Resort Report: Steamboat Springs Levels Up Golf by Shane Sharp

RESORT REPORT Steamboat Springs Levels-Up Golf

With the Olympic games upon us, it seems like the perfect time to extol the virtues of a golf vacation to off-the-beaten-path Steamboat Springs, Colorado, referred to by downhill aficionados as Ski Town U.S.A.

Steamboat has produced more winter Olympians than any other town in North America. For the 2022 Winter Games, 13 athletes with ties to Steamboat will be in attendance, four who are attending for their first time, which brings the total number of Olympic athletes with ties to Steamboat to a record 100 and counting.

As the saying goes, though, folks come for the winter and stay for the summer.

And summer in Steamboat means golf at elevation amid the aspen trees, fly fishing the local rivers, soaking in the town’s name-sake hot springs, and hiking and biking the area’s network of trails.

Focusing on golf for purposes of this missive, this authentic ranch town offers several enticing options. Catamount Ranch and Club is a par-72 gem designed by the vastly underrated Tom Weiskopf. It embodies the best of golf played in the mountains: endless vistas, big elevation changes, and (hopefully) long drives.

Four sets of tees accommodate all levels of golfers, with the tips measuring just over 7,000 yards. The front nine meanders throughout the valley floor, with holes cut from aspen groves along banks of the Yampa River. The back nine heads up into the mountains and back down, taking full advantage of the property’s natural undulations.

Besides Catamount, Haymaker is another excellent option for golf in Steamboat Springs. One of Colorado’s top public tracks, Haymaker offers five sets of tees starting with the 2,700-yard Family tees ranging up to the 7,300yard tips. Haymaker is also a top Nordic skiing facility when the snow flies.

Rollingstone Ranch Golf Club, operated by Troon, should also make onto any avid golfer’s dance card. Designed by Robert Trent Jones II, the course is perennially ranked among the top 10 resorts courses in the state by Colorado Golf Magazine. It measures anywhere from 5,800 yards from the Copper tees to 6,700 from the Black tees.

For lodging, Steamboat Grand is the area’s premier place to stay, offering 328 beautifully appointed hotel rooms, spacious condos, and luxurious penthouses just steps from the base of the ski area. Other Steamboat hotel options include the Sheraton Steamboat Resort, Homewood Suites by Hilton, Holiday Inn, and La Quinta.

On the topic of coming for the winter and staying for the summer, vacation homes in Steamboat continue to be popular with buyers seeking wide-open spaces and room for their families to roam. Especially with the ongoing trend of working remotely, more and more buyers are opting for a “life on vacation” lifestyle in Steamboat Springs.

Alpine Mountain Ranch & Club, a 1,216-acre luxury ranch community located in the South Valley, is enjoying an uptick in sales due to in-migration from urban areas. Bordered by the Steamboat Ski Resort, Catamount Golf Club and the national forest, the ranch features 63, five-acre homesites starting at $2 million and 900 acres dedicated to wildlife preserve and open space only five minutes from town and the ski area.

Ranch amenities include an Owners’ Lodge, Guest Cabin, concierge services, fishing lake, equestrian facilities, a private backcountry retreat, five-miles of trails, private fishing on a 1.5-mile section of the Yampa River, and membership opportunities at the five-star, slopeside, Alpine Mountain Summit Club, located at One Steamboat Place. For more info visit www. alpinemountainranchsteamboat.com.

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Back to the Future of a Desert Classic

Times have certainly changed since the last time the American Express PGA Tour event in the Southern California desert got the pro golf season on the mainland started for the year in early 2020 with a robust event featuring concerts, a three-day Pro-Am and plenty of fun for those that come out to enjoy the best weather in the country in January.

Even though 2021 had a slimmeddown event with no fans or extra activities because of Covid19, the 2022 edition of what started as the Bob Hope Desert Classic in 1960 came back bigger and stronger in January with its most robust list of top players ever--a full field Pro-Am for the first three days of the competition and two of the top musical performers in the country.

Led by Jon Rahm, the number-one ranked player in the world, the 156 professionals and 156 amateurs were treated to a wonderful week in the desert sun and a tournament that lived up to its promise.

The concert series of the American Express has become of the tournament’s trademarks—along with being one of only two pro-am’s on the PGA Tour where the pros and amateurs play together as part of the 72-hole regulation event.

The concert series that begun in 2017 was bigger and better than ever. Held on the PGA West Stadium Club practice area, the popular Los Angeles pop rock band Maroon 5 performed after the conclusion of play on Friday as night fell--and country star Brad Paisley played on Saturday evening after the conclusion of the third round. Crowds were back to pre-pandemic heights and even more enthusiastic.

The professional golf was just as exciting. Hudson Swafford used an eagle and five birdies on the back nine to win the event for the second time (the first was 2017) with a final round 64 and a total of 23 under par--and joined names like Arnold Palmer, Johnny Miller and Billy Casper as the only two-time winners of one of the oldest and most iconic tournaments on the PGA Tour.

For a golf destination in January, the Coachella valley region is more popular than ever because of its easy drive access for more than 20 million people who are two hours away or less. The region has 120 golf courses, and a tournament that uses three of them over the four days highlights some of the best that the area has to offer.

In addition to the PGA Stadium Course, the Nicklaus Tournament Course at PGA West is on the rotation along with historic La Quinta Country Club. These are three of the best courses in the City of La Quinta, which is fast gaining a reputation as the go-to golf destination for those looking to get away and enjoy a winter get-away.

Throw in an iconic tournament for added fun and entertainment, and you have a recipe for a memorable week with the best weather you will find for winter.

Event Winner Hudson Swafford and family

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by Barry Lotz

XXIO Rebound Drive Golf Balls

The new XXIO Rebound Drive golf balls provide the versatile performance that golfers demand to handle every situation out on the course. These golf balls feature XXIO’s proprietary Rebound Frame Technology, which interposes areas with high and low rigidity to produce just the right amount of flex for higher initial ball speeds along with a pure feel at impact. It incorporates distance, feel, spin and all the performance needed in one new golf ball offering from XXIO.

Available colors include: Premium White, Lime Yellow, Premium Pink and four- Color Pack (Premium Pink, Lime Yellow, Orange, and Ruby Red).

For more information:

www.xxiousa.com

Sacks Parente Putters

The Series 99 “Anser Style” putter has a maximized face-forward Center of Gravity (CG) engineered to give you a better stroke, better ball roll, better distance control and fewer three putts.

The Series 99 was developed in collaboration with PGA Tour professionals to deliver a better feeling Anser style putter for tour use. Many professionals have to add lead weight tape to their putters, searching for feel, and the 99 delivers extreme feel without over weighting the putter head.

This putter is CNC milled from solid carbon steel, formulated by their engineers, to deliver a feel, ball roll and distance control unlike any “Anser” style you have tried. The Gun Metal finish looks amazing. Like all Sacks Parente putting instruments, the 99 has patented ultra-low balance point technology, and this putting instrument, like all their putters, will naturally improve your stroke and your score.

Contributing to an overall spectacular improvement to your putting, besides your stroke, the shaft and the Ultra-Light ULBP grips are major contributors to your putting prowess and putts per round decline.

Since I started using the 99 “Anser Style”, I am looking at getting closer to 19 putts per round – that is how great this putter performs.

For more information: www.sacksparente.com

Whiskers Enters U.S. Golf Market with Array of Color Pops, Cool Patterns on Shoelaces

Whiskers has launched men’s and women’s premium golf-specific shoelaces in 20 color pops and unique patterns, expanding beyond its immensely popular bespoke laces for sneakers-casual and dress shoes--and boots.

The Made-in-the-USA golf laces coordinate in style and color with famous golf footwear and apparel brands as well as palettes of college and professional sports teams. Made of ultra-durable polynylon tech weave with high-grade aglets, they are available in classic and athletic profiles, flat and oval shapes and 30- to 45-inch lengths. Best sellers include navy and light blue; orange and white; berry and black; green and blue and purple and pink.

The company’s entry into the $84B golf economy is timely and massive. Through August 2021, golf rounds are up 11.3% over 2020, with millennials – who especially relish self-expression – representing one of the fastest growing golf segments. Sales of golf equipment, apparel and accessories rose 37% over the same 12-month period.

Golf style trends also align with the company’s mission to create a Whiskers “movement” and its vision to become the world’s most iconic, inspirational, aspirational and ubiquitous premium golf lace and accent brand. Golfers are paying more attention to how they look, supported by a new crop of young, causal Tour players and influencers injecting tremendous fashion energy into the golf landscape. Easing of traditional dress codes at country clubs also contributes to Whiskers’ market opportunity.

In addition to a robust e-commerce business, programs underway include a seamless ordering portal for golf shops; special edition socks around major tournaments and other events; presence on the feet of PGA and LPGA Tour players and collaborations with golf footwear and apparel brands.

The brand is uber-popular as evidenced by rave reviews from major fashion and

SWEETSTUFF

lifestyle media, as well as customer testimonials. Widely recognized as a “here-to-stay trend,”

Whiskers also manufactures statement-making golf socks in an assortment of colors and designs which merchandise superbly with its golf laces. The growing annual global sock market is forecast to reach $24B by 2025.

Whiskers’ laces are becoming collectors’ items and are available on scores of websites, select specialty shops and at www.whiskerslaces.com.