pediatric Hematology/Oncology at St. Louis Children’s Hospital, as well as his involvement with The First Tee

and Wounded Warriors. His experience playing with the lone survivor of a platoon has inspired him to create a program whereby he donates time to playing golf with military personnel between deployments, “helping the guys with some decompressed, chill-out time,” he explains.

Irwin would like to take such a program national but he’s kicking the tires himself before getting other pros involved. It might be a while before the project takes off. At 67, Irwin remains as committed as ever to his day job. “I’ll stop when the bills quit coming in,” he joked. “I keep getting snapshots of what I can do,” he explained. “I’m not different than other golfers. I’m having enough good rounds to remain competitive.”

The Broadmoor’s China Pattern For four decades beginning in 1960, The Broadmoor hosted the World Senior Golf Championships. Can it repeat its success with juniors from around the world?

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theGallery Professional Mark Kelbel is to have select kids from around the world eventually participating in the World Junior Cup. Informal dry runs will take place throughout the summer and fall, as the CHINA CLUB: Shanghai juniors club will host a will soon arrive in the Springs. number of Chinese juniors from Shanghai’s Sheshan International Golf Club. They will play with players from Colorado in a modified Ryder Cup format that won’t be as much a competition as a collaboration. Kelbel, who has served as the club’s ambassador to clubs in Shanghai and Beijing, plans to visit Russia, India and Dubai, where he will build relationships with clubs and organizations to expand the scope of the event. “The three-year plan is to in-

clude South Africa and Sweden,” he says.

“Ultimately it will culminate in a 20-country get-together that will promote cultural and educational exchange.” broadmoor.com

Prep Talk Mackenzie Cohen couldn’t have picked a better time to shoot the lowest score of her life. Weeks after carding a career-best 74 to qualify for the CHSAA 5A State Championship, the Cherry Creek High School junior repeated the feat in the opening round at Aurora Hills—only to better it by seven strokes on the second and final day, shooting a 5-under 67 to earn medalist honors by one stroke over Rock Canyon senior Allie Johnston. Cohen also led the Bruins— Calli Ringsby, Shinwoo Lee and Dani Urman—to the team championship, which they claimed by 14 strokes over Arapahoe High, a team they trailed by two strokes after the opening round. It was a big week in the Cohen household, as Mackenzie’s twin sister, Morgan, won her singles match to help Creek take its 16th consecutive 5A tennis title. In the girl’s 4A golf championship at

THE 5A CHAMP: Cherry Creek Junior Mackenzie Cohen displays her hard-won hardware.

Greeley’s Boomerang Links, Pueblo South’s Bryce Schroeder edged Regis’s Kathleen Kershisnik on the second playoff hole.

Both players tied at 3-under par for the two rounds.

Keystone’s Red Tee Ranch With five sets of tees starting at 4,762 yards, minimal forced carries and numerous greens with run-up approaches, The River Course at Keystone consistently ranks among the

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theGallery most “female-friendly” courses in the United States, according to national publications such as Golf Digest Woman. But that designation does not apply the resort’s other layout, Keystone Ranch. At least not yet. Built in 1980, 20 years before the Hurdan/Fry-designed River opened, the Robert Trent Jones Jr. layout plays 5,582 and 5,842 yards from the two front tees, with slopes of 133 and 142

respectively. “For most women, it’s just not a fun course to play,” says PGA Head Professional Phillip Tobias. “I guess back then only accomplished women players were supposed to attempt it.” Tobias has worked with fellow PGA Head Professional Jeff Hill and Superintendents Pamela Brown and Ann Paulisch, to add new teeing grounds to holes 1, 2, 3 and 10 (the number-one handicap hole) that debut this month. By next year, new tees on holes 7, 8, 13, 14 and 16 will reduce the total yardage by approximately 1,000 yards, prompting new ratings from the Colorado Women’s Golf Association, attracting more female players and, potentially, earning national recognition. keystoneresort.com; 800-328-1323

Putting Our Finger on It CAG’s May issue listed the incorrect date for the Don’t Fear the Finger Tournament at The Country Club at Castle Pines. The event is September 17 and benefits Please Save Another (PSA), the 501(c)(3) of the William R. Meyn Foundation. Meyn, who succumbed to prostate cancer in 2010, left an indelible imprint on many people’s lives with

1,000-YARD DIET: Keystone Ranch slims down for women.

his courage and irrepressible sense of humor.

Just the name of the tournament conveys his buoyant spirit, while promoting regular screenings (also known as PSAs), education and cutting-edge research in the battle against a disease that affects one in every six guys, making it a 35 percent more common diagnosis among men than breast cancer is among women. Loudmouth Apparel—which Meyn wore “whenever he played golf,” according to his widow, Cheri, who serves on the foundation’s board—will add color to the event, as will an exhibition from RE/Max long-drive champion and golf entertainer Dan Boever.

Last year’s inaugural event raised $160,000, with the majority going towards Prostate Cancer Research University of Colorado Cancer Center, and 20 percent benefitting the PSA Family Outreach Program, which helps families facing the emotional and financial impact of the disease. Sponsorships, which cost anywhere from $250 to $15,000, fill the field, but individual spots may be open. pleasesaveanother.org; 303-662-0155

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We hit the ball to help the globe.

Private Club Day at Cherry Creek Country Club All proceeds from this play day will benefit Heifer International Monday, September, 24th 2012 9:00 a.m. shotgun start $150 Entry Fee Includes: Green Fee, Cart Fee, Range Fee, Lunch with Beverage, & On Course Proxies!

To learn more about Heifer, visit www.heifer.org.

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player’sCorner

P h o t o g r a P h c o u rt e s y o f t h e g o l f c lu b at b e a r da n c e

COURSES | LESSONS | OPINION

Ursa Major With each passing year, The Golf Club at Bear Dance’s star continues to rise.

H

ave ten years already passed since The Golf Club at Bear Dance roared onto the Colorado golf scene? The 7,661-yard course gambols so naturally amid the stands of Gambel oak and ponderosa pines north of Larkspur that it seems as though it has always been here. And in a way, it has. “I saw a golf course the very first time I set foot on this land, and I just did what I could to bring it out,” says retired Frontier pilot Gene Taylor, who over the years purchased parcels of the 750-acre property before donating it for a public course.

He hired a team of Arizona-based PGA Professionals to design and build it. Each hole exquisitely marries Colorado’s natural beauty and golf ’s seductive charm, resulting in encounters worthy of both Maxfield Parrish and Old Tom Morris. The forested valley of the front nine—highlighted by the “bear paw” bunkers on No. 6 and the fierce trio that follows it—yields to an unparalleled mountain golf experience brimming with views of Pikes and Longs peaks, Larkspur and RaspCo l o r a d o A v i d G o l f e r. c o m

Bear Dance floor: The waterside 10th green.

berry buttes, and a feast of shots to make with your iPhone and i20s.

Bear Dance’s PGA pedigree continues in the clubhouse with the Colorado Section PGA Historic Center, as well as the presence of two of the PGA Professionals—Stuart Bruening and Mark Pfingston—who designed and built the course. The Section offices on the second floor.

The club’s restaurant, run by Michel Autret and Executive Chef Michael Daly III, eschews “golf grub” for such items as seared ahi sandwiches and a pomegranate steak salad. Activities, including a beach party, and a “Beer Blues and Comedy” night (August 11) welcome all.

Golf is the soul of Bear Dance. More than 220 individuals hold annual memberships, with 90 playing in a regular Saturday league. Moreover, the club hosts more than 20 Introduction to Golf classes (five lessons for $99) as part of the PGA’s “Get Golf Ready” program. In the decade since opening, Bear Dance has become a hub for golfers and non-golfers—a phenomenon even greater than the golf course Gene Taylor envisioned. beardancegolf.com; 303-681-4653 July 2012 | Colorado AvidGolfer

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player’sCorner Lesson

The Long and Short of It Which alternative putting style will work for you?

By Steve Patterson

M

y unending quest to find the most reliable and efficient way to hole the ball has led me to tinker with my putting method over the years. In the mid-1990s I had an opportunity to work alongside short-game guru Dave Pelz, who recorded the results of his students using the four methods of putting. He found those using the belly putter achieved the best results, followed by those using the long putter and then by the left-hand-low putters. Those stroking the ball with a conventional putting method scored the lowest of all. With this kind of evidence, why would you not consider adopting an alternative style?

These three putting styles improve performance on the greens in a number of ways. For one, all three eliminate the hinging and unhinging of the wrists during the stroke, which can affect direction and especially make distance control difficult. The second problem that afflicts poor putters is the tendency to over-rotate their forearms through impact. Anchored putters and the left-hand-low grip help reduce but do not eliminate forearm rotation.

LefT-Hand-Low GrIp

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 e s s a

This is the only alternative method described in which the player uses a standard length putter. Changing your grip and positioning the left hand below the right helps to flatten out the left wrist at address, stabilizing the wrist through the stroke and helping to prevent both the unnecessary hinging of the wrist as well as any forearm over-rotation.

Placing the left hand low also squares up and levels out the shoulders at address.

These two positions will allow for a consistent straight-back-and-straight-through stroke that stays low to the ground.

BeLLy pUTTerS In 2011, PGA Tour player Keegan Bradley used a belly putter to capture the PGA Championship at Atlanta Athletic Club. It marked the first major victory using a belly or long putter.

Anchor the belly putter one inch above and just slightly to the left of your belly button.

This will ensure a consistent position to create a fulcrum from which to swing the end of the putter.

The stroke is a shoulder-oriented motion that is performed in a rocking motion.

Because the club is anchored you will feel a slight release of the putter head and left wrist through impact.

LonG pUTTerS Wielding a long putter is similar to using a belly putter in many respects. With a long putter being 5-8 inches longer than a belly putter, the anchor point moves up to your sternum. Like the belly putter, the concept of swinging the long putter is simple. The large muscles of the shoulders and arms do all of the work. The hands, wrist and arms are just there for feel and just go along for the ride.

Steve Patterson is the PGA Lead Instructor at Fossil Trace Golf Club in Golden and the director of instruction for the Golden High School boys’ and girls’ golf teams. Reach him at patterson@pga.com; 303-277-8753.

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Colorado AvidGolfer | July 2012

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player’sCorner MY sHoT

HalVInG THe WHole: The author (right) and his Pop.

Scratch the niche

M

uch has been written and said about the downward trend in the golf industry and the efforts of PGA of America to reverse it through its Golf 2.0 strategies and initiatives. For those that might already know, the goal of 2.0 is to make the game far more “relevant” and “accessible” to lapsed golfers and underserved members of the population, especially women and minorities.

I would like to offer my personal opinion about these growth-of-the-game initiatives and why my fellow Colorado PGA Professionals and I are so passionate about bringing new people to this great game and re-engaging those who used to play it.

Golf is like no other game I know. It parallels life and can teach us all a great deal about ourselves, how we should strive to live. But ultimately, simply put, it is about friends, family and fun. I will turn 50 years old this year, and growing up I was involved in what I like to call the big three: football, baseball and basketball. My father was in the United States Air Force, and a regular weekday for Pop was leaving the house at 6 AM and returning home after 6 PM. He somehow always found time to be at my games, but what I truly treasured was being able to “caddy” for him on Saturday mornings. The job required no more than pulling his cart, cleaning his golf ball and tending the flagstick. If I were lucky, I occasionally got to hit a shot. I did not get up at 5:30 AM on Saturday mornings to play golf. I got up early on Saturday mornings to spend time with my father.

It will be six years this July that I lost my Pop, but until the last few years of his life my brothers and I were able to play a round of golf together several times a year. Even today, when I get the opportunity to visit my mother and my brothers, who live close to her in New Mexico, we make time for golf. The reason we play isn’t so much about the golf, because golf was just one of the many sports we played—and in the cases of my brothers, excelled. But golf is what brings us together as brothers. It’s about being together, it’s about the fellowship, and it’s about the memories of being with our father.

So what if golf needs to change a little bit to make the game more welcoming for families to spend time together? If we need to change the model from the traditional 18- or nine-

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hole round to accommodate the busy lives of today, allowing people to play three or six holes with their family or friends, so be it! If we need to use 8-inch cups on certain days so players of all ages can have more fun, so be it! I am a firm believer that once people are introduced to this great game in whatever way, shape or form, they will fall in love with it and graduate to the more traditional way of playing it. I started out playing baseball with the plastic bat that resembled Bamm-Bamm’s club on The Flintstones more than it did a baseball bat. I graduated to an aluminum bat, first hitting off a tee and then having someone pitch to me, and then to playing at a very high level later on in life. Why shouldn’t we introduce the game of golf to people in our city parks using products like BirdieBall? Why shouldn’t we adapt to make the game more welcoming?

PGA Professionals are entrepreneurs and no entrepreneur sits back and is satisfied with his or her little niche. I believe Starbucks started out as a niche company. So did Apple Computers. Every entrepreneur wants to grow his or her market. Why should golf be any different? More importantly we need the game to grow for many reasons: the game ColoradoAvidG o lf e r.c o m

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

Making money isn’t the only reason behind the PGA’s Golf 2.0 initiative. It’s about forging the relationships and fun that will make the game popular again. By Eddie Ainsworth

provides over 10,000 jobs in the state of Colorado and contributes over $560 million in direct revenues to the state’s economy.

Colorado’s golf courses generate $8.8 million in additional tax revenue through added real-estate premiums.

However, in my opinion, the most important reason of all is that the game brings people together! It’s healthy. It’s active. It’s fun!

It’s a game you can play your entire life. For whatever brief or long amount of time you spend on the golf course with your friends and family—having fun together, communicating together, laughing together—are days you will remember the rest of your life.

While trying to qualify for the U.S. Open at age 20, I met a PGA Tour journeyman’s caddie and I believe he summed it up best.

“Golf is a game played on God’s most beautiful gardens.” And what better state to play this game than Colorado! Our golf courses, from public to private, are phenomenal!!

That is why I am so proud of my fellow Colorado Section PGA Professionals who are leading the entire PGA of America in bringing people to the game with over 120 golf facilities participating in Get Golf Ready Programs that are being offered all across the Colorado Section. This program is designed to teach you everything you’ll need to play golf in just a few lessons. Our PGA and LPGA Professionals will show you the many ways to play by combining fun, friends, family and fitness. I’m equally as proud of our PGA Professionals and the Colorado Section’s partners, including the Colorado Open Golf Foundation, for launching our Colorado PGA Golf in Schools Program in 2011. Our goal in 2011 was to reach 20 schools and 3,000. Together in 2011 we reached over 40 schools and 8,000 kids at absolutely no cost to students and no cost to the schools. Currently through 2012 this program has been in over 60 schools and has reached over 19,000 students.

As for all of us in the golf industry, we have to make a choice. Do we sit by idly and be happy with our niche and hope our golf course won’t struggle to survive, or even close? Do we just hope we aren’t the ones who’ll lose our jobs or have our pay cut due to a lack of revenue? Instead, we can come together to make the game more welcoming, more inviting, more fun for all and, ultimately, make a positive difference in the lives of others. I believe my good friend M.G. Orender, a past president of the PGA of America, recently hit the nail on the head when he wrote, “The cumbersome rules of the game Co l o r a d o A v i d G o l f e r. c o m

as well as how we package golf are often a deterrent to new players. By implementing small changes, accepting innovations and new cultures, offering special promotions and incentives and engaging non-traditional golfers, we can reposition the game of golf in the minds of consumers as a healthy, affordable, accessible and recreational sport. Our sport has always embraced change (though slowly) or else we would be using wooden shafts with a feathery ball on sand greens.”

So if you are looking for a great experience for yourself, a great experience for you and your friends or family, look no further

than your local Colorado PGA and LPGA Professionals. Together, along with our partners the Golf Course Superintendents, General Managers, Food & Beverage Supervisors and the entire staff at our facilities, we will make you feel welcome and ensure all of you have fun together playing this great game on God’s most beautiful gardens. Did I mention that the game of golf is also very affordable?

Anyone taken a family of four to a ballgame lately? ag

Eddie Ainsworth, PGA, is executive director of the Colorado Section PGA.

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player’sCorner PLAYeRs

August’s U.S. Amateur will find Coloradan Mark Passey taking lots of names and numbers. By Doug Fitzgerald

T

he original rule of golf was simple: “Play the ball as it lies. Play the course as you find it.”

And when it comes to playing the course as you find it, there are few more knowledgeable than Mark Passey, the director of regional affairs for the USGA’s Central Region. Not only is he an integral part of setting up championship golf courses, he’s also a Rules expert and a master calligrapher.

But while rules and course setup are a big part of the Highlands Ranch resident’s championship duties, what he’s best known for in golf circles is his calligraphy—the art of the fancy, precise lettering found on golf

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scoreboards.

His scoreboards are legendary, as are the sketches, done in marker, of the holes with which he decorates them.

“Mark would be known, if talked to anyone in the business, as ‘Mr. Scoreboard,’” says Ed Mate, the executive director of the Colorado Golf Association. “He’s a real artist. He’s elevated the scoreboard to an art form.”

Passey did the scoreboard at every U.S. Senior Open from the time he joined the USGA in late 1989 through 2004 and the U.S. Open through 2009. Before joining the USGA, Passey had done contract work for the PGA and the LPGA since 1979, and often did the scoreboards in that capacity.

“When the USGA hired me, they kind of plugged me into that role,” he says.

His scoreboard duties have decreased over the years because calligraphers can be contracted out, while Rules experts are rare. His skill at the latter has reduced his time doing the former.

Yet he still does the scoreboards for the U.S. Amateur. This August 13-19 at Cherry Hills Country Club and CommonGround Golf Club will mark his 23rd consecutive U.S. Am. “It’s the most challenging scoreboard in golf,” he says. “There aren’t a lot of people who can do it. It’s because we’re using two golf courses at the same time. We have 312 ColoradoAvidG o lf e r.c o m

P h o t o g r a P h s by d o u g f i t z g e r a l d

Call Him “Mr. Scoreboard”

players instead of a normal full field of 156 every hole.” and you’re scoring everybody hole-by-hole It’s only right that the golfer be required simultaneously on one scoreboard. It’s going to think, since an extraordinary amount of just about as fast as humanly possible from thought goes into setting up a course. The around nine in the morning until dark.” process begins as much as five years in adMany tournaments and courses now use vance, when a USGA staff person visits the a computer-generated font from a compa- course and establishes a course prep memo ny called Scoreboard Whiz. That font was that circulates among the course’s agronombased on Passey’s calligraphy. ic staff and everybody in the golf course side As his scoreboard duties have decreased, of the USGA so everybody’s reading from his Rules and setup demands have increased. the same sheet of music. It details everything He conducts Rules workshops throughout about how the USGA wants the golf course his nine-state region. prepared: Every hole setup, tee placement, “Mark is particularly good at explaining fairway width, rough height, bunker comthe Rules to non-Rules experts,” Mate says. paction, green speed and firmness.

“He’s got a great grasp of the principles beFrom that point, the course can start hind the Rules.” preparing. OfThe rulebook ten, they have has grown from to throttle back those origihow much water nal 13 words goes on course to over 27,000 in order to make as nearly six it firmer, but this centuries of must be done situations have very gradually arisen that have so as not to kill needed to be the grass and to interpreted, and force the root Passey has comsystem to grow mitted nearly deeper. all of them to When the Go-To GUY: Passey is a rules and course-setup expert. memory. Ask a tournament is question and, in a blink, he’s handed you the two years out, the level of detail increases. rulebook already turned to the appropriate Hole locations for each of the four compepage. tition rounds and the three practice rounds “The Rules of Golf are central to every- are established and a 1-4 difficulty rating is thing that we do,” Passey, noting that the made for each hole depending upon the tee USGA was founded to write and define the and hole placements. The goal is that durRules of Golf. “Conducting championships, ing each round, the players will face a mix the rules of amateur status, the handicap sys- of ones, twos, threes and fours that totals 45 tem, they all revolve around the rules of golf. each day.

We are a rule-making body.”

In the days immediately preceding a chamAnd those rules revolve around the origi- pionship, Passey and other USGA officials will nal one, which is still referred to as the “phi- place spray paint cans at the proposed hole lolosophy of golf.” cations and putt from different spots.

While checking The Broadmoor’s West “A hole location that might work when the Course prior to the U.S. Women’s Open greens are rolling at nine might not work when Sectional Qualifier on June 3, Passey’s atten- they’re rolling at 11 or 12 or whatever our tion to detail is evident. Using a T-square, he green-speed target is,” Passey says. “We’ll keep ensures that the tee markers are aligned to tweaking this until we get challenging but fair point toward the primary landing zone. He hole locations throughout on our setup.” notes the cut of the fairways and rough. UsThat’s good because the players will be playing a perfect, 36-inch stride, made that way ing the course as they find it. by measuring thousands of courses, he ascertains the holes are cut in accordance with Doug Fitzgerald is a Colorado Springs-based freethe hole-location sheet. lance writer. A former college sports information di“The goal isn’t to maximize the distance rector, he’s won more than 30 regional and national of the course,” he says. “The goal is to force writing awards through the College Sports Inforthe golfer to make as many different shots as mation Directors of America (CoSIDA). Follow us possible. We want them to have to think on on Facebook and Twitter. ag

Co l o r a d o A v i d G o l f e r. c o m

July 2012 | Colorado AvidGolfer

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player’sCorner CLubbing uP

TaKe IT To THe HoUSe: The final hole on The Pinery’s Mountain 9 plays directly at the recently remodeled clubhouse.

Forty years after breaking new ground southeast of Denver, The Pinery remains one of Colorado’s more progressive clubs.

By Greg Henry

T

he Pinery Country Club in Parker has come a long way in 40 years. Along the way, there have been many peaks and valleys, mimicking the 27hole course’s design. Although many contend the first round of golf didn’t take place until 1973, one thing is certain: The Salt Lake Citybased developer, Terracor, had big dreams when it bought the 5,000-acre horse ranch from Denver developer Don Vestal in 1969.

Those dreams included a 54-hole facility that would resemble a resort with lavish swimming pools, tennis courts and other amenities, surrounded by a residential community forming the club’s base membership.

Remember, The Pinery was completed nine years before the town of Parker was incorporated in 1981 with a population of 285.

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Colorado AvidGolfer | July 2012

Plus Highway 83 (now Parker Road) was a two-lane road. Today, more than 45,000 people live in Parker, about 25 miles southeast of Denver.

The Pinery eventually would comprise three nines: the Lake, Mountain and Valley. It’s unclear which opened first or last, but the Pinery has had a 27-hole course for much of its 40 years. “There are a number of things that appeal to our members, but having 27 holes allows us flexibility,” says Pinery General Manager John Peterson.

Head golf pro Don Graham says 27 holes give all Pinery members—600 total, including 400 golfers—a fair chance at utilizing the course. “On most courses when you’re saying yes to one group, you’re saying no to another,” Graham says. “Having 27 holes allows us to say yes to everyone.”

ColoradoAvidG o lf e r.c o m

P h o t o s c o u rt e s y o f t h e P i n e r y c o u n t r y c lu b

The pioneer of parker

The Valley nine has a links feel to it and is more exposed to the elements. On the first five holes of the undulant Lake course climb and climb, eventually revealing a great view of Bingham Lake, named after a Terracor Vice President, Jay R. Bingham, not the course designer, David A. Bingham.

The Mountain course offers even more of a roller-coaster ride. Graham rates it the toughest nine of the 27-hole layout.

The course has three distinct nines, but no true signature hole. “We don’t have any bad holes,” Graham says. “I think an 18 handicap could figure out how to bogey every hole. There’s no tricky hole. I think that’s what the members really like; it’s a really balanced golf course.”

And it’s a course that has withstood the test of time, even though it was built by an unknown designer and started without a single bunker. “For a first-time architect, David Bingham did a terrific job of mapping out a golf course,” Graham says. “It’s pretty different from other private courses built during that era. It’s not so tree-lined and tight as some of those courses. But there’s an element of target golf to it. We focused on not making it wider but making it more playable.”

At its peak in 1984, The Pinery had nearly 1,300 members, including 1,000-plus golfers. Two years earlier, Terracor filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy and its interest in The Pinery transferred to Senior Corp.

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July 2012 |Colorado AvidGolfer

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totally redone,” says Graham, a Littleton native who came to The Pinery in 2000.

“At most courses you always hear people saying ‘you should do this and this and this.’ I don’t hear that much of that here. I don’t think the members would like to see much change to this golf course.”

Improvements are a different story. When the Carlsbad, Calif.based Brightstar took INGRESS: The stately entry. over in 2004, The Pinery soon got its biggest makeover. The $12 million redesign included new bunkers, irrigation system, a half dozen tee boxes, a practice range with target greens, a fitness center, cart barn and the final addition: a new clubhouse that opened in December 2007.

“Brightstar came in and asked golf members for a $9,500 contribution apiece. It delivered more than what was promised,” Peterson says.

Brightstar also owns nearby Pradera, a private 18-hole country club, featuring a Jim Engh-designed course. For a $29,000 initiation fee ($9,000 more than The Pinery’s standard rate) and $52 per month in addition to the club’s regular $395 fee, you can purchase a Prestige membership for both courses. A member must designate either The Pinery or Pradera as his or her primary club. There are some weekend play restrictions at the secondary club, but it’s two country clubs for nearly the price of one.

Brightstar also offers a preferred rate for members to play The Golf Club at Redlands Mesa in Grand Junction.

Pinery members enjoy a tremendous family atmosphere. The club installed family tees on the Mountain course to eliminate tee-shot carries for juniors and beginning female players. In addition to golf, there are Friday kids’ nights, family value nights, Easter brunches, guest chef nights and more. The facility also includes a huge swimming pool, six outdoor tennis courts and a tennis bubble that houses three courts. The Pinery even employs a fulltime activities director, “something I don’t think a lot of private clubs do,” says Peterson.

“It’s the programming that is going to attract new members for the club. We want to put so much time in our programming that people Full Audiovisual Capabilities | 10 to 500 Guests | Anniversary & Birthday Parties will say, ‘Holy cow. Did you see what they’re Weddings, Receptions & Rehearsal Dinners | Club Luncheons | Office Happy Hour Manager Outings | Holiday Parties | Corporate Meetings & Presentations doing at the club,’ and get people talking about it.”

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Colorado AvidGolfer | July 2012

Greg Henry is a Denver-based freelance writer.

The Pinery Country Club, 6900 N. Pinery Parkway, Parker; thepinerycc.com; 303-841-2060 ColoradoAvidG o lf e r.c o m

p h o t o g r a p h s c o u rt e s y o f t h e p i n e r y c o u n t r y c lu b

The Pinery went through ownership and management changes over the years, including Great American Clubs, America Golf, Starwood Capital and the present owner, Brightstar, which took over in late 2004.

Before Great American Golf took possession of The Pinery in November 1987, Senior Corp. representatives made a legal raid of club property. Club records, furniture, golf maintenance equipment (including mowers) and awards in the trophy case were taken. The golf pro shop was spared because then-head PGA Professional Jack Mendelsohn locked the doors.

Through the years there have been several attempts to redesign the course, including visits by Ben Crenshaw and Arnold Palmer.

During the summer of 2001, American Golf proposed a grand course makeover through Palmer’s design company. The proposal included closing the course for 18 months and an assessment on members, believed to be $15,000 per member.

The terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, the ensuing war in Afghanistan and recession occurred only a few months later. Despite a visit

by Palmer in October that year, members overwhelmingly voted against the plan.

“One of the things that our members didn’t like about the Arnold Palmer redesign was that they didn’t want their golf course

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30 Rainbow Rd, NE Albuquerque, NM (800) 526-9366 SandiaCasino.com

Albuquerque’s hottest golf destination continues to burn bright.

N

ew M exico’s reputation as a golf destination has grown exponentially over the past decade, and Albuquerque’s Sandia Resort and Golf Club has helped lead the charge.

Owned by the Pueblo of Sandia, the resort rises from a scenic expanse of high desert just off I-25 between the Sandia Mountains and Rio Grande Valley, standing tall but blending seamlessly into its surroundings.

The golf experience naturally starts with the course. Designed by Scott Miller, who also authored the renowned Cholla course at WeKo-Pa in Scottsdale, Sandia easily ranks among the best layouts in New Mexico. Routed in a semicircle around the resort, its 7,772 yards are a perfect balance of manicured turf, water hazards and high-desert terrain speckled with native juniper, chamisa and sage. It challenges golfers with tricky multi-tiered greens and contoured fairways that mimic the gentle slopes of the surrounding multihued landscape. In 2005, Golf magazine ranked it among the Top 10 “Courses You Can Play”—a distinction that holds true seven years later.

The light brown and pastel hues of the resort’s massive 228-guestroom structure conceal its true size, while stunning contempo-

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Colorado AvidGolfer | July 2012

rary Pueblo styling pays tribute to the area’s rich Native American heritage. Works by local artists grace the common areas. Guests can indulge in large suites and rooms bedecked with modern Southwest décor and all the frills you’d expect from a luxury resort.

Sandia boasts enough dining options and activities to occupy a family for days. A stunning 4,000-seat outdoor amphitheater draws top entertainers; the Green Reed Spa indulges and pampers; the sprawling pool complex affords views of the golf course and the watermeloncolored mountains from which the resort takes its name.

Sandia’s main level features more than 140,000 square feet of gaming with the latest slots and every imaginable table game, while the exquisite Bien Shur restaurant occupies the top floor, pairing the best views in Albuequerque with specialties from Chef de Cuisine Marc Quinones such as Sous Vide Kurobuta pork chop and rack of lamb with green chile goat cheese grits. The Rooftoop Lounge features live music, cocktails and inhalable Chilean sea bass tacos and buffalo sliders.

Sandia Resort offers a variety of affordable stay-and-play packages, and a pamper and play package, which includes a round of golf and a spa treatment. For more information, visit sandiacasino.com.

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FOOD

HanDle Bar: craft brews stand ready for post-round rounds at the omni Interlocken’s Tap room.

Tapping In Suds-centric watering holes pair terrific craft brews with food that’s worth savoring. By Lori Midson The Tap Room, Omni Interlocken Resort It’s true what they say: Beer and golf go together like Ernie and Bert. And at the Omni Interlocken Resort, which lays claim to 27 David Graham-Gary Panks-designed holes swaddled in astonishing panoramas, the best way to congratulate yourself on a winning round (or wallow in your epic defeat) is to hop on a barstool in the Tap Room, located inside the hotel. Bedecked with pool tables Co l o r a d o A v i d G o l f e r. c o m

and a shuffleboard table, the wood-dressed quarters, which overlook a sprawling deck and the rolling greens below, hustle sixteen local taps from Boulder Beer, New Belgium Brewing, Odell Brewing Co and Avery Brewing. The brews, served at proper temperatures, also show up in beer-infused cocktails, including the Bloody Kessler, made with Absolut Peppar vodka and Levity amber ale from Odell Brewing Co. You can plot you next pour while sampling a plate of sliders, the justifiably lauded housemade beer-battered onion rings, the bison barbacoa burrito or the black garlic-crusted

Flatiron steak, sided with charred vegetables and smoked blue cheese. The bar is always buzzing with beer fans and golfers alike, and there’s no shortage of TVs to catch the latest from the sports world. 500 Interlocken Blvd., Broomfield; 303-438-6600; omnihotels.com/FindAHotel/DenverInterlocken

Ale House at Amato’s This rollicking watering hole in Lower Highland trumpets a formidable albeit familiar beer syllabus, with more than 40 brews on tap, most of which hail from Wynkoop/ Breckenridge Breweries. Strike up a conversation with likeminded regulars at the bar, play hooky on the street-level patio or kick back upstairs on the rooftop deck and soak up the sun’s rays while admiring an unparalleled view of the city skyline. This joint encourages revelry, and though the July 2012 | Colorado AvidGolfer

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sideBets Euclid Hall

BreW WITH a VIeW: amato’s ale House.

competition is fierce, Amato’s keeps the crowds happy and hanging around with its frequently changing taps and behemoth menu that includes, among other beerminded dishes, an elk sausage plate, peach habanero chicken salad, gargantuan burgers and wild boar green chile. 2501 16th St.; 303-433-9734; alehousedenver.com

Packed with everyone from downtown city clickers and wheelers and dealers to in-the-know tourists and restaurant industry revelers, Euclid Hall is a beer geek’s wet dream, a phenomenal nirvana of beer cocktails, brown ales and amber IPAs, sours and stouts, tripels and lagers, many of which you won’t find anywhere else in the city. The syllabus, which is separated into mathematics studies, commencing with Arithmetic and graduating with Quantum Mathematics (the latter of which are the strongest and most complex brews on the list), showcases upwards of fifty world-spanning suds, all of which are poured in appropriate glassware by a super-knowledgeable staff who have a passion for craft-minded liquid culture.

The Bull & Bush is the bomb shelter of beer, a jovial watering hole that’s been steadfastly elevating its solid suds selection to cult status, and on any given night, you’ll find the bar overflowing – just like the beer – with serious hopheads. The beers, all brewed on the premises, have racked up a barrel of awards, and owner and beer king Erik Peterson even has his own hops program, where hobbyists can order a pint, which arrives in a French press, and then choose one of five hops varietals, all grown in Hotchkiss, to add to the mix; the longer

erUDITe elIXIrS: euclid’s complex brews and bites.

It’s not only the perfect hangout to tip one back, but also a bucket-list stop for foodniks; the hand-cranked sausages, variety of poutines, beef marrow bones, brat burger and steamed mussels are all godsends. 1317 14th St.; 303-595-4255; euclidhall.com.

Great Divide Brewing

The handcrafted beers brewed at Great Divide—24 to be exact—have racked up more than a dozen awards and medals at the Great American Beer Festival, and you can sample sixteen of them in the brewery’s tap house either by the glass, or in a flight of three for a mere $3 (growlers are also available). The beers, a dozen of which are seasonals, zigzag from woodaged pale ales and imperial stouts to farmhouse ales and pilsners, and for those of you obsessed with ABV (alcohol by volume in case you’re not a beer nerd), take note: The majority of the brews aren’t for lightweights. The taproom is bereft of a kitchen, but several of the city’s stampede of food trucks arrive in the afternoon to sling grub. There’s a different truck every day of the week, but Basic Kneads Pizza, Chef Driven, Bamboo Chinese and the Vegan Van all make regular appearances.

And if you time it right, there are brewery tours, too. 2201 Arapahoe St.; 303-2969460; greatdivide.com ag

Royal Hilltop Tap Room

HoPS To IT: Bull & Bush’s french Dip

you allow the hops to infuse, the hoppier the beer becomes. Peterson also swaggers a constantly evolving vintage beer list that runs deep, and if you can get your hands on it, you’ll find an impressive archive of rarities. The menu, as beer-friendly as they come, struts everything from Kobe beef burgers and steaks to street tacos, nachos and mashed potatoes blanketed in green chile. 4700 Cherry Creek Dr.; 303-759-0092; bullandbush.com.

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Colorado AvidGolfer | July 2012

One of the city’s first tap houses, the English-style Royal Hilltop remains one of the best stamping grounds in the Mile High City for discovering world-class IPAS, stouts, porters, ambers and ales, and while none of the beers are brewed onsite, the eighteen craft beer handles showcase an ever-rotating spread of guest draughts and “tap takeovers” poured by enthusiastic bartenders who are hell-bent on making sure that beer revolutionaries are well-lubricated. The kitchen is no slouch, either, turning out notable burgers, mussels and frites, fish and chips (naturally) and smoked chicken

HeaDSTronG: a frothy tulip pint.

Dining Out Editor Lori Midson also writes for Westword. Visit ColoradoAvidGolfer.com for more on food and dining, and make sure to become a follower of us.

ColoradoAvidG o lf e r.c o m

P h o t o g r a P h s by l o r i M i d s o n

Bull & Bush

apple sausage with sauerkraut and mashers—though the shepherd’s pie, perfect for a Sunday supper, best reflects the joint’s homage to its jolly old homeland. 18581 E. Hampden, Aurora; 303-690-7738; royalhilltop.com.

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July 2012 | Colorado AvidGolfer

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sideBets niCe DRives

The euro Zone Bombshells from BMW and Fiat blow away their predecessors.

By Isaac Bouchard

2012 BMw 640i Gran Coupe

2012 BMw M6 Convertible

price range: $76,985(low six figures).

The third generation M6 is the fastest, most powerful convertible BMW has ever built, with a 560hp twin-turbo V8 replacing the race car-inspired V10 of its predecessor. Gone, too, is the clunky, automated single-clutch transmission, replaced by a sensational 7-speed twin-clutch job, whose swift and smooth automatic gear selections sooth while you’re stuck in traffic, yet allow rapid-fire manual paddle selection when it’s time for fun.

Ripping through the gears in this latest M-car is almost redundant, though, as it has (computer limited!) torque of over 500lb-ft from just above idle all the way 5750rpm. BMW says 0-60 will take about four and half seconds, but the M6 feels much quicker than that. License-losing territory comes so fast that no one was surprised when four journalists got speeding tickets within the first half-hour of the car’s recent launch—including one for 136mph in a 55 zone.

This powertrain also sounds really good despite being turbocharged, with

While Mercedes was the first to recognize and exploit the four-door coupe niche with the CLS, arriving at the party late won’t be a problem for BMW, so well dressed is the new Gran Coupe. The four-and-a-half inch-longer four-door is the best looking 6-series yet, with a gorgeous physique and beautiful derrière. It’s habitable in the rear too, with room for a couple friends. It also features two available engines—a six-cylinder turbo now and V8 twin-turbo (with optional AWD) coming in the fall. It’s also a great platform upon which to lavish the recently expanded customization possibilities inherent in BMW’s Individual program, ranging from bespoke interior treatments to special wheels and paints. Fashionably late just got a new spokesmodel.—IB

price as tested: $123,695

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Colorado AvidGolfer | July 2012

ColoradoAvidG o lf e r.c o m

P h o t o g r a P h c o u rt e s y o f b M w

UnToPPaBle: BMW’s new M6 convertible.

more V8 rumble and boom and less vacuum cleanerlike whooshing than most boosted engines. It also got over 23mpg on a highway run; very impressive for a 4500-pound car of such performance potential.

But there’s only so much brilliant engineers can do to mitigate against the laws of physics, and despite the amount of work done to enhance the suspension and structure (more mods have been made to transform this from a “normal” BMW into an M car than ever before, says the company), the M6’s size and mass remained readily apparent on the twists and turns of California’s deserted Route 33, a road to rival Colorado’s twistiest mountain passes.

While you could manage big speeds, this big and beefy BMW never felt completely comfortable, with little shimmies reverbing through its otherwise rigidfeeling structure and a sense of barely-corralled, titanic forces at work beneath you. The huge, six-piston brakes also showed signs of hard use, with a squishy initial pedal in two of the test cars and a tendency to fade a bit under hard use. But once the roads opened up, the M6 convertible came into its own, its massive power sweeping it effortlessly though faster turns, abetted by a generally decent ride in its Sport setting; Comfort mode was too floaty, and Sport Plus really rigid.

Spearing through the spectacular vistas of the Santa Barbara mountains, you could revel in the richly appointed cockpit, and marvel at the awesomely cool new head up display projected onto the windshield, with M Sport graphics that include not only a rev counter, gear and speed readouts, but also Formula 1-inspired upshift lights that alert you to how soon you’d have to pull back on the paddle attached to the grippy new M steering wheel, unleashing another crescendo of wonderfully torquey—and tuneful—grunt. At times like that the new M6 made perfect sense as a GT, with nearsupercar levels of performance, and came into its own as a worthy successor to its illustrious forebears.

ritz Carlton

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sideBets 2012 fiat 500 abarth price as tested: $26,050

SMoKIn’: fiat 500 abarth

footprint implies. While it doesn’t have the superbly honed balance and breeding of a Mini Cooper S, the Abarth is still very entertaining, with quick responses from the helm, strong brakes, and quick reactions. It also retains most all the virtues of the 500, such as a decent enough ride for something so shorn of inseam, great fuel economy (28/34), and an interior that’s actually bigger than the Mini’s. ag

CAG’s Automotive Editor Isaac Bouchard’s definitive car-buying book is available at CarbuyingTipsGuide.com. Read his reviews at NiceDrivz. com and ColoradoAvidGolfer.com.

In 2012, there’s only one place in Colorado where over 2,500 kids will be introduced to this amazing game, and 312 of the world’s best amateurs will amaze us with their game...

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CommonGround is proud to be the Companion Course for the 2012 U.S. Amateur Championship August 13-19, 2012 www.CommonGroundGC.com ~ 303-340-1520 38

Colorado AvidGolfer | June 2012

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P h o t o g r a P h c o u r t e s y o f f i at

Leave it to an addled warlock and a smoking hottie to save Fiat’s Abarth 500 hot hatch from the ignominious label of “chick car.” If it wasn’t for the intervention of two talked-about commercials, starring, respectively, Charlie Sheen and model Catrinel Menghia, Fiat (with a little help from J Lo) might have succeeded in Guccifying the fun little machine beyond redemption.

But the real star of both “Seduction” and Charlie’s “House Arrest” was the car. Delving deep into the past, Fiat resurrected the name of a company that had turned the 500’s tiny predecessors into competitive racers across Europe a half century ago. For 21st century America the result is a 160hp, turbocharged pocket rocket that will put a big smile on the face of anyone with either—or both—a sense of humor or a passion for fun cars.

The visual cleverness comes from the serious way in which all kinds of go-fast addenda—chunky rally-car rims, low-profile Pirelli

P Zeros, deep sills and spoilers, and several prominent Scorpion badges (the Fiat name is nowhere to be found) have been ladled onto the narrow, upright, 500 clown car donor. Inside its equally good, with beefy racer seats and a grippy contoured wheel and shifter. Irritations remain, inherited from the basic 500: the driving position is too tall and upright, the rear seats are nigh on useless—and they block almost all rear three-quarter vision—and the sound system’s iPod integration is laughable.

But who cares once you start it up and hear one of the most outrageously farty four-cylinder exhaust notes in ages? The Abarth sounds seriously badass, like it’s gargling Sheen’s tiger blood, and everyone within earshot will turn to see what’s up.

There’s something to back up the talk, since the dinky 1.4-liter’s pressurizer pumps it up to 170lb-ft of torque, especially meaty in the midrange. While the 0-60 in 6.9 sprint isn’t especially quick these days, the Abarth really flies in between 20 and 60, meaning you can dispatch dawdlers with consummate ease.

Abarthification also addresses most of the 500’s biggest annoyances, such as feelfree electric assist steering, ropey shifter and reflexes that don’t live up to what the tiny

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By partnering with a wide variety of community organizations and public schools, we put clubs in the hands of those who may not otherwise have a chance to benefit from all this great game has to offer. Through these partnerships we create an environment where kids can have fun while developing skills that build self-esteem and reinforce ideals like honesty and fair play.

Keeping the game you love the game you love.

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For a century, the not-for-profit CGA and CWGA have existed solely to preserve, improve and share this great game with everyone in the state. This is just one of the many ways that, with the support of over 60,000 members, we are keeping the game you love the game you love. Learn more and get involved at www.COgolf.org. Š 2012

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12 2 0 Colorado Open July 26-29

Green Valley Ranch Golf Club, Denver

a HoLe Lot toUGHer: tweaks to Green Valley ranch Golf Club’s 13th present competitors with new challenges. see page 42.

Joy trotter 2012 Healthone Women’s open Champion

ww w. c o l o r a d o a v i d g o l f e r. c om

Ben Portie

2011 Healthone Colorado Men’s open Champion

r.W. eaks

2011 Healthone Colorado senior open Champion July 2 0 1 2 |Colorado AvidGolfer

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the

d

Austin’s Powers

O

n July 6, 7 and 8, three weeks before the first round wouldn’t be the same person I am today,” he says. of the HealthONE Colorado Open, another event “It’s given me the basics to live a good and enjoyable life.” will take place of equal significance to the the ColAs part of the curriculum, he attended a life skills and orado Open Golf Foundation and The First Tee of leadership academy at Kansas State University, where Green Valley Ranch. It’s the Nature Valley First Tee he stayed in the dorms, played Colbert Hills Golf Club, Open at Pebble Beach, an official Champiand “became a better leader and a ons Tour event that pairs 81 professionals better golfer.” with 162 amateurs and 81 juniors selected Johnson, now a scratch player, was by a national judging panel from The First the only East High golfer to qualiTee programs across the country. In this fy for the State 5A Championships. year’s field will be an ACE-level member of This fall he will be attending ColoraThe First Tee at Green Valley Ranch, Ausdo Christian University in Lakewood, tin Johnson. where, if he makes the golf travel team, his scholarship money will draIf any person embodies the organizamatically increase. tion’s Nine Core Values—especially perYou have to like his chances. How severance—it’s this 18-year-old East High many of his teammates will have had School graduate who joined The First the experience of taking on Pebble Tee of Green Valley Ranch shortly after Beach with a PGA Champions Tour moving from Nebraska with his mother player? Johnson won’t know his partin 2005. Starting as a PAR-level member ner’s identity until the July 3 pairings of TFT, Johnson rapidly rose past BIRDparty, but the excitement of discovIE, and EAGLE levels to became the first ering that information might not rimember of the Green Valley Ranch proval the joy of simply being selected. gram to ascend to to the highest rung of “I was at Glenmoor with someone the ladder, ACE. who is a board member of Colorado “Once you get to ACE level, it’s about Uplift, and my friend Travis Wolf. We giving back,” he explains. “On Wednesdays aLL-aroUnD aCe: Johnson will bear the First tee of GVr were at the sixth hole and I received and Thursdays, I help with the five-to-sev- flag at the nature Valley First tee open at Pebble Beach. an email that said ‘Congratulations!” en-year olds. I work with kids on courses.

We were high-fiving and screaming. People thought I’d My focus is on impacting kids as much as I can.” had an ace on number 5. That would have been great. But Of the impact The First Tee of Green Valley Ranch had on him, this is much, much better.”

Johnson can’t speak more highly. “If it weren’t for The First Tee, I

Previous Page Along with being greeted by a panoramic view of the Front Range from the highest point at Green Valley Ranch Golf Club, HealthONE Colorado Open competitors will now confront a newly expanded lake on the par-3 13th. The club enlarged the body of water to satisfy the course’s irrigation needs, as well as the need to have a more visually intimidating shot. A 200-foot retaining wall now frames the lake area, giving the hole a look and feel reminiscent of other Dye designs, and the lake pushes more closely to the front and left sides of the green, eliminating some of the bail-out area to the left of it. Returning players will note the removal of the bunker on the hill to the left of the green. The space has been shaped and sodded to deflect balls towards the center of the green.

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Colorado AvidGolfer | July 2012

Four for Four

Former PGA Tour pro Dave Hill still holds the record for Colorado Open victories with four—the same number of times he played in the event. Known as much for shooting off his mouth (resulting in myriad fines, suspensions and probations) as he was for shooting to the top of leaderboards (13 PGA Tour and six Senior Tour victories, the 1969 Vardon Trophy and a 6-3 record in three Ryder Cups), Hill died last September of emphysema at age 74. As he told CAG in 2008: “I spent too many years smoking and drinking. I gave up one but not the other. You gotta die of something.” www.colorado www.coloradoavidgo avidgo lf e r.c o m

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July 2 0 1 2 | Colorado AvidGolfer

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the

d

Thanks, Jeff!

For the ninth consecutive year, HealthONE is title-sponsoring the Colorado Opens—the state’s three flagship tournaments. Although the agreement extends to 2015, one of its chief catalysts, HealthONE President and CEO Jeff Dorsey, retired in May. He will, however, remain on the board of the not-for-profit Colorado Open Golf Foundation, which runs the tournament.

“The HealthONE Colorado Opens have not only been a terrific boost for the sport of golf in our state; the tournaments have done a great service in supporting all the children who take part in The First Tee of Green Valley Ranch program,” Dorsey says. “I’m especially proud that HealthONE will continue to play a role in helping make both such a success.”

“Jeff ’s role can’t be underestimated,” says Pat Hamill, CEO of Oakwood Homes and founder of the Colorado Open Golf Foundation. “His passion for golf and for The First Tee made this more than a business deal for him.”

“Pat Hamill and Jeff Dorsey were the two saviors of Colorado Open after it was cancelled in 2003,” says Colorado Open Golf Foundation CEO Kevin Laura. “Jeff ’s bold move to be title sponsor through 2015 has given us the confidence that the championship will endure for years to come.”

Laura anticipates Dorsey’s successor, new HealthONE President and CEO Sylvia Young, won’t miss a beat. “Sylvia Young is very engaged and also very supportive in keeping HealthOne’s brand strong and its identity strong as a title sponsor,” he says.

“Along with Pat Hamill, Jeff Dorsey is truly the key to making the tournatment as great as it is,” Laura continues. “It’s only fitting that he and Pat have both won the Robert M. Kirchner Award, which the Colorado Open Board of Directors presents annually to invididuals who have contributed greatly to amateur golf, professional golf and/or tournament golf in Colorado.”

Academy Rewards

Prior to this year, the building that currently houses the Green Valley Ranch Golf Academy was known as the Colorado Golf Academy. And before that, the McGetrick Golf Academy. It also served as headquarters for the Colorado Open Golf Foundation and the offices of CEO Kevin Laura and COO LindaSue Chenoweth.

While their offices have moved to The First Tee of Green Valley Ranch Learning Center, the connection to the Colorado Open remains as strong as ever—as does the staff’s commitment to high-level instruction at an affordable price.

“You get lessons from people who have competed at the highest level,” says Operations Manager/Lead Instructor Charlie Soule, who copped Low Amateur honors in the 2005 Colorado Open before joining the Nationwide Tour. “But we’re not just tailored to elite players. I’ve always felt this was one of the top facilities in the state, with its video equipment, flight scope, chipping area, indoor-outdoor hitting bays, fitness area and club-fitting center. It’s really a high-tech state of the art facility for an affordable price.”

Members of the Academy team include LPGA Lead Instructor Stefanie Ferguson, a frequent Colorado Women’s Open competitor who is an LPGA and Titleist Performance Institute-certified instructor. She captained the Colorado State team and counts the CWGA Match Play Championship among her 20 amateur victories.

There’s also Staff Instructor Kane Webber. A former University of Colorado star and

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Colorado AvidGolfer | July 2012

winner of the Colorado Golf Association’s 2003 Les Fowler Player of the Year Award, Webber has competed in numerous Colorado Opens and twice won the Wyoming Open. He spent three years on the Asian tour, winning the 2006 Macau Open.

Rounding out the teaching staff are veteran PGA Instructors Mark Sturtz and Carlo Alaqua, who combine to bring to the academy more than 50 years of teaching experience.

“Generally, we stick around $65 an hour, with packages of five for $275,” explains Soule, who is also devoting resources to junior golf (“So they can learn early and correctly,” he says), playing lessons and corporate outings. gvrgolfacademy.com; sCHooL’s oPen: Webber, Ferguson and soule.

303-371-8700 www.colorado www.coloradoavidgo avidgo lf e r.c o m

ww w. c o l o r a d o a v i d g o l f e r. c om

July 2 0 1 2 | Colorado AvidGolfer

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Thank You for Lending a Hand…

Friends of The First Tee

2012 Colorado Open Contributors Title Sponsor HealthONE

Presenting Sponsor Oakwood Homes, LLC

Supporting Sponsors

AIMCO Cares Anadarko Petroleum Corporation Colorado AvidGolfer Magazine Colorado Golf Association Colorado Section PGA Colorado Women's Golf Association Green Valley Ranch Golf Club Jones Lang LaSalle Lockton Companies, LLC Pepsi Beverages Company Powers Energy Corporation Rocky Mtn. Golf Course Superintendents Assoc.

Walmart

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Colorado AvidGolfer | July 2012

Bank of America Barry & Mary Berlin McKay & Nina Belk Family Fund Calcon Constructors, Inc. Bryan Cannon CareerBuilder.com CarePoint, P.C. Cobra PUMA Golf Country Inn & Suites – DIA John Cullen Esperance Family Foundation FirstBank Molly Greenblatt KeyBank Keith Lawton Eric Kenealy/Massage Envy Spa Al Linton Melissa Hubbard Otten Johnson Robinson Neff + Ragonetti PGA Tour SuperStore/ Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation Powers Products Sill-TerHar Motors Jay Small Geoff Solich/Ponderosa Energy George Solich/Cordillera Energy Urban League of Metropolitan Denver U.S. Bank Private Client

Special Thanks

Michael Andonian Anheuser-Busch of Denver Antler Creek Golf Course Bacardi USA/Grey Goose Canon de Colorado Citywide Banks Colorado Center for Reproductive Medicine Citywide rather than Citiwide Colorado Golf Club Colorado National Golf Club Colorado PGA Foundation Daniels Fund Denver Broncos Alumni Assoc.

John Drew Eagle Ranch Golf Course El Jardin Mexican Restaurant Foundation for Educational Excellence P.S. Freeberg Imperial Headwear Johnson & Repucci, LLP Tom Keltner Legacy Ridge Golf Course McAlister's Deli National Bank Financial Terry Minger Tom Sweeney US Well Services Wells Fargo www.coloradoavidgo lf e r.c o m

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This magnificent boutique hotel features 45 luxury guest rooms, contemporary alpine design, a bar and lounge with a gourmet tapas-style menu, plus many other elegant services and amenities. The Osprey blends mountain high energy with swank sophistication. 10 Elk Track Ln., Beaver Creek; 866-621-7625; ospreyatbeavercreek.rockresorts.com

PARK HYATT BEAVER CREEK RESORT & SPA

Park Hyatt Beaver Creek

In a vacation town full of luxury resort one-upmanship, the 197-room, native-stone-and-timber Park Hyatt stands apart. Try an innovative water-based treatment at the hotel’s 30,000-squarefoot Allegria Spa, which featues the village’s best heated outdoor pool & four hot tubs (two are adult-only). 136 East Thomas Pl., Avon; 970-949-1234; beavercreek.hyatt.com

THE AUSTRIA HAUS

Located next to the Covered Bridge and overlooking the banks of beautiful Gore Creek, The Austria Haus offers a taste of the architecture of a warm, charming European-style ski chalet right at the base of Vail Mountain. The intimate hotel features 25 valley-view guestrooms and suites and combines exceptional guest services with a heated outdoor pool. 242 East Meadow Dr., Vail; 877-644-7625; austriahaushotel.com

LODGE AND SPA AT CORDILLERA

Overlooking the magnificent Vail Valley and Sawatch Range, The Lodge and Spa at Cordillera suggests a Belgian chateau, and the luxurious hideaway lodge continually earns accolades among the “Top 10” spas in America. With two unique restaurants, guests can select from a variety of menus, decors and high-country settings. In addition to golf, there are also private fly-fishing waters on-site. 2205 Cordillera Way, Edwards; 970-926-2200; cordilleralodge.com

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Austria Haus

Co lo r ado A vidGo l fe r. c o m/t r a ve l

the art of

BR AGGING RIGHT S Take one championship Robert Trent Jones Jr. Golf Course with lush rolling fairways and cobalt skies, a handful of old friends, a long anticipated re-match and you’ve got the recipe for a legendary vacation. Here, the decks are sun-drenched, the filet is prime, the live music is way over par and the potential for bragging rights for the entire next year beckons. Come play, we’ll handle the details. Stay and Play packages from just $205 pp a night.* Book at beavercreek.com/golf, or (866) 829 4432.

be av erc r eek .c om *Based on double occupancy at The Osprey at Beaver Creek, A RockResort, and 1 round of golf pp at Beaver Creek Golf Club. Restrictions may apply.

Co l or a d oAv i d G o l f e r. c o m /tr av e l

Presented by Breckenridge Brewery

RED SKY GOLF CLUB

With two championship golf courses spectacularly designed by Tom Fazio and Greg Norman, Red Sky Golf Club merges dramatic vistas of Vail’s Back Bowls with a variety of terrain. Members and guests alternate play on the two courses. A massive ridge separating two serves as a migration corridor for deer and elk.

Great care was taken to preserve the natural landscape, and both semi-private courses are registered as Audubon Cooperative Sanctuaries. 1099 Red Sky Rd., Wolcott; 970-754-8400; redskygolfclub.com

BEAVER CREEK GOLF CLUB

The Beaver Creek Golf Club, designed in 1982 by noted course architect Robert Trent Jones, Jr., runs long and narrow through the pines, challenging fairways and its stunning scenery. It is exclusively available to Beaver Creek, Bachelor Gulch and Arrowhead lodging guests and club members. 103 Offerson Rd., Beaver Creek; 970-845-5775; beavercreek.com

Red Sky (Fazio)

EAGLE VAIL GOLF CLUB

Affordable yet equally as beautiful as many of the area’s best private clubs, Eagle Vail inhabits a verdant former ranch. Its scenic layout crisscrosses the Eagle River on the front side and scales a mountainside while weaving through lodgepole pines, fir and aspens on the back. Best of all, the 6,836-yard course is conveniently located minutes from Vail and Beaver Creek. 431 Eagle Dr., Avon; 970-949-5267; eaglevailgolfclub.com

VAIL GOLF CLUB

Built 50 years ago, the first course in the Vail Valley presents golfers with beautiful scenery amidst the White River National Forest, highlighted by views of the Gore Mountain Range. The generally flat, tree-lined fairways and medium-sized greens are both well-protected by numerous bunkers and beaver ponds; Gore Creek meanders through the layout. 1778 Vail Valley Dr., Vail; 970-479-2260; vailgolfclub.net

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Beaver Creek

NEXT UP ON THE #1 TEE: YOU L o c a t e d i n t h e h e a r t o f t h e R o c k i e s , t h e To m F a z i o a n d G r e g N o r m a n d e s i g n e d c o u r s e s a t R e d S k y G o l f C l u b h a v e b e e n r a n k e d a m o n g G o l f w e e k ’s “ A m e r i c a n B e s t ” and as the top two “Courses to Play” in Colorado. Coupled with world-class lodging a t B eaver Creek R e s o r t , t h i s i s y o u r c h a n c e t o p l a y a t t h i s c o v e t e d p r i v a t e c l u b .

STAY & PLAY AMERICA’S PREMIER MOUNTAIN COURSES FROM $247* CALL 888-500-5170 OR VISIT REDSKYGOLFCLUB.COM TO BOOK TODAY

N O RT H A M E R I C A’ S # 1 M O U N TA I N G O L F E X P E R I E N C E Rated #1 and #2 Golf Courses in Colorado

Ranked #22 Best Resorts in North America

Ranked #15 Top 100 Golf Destinations

–Travel + Leisure Golf–

–Golf Digest–

–Condé Nast Traveler–

*Taxes and resort fees not included. Based on double occupancy. One night stay and one round of golf, per person, per night at The Pines Lodge, A RockResort. Price subject to change. Some restrictions may apply. © 2012 Vail Resorts, Inc. All rights reserved.

Presented by Breckenridge Brewery

THE CLUB AT CORDILLERA

Although recent management decisions have temporarily closed all but the Tom Fazio-designed Valley Course, Cordillera continues to provide challenging and enjoyable mountain golf. Call to check on the possibility of the Summit course opening later this summer. 970-569-6480; cordillera-vail.com

EAGLE RANCH GOLF CLUB

Nestled in the center in Brush Creek Valley, Eagle Ranch Golf Club sits at an elevation of 6,600 feet above sea level. Arnold Palmer designed the layout, which includes an interesting variety of mountain and links-style holes. There is water on most of them and strategically placed bunkers throughout. The breathtaking views of the surrounding mountains will test your concentration. Eagle Ranch was honored as the Best Mountain Course in Colorado for under a $100 green fee by Colorado AvidGolfer magazine. 0050 Lime Park Dr., Eagle; 866-328-3232; eagleranchgolf.com

GYPSUM CREEK

Pete Dye designed the 18-hole Gypsum Creek Golf Club, nestled in the Gypsum Valley. The fully public course opened in 1997 as Cotton Ranch Golf Club, a semi-private country club; in 2010, it was purchased by the town of Gypsum and subsequently renamed. Featuring two distinct nines—the front climbs 200 feet up a rocky mesa and is more target golf than on the back, which rolls through a valley— Gypsum Creek offers the longest golf season in the Eagle Valley. 530 Cotton Ranch Dr., Gypsum; 970-524-6200; gypsumcreekgolf.com

Gypsum Creek

Cordillera

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PLAY & STAY with us and watch your drives soar record distance.

Relax in luxurious accommodations for two this summer at the Park Hyatt Beaver Creek and then take in 18 holes of golf each at the Beaver Creek Golf Club.

Rates starting at:

$570 per night $343 per night

June 15 - September 15, 2012 September 16 - October 7, 2012

For reservation information, please visit our website at www.parkhyattbeavercreek.com or call 1-970-827-6636 Refer to code: PLAY12

Offer valid 6/15/12 to 10/7/12 at Park Hyatt Beaver Creek Resort & Spa. Opening and Closing dates are weather permitting. Reservations are subject to availability and must be made at least 7 days in advance. Tee times must be set up in advance by contacting our Concierge at 1-970-827-6610. Package includes lodging for two, 2 rounds of golf including cart per person. Rate shown is based upon double occupancy, per room, per night, for standard room accommodations. Additional charges apply to room-type upgrades. Additional guests may be subject to additional hotel charges. Guest is responsible for all charges not included in package. No refunds for any unused portion of package.

Promotional blackout periods may apply due to seasonal periods or special events, and normal arrival/departure restrictions apply. Hyatt reserves the right to alter or withdraw this program at any time without notice. Hyatt Hotels & Resorts® encompasses hotels managed, franchised or leased by subsidiaries and affiliates of Hyatt Hotels Corporation. The trademarks Hyatt®, Hyatt Hotels & Resorts®, Park Hyatt®, Andaz®, Grand Hyatt®, Hyatt Regency®, Hyatt Place®, Hyatt Summerfield Suites®, Hyatt Gold Passport®, and related marks are trademarks of Hyatt Corporation. © 2012 Hyatt Corporation. All rights reserved. w w w. c o l o r a d oa v i d g o lfe r. c o m /tr av e l

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Presented by Breckenridge Brewery

The Vail Valley’s range of challenging and relaxing summer activities far outnumbers those taking place during winter. For hikers, equestrians, mountain bikers and off-highway vehicles, miles of trials and backcountry roads are a great way to explore. Nearby rivers present boating opportunities and great lessons in fly-fishing. Jeep or horseback adventures range from easy rides to overnight camping or rounding up cattle. Rock climbing and hot air balloons offer more excitement. Of course, golfers of all abilities find the area’s world-class courses the perfect places to play and relax. A 5,289-acre playground of unbeatable opportunities, Vail sets the standard for vast, matchless terrain, luxury accommodations with every conceivable comfort and amenity, and real estate and off-mountain activities.

Shopping in Beaver Creek

Beaver Creek’s cozy village encompasses numerous high-end art galleries and a variety of merchants offering everything from jewelry to outdoor gear. The pedestrian-only shopping areas provide a pleasant outdoor shopping experience.

Gypsum Creek Golf Course Pete Dye Designed 18 Hole Championship Course For players of all caliber Longest season in Eagle Valley

www.gypsumcreekgolf.com

970-524-6200 Like us on Facebook

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Shopping/Dining in vail Square

Over 33,000-square feet of restaurants and unique boutiques and galleries are found at the renowned Vail Square. vail.com

vail international DanCe FeStival

(July 29 - August 11) This year’s edition of the terpsichorean triumph has a New York flavor, as the lineup includes the return of New York City Ballet MOVES, the Vail debut of Martha Graham Dance Company and the music of Brooklyn Rider accompanying two International Evenings of Dance performances. The festival brings the world’s greatest ballet and modern dance groups, choreographers and musicians to stages of the Vail Valley for a two-week celebration. The 23-year-old summer destination is a project of the Vail Valley Foundation. Most of the performances are at the Vilar Center for the Arts and the Gerald R. Ford Amphitheater, an outdoor venue where some people sit in the seats, but many more recline on blankets on the

surrounding lawn. Community events are held in streets and villages throughout the Vail Valley. 888-920-2787; vaildance.org

Beaver Creek artS FeStival

(August 4-5) Celebrating its 25 anniversary this year, this cultural happening brings the work of 150 of the nation’s leading artists, who present a wide range of unique contemporary and southwestern art. The artistic media represented include paintings, jewelry, sculptures, photography, glass, wood, collage and ceramics. Admission is free. beavercreek.com Co lo r ado A vidG o l fe r. c o m/t r a ve l

Presented by Breckenridge Brewery

BEAVER CREEK WINE & SPIRITS FESTIVAL

(August 9-11) Since 2006, the annual Beaver Creek Wine and Spirits Festival has attracted hundreds of connoisseurs who come from all over to sip and sample some of the nation’s best wine and spirits, paired with delicious cuisine from world-renowned culinary talent, all set against the beautiful backdrop of Colorado’s Gore Mountain Range. beavercreek.com

BEAVER CREEK MUSIC ExPERIENCE

(Aug. 4 & Sept. 8) The remaining two of four concerts at Beaver Creek’s scenic Strawberry Park bowl celebrate rock and blues with The Chris Duarte Group August 4.

The following month, Great American Taxi, Soul Rebels and the legendary Dr. John (“Right Place, Wrong Time”) will appear in the Grand Finale Music Experience. beavercreek.com

BEAVER CREEK OKTOBERFEST

(September 1-2) Some foot-stompin’ oompah music, festive beer and wunderbar bratwurst are available to all that arrive at Beaver Creek’s annual Oktoberfest. Enjoy free live entertainment in the Beaver Creek Plaza. beavercreek.com

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Presented by Breckenridge Brewery

KEYSTONE RESORT

A Preferred Hotel and AAA Four-Diamond rated property, the Keystone Lodge and Spa is adjacent to Keystone’s lake, village and conference center. This rustic yet elegant six-story hotel features 152 guestrooms with alpine decor, Avanya Spa products, and views of Keystone mountain and the Snake River.

On site are a fitness center, outdoor pool, spa tubs, and day spa with ten state-of-the-art treatment rooms for body massages and facials. 22101 US Highway 6, Keystone; 970-496-4000; keystoneresort.com

BEAVER RUN RESORT

Situated just four blocks from Main Street in Breckenridge in four interconnected buidings,Beaver Run’s 525 guestrooms and suites are available in a variety of configurations. The full-service spa offers massage and other treatments, and other amenities include indoor and outdoor pools and eight spa tubs, and four restaurants and bars located onsite. 620 Village Road, Breckenridge; 800-265-3560; beaverrun.com

ONE SKI HILL PLACE

Beaver Run

One of the newest resorts in Breckenridge, this luxurious alpine paradise consists of 88 residences—ranging from studios to four-bedrooms—that feature distinctive modernlodge-style interiors. The ample use of natural wood and stone creates a charmingly rustic yet elegant ambience. Every residence follows the Green Globes guidelines for sustainable environmental design and construction. There are also such resort-style amenities as a fine-dining restaurant, two indoor pools and two hottubs, and even a two-lane bowling alley. During the winter, the opulent ski-in/ski-out resort is a skier’s dream—just a walk out the door from the four chairlifts at the base of Breckenridge’s Peak 8. During the summer months, the exceptional property is ideally located just steps from the Breckenridge Fun Park. 800-310-1349; oneskihillplace.com

One Ski Hill Place

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The unofficial, official craft beer of Colorado golf.

BreckBrew.com w w w. col or a d o a v i d g ol f e r. c o m /tr av e l

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Presented by Breckenridge Brewery

KEYSTONE RANCH GOLF COURSE

Laid out by Robert Trent Jones, Jr., in 1980, Keystone Ranch Golf Course measures 7,090 from the longest tees. Located at 9,300 feet above sea level, it’s an open, high-meadow design, with sagebrush and native grasses bordering some holes, while others are lined by pine trees. Water hazards (most notably a nine-acre lake) come into play on seven holes.

1239 Keystone Ranch Rd., Keystone; 800-464-3494; keystoneresort.com

THE RIVER COURSE AT KEYSTONE

Keystone’s second course, a Michael Hurdzan/Dana Fry design, debuted in 2000. Defined by precipitous elevation changes, the 6,816-yard layout climbs through stands of lodgepole pines and plunges towards the Snake River, which crosses it a number of times. 155 River Course Drive, Keystone; 800-464-3494; keystoneresort.com

The River Course at Keystone

COPPER CREEK

The 18-hole Copper Creek Golf Club in Copper Mountain offers both novice and accomplished players 6,094 yards of golf from the longest tees for a par of 70. Pete and Perry Dye designed the highest championship golf course in America, incorporating the natural alpine terrain, railroad tie bulkheads and elaborate mound systems. 104 Wheeler Place, Copper Mountain; 970-968-3333; coppercolorado.com

BRECKENRIDGE GOLF CLUB

Breckenridge is the only municipality in the world to own a Jack Nicklaus designed, 27-hole golf course. The facility opened for play in 1985 with 18 holes; in the summer of 2001, another nine holes also designed

by Nicklaus were unveiled, and regional and national honors have flowed ever since. The newer Elk nine offers more elevation change than the Bear and Beaver nines. Situated in a beautiful valley, each nine offers panoramic views of the Colorado Rocky Mountains and dense wooded areas. It’s not uncommon to spot wildlife, even the occasional moose or bear. 200 Clubhouse Drive, Breckenridge; 970-453-9104; breckenridgegolfclub.com

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Breckenridge

Co lo r ado A vidG o l fe r. c o m/t r a ve l

GOLFKEYSTONE .COM

THE BEST PLACE TO PLAY. ON THE FAIRWAY AND OFF.

At Keystone, winner of Colorado Avid Golfer’s Best Stay and Play Award, you’ll play the golf of your life, while having the time of your life. With two amazing golf courses, 36 incredible championship holes and jaw-dropping views, it’s truly the complete package.

S TAY & P L AY P A C K A G E S A V A I L A B L E A L L S E A S O N F R O M $ 12 6 P E R P E R S O N CALL 8 8 8.697.1102

OR

VISIT KEYSTONEGOLF.COM

Featured rate based on weekday stay 6/15/12 - 9/2/12, double occupancy at the Inn at Keystone and two rounds of golf at The Ranch. Pet rooms require a nightly fee.

Other dates, rates and properties available. ©2012 Vail Summit Resorts, Inc. All rights reserved. Trademarks are the property of Vail Trademarks, Inc.

Presented by Breckenridge Brewery

Orchestra in the Riverwalk Center for a free holiday concert followed by an extraordinary fireworks display. gobreck.com

TOWN OF FRISCO BEETLEFEST

SHOPPING IN BRECKENRIDGE

Historic Main Street in Breckenridge is a colorful place to stroll and the perfect place to shop. More than 200 quaint stores and chic boutiques line the Victorian-style street, featuring intimate bookstores, specialty housewares, art galleries, sporting goods shops, lively bars and restaurants and funky women’s clothing stores. breckenridge.com

4TH OF JULY CELEBRATION IN BRECKENRIDGE

Breckenridge celebrates Independence Day with entertainment, free activities and lively family fun. The day starts with the “Firecracker 50,” a bike race that leads the spirited town parade on Main Street. As the sun goes down, join the National Repertory

September 10 Combining environmentalism with activities like the Beetle Stomp fun run, live music and speed-carving lumberjack shows, this annual September event makes sport of the pine beetle epidemic that has devastated much of the surrounding forest. See the latest in Beetle Kill products, visit the bug petting zoo and indulge in great food, beer and music. allsummitcounty.com/events/frisco_beetlefest.php

KEYSTONE SUMMER FESTIVALS

Keystone offers one of the longest ski seasons in North America.

During the summer months, however, Keystone is one of the hidden gems among Colorado’s destination resorts. Whatever your fancy is—from art to blues, even bacon—there is a day to celebrate in Keystone. All of fun fests are usually free to attend for the entire family. Live music rocks out on three stages at the Bluegrass and Beer Festival. The River Run Village hosts multiple events, including the Wine and Jazz Festival. www.keystonefestivals.com

Stay and Play at Beaver Run Resort in Breckenridge 25% Off Rooms*

and We’ll Reserve Your Tee Times!

Get 25% Off Golf June 8-30, 2012 and September 1-9, 2012* Call 800-265-3527 or visit www.BeaverRun.com/special-offers *Some restrictions apply. May not be combined with other offers.

PROMO CODE: COAVG

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Presented by Breckenridge Brewery

Dining at alpenglow Stube, Ski tip & the Ranch

Keystone’s River Run Gondola sends hungry patrons to the Alpenglow Stube, the “highest” gourmet, top rated Zagat restaurant in North America. Remove your shoes and slip into the plush Austrian slippers reserved for diners. The chefs create delicious contemporary cuisine with a Bavarian accent to complement this elegant and cozy setting.

Dinner is a six-course extravaganza, and lunch is equally delectable.

Among the finest mountaintop dining in the ski industry. A former 1800s stagecoach stop was transformed into the Ski Tip Lodge in the 1940s. The highly charming bed and breakfast gets rave reviews for the rotating four-course dinner menu and thoughtful service. Top off the meal with one of Ski Tip’s famed desserts. The Ranch, located on the Keystone Ranch Golf Course, is an award-winning 1930s old log ranch homestead that has achieved a AAA Four Diamond rating. Extraordinary Colorado cuisine is served with Western flair in the warm, rustic atmosphere—the superb six-course dinner is unparalleled.

Copper Creek Golf Course The Copper Creek Golf Course at Copper Mountain is a fun and affordable 18-hole course set against the breathtaking setting of Ten Mile Range.

keyStone’S RiveR Run Shopping anD Dining

Located in the heart of Keystone, the River Run Village is home to many boutique shops and world class restaurants, and it’s located within walking distance to the River Run Gondola. Your senses will also be engaged with lively festivals, street parties and nightlife.

The front nine winds through natural alpine terrain, towering pines, numerous lakes and streams, all leading to rolling emerald greens that demand your best concentration. The back nine changes in character as the fairways cut through the forest and the scant remains of a 19th century mining town.

To request a Tee Time: 866.249.1197 Questions & information: 866.677.1663

CopperColorado.com/golf

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Co lo r ado A vid G o l fe r. c o m/t r a ve l

For Every Player

VISIT OUR COLORADO LOCATIONS

Westminster

8222 South Yosemite St. Suite 100 Centennial, CO 720.225.0984

10460 Town Center Dr. Suite 100 Westminster, CO 303.952.5571

Tyler Enna PGA Professional

Barry Jennings PGA Master Professional

$20OFF

YOUR NEXT PURCHASE OF $100 OR MORE

Limit one coupon per customer. Minimum purchase of $100 before sales tax. Total amount of coupon must be redeemed at one time. Cannot be combined with any other offers, coupons or used for previously purchased merchandise. Coupon valid on in-store purchases only. Not redeemable for cash, gift cards or store credit. No reproductions or rain checks accepted. Returns or exchanges where an Advantage Club Golf Reward Certificate or other discount was applied may result in an adjusted refund amount. Excludes Under Armour, PING, FootJoy DryJoys Tour and FootJoy XPS-1, electronics, select new release Callaway Golf, Cleveland, Odyssey, Titleist, Scotty Cameron, Mizuno, Cobra, TaylorMade, Nike Golf, ecco and FootJoy merchandise. Some additional exclusions may apply. See store for details. Valid through 9/30/12.

P00011295

Park Meadows

VALID THROUGH 9/30/12

TAKE

for Tour-Level club fittings and repairs performed by PGA/LPGA Professionals and Certified Club Fitters

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Game

ChanGer After 12 years of anchoring the news, the accomplished golfer/sportscaster/ musician Ron Zappolo will soon turn his attention to his true passion.

By Sam Adams Photographs By Todd Langley

July 2012 | Colorado AvidGolfer

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T

he image of Ron Zappolo, wearing a suit, tie and newsman lour, looms large on Fox 31 News’ billboard advertisement at 5th Avenue and Lincoln Street. But arriving at a nearby Racine’s early on a rather quiet Tuesday morning, the anchorman looks quite the opposite—relaxed and wearing a friendly smile.

Zappolo sits down in the booth. He ignores the menu. A bowl of oatmeal with brown sugar, blueberries, fruit bread and coffee will suffice.

“How’s the comedy? Do you miss sports?”

Our interview goes on for for 10 minutes or so. But it’s he who’s getting me to open up, as he usually does with subjects on the set of “Zappolo’s People.”

The purpose of our breakfast is for me to interview him. It’s a mildly intimidating task considering his stature in the Denver media, and keen prowess for interviewing others.

He has been around Denver for so long— it’ll be 35 years August 1—that you might think you already know everything there is to know about him. Some in the business have dubbed Zappolo “The Cannon” for his no-holds-barred sports commentaries over the years. Some affectionately call him “The ’Stache” for his trademark facial hair.

Many have called Zappolo the best sportscaster Denver television viewers have ever seen. In 2000 he left the sports department at KUSA-Channel 9 after 10 years to work the news anchor desk at Fox 31.

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Colorado AvidGolfer | July 2012

Twelve years later Zappolo still hears whispers from fans clamoring for him to return to sports. It’s not an indictment of his skills as a news anchor. Zappolo has proven that a transition from “sports guy” to “newsman” can be made with success.

CW2 morning news anchor Tom Green has long-standing on- and off-air friendship with Zappolo. Like Zappolo, Green has made the successful transition from being a wellknown sportscaster to news anchor in Denver. “I’ve always watched him and respect his work,” Green says. “Ron and I are of a similar mind. We aren’t just sportscasters who only read the sports pages. It would have been a bigger roll of the dice for them to ask me to move from sports to news had Ron not done it—and done it well.

“When Ron and I see each other, we don’t talk about politics. We talk about sports.

He has always missed it. Ron has made the switch to news brilliantly, but he has always missed the sports. I think his heart is calling him back.”

“If you’re a broadcaster, a communicator, all you’re talking about is a different subject matter,” Zappolo says. “You prepare the same, you communicate it the same. I mean—I don’t hold myself up as Walter Cronkite, OK? I’m a local TV anchorman. I’m conversant in what I have to be. I’m still a sportscaster. I still pick up the sports page and see what guys write.

You can do both. You can do anything you want to do. The one thing my dad used to tell me is, there’s no such word as ‘can’t.’ You can do whatever you have the ability to do.”

When his contract at Fox 31 expires next year, Zappolo, 60, expects to return to the sports broadcasting arena. But doing what and with whom? “I’ve got 10 months left at Fox and it’s all good,” Zappolo says. “The last deal I signed was for five years, and I told them they ought to start looking for my replacement. I don’t want to be doing (news) and what it takes on a day-to-day basis. I want to go back to the sports world—but not doing what I did.

“I’m not going to be sitting on a television news set, giving scores and a final comment.

But I want to get back into the arena in a freelance way where I can pick and choose.

Maybe play-by-play. Maybe college football or college basketball. I don’t know what’s out there. But I want to investigate it because I enjoy it. It’s fun. Fifteen years ago the travel kind of wore me down. My kids were younger and it was difficult.”

Now that Zappolo’s five children—Phil, Karl, Spencer, Kristin and Karisa—have left

the nest, he has “more freedom so that if I want to go to a college campus on a Thursday night and come back on a Saturday night, it sounds kind of appealing. I’ve had a couple of calls from people asking if I’m serious or just talking. I’m serious. People say things, but we’ll see 10 months from now how serious they are.”

Zappolo won’t be idle while waiting for serious calls. If you happen to be in the right place at the right time, he might be sitting in to sing or play drums with one of the local bands around town.

“He loves to sing,” says Libby Weaver,

ACCORDING TO ZAP: “Golf is fleeting moments of success—with a huge dose of agony lurking.”

who playfully describes Zappolo as her “television husband” for 12 years at Fox 31. “Music probably is his second passion.

He loves all kinds of music—James Taylor, the Beatles. He’ll sing anything. Anytime there’s a song playing during commercial break, he’s singing . . . it’s hilarious. And I think that’s the biggest misconception about Ron—that he comes off very serious.

That’s so not him. He’s got a great sense of humor. He makes fun of himself. There’s no prima donna there. And he’s got a great voice.”

“He’d rather sing than eat,” says his long-time friend, the nationally known veterinarian and stand-up comedian Kevin Fitzgerald. “Most people would rather hear him eat.”

In addition to praising his friend’s talents as an interviewer, Fitzgerald adds that Zappolo has mad skills as a drummer and as a golfer. “He plays golf and I don’t—I mean, I

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GOOD SPORTS: Tom Green, Jim Benemann, Ron Zappolo, Mike Nolan, Sonny Lubick and Mark Koebrich at the Denver Chop House in 1999.

This summer, enjoy our weekend afternoon rates on Saturdays & Sundays after 1:00 p.m. $52 for 18-holes $29 for 9-holes

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Colorado AvidGolfer | July 2012

(at Hillcrest Golf Club in Sun City West, Arizona). It completely changed my approach to golf.

“I’ve just kind of gotten better. But as I’ve gotten better, I mean, I love it now. My friends will tell you I’m totally immersed in golf.”

“Golf is his passion,” Weaver confirms.

“And you can tell when he’s had a good day on the golf course because he comes on the set in a great mood.”

Brad Moore was Zappolo’s instructor at the Jacobs school. At their initial session Moore taped Zappolo’s swings and compared them side-by-side with those of PGA Tour star Ernie Els. Even though he works with “50-800” pupils during the course of a year, Moore remember Zappolo “was willing to try anything. He was like a lot of golfers—athletic, physically talented, but you have to give them the right information to improve their game. They have to jump the mental hurdle, which it appears he has done. Then it becomes fun.

“We usually can tell pretty quickly who’s here on vacation and who’s serious. Ron was very light-hearted, but he and his brother were serious about what they wanted to accomplish.”

Perhaps being around so many competitive athletes through the years has stoked Zappolo’s competitive fires. Or maybe it’s just his willingness to do the little things necessary to become the best at whatever he does—a work ethic that can be traced back to his days at Washington, D.C.’s WTTG-TV, where he rose from copy guy to anchor.

Zappolo was 25 years old in 1977 when ColoradoAvidG o lf e r.c o m

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do, but I don’t use balls. I use rabbits. They yell when you hit them, but when they land they run right into the hole.”

Zappolo would prefer to pull birdies out of the cup. He has become the quintessential avid golfer who plays at least three times a week. “My golf game is pretty good,” Zappolo says. “I am, right now, a six handicap. That’s been from a lot of work. I joined Inverness in the late 1990s. Couldn’t play dead—played once in a while...couldn’t break 100. So I stopped playing, didn’t want to play because I knew I’d just embarrass myself.

Green remembers playing with Zappolo during his days struggling to play the game well. “Ron, I think, had put the game away. But then he started to play again and we went out once,” Green said. “It was a great time. But you know what golf does— it doesn’t expose you truly, but it exposes a funny shade of light on you. Ron is so graceful and effortless at things that I think he found the challenge again. He was like, ‘I’m not doing this with grace and effort.’ It was hard.

“But I knew he’d get better. I don’t see him flail or struggle with too many things.

He’s a guy that can look at something, figure it out and do it pretty easily.”

Around 2004 Zappolo began to figure it out. “I said to myself, I’m either going to do either one of two things—I’m going to learn how to play this game properly and see if I have some ability to play it decently, or I’m going to quit playing.

“I called my brother (Rick) and I asked him what he knew about golf schools. We ended going to the John Jacobs Golf School

well, you’re not any good,” Zappolo says. he left WTTG to work for KOA-TV (now “Now I’m out there grinding it out. Now CBS4). He accepted a two-year contract I’m learning about tournament golf, learning from the station. “Before they even told me about how to manage a golf course, learning what the money was, I said, ‘I’ll take it,’” about thinking my way through a round, Zappolo recalls. “I thought it would be two how to visualize what you want to do.“ years that I could really practice, learn my Two things he wants to do are win the craft—and then I’d go back east. That was Inverness senior and club championships. “I 35 years ago.” break 80 a pretty good amount of the time,” The Denver Broncos went to Super Bowl he says. “Every once in a while I go pretty XII during Zappolo’s first year on the job. damn low.”

He has been a part of coverage for every How low? Try 73 during a round played major professional sports championship in May at Inverness. “Best I’ve done,” Zapseries involving Denver teams. And he’s polo says. “It’s surreal . . . I’ve got the scoreinterviewed just about every major Dencard at home. I leave it on my desk and ver sports figure over the years, from Hall look at it every of Famers John Elway once in awhile to and David Thompson to reinforce that it Larry Brown, Doug Moe can be done.” and Mike Shanahan.

Zappolo says Zappolo doesn’t really he has to guard keep track of the more against carfamous golf partners he’s ing about it too had over the years. But much. “I’ve got the celebrities he most to learn, don’t wishes he could have care—it’s just anenjoyed a round of golf other Saturday with might come as a morning with the surprise. fellas. Of course, “A year ago I interyou tell yourself viewed Richie Furay, that—and then who is now a pastor in you make that Broomfield. He’s famous long walk from for being in the band, the driving range Buffalo Springfield,” to the first tee.

Zappolo said. “I have Golf, to me, is idolized him for years.

TaylorMade Burner Driver, 3-wood fleeting moments I’ve gotten to know him and rescue. Cleveland Golf CG7 irons of success—with a rather well. He told me and 52° 56° and 60° wedges; huge dose of agothis story that he’d alPing putter ny lurking. That’s ways call Neil Young all it is. You’re goand they’d keep up. A ing along, you make five pars to start your year ago Neil Young comes to Red Rocks. day, you’re feeling good with a little bounce Furay calls and says he wants to get togethin your step. And then you snap-hook one er, but he doesn’t want to come backstage into the woods. Then you think, well, I saw and screw around. Neil Young says, ‘Why Phil Mickelson take a 3-wood and bend it don’t we play golf tomorrow?’ The next day 240 yards around some trees at The MasNeil Young and Richie Furay played golf at ters. I can do that.

Arrowhead. I don’t think of either one of “And then, after you’ve hit it backwards. . .” them with a golf club, but I would have The pause is followed by one of Zaploved to have been a part of that—tagging polo’s unmistakable hearty laughs, which along, listening to the conversations and serves as a subtle reminder that there still is asking a few questions.” a giddy little kid inside of him that wants to During a round of golf Zappolo probably play, have lots of fun—and win—whether it’s could reel off hundreds of stories about his on the links or in the press box. favorite moments and figures in Denver sports. But he’d rather use the time to conContributing Editor Sam Adams is an awardcentrate on the simple task of getting the winning journalist and comedian. He profiled ball off the tee, into the fairway, onto the Wyndham Clark in the June issue. Become a green and into the cup. follower of us on Facebook and Twitter.

“When I couldn’t break 100 it was like,

The ’stache’s Cache

ag

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n o i t i d E o d a r o l o C

of the parid sa on gt in rr ha g ai dr pa fear works well for me,” sawgrass, site of the players tpC three island-green 17th at a little bit of adrenaline to focus Championship. “You need ortage of that. and there’s no sh

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lse U p r U o Y , r e d r a h s U C oU fo Y e k a m o d a r o l o C in s k C o t t U b r U What holes o Y d n a ier v a e h d a e b W o r b r U o rs e f l raCe faster, Y o g id v a e m o s d e k s ClenCh tighter? We a pest fears. to share their dee

Colorado AvidGolfer | July 2012

ColoradoAvidG o lf e r.c o m

rIverdale dunes #15 426 yards Par 4

Castle PInes golf Club #10 485 yards Par 4

Talk about threading the needle. With water left and OB right, you have to land your tee shot on a bowling alley of a fairway that’s not even visible from the back tees. Hitting it deep is crtical to avoiding the water on the second shot as well.

The elevated tee shot is spectacular, but it’s the 200-plus-yard approach over water to the green that has ruined many a round. “Birdie that hole and I’ll buy you a 12-pack!” wrote one Facebook fan.

MurPhy CreeK #17 248 yards Par 3

As if the length of this shot weren’t enough of a test, there’s water to the right and a deep swale to the left. The green is large, but, none of the bailout areas produce a sure route to par.

Inverness #3 217 Yards Par 3

If you don’t strike the ball well, not only will you not reach the green; you’ll be reaching for another pellet because any kind of cut or fade will find the water. Pull it left and you’re delicately chipping or blasting from sand back toward the water…that is, if you’re not already OB.

Cougar Canyon #16 163 yards Par 3 “There’s no bail-out area, just a series of tee boxes and an arroyo encircling a modest green perched on a plateau. Should your tee shot miss this island green, forget any hope of scoring. While hitting from one plateau to another is tough but fun, the wind often howls, making the chances of sticking your tee shot nearly unthinkable. This hole is where good rounds go to die.” — Jerry Walters, CAG Contributing Editor

arrowhead #12 415 Yards Par 4

On your way to playing the iconic par-3 13th, don’t overlook this uphill, dogleg left with a nasty sloping green, and a minefield of bunkers along the fairway.

fossIl traCe #12

585 yards Par 5

How often do you find sandstone monoliths in the middle of a fairway? Just the presence of these enormous “fins” inspires awe and anxiety. Do you hit around them, over them or at them?

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the broadmoor (east) #4 170 yards Par 3

“The same fate suffered here by Meg Mallon in the 1995 U.S. Women’s Open can easily befall you.

Avoiding the lake isn’t as much a problem as negotiating one of the most challenging greens in the U.S. is. Hit it above the hole and you’re almost guaranteed a three-putt. Miss the green short, long, right of left and you’re guaranteed a bogey.” —Russ Miller, Director of Golf, The Broadmoor

CherrY hills #17 544 yards Par 5

The 2009 reintroduction of fairway cross-bunkers and the removal of trees around the green have made this hole—Hogan’s Waterloo in the 1960 Open—more intimidating than ever. Purportedly, architect William Flynn designed the green to reveal the expanse of water one must navigate on the final tee shot (see below left).

bUffalo rUn #4 220 yards Par 3

ironbridge #10 402 yards Par 4

The beginning of Ironbridge’s “Amen Corner” requires a harrowing drive over a canyon to a sliver of fairway bordered by tall native. The second shot goes uphill to a narrow, undulating green that runs perpendicular to the fairway and is fronted by a deep bunker. It’s a beauty and a beast.

CherrY hills #18

488 Yards Par 4

The lake on the left has swallowed both Tommy Bolt’s driver and Lorena Ochoa’s Open dreams. You want to hug the left side to get a flatter lie for your second shot, but if you pull your drive, you’re wet and re-teeing for your third shot. Push your drive and you’re in someone’s backyard or high rough.

Then it’s all uphill to the mightily bunkered green.

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When you have a long iron in your hand and notice only trouble and not the green, you know you’re in for it. On this ultratight par-3, a stream runs from the tee box to the green, leading to water to the right of the green and bunkers to the left. The only safe shot is laying up short. Anything left will leave a delicate bunker shot back towards the water.

Castle pines golf ClUb #11 197 Yards Par 3

It doesn’t get any easier after the monster on 10. The flowery, downhill one-shotter—with water short, bunkers right and a green with more tiers than a wedding cake—demands shooting a dart or else the strokes compound at a usurious rate.

ColoradoAvidG o lf e r.c o m

blaCk bear #13

sanCtUarY #1

It’s a tightrope walk from tee to green, thanks to an arroyo that runs the entire right side of this true three-shotter before turning into an all-carry chasm in front of the green.

“That tee is so freaking high, it makes the fairway look like a bacon strip,” says PGA Professional Doug Wherry. “What a way to start your round!” The 185-foot plunge to the first landing area is followed by a gradual, 60-foot descent to the green.

604 yards Par 5

558 yards Par 5

plUm Creek #16 459 yards Par 4

saddle roCk #10

With water right and OB left, you need two long straight pokes to reach the well-guarded green in regulation. Bailing out to the left puts you in a greenside bunker and hitting back towards the water.

431 yards Par 4

The tee shot—a 200-yard carry over ESA—isn’t even the toughest part of this hole. Your approach has to navigate a narrow, angled fairway that leaves no room for error. Cutting the corner is not an option; nor is anything but hitting it straight. Trouble hides everywhere.

gYpsUm Creek #18 389 yards par 4

Finishing strong on this Pete Dye test requires a narrow tee shot of 250 yards with water on right and in front of the landing area. Stay dry and you’ll have 140 yards into the green and directly into the prevailing wind.

Co l o r a d o A v i d G o l f e r. c o m

hiWan #15

571 yards Par 5

Any shot that finds the valleys on this rollercoaster, hilltop-to-hilltop fairway will make this already long hole even longer. The green slopes hard back to front, so don’t get behind the hole.

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saddlebaCk #16 322 yards Par 4

As much fun as it is frightening, this seductive risk-reward hole features an island green ringed by sand and a moat. There’s no drawbridge. Lay up or prepare to pay up.

red skY golf ClUb (fazio) #11

421 yards par 4

The severely uphill hole plays into prevailing winds with ESA on left and native on right. There’s no margin for error—and you’re likely hitting driver, 3-wood.

meridian #8 214 yards Par 3

the olde CoUrse at loveland #14 423 yards Par 4

It’s green or gone on your second shot to this island green. The A-Position tee shot is the on the left side of the fairway. Avoid pin-seeking and play to the middle of the green, which undulates more than the water surrounding it does.

Mix a long iron off the tee, a left-to-right prevailing wind and water right of the green. The result could be more reloads than a payday crack pipe. Bailing out left will leave you with a tough up-and-down from a downhill lie or grass bunker.

legaCY ridge #11 552 Yards Par 5

The plate on the tee box says it’s 154 yards to the wetlands. Clearing the trees that sprout high above them, however, requires a much bigger shot. And a straight one. Split the uprights—or else. Junk lurks just beyond, left and right.

the golf ClUb at redlands mesa #17 218 yards Par 3

Imagine standing on a mesa-top tee box no bigger than a cemetery plot and floating a long iron into a green tucked into mini amphitheater. Be sure to stick the landing on your follow-through.

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K eiser Kingdom In

the

Defying The Downturn, Mike Keiser’s SingleMinded Vision Turned A Coastal Oregon Town Into Golf’s Spiritual Home Featuring Five Courses—And Counting.

By Tom Ferrell | PHOTOS BY WOOD SABOLD 78

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L

ike any pilgrimage, my trek to Bandon Dunes—golf’s new mecca—was an arduous one. A flight from Denver to Portland. Five hours of deserted, serpentine roads through the coastal mountains and then a long crawl through Coos Bay and North Bend. I arrived just after midnight, checked in and fell into an anticipatory slumber.

Morning dawned clear and cool. Coffee in hand, I slipped outside to shuck my clubs from their travel bag and begin the buildup to a mid-morning tee time. Turning back from the car, however, I spotted a small sign bearing a strange symbol, with an arrow pointing down a wooded trail. I followed it, enjoying the stillness of Chrome Lake and columns of sunlight filtering through the pines. I soon came into a clearing perfectly suited for wood nymphs and hobbits, and there in the center lay a labyrinth, fullsize replica of the famed spiritual path at the Cathedral of Chartres, France. A small granite monument informs that the labyrinth was built in honor of Howard McKee, Keiser’s right-hand man in the development of Bandon Dunes, who waged a holistic battle against cancer for many years.

I spent 30 minutes walking the labyrinth, which represents man’s spiritual journey through life, and, as I would come to see, the journey of links golf as well. Then, calmed and reflective from my walking meditation, I returned to my cottage. Without yet seeing a single hole, Bandon Dunes had become my favorite golf destination in the world.

Vision

PILGRIM’S PATH: A full-sized replica of the famed labryrinth at France’s Cathédrale de Chartres suggests the spiritual nature of a journey to Bandon.

Co l o r a d o A v i d G o l f e r. c o m

Sometimes all it takes it the willingness to see just a little bit farther. Mike Keiser had already proven his ability to turn vision into reality when, on a whim and a shoestring, he had crafted a nine-hole homage to the legendary Pine Valley Golf Club, called The Dunes, located in the sandy scrapes of Michigan an hourand-a-half from his Chicago home.

Energized by the process of coaxing golf out of the land and emboldened by a belief that there were others who shared his passion for links golf—a passion kindled on the sandy linksland of Ireland and Scotland—Keiser started looking for land. Not just any land. The land had to have certain qualities: sandy soil, dramatic natural features, elevation changes but nothing so severe that a walker carrying a golf bag couldn’t manage it.

Finally, his trusted friend McKee lured him to Bandon, and there he gazed out upon hundreds of acres of spectacular clifftop and dune-studded land choked with a gnarly and invasive tangle of miserable barbs and yellow flowers. Gorse. To the residents of Bandon, a seaside community about 20 miles south of the timber shipping centers of Coos Bay and North Bend, the gorse was a curse brought upon them by Irish settlers. To those who called Bandon home, it was a nuisance and a fire hazard. Twice the city July 2012 | Colorado AvidGolfer

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THE KIDD’S ALRIGHT: Bandon Dunes’ par-3 sixth.

of Bandon had burned when the gorse-fueled flames had ridden the prevailing northerly winds into the village.

To Keiser, though, the gorse delivered his “this is the place” moment. He had encountered this flora before, along the Scottish and Irish links he loved. When he looked out over this piece of coastal landscape, he saw something in the land no one else had ever envisioned: golf.

“It’s an interesting little irony about the gorse,” Keiser said in May, while sitting in the Bandon Trails clubhouse waiting for a squall to let up before heading out for a round on The Preserve, a stunning new 13hole short course—the fifth course to open at Bandon since 1999—authored by Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw. “I knew that the gorse meant the land was perfect for links golf. But the reason this project got approved was not golf or economic development. It was gorse removal.”

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The Big Three : Golf Comes to Bandon Mike Keiser is not your average golf developer. His motivation came not in dreams of grandeur but rather dreams of pure links golf.

The kind that most American golfers had never experienced. The project itself made few headlines as it got underway following a lengthy permitting process. There was no “brand” name associated with the resort, neither hotelier nor architect. No Ritz. No Fazio. Instead, McKee was working on plans for a modest lodge to accommodate whatever regional traffic Bandon might attract.

Keiser, meanwhile, selected a young and unknown Scotsman named David McLay Kidd to lay a links upon his seaside land.

“One of the things I love is the energy of a young architect,” Keiser says. “When we

decided to build the links at Bandon, Kidd just fit the bill. He had grown up at Macrihanish, one of the great links courses, and his father was very experienced with the nuances of building and maintaining links courses. And frankly, it removed some risk for me. If his work had been disappointing, I could have and would have fired him. But obviously that wasn’t the case.”

Bandon Dunes opened in 1999 to immediate acclaim. An unfamiliar blend of fescue and Colonial bent grasses gave the course the firm and fast playing surfaces that have long baffled American visitors to Scotland.

A series of oceanfront holes, beginning with perhaps the most scenic duo of par-4s in the world—the fourth and fifth—and culminating with an all-world photo op at the brilliant short-4 16th attracted photographers whose work soon washed over virtually every golf publication. Player traffic exceeded all projections. Where Keiser had expected a getaway

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Golf Course

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Colorado AvidGolfer | July 2012

for himself and his buddies, and maybe a few curiosityseekers from California and the Pacific Northwest, it became quickly apparent that something much bigger was afoot.

By the time Bandon opened, another course, this one laid out by the brash writer-cumarchitect Tom Doak, was underway just north of Bandon Dunes. There, the land was even wilder. Doak and his crew from Renaissance Golf, led by the tireless Denver resident Jim Urbina, weren’t holding back. In 2001 Pacific Dunes opened to raves not seen in the golf world since, well, Bandon Dunes. With world top-10 tracks to sample, golfers flocked from all over the world. They lined up on walking-only courses in winds that rarely dipped below 20 miles per hour, where frequent rains served as nothing more than accents for the stories the golfers carried back to their home clubs and courses.

“I never thought Bandon would become what it is today,” Urbina says. “When Tom (Doak) and I first visited the proposed Pacific Dunes site, Mike Keiser still wasn’t even sure about the prospect of a second course. He didn’t even own all of the property yet. But he decided to take the chance. Sometime

during construction, it began to occur to me that Bandon could become something bigger than I ever thought it could be.”

Bandon Dunes and Pacific Dunes are siblings in every sense of the word. Bandon Dunes is graceful, refined and at ease in all company. It beckons the golfer and is by turns inviting, generous, challenging and on its ocean holes, simply spectacular. Pacific Dunes, on the other hand, has the wild and daring spirit of a second child not willing to live in its older brother’s shadow.

Pacific is stocky and fearless, swirling around steep dunes, defending itself with heaving greens that don’t simply invite the ground game but demand a precise approach to it. The 138-yard 11th will take your breath away before absolutely demoralizing the golfer who isn’t confident enough or, worse, thinks too much of his skills. But it is the beautiful and brutish 444-yard par-4 13th that provides the quintessential Pacific Dunes moment.

With the waves crashing to your left, the wind howling in your face and an 80-foot dune towering to your right, the entire physical world is distilled into a single golf hole. Unforgettable. The kind of experience that Keiser envisioned.

The golfers kept coming.

Howard McKee kept adding to the modest land plan, and the pilgrims kept coming.

Cottages here. Cabins there.

For his third act, Bandon Trails, Keiser turned to the famed architectural tandem Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw.

The land he offered them was markedly different—no seaside holes. In fact, the ocean rarely comes into view after the first hole. Coore and Crenshaw instead crafted a inland-style layout that transitions through dunes, open meadows and dense forest. With some protection from the constant winds, Bandon Trails provides a kind of respite from its wideopen pure links brethren. But hole for hole, many Bandon employees and regulars call it the best of the bunch.

“Some people say we got the least appealing tract on the property,” Coore says.

“We never saw it that way.

We even tried to go toward the ocean in the beginning, but the dunes just didn’t lend themselves to longer holes.

We try to go where the best golf is, and that’s what we did at Bandon Trails.”

The closing stretch of Bandon Trails—the uphill par-5 16th, the long one-shot 17th and the rollicking up-anddown par-4 18th playing through steep dunes—may be the best three-hole stretch ColoradoAvidG o lf e r.c o m

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National Golf Links of America, Macdonald’s 1911 masterpiece, Urbina took the bit and ran.

Old Macdonald, located north of Pacific Dunes occupies what was the thickest stand of gorse on the entire property. But Urbina saw an enormous landscape that contained perhaps the purest linksland outside of St. Andrews itself.

“The gorse showed the movement of the ground,” Urbina says, “it mimics it, just 15 feet above the ground. The key was to pluck, not bulldoze it. You can get rid of it with a dozer, but you destroy the contour of the ground below.”

Old Macdonald is a wonderland of rumpled fairways, buffeting winds, sprawling greens whose average size make them the largest in all of golf.

The routing goes out, over a massive dune at the third (Sahara), ultimately climbing to the property’s highest point at the seventh, works back on top of itself and ultimately crosses the dune again at the par-4 16th (Alps). Not unlike a labyrinth.

at Bandon. And that stretch of land where Coore and Crenshaw couldn’t find the longer holes? That has become The Preserve, a short course that defines Keiser’s latest vision.

Back to the Future: Old Macdonald Three top-ranked courses might be enough for some developers, but Keiser had one more masterpiece in mind. He had become enamored of the work of golf ’s self-proclaimed first architect, C.B. Macdonald. After exploring the idea of rebuilding a long-lost Macdonald masterpiece, Keiser turned back to Renaissance, this time offering the now-famous firm a codesign project between Urbina and Doak, to create a “tribute” course that would interpret and showcase Macdonald’s style. The name? Old Macdonald. For Urbina, it was the chance of a lifetime. Long a fan of

NATIONAL OF THE WEST: Old Macdonald’s par-4 7th.

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“Old Macdonald just has such a grand scale,” Urbina says. “You come over that Sahara Dune and see the ocean—is there anything grander than the Pacific Ocean?

We decided to go with architectural features that showcased the scale. There were times when we debated whether to even tell Mike the true sizes of some of the greens, they were so large, but it has all worked out. This is so different from anything else you can play in America.”

Short Story

The property’s fifth course again showcases Mike Keiser’s willingness to look outside the norm. Bandon’s walking-only policy creates an obvious dilemma for Keiser.

Many of his contemporaries —many golfers of all ages, in fact—are not comfortable walking 36 holes in a single day (although in a great tradition, Bandon offers a dramatic discount for second rounds, and for the truly brave, the third round on any day is free). Where some saw a gamble, Keiser saw an opportunity.

“Hurry up and build it was the message I got from people I talked to,” he says. “There are a lot of baby boomers out there. This is perfect

PAR-THREE PARTY: Coore & Crenshaw’s 13-hole Bandon Preserve

for them. It makes great business sense to me.”

Coore notes that it was another chance for he and Crenshaw to test their design mettle.

“You know, golf can take a lot of forms. The Preserve is built for fun, but there’s a lot of integrity in the design. It’s a great match-play environment, and people seem to walk off it smiling. Isn’t that the true test?”

It is, and Keiser makes sure the smiles continue at one of the resort’s delightfully

Unlimited Golf is better when shared

woody pubs, restaurants and amenity-rich accommodations. Bandon’s main lodge, inn, sylvan cottages and lakefront cabins can bed 187 pilgrims.

Keiser Walks Ahead

Mike Keiser never stands still in his quest to move the needle with links golf. His bet is that

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ICON IN THE MIST: Bandon Dunes’ par-4 16th.

people who love links golf will go wherever the spirit moves them, and so far he’s been right.

Following the Bandon model—18 holes, 60 rooms—Keiser repeated his success in 2005 with the Doak-designed Barnbougle Dunes in Tasmania, to which, five years later, he added Lost Farm, a Coore & Crenshaw layout, and 75 rooms. On June 29, Cabot Links on Canada’s Cape Breton Island, a much-anticipated layout by Canadian Rod Whitman, opened with a 48-room lodge—and enough land for a second course and more accommodations. “People really will go if you build something worth traveling for,” he says.

As for Bandon? The resort has no further development plans, but Keiser is ready to give something back to the town that has provided so much. Within two years, he will break ground on Bandon Municipal Golf Links.

Gil Hanse, who is designing the Olympic golf course in Rio, will lead the project.

“It’s going to follow the Saint Andrews model,” Keiser notes. “For locals, it will cost virtually nothing to play. Destination golfers will subsidize that, but everyone will get

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another great golf experience.”

It’s that sort of thinking, Urbina says, that separates Mike Keiser and Bandon Dunes from traditional developer and resort models. “Mike Keiser has created a community, not just a resort,” he says. “It’s a community of like-minded people who believe the game in its simplest form. The feeling is that we’re all in it together, and that’s why it has this spiritual base. That meeting of game and nature is what attracted people all those years ago. It’s about creating an experience that people who join in it feel compelled to share with their friends and their families and their fellow golfers. Set your worries aside and go play golf. Mike has figured out the magic in that. Or maybe he just re-discovered it.”

Bill Coore takes it one step further: “Mike Keiser is bringing links golf to all areas of the world. No one like this has come along in the game since Old Tom Morris.”

THE OFFIC IAL

GOLF GUIDE FOR THE STATE OF COLO RADO

2012 Colorado

Golf Guide

ag

Tom Ferrell is CAG’s Editor at Large. Visit bandondunesgolf.com. Follow us on Co l o r a d o A v i d G o l f e r. c o m

July 2012 | Colorado AvidGolfer

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| WORD GAMES | TRIVIA

Spot the Differences

Can you find the variances between these photos from 2011 Open Champion Darren Clarke’s winning round?

A

t last year’s Open Championship at Royal St. George’s Golf Club in Sandwich, England, Darren Clarke of Northern Ireland roared to his first major victory by three shots. His title defense will come this month at Royal Lytham & St. Annes in Lancashire. The last Open winner at Lytham?

Current Denver resident David Duval, who overcame the course’s 206 bunkers to kiss his one and only Claret Jug in 2001.

To find out the 10 differences between these photos, visit our Facebook page.

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