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HIS LAST MASTERS P. 64
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CONTENTS
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SPRING 2024
PG. 64
Verne Lundquist in his Steamboat Springs office is surrounded by some special golf memorabilia. Photo by Nick McQueeney
FEATURES
DEPARTMENTS FORETHOUGHTS// 8
THE VOICE OF GOD// 64
PLAYER’S CORNER FASHION// 21 Spring wear that helps bridge the end of winter and the
Many readers are receiving a bonus this edition
Verne Lundquist, who winters in Steamboat Springs,
– a copy of Dream Golf’s newest magazine that
will call his final Masters tournament in April on CBS.
details their plans for Rodeo Dunes in northeast
It is the end of an era
By Suzanne S. Brown
Colorado
By Jon Rizzi
By Jim Bebbington
PLAY BALL// 73
ROOKIE DIARY// 48
THE GALLERY// 12
The Rockies and more than a dozen other teams head
The 2024 Golf Expo is bigger and better; Questions persist on the future of Deer Creek Golf Club; RainDance Golf Course owners open a tubing and sledding hill on the plains; Two Colorado golf leaders are praised for their work
THE CGA// 18
of the teams traveling to Arizona there is a nearly
DESTINATION// 40
bottomless supply of great golf to be had
By Jim Bebbington
PGA Frisco is the PGA of America’s new home and
CAGGY WINNERS!// 51
By Tom Mackin
be found in the Centennial State
BLINDSHOT// 84 Preparations for The BMW Championship get busy with six months to go
BECOMING A PRO// 44 Three PGA pros with Colorado connections talk about life on the tour and the year ahead
By Jim Bebbington
make it as a touring golf professional
By Jim Bebbington
winners on where Coloradans think the best golf can
By Kayla Kerns
Aurora’s Davis Bryant details what it’s like to try to
to Golf Country, Arizona, for Spring Training. For fans
The people have spoken, and there are some upset
People of the CGA – Janene Guzowski
beginning of summer
By Jim Bebbington
will challenge the best
SIDE BETS FAREWAYS// 28 It’s still a little chilly out; where can golfers find the best chili?
By John Lehndorff
NICE DRIVES// 34 Acura Integra Type S and the Toyota Corolla GR
By Isaac Bouchard
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Award-winning dining, a booming craft beer scene, luxurious resorts, and exceptional year-round golf on courses along the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail await you in Alabama. Plus, with Jerry Pate’s Kiva Dunes and Arnold Palmer’s Craft Farms in Gulf Shores, from the Mountain Lakes to the Gulf Coast, you can take it all in.
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Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail at Grand National, Auburn-Opelika coloradoavidgolfer.com 5
SPRING 2024 | VOLUME 22, NUMBER 8 coloradoavidgolfer.com PRESIDENT & GROUP PUBLISHER ALLEN J. WALTERS CONTENT DIRECTOR
JIM BEBBINGTON
SALES, MARKETING & ADVERTISING vp of sales & marketing
LORI PERRY
golf passport & special events manager
MICHAEL T. COLANDER digital marketing manager / content strategist
BRENDAN O’KEEFFE office manager
LAURIE LEWIS ART & EDITORIAL art director
CHRIS DECONNA art director, avidlifestyle
BRENNA FARRELL editor-at- large
TOM FERRELL automotive editor
ISAAC BOUCHARD style editor
SUZANNE S. BROWN PARTNER
CHRIS PHILLIPS contributors
ANDY BIGFORD, CLARKSON CREATIVE PHOTOGRAPHY, TONY DEAR, DENNY DRESSMAN, SUE DRINKER, DICK DURRANCE, CHRIS DUTHIE, SCOTT GARDNER, NICK MCQUEENEY, KAYLEE HARTER, TED JOHNSON, JOHN LEHNDORFF, TOM MACKIN, KIM MCHUGH, JAY MCKINNEY, JON RIZZI, CHRIS WHEELER
INQUIRIES advertising ALLEN@COLORADOAVIDGOLFER.COM editorial & letters JIM@COLORADOAVIDGOLFER.COM customer service & subscriptions (720) 493-1729 mailing address 9350 E. ARAPAHOE ROAD, STE. 210 GREENWOOD VILLAGE, CO 80112 newsstand information (720) 493-1729 coloradoavidgolfer
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Colorado AvidGolfer (ISSN 1548-4335) is published eight times a year by Baker-Colorado Publishing, LLC, and printed by Publication Printers Corp. 9350 E. Arapahoe Road #210, Greenwood Village, CO 80112. Colorado AvidGolfer is available at more than 250 locations, or you can order your personal subscription by calling 720-493-1729. Subscriptions are available at the rate of $17.95 per year. Copyright © 2023 by Baker-Colorado Publishing, LLC. All rights reserved. Reproduction without permission is prohibited. Postmaster: Send address changes to Colorado AvidGolfer, 9350 E. Arapahoe Road #210, Greenwood Village, CO 80112. The magazine welcomes editorial submissions but assumes no responsibility for the safekeeping or return of unsolicited manuscripts, photographs, artwork or other material. magazine partner of choice:
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Forethoughts
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Letter from the Editor
SHOWCASING THE BEST For nearly four years the brothers Chris and Michael Keiser have chipped away at their project of bringing world-class dunes golf to northeast Colorado. Things are about to break out into a full-on sprint. What started with one of the brothers idly scrolling through Google Earth while waiting at Denver International Airport is now well on its way to becoming a golf destination for the world: Rodeo Dunes.
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Their father brought the world Bandon Dunes, and the brothers have branched out to add Cabot Cape Breton in Nova Scotia and Sand Valley in Wisconsin. They are about to break ground on nearly 2,000 acres near Roggen an hour northeast of Denver. The first Rodeo Dunes holes are expected to take shape in 2024, with the first course opening in 2025. They have enough land to build as many as six courses ultimately. The company wants to attract members and players from around the world, but it also knows it will take up a unique place within the Colorado golf community. That is why Colorado AvidGolfer subscribers are receiving a two-fer this month: our Spring edition, along with Dream Golf’s latest edition of Dream Golf Magazine. The magazine has the latest from the Dream Golf operators on the plans for Rodeo Dunes and the rest of their properties and is a keepsake coffee-table quality edition. (For AvidGolfer readers who receive their copies other than as subscribers if you would like a copy of the Dream Golf Magazine go to ColoradoAvidGolfer.com/RodeoDunes and we have a special deal for you.)
John Pavlakovich NMLSR ID: 801982 Sr. Mortgage Consultant Cell: 720-308-2507 John.Pavlakovich@phmloans.com JohnPavlakovich.phmloans.com 215 Saint Paul St, Denver, CO 80206
©2024 Prosperity Home Mortgage, LLC. (877) 275-1762. 3060 Williams Drive, Suite 600, Fairfax, VA 22031. All first mortgage products are provided by Prosperity Home Mortgage, LLC. Not all mortgage products may be available in all areas. Not all borrowers will qualify. NMLS ID #75164 (For licensing information go to: NMLS Consumer Access at http://www.nmlsconsumeraccess.org/) Licensed by the Department of Financial Protection and Innovation under the California Residential Mortgage Lending Act. Licensed by the Delaware State Bank Commissioner. Georgia Residential Mortgage Licensee. Massachusetts Mortgage Lender and Mortgage Broker MC75164. Licensed by the NJ Department of Banking and Insurance. Licensed Mortgage Banker-NYS Department of Financial Services. Rhode Island Licensed Lender. Rhode Island Licensed Loan Broker. Rhode Island Licensed Third-Party Loan Servicer. Also licensed in AK, AL, AR, AZ, CO, CT, DC, FL, ID, IL, IN, KS, KY, LA, MD, ME, MI, MN, MO, MS, MT, NC, ND, NE, NH, NM, NV, OH, OK, OR, PA, SC, SD, TN, TX, UT, VA, VT, WA, WI, WV and WY. #MC241014 Expires 12/2024
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“Dream Golf Magazine is our deepest conversation with Dream golfers,” said Tom Ferrell, vice president of marketing and communications for Dream Golf. “We want people to share in the incredible experiences that our guests have at our properties and Dream Golf Magazine is the first line of offense in telling that story.” This Spring edition also includes a great interview with one of the best of golf broadcast journalism, Verne Lundquist. Lundquist winters in Steamboat Springs, and – like a mountain elk – comes down from on high with the warmth of each spring.
In Lundquist’s case, that spring warmth finds him every April in Augusta, Ga., broadcasting the Masters for CBS. This April is going to be his final broadcast, and AvidGolfer Founding Editor Jon Rizzi interviewed Lundquist about his career, his greatest calls and how he’d like to be remembered. “Interviewing Verne Lundquist is a pleasure because he converses the way he announces—allowing his composed responses to become impassioned reactions while maintaining utter trust and credibility,” Rizzi said. This edition also includes the latest on a long-shuttered Denver golf course, Deer Creek, and highlights from this year’s Colorado Golf Expo. And the readers have spoken! The 2024 CAGGY Awards are here, with reader votes on the best courses, pros and clubs. And we hear from four touring professionals that we hope give readers a glimpse into the fascinating and complex nature of professional golf. Gunner Wiebe, Mark Hubbard and Jim Knous – all Coloradans – are at different stages of their professional careers and were kind enough to talk to us about their goals, their hopes, and their advice for the next generation. Then we have the first of a year-long diary report featuring first-year pro Davis Bryant, who grew up in Aurora. We sit down with him to help readers learn about what being a rookie at tour golf is really like. We hope you enjoy it all and it helps add to your dreams of warmth, green fairways and clear skies ahead.
-Jim Bebbington Contact Jim: jim@coloradoavidgolfer.com
EDITION 5 | 2024 | RODEO DUNES
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SPRING 2024
coloradoavidgolfer.com 11
The Gallery
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News | Notes | Names
Golf Expo Grows in Second Year Under New Leader By Jim Bebbington
With his first Colorado Golf Expo under his belt in 2023, Expo owner Kevin Morton immediately began working to make the 2024 Expo larger and better. “We’re really expecting a breakout year this year,” Morton said in January, one month out from the annual consumer golf show. Morton is a Pueblo native and trade show veteran who bought the annual event from Mark and Lynn Cramer, who had run it since 2000. “I’ve always loved the Expo and gone to it for many years myself,” he said. “What Mark and Lynn Cramer did in the past was amazing. My goal is to take what they created and just step it up in a few areas, bring in younger demographics, outside golf entities. (This year) we have a lot more Las Vegas courses, Chambers Bay, the Pacific Northwest.” He and his four-person team work year-round to solicit new vendors and plan new experiences. Then a small army gathers to run the show.
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Familiar local favorites are still expected to be there such as Lenny’s Golf and Colorado AvidGolfer’s Golf Passport booth. But the lead sponsor this year, the BMW Championship, is going to have a large presence, ramping up its visibility ahead of August’s premier event for the top 50 PGA Tour golfers of the year who will compete for $20 million at Castle Pines Golf Club.
He’s also bringing in Ryan French, a popular golf podcaster and storyteller who presides over the Monday Q Info social media platform, to present. “It is everything about golf,” Morton said. “We’re a golf community and we just want to be the golf-centric experience. You can bring your kids, your family can see what fun there is and what deals there are. It’s a fun environment. I want people to go have a good time.”
Plus, there will be more music. “A few things we changed this year, passion items I wanted to add, are a festival area with music,” Morton said. Live performers will play through all three days, including country singer Kimberly Vaughn. Also, a new 90-foot putt competition will feature hole hecklers for players seeking to win. The Expo added 40,000 square feet to its regular 100,000 SF footprint to make room. Some vendors like Pins and Aces and Chuco Golf are expected to have “considerable floor space,” Morton said.
SPRING 2024
LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR DIANNE PRIMAVERA & KEVIN MORTON//
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The Future of Deer Creek By Jim Bebbington
The future of Deer Creek Golf Course in the southwest Denver region remains unclear. The course, which opened in 2000, has sat dormant for the past three years. The fairways, tees and greens are now thick natural space with tall weeds. But the course website has said for several years that the course is under renovation and will re-open soon. For a story in January Denver Post reporter Jason Aguilar spoke with neighbors of the course who said that after three years of no maintenance the course looks like it will never be played in again. “If you’re rational, you can tell it’s not going to be a golf course again,” John Walker, president of the Meadow Ranch homeowner’s association, told Aguilar for the story. Owner Stacy Hart’s company, In Play Membership Golf Inc., owned the course and filed for bankruptcy in 2014.
According to bankruptcy court records some portions of the land have been sold to adjacent homeowners for as little as $1 to allow them to build fences and extend their backyards. The former driving range has been sold off and several homes have been built on it. In April bankruptcy court records show that a developer, Cardel Ken Caryl LLC, agreed with In Play Membership and Hart, to allow the course to sell off water rights that used to pull water from the Deer Creek to irrigate the course. In return In Play Membership agreed to have a water line run through the course in order to supply water to new homes being built. Hart once operated three Denver-area courses: Deer Creek, Plum Creek Golf and Country Club, and Cherry Creek Country Club. He transferred Cherry Creek to his former wife as part of divorce proceedings and sold Plum Creek to help pay off loans associated with his company’s operations, according to court records.
DEER CREEK//
Efforts to reach Hart about the future plans for the Deer Creek land were not successful at the time of publication.
coloradoavidgolfer.com 13
The Gallery
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News | Notes | Names
Industry Accolades
C O M M O N G R O U N D S U P E R I N T E N D E N T AWA R D E D F O R A D V O C AC Y By Jim Bebbington “I am incredibly honored that my peers from Rocky Mountain GCSA that my efforts on behalf of our association and coalition were worthy of a nomination for this award,” Savage said. “Winning this award reaffirms that the work we are doing in the state of Colorado with our golf coalition is making a difference and hopefully serving as a model for others to follow in advocacy efforts around the country.”
Mitchell Savage, the golf course superintendent at CommonGround Golf Course in Aurora, has earned the 2024 Excellence in Government Affairs Award from the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America (GCSAA). Savage is being honored for his advocacy efforts on numerous issues in the state of Colorado, working alongside the Colorado Golf Coalition, which consists of the Rocky Mountain GCSA, Colorado Golf Association, Colorado Section of the PGA and Mile-High Chapter of the Club Management Association of America.
“Our profession is doing some amazing things with advocacy, and I am excited and honored to be a part of the industry-wide efforts,” Savage said. “There will never be too many people on the team, and there is always a need for more individuals to answer the bell and stand up and advocate for the golf course management profession.”
While the local regulation of pesticides is currently preempted by state law in Colorado – similar to more than 40 states across the country – there has been numerous attempts in recent years to eliminate those laws, thereby causing a patchwork of differing regulations across the state. Whenever the issue comes up, Savage advocates for Colorado to maintain a consistent statewide approach. COMMONGROUND//
COMMONGROUND//
The Excellence in Government Affairs Award recognizes a chapter, superintendent or coalition for outstanding advocacy or compliance efforts in government affairs. Savage will be honored Feb. 1 during the Government Affairs Session at the 2024 GCSAA Conference and Trade Show in Phoenix. Savage, a 21-year GCSAA member who served on the Rocky Mountain GCSA board and previously led its government affairs committee, continues to work closely with the Colorado Golf Coalition and have been instrumental in the push to maintain uniform state-wide pesticide regulations in Colorado. This award recognizes Savage’s proactive approach in advocating for state control of pesticide regulations and for being an influential voice in the Colorado golf industry. He has testified numerous times before state legislative committees in Denver.
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“Our profession is doing some amazing things with advocacy, and I am excited and honored to be a part of the industry-wide efforts”
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Industry Accolades
M AT T H E W S J O I N S N AT I O N A L P G A B OA R D By Jim Bebbington Matthews-Kane is the president of the Colorado PGA and will represent PGA professionals in Colorado, Utah and the Rocky Mountain sections during her time on the national board. “I’m there to represent all of our Colorado golf professionals as well as those from the other states,” she said. There are 815 Colorado PGA professionals and throughout her Distrist there are 1,292 professionals and 349 associates.
Cathy Matthews-Kane, the general manager at the Country Club of Colorado in Colorado Springs, has begun a three-year term on the PGA of America Board of Directors, serving the Mountain West region.
PGA professionals are licensed through the PGA and work throughout the golf industry, from teaching the game, running courses and clubs, to working in merchandising and sales. “Overall the whole goal is to get our resources closer to the section to give our pros what they need to be successful in their individual roles,” she said. The various career-paths for PGA professionals are unique. Most receive the certifications and some training through the PGA of America, but their actual working
conditions are set by the clubs and companies that employ them. Matthews-Kane said the PGA of America board is trying to give them a voice and advocate for them and establish good professional under-pinnings that help them build a career in golf management and instruction. She said the No. 1 challenge many professionals are facing is finding enough workers to staff their courses and clubs. “Role of a golf professional has clearly evolved in the last 15 years and (the change) probably accelerated as much as the work landscape as America has post-COVID,” she said. “Everyone sought refuge at a golf course or a country club during COVID because it was a safe space. With the work-from-home culture we got busier. If you ask most pros what they’re biggest challenge is staffing is No. 1 on the list.”
Visit HangarClub.co for information and available tee-times
coloradoavidgolfer.com 15
You should be here. And you know it.
The Gallery
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News | Notes | Names
Snow Mountain Opens on the Plains
HOEDOWN HILL OPENING FROM OWNERS O F R A I N DA N C E A N D P E L I C A N L A K E S By Jim Bebbington Tyler Lind and brother Austin and his father Martin have been growing a three-season empire in northern Colorado for decades centered around the golf courses and residential communities built around RainDance National and Pelican Lakes Golf Course near Windsor. Now, they are bringing their business to the winter months as well. On Jan. 27 their new tubing, ski and wintertime destination, Hoedown Hill, celebrated its grand opening situated on the grounds of RainDance. The facility is modeled after Sharktooth Ski and Tubing Hill, which was in operation outside of Greeley from 1971 to 1986. Tyler Lind said his father Martin grew up going to Sharktooth and believed the front range was ready for its own snow destination. They also visited West Virginia ski hill Snowshoe Mountain.
If someone could have a thriving ski resort built into a valley that can only be reached by a multi-hour drive through forests, Tyler Lind said they figured an affordable winter-fun complex could succeed here. And so Hoedown Hill was born. The Water Valley Company landscaped a new hill and built a terrain park and a 1,200-foot long, 10-lane tubing slide. They are working with partners to offer ski lessons and training, with their most aggressive hill a Colorado blue. But that’s the point of Hoedown Hill. It’s close – an hour north of Denver and 30 minutes from downtown Fort Collins. Its rates are low compared with any ski hill. And for people learning to ski or just wanting some snow fun without a drive into the mountains, it is ready. “If you’re a big-mountain skier it probably won’t be the weekend decision to come here; but what we do offer is the ability to get off work, drive to the hill, and work on your technique,” Tyler said. HOEDOWN HILL//
Superior course conditions and service Book your tee time at RedHawkRidge.com or 720-733-3500 Off the I-25 Corridor in Castle Rock
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PLAN YOUR TRIP! Tubing starts at $35 for two hours and skiing at $35 for sessions 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. or 3 p.m. to 9 p.m. Hoedown hill is open 3 p.m. to 9 p.m. Mondays, Thursdays and Fridays, and 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays.
Todd Helton: Hall of Fame at Last By Jim Bebbington
Todd Helton, who is on a very short list of two as to the greatest Colorado Rockie (waves at Larry Walker), finally got his due this winter as he was voted into the Baseball Hall of Fame. Helton is the Rockies leader in games played, runs, hits, home runs and RBI. He had been on the Hall of Fame ballot five times previously, falling 11 votes short in 2023. This month he got the call from the Hall of Fame that he had finally made it. “I was pretty nervous,” he said on MLB Network after the announcement. “I just really didn’t think the phone was going to ring. This is something you don’t play for but it’s the greatest award you can have as a baseball player.” Helton played for the Rockies for 17 seasons – his only Major League team – and was voted an AllStar five times. Helton also helped Colorado AvidGolfer launch, appearing on the cover of our first edition in April 2002. Writer Kate Meyer profiled Helton and wrote about how he said golf helped balance his life. “A lot of people watch me on the baseball field and say, ‘Man, that guy’s miserable,’ “he told Meyer. “I’m so anal about baseball. But I’ve gotta be that way to be good because I’m not talented enough to just throw my glove out there. I’ve gotta concentrate and do everything possible to be halfway decent, and that takes its toll. These gray hairs on my head at 28….” And yet there he was, more than a decade later, hitting a home run in his final home game on Sept. 25, 2013. Bob Costas asked Helton after the announcement whether he was going to invite his old friend Peyton Manning to his award ceremony in Cooperstown this summer. “Of course,” he said. “Everybody’s welcome to come.”
coloradoavidgolfer.com 17
The CGA
Serving All Colorado Golfers
JANENE GUZOWSKI FIRS T SOLO FEMALE PRE SI DENT OF THE CGA A N D P R O U D E VA N S S C H O L A R S U P P O R T E R By Kayla Kerns a caddie program that was originally run by George and Duffy Solich before they moved on to Columbine and Cherry Hills. Lakewood is in the top 3 or 4 clubs in the state of Colorado for caddie fundraising. Our club also raised enough money to cover the base rate of every caddie loop. KK: Tell us about your journey with the CGA. JG: Because of my connection with the WGA, the CGA asked me if I would like to sit on their board nine years ago. At the time, they did not have a female member on their board because there was still a split between the CGA and the CWGA. I said I would be honored. I was then put on the board with another woman (Mary Woulfe) who lives in Aspen, and we were the first 2 women on the CGA Board in 2016. JANENE GUZOWSKI//
Originally from El Paso, Texas, Janene Guzowski is a beloved woman in the Colorado golf community. She has lived in Colorado since she graduated from SMU in 1983. Janene was introduced to the Colorado Golf Association after being a state director for the Western Golf Association (WGA). Married for 25 years this March, she and her husband are both avid golfers passionate about growing the game and supporting caddies. KK: How did you get involved in golf? JG: When I was in high school, we lived on a golf course. I started playing going into my freshman year, but never played on the high school golf team. After high school, I probably didn’t start to play again until about 27 years ago when I joined Lakewood Country Club. For a while, I only played golf on the weekends because I worked full-time in real estate, retail, and owned a jewelry company with my mom. I always took a caddie, hit pink balls, and I had a terrible slice. All my pink balls wound up on 6th Avenue. I have since remedied my slice thanks to my long-time coach Andrew Tucker. I am now a 15.8 handicap. I love the game. I still love taking caddies. And I love to compete, which I do. I play on the ladies A & B team at Lakewood during the week. KK: What is your home club? JG: I have been a member at Lakewood Country Club for 27 years now and am a more recent member at Frost Creek in Eagle, as well. Lakewood has
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Once I joined the CGA board in 2016, I was cochair of the caddie committee. It was mainly for the Solich Academy when the program had started solely at CommonGround. Then they wanted women on the executive committee, so they made me secretary and then I just moved up the ladder and became CGA president in 2019. I was the CGA’s first solo female president for two years and all through COVID. We had a task force to keep golf open because it was all you could do.
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We had given them a list of reasons why they should stay open and how to keep the golf course a safe environment. We got that done and golf remained very healthy and became healthier because of COVID. I hate to say it, but COVID was the best thing that happened to golf. You couldn’t play tennis. You couldn’t do anything. And some courses closed due to state mandate, but we were lobbying lawmakers that golf is a safe game during COVID. And we won. With the help of the CGA, courses were open. And we were all very proud of that. KK: Can you give a summary of the 2024 Evans Scholar selection meeting you attended? JG: I sit on the board of the Western Golf Association and have been WGA Director for the state of Colorado for 14 years, so I have my Green Coat and am automatically invited to the selection meetings. 11 applicants: 7 boys and 4 girls were interviewed to receive the Evans Scholarship at the selection meeting this year. I am looking forward to the biggest fundraising event for the Evans Scholars Foundation this summer: the 2024 BMW Championship. It is being held at Castle Pines this August. I will be there volunteering along with all the WGA Directors in the state. I can’t believe it has already been 10 years since the host site for this event was in the state of Colorado. KK: What is one piece of advice you would give to your younger self? JG: Don’t love things that can’t love you back.
I am currently still on the CGA Board (9 years), the Colorado Golf Foundation Board (4 years), and a WGA Director (14 years). I recently just went off board the Colorado Golf Hall of Fame, which I served on for the past 6 years. KK: What were some of the biggest changes or implementations that you made when you were CGA President? JG: One of the biggest accomplishments I made was strengthening our partnership with the Colorado Golf Foundation (CGF). The CGF has become the charitable arm of the CGA and allows us to impact organizations who share our belief that the game of golf improves lives. By working together the CGA and the CGF are able to make an even greater contribution to leave the game better for the next generation. Additionally, during my term we were COVID-bound. Our goal was to put together a task force with doctors. We did a study on why golf was a safe sport to play during the pandemic and sent it out to all golf courses.
JANENE GUZOWSKI//
IT’S ONLY WORTH IT IF YOU ENJOY IT
.Enjoy Responsibly. © 2023 Anheuser-Busch, Michelob ULTRA®, Light Beer, St. Louis, MO
coloradoavidgolfer.com 19
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SPRING 2024
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Dresses offer a simplified alternative to golf separates and are increasingly a must-have item in a woman’s sports wardrobe, particularly when in moisture-wicking fabrics that have UPF 50+ sun protection. EPNY’s sleeveless Serenity dress in a polyester spandex blend features a gradated watercolor floral print and a scalloped hemline, $134. epnygolf.com
MEASURING UP
Golfers love their gadgets and laser rangefinders are among the avid player’s favorite tools. Blue Tees recently introduced its S3 Max+ which offers sharp display, adaptive slope switching ability, auto-ambient display, flag-locking ability and pulse vibration, and a 1,000-yard range. It attaches via a magnetic strip to attach to your cart and is rechargeable, $270. blueteesgolf.com
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Style
TOP TECH
Kjus started in skiwear but has long been a player in the golf world. Named for founder and Norwegian Olympic ski champ Lasse Kjus and headquartered in Boulder, the brand’s innovations include VaporTemp, a fabric technology that wicks moisture off the skin and moves it to the garment’s exterior for evaporation. Perfect tor spring’s cool to warm days is the Hydraulic Midlayer, $229, a stretch quarter-zip top offered in three colors. kjus.com
WALKING TALL
Retro design has been a trend, but when it comes to Adidas, the brand’s three-stripe logo is simply an enduring classic. The new S2G Spikeless Leather 24 design was inspired by a running shoe and can go from course to clubhouse with ease. Waterproof uppers keep feet dry, while the outsole and heel offer stability and traction. Offered in multiple colorways, including white and collegiate green, $110. adidas.com
SHARPEN YOUR SIGHTS
Players looking for a bit of an edge can find it in golf-specific sunglass designs from companies such as Popticals. The brand, developed with Carl Zeiss Vision lens technology, offers violet lenses that provide more clarity and are lighter than polycarbonate lenses. Popticals also have a rail design system that allows the glasses to snap into place for use and then collapse for storage in a pocket or bag, $179. popticals.com
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++
THE BEST GOLF. THE BEST DEALS.
ALL IN ONE MEMBERSHIP. The 2024 Colorado AvidGolfer Golf Passport is your ticket
to some of Colorado’s best golf courses, where you can play, dine and shop at incredible discounts! We offer four packages, each tailored to fit your golfing needs. Golf Passports can be purchased at ColoradoAvidgolfer.com. or Denver Area PGA Tour Superstores, or you can simply scan the QR Code on the next page.
70+ Amazing Golf Offers, including: +THE RIDGE (SAVE BIG!) - EXCLUSIVE +COMMONGROUND (FROM $75) - EXCLUSIVE +GREEN VALLEY RANCH (FROM $42) - EXCLUSIVE +RACCOON CREEK (FROM $55) +LONE TREE (FROM $81) +SOUTH SUBURBAN (FROM $64) +KEYSTONE RIVER & RANCH (FROM $100) +POLE CREEK (FROM $84) +GRANBY RANCH (FROM $60) +HYLAND HILLS (FROM $32) +VAIL GOLF CLUB (FROM $72) +GRANBY RANCH (FROM $60)
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‣ Amazing Golf Discounts ‣ Free Golf Cart Every Round ‣ Retail & Dining Discounts ‣ Free Dozen Srixon Balls
THE PAR $59.95* (plus S&H)
‣ Amazing Golf Discounts ‣ Free Golf Cart Every Round ‣ Retail & Dining Discounts
2024 Member Privileges. All rates include a cart unless specified. Visit coloradoavidgolfer.com/golf-passport for complete details regarding rates, available tee times, number of rounds and reservation policy. Tee time requests are on a space available basis to Golf Passport members and participating courses’ rain check policies will apply. Unless otherwise stated, the golf offers are good from January 15, 2024 – December, 31 2024, excluding holidays, special events, tournaments or closure to environmental or economic conditions. Mountain seasons may vary slightly. The Golf Passport is limited to one per person and is non-transferable. Prices do not include sales tax. Some courses may require a credit card to secure a tee time prior to play. If a tee time is cancelled, the golf course may charge for its discounted fee. Colorado AvidGolfer reserves the right to make reasonable modifications to the Golf Passport, effective upon notice by e-mail or first class mail to the Golf Passport member. A Golf Passport member may reject any such modification by responding in writing to Colorado AvidGolfer and returning the Golf Passport within ten (10) days. The Golf Passport member will receive a prorated refund. The Golf Passport member a grees that he or she is not entitled to any additional compensation. Colorado AvidGolfer disclaims all liability for damage or loss of property or injury to any person occurring while using the Golf Passport. If ordered online, please allow up to 10 days for delivery of your Golf Passport. Golf Passport membership includes a digital subscription to Colorado AvidGolfer with the option to opt-in to the mailing subscription for an additional fee. Members will also be subscribed to the Colorado AvidGolfer weekly newsletter list and can unsubscribe at any time. * Price for Golf Passports does not include $6.95 Shipping and Handling
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FAIRWAY FLAIR
Lisa O’Hurley, founder of Los Angeles-based Lohla Sport apparel, was inspired by Hollywood movies in creating her spring collection that brings a little glam to the golf course, along with performance. Below, Hurley wears the Margot color block top, $150, and Very pants, $150. Models wear the Mia short sleeve polo, $130; pants, $150, and Skyline cashmere scarf, $300; and Doheny printed top, $140; and pants, $150. lohlasport.com
DOUBLE DUTY
Golf wear with crossover appeal - the ability to go from club to course to the office – is in demand and the company Allison Putnam launched in 2023 epitomizes the trend. Including button-up shirts and trousers to skorts, wrap dresses and jackets, the A. Putnam collection features clean, luxurious styling in such pieces as the sleeveless keyhole top, $130; double-knit two-pocket skort, $165; and reversible bucket hat, $60. aputnam.com
TOP CHOICE
For 25 years, Boulder-based Wallaroo Hats has designed a wide range of hats that offer sun protection as well as fashion appeal for golfers and outdoor enthusiasts. The Carkella Fairway Fedora is crafted from a UPF 50+ fabric, has a 2 ½-inch brim and is adjustable and packable. Available in four colors, the unisex style is $59 and can be personalized with a double-sided Colorado magnet, $6. wallaroohats.com
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Don’t Just Hit It
FIT IT VISIT US IN STORE 90-Day Performance Guarantee Tour-level expertise and custom club fitting Industry-leading technology Large practice putting green Game-changing simulators In-house club repair Indoor driving range with hitting stations Plus, shop all the best brands in golf & tennis
PLEASE VISIT ONE OF OUR DENVER AREA LOCATIONS Greenwood Village | Westminster
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By John Lehndorff
DE AR NE W ME XICO: V ISIT COLOR A DO TO P L AY G O L F A N D TA S T E THE BEST GREEN CHILE ON THE PL ANET
With the dawn of 2024, all players must be careful about making controversial comments as they putt or sip a post-round beer. Feel free to argue about the best 18th hole in the Southwest, religion, or even national politics. Those are tame topics compared to the bull elephant in the room, the debate most likely to spark anger and sarcasm:
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Which state – Colorado or New Mexico – is home to the best green chile on the planet? That question involves both the green pods and those warming bowls of green chile and sauce that smother burritos. For New Mexicans, there is no debate. They insist that Hatch chilies are so superior that no other chile variety grown elsewhere is worth considering. There are Taos residents who brag that the green chile sauce served there is perfection – others are pale imitations. Coloradans have not forgotten the time the New Mexico Tourism Department purchased billboards in Colorado, just north of the border, taunting “137 MILES TO REAL GREEN CHILE.” New Mexicans did like to point out that their state license plates feature chilies. Now, though, so do Colorado’s. We in Colorado pat them on their heads and point out that New Mexico may have chilies on their plates, but those depicted simply aren’t the best chilies. The most delicious chilies are grown in and around Pueblo, Colorado. Like Rocky Ford melons, Palisade peaches and Olathe corn, Pueblo chilies are the very definition of late summer deliciousness in Colorado. Pueblo chilies, bred to thrive in this climate, are a mirasol variety, so named because the pods grow pointing at the sun, not hanging their heads. Pueblo pods have thicker walls making them easier to roast. They are also spicier - a lot hotter! - than your typical Hatch chilies.
On the Scoville scale measuring pepper “heat,” the Pueblo chile registers at about 5,000 Scoville units. Standard Hatch chilies fall in the modest 500- to 3,000-unit range. HIGH-ALTITUDE GREEN (AND RED) CHILE New Mexicans often hint that we got the chile fever from them going back before statehood. In fact, the Centennial State’s relationship with chilies – red and green – is literally ancient. Researchers at Boulder’s University of Colorado Museum of Natural History have recently reported identifying fossils of 50-million-yearold chilies found in Colorado. For newcomers, the whole “chile” thing can be confusing, especially if you come from New England where the only pepper is ground black. In Colorado, “chile” is the name of the plant, as well as the stew and a sauce used in the burritos always found on local breakfast menus and in green chile cheeseburgers. In Colorado, green chile is a slightly reddish stew and sauce, usually featuring long-cooked pork, roasted green and ripe red chilies, onions, garlic, broth, tomato (sometimes) and it may be thickened with a little flour, cornmeal or cornstarch. The best most addictive local renditions of this dish are jammed with roasted peppers and tons of flavor. You’ll find green chile in dishes across the state, but Pueblo is ground zero for pod appreciation. Green chile stars in The Slopper,
a Pueblo dish featuring an open-face cheeseburger doused in green chile and crowned with chopped onions, shredded cheese, and tortilla chips or saltines. There is even a 10-stop Slopper Trail: pueblochamber.org/puebloslopper At Pueblo’s Bingo Burger, the patties are beef mixed with diced red chilies. The city’s legendary Gagliano’s Italian Market grinds exceptional hot Italian sausage with roasted Pueblo peppers. More than 50,000 visitors from around the world are attracted to the annual Pueblo Chile and Frijoles Festival each September. The event’s perfect signature dish is a whole roasted green chile and cheese inside a folded griddled flour tortilla. COLORADO GOLF AND GREEN CHILE Play enough rounds at Colorado courses and you can’t help but notice that pork green chile - a bowl and a stack of warm tortillas - is on the menu at most clubhouse restaurants, fancy country clubs as well as public courses. Besides the yumminess factor, one simple reason accounts for green chile’s ubiquity on the links: Colorado’s 10-month golf season, give or take a blizzard. Players may roll into the clubhouse during any month of the year bonechilled, wind-blown and craving something warm and soothing with a little bite. Green chile has topped the menu for six years in the clubhouse restaurant at Columbine Country Club. (See recipe page 32)
IN COLORADO, “CHILE” IS THE NAME OF THE PLANT, AS WELL AS THE STEW AND SAUCE USED IN THE BURRITOS ALWAYS FOUND ON LOCAL BREAKFAST MENUS & GREEN CHILE BURGERS
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PLAY THREE CHAMPIONSHIP GOLF COURSES OVER THREE DAYS! TOURNAMENT OFFERINGS • Welcoming Pairing Party • Play Three Championship Golf Courses • Awards Banquet • $6,000 Prize Money (each flight) • Scramble, Best Ball, Alternate Shot (mod.)
February 16-18, 2024
May 24-26, 2024
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“We start with great roasted chile from Pueblo, slowly simmer it with pork, onions, garlic, bacon fat, chicken stock and spices. We sell it by the bowl and use the green chile in our breakfast burrito. During the busy season, we make seven or eight gallons a week,” says Jeff Kenser, Executive Chef at the Littleton course. Kenser credits the popular dish solely to Milagro “Mama” Rosales, Columbine’s executive sous chef.
COLUMBINE COUNTRY CLUB GREEN CHILE// PHOTO PROVIDED BY COLUMBINE COUNTRY CLUB.
“Mama and I worked together for six years at Cherry Hills Country Club before coming to Columbine. She is the backbone of this kitchen and beloved by the membership,” Kenser says. Green chile and golf come together naturally on The Green Chile Golf Trail, a program devised by John Edwards of Colorado Golfer News Online. The Trail features golf courses near the Colorado-New Mexico border such as Pueblo’s Walking Stick Golf Course, Grandote Peaks Golf Course in La Veta and Black Mesa Golf Course in Espanola, New Mexico. “The idea is for golfers to be able to play every day, stay overnight in reasonable accommodations and enjoy the local favorite green chile. Often the green chile is at a tiny restaurant or drive-in,” Edwards says. COLORADO & NM FIND COMMON GROUND Look, New Mexico: Colorado is not comparing crop sizes with you. Your pod crop is clearly much bigger, something we know is a source of pride. The Pueblo chile harvest is only about 5 percent of that in Hatch, according to the Pueblo Chile Growers Association. This reality forces us to admit that much of the green chile served in Colorado restaurants is grown elsewhere, mainly in California, Texas and New Mexico. However, the chilies grown in the Colorado terroir - and the dishes created with them - simply taste the best. “Chili” is something that is served in Texas and elsewhere and celebrated on National Chili Day, February 25. Your typical “bowl of red” is just beef in a dark chile sauce cooked with - or without - beans. Texans seem to like it, but it’s not on par with green chile. Ironically, the Mexican dish which inspired the “bowl of red” is probably chile Colorado, or meat in a red sauce. Using ripe chilies makes it red or dark brown. The Spanish adjective also gave our state its name. Colorado, home to the best reddish-green chile anywhere.
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Columbine Country Club Green Chile 4 cups chicken broth 2 lbs roasted pueblo green chile 2 tablespoons bacon fat 2 tablespoons cornstarch ¼ cup cold water 1 yellow onion, chopped 2 large cloves garlic, minced 2 teaspoons black pepper 2 teaspoons salt 2 teaspoons ground cumin 2 teaspoons oregano 2 bay leaf ¼ cup fresh cilantro Roast pork carnitas
Heat bacon fat in a large saucepan over low heat. Add onion and minced garlic and cook until transparent. Add black pepper, salt, cumin, oregano and bay leaf and stir. Add roasted chiles and chicken broth and bring to a boil. Cover and simmer over low heat for 15 to 30 minutes. Place cilantro in blender with two cups of green chile from the pan, blend and pour back into pan. Mix cold water and cornstarch until dissolved and stir into pan. Bring green chile to a boil and take off heat. If green chile is too thick, thin with broth. Taste and adjust salt, spices and heat level. Remove bay leaf. At Columbine Country Club, chunks of carnitas – tender roasted pork – are added to the green chile as it is served with warm flour tortillas.
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“She is the backbone of this kitchen and beloved by the membership.”
PLACES TO TASTE COLORADO GREEN CHILE As in New Mexico, some Colorado eateries dish green chile that makes you want to write poetry and others ladle abominable glop. The following Colorado destinations, listed alphabetically, are justifiably well known for their green chile. Adelita’s Cocina Y Cantina, Denver adelitasco.com Efrain’s Mexican Restaurant, Boulder efrainsofboulder.com El Karajo Mexican Restaurant, Centennial mexicanrestaurantcentennial.com La Loma, Denver lalomamexican.com Las Palmeras Mexican Restaurant, Longmont laspalmeraslongmont.com Rudy’s Little Hideaway, Colorado Springs rudyslittlehideaway.com
MILAGRO “MAMA” ROSALES, COLUMBINE CC EXECUTIVE SOUS CHEF//
Tacos Jalisco, Denver tacosjalisco.net
SPICE UP YOUR RIDE!
Thanks to a new branding campaign, local leaders and the newly formed Pueblo Chile Growers’ Association now have their sights set on Pueblo Chiles taking a permanent seat in Colorado’s culture, instead of just Pueblo’s. This goal brought forth an idea of a Pueblo Chile group special license plate during a casual conversation between State Representative Daneya Esgar and Pueblo County Commissioner Buffie McFadyen.* *excerpt taken from the Pueblo Chile Growers Association pueblochile.org/
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Nice Drives
By Isaac Bouchard
MUSCLE AT A BARGAIN
AC U R A A N D TOYOTA PR O V E YO U C A N H AV E F U N W I T H O U T H AV I N G TO R O B A B A N K All Photos Provided by the Brands
ACURA
INTEGRA TYPE S 34 COLORADO AVIDGOLFER
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What a difference a couple letters can make! While the mainstream models of the Acura Integra and Toyota Corolla are reliable, competent and good value, adding an S or GR to their names, respectively, marks them out as some of the most hardcore enthusiast machines available. Of course, enthusiasts will know the Acura is based on basically the finest-handling front-wheel drive car ever sold to Americans (the others all being French hot hatches we never got): the Honda Civic Type R. The Corolla shares an engine, transmission and many other critical components with the European Yaris GR rally rocket.
THE ACURA’S (320HP, W2-LITER) TORQUE IS BOUNTIFUL AND IT REVS FAST AND SMOOTH. THE TYPE S NEVER RUNS WIDE; INSTEAD IT SCRIBES EXACTLY THE ARC THE DRIVER REQUESTS, JUST AS IN THE BEST REARDRIVE SPORTSCARS
Its 99-cubic inch, 3-cylinder engine serves up 300 horses and its multimode AWD system allows the driver to vary where the 273lb-ft of torque is sent: from 70 percent to the rear for drift antics, to a 40/60 day-to-day distribution, even to 50/50 for ultimate traction for racetracks. The test model’s Performance Package adds front and rear Torsen limited slip differentials to better slice up the motive forces, side-to-side. The tiny engine feels very turbocharged, with lots of lag before the boost hits, but it is undeniably fun. The Acura’s 320hp, 2-liter is less laggy, though one might best describe it as effective, not evocative. Torque is bountiful and it revs fast and smooth. But it’s clear that the Type S’s métier is carving corners. A helical limited slip diff and specific suspension design mean there is no chance of understeer—a perennial front-drive bête noire. Swivel the ultrafast-ratio steering wheel and the Acura turns in; pile on the power and the Michelin Pilot 4S tires just keep digging in. The Type S never runs wide; instead it scribes exactly the arc the driver requests, just as in the best rear-drive sportscars.
The Acura’s tail is a faithful companion; yes, a judicious lift of throttle will tighten the line, but never in an unpredictable, tail-happy manner. It imbues the driver with incredible confidence; high-speed corners can easily be tackled at 10-20mph higher speeds than in almost any sub-$100k vehicle out there. The Brembo brakes are standouts as well, being not only stout but offering a feelsome pedal that is firm enough to serve as a pivot for one’s foot when doing the heel-toe downshift dance. Both machines come exclusively with 6-speed manuals; the Acura’s is one of the finest in the world in terms of shift weighting and precision, but the Toyota’s isn’t bad either. The GR’s pedals aren’t placed for one to work the brake and clutch at the same time, essential for proper downshifts at the limit. Thankfully there is an automated rev match function to mimic what your feet should do. The Corolla GR also has a 4-inch shorter wheelbase than the Acura Type S and is tuned to feel more hyperactive. Steering response right off-center is quicker, but there’s more understeer at the limit, too. The Toyota also feels taller—partially because you sit more upright in equally supportive seats—and it has body motions that are more pronounced. It’ll wiggle its hips in the best hot hatch fashion, then use the three differentials to send the power where it’s most needed to slingshot it off corners.
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2024
PLAY MORE IN ‘24!
THE ‘24 EVENT SEASON IS FILLING UP FAST. CONTACT US TODAY!
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THE GR (WHICH STANDS FOR GAZOO RACING, TOYOTA’S SKUNKWORKS DIVISION) ALSO SEEMS SLIGHTLY MORE FUN TO PITCH AROUND
TOYOTA
COROLLA GR ACURA INTEGRA TYPE S
EPA MPG Ratings: 0-60mph: Price as tested*: Rating:
21/28/24 5.1sec $52,595 5 Stars
TOYOTA COROLLA GR
EPA MPG Ratings: 0-60mph: Price as tested*: Rating: *2023 Model
The GR (which stands for Gazoo Racing, Toyota’s skunkworks division) also seems slightly more fun to pitch around, if less stable at the limit. But these differences are relative; both the Type S and GR are hardcore machines, with a fair amount of practicality thanks to their four-door, hatchback designs, and even some polish in the case of the Acura. There’s little in it on the performance front; both hit 60 in about 5 seconds and turn similar lap times on the same tires. These are two of the most affordable hardcore cars available, true pleasure delivery devices that both reliably deliver the dopamine hits enthusiasts crave, as well as clear indicators that we are living in the second Golden Age of the driver’s car.
THE COROLLA GR ALSO HAS A 4-INCH SHORTER WHEELBASE THAN THE ACURA TYPE S, AND IS TUNED TO FEEL MORE HYPERACTIVE
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21/28/24 4.9 sec $39,659 5 Stars
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Texas
TREASURE F I E L D S R A N C H CO M PL E X AT P G A F R I S CO I S W O R T H T H E WA I T By Tom Mackin
Ever wonder who coined the phrase, “Everything is bigger in Texas”? No single person seems to get the credit. But whoever he or she was, they were right. The latest example? The East Course at Fields Ranch, a centerpiece of the Omni PGA Frisco Resort that debuted in 2023.
PHOTO COURTESY FIELDS RANCH//
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We Are the Colorado PGA Section, and We Love This Game
Who We Are Do you know the difference between the PGA Tour and The Colorado PGA Section? Many think these two are the same, which couldn’t be further from the truth. These are two completely different organizations. While professional golfers on tour play for millions in purses, your local Colorado PGA of America Golf Professionals are driven by using their love of the game to help millions of people love the game of golf. These Colorado PGA of America Golf Professionals are right in your backyard. They are the experts in the game, the best coaches, operators, business executives, and leaders in their communities who help improve the quality of people’s lives through golf. Through their local Foundation, PGA REACH Colorado, they positively impacted the lives of over 15,000 community members with programs and initiatives. This year, we will be telling their story throughout Colorado Avid Golfer. Stay tuned! In the meantime, scan the QR code to view a video of their campaign called “We Love This Game.”
THE HEADQUARTERS OF THE PGA OF AMERICA, WHICH MOVED ITS OFFICES HERE IN 2022, COVERS 106,000 SQUARE FEET.
PHOTO COURTESY FIELDS RANCH//
The substantial Gil Hanse and Jim Wagner-designed layout is massive in scale: 7,863 yards from the championship tees. And the adjacent West Course, by Beau Welling, is no pint-sized layout itself. There’s also a 2.5-acre putting course called The Dance Floor, with a stadium-size scoreboard screen overlooking it. The Omni hotel on-site? Merely 500 rooms. And the headquarters of the PGA of America, which moved its offices here in 2022 from Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, covers 106,000 square feet. It’s all located 30 miles north of Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport (United, American, and Frontier have direct flights from Denver clocking in around 2 hours each way). The surrounding area is a hotbed of development, with headquarters for the Dallas Cowboys just 11 miles to the south. But it’s the two courses that have been gaining attention since opening last May. That is particularly true of the East, which will host five major championships over the next 12 years, including the 2025 KPMG Women’s PGA Championship and 2027 PGA Championship. Steve Stricker edged Padraig Harrington in a playoff to win the KitchenAid Senior PGA Championship, the first major already played here in 2023.
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“One of the things I find interesting is that the architects both consider the courses to be cousins,” said Paul Earnest, Director of Golf and Operations. “Not brother and sister, but enough of a bloodline for a similar look and feel. I think both have nice space to move the ball around and play from.” The slightly wider and hillier West has the larger greens, while the East, as befitting a major championship venue, is another story. “As you get closer to the hole on the East, it gets more exacting,” noted Earnest. “The hole locations are certainly tighter, with really small target areas to give yourself birdie opportunities. You end up playing for par a lot more on the East Course (than the West). If you make a mistake there, it’s much more difficult to manage par or even survive those moments.” There will be plenty of those at the uphill par 4 15th, which can play from 224 yards to 358 yards, for example. Going for the green perched on top of a hill means carrying an ocean of bunkers right below it. Lay up short of those and you face a blind uphill shot. Play to the left though, and you’ll have a much easier pitch shot. The secret here? Lots of room behind the green for long shots, including a slope that often feeds balls back down to it. It’s also a geographic high point in the best stretch
of holes–13 through 17–which includes both the longest (13) and shortest (17) par 3s on the course. The par 5 18th will be a polarizing closer; drives landing on the right half of the fairway can bounce off into no man’s land, and the approach shot needs to cross a mini-chasm that seems out of place with the rest of the course. But overall, it’s another showcase for the much admired work of Hanse and Wagner. While walking is always encouraged (and mandatory at certain times of the year, with carts on path only the rest), this is a very long walk, even with a caddie. “It’s a physical challenge to play the East,” said Earnest. “Most rounds are eight miles of walking. It’s not a brutal up-and-down walk, but it is something. A lot of people are not accustomed to that.” If there was ever a course where you should move up a tee, especially factoring in what can be strong winds, this is it. “No one comes off the course and say, wow, that was too short,” Earnest noted. “Or I didn’t enjoy the experience because of the lack of length. The strong holes will still be really strong, like 5, 6 and 10 (all par 4s). You still have to hit great golf shots to score. I think Gil did a great job of balancing a championship layout but in a resort setting.”
THE HOST TO FIVE MAJOR CHAMPIONSHIPS OVER THE NEXT 12 YEARS PHOTO COURTESY FIELDS RANCH//
It’s all located 30 miles north of Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport ... The surrounding area is a hotbed of development, with headquarters for the Dallas Cowboys just 11 miles to the south.
Carts are the norm though at the West Course, which is a shorter experience than its sibling but only slightly less challenging thanks to some beguiling green contouring. It helps to have five par 3s (three on the back nine), although it does conclude with a pair of straightforward par 5s. According to Earnest, most golf buddy trips here are playing the West twice and the East once. Any resort course that hosts a major championships is never a bargain. In this case, green fees for the East Course are $252-$315 (peak pricing from April 1- June 18 and Sept. 22 – Nov. 26; plus a mandatory caddie will run you from $40 to $125, plus tip) while the West will cost $202-$252 (same peak pricing schedule as the East). Expensive, yes, but also less than other resorts that have served as recent PGA Championship venues, including Kiawah Island in South Carolina and Whistling Straits in Wisconsin.
Apron on the ground floor) and the PGA of America headquarters (tours of public spaces there are available upon request). So is a PGA Coaching Center, which comes with all the high-tech you could imagine (recent clinics have included tips on playing in the wind, an especially useful skill here), plus dining options like the Ice House (with outdoor hitting bays), Lounge by Topgolf (with simulators), and a Ryder Cup Grille in the clubhouse. So will that eatery’s namesake event be played someday at PGA Frisco? Currently the next open date for a U.S. host venue is 2041. Landing that one, even with an inside track thanks to the PGA of America’s presence here, would be a huge deal. But then this is Texas, where bigger is more normal than just about anywhere else.
And there’s more golf, too. A round on The Swing, a 10-hole par 3 layout that’s lit up at night, is $30 (or free for kids 12 and under with a paying adult), while anyone can roll putts on The Dance Floor for free. Both are located a short walk between the Omni (try the brisket breakfast tacos at its The coloradoavidgolfer.com 43
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Becomming a Pro
PHOTOS FROM COLORADO AVIDGOLFER ARCHIVES AND THE ASSOCIATED PRESS; ILLUSTRATION BY CHRIS DECONNA //
T H R E E TO U R I N G P R O F E S S I O N A L S TA L K A B O U T T R AV E L , G O L F I N D E N V E R , A N D H O W YO U N G P E O P L E C A N B E S T P R E PA R E F O R A G O L F - L I F E By Jim Bebbington
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Touring professionals Mark Hubbard, Jim Knous and Gunner Wiebe all know the grind of obtaining and keeping access to the top golf tournaments in the world. Knous has split his 12-year career between the PGA Tour and the Korn Ferry Tour and still lives in Lakewood. Gunner Wiebe is the son of long-time professional Mark Wiebe and grew up locally and is playing in 2024 on the European DP World Tour. PGA Tour pro Hubbard is ranked near the top 100 golfers in the world and grew up playing golf and basketball in Lakewood. All three are hard-working touring pros – none has yet to win a PGA Tour start, but all have had success. All three were interviewed by email separately and offered their advice on the touring golf life and how to get there. JB: What are you most proud of from your 2023 season? Hubbard: How hard I fought and how I worked. Played 39 events (PGA Tour record) during the ‘22-’23 season. That’s a ton of golf (probably too much) but I fought for every round.
JB: What is the one thing you would change if you could about life on the road/travel as a touring professional? Hubbard: Probably just the schedule. Would love to play less and also play a more locationally sound schedule. We play a lot of events where we have to hop all over the country and most of the time we are playing in regions of the country at off times of year (rainy season in Texas for example). It is cheaper for the Tour this way but makes it so we aren’t always playing courses during the best conditions and weather. Knous: I would love to have my family travel with me every week. Life on the tour can get a bit lonely week after week being by yourself and having them there with me would make it much more enjoyable. Wiebe: Without question it would be the time away from my family. I love competing and love the game, but I hate being away from my wife and daughter. Perhaps teleportation would be the answer.
Knous: I’m most proud of how I battled throughout the season, even though I wasn’t playing my best golf. It’s never fun to play below what you think your potential is, but it’s always important to keep fighting to try to reach that level.
JB: What are you most looking forward to in 2024?
Wiebe: It probably has to be earning my way into my first major championship with a T2nd place finish at the British Masters. I’m proud of a few things but that one had a more tangible result.
Knous: I’m looking forward to starting a new dream! As you may know I lost my status on both the PGA Tour and the Korn Ferry Tour, and having
Hubbard: The opportunity to qualify for some of the signature events and start getting into more majors.
THE PLAYERS. OUT OF ALL OUR TOURNAMENTS IF I COULD WIN ONE THAT WOULD BE IT. MARK HUBBARD
PHOTO FROM COLORADO AVIDGOLFER ARCHIVES//
not advanced through Q School Second Stage, I don’t have a tour to play on. So at this time I’m going to be looking in a different direction than playing full-time. Of course I’d love to stay in the golf industry in some capacity, and hopefully there is an opportunity that will be exciting and fulfilling. Wiebe: I’m looking forward to knowing most of the courses and being able to set my schedule, a luxury I did not have last year out of the Q School category. Not only will preparation be better because of the familiarity, but it will provide the opportunity to actually visit some of the amazing sites in the cities we play. JB: If you could play great in any one tournament in 2024, which would it be and why? Hubbard: The Players. Out of all our tournaments if I could win one that would be it. Huge purse. Great golf course. Phenomenal atmosphere. Truly is the 5th major. Knous: I’m hoping to qualify for the US Open at Pinehurst and of course I’d love to play well there. My Colorado School of Mines teammates and I went on a trip to Pinehurst resort this fall and played five courses, including Pinehurst #2. It was an incredible experience and an unbelievably hard golf course. Hopefully I get the chance to go back and play it again for the U.S. Open! Wiebe: Of course the easy answer is any big event or Rolex series event, like Dubai or Wentworth. The truth for me is any tournament where I have family attending. There’s something special about performing well with your loved ones near. I know my wife wants to go back to Switzerland so maybe the Omega would be a good one to choose. JB: What is a piece of advice that has helped you in the mental side of the game that you think amateur golfers could benefit from? Hubbard: You don’t have to play perfect to play well. Most of my great events are honestly when I have like my “B” game. Acceptance is key and it’s easier when you aren’t firing on all cylinders sometimes because you put less pressure on yourself and just play golf. Knous: In my opinion, the most important part of being consistent is working on your pre-shot routine. I consider this part of the “mental” side of the game because it requires a lot of mental fortitude and practice. The goal is to have the exact same routine on every single shot. Dial in exactly what you want to do pre-shot, and even what you want to think. coloradoavidgolfer.com 45
Special Report
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Becomming a Pro
Plan out the shot in your head before you step into the ball. Then once you step into the ball do a quick routine (waggle, look at the hole, wiggle your toes, etc.) and pull the trigger with only the target and shot plan in your head and nothing else. Working hard on your pre-shot routine will make you a more consistent player. Wiebe: Kind of a two-part answer but two phrases for me I have been given by my sports psychologist, Dr. Deborah Graham, that have stuck with me. 1) To mentally be where you physically are. My mind wanders to other places often, especially to my family. It’s not necessarily a bad thing but for the six or seven hours a day of tournament golf and preparation, you need to be more disciplined in the statement above. 2) It kind of ties in with the first: Control what you can, not what you want to. I see a lot of amateurs trying to overcomplicate the game because they read about strategies or someone told them what professionals think about in preparing for a shot. If you’re an amateur, and you carry a 7 iron 150 yards, then that’s what you can do. You might want to hit a 9 iron but that’s something you want to do. Be good at being in control of what you know and can do. JB: A few of your golf friends are coming to Colorado for a long weekend – what two courses do you recommend they play to have the most fun?
In my opinion the most important part of being consistent is working on your pre-shot routine. JIM KNOUS PHOTO: ASSOCIATED PRESS//
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Hubbard: If they can get on private courses then I’d say Bear Creek CC and Cherry Hills CC. If public then Arrowhead GC and The Ridge at Castle Pines North. Knous: Take a trip west from Denver up the I-70 corridor and go visit Red Sky Golf Club. Both courses, the Fazio and the Norman, are phenomenal. Super fun to play and both offer a stern test of all your golfing skills. Wiebe: Public course: Fossil Trace and the Broadmoor. Private course: I grew up at Cherry Hills and Colorado Golf Club so it would have to be those two. JB: What advice would you give junior golfers as they try to figure out a balance between golf and other sports and activities they might want to try? Hubbard: Practice as much as you want to. If you have a burning desire to go beat balls on the range all day or chip and putt for hours, by all means go do it. But don’t let it become a job that you resent and feel obligated to do. There is definitely such a thing as over practicing so try quality not quantity. It will help make you better and keep you from burning out. Knous: In my opinion, every junior golfer should be involved with other activities outside of golf. One way to accomplish this, which I thought my
my parents did well, is to play a different sport (or take part in a non-sport activity) each of the four seasons here in Colorado. For example when I was growing up, I played baseball in the spring, golf in the summer, basketball in the fall, and I skied in the winter. This helps your brain train in different ways and also gives you a break from each sport so you are ready to give it your all when the time rolls around again! Wiebe: I’m sure I fall in the minority opinion here, but I’m an advocate of breaks from golf growing up to explore other sports and activities. In the winter, I was not indoors hitting balls or doing any golf-related activity until I was about 17 and knew I was going to play college golf at University of San Diego. I think with any sport, golf specifically, it’s so easy to get burned out. I think the most important part of developing as a young person is to simply be a young person. Supervisors, mentors and coaches are so quick to try and get kids to specialize in sport. I’m not saying that doesn’t work, but I know it would not have worked for me. I needed to play other sports and be a teammate to not feel isolated and like golf was a job. Kids should be allowed to be kids, find out what they do and do not like. Staying busy, active, and enjoying a childhood is the best advice I could give and if that ultimately means playing golf into college and beyond, then that’s a bonus.
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Special Report
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Becomming a Pro
T R AV E L , S T E E P E X PE N S E S , A N D H O PE F U E L F I R S T-Y E A R PR O By Jim Bebbington
PHOTO CREDIT: CHIP BROMFIELD//
Professional golf is a tough gig. Tournament success is very hard to achieve. The travel is relentless. The level of shot-making required to consistently score well is difficult for most mortals to comprehend. The money at the game’s highest levels can be life-altering. You get to compete on some of the greatest courses in the world. But you can only sleep in so many motels and eat road-Chipotle so many times before the day-to-day life starts to get old. Davis Bryant of Aurora is starting this month on his journey as a touring professional golfer. Bryant was a high school phenom and 2017
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Colorado High School player of the year. He went on to five years playing on the Colorado State University golf team, finishing with team records for career number of rounds at par or better (80) and rounds in the 60s (35). His entire family is golfy – his dad Matt is a career teaching and club management professional, most recently at Green Valley Ranch Golf Club. His sister Emma plays on the University of Denver golf team and his mother Julie is the tournament director for the Inspirato Colorado Open tournaments each summer.
AJ Ott of Fort Collins, Jim Knous of Littleton, whose PGA Tour career was sidelined by a wrist injury, and Bryant all made it to the second stage of the Korn-Ferry Q-School last fall. None made it to the finals. Colorado sends out its best every year, and many have plodded the same path Bryant is heading out on. But with the glare of TV lights and huge paychecks dominating so much of golf coverage, his experience will be a window for readers on what the majority of young touring professionals go through. PHOTO COURTESY DAVIS BRYANT//
“I grew up (at Green Valley Ranch) and that’s where I learned how to play,” he said recently from his grandparent’s home in Arizona that he is using as a base camp to begin tournament play this winter. “The game certainly wasn’t forced on me or my sister. Growing up at the course, I think I remember having success at 9 or 10 years old. I remember having fun and remember realizing I’m a little decent at golf. I had a very successful summer before my sophomore year at high school, qualified for Junior America’s Cup tournament. That summer I realized my potential. It wasn’t one event or tournament. I (just) always enjoyed practicing and being a student of the game. I love watching golf and being around it. Once I saw some success and consistently shooting around par or better it didn’t feel like a job or work – obviously it feels like work now and it’s a job – I felt it was something I had a passion for.” Bryant is just one of many Colorado golfers trying to succeed professionally this year. Jack Castiglia from Lakewood, who played at Northern Colorado last year, is out there on the Asher Tour this winter alongside Bryant. So is Trenton Leany, an amateur from Fruita, CO., near the Utah line. Gunner Wiebe, son of PGA Tour winner Mark Wiebe, drove an Uber in Denver before going back to professional golf; he’s on the European Tour in 2024. Becca Huffer of Denver played on the LPGA’s Epson Tour last year, and this year earned partial qualification for LPGA Tour events. Derek Fribbs of Thorton, a 2013 CU grad and golf team member, won a tournament on the All Pro Tour in 2022 and played in four tournaments last year.
His own father, Matt, opted out of touring golf early. A college golfer himself, he turned pro in 1996 but almost immediately chose a career path of working in the club industry. He began as an assistant teaching pro and has risen through the ranks to now being the general manager at Green Valley Ranch. “Travel wasn’t really up my alley,” he recalls. “I never had a burning desire to play golf on the road as a touring professional. After kids (are born), your priorities change.” To play this year Bryant first needed to raise between $75,000 and $100,000 in order to fund travel and entries for his first year. He got backing from family and a host of Colorado investors. Combined with plans to share hotel rooms with other young pros and every money-saving trick he can think of, he has enough to get started. He’s going to play in two minitours this year at least – the Asher Tour on the West Coast, and then the All-Pro Tour in Arkansas, Missouri and Texas this spring. From June to August he hopes to have qualified for the PGA Tour Americas events in Canada and Latin America. Then, as he did last fall, he wants to head back to Q-School, the insanely competitive annual tryout for a handful of PGA Tour and Korn Ferry Tour cards. He expects to compete in about 20 tournaments this year before the Q-School regimen begins.
Photos: Tyana Arviso
Colorado AvidGolfer will bring reports from Davis Bryant’s rookie INTERIOR COROLLA HYBRID// season to readers allOFyear inCROSS 2024
“I’m working on how you prepare best for tournaments,” he said. “I have a lot of experience but you’re traveling a lot of tournaments, you’re by yourself, you have to fly yourself or drive yourself week in or week out. It’s a lot different than college golf where you really with your buddies for a week, where now we’re trying to make a living out of this game. It certainly is a little bit more challenging and different. I don’t have any scar tissue right now.” coloradoavidgolfer.com 49
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• Devil’s Thumb Golf Club • Battlement Mesa Golf Club STAFF PICKS (Alphabetical) • The Bridges Golf and Country Club • Dalton Ranch Golf Course • Lakota Links • Telluride Ski and Golf Club
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STAFF PICKS (All picks Alphabetical) Estes Park Golf Club The Golf Club at Fox Acres RainDance National Golf Course
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STAFF PICKS Colorado National Golf Club Green Valley Ranch Golf Club Murphy Creek Golf Course The Ridge at Castle Pines
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STAFF PICKS The Bridges Golf and Country Club Dalton Ranch Golf Course Lakota Links Telluride Ski and Golf Club
STAFF PICKS CityPark Golf Course Indian Peaks Golf Course The Links Golf Course Pelican Lakes Golf Club
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PERRY PARK COUNTRY CLUB PHOTO PROVIDED BY BRADEN HANSON, PREMIER AERIALS//
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Masterful Sign-Off AF TER FOUR DECADES OF M E M O R A B L E C A L L S , S T E A M B O AT ’ S V ERN E LU N D QU I S T W I L L BROA D C A S T H I S FI N A L M A S TERS By Jon Rizzi
“Maybe… ” ! R I S , s e Y PHOTO BY NICK MCQUEENEY//
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“Maybe…Yes, SIR!” “Here it comes ... Oh, my goodness! ... OH, WOW! IN YOUR LIFE, have you seen anything like that?!” What golf fan does not recognize those calls? They have become as much a part of Masters history as the shots they describe. The first: 46-year-old Jack Nicklaus’ birdie putt on the 71st hole in 1986 to take the lead en route to his sixth green jacket. The second: Tiger Woods’s implausible chip-in birdie on the 16th in 2005 that would eventually deliver his fourth Masters title.
A Legendary Call TIGER WOODS 16T H H O L E // 2 0 0 5 M A S T E R S
“There’s a permanence to these events,” longtime Masters broadcaster Jim Nantz of CBS Sports says. “When you lend a narrative to iconic moments, you get to ride along with the video and (are) carried into eternity.” In each of the events in question, the rider isn’t Nantz, but a colleague for whom he’s “lost in admiration” — Verne Lundquist.
MAKING THE CALL
A fixture at Augusta National since 1983, the 83-year-old Lundquist has provided a soundtrack to the feats of Seve and Sergio, Ben and Bubba, Faldo and Phil, as well as the heartbreak of Rory, Spieth and the Shark. But for all his memorable calls, the one he quietly made with CBS Sports president Sean McManus two years ago will carry the most permanence. The two agreed that 2024 would mark Lundquist’s final Masters. He’d already retired from SEC Football in 2016 and the NCAA Final Four in 2018; and he’d called his last PGA Championship at Kiawah in 2021. “Sean said, ‘How about two more years?’ And I thought, that’s perfect. It will be my 40th Masters, which is a nice round number,” Lundquist reports from his home in Steamboat Springs, where, coincidentally, he has lived for nearly 40 years.
“Here it comes ... Oh, my goodness! ... OH, WOW! IN YOUR LIFE, have you seen anything like that?!” His broadcast will also set a record for longevity at the championship, although he acknowledges his reign will be brief. “I will hold the record for exactly one year, because a kid named Nantz — who started in ’86 when he was 26 and Jack won — will be calling his 40th in 2025 and could work into his 70s. And if it happens, he could have more than 50. That record would be unassailable.” Equally unassailable is Lundquist’s love of Augusta and the Masters, which he calls “the greatest golf tournament in the world.” He and his wife Nancy “have made so many great friends over the years.” They include colleagues Peter Kostis and David Feherty, both of whom he shared a home with for 11 consecutive tournaments, courtesy of CBS. “David’s probably the closest friend I have,” Lundquist says. “I love the guy.”
PHOTO COURTESY CBS SPORTS//
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Although he’s not overly enamored of having to remember proscriptions such as using “patrons” instead of “fans,” Lundquist applauds the club’s leadership for evolving while upholding traditions. “Back in the days of (General Chairmen) Clifford Roberts and Hord Hardin, there was a different vibe at Augusta,” he says of the once-imperious atmosphere. “With Billy Payne and with Fred Ridley, there’s an openness that you didn’t sense many years agwo.” That openness has publicly revealed itself in the acceptance of female members, inaugurating the Augusta National Women’s Amateur and cosponsoring and hosting the finals of the Drive, Chip & Putt.
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Additionally, Lundquist reports, it has also manifested itself south of his Colorado hometown, where Payne and 14 other Augusta National members came together a few years ago to create the Windwalker Club off Highway 131. “They’re good friends and really good people,” reports the announcer, who has been a guest of their fully staffed private fishing camp along the banks of the Yampa River. Three buildings — a huge main lodge and two smaller structures — provide bedrooms, a restaurant and other amenities. “Nancy and I have gone three times for dinner,” he says, before adding that the facility also sports six golf holes — not all par 3s — designed by Tom Fazio with three sets of tees on each.
LIVE AND LET LIV?
Another Steamboat homeowner, PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan, also has Lundquist’s attention. “My reaction was shock when he announced there was going to be a merger (with the Saudi-backed LIV Golf tour),” he says. “(How does) what was black yesterday, now become gray? Even white? That kind of changes the scenery and the perception.”
In his legendary broadcast career, Lundquist has also called the NFL, the NBA, college basketball, and the Olympics.
Calling himself “a purist,” Lundquist believes LIV golfers “have gotten in bed with the Devil. It’s a murderous regime. Now there may be backstories about which I’m totally unaware that could certainly adjust my feelings… Who knows what the ultimate resolution will be, but I’m afraid that this is doing damage to the game we all love.” How does he think that will play out at this year’s Masters, where defending champion Jon Rahm recently signed with LIV? “It will be awkward,” Lundquist says, especially at the champion’s dinner, which Lundquist’s longtime friend Ben Crenshaw will host. At that event last year, three-time Masters Champion and recent LIV signee Phil Mickelson sat at the opposite end of the table from Crenshaw. “Not that he was ostracized, but there was a certain lack of warmth,” Lundquist says. “And Jon is such a charismatic human being. And he’s a great golfer, good Lord. But he’s going to sit next to Ben, that’s by tradition… and that’s going to be uncomfortable because the feelings are so raw.” Lundquist’s feelings for Crenshaw run deep. Born 12 years apart, both attended Austin High School in Texas, and have known each other for more than 50 years. Of all his Masters moments, Lundquist says his most emotional came in 2015, during Crenshaw’s final Masters. “When he came through 16 that last time, he looked up and waved,” Lundquist recounts. “I choked up. He just waved. Jim on 18 said, ‘That was for you, Verne.’ I couldn’t even answer.”
RETURN TO THE TOWER
“Verne’s genius lies in the discipline to have the confidence and composure not to insert himself into the moment,” Jim Nantz marvels. “He just drops in like an undercurrent as the perfect complement.” That said, Verne Lundquist will himself be one of the moments at this year’s Masters. “I think the egotistical side would appreciate the acknowledgment,” he admits. “But I think it’s cliched to say I don’t want to be part of the story, but I truly don’t want to be part of the story. Acknowledgment, yes. Forty years as a faithful servant. I don’t know what they’ve got planned but I hope it’s relatively lowkey, I really do. Because the best golf tournament in the world is going to be going on. And I feel that way.” He concedes that signing off will be hard. “I’m an emotional guy by nature,” he says. “I have been all my life. The last thing I ever want to happen is to shed a tear on air. I don’t like that possibility. So, I’ll be pinching the inside of my thigh, not really but… I’ll be very conscious of it, I’m sure.” As of last December, the octogenarian said he felt healthy enough to climb the 15-foot iron-rung ladder to his traditional perch in the booth above the par 3s at holes 6 and 16 — the vantage point from which he made so many unforgettable calls, but where he hasn’t been stationed for the last four years. A sequence of back surgeries prompted the network to let him report those holes remotely, using monitors, from the CBS compound across Washington Street.
“Verne’s genius lies in the discipline to have the confidence and composure not to insert himself into the moment,” Jim Nantz marvels. “He just drops in like an undercurrent as the perfect complement.” PHOTO BY ASSOCIATED PRESS//
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—THE LINEUP—
May 13
June 3
PHOTOS BY NICK MCQUEENEY//
He says he decided to return to the tower last April while driving past it in a cart with Nancy. “Instead of the ladder going straight up, they’d tilted it,” he says. “It doesn’t look as high as it used to.”
July 15
He shared his observation with “Bill from Boston,” a volunteer who annually spends his two-week vacation guarding the ladder. “I said, ‘Bill, it looks doable, doesn’t it?’ and he said, ‘Well, buddy, if you’re going back up in that tower, I ain’t gonna let you fall.’ So that is my goal and Sean (McManus) knows that. I told him at the SEC Championship that I wanted to go back in that tower. I’m 80 percent sure that’s what we’re going to do.
September 4
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“That’s the way to go out,” he says. “Not sitting in a sterile room.” And what about when he’s sitting at home in Colorado watching the 2025 Masters? “I’m going to be biting the inside of my cheek a little bit next year because it’s been so much a part of my life,” he reflects. “Forty years, that’s a blessing. There just comes a time when you have to sag your shoulders and let your head fall to your waist and say, ‘I’ve done it.’”
SPRING 2024
Jon Rizzi is the founding editor of Colorado AvidGolfer.
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i-10 fwy tucson ROCKIES CENTRAL Any journey to Phoenix to catch the Rockies begins in their Scottsdale redout - Salt River Fields at Talking Stick. The Rockies share the complex with the Arizona Diamondbacks and the stadium is convenient to hotels, restaurants and golf courses. Most Rockies spring training home games start at 1:10 p.m., so morning rounds are the way to go; the sun will set before 7 p.m. all winter. A short drive to the east is Talking Stick Golf Course and its two courses O’odham Course (formerly the North Course) and the Piipaash Course (formerly South), both creations of Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw. To the west is the McCormick Ranch Golf Club, another two-course complex that is family-owned and has anchored the neighborhood since the early 1970s.
TROON NORTH
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The WM phoenix open - the people’s open - is Feb. 8 to 11 and features nightly concerts from artists including post malone, dirks Bentley and duran duran. PRINCESS TREATMENT Just a tad north of the Rockie’s Phoenix vacation home is one of the premier resorts in the state, the Fairmont Scottsdale Princess. The resort has 750 guest rooms, including 122 Privado luxe suites. The grounds feature plam tees, luxury pools and are next door to PGA-quality golf. The resort has relationships with its neighboring TPC Scottsdale complex, as well as the nearby Grayhawk Golf Club. The TPC Scottsdale becomes the home of the WM Phoenix Open - the People’s Open - in the middle of February; visit the week afterward if you want to get a chance to play the Stadium Course while the Stadium is still in place. Grayhawk and its two courses, Talon and Raptor, are some of the best courses in the region and have hosted numerous tournaments. ScottsdalePrincess.Com NORTHERN CHIC The Troon North golf complex and the Four Seasons Resort Scottsdale are a perfect place to base an Arizona golf vacation. Troon North has two Tom Weiskopf and Jay Moorish-designed courses -
PHOTO CREDIT: HALLIE SUTTON FOR EXPERIENCE SCOTTSDALE//
Monument and Pinnacle courses - that combine to offer breathtaking desert golf challenges. The Four Seasons Resort at Troon North offers adobe casitas up against a desert landscape, close to the wilds for hiking and biking and nature, as well as the spa, a bi-level pool and delicious eateries. troonnorthgolf.com
CRAFTY DINING Among the many, many great places to eat in the vicinity of the Rockies park is Cook & Craft, home to the tequila Old Fashioned and its Crafted Grilled Cheese. The locally-owned eatery has a sister operation in Phoenix, and both occasionally feature live music. Cookandcraftaz.com/shea
2023
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SOUTHERN DUNES
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Ak-Chin hosts U.S. Open qualifiers and college tournaments because its challenging length offers a great test for good players SHORT IS THE NEW LONG Resorts across the country are building tracts with odd dimensions - short courses, courses with fewer than 18 holes. The South Valley in Phoenix was way ahead of the trend; there are several affordable, shorter courses to enjoy for a quip dip in the golf pool. Sun Bird Golf Club on the south side is a 4,400-yard semi-private bon mot. SunBirdGolf. Com Iron Oaks Golf Course in Chandler is 5,400 yards and Golf Advisor calls it one of the best short courses in the U.S. Ironoaksaz.com. The Bear Creek Golf Complex in Chandler features a ‘Bear’ course - an inland links-style course that tops out around 6,800 yards - as well as its fun Cub course, a 5,400-yard executive course. bearcreekaz.com
BREW HOUSE TOUR Buqui Bichi in downtown Chandler is a taphouse from the Hermosillo Mexico-based Buqui Bichi brew family. en.buquibichi.com
OCOTILLO BY MORNING The Arcis Golf-managed Ocotillo Golf Club in Chandler gives a great golf challenge that will be familiar to anyone who has played other Arcis-managed facilities like Denver-area Arrowhead and Bear Creek. OcotilloGolf.Com
Hop Central Brewing Company and Taproom offers a rotating selection of house brews as well as imported offerings. hopcentralbrewery.com/
San Tan Brewing in Chandler leans a little harder into the food as well as serving its own lineup of ales. The Green Chili Pork Mac Skillet sounds like a light show. SanTanBrewing.Com The Living Room Wine Cafe and Lounge has been open in Chandler since 2009 under the motto “Wine a Little; You’ll Feel Better.” Who is to question the experts? The weekend brunch service is popular. livingroomwinebar.com
©Patrick koenig
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WIGWAM GOLF CLUB//
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wear with pride: Arizona’s state neckwear is the bola tie, the thin cord or braided leather clasped with silver and turqoise TRIED AND TRUE The Wigwam Golf complex in Litchfield Park is one of the region’s original courses and has been entertaining golfers since 1929. It features three 18-hole tests. The Gold Course can stretch to more than 7,300 yards and has been the site of U.S. Open and U.S. Amateur qualifiers. The Red Course is a 6,800-yard test designed by Arizona Golf Hall of Fame member Robert “Red” Lawrence, who also designed the Tubac Golf Club. The Blue Course is just shy of 6,400 yards and perfect for a group of mixed skills or a player looking for a relaxed twilight round. wigwamarizona.com 27 AND COUNTING Palm Valley Golf Club is an Arcis-managed daily fee club in Goodyear - near the spring training sites of the Cleveland Guardians and Cincinnati Reds and not far from the Dodgers and White Sox complex in Glendale. The complex offers 27 holes and can be played in any configuration, providing a lot of variety. PalmValleyGolf.com
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SPRING 2024
BIRRIA TACOS//
If you’re a fan of either the Royals or the Rangers and find yourself near Surprise Stadium, you could do far worse for dinner than the tasty Mexican fare at Rio Mirage Cafe. Lines form early but the food is worth waiting for. The slow-roasted carnitas is never a bad choice. RioMirageCafe.com Long before people’s love of birria tacos took over TikTok, Analilia’s Riquezas near Sun City was busy serving some of the best ones in Phoenix. Carry them out by the box if you wish, or else pull up a stool for the birria pizzadilla and quesabirria tacos. They have two locations - one near Peoria and one that roams. Look them up on Facebook. Ta’ Carbon, with three locations in the West Valley, throws down the gauntlet with the opening words of their website: “Our philosophy is simple - to deliver the finest carne asada in the United States.” The execution looks simple, but the taste is amazing. All three are close to U.S. 60 between downtown and Peoria. TaCarbon.com
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TUBAC RESORT//
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i-10 fwy tucson LEAVE WINTER FAR BEHIND A little further south still along Interstate 19 lies the ultimate winter refuge - Tubac Golf Resort and Spa. Snow has no place here. The course is very well executed - enough of a challenge to give all levels of players a test, but not overwhelming. It’s winter-break - we’re here to enjoy ourselves afterall. TubacGolfResort.Com At The Ritz-Carlton Golf Club at Dove Mountain, The Jack Nicklaus-designed courses feature 27 holes and can be a different challenge each time. The Wild Burro nine offers breathtaking views of the Tortolita Mountains nearby. The resort offers spa and dining that will make you forget winter even exists. RitzCarlton.Com
STARPASS//
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An Ultimate Winter Refuge awaits further Down South Along I-19 TUBAC GOLF RESORT, Featured in the Movie, ‘Tin Cup’
FINE GOLFING FARE On Tucson’s west side, The Club at Starr Pass has 27 holes available, enticingly named after cartoon animals who can run you over or bite you: Roadrunner, Rattler and Coyote. The first 18 were designed by Robert Cupp and Colorado Golf Hall of Fame member Craig Stadler; Arnold Palmer’s team added the final nine holes in 2003. The Troon-owned course hosted the Phoenix Open for many years and is worth your attention. Troon.Com The Arizona National Golf Club is one of the favorite public courses in the region. Designed by Robert Trent Jones Jr., the course is nestled against the beautiful Santa Catalina Mountains northeast of downtown. Reminiscent of many Colorado front-range courses, the holes gently climb up the foothills and then bring you back down. Shot selection is crucial. The course is deep in the Woodland Estates neighborhood, but a post-round bite can easily be had at the course grill or a short drive away. ArizonaNationalGolfClub.Com
PHOTO CREDIT: VISIT TUCSON//
GET READY FOR MARCH Down the highway a few hours from Phoenix, the golf mecca of Tucson does not offer minor league baseball in the winter. But there are plenty of reasons to visit and still have all your days set aside for awesome golf. Take a break from the links to catch one of the best men’s college basketball teams in the country, the Arizona Wildcats. They play on their Tucson campus through early March, and if they win it all you can boast you knew it all along. ArizonaWildcats.com. You can also enjoy music in a venue as lively and beautiful as the artist for which it is named: The Linda Rondstadt Music Hall - concerts this winter feature Gershwin, The Barber of Seville, Clint Black and Ali Wong. TucsonMusicHall.Org
MAKE A
CHANGE OF COURSE Golf in Tucson means a break from the average links. Challenge your game on daring desert layouts or hit it long on fairways that host the champions. Whatever your style, Tucson has it in the bag.
Find your Course at VisitTucson.org/Golf
coloradoavidgolfer.com 81
SPRING TRAINING411 W H E R E TO E AT, S L E E P & PL AY
COLORADO ROCKIES/ ARIZONA DIAMONDBACKS
Salt River Fields at Talking Stick 7555 N. Pima Rd., Scottsdale saltriverfields.com PLAY: Talking Stick, TPC Scottsdale, The Boulders, Troon North, Grayhawk, We-Ko-Pa, Wildfire, Ak-Chin Southern Dunes STAY: Talking Stick, JW Marriott Desert Ridge, Fairmont Scottsdale Princess, Omni Montelucia, EAT: The Henry, Ocean Trail, The Vig
CINCINNATI REDS/ CLEVELAND GUARDIANS
SEATTLE MARINERS/ SAN DIEGO PADRES
TEXAS RANGERS/ KANSAS CITY ROYALS
Goodyear Ballpark 1933 S. Ballpark Way, Goodyear goodyearbp.com PLAY: Wigwam, Verrado, Palm Valley, Golf Club of Estrella STAY: The Wigwam, TownePlace Suites EAT: Bella Luna Ristorante, Cheddar’s Scratch Kitchen, Litchfield’s
Peoria Sports Complex 16101 N. 83rd Ave., Peoria peoriasportscomplex.com PLAY: Quintero, Trilogy at Vistancia STAY: JW Marriott-Desert Ridge, Cibola Vista Resort EAT: Firebirds Wood Fired Grill, Arrowhead Grill, Peoria Artisan Brewery
Surprise Stadium 15850 N. Bullard Ave., Surprise surprisestadium.com PLAY: Wigwam, Quintero, Cimarron, Pebblebrook, Echo Mesa, Coyote Lakes, Trilogy at Vistancia STAY: Residence Inn by Marriott, Windmill All Suites Surprise, The Wigwam EAT: Chef Peter’s Bistro, Vogue Bistro
LOS ANGELES DODGERS/ CHICAGO WHITESOX
LOS ANGELES ANGELS OF ANAHEIM
OAKLAND ATHLETICS
Camelback Ranch 10710 W. Camelback Rd., Glendale camelbackranchbaseball.com PLAY: Golf Club of Estrella, Wigwam, Verrado STAY: The Wigwam, Renaissance Phoenix/Glendale EAT: Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse, Litchfield’s, Ground Control
Tempe Diablo Stadium 2200 W. Alameda Dr., Tempe tempe.gov/diablo PLAY: Raven Golf Club, The Legacy, Papago Golf Club, Rolling Hills, Shalimar, Foothills, Arizona Biltmore Golf Club STAY: The Phoenician, Marriott Phoenix at The Buttes, Canopy by Hilton, EAT: Top of the Rock, Four Peaks, The Keg Steakhouse
CHICAGO CUBS
SAN FRANCISCO GIANTS
Sloan Park 2330 W. Rio Salado Pkwy., Mesa mlb.com/cubs/sloan-park PLAY: Longbow, Papago, Raven, Rolling Hills, Dobson Ranch STAY: Sheraton Mesa at Wrigleyville West, Homewood Suites, Kasa Tempe, Sonesta Select, The Westin Tempe EAT: Carolina’s, Foch Cafe & Bistro, Cholla Prime, SanTan Brewing
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IT HAPPENS EVERY SPRING : The Colorado Rockies call Salt River Fields at Talking Stick in Scottsdale their home for Spring Training.
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SPRING 2024
Scottsdale Stadium 7408 E. Osborn Rd., Scottsdale scottsdaleaz.gov/scottsdale-stadium PLAY: Coronado, Continental, Estancia, Scottsdale Silverado, Phoenician Golf Club STAY: Scottsdale Marriott, W Scottsdale, Sienna House, Hotel Valley Ho EAT: Cornish Pasty, Olive & Ivy, Chelsea’s Kitchen, Lo-Lo’s Chicken and Waffles
Hohokam Stadium 1235 N. Center St., Mesa mlb.com/athletics/spring-training PLAY: Royal Palms, Longbow, Scottsdale Silverado, McCormick Ranch, Alta Mesa, Apache Wells, Western Skies STAY: W2ND Historic Inn, Delta Hotels by Marriott, Hyatt Place Phoenix/Mesa EAT: Charleston’s, Cholla Prime, Rustler’s Rooste
MILWAUKEE BREWERS
American Family Fields of Phoenix 3805 N. 53rd Ave., Phoenix mlb.com/brewers/spring-training PLAY: Palo Verde, Papago, Grand Canyon University Championship Golf Course STAY: Hyatt Place Phoenix/Downtown EAT: Huss Brewing Co. Brewpub, Pizzeria Bianco, State 48 Brewery
Blind Shot
BMW CHAMPIONSHIP FEVER
PHOTO CREDIT: JIM MANDEVILLE//
“Unprecedented Support”
G O L F PA R T I C I PAT I O N D R I V I N G T H E E N T H U S I A M I N C O L O R A D O By Jim Bebbington
VINCE PELLEGRINO PHOTO CREDIT: WESTERN GOLF ASSOCIATION//
This August the top 50 PGA Tour golfers of the year will fly into Denver for a week, and the region is already clearly exccited. Two years ago the Western Golf Association announced the 2024 BMW Championship would be held at Castle Pines Golf Club in Castle Rock. The tournament is the second leg of the PGA Tour’s year-end FedEx Cup playoff series; in addition to a lucrative purse, the top 30 on the leaderboard on Sunday will earn the right to advance to the Tour Championship at East Lake Golf Club in Atlanta. It’s a big deal. So, the field that Colorado golf fans will see in Castle Rock will be up in the air until the week of the championship Aug. 20 to 25. But what is clear is they will be the best in the world. “I think that’s what keeps it interesting on a year-round basis; people can follow the group year-round,” said Vince Pellegrino, the vice president of tournaments for the Western Golf Association, which runs the BMW Championship. “I think it gives people something to root for. From our perspective from a planning perspective we would love to know who’s going to be here but we know we’re going to get the top 50 players in the PGA Tour based on their performance this year.” Pellegrino said they’ve wanted to bring the tournament back to Colorado ever since they held the 2014 BMW Championship at Cherry Hills Country Club.
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“We’ve always wanted to get back into this market after Cherry Hills,” Pellegrino said. “There is incredible support – 2,200 volunteer positions filled in a matter of weeks. Ticket sales have been strong. We’re off to an unprecedented start. Corporate hospitality has been sold out 2 to 3 times (as they’ve added more inventory.) The corporate community has been tremendously supportive of the championship.” Pellegrino said that a boom in golf interest and participation is clearly partly what is driving the enthusiasm from Colorado golf fans. But he said even taking that into account, what they’re seeing in Colorado is unique. “As far as for ticket sales and volunteerism it’s unprecedented,” he said. “We have not seen the volunteer positions fill up like this.” And in addition, the WGA will use the tournament drive funding to the national caddy scholarship program, the Evans Scholars. The tournament will likely help fund around $5 million contribution back to the Evans Scholars fund. The national program funds four-year scholarships at universities including around 58 currently at the University of Colorado. For more information, visit BMWChampionship.Com
AUGUST 20-25 CASTLE PINES GOLF CLUB CASTLE ROCK, COLORADO
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