Denver Post Golf Expo Guide | 2020 by Denver Post Media

Spring 2020 Golf Guide

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Just Play, Baby! By Jon Rizzi Whether snow covers the ground or the temperature hovers near freezing, every Colorado golfer has a standing tee time February 7- 9. Those are the 2020 dates of the Denver Golf Expo, the 27th edition of which will take place at The Denver Mart. One of the country’s foremost consumer golf exhibitions, the Expo annually attracts more than 12,000 golfers of every age and skill level. United by an enthusiasm for a sport that winter seldom lends itself to playing, they come with different agendas. Some want to try the latest equipment. Others look for ways to inspire their significant others, kids or grandkids to pick up the game—or maybe become inspired to pick it up themselves. A good number covet free or discounted rounds at different courses, a free 10-minute lesson from a PGA professional and deals on annual memberships, clothing and golf vacations. And who wouldn’t mind winning one of the Expo’s skills contests that could take you to Hawaii? “We just want people to get excited about playing,” says Mark Cramer, who co-owns the Expo with his wife, Lynn. With more than 120 vendors and active participation by

the Colorado Golf Association, Colorado PGA Section and Junior Golf Alliance of Colorado, the Denver Golf Expo gives attendees every reason to be excited. That even includes the golf geek looking to discuss the Rules of Golf, the recently unveiled World Handicap System or the merits of the latest teaching aid. But where to start? “Check our website for the seminars you want to attend before coming,”

Cramer advises. “And as soon as you arrive, sign up for 10-minute lesson from a PGA Professional, as the tee times fill up fast. I would then sit down with the floor plan and list of exhibitors and circle exactly who I MUST see and then use it as I walk down the aisles one at a time and stop and talk with them and others that look interesting. If I needed a break, I’d use the lounge area or grab a coffee or beer. Be methodical or you will miss something.” You certainly can’t miss the largest booth there—a 15-bay Club Demo area sponsored by Lenny’s Golf Shop, where you can try the newest models from all the major manufacturers, buy them at preferred prices and optimize them with a complimentary master club-fitting at Lenny’s Aurora store. You can also get screaming deals on shirts, shoes and hundreds of items not carried in the store. You can take your first swing of the season with a free lesson from one

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of Colorado’s PGA Professionals, or learn all about the groundbreaking programs of the Junior Golf Alliance of Colorado, including the money-saving Youth on Course program, which lets juniors play golf for $5 at 30 local courses, and the 2020 U.S. Girls’ Junior Championship that will be held in Colorado Springs this July. Kids and adults can also compete in skills challenges for great prizes and trips, attend free seminars led by experts from GolfTEC and other leading Colorado companies, and learn about the wonderful places—across the state and the country—that golf can take you. That journey starts with a trip to The Denver Mart in February. Simply by attending and completing a short questionnaire, you’re eligible for hourly giveaways for some sweet swag, including a $3,000 trip for two to Bandon Dunes Golf Resort—America’s top golf resort and as close as you can get to Scotland without a passport.

Expo Exposure What to do at the Denver Golf Expo By Jon Rizzi 1 Go Global. Prior to this year, your golf handicap could get lost in translation if you traveled abroad. That’s because the six handicapping authorities representing 80 countries had different methods of calculation. Unveiled this year, the World Handicap System has standardized the process, enabling golfers of differing abilities, genders, ages and nationalities to compete globally on a fair basis. To learn how many strokes you’ll get the next time you visit South Africa, South America or South Suburban, visit the Colorado Golf Association booth. 2 Bust a Mavrik and Meet the SIMs. Head to the 7,000-squarefoot Lenny’s Golf Club Demo space across the aisle from Lenny’s 5,000-square-foot retail area, where you can test-drive the latest offerings from Callaway, TaylorMade and every other major manufacturer. Fresh from their debuts at the PGA Merchandise Show in Orlando, the clubs are priced to sell. Brand reps can educate you about any club. Best of all, Lenny’s will custom-fit for free at its store in Aurora any club purchased at its booth—even a used wedge. “They’re tools, not jewels,” says Nick Nosewicz of Lenny’s Golf Shop. “If you only sell clubs, you’re doing half the job.” 3 Avoid Lift Lines. Go to the golf show instead. Even the busiest booths move customers through quickly. “You don’t want to wait 20 minutes to get a great deal on golf balls,” says Nosewicz, who has streamlined his booth’s checkout process to make it run more efficiently. “We’re focused on enriching the experience.” 4 Learn for Less. There’s no such thing as a free lunch, but a free golf lesson? Swing on by the Colorado PGA Section booth for

10 minutes of free instruction with a PGA Professional. These slots fill up quickly, so beeline it there early and book a tee time.

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5 Get the Wheel Deal. With a spin rate higher than most golf balls, South Suburban Parks & Recreation prize wheel will reward you with a free round, range balls or 2-for-1 deals at the district’s four courses—Lone Tree, South Suburban, Littleton and Family Sports Center. No spin: Your Expo admission fee includes early-season discounts as part of SSP&R’s Fore Golf Program. 6 Register to Win. Completing the registration information upon entering the Expo automatically enters you into hourly drawings for free lessons, rounds, clubs, clothes and the big prize—a trip for two to Bandon Dunes Resort worth $3,000. 7 Say Aloha. Sponsored by Stan Sayers Golf, the Closest to the Pin contest utilizes a Trackman to gauge your shot’s proximity on a simulated par 3. The closest to the pin all three days qualifies for a Sunday afternoon playoff, with the winner receiving a stay-and-play golf package at Ka‘anapali Royal in Maui. 8 Grip It and Rip It. Co-sponsored by Optimum Golf and Lifetime Windows and Siding, the Long Drive Contest invites you to “let the big dog eat” on a Foresight GC2 Simulator. Winners in multiple categories receive indoor lesson packages at Optimum Golf’s state-of-the-art facility in Park Hill with the overall Men’s and Women’s winner getting a new Titleist golf bag. 9 Roll that Rock. The Long Putt Challenge, sponsored by Colorado’s newest course and PGA Tournament—TPC Colorado at Heron Lakes—gives you the opportunity to sink two putts THE DENVER POST

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JUNE & SEPTEMBER Denver Golf Expo Special. Present this coupon at the golf shop to receive your $76.50 golf special. Includes two rounds of golf and cart Available only during June and September 2020 after 2 pm, may not be redeemed on Labor Day weekend. Both rounds must be played during the same tee time. No cash value or rainchecks.

from a distance of more than 50 feet. Tickets and VIP Packages to the second edition of the Korn Ferry Tour’s TPC Colorado Championship at Heron Lakes (July 6-12, 2020) await each day’s winners. 10 Fit Your 15th Club. Improve your vision. Strengthen your core. Free your back from pain. Your body is your most important piece of equipment, and numerous golf-oriented health providers are there to help you get most out of yours. 11 Wise Up. Educate yourself at any or all of the 14 free seminars on the Expo’s main stage to hear from the state’s top instructors, club fitters, fitness specialists and Rules experts.

brimming with enticements for visiting golfers. 13 Play Away. Sweeten your game in Alabama. Hit Utah’s Red Rock Golf Trail. At dozens of booths, you’ll find great winter and early spring deals in such places as Mesquite and Summerlin in Nevada; Ka’anapali and Pukea in Hawaii; Horsehoe Bay in Texas; Buffalo Thunder, Rockwind and Taos in New Mexico; and many others. 14 Support Junior Golf. Head to the Junior Golf Alliance of Colorado booth to find out how you can attend—or, better yet, volunteer at—the U.S. Junior Girls’ Championship at the Eisenhower Golf Club Blue Course in Colorado Springs, July 13-18.

12 Play the State. From Pueblo to Pole Creek, Monument to Montrose, Loveland to Lakota Canyon, South Fork to South Suburban, Antler Creek to Walnut Creek to Deer Creek and beyond, more than 50 of Colorado’s public and resort courses have booths

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Year of the Woman This year’s U.S. Girls’ Junior Championship coincides with the 100th anniversary of the 19th Amendment, which gave women the right to vote. In commemoration and to promote the tournament, the Alliance will showcase numerous “Year of the Woman” events, culminating July 10, the Friday before the tournament begins, with the Women’s Leadership Summit at the Air Force Academy. Colorado has always been a leader when it comes to women’s golf, and not just because Babe Zaharias— arguably the greatest female athlete of the 20th Century and winner of four U.S. Women’s Opens—lived in Edgewater. • The Colorado Women’s Golf Association predated women’s suffrage by four years. It enjoyed enthusiastic participation for more than a century before merging in 2018 with the Colorado Golf Association—which currently has Janene Guzowski as its president. • Women own two of the foremost country clubs in the state: Karen Hart runs Cherry Creek Country Club in Denver, and Brenda Smith and Judy Mackey own the Garden of the Gods Club—home of Kissing Camels Golf Club, which hosted the 1982 U.S. Senior Women’s Amateur Championship—in Colorado Springs. • Molly Greenblatt is president of the Colorado Open Golf Foundation. • The CoBank Colorado Women’s Open Championship features the largest purse ($150,000) of any state open in the country. • From 1972 to 1987, seven Denver-area courses—Green Gables, Rolling Hills, Pinehurst, Columbine, Lone Tree, Meridian and Glenmoor—hosted the LPGA Tour’s Columbia Savings LPGA National Pro-Am. • Denver’s Jill McGill won the 1993 U.S. Women's Amateur and the

1994 U.S. Women's Amateur Public Links Championship. • In 1995, The Broadmoor hosted the 50th U.S. Women’s Open, won by Annika Sorenstam. • In 1996, Judy Bell of Colorado Springs became the first woman president of the United States Golf Association.

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• In 2019, Jennifer Kupcho of Westminster won the inaugural Augusta National Women’s Amateur tournament. • The 1962 Curtis Cup at The Broadmoor and the 2013 Solheim Cup at Colorado Golf Club marked the first time either event had taken place west of the Mississippi River. • Colorado’s Lakewood Country Club (1957), Hiwan Golf Club (1965) and Greeley Country Club (1982) have previously hosted the U.S. Girls’ Junior in Colorado. This year’s event at the Eisenhower Golf Club’s Blue Course will be the first time a military course has hosted a USGA championship.

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A 2020 Colorado Golf To-Do List 1 Catch the rising stars at the 72nd U.S. Girls’ Junior Championship in Colorado Springs. This July 13-18, for the first time in the USGA’s 125-year history, a military golf course will host a USGA championship. Featuring 156 amateur players 18 years old and younger, the U.S. Girls’ Junior will take place at U.S. Air Force Academy’s Eisenhower Golf Club Blue Course. In addition, the Junior Golf Alliance of Colorado is co-hosting the event—also a first for any junior golf organization. This marks the third consecutive year the state has staged a USGA championship, and the fourth time for the U.S. Girls’ Junior. You’ll see future collegiate and LPGA standouts; past winners include such players as Mickey Wright, Hollis Stacy, Amy Alcott, Nancy Lopez, Pat Hurst and Inbee Park. Did you know: Colorado Golf Hall of Fame member Carol Flenniken (née Sorenson) won the event in 1960? Get information on qualifying, attending and volunteering at the Junior Golf Alliance of Colorado booth.

2 Learn why 2020 is the “Year of the Woman” in Colorado Golf. In honor of the U.S. Girls’ Junior Championship coming to Colorado, 2020 will be “Year of the Woman” in Colorado golf. So says the Junior Golf Alliance of Colorado (JGAC), which will co-host the 2020 U.S. Girls’ Championship July 11-18 at Eisenhower Golf Club’s Blue Course in Colorado Springs. At February’s Denver Golf Expo, you can learn about the many events surrounding this celebration of women from different backgrounds who love the game. These events include the July 10 Women’s Leadership Summit at the Air Force Academy, which aims to empower the next generation of female leaders by providing the content, tools, mentoring and networking opportunities to support career advancement. 3 See the future of the PGA TOUR. The weekend before the juniors tee off in Colorado Springs, aspiring PGA TOUR players will compete July 9 – 12 in the Korn Ferry Tour’s second TPC Colorado Championship at Heron Lakes. Last year’s competition went to the wire, with Argentina’s Nelson Ledesma sinking a birdie putt on

the 18th hole to edge Australia’s Brett Coletta by one, punching his ticket to the PGA TOUR. And speaking of tickets, VIP Packages to the event await the winner of the Denver Golf Expo’s daily Long Putt Challenge. You can also register at the door of the Denver Golf Expo to become eligible to win free tickets to the event. 4 Watch for the announcement of a Colorado PGA TOUR event. Speculation is that the BMW Championship, which was played at Cherry Hills Country Club in 2014, could come to Castle Pines Golf Club in the near future. The event benefits the Western Golf Association’s Evans Scholars Foundation, and the new president of Castle Pines—former Evans Scholar George Solich—serves on the WGA/Evans Scholars Board of Directors. Solich played an instrumental role in bringing the event to Cherry Hills in 2014, and Castle Pines recently underwent major renovations to its golf course and clubhouse. 5 Play the new City Park Golf Course. Originally built in 1912 and closed for a major renovation since

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November 2017, one of Denver’s most beloved courses should again start hosting rounds by this summer. Mitigation of flooding issues precipitated the redesign by Broomfield course architect Todd Schoeder of iCon Golf, who consulted with World Golf Hall of Famer Hale Irwin. The new par-71 routing will sport 35 bunkers (up from 24), returning nines, larger greens with greater contours, and water in play on five holes. There’s also going to be a four-hole short course for The First Tee of Denver and full-on driving range (no more mats). Look for a relocated entrance at E. 23rd Ave and a modern, 11,000-square-foot clubhouse with stellar views of downtown and the Rockies. 6 On the private side, keep your eye out for Flying Horse North—a companion course to The Club at Flying Horse. Plans call for it to debut this year at the edge of the Black Forest, some 10 miles northeast of the original club, with a stunning design by former Tom Weiskopf associate Phil Smith, who assisted on the original Flying Horse layout.

Why Just Play? Because golf is a great-albeit complicated-game By Jon Rizzi Just Play. The slogan for this year’s Denver Golf Expo couldn’t be clearer. Just play. Go and enjoy yourself on one of Colorado’s bounty of topflight public courses. From Aurora Hills and The Bridges to Walking Stick and Willis Case, no state in the country has finer daily-fee offerings at such affordable prices, and a number of them offer discounts to Denver Golf Expo attendees. Just play. Few experiences exhilarate the senses more than being on a golf course with friends: The smell of the grass, the sound of bird song and banter, the sight of a putt curling into the cup, the feel of the club in your hands and the taste of a cold beverage from the beverage cart on a sun-drenched day. You can’t fully experience any of that if you don’t know how—or have forgotten—to play. The Denver Golf Expo provides a free golf lesson from a certified PGA Professional, and can introduce you to an instructor who’ll develop your game. Just playing, however, requires clubs. And it’s even harder if your sticks are outdated or ill-fitting. Let the Denver Golf Expo gear you up with a set of clubs that suits your needs. But “Just Play” is also versatile. Used on the course in its imperative form, it can goose the lollygaggers in the group in front of you, especially with the addition of colorful adverbs. (“Just bloody play, already!”) Alternatively, you can also coo “just play” soothingly to comfort a frustrated child, friend, spouse or

parent who can’t seem to get the ball airborne, let alone sink a putt. As an adjective, “just” means “fair.” And who doesn’t like fair play—that is, besides the Houston Astros? In golf, the handicap system is supposed to even the playing field—make things “fair”— between players of different skill levels. And with the new World Handicap System, that includes players from different countries. “To just play” not only splits an infinitive but also segregates the serious stick from the kicks-andgiggles player. The former never “just plays” in the casual sense. He or she competes, both against others and against him or herself. A game of golf means shooting a low score, winning some skins and steering clear of the hackers. When this person says, “just play,” it might translate to THE DENVER POST

“shut up and hit the ball,” “the next putt’s good” or “there’s still some meat left on that bone.” That person often intones “the Game of Golf” with the gravitas of “the Book of Job,” apparently forgetting that, whether capitalized or not, golf is a game, and games should be fun. Contrarily, the casual player takes “just play” as a sybaritic imperative, approaching golf as a matter of pleasure rather than performance. He or she may want to make birdies and pars, but also doesn’t let a bogey or worse derail their enjoyment of the day. Golf is both game and sport, an endeavor that can stir both joy and anger. It can bind generations (witness the Colorado Golf Association’s popular Parent-Child Championship) but also divides families (just ask any “golf widow.”) Golf invites countless comparisons

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to life (“but don’t believe them; golf is more complicated than that,” the late, great pro Gardner Dickinson quipped) and what sport lends itself to more jokes—and the time to tell them? It’s a sport of infinite precision and incredible luck. “You get bad breaks from good shots and good breaks from bad shots,” the immortal Bobby Jones once said. “But you have to play the ball as it lies.” He’s the same guy, of course, who once fumed, “Some emotions cannot be endured with a golf club in your hands.” Golf is as complicated as you make it, depending on your definition of fun. All of which shows that “just play” strikes the perfect note for this year’s Denver Golf Expo, its deceptively simple message as multilayered as a Titleist Pro V1x.

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