FALL GOLF IN COLOR ADO: SAVOR IT AND SAVE!
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SEE P.13
Elevating the Game.
KARL DORRELL Whether saving par or a football program, the CU coach always takes his best shot
THE DURANGO TANGO Why are PUTTING COURSES on such a roll? Visits to STEAMBOAT & KOHLER GROUND OR AIR? How to choose a delivery method into the green
AUG/SEPT 2021 | $6.95
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Award-winning dining, a booming craft beer scene 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 mountains to the coast you can take it all in.
www.GolfAlabama.org Kiva Dunes Golf & Beach Resort, Gulf Shores
CONTENTS | August/September 2021
DEPARTMENTS PHOTOGRAPH BY JOHN LEYBA
8 Forethoughts
Avoiding the DFL Finish. By Jon Rizzi
12 The CGA
Our videos and app can save you strokes, settle arguments and improve your skills.
19 The Gallery
Harmony finally builds its clubhouse; DU and NCU lose four coaches; national qualifiers; RIP Perry Dye; more
72 Blind Shot
Streaks of Night at Ballyneal Golf & Hunt Club
PLAYER’S CORNER 31 Play Away
Durango, the gem of Southwest Colorado, moves to its own unmistakable beat. By Chris Duthie
36 Play Away
This September, the international spotlight shines on Kohler’s Whistling Straits—a Ryder Cup venue you can actually play. By Tom Mackin
40 Lesson
Ground or air? There’s more than one way deliver a ball to the green. By Alex Fisher
56 PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY OF DESTINATION KOHLER
FEATURES
54
Making Hay From tee to green, Haymaker Golf Course is quintessentially Steamboat Springs—with a wee bit o’ Scotland thrown in. By Jon Rizzi
56
Driving it Home
62
45 Fareways
Juice up your swing with this Denver-based company’s golf-inspired canned cocktails. By John Lehndorff
48 Nice Drives
McLaren 720S Spider, BMW X5 45e, Jaguar F-Pace SVR and the Lexus LC500 Convertible. By Isaac Bouchard
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36
In coach Karl Dorrell, the rejuvenated CU Buffs football team finally have a calm, strong leader who’s equally in command moving his team down the field and his ball around a course. By Andy Bigford
SIDE BETS
SPECIAL SECTION 13
Fall Golf in Colorado Fabulous fall deals at 11 courses.
A trend more than 150 years in the making, putting courses are fostering fun and community at golf facilities across the country—including four in Colorado. By Jon Rizzi COLORADO AVIDGOLFER | August/September 2021
ON THE COVER Karl Dorrell at TPC Colorado in Berthoud. Photographed June 23, 2021, by John Leyba
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PHOTOGRAPH BY ASHLEY KNOTEK
On a Roll
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August/September 2021 | Volume 20, Number 5 PRESIDENT AND GROUP PUBLISHER
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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. Volume 20, Number five. 6143 S. Willow Drive, #406, Greenwood Village, CO 80111. 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 © 2021 by BakerColorado Publishing, LLC. All rights reserved. Reproduction without permission is prohibited. Postmaster: Send address changes to Colorado AvidGolfer, 6143 S. Willow Drive, #406, Greenwood Village, CO 80111. 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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ONE ROOF
Jaguar Land Rover Flatirons is committed to the principles of quality, consistency, precision, luxury, and accomplishment. In everything we do, we strive to provide you with the very best dealership and auto ownership experience possible. That is why we have become one of the leading dealerships serving from Denver to Boulder.
Jaguar Land Rover Flatirons 11420 Via Varra Broomfield, CO 80020 303-577-5580 www.jaguarlandroverflatirons.com
Vehicles shown: 2021 Range Rover Velar & 2021 Jaguar F-TYPE. Supplies are limited. Excludes $499 destination/handling charge, tax, title, license, and retailer fees, all due at signing, and optional equipment. Retailer price, terms and vehicle availability may vary. See Jaguar Land Rover Flatirons or call 303-577-5580 for qualifications and complete details. © 2021 Jaguar Land Rover North America, LLC
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Forethoughts
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COLORADO AVIDGOLFER | August/September 2021
Avoiding the DFL Finish MY COMPETITIVE golf career consists of charity scrambles, pro-ams and the occasional individual or two-man best-ball tournament. I’ve had my share of successes, but with few exceptions, my goal is usually modest: Don’t finish DFL. Denver Football League? Dumb Friends League? No. DFL stands for dead … last. I’ll let you fill in the missing word. I’m not the only one who subscribes to the modest ambition of not seeing my name at the bottom of the leaderboard. A few years ago, my buddy Bob and I got invited to play in a prestigious two-person, scratch tournament in which two double-digit handicaps like us had no business competing. Bob, who has watched his daughter win a state high-school golf title and two NCAA national team championships, is more competitive than I am when it comes to golf. But by the last day of the tournament, we were, predictably, the first group off tee in the consolation round. When the guys we were up against blew up on the penultimate hole, Bob hugged me and planted a big kiss on my cheek right there in our golf car. “We’re not going to be DFL!” he intoned. I’m an avid but average golfer, and since Average Golfer would make a lame name for a magazine, we’ve gone with the alternative for the last 20 years. However, people too often equate avid with able. No one expects a music writer to play a guitar or a baseball writer to hit a curveball, but when it comes to golf, there’s always an anticipation that one who writes about it can shape his shots the same way he shapes sentences. Do I really care? Not any longer. Yes, the challenges of achieving proficiency at golf once drove me to fits of pique. But since I don’t make my living by playing the game, I’ve channeled my intensity into covering it. If that falls in the “those who can’t do, write” category, so be it. I have an abiding appreciation for the dedication and skills of individuals who make a difficult game look easy. Ultimately, though, I think golf is more about pleasure than performance—why else call it “the game of a lifetime”? Consider the camaraderie, the outdoors, the delightful destinations and the beauty and uniqueness of every hole and every course. Those qualities—more than the quixotic pursuit of shooting our age—keep us going well after our drives start looking more like long putts. Speaking of drives and putts and our complex relationship with golf… In his cover story on Karl Dorrell (page 56), Andy Bigford learns how the CU head football coach got hooked on golf but early on realized that a coach with a low handicap would also have a low winning percentage and a short career. The 58-year-old Dorrell, who has coached in the NCAA and NFL for more than 30 years, nonetheless remains an avid golfer, playing when his schedule allows and as a way to spend more time with his 26-yearold son Christian, an aspiring NFL (not DFL) general manager. We follow that story with a feature on the rise of putting courses. Photographed predominantly (and beautifully) by Chris Wheeler and written by me, “On a Roll” (page 62) examines why four Colorado courses created their own versions of the St. Andrews Himalayas course. Communal, entertaining, flexible and challenging, these inspired layouts serve as a fun space for friendly après-round matches and social gathering. But they also provide a delightful on-ramp to the game. Beginners get to play without fear of embarrassment, the stress of having to compete for first place or consoling themselves by not finishing DFL. —JON RIZZI
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PLAY WHERE
THE LEGENDS PLAY.
Some of the greatest of all time have played at The Broadmoor Golf Club. Join the ranks on two iconic, championship courses set in the Cheyenne Mountain foothills of Colorado Springs. Then relax each night with the unmatched hospitality and spirit of the American West. Visit broadmoor.com to plan your trip.
855.319.5588
BROADMOOR.COM
The CGA SERVING ALL COLORADO GOLFERS
Game Changers Our videos and smartphone app can save you strokes, resolve Rules arguments and improve your skills. IT’S BEEN said a picture is worth a thousand words, but at the CGA we’re hopeful our pictures are worth 1,000 strokes when you consider we’re playing the “game of a lifetime.” Since 2019 we have been producing our CGA Rules of Golf video series, and in 2020 we launched Swing Tip videos in conjunction with top instructors in Colorado. These videos are designed to help you improve your game and hopefully save you strokes every round.
TELL US WHAT YOU WANT
We want to hear from the Colorado AvidGolfer community; what types of videos do you want to see? Whether it’s hearing from our intrepid Rules gurus or recommend a great tip from an instructor you trust. Submit your suggestions to PR@ coloradogolf.org and we’ll get to work sharing your suggestions. To follow our videos, visit our Video Library at coloradogolf.org or subscribe to our YouTube channel.
READY FOR THE RULES Our Rules videos not only help you and your partners navigate complicated Rules situations; they also inform your appreciation of golf’s majors. During the PGA Championship on the 18th hole of the Ocean Course on Kiawah Island, Sebastián Muñoz hit his drive into a trash can on the edge of the gallery. Using the Rules to his advantage—and a savvy Rules official—Muñoz took the proper relief and saved par on the hole. He also provided one lucky fan with some “major” memorabilia after he gave away his trash ball. Similarly, in the final round of this year’s U.S. Open at Torrey Pines, Mackenzie Hughes was only two strokes back of the leaders when his tee shot on the 11th hole nested high in a tree. As we have reviewed in a video, he got no relief. After taking a penalty stroke, Hughes eventually made double bogey and dropped out of contention. Visit the CGA Video Center on coloradogolf.org to learn the proper way to handle these kinds of tricky Rules situations. SWING TIPS In Colorado we are blessed with some of the top instructors in the country, along with the preeminent GOLFTEC, which was founded right here in Colorado. To help your game we consult with GOLFTEC pros and award-winning PGA and LPGA professionals to showcase helpful tips to improve your performance, manage your game and help you score. It’s amazing what these quick tips can do to give you the confidence you need to manage those greenside bunkers or understand what’s happening with your slice. GHIN MOBILE All 67,000 CGA members have access to the free GHIN Mobile app on their smartphone. The CGA has developed how-to videos to help you use the app and maximize your use of this official handicap app from the USGA. You’ll learn how to post scores and hole-by-hole statistics—and, later this year, you’ll discover how to use a GPS distance-tracking tool we’ve created for all Colorado courses. The Colorado Golf Association’s mission is to represent, promote and serve the best interests of golf in Colorado. This includes services such as handicap management, course rating, events, clinics, tournaments and membership programs. The CGA is licensed by the United States Golf Association as the “Allied Golf Association” of record for the state of Colorado. More than 60,000 members enjoy all that the CGA has to offer. 303-366-4653; coloradogolf.org COLORADO AVIDGOLFER | August/Septmeber 2021
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SPECIAL ADVERTISING SEC TION
FALL GOLF inColorado S E P T E M B E R 13 – O C T O B E R 10 A P E R F E C T PA I R I N G :
COLOR ADO’S BEST COURSES AND YOU! P L AY M O R E A N D PAY L E S S !
COURSES INCLUDE:
APPLEWOOD GOLF COURSE p14 | COMMONGROUND GOLF COURSE p14 | FAMILY SPORTS GOLF COURSE p14 GRANBY RANCH GOLF COURSE p15 | GREEN VALLEY RANCH GOLF CLUB p15 | HOMESTEAD GOLF COURSE p15 INDIAN TREE GOLF COURSE p16 | LITTLETON GOLF & TENNIS p16 | LONE TREE GOLF CLUB p16 THE RIDGE AT CASTLE PINES NORTH p17 | SOUTH SUBURBAN GOLF COURSE p17 Turn the page for full details >>
Lone Tree Golf Club & Hotel
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August/September 2021 | COLORADO AVIDGOLFER
FALL GOLF
in Colorado
SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION
APPLEWOOD GOLF COURSE 14001 W 32nd Avenue, Golden, CO 303-279-3003 | applewoodgc.com Opened in 1961, Applewood Golf Course has been regarded as one of the best Denver golf locations for the whole family. Set against the foothills of the Rocky Mountains and 15 minutes from Denver, the course is a tribute to its breathtaking surroundings as well as the beauty of the game of golf itself. Whether you’re looking for leagues, lessons or the perfect location for a special occasion, your second family awaits you. OFFER INCLUDES: 18 holes of golf with cart for $52.80. Valid anytime Monday-Thursday. To book your Fall Golf in Colorado tee time, please call 303-279-3003 or book online at applewoodgc.com up to 7 days in advance. OFFER DATES are September 13–October 10
COMMONGROUND GOLF COURSE 10300 E Golfers Way, Aurora, CO 303-340-1520 | commongroundgc.com Designed by world-renowned architect Tom Doak and owned by the Colorado Golf Association, one of the state’s foremost public courses is also one of its most affordable golf experiences. It measures 7,200 yards and features mounded fairways, huge green complexes and plenty of subtle elevation changes. While challenging enough to co-host the 2012 U.S. Amateur and 2019 U.S. Mid-Amateur, CommonGround has multiple tees to create an enjoyable experience for all abilities. OFFER INCLUDES: 18 holes of golf and a cart for $52.80. Valid anytime Monday-Thursday and after 1:00 p.m. Friday-Sunday. To book your Fall Golf in Colorado tee time, please call 303-340-1520 or book online at commongroundgc.com up to 6 days in advance. OFFER DATES are September 13–October 10
FAMILY SPORTS GOLF COURSE 6901 S Peoria St, Centennial, CO 303-649-1115 | ssprd.org Family Sports Golf Course features the Denver Metro area’s only heated and lighted double-deck driving range. Enjoy infrared heaters while hitting range balls on cold days or nights. The shortgame practice area features two large greens, two bunkers and the ability to hit up to 75-yard pitch shots. The 9-hole, par-31, executive golf course is perfect for those short on time, or those wanting to practice their short game. In addition to South Suburban’s PGA teaching staff, GOLFTEC provides individual outdoor lessons onsite. OFFER INCLUDES: Nine holes of golf and range balls for $19. Carts may be rented for an additional $10 per player. Valid Monday– Thursday anytime and Friday-Sunday after 12 p.m. Make tee times 5 days in advance by calling 303.649.1115 or visiting ssprd.org. OFFER DATES are September 13–October 10
COLORADO AVIDGOLFER | August/September 2021
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FALL GOLF
SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION
in Colorado
GRANBY RANCH GOLF COURSE 2579 Co Rd 894, Granby, CO 970-887-2709 | golfgranbyranch.com Experience the serenity of mountain golf at Granby Ranch Golf Course. The 18-hole layout is perfect for families and avid golfers alike. Playing at 8,100 feet with unparalleled Rocky Mountain views, abundant wildlife and strategically placed sand traps and ponds, Granby Ranch invites you to join us for a round of golf that features the Fraser River. OFFER INCLUDES: $60 includes green fee, cart, and warm-up on the range. To book your Fall Golf in Colorado tee time, please call 970-887-2709 or book online at golfgranbyranch.com up to 30 days in advance. OFFER DATES are September 20–October 10
GREEN VALLEY RANCH GOLF CLUB 4900 Himalaya Rd, Denver, CO 303-371-3131 | gvrgolf.com Host to all three Colorado Open Championships, Green Valley Ranch Golf Club stretches to a demanding 7,249 yards and blends natural wetlands, creeks and towering cottonwoods. The last three holes (known as the 3-Hole Challenge) make up one of the best finishes in Colorado golf—score par or better on each hole and the first drink is on GVR. OFFER INCLUDES: 18-hole green fee, 18-hole cart fee with GPS, and driving range balls for $52.80. Valid anytime MondayThursday and after 12 p.m. on Friday-Sunday. To book your Fall Golf in Colorado tee time, please call 303-371-3131 or book online at gvrgolf.com up to 7 days in advance. OFFER DATES are September 27–October 10
HOMESTEAD GOLF COURSE 11500 W Hampden Ave, Lakewood, CO 720-963-5181 | lakewoodgolf.org One of Colorado golf’s best-kept secrets, Homestead’s par-65, 5,048-yard layout accessibly bridges championship-style play and a shorter overall course length. Don’t let the yardage fool you. This links-style course, with four sets of tees and two unique nine-hole personalities, creates memorable challenges to even the most seasoned golfers. The beautifully manicured grounds offer complete practice facilities, target and putting greens, sand areas and a clubhouse that enchants with its food and service and captivates with its views. OFFER INCLUDES: Nine-hole rates start at $21, plus $10 per player for cart rental, Monday - Friday. Inquire about our rates and to book your Fall Golf in Colorado tee time, please call 720-963-5181 or visit us online at lakewoodgolf.org up to 7 days in advance. OFFER DATES are September 13–October 10 coloradoavidgolfer.com
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August/September 2021 | COLORADO AVIDGOLFER
FALL GOLF in Colorado
SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION
INDIAN TREE GOLF CLUB 7555 Wadsworth Blvd, Arvada, CO 303-403-2542 | indiantree.apexprd.org Folklore has it that the famed “Indian Tree” was a rare Hackberry tree on the grounds of Indian Tree Golf Club. Its seed was toted westward and planted at the crest of our local foothills below the splendid views and peaks of the Colorado Rocky Mountains. With tree-lined Kentucky Bluegrass fairways, rolling terrain Penncross Bentgrass greens and a picturesque clubhouse, the spirit and sacred atmosphere of this lone tree can now be felt throughout our delightful course, located just 20 minutes from downtown Denver. OFFER INCLUDES: 18 holes of golf with greenfee and cart for $52.80. Every day, all day. To book your Fall Golf in Colorado tee time, please call 303-403-2542 or book online at indiantree. apexprd.org up to 7 days in advance. OFFER DATES are September 27–October 10
LITTLETON GOLF & TENNIS 5800 S Federal Blvd, Littleton, CO 303-794-5838 | ssprd.org The par-63 executive, 18-hole course is a great choice if you’re looking to play a round on a naturally beautiful course. The title may say executive, but the challenge of the course is anything but that. Littleton Golf Course features two par 5s, five par 4s and some of the best playing conditions in the metro area. Located just west of downtown Littleton, adjacent to the South Platte River, the course is a great test of golf for players of all abilities. OFFER INCLUDES: 18 holes of golf with cart and range balls for $53. Valid Monday-Thursday anytime and Friday-Sunday after 12 p.m. Reservations may be made 5 days in advance by calling 303.794.5838 or visiting our website at ssprd.org. OFFER DATES are September 13–October 10
LONE TREE GOLF CLUB & HOTEL 9808 Sunningdale Blvd, Lone Tree, CO 303-799-9940 | ssprd.org The Arnold Palmer-designed par-72 championship course features five sets of tees and stretches to more than 7,000 yards, with rolling fairways, fast undulating greens and incredible views of Denver and the Front Range. Lone Tree's practice facilities have a grass-tee driving range, large putting green and a short-game area featuring two chipping greens, two sand bunkers and one grass bunker. The 45,000-square-foot clubhouse offers 15 hotel suites, banquet facilities for 250 guests and an outdoor patio and bar. OFFER INCLUDES: 18 holes of golf with cart and range balls for $78. Valid Monday-Thursday anytime and Friday-Sunday after 12 p.m. Reservations may be made 5 days in advance by calling 303.799.9940 or visiting our website at ssprd.org. OFFER DATES are September 13–October 10
COLORADO AVIDGOLFER | August/September 2021
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FALL GOLF in Colorado
SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION
THE RIDGE AT CASTLE PINES NORTH 1414 Castle Pines Parkway, Castle Rock, CO 303-688-0100 | playtheridge.com Consistently ranked as one of the best daily-fee courses in Colorado, The Ridge at Castle Pines challenges golfers with massive elevation changes, myriad lakes and streams, and expanses of pine and Gambel oak. Stick around after your round for a brew and some seriously good grub on the clubhouse patio, which provides stunning views of Pikes Peak and Devil’s Head. OFFER INCLUDES: Golf, cart, practice balls, yardage book, scorecard and divot tool for $52.80. Tee times valid after 1 p.m. Monday–Thursday and may be booked 7 days in advance at playtheridge.com, use promo code 5280. All players will need to sign up for the Troon Rewards program to receive the $52.80 rate. OFFER DATES are Monday–Thursday, October 18–28
SOUTH SUBURBAN GOLF COURSE 7900 S Colorado Blvd, Centennial, CO 303-770-5500 | ssprd.org South Suburban is a superbly maintained, 18-hole regulation course, with a suburban vibe and setting. Enjoy our signature undulating greens and beautiful mountain views. Our newly designed 18th hole is one of the best in the state with water and an abundance of sand to test your game. Sharpen your skills on our new short-game practice area. which includes chipping, putting and a practice bunker, or on our challenging 9-hole par-3 course. OFFER INCLUDES: 18 holes of golf with cart and range balls for $63. Valid Monday-Thursday anytime and Friday-Sunday after 12 p.m. Reservations may be made 5 days in advance by calling 303.770.5500 or visiting our website at ssprd.org. OFFER DATES are September 13–October 10
FALL SALE!
39
$
95*
SAVE EVEN MORE with lower Fall pricing at many courses! See page 28 for more info. For full details and to order, visit coloradoavidgolfer.com/golf-passport *Plus $4.95 shipping & handling.
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August/September 2021 | COLORADO AVIDGOLFER
The Gallery
NEWS | NOTES | NAMES
PHOTOGRAPHS COURTESY OF HARMONY CLUB
WORTH THE WAIT: Fourteen years in the making, the Harmony clubhouse’s Tuscan exterior (bottom) belies its sleek, flowing, modern, high-ceilinged interior (top) featuring a great room with a two-story see-through fireplace, exposed heavy timber trusses, shiny ductwork and an adjoining bar and lounge area.
Harmony Club’s Poetic Justice
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PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY OF BEACON CONSTRUCTION
BYRON COLLINS SHARES more than a name with the immortal Englishman Lord Byron. And it’s not just because Collins—the affable founder, developer and owner of Harmony Club in the Larimer town of Timnath—lords over his operation like a benevolent patriarch. Collins, like Byron, is a man of great passions: gourmet food, fine wine, memorable golf, deep friendships—and creating a special community in which many can savor it. And not unlike the eternal member of Westminster Abbey’s Poets’ Corner, Collins turns to verse to express himself. “A grand vision…,” he wrote, “…this unique place called ‘Harmony’.” A plaque featuring Collins’ poem, “Humble Beginnings,” hangs discretely in Harmony’s glorious 22,047-square-foot clubhouse. Perched high above the Jim Engh-designed course with west-facing views of Mount Meeker and Longs Peak (“our two best salespeople,” Collins jokes), this edificial capstone to the club has finally opened—14 years after the first members joined. “Our benchmark was always 360 members to support the construction,” explains Real Es-
tate & Marketing Director Sheri Jensen, who has worked alongside Collins since Day One. “People pushed us to go sooner, but we stayed the course.”
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Harmony hit that number in early 2019, and last August the structure conceived by the Boulder-based office of DTJ Design debuted—only to have state pandemic restrictions shut it in No-
August/September 2021 | COLORADO AVIDGOLFER
The Gallery
STAYING ON-CAMPUS: The clubhouse unites Harmony’s resort-like cluster of amenities, clockwise from left: a pavilion featuring a hot tub and saltwater pool with a 41-foot slide; a multi-course golf simulator adjacent to the men’s golf locker room; a firepit adjoining the golf course; and a separately housed fitness center with additional lockers.
vember. After a soft reopening in February, the clubhouse has resumed full operation. The wait was well worth it. Boasting a Tuscan exterior to blend with the surrounding architectural theme, the building features a welllit, sleek, timeless interior with high ceilings, a two-story see-through fireplace and exposed heavy timber trusses and shiny ductwork. The open, flowing floorplan allows flexibility for large or intimate meetings, social mingling and food service. The golf shop, which sells to-go cocktails in addition to shirts and balls, occupies the northwest corner of the building, with a crow’s-nest views of the course, the expansive practice range and the building where the Colorado State University golf teams have long had their upscale practice facility and PGA instructor Stan Fenn runs his successful Golf Academy of Northern Colorado. The level beneath the golf shop features an 85-course simulator, as well as men’s and women’s locker rooms, cart storage, golf club storage and service area, staff conference room and professional staffing spaces. The simulator room serves as a “men’s grille,” while “Lucille’s,” a lounge connected to the women’s locker room, can accommodate the prenuptial needs of brides or the mahjongg games of members. On the main level, the impeccably appoint-
“A grand vision… this unique place called ‘Harmony’.” ed gathering spaces suggest an upscale resort rather than a traditional golf or country club. “We’re an experience club,” Collins says, pointing out that the clubhouse anchors a “campus” of buildings—each with its own entrance— that already accommodates the diverse interests of Harmony’s multigenerational membership and residents. The campus, which took shape over the course of the last decade, comprises an event pavilion for occasional concerts and casual dining; a full-on fitness center with men’s and women’s locker rooms; a court complex for tennis, basketball and pickleball; and a saltwater pool with a 41-foot slide, no lap lanes, and poolside food and drink service. Not everyone plays golf, but everyone eats, so food and drink play a pivotal role in the clubhouse experience. Members sipping cabernets, craft cocktails and artisan beers fill the tables in both the spacious dining room and on the adjacent mountain-facing wraparound deck. They thrill to the seasonal fare of Chef Isaac Magaña,
COLORADO AVIDGOLFER | August/September 2021
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who satisfies golfers, gourmands and their hybrids with elevated “simple fare” (craft-beer cheeseburgers with truffle fries, grilled cheddarand-feta on sourdough) and more complex appetizers and entrées like Mayan “hummus” (with pepitas in lieu of chickpeas), Moroccan-spiced chicken, miso-cured pork belly and summer vegetable risotto. The clubhouse design also allows members to reserve an intimate “VIP” dining experience in a private event room with a courtyard and outdoor fireplace. Since the clubhouse first broke ground, Harmony’s membership has swollen to 408, and all but 25 of the 640-acre property’s 420 residential lots have now been sold. The pandemic clearly played a major role, as rounds jumped from 20,000 to 28,000 last year. “We timed it right. We never got ahead of our skis, because we never really got on them,” Collins says in between bites of sea bass and conversations with grateful members who stop by the dinner table. “There was no sense of urgency from the members. We built the clubhouse when we said we would, and now, what you see all around you, are the benefits.” Or, as the poet in him might say: “Here we all stand to smile and reflect/Who knew what the man’s team could erect?” harmonyclub.info; 970-224-4622
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The Gallery
A Dyed-in-the-Wool Designer
PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY OF ASGCA
PERRY DYE, a scion of the golf-course architecture dynasty of Pete and Alice Dye, passed away July 8, in Denver, at age 68. Throughout his youth and years at the University of Denver, the Ohio native apprenticed under his father on numerous sites—including Teeth of the Dog in the Dominican Republic. They worked together on five Colorado courses: Copper Creek (1980) Plum Creek (1984), Glenmoor (1985) Riverdale Dunes (1986) and Gypsum Creek (1997). He also assisted his brother Paul “P.B.” Dye at Green Valley Ranch (2001) and was lead designer on the redevelopment of the Englewood layout that became
Broken Tee Golf Course in 2006. In 1986, two years after forming Denverbased Dye Designs, he expanded internationally. More than 15 countries boast Perry Dye courses, with Japan claiming nearly two dozen of the 80 courses he designed in his lifetime. Dye also pioneered “green” course building, long before environmental issues came to the forefront of golf design, putting courses on smaller footprints to reduce water, pesticide and fertilizer usage, as well as making integrated stormwater systems, buffer strips and native and drought-tolerant grasses staples of every design. dyedesigns.com
Moving Days
denverpioneers.com; uncbears.com. Visit coloradoavidgolfer.com for updates on their replacements.
Roger Prenzlow (left)
Lindsay Kuhle
COLORADO AVIDGOLFER | August/September 2021
Trake Carpenter
22
Ben Portie
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PHOTOGRAPHS COURTESY UNIVERSITY OF NORTHERN COLORADO (PRENZLOW), UNIVERSITY OF DENVER AND COLORADO OPEN GOLF FOUNDATION (PORTIE)
FINDING NEW COACHES is on the minds of the athletic directors at the University of Denver and Northern Colorado. In June and July, both Division I schools lost the leaders of their men’s and women’s golf teams. • ROGER AND OUT. Roger Prenzlow, who guided the University of Northern Colorado Bears men’s team to the first three conference championships in program history (2014, ’18, ’19), announced his retirement in June. Before arriving at UNC in 2013, the Boulder native had coached the University of Wyoming men’s team from 1982 to 2002 and spent 11 years as the PGA professional and general manager at Old Baldy Club in Saratoga, Wyo. • KUHLE’S GOLD. Shortly after receiving her seventh conference coach of the year award, DU women’s coach Lindsay Kuhle took the head job at the University of Kansas. The Littleton native inherits a Jayhawks squad that ranked 79th in the country last season—40 spots behind the University of Denver. During her 16 years at DU—eight each as an assistant and head coach—Kuhle coached 34 WGCA All-America Scholars and 34 All-Conference players, 11 student-athletes who turned professional, five All-Americans and four Conference Players of the Year. DU has appeared in 15 consecutive NCAA Regionals. • ONE AND DONE. After one season at DU— during which his Summit League-champion Pioneers came within three shots of qualifying for their first NCAA Championship appearance in 61 years—men’s head coach Trake Carpenter resigned to become VP of golf development and COO for Brian Cain Peak Performance, a Minnesota firm that focuses on mental-game mastery. • BEN THERE. In Ben Portie’s four seasons as head coach of the UNC Women’s team, the 2011 Colorado Open champion guided the Bears to a top-five Big Sky finish in two of the three years the championship took place, including 2021. Portie, who previously had spent four seasons as the head women’s coach at Metro State University and three as UNC’s assistant men’s and women’s golf coach, left to pursue new opportunities.
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a n n kerr 303.818.8668 a ke r r@ kent wo od. com a n n ke r r. co m All information deemed reliable but not guaranteed and should be independently verified. All properties are subject to prior sale, change or withdrawal. Neither listing broker(s) nor Kentwood Real Estate shall be responsible for any typographical errors, misinformation, misprints and shall be held totally harmless.
The Gallery
National Attention
PHOTOGRAPH BY ROB NICKELS
Racing to Indy COURTESY OF COLORADO OPEN GOLF FOUNDATION
CONGRATULATIONS TO First Tee Green Valley Ranch participants Hunter Swanson and Kyle Leydon on being two of the 78 juniors selected to compete with a PGA TOUR Champions player in the PURE Insurance Championship Impacting The First Tee at Pebble Beach Sept. 20-26. Swanson—along with fellow Coloradans Matthew Wilkinson, Jeffrey Nelson, Wesley Erling and Jonathan Trigg—also qualified for the 2021 U.S. Junior Amateur at the Country Club of North Carolina in late July. Other Colorado qualifiers who’ll compete on the national stage while this issue is on the stands include Janet Moore and Sherry Andonian-Smith in the U.S. Senior Women’s Open at Brooklawn Country Club, Fairfield, Conn. (July 29-Aug.1); Hailey Schalk in the U.S. Women’s Amateur at Westchester Country Club in Rye, N.Y. (Aug. 2-8); and TJ Shehee and Sean Crowley in the U.S. Amateur at Oakmont Country Club (Aug. 9-15).
Mary Weinstein
Hunter Swanson
COLORADO AVIDGOLFER | August/September 2021
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THE COLORADO Golf Hall of Fame’s 2020 Person of the Year won’t be around to receive her long-awaited award at the combined 2020-21 dinner on Aug. 29 at Colorado Golf Club. Former DU star Mary Weinstein has taken a job as the assistant women’s golf coach at the University of Indianapolis, where coach Brent Nicoson has led the Greyhounds women’s golf team to DII national championships in 2015 and ’18. athletics.uindy.edu
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Patience and Persistence Delivers. Thank You to all of our many contributors, including Avid Golfer.
“Awe-inspiring beauty, rugged elegance, and, of course, exceptional golf.”
HARMONY CLUB www.harmonyclub.info 970-482-4653
The Gallery Tag Ridings
COURTESY OF PGA TOUR ENTERTAINMENT
Tag, You’re It ON JULY 11, at the Korn Ferry Tour’s TPC Colorado Championship at Heron Lakes in Berthoud, 46-year-old Taggart “Tag” Ridings won his first PGA TOUR-sanctioned tournament since the Buy. com Tour’s 2002 WNB Golf Classic in Midland, Tex. In the 6,895 days between victories, the one-time University of Arkansas golfer got married, became a father to three children and in 2005 earned nearly $900,000, to finish 91st the PGA TOUR money list. At TPC Colorado, Ridings, David Skinns and Kevin Yu all finished at 16-under for the tournament—a new event record. Ridings triumphed in the playoff and won $108,000 in the process. “I’ve stayed awake at night hoping to win a tournament while my kids were alive,” Ridings said afterward. Chances are, he’s sleeping quite soundly. tpccoloradochampionship.com
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22-YEAR-OLD Griffin Barela of Lakewood won the 85th Colorado Amateur championship with an 8-under-par 272 at the Country Club of Colorado in Colorado Springs. The University of Wisconsin senior finished five shots clear of Parker Edens and six ahead of Walker Franklin. coloradogolf.org coloradoavidgolfer.com
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Player’s Corner PLAY AWAY
Doing the Durango Tango The gem of Southwest Colorado has its own unmistakable beat. By Chris Duthie
PHOTOGRAPH BY CHRIS DUTHIE
FIRST WATCH: With the town and San Juan outcroppings in the distance, Hillcrest Golf Club’s sweeping 370-yard opener doglegs between water and OB ponderosa pines.
“You only live once, but if you do it right, once is enough.” —Mae West THE SOMETIMES BAWDY but always brilliant actress provided the mantra I’ve pursued since 2004, the year I returned to a resplendent, tight-knit Southwest Colorado community to restore a spirit that craved Rocky Mountain healing. Today, 17 years later, a second go-round in my hometown of Durango continues to yield a
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transformative, life-enriching lifestyle that I never could have imagined while growing up there in the 1960s and ’70s. So much has changed. Despite its way-offthe-beaten-path locale between Phoenix, Albuquerque, Denver and Salt Lake City, the world has made its way to Durango, a prolific farming and ranching region founded in 1880 by General William Jackson Palmer’s Denver & Rio Grande Railway to take advantage of the area’s booming gold, silver and coal mines. It wasn’t until the late 1960s, however, that Durango began to gain in reputation, status and popularity for its San Juan Mountain panoramas, blissful climate and an untapped bounty of destination amenities and pursuits. Sparking this “discovery” were three critical factors: the 1965 launch of Purgatory Ski Area, which single-handedly transformed Durango into
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a four-season mecca; nearby Mesa Verde National Park, which in 1978 earned a UNESCO World Heritage Site designation for its astonishing collection of Ancestral Puebloan cliff houses; and the saved-from-bankruptcy passenger line of the D&RGR (rebranded in 1980 as the Durango & Silverton Railroad), a cliffs-and-canyons, 45mile journey that follows the Animas River to its headwaters in Silverton. A GOLF TRIFECTA Golf has also become a draw. At the forefront is Hillcrest Golf Club, a 6,727-yard Frank Hummel design routed on a tabletop mesa shared with the campus of Fort Lewis College. Overlooking much of Durango and backdropped by views of the La Plata Mountains and the Animas River Valley, the tradition-steeped layout treats golfers to firstclass conditioning, tree-lined fairways and push-
August/September 2021 | COLORADO AVIDGOLFER
A PLACE IN THE PINES: Once known as the Cliffs at Tamarron, the Meadows Course pairs with the newer Mountain Course at Glacier Club.
COURTESY OF GLACIER CLUB
VERMILLION VIEW: The color of the skies above Dalton Ranch Golf Club often mirror the red cliffs adjacent to the Ken Dye-designed layout.
COURTESY OF DALTON RANCH GOLF CLUB
up greens that many regard as the orneriest surfaces this side of Evergreen’s Hiwan Golf Club. Hillcrest is also the annual site of the Navajo Trail Open (Aug. 26-29), inaugurated in 1961 and the second-oldest open golf tournament in the state (behind the 82-year-old Rocky Mountain Open in Grand Junction). The popular public facility offers decent-value greens fees ($53 plus cart in high season), expansive practice facilities, a deli and grille and an electronic simulator for full-swing indoor instruction. Just north of town lies Dalton Ranch Golf Club, a rollicking, semi-private layout crafted by Ken Dye just a few years after he put the finishing touches on one of the country’s better public courses, Piñon Hills Golf Club in nearby Farmington, N.M. Dye’s Colorado creation is no slouch, either: From the 7,002-yard tips it’s a handicap-busting beast, tempered by sumptuous conditioning, a riparian routing through the Animas River Valley and the neighboring red-cliff presence of the San Juan Mountains. Dalton Ranch is also the research and development headquarters of esteemed golf-club designer Tom Wishon, whose custom-fit drivers, hybrids, irons, wedges and putters are regarded among the finest in the game. Wishon has recently expanded his product line into singlelength hybrids and irons—a revolutionary concept popularized by Bryson DeChambeau. Further enhancing Durango’s golf bona fides is 36-hole Glacier Club, located 20 minutes north of Durango on US 550 (the “Million Dollar Highway”). The exclusive, private club features the 7,035-yard, newly expanded Hale Irwin/
Todd Schoeder-designed Mountain Course, plus the 6,536-yard Arthur Hills-crafted Meadows Course. Both layouts bedazzle with forest and mountain views, plunging elevation changes and cliffhanging greens and fairways. Helping members and lucky guests negotiate the courses comes from the PGA Director of Instruction Alex Fisher, a six-time recipient of Golf Digest’s Top 40 Instructor Under 40 award and a regular columnist for Colorado AvidGolfer (see page 40). Glacier Club also boasts highdollar real estate and members-only amenities,
COLORADO AVIDGOLFER | August/September 2021
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including luxurious clubhouse dining, tennis and access to private hiking, fly-fishing, mountain biking and cross-country skiing. Downhill skiing at four-season Purgatory Resort is 10 miles away. PLAY LIKE A LOCAL Back in Durango, the hits keep coming. The Animas River’s certified gold medal fly-fishing waters flow freely through town, teeming with trophy rainbow and brown trout to catch and release. The river also invites whitewater rafting, kayaking,
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PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY OF VISIT DURANGO
SOUTHWESTERN ATTRACTIONS: An explosion of color signals autum’s arrival along the Million-Dollar Highway leading into Durango; Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad winds above the Animas River; Engineer Mountain defines one of area’s myriad trails; the gold-medal waters of the Animas attract fly-fishers with trophy trout.
paddleboarding, tubing and canoeing. More aquatic offerings—marinas, camping, house boating, jet and water skiing and world-famous fly-fishing on the Lower San Juan River—await just 50 miles away at the Navajo Lake State Park. Notably, Durango sports hundreds of miles ofsingle-track mountain bike trails and a seven-mile river trail bike path. The town also hosted riders during the 2021 Denver Post Ride the Rockies Bicycle Tour, and every spring the town backs a must-see road biking event—the Iron Horse Bicycle Classic, which pits riders against the Durango & Silverton train. Come autumn, the surrounding high country delivers an incomparable spectacle of yellow and red foliage. For the best photos, try the 190-mile circle tour that leads to Dolores, Telluride, Ridgway, Ouray and Silverton. Bonus tip: Cap your perfect tour des couleurs by indulging in a massage and natural mineral soak at the just-opened
Durango Hot Springs Resort & Spa just north of town. Indulgence also comes in the form of food. Durango famously boasts more restaurants per capita than San Francisco. Top-ranked mainstays include the Ore House, Seasons, East By Southwest, Ken and Sue’s, Eolus Bar & Dining, El Moro Spirits & Tavern and Bar D Chuckwagon Suppers. The culinary cognoscenti head to the entirely spectacular Olio Restaurant in nearby Mancos. First-class lodging can be reserved at the 134-year-old Strater Hotel, as well as the Blue Lake Ranch, The Rochester Hotel, the DoubleTree by Hilton and the Apple Orchard Inn. Few things are better than repeatedly experiencing Durango firsthand. As Mae West so eloquently said, “Too much of a good thing can be wonderful.” Durango native Chris Duthie is a longtime writer and photographer for Colorado AvidGolfer.
Info to Go DURANGO LIES 341 miles southwest of Denver. Durango-La Plata County Airport is 15 miles from Durango and offers direct-flight service via American, Delta, Frontier and United airlines. For tourism information, visit durango.org. HILLCREST GOLF CLUB 2300 Rim Drive 970-247-1499; golfhillcrest.com DALTON RANCH GOLF CLUB 589 County Rd 252 970-247-7921; daltonranch.com GLACIER CLUB 600 Glacier Club Drive 970-382-7800; theglacierclub.com
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Player’s Corner PLAY AWAY
Golf’s Cup Runneth Over This September, the international spotlight shines on Kohler’s Whistling Straits—a Ryder Cup venue you can actually play. By Tom Mackin ALL PHOTOGRAPHS COURTESY OF DESTINATION KOHLER
A SHORE THING: Named “Shipwreck,” the Straits course’s sand-sculpted par-3 seventh tightropes 221 windswept yards along Lake Michigan.
QUICK RYDER CUP trivia question: Can you name the only coastal U.S. golf course open to the public to have hosted this biennial event? Kudos if you answered Kiawah Island in South Carolina, which earned that honor way back in 1991. But the site of the infamous “War by the Shore” loses that solo status this year when the Straits Course at Whistling Straits, an hour north of Milwaukee in Wisconsin, welcomes teams from the U.S. and Europe for the 43rd Ryder Cup September 21-26. The coastal view will showcase a vastly different body of water this time—Lake Michigan rather than the Atlantic Ocean—but the potential for drama is equally high on a course that has previously hosted three PGA Championships. Like Kiawah, Whistling Straits is a Pete Dye design. It opened in 1998 and its ubiquitous bunkers will certainly provide a challenge for
teams led by Captains Steve Stricker and Padraig Harrington. “It’s seen as a very difficult golf course, but if you hit the ball well of the tee, it’s really not that difficult,” says Mike O’Reilly, the director of golf and operations manager at Whistling Straits. “If you’re spraying it off the tee, then you’re going to get yourself into some really goofy spots. You’ll find your ball though. There’s not a lot of places where you will lose your ball on the Straits. But the lies you will find yourself in can be quite challenging.” Take the fourth hole, for example. Wind can play a factor on this long par 4, where the landing area narrows down to 20 yards wide at one point. Get it just past that point however, and tee shots can roll downhill and leave as little as a 9-iron in to the green. Miss it though and the penalties are severe on both sides. “Depending on tee loca-
COLORADO AVIDGOLFER | August/September 2021
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tion, in past PGA championships we had players hitting 3-wood off the tee just to keep it on the wider part of the fairway,” O’Reilly says. The back nine is slightly easier, especially since the 11th, which usually plays as a par 5 of up to 645 yards, will instead play as par 4 of around 500 yards during the Ryder Cup (infrastructure logistics eliminated the possibility of playing it all the way from the tips). “The 13th and 14th are both shorter par 4s, so if Captain Stricker wanted to, he could set those up as drivable depending upon tee locations and wind direction,” according to O’Reilly. “There could be good birdie opportunities regardless, but if those holes are set up as drivable, you could see some really exciting putts.” Let’s hope all of the Ryder Cup matches advance to one of the final four holes. The 15th is a 515-yard par 4, 16 a tough par 5, and the coloradoavidgolfer.com
Play Away
INLAND EMPIRE: Shaped by the Sheboygan, which snakes through the layout and forms the lake on hole 4, the River joins Meadow Valley and The Baths courses to comprise Kohler’s stellar Blackwolf Run.
dazzling par-3 17th can play up to 223 yards. “With bleachers and hospitality along that hole, it will make for a pretty epic scene,” O’Reilly says. “The pin can be tucked on the left side where it’s hanging out near Lake Michigan, or on the right-hand side behind a pot bunker. Then there’s the 18th, a long par 4 where the second shot is very difficult. The green is very large but there are quadrants to it, so depending on the hole location, it can be tough to get it close.” While the weather could be a factor, September is really the best time to visit according to O’Reilly. “The courses have the entire season to grow in and are always in great shape,” he shares. “If anything, we tend to get a bit of wind out of the north/northeast in mid– to late–September. But we can certainly have a 75-degree day as well, and you lose the humidity by then.” While the spotlight will shine on the Straits Course during the Ryder Cup, it’s a trio of other layouts, plus a distinctive newcomer, that cements the resort’s reputation as one of the country’s top golf destinations. The links-style Irish Course combines a relatively tame front nine with a back nine featuring elevation changes and more dramatic holes. “I think it’s a slightly easier version of the Straits Course and missing the views of Lake Michigan,”
LIQUID REFRESHMENT: The five-star Kohler Waters Spa, located at The American Club, taps into the natural restorative properties of mineral-rich waters.
WHERE LONG SHOTS GO TO DYE: Risking this demonic network of bunkers to reach the Irish course’s par-5 fifth in two often rewards you with firsthand knowledge of why this hole bears the name “Devil’s Elbow.”
O’Reilly explains. The resort’s original courses—the River and Meadow Valleys at Blackwolf Run—offer more traditional experiences. Holes from both courses were used as part of a hybrid layout during both the 1998 and 2012 U.S. Women’s Opens. The latest chapter in the resort’s golf history was unveiled this past June with the opening of The Baths of Blackwolf Run, a 10-hole, par-3 course located near the first tee of the Meadows Valleys course. “One of the things Mr. Herb Kohler (the resort’s founder) had in his mind from when he was a kid was spending time in the village here and swimming with his friends,” O’Reilly says. “He wanted to create a place where people could enjoy golf and possibly take a dip (in one of four water hazards). We’re not quite open for swimming yet, but some people have jumped in already.” The $75 green fee for the 10-hole course includes unlimited play. There’s also a two-acre putting area with its own 18-hole course, plus an outdoor patio, food and beverages, and music —all creating the complete opposite vibe of a
tension-filled Ryder Cup. During the pandemic, Destination Kohler added two new self-catering cabins (joining two existing cabins) for 4-6 people each, Located just five minutes south of the Straits Course, both cabins come with fire pits, gourmet kitchens and wraparound porches. A new dining option— the Taverne at Woodlake—recently debuted just a one-minute stroll from The Inn at Woodlake, which itself has 138 rooms and multiple suites. A two-minute drive away from The Inn is The American Club, which celebrates its 40th anniversary this year as a highly regarded resort hotel. Its sumptuous five-star accommodations blend Kohler history with a vast array of modern amenities, including the Kohler Waters Spa. Like many golf resorts across the country, Whistling Straits has experienced a pandemicinduced boom in play. “Our advance bookings and tee sheets are busier than I’ve ever seen,” reveals O’Reilly, who has worked at the resort since 1996. “That’s extending into next year already as well. I’m expecting 2022 to be similar to what we’ve experienced this year.”
Arizona-based Tom Mackin writes often on travel for Colorado AvidGolfer. For more information on Kohler golf resorts visit destinationkohler.com. Ryder Cup tickets have sold out, but can still be purchased via the Official Ryder Cup Ticket Exchange (rydercup.com/attend/tickets).
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Player’s Corner LESSON
Ground or Air? The best means of delivering a ball to the green should require some decision-making. By Alex Fisher
1 GOING GROUND
PHOTOGRAPHS BY CHRIS DUTHIE
WHEN YOU’RE 100 YARDS OUT, do you automatically reach for one of your wedges? If so, you’re not alone. Most golfers I see tend to defer to one type of shot when facing this situation—a high, cool-looking shot into the green. But if you do not have to fly a bunker or hazard and you have a clear path to the green, why not consider hitting a lower-flighted shot instead? In any short-shot situation, take the path of least resistance. If you can get away with using a less-lofted club and making a smaller swing, the mistakes tend to result in fewer wasted strokes. Yes, that parachute shot looks awesome when you pull it off, but the margin of error is minuscule because of the size and speed of the swing required to execute it. Before you decide which shot to attempt, first consider the quality of the lie. If you are fortunate enough to find yourself in a situation where the ball is sitting up, your options dramatically improve. You can get away with a slight mishit because the ball is sitting up. However, if the ball is sitting down—a tight lie—your options become very limited. The less grass underneath the ball, the smaller your margin for error and the greater your need to make more precise contact. That can lead to a lack of confidence because often you hit the ground behind the ball or even miss the ground altogether. Another often-overlooked consideration is how you can use the terrain that is between you and target to your advantage. For example, if you have a pin at the front of the green and your landing space is very limited, it might be easier to hit a low-flighted shot into the bank in front of the green and rolling it on than trying to fly the ball to a front flag position.
MOMENT OF DECISION • Once you’ve evaluated the lie to determine the type of shot you can hit, factor in what is between you and the flag and how you can use the terrain to your advantage. • Try to visualize the shot you want to hit—its trajectory and distance. • Focus less on the flag and more on the landing spot—always your primary target.
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1. A CHIP OFF THE OLD HYBRID • If you decide to scoot the ball up to the green, you are basically hitting a chip with a longer club.
2. ALL ARMS, NO BODY • Limit your backswing by taking the club back with your arms only.
• Grip low on the handle to give yourself more control over the shot by taking the wrists out of the swing.
• Make sure your chest does not rotate away from the ball so that your weight does not move to your back foot. Any weight shift will make it difficult to avoid hitting the ground behind the ball because the swing motion is so small.
• Keep the ball in the middle of your stance with most of your weight set on your front foot. • Make practice swings while looking at your landing spot so that your instincts can create the appropriate swing to execute the shot.
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3. BACKSWING = FOLLOW-THROUGH • As the club approaches the ball, your chest should have rotated past the ball before the arms and hands deliver the club. This will allow you to not let the club outrace the body and avoid the wrists from flipping at impact. • Make sure your follow-through finishes at the same length as your backswing. This will help you maintain a consistent tempo throughout the swing and avoid overshooting your target.
coloradoavidgolfer.com
Lesson
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AERIAL ATTACK
1. HIGH-MINDED THOUGHTS • If you choose to hit a high shot, visualize it and identify where you want the ball to land. • Don’t focus on the flag itself; you’ll be more likely to overhit the shot. Instead, focus on the landing spot while making practice swings. Your brain tends to react to what you are looking at, leading your instincts to determine the size of the swing required. • Grip the club towards the top of the handle so that your can use the full leverage of your golf swing.
2. LEVERAGE FOR LOFT • Allow your hands and arms to initiate the backswing before any body rotation occurs. The amount of body rotation the swing will require is dependent on the distance you need to hit the ball. • Fully hinge your wrists before your lead arm is halfway back and parallel to the ground. • Avoid over-rotating on the backswing, which makes it difficult to transfer your weight on the downswing and make solid contact with the ball.
3. STICK IT TO SPIN IT • Initiate the downswing by allowing your body to rotate towards the ball first. It is vital that your arms and hands do not outrace your body as it will cause the club to bottom out earlier and either hit the ground before the ball or miss the ground altogether. • Keep an even tempo. On shorter pitch shots, accelerating through the ball too quickly makes it hard to control your distances and possibly hit the ball twice. 4. FINISH HIGH • Again, make sure your follow-through length equals that of your backswing.
• Keep your feet close together for more stability and better body rotation.
Multiple-award-winning PGA Director of Instruction Alex Fisher divides his year between Glacier Club in Durango (May–September) and the JW Marriott Camelback Golf Club in Scottsdale, Ariz. Reach him at alexfisherpga.com; 602-363-9800. COLORADO AVIDGOLFER | August/September 2021
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GLASSES UP TO RESPONSIBLE DRINKING. TULLAMORE DEW IRISH WHISKEY, 40% ALC./VOL. (80 PROOF) ©2021 IMPORTED BY WILLIAM GRANT & SONS INC., NEW YORK, N.Y.
Side Bets
ON-COURSE COCKTAIL: This Arnold Palmer with a kick is one of four canned cocktails designed for golf by Denver’s Lifted Libations.
FAREWAYS
Juice Up Your Swing The perfect mix of soda, cocktails and golf inspired a Denver-born line of organic hard seltzers. By John Lehndorff YOU HAVE TO LOVE a story that boils down to two great things: golf and cocktails. That twosome has been tight since ancient Scots drank a wee dram on the world’s first links. This tale starts with Drew Fulton, a golfer who co-created an organic, artisan soda company to make high-quality cocktail mixers, and a hard-seltzer business to can ready-to-drink golf cocktails inspired by “swing juice.” “At the golf course you’d always see guys coming into the turn saying ‘I gotta get some swing juice,’” Fulton says. TO THE GAME BORN Golf has always been stitched into the life of this jocular Golden-raised “kid.” “I’ve been golfing my whole life. My one grandfather lived on a golf course. In the evening he’d let me go out and play the hole behind his house. My other grandfather had his own golf cart. I still play every Sunday with my wife and young kid,” says Fulton, who has worked at three local courses including Willis Case, primarily, he adds, to keep on playing. With a hole-in-one to his name, Fulton does have another claim to fame. “I once golfed one round every month for over five years in Colorado. It’s not easy in January or February to keep the streak alive,” he says with a belly laugh. His streak only ended when his soda business took off. Fulton had co-founded Denver’s Rocky Mountain Soda Company and the hard seltzer-focused Lifted Libations with childhood buddy “Moose” Koons. BECOMING A POP STAR “We started the soda company because Moose was part owner of a distillery in Palisade,” he says. “I was visiting there one time, and they were mixing their cocktails with Big K soda out of a plastic jug. That was all they could get, but we thought there had to be something better.” When a nearby craft brewery closed, the duo decided to buy its bottling line and launch a line of upgraded artisan sodas. The turning point during soda-making training also turned his stomach. “This guy warned us about mixing disodium benzoate with coloradoavidgolfer.com
Boulder Birch Beer has a cult following. And if you’ve sipped cocktails at local establishments, you’ve probably tasted these sodas. “I created most of these flavors with different alcohols in mind,” Fulton says.
Tee Up ROCKY MOUNTAIN SODA sponsors an annual amateur disc golf championship as well as a September 10 Tee Time golf tournament benefiting the First Tee program at Denver’s City Park Golf Course. tee-time-classic-citypark.perfectgolfevent.com
citric acid because you can create benzene—a known carcinogen. I didn’t think that was cool. I decided to learn how to do it the right way without any preservatives,” he says. The resulting beverages—natural, nonGMO, gluten-free, Kosher and vegan—have fans of all ages. Rocky Mountain’s root beer flavors the floats at Little Man Ice Cream locations.
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MAKING A HARD TURN That devotion to flavor and ingredients also inspired Fulton and Koons when they looked into canning hard seltzer and cocktails. “I tasted all the big hard seltzers and there are two dirty little secrets about them. Almost all of them are made with malt liquor (high alcohol beer). They use a lot of sweeteners to make that malt palatable, but they don’t have to list them on the label,” Fulton says. These tastings brought back youthful memories for Fulton: “What’s crazy is that, growing up in Golden, we had a lot of contact with Zima,” he says. Zima was Coors’ premature stab at a clear malt-liquor beverage.
August/September 2021 | COLORADO AVIDGOLFER
Fareways TEAM TEE TIME: From left, Drew Fulton, colleagues Phil Kiphardt and Moose Koons mug in a selfie with friend Shaun Johnson at Golden’s Applewood Golf Course.
The duo’s new enterprise, Lifted Libations, started with the Soda Club, a line of simple, fruity hard seltzers (including Currant) with organic vodka. These appeal to those avoiding sugar, carbs and calories. NIX THE MIXOLOGIST Given the fact that the entire soda/seltzer staff plays golf, the company’s big idea was to create ready-to-drink cocktails good enough for the course. “Having someone mixing your drinks at the cart takes time and slows play, so having a nice cocktail that’s already made speeds things up. As a golfer, I really appreciate that,” he says. In 2019, Lifted Libations debuted Tee Time, an homage to Arnold Palmer’s namesake beverage—plus organic vodka. “Arnie actually preferred his drink to be a 70/30, tea to
lemonade. Most people think it’s supposed to be half and half,” Fulton says. Tee Time features organic lemonade plus black tea brewed in-house and a decent caffeine kick. “It’s great on the back nine for a little boost,” he says. KEEP IT CLEAN Fulton’s obsession with taste and ingredients is a big plus if you like transparency in your food and drink. “I can count all the ingredients we use on the fingers of one hand—mainly organic vodka, organic extracts, and vegan sugar,” he says, explaining that, unlike most white cane sugar, his is not bleached with charcoal made with charred beef bones. “That’s how I want it. My job has always been to create things that are delicious to me,” he says.
As a fan of the Moscow Mule, Fulton crafted Rocky Mountain Soda Co.’s best-selling Golden Ginger Beer for mixing that drink. “I like Moscow Mules that are really spicy with lots of ginger and just a little lime,” he says. “That’s how I wanted our Mile High Mule to taste.” Lifted Libations new Caddy Pack also features Swing Juice, a fruit punch-based seltzer with no relation to fruit-juicy Hawaiian Punch, and Lifted Lemonade, designed to taste, Fulton says, “like a liquid Lemonhead!” Clearly delighted to be introducing his new products, Fulton admits to an ulterior motive. “The great thing about golf is that, wherever you are around the world, the local golf course is usually a pretty nice place to go,” he says. “My goal is to sell these seltzers and have to visit all these great golf courses,” he says, again punctuating it with a deep belly laugh.
TASTE THE DIFFERENCE? MY EXPECTATIONS were admittedly low when samples arrived from Denver’s Lifted Libations. So I was pleasantly surprised to find they taste like the cocktails they mirror. The flavors are true, and you can taste the vodka. As a big iced-tea fan, I like that the Tee Time hard seltzer uses organic black tea from Denver’s Teatulia brewed in-house. The black tea and organic lemonade flavors are legit, not too sweet and the caffeine is a nice perk. Swing Juice and Lifted Lemonade are both refreshing with true flavors and no weird aftertastes. My favorite is the Mile Hi Mule because I’m fond of that kind of ginger bite. Another plus: Each can of Lifted Libations packs only 150 calories with 5 percent alcohol by volume. Because they are taxed as “spirits” rather than as “beers,” Lifted Libations cost more than malt-liquor-based hard seltzers. These readyto-drink cocktails are well worth it if you put a premium on taste and consuming healthy, organic ingredients. —JL John Lehndorff is the former Dining Critic of the Rocky Mountain News. He writes Nibbles for the Boulder Weekly and hosts Radio Nibbles on KGNU (kgnu.org). COLORADO AVIDGOLFER | August/September 2021
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Side Bets NICE DRIVES
A Winning Foursome McLaren BMW, Lexus and Jaguar all bring their A games this fall. By Isaac Bouchard 2021 MCLAREN 720S SPIDER EPA RATING: 15/22 /18mpg 0-60MPH: 2.7sec PRICE AS TESTED: $362,960
In less than a decade, McLaren has become one of the most respected producers of superand hypercars in the world. That’s no surprise, considering this is the second-most winning team in F1 history. The 720S, which debuted in 2017 as a coupe and was released in convertible (Spider) form two years later, is the flagship of its Super Series lineup, sandwiched between its Ultimate, seven-figure machines and $200K GTs. The Spider is, simply put, one of the best driving experiences one can buy. Like all McLarens, it is based around a carbon-fiber passenger compartment so strong that taking off the fixed
roof and giving it a power folding top doesn’t reduce its rigidity nor detract from the driving experience. Rather, it enhances both, bringing the sights and smells that much closer. With a roof that can retract or be put back up in 11 seconds at speeds up to 30mph, you can confidently play roulette with the sudden rainstorms that have been lashing the Front Range of late. Precise airflow management allows conversations and hairstyles to remain uninterrupted while driving the speed limit. Of course, since it takes the 720S only 2.7 seconds to hit 60mph, and 100 can be dispatched in 5.3, most occupants’ coiffeurs will end up mussed. And while we know some electric, AWD machines are faster for one run, they can’t hold a candle to the visceral thrill of the 720S as it rockets forward in a way that induces giggles in every person lucky enough to ride in it.
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But this Macca is no one-trick pony. Its chassis is epic, its steering perhaps the best in the world right now: light yet full of feel, with a perfect rate of response, its linearity and consistency instilling incredible faith in the driver. The 720S also boasts a suppler ride than most luxury cars, due to its hydraulically linked Proactive Chassis Control II system, which connects the dampers diagonally, so as one corner (or side) compresses, the fluid flows back and forth to keep the McLaren level, endowing it with astonishing body control for something that rides so smoothly. This becomes critical, as the 4-liter V8 deploys massive firepower as soon as the twin turbos’ candles are lit. Its 710 ponies and 568 lb-ft of torque only need to shift 3,160 pounds, so things happen fast. The superb, twin-clutch 8speed transmission and carbon-ceramic brakes coloradoavidgolfer.com
DISCOV ER
ONE Of cOlOr adO’s bEst cOursEs — tHE rIdGE
Located just south of Denver, The Ridge at Castle Pines North is an award-winning example of Tom Weiskopf’s fluent, wellproportioned layout that presents players with roomy fairways, sculpted bunkers and large, rolling greens. The Ridge is recognized by various golf publications as one of Colorado’s top golf courses. More specifically, The Ridge has been voted as the top Denver region golf course, as well as the top golf course in Colorado multiple times by Colorado AvidGolfer .
castlE PINEs, cO
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To experience The Ridge, visit PlayTheRidge.com or call 303.688.0100 for reservations today.
P l aY t H E r I d G E . c O M
Nice Drives do their parts too, allowing the pilot to perfect the 720S’ line into and out of corners without distraction and with implacable trust. McLaren has also helped instill confidence by giving its lineup some of the best visibility of any car ever made. The view through the wrap-around windshield and over the low hood is panoramic, the carbon fiber A-Pillars are thin enough to see around as the corners start coming thick and fast, and the driving position nigh on perfect. The seat bolsters are easy to slide over, yet hold one fast, and entry/exit is unusually easy for such a beast, thanks to the swing up, dihedral doors. These also make parking the 720S in tight spots much easier, as do the slick 360 cameras. For all its visual drama and sense of theater, the 720S can be a good daily driver. It’s no wonder that in the last decade McLaren has been able to grow itself to roughly the same number of sales as Ferrari—and the same level of respect.
2021 LEXUS LC500 CONVERTIBLE EPA RATING: 15/25/18mpg 0-60MPH: 4.7sec PRICE AS TESTED: $113,210
2021 BMW X5 45E
EPA RATING: 50MPGe 0-60MPH: 4.7sec PRICE AS TESTED: $75,495 It’s great how so many companies are slotting plugin hybrids into their lineups, right between the nice, normal version and the juiced-up, performance one. The 45e edition of the X5 is a perfect example. Bavarian Motor Works’ silky smooth 3-liter, inline six combines forces with an electric motor and 17.1kWh battery to corral 389 ponies into the stable and send a really stout 443 lb-ft of torque through the xDrive system. The result is 0-60 in 4.7 seconds and a potential electric range of 31 miles. Oh, and
don’t forget owners will be getting a $7,500 federal tax credit and some money from the state, too. Talk about having your cake… The rest is par for the course on the X5, perhaps BMW’s most fully realized vehicle right now: a silky and quiet ride; decent handling for such a leviathan; the perfect amount of room for four and their gear; cutting-edge tech; and fetching looks. To fully realize all the benefits of the 45e, it does need to get the battery topped up; otherwise its combined EPA numbers are worse than the gas-only X5 40i. But if it gets its nightly dose of electricity, it will return close to its 50 MPGe number, which combines the benefits of both propulsion sources. Until we get more choices of 300-400 mile-range EVs, this X5 is a great play.
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Few cars are classier than the Lexus LC500. Even now, four years after its debut, the superlow fender line, outrageous coke-bottle form, Nike-swoosh lights and glorious, gaping grill still stun. Yet it’s the Lexus’ interior that captivates most. The shapes and surfacing are on another level than any car near its price, featuring details that are almost fetishistic in the thought that went into their texturing and colors. The LC500 convertible is a new addition this year, and while it loses some of the pertness of the coupe’s rear end and suffers from some scuttle shake, it is the more enjoyable machine. Its perfect airflow management and noise suppression allowed me to carry on a Bluetooth conversation at extralegal speeds, top-down, without the person on the other end noticing. I was even able to relish the glorious voice of its 5-liter, 471 hp V8 unhindered by a metal roof. Without a turbo, at altitude the LC500’s 398lb-ft of torque nets to 340lb-ft motivating a 4,500-pound vehicle. This means the LC500 sounds faster than it looks. While 0-60 in 4.7 at sea level is quick, the Lexus never runs like that up here. But that’s OK. Despite its very capable, athletic chassis, this Lexus is a true Grand Touring car, and it does what a great GT should: cosset its lucky occupants and make them feel special. Few cars anywhere near its price do those two essential things better. coloradoavidgolfer.com
Join us for
Indulge In The Extraordinary Colorado AvidGolfer and AvidLifestyle magazines come together for an unforgettable evening benefitting Bags of Fun with a percentage to National Jewish Health Vehicle Vault, one of the most distinctive event venues in Colorado, will welcome guests to explore and enjoy a highly curated private collection of vintage and exotic automobiles, while experiencing exquisitely decorated lounges from top interior designers. Toast the night with bespoke cocktails and culinary creations from Bonanno Concepts, live music, artist presentations, aerial performers, an interactive golf experience and much more!
Saturday, August 28th 6 p.m. – 9 p.m. Vehicle Vault 18301 Lincoln Meadows Parkway, Parker
To learn more and purchase tickets please visit: coloradoavidgolfer.com/events/wheels-of-dreams PRESENTING SPONSORS
Nice Drives
JOIN US! FINAL TOURNAMENT SERIES EVENT OF 2021!
NEW
R TEE EARLIE
TIME!
September 1st 8:00 am $125/player, Scramble
2021 JAGUAR F-PACE SVR EPA RATING: 15/22 /18MPG 0-60MPH: 3.8sec PRICE AS TESTED: $94,229
Now that Jaguar has announced it will produce nothing but electric vehicles as of 2025, the F-Pace SVR stands a good chance at becoming a future classic. It’s got the ingredients necessary for that distinction, as it is likely to be the last of the internal-combustion, V8-powered machines the venerable company makes, and perhaps the only one developed by the Special Vehicle Operations performance arm of Jaguar Land Rover (JLR). The 5-liter, supercharged engine traces its lineage back to the AJ-V8 unit Ford developed when it owned Jaguar 25 years ago. Still a hale warrior, it cranks out 550hp and 516lb-ft of torque channeled through a ZF 8-speed tranny with upgraded software. While this motor has always sounded good, Jaguar has gone the purist route for the SVR; there are no engineered-in pops and bangs when one lifts off the throttle, and no faux enhancement via speakers and software of the exit of spent gases through the large-diameter exhaust. Jaguar has had a knack for combining rough road composure with a playful, biddable balance to the handling, yet the SVR takes the F-Pace to a new level. It rides better over sharp bumps than previous models, and its accurate steering, with good heft and a predictable rate of response, commands a revised suspension and rear differential that can send power actively to either rear wheel. This encourages shenanigans yet provides the safety one needs to have responsible fun. Outside, the updated model is marked out by sleeker headlights, more prominent side vents and other subtle enhancements. Inside, higher-quality materials combine with the camera-lenslike rotary controls for HVAC and the much-improved Pivi Pro interface to make the SVR feel worthy of the price, which is actually “the bargain” in the world of super SUVs. While JLR’s future EVs will inevitably be fast and fun, they’ll lack the analog accompaniments of a bellowing exhaust, snappy gear shifts and driver-determined drift-ability that make the gas-powered SVR so special. Automotive Editor Isaac Bouchard owns Denver-based Bespoke Autos (isaac@bespokeautos.com; 303-475-1462). Read more of his automotive writing, reviews and recommendations on coloradoavidgolfer.com and bespokeautos.com. coloradoavidgolfer.com
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Registration fee includes: 18 Holes of Golf, Cart, Range Balls, Amazing Meals & Awards Ceremony Beer Tastings and On-Course Fun Incredible Gift Bag Opportunities to WIN Great Prizes & more!
PLUS ONE DOZEN CALLAWAY GOLF BALLS! coloradoavidgolfer.com/ tournament-series August/September 2021 | COLORADO AVIDGOLFER
Making From TEE TO GREEN, Haymaker Golf Course is quintessentially Steamboat Springs—with a wee bit o’ Scotland thrown in.
Hay
by JON RIZZI
THE AULD SOD: Haymaker’s bunkering and undulant contours suggest a seaside links rather than a mountain muni.
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“That Scottish-style links is unique in the mountains. You get those fun bounces, and
each hole looks and plays differently from every tee box.”
BEEFED UP: The Patio Grill’s special Double-Bogey Burger comes on a potato bun with two 1/3-lb. patties, American cheese, lettuce, tomato, onion, pickles and optional bacon. PHOTOGRAPHS COURTESY OF XXXXX
ALFRESCO DINING: “There’s no better place to catch the sunset over Emerald Mountain” than Haymaker’s Patio Grill, according to PGA Professional Cody Hasten.
TRUE WEST Steamboat Springs, aka Ski Town U.S.A., is the home of more Olympic athletes than any other American city. But for all its champagne powder and the upscale trappings of its Mountain Village, Steamboat Springs remains an authentic Western town. Its rich cowboy heritage isn’t confined to a museum; it coexists with the town’s centuryold skiing legacy and endures in the form of an annual summerlong rodeo, dozens of working ranches and a Main Street—Lincoln Avenue—wide enough to drive cattle down and cool enough to sport a western haberdashery, F.M. Light & Sons, that’s been in the same family for 116 years.
NOAH WETZEL
TEE TOWN, U.S.A. Steamboat’s pride in authenticity also expresses itself in Haymaker Golf Course, regarded as one of Colorado’s top municipal layouts. Although it only opened in 1997, the 7,308-yard Keith Foster design blends seamlessly into a lush, 233-acre valley five miles south of downtown. Nary a home lines the fairways—just the occasional stone wall and haybale in homage to the property’s history as a rock quarry and hayfield. A mountain course without the usual tee-high-greenlow eye candy, Haymaker sports few trees. Particularly on the outward nine, the course truly does suggest a traditional links—albeit one not hard by an ocean, but one surrounded by Mount Werner, Flat Tops Wilderness and Rabbit Ears Pass. “That Scottish-style links is unique in the mountains,” says Cody Hasten, the PGA Professional for the past four
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years. “You get those fun bounces, and each hole looks and plays differently from every tee box.” Hasten reports the course staff, headed by Superintendent Adam Sando, has “really focused a lot of time on the golf course over the last few years—to the point where the course conditions are the best they’ve been since I’ve been here. The greens are running faster and truer.” Water makes its first appearance after the turn, defining strategy on the par 4 10th and the 11th—a downhill, almost-drivable par 4 with a peninsula green. The par-3 12th requires a full carry over an irrigation pond; your birdie putt to a front right pin placement could end up wet. Between Haymaker’s uphill signature 15th and declivitous 16th—both par 4s of identical yardages—comes a great view of Emerald Mountain, especially late in the day. APRÈS-GOLF Be sure to savor that same glorious sunset from the Haymaker Patio Grill, which mixes in some quinoa-based bowls among its delicious burgers, wraps, tacos and wings. Join the crowd that comes for the Friday night fish fry and Saturday night prime rib. Or just sit on the patio with a pint and take in the long shadows. Then head into the appealing, unpretentious and authentic town that proudly owns the course. HAYMAKER GOLF COURSE 34855 US-40 East, Steamboat Springs; 970-870-1846; haymakergolf.com
August/September 2021 | COLORADO AVIDGOLFER
Driving It Home
In coach KARL DORRELL, the rejuvenated Buffs finally find a calm, strong leader who’s equally in command moving his team down the field and his ball around a course. By ANDY BIGFORD | Photographs by JOHN LEYBA
AFTER HAMMERING a drive nearly 300 yards on the state’s longest hole, the par-5 13th at TPC Colorado in Berthoud (773 yards from the tips), Karl Dorrell follows with a well-struck fairway wood. But he misjudges the line, trying to cut off too much, and the ball falls into the cavernous, 110-yardlong Hell Bunker (à la St. Andrews), which stoutly guards the entire left-side approach. He’s now imprisoned in a deep, randomly fingered pit of sand from which visitors are fortunate just to emerge without physical or mental damage. From the depths of Hell, Dorrell pures his pitching wedge, and the ball arcs 130 yards to the upper tier of the sliver of green. Minutes later, he center-cuts the
15-foot birdie putt, and the second-year head coach of the University of Colorado Buffaloes football team has just brought TPC’s No. 1 handicap hole, nicknamed “Longer Still,” to its knees. This might be the rescue job of the summer golf season, but it’s nothing compared to the reclamation he conjured last fall. That’s when Dorrell re-awoke Buffs Nation by guiding the once-prominent but long-beleaguered team through COVID-19 protocols to post four consecutive wins, an Alamo Bowl berth against Texas, and, ultimately, Pac-12 Coach of the Year honors. When a fit, youthful-looking Dorrell, 58, appears at TPC with his son, 26-year-old
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Chandler (CU’s director of player personnel), for this late-morning round near the end of June, it’s immediately apparent that everything they say about the coach is true. Despite the commanding presence, he’s still soft-spoken, thoughtful, calm, and extremely professional. Then, deftly switching gears when the situation warrants, he turns intensely passionate and unerringly direct. Before Dorrell was hired in February 2020, CU Athletic Director Rick George and Buffs faithful found themselves in their own Hell Bunker. George had apparently chosen well when he plucked up-and-comer Mel Tucker, to lead the Buffs for the 2019 season. After a promising first year and a recruiting
coloradoavidgolfer.com
SOUTHPAW DRAW: The coach tees off on TPC Colorado’s scenic, reachable 312-yard sixth.
...deftly switching gears when the situation warrants, Dorrell turns intensely passionate and unerringly direct. surge, the Buffs outlook was rosy. Then the once-likeable Tucker suddenly morphed into “Midnight Mel,” departing hastily one night for more than double the salary and the resources at Michigan State University. The process by which George then found Dorrell was akin to him frantically searching for an errant shot that appeared to bounce over the green and into the water, only to find his ball in the bottom of the hole while walking to the next tee. THE PERFECT MATCH Karl Dorrell, who was a three-time Rose Bowl-winning wide receiver for UCLA and then served as an assistant coach under Bill McCartney during the Buffs 1990s glory days, says he would not have left the NFL coaching ranks for any college position except for the one he now occupies. He hadn’t even sought the job. In February 2020, the Miami Dolphins promoted him to assistant head coach, and he’d planned on heading to the NFL Combine in Indianapolis after spending a weekend with his wife, Kim, in the house they had built in 2016 in Lafayette, 10 miles east of CU’s Folsom Field. Meanwhile, Rick George and his lieutenant, Lance Carl, had been fretting over a once-promising but now futile list of a dozen candidates to replace Tucker: No one was the
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PLAY LIKE THE PROS: CU’s Karl and Ch Dorrell share an affinity for TPC layouts like the one in Berthoud.
right fit. Then George thought of Dorrell, whose résumé included five bowl games while compiling a 35-27 record with the UCLA program as head coach from 2003-07. Carl called Karl and was pleasantly surprised to learn that he not only had a home in Boulder County, but was headed there that night. George, Carl and Dorrell met the next day in Lafayette and finalized a five-year deal, set to pay Dorrell a $3.2 million salary that escalates annually to $4 million in the final season). (Dorrell, along with George and head men’s basketball coach Tad Boyle, took 10 percent pay cuts for the COVID-impacted fiscal year 2020-21.) “It couldn’t have been a better hire for that position,” observes former Buffs coach Gary Barnett, now the team’s KOA radio color commentator. As for the odd circumstances that produced it? “You gotta be a little lucky in that business,” Barnett says. “CU was due.” Since 2006, the Buffs have won less than one-third of their games. Even on the rare occasions when the team tasted success, the seasons ended badly. For the pandemicshortened 2020 campaign, CU didn’t even kick off till early November, when it got out to big leads and then hung on to dispatch
It’s a truism that Karl and C now bond over: If you’re a coach who maintains a low handicap, you are either new to the business or won’t be in it for long. UCLA and Stanford. The next two games were canceled because of COVID issues with opponents Arizona State and UCLA. The Buffs then won their next two, against San Diego State and Arizona. Their 4-0 start propelled them to No. 21 in the Associated Press poll (several other teams had already played 10 games). Buffs fans were ecstatic and reveling in schadenfreude, as Midnight Mel and the Spartans stumbled to a 2-5 record in East Lansing. BORN TO COACH…AND GOLF? Karl Dorrell, born Feb. 18, 1963, was the son of a chief petty officer based in the Navy hotbed of San Diego. He played most sports growing up and was writing playbooks as a 9-year-old street-ball QB, but no golf. After five years as a
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wide receiver at UCLA, catching passes from quarterback Rick Neuheisel (whom he would later assist at CU and Washington), Dorrell already had a job lined up to sell computers for IBM Then he learned that a future in coaching could actually be quite bright, and he decided to give it a try, starting out at the very bottom of the ladder as a grad assistant. At about this time he started playing golf, with an assist from Kay Cockerill, a fellow UCLA athlete and two-time U.S. Women’s Amateur champion who currently works as a Golf Channel broadcaster. Golf hooked Dorrell immediately, although as he rose through the coaching ranks he realized it would always be a limited, off-season endeavor. He met Kim, his future wife, in 1989, when he was a 26-year-old offensive coordinator at Northern Arizona University in Flagstaff (she was from Phoenix). The next 30 years saw the couple buy and sell 14 homes across the country while Karl worked for such schools as Colorado, Arizona State, the University of Washington and UCLA, and NFL teams in Denver, Miami, Houston and New York. By 2016, they’d had enough of packing tape and decided to build their Lafayette home while Karl rented a one-bedroom coloradoavidgolfer.com
COURTESY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF COLORADO
GREAT EXPECTATIONS: With a year under his belt, Dorrell anticipates doubling last season’s win total and heading to another bowl game.
apartment in whatever city he worked. Dorrell fervently follows the PGA TOUR on TV with a teacher’s/pupil’s eye. At TPC, he is full of lessons gleaned from viewing John Rahm’s U.S. Open win, as he and Chandler, both southpaws who draw the ball, navigate the course from the gold tees. Neither has played for five weeks, and both are swinging new clubs, having recently gone through full-bag fittings with PXG at Colorado National Golf Club in Erie. Chandler, who carries a 6 index, hits it long and could be scary good—if he had the time to play regularly. Karl has a swing and hits shots (and putts) that could identify him as a low single-digit, but he also suffers through mishits that veer off at odd angles. The entire group frequently falls victim to TPC’s thick, juicy rough, which stands at 4-plus inches for the Korn Ferry Tour’s TPC Colorado Championship at Heron Lakes. “I wish I were a better golfer, but then I wouldn’t be a good coach,” says Dorrell, who plays to a 10 during those stretches when he can get out on the course semi-regularly. It’s a truism that Karl and C now bond over: If you’re a coach who maintains a low handicap, you are either new to the business or won’t be in it for long. Karl first put a club in Chandler’s hands at age three, but he excelled at football, playing wide receiver for three seasons at
Vanderbilt (and before that, Stanford). With an economics degree in hand, Chandler got involved in start-ups after college, then wandered back to football as a volunteer assistant coach alongside dad with the New York Jets and Miami Dolphins. As the Buffs director of player personnel, he holds considerable sway over everything from recruiting and scholarships to final rosters and travel. His digital savvy along with analytical and organizational skills proved particularly helpful during the long, COVID remote period. His role is akin to an NFL GM—Chandler’s career goal. (Kim and Karl’s daughter, Lauren, played volleyball for CU but recently finished up at Auburn.) Dorrell’s dream is to retire in Colorado after a long, successful run with the Buffs, and to live on a golf course. He and Chandler are impressed by the quality of TPC Colorado, and Karl asks for a membership packet after the round. With the COVID spike, the club has already filled its rolls, while the construction of course-side homes is fast and furious. When Karl was head coach at UCLA, the Dorrells belonged to TPC Valencia (now known as the Oaks Club at Valencia); it’s where Chandler learned the game, and the two share fond memories of those days. It’s no surprise that Karl, the ultimate teacher, has an affinity for a club network tied to the game’s professionals.
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“NEVER BEING SATISFIED”’ “Prior to starting the COVID season in 2020, if someone told you the Buffs would win their first four games…you’d have to be satisfied?” “No! I wanted to win all six,” Dorrell quickly answers. Indeed, when the conversation turns to something about which the coach is particularly passionate, his attention and delivery ramp up, as does his eye contact. The Buffs did wilt down the stretch, losing to semi-rival Utah and getting blown out, 55-23, by No. 20 Texas in the Alamo Bowl to finish 4-2. This sort of late-season collapse has haunted the Buffs in recent years. The emphasis for 2021 is to “finish the fourth quarter, finish the season,” Dorrell repeats, adding the Buffs need to embrace the psychology of “never being satisfied.” “Karl does an amazing job of, telling everybody—coaches, players, staff—what is and what is not expected of them,” Barnett says. “And he is going to hold them to it.” Dorrell brings a gameday intensity that was evident after All-Pac 12 quarterback Sam Noyer, who threw two straight interceptions in the win against Arizona, was volubly lectured on the sideline. Afterward, both men told reporters they were on the same page about the desire to meet high expectations and the process needed to get there. “Well, I think they have a feel for what my expectations are,” Dorrell told the Colorado Springs Gazette. “I can’t tell you…that it’s not going to happen again. I’m going to tell you, matter of fact, it probably will.” Reduced practices during the pandemic last year resulted in a Buffs offense that only ran 40 percent of the plays that Dorrell would normally install. “That’s also why teams figured us out at the end of the season,” adds Chandler. The playbook—and crowds at Folsom Field—will return to normal this fall. The prognosticators who picked the Buffs to finish near the bottom last season aren’t overly optimistic this fall, either, particularly with a brutal early-season run of Texas A&M, Minnesota, USC and Arizona State. The pundits say CU might win a total of three or four games; Dorrell thinks his team can double that number and contend for the loaded Pac-12 South title. “I think we’ll surprise some people— again,” says Dorrell, who’s repeatedly proven he doesn’t mind hitting out of deep holes. Contributor Andy Bigford first bought CU football season tickets for the 1997 season, when Karl Dorrell was an assistant coach with the Buffs. coloradoavidgolfer.com
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On a Roll
A trend more than 150 years in the making, putting courses are fostering fun and community at golf facilities across the country—including four in Colorado. By JON RIZZI | Photographs by CHRIS WHEELER
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PUTTING COURSES are nothing new. Better known as The Himalayas, the heaving, churning 140,000-square-foot St Andrews Ladies’ Putting Club at the Old Course in Scotland has convened members of both sexes since 1867. This has chiefly occurred on Sundays, when locals gather to putter around as the Old Course enjoys its day of rest. Yet, the communal joy of playing 18 holes in less than an hour, with a putter and ball, somehow got redirected on American soil. In 1916, shipping magnate James W. Barber decided to build his own putting course on his estate in Pinehurst, N.C. Upon completion, a satisfied Barber told his arch-
itect, “This’ll do,” which spawned the Scotssounding course name, “Thisle Dhu.” The private, quirky 18-hole design entertained guests with its grass and wood bunkers, inspiring the miniature golf craze. Six decades of populist putt-putt later, the private Desert Highlands Golf Club in Scottsdale and Las Vegas’ Angel Park Golf Club opened with 18-hole putting courses. However, it wasn’t until 2013, as the golf industry looked for “new” ways to grow the game, that a pair of golf resorts turned to history for a solution. Prior to hosting the 2014 U.S. Open, Pinehurst unveiled a real Himalayas-like Thisle Dhu putting course as a guest amenity outside
its clubhouse, and Oregon’s Bandon Dunes debuted The Punchbowl, a roiling 18-hole gathering spot by the first tee at Pacific Dunes. Each occupies two acres and sparked a trend that has spread to Pebble Beach, Kohler, Streamsong, Big Cedar Lodge and beyond. Denver’s Jim Urbina, the co-designer of The Punchbowl, isn’t surprised. “A putting course is economical to maintain and a fun way to introduce people to golf.” he says. “And there’s the social element—laughing with friends—which is what golf is all about.” Urbina has yet to do a Colorado putting course, but at least four clubs here have added them, much to the delight of their members.
ALL IS ILLUMINATED: A roaring firepit beckons as evening falls on “The Schneids,” the new putting course at Castle Pines Golf Club.
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August/September 2021 | COLORADO AVIDGOLFER
ON THE SCHNEIDS: Clockwise from top, golfers in the Charlie Coe Invitational, as seen from the perch of Castle Pines’ clock tower, play in the event’s putting competition; General Manager Keith “Schneids” Schneider; the course sports a view of the renovated clubhouse and tower; impeccable landscaping and stonework flank the course.
“THE SCHNEIDS” AT CASTLE PINES GOLF CLUB Castle Pines Golf Club’s recent multimilliondollar clubhouse overhaul extended to the creation of an firepit area downhill from the golf shop entrance. There, members can sip after-dinner drinks, then grab one of the many available Titleist demo putters and Pro-V1s and take on the 14,000-square-foot putting course designed by longtime Jack Nicklaus Design associate Jim Lipe. The tee markers double as cup holders and the pins glow under floodlights nested into the surrounding pines. Called “The Schneids”—the nickname of
longtime General Manager Keith Schneider, who originally proposed the idea—the putting course represents an expansion of an existing green. It stimps at the same 11.5 speed as the greens on the main course, but with considerably more movement. “You can use it as a practice green or as a course,” Schneider explains. “We mow it and change the holes every day.” Putts break off a center ridge Lipe christened the “muffin top” in honor of Schneider’s father, a baker. Since the club has a national membership, The Schneids offers another point of contact those who may not have otherwise met. It
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also gives members with families an activity in which they can all participate. “The kids have to play with parents, and they catch the golf bug,” Schneider says. “Some places have a par-3 course for that, but we don’t have the land to build one.” Schneider says he’s been “pleasantly surprised at how popular the course is. The members love using it at night when it’s all lit up. We have events that include putting contests.” He shares a text featuring a photo of the illuminated course and a note from a member: “Congratulations! What a great addition to the club!” coloradoavidgolfer.com
In another nod to Bandon, small, landscaped islands of vegetation and stone unify the green with its environment. COURTESY OF THE COUNTRY CLUB AT CASTLE PINES
A TRUE CLIFF-HANGER: Clockwise from top left, Director of Agronomy Sean McCue masterminded and built the course; members of the Wednesday-afternoon Women’s Club compete over 18 holes; come fall, a European-style basket-torch called a fire beacon will light up “The Crags”; endless vistas unfurl from the infinity-edge green.
“THE CRAGS” AT THE COUNTRY CLUB AT CASTLE PINES In November of 2019, the members of The Country Club at Castle Pines approved a $17.1-million capital project that would deliver a clubhouse and patio renovation, cliffside infinity-edge pool, fitness center and a full complement of racket sports. The plan did not include a gathering place for members while the clubhouse became a construction zone. So, Director of Agronomy Sean McCue—who’s currently in his 26th year at CCCP—proposed building a putting course like The Punchbowl at Bandon Dunes on land just below the clubhouse. He developed the budget and would oversee the design and construction. The club didn’t own the land, but it swapped a parcel with the owner, Jack A. Vickers III. In December, McCue went to work clearing the steep, rocky promontory covered in scrub oak, pines and cedar. “We had to remove all the vegetation to see what we had to work with,” he explains. “Then we started pushing dirt around, and the forms revealed themselves.” So did
one-of-a-kind views of the mountains and Cherokee Ranch. Rather than create an experience that would mimic putts on its Nicklausdesigned holes, McCue gave the course its own identity. He named it “The Crags”—a geological term for steep rock cliffs—and designed it to “maximize and accentuate the feeling behind that term.” The Crags course tumbles 30 feet from its highest to lowest point, with some slopes graded as high as 20 percent. “The most extreme you typically find on a golf course is anything from 3 to 7 percent,” McCue says. This leads to crazy contours and putts that can break as much 40 or 50 feet. McCue credits research into Alister MacKenzie’s tour de force at Sitwell Park, a trip to Bandon and conversations with The Punchbowl’s designer, Denver-based Jim Urbina, to determine how over-the-top he could design the green but still have it be playable. “We use the same championship T-1 Bentgrass we use on the main course, but we don’t mow it as low,” McCue responds when asked what prevents downhill putts from
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rolling into the abyss below. “We embrace a classic Golden Age green stimp of 7.5 to 8,” he says. “Any faster, it becomes too much.” In another nod to Bandon, small, landscaped islands of vegetation and stone unify the green with its environment. The Crags, which opened last fall, changes its tee placements daily and its pin placements weekly. Members are predictably over the moon about the layout, as evidenced by the laughter and lighthearted badinage between members of the Wednesday women’s club. “Uphill lies, sidehill lies—people are seeing putts they’ve never seen in their life,” McCue laughs. “They make up their own routings. They bring out their kids to introduce them to the game. It’s entertaining and gets people to stick around the club.” At night, a trio of firepits and landscape lighting illuminate the green. Come fall, a 15-foot-high, gas-powered torch inspired by European fire beacons will illuminate “The Crags,” its blazing basket providing a symbol that’s as imaginative as the course it represents. coloradoavidgolfer.com
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“The camaraderie has increased a bunch. We have national, even international, members, and it’s definitely a point of gathering. That’s why we call it The Commons. The way it’s contoured, you can’t avoid meeting someone.”
PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF BALLYNEAL
“THE COMMONS” AT BALLYNEAL GOLF AND HUNT CLUB Balls have rolled on the great lawn at Ballyneal ever since the celebrated walking-only club’s 2006 debut in the chop hills of Colorado’s Eastern Plains. But before 2016, most of those orbs weighed two pounds and left dents in the turf. A bocce pitch—ringed by the clubhouse, golf shop, restaurant and a growing number of lodging options—occupied the upper part of the grassed expanse, while a practice putting green near the first tee of the Tom Doak-designed golf course occupied the lower part. All that changed when new owner John Curlander enlisted Doak and his associate, Denver-based Eric Iverson, to transform the entire area into a giant putting surface. “The Commons” encompasses enough space—more than an acre—to route a full 18-hole putting course that traverses every combination of back and forth, and up and down, inspiring the creativity required to play links-style golf. The bentgrass greens run at the same speed as those on the regular course. The team cuts new holes once a week and the caddiemaster changes the routing daily, marking tees with statues of native box turtles facing the pins. “You can play the course setup or play it as you wish,” General Manager Dave Hensley says. “It’s the centerpiece of the village now,” he reports. “The camaraderie has increased a bunch. We have national, even international members, and it’s definitely a point of gathering. That’s why we call it The Commons. The way it’s contoured, you can’t avoid meeting someone. Every afternoon and evening, there’s a lot of matches, a lot of bet-settling and a lot of drinking and laughter.” The action often goes well into the night, with balls glowing in different colors racing to illuminated pins (see page 72). Music pumps through speakers, as the waitstaff pours the club’s signature transfusion cocktail and private-label Bunker Beer. “Even during our club-sanctioned events, we’ll have The Commons Putting Challenge,” Hensley says. “It’s the perfect counterpart to golf on the main course and The Mulligan,” he adds, referring to the 12-hole par-3 course that Doak and Iverson built at the same time as The Commons. Both additions complement the brilliance of the layout Golf Digest ranks 44th on its latest list of America’s 100 Greatest Golf Courses—the highest in Colorado. “We will always be a haven for golf purists who love the game,” owner Curlander says. And if you ever tire of golf, there’s still bocce and skeet-shooting elsewhere on property.
IN PLAINS SIGHT: Of a piece with the undulant chop hills south of Holyoke, The Commons (from top) mirrors its surroundings in scale; invites spirited competition among members; and illuminates its holes at dusk.
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“THE PUNCH BOWL” AT COAL CREEK GOLF COURSE After the floods of 2013 forced Louisville’s Coal Creek Golf Course to close, repair and renovate, architect Kevin Norby proposed converting the modest putting practice area into a 20,600-square-foot putting course when the course reopened in 2015. “It makes the facility more of a community asset when people can bring their families,” he says. Bandon had recently opened The Punchbowl, and the concept was just catching on among architects and course owners. Coal Creek’s Punch Bowl plays foil to the course’s “regular” practice green, which the facility maintains at the same height and speed as the 18 greens on the course. “The Punch Bowl is a different animal,” PGA Head Professional David Baril says. “It’s a great place for you and your friends or your family to putt over hills and through valleys.”
“We use things like the Punch Bowl to create a community-driven environment,” 2nd Assistant PGA Golf Professional Austin Miller elaborates. “Kids can be kids on the Punch Bowl. Juniors are a priority at Coal Creek.” Miller says this as Coal Creek’s PGA Junior League Putting Championship fills the early evening air with joyful families that the course has invited to compete against each other. Wider holes minimize frustration and keep things moving. “The Punch Bowl is the perfect venue for a family outing,” says, Megan Corey from Superior, whose happy foursome consists of her husband, Jeremy, and sons Preston and Ethan. The nine-hole layout also stages men’s, women’s and mixed tournaments; and invites lively versions of H-O-R-S-E. Kids can play while their parents chat as the sun dips behind the Flatirons.
Jon Rizzi is Colorado AvidGolfer’s editor. Chris Wheeler has created documentary films for more than 30 years. Many of his award-winning works tell the stories of our National Parks. COLORADO AVIDGOLFER | August/September 2021
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THE VILLAGE GREEN: Families of Coal Creek’s PGA Junior League fill the Punch Bowl on a Thursday evening. From left: Megan and Jeremy Corey of Superior watch son Ethan putt; Boulder’s Quinten Ortega and his mom, Kim, pose with friends; Regina Miller of Louisville celebrates draining a long putt.
“A putting course is the best way to introduce people to golf. It has the fun factor; it’s strategic; and you just need a ball and a putter…or the course can let you borrow them. If I could find the right investor, I’d build one in New York’s Central Park.” —Denver-based Jim Urbina, co-designer of The Punchbowl at Bandon Dunes Resort
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Blind Shot THE UNSEEN GAME
PHOTOGRAPH BY DEWITT JONES/COURTESY OF BALLYNEAL GOLF & HUNT CLUB
STRIPING IT: The art of long-exposure photography brilliantly turns a putting green of glowing golf balls and hole markers into a painterly composition underscored by the striking apposition of natural and artificial light.
Eastern Lights Ballyneal’s inland-links golf inspires creativity around the green. AS EVERY CADDYSHACK fan knows, night-putting can get you kicked out of college. At Holyoke’s Ballyneal Golf and Hunt Club, however, members just get a kick out of the activity. One of the three private clubs with a putting course—in addition to a traditional practice green—featured in this issue (page 62), Ballyneal sells glow balls in a variety of colors so members and their guests can fire at illuminated pins beneath a vast blanket of stars well into the night. This spectacle inspired Ballyneal member, filmmaker and longtime National Geographic photographer Dewitt Jones. His longexposure image captures the evening electricity of the course, with the putts forming a neon tangle of spaghetti or Silly String as they ride the contours of the slopes like alpine athletes in a Colorado torchlight ski parade.
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The heaving chop hills that form those slopes complete the composition. They silhouette the background against the kind of magnificent celestial canopy you get to experience when you’re 200 miles east of the closest light-polluting city. It’s an uncommon look from an area called “The Commons,” as this 15-year-old club has aptly named the putting course at the center of its village. Designed by Tom Doak—who also created Ballyneal’s stellar 7,147-yard 18-hole layout and its 12-hole, par3 Mulligan Course—the undulant acre gathers members from all over, such as the Sonoma-based Jones, after they’ve finished their round on the celebrated main course. These golf purists come to this corner of Colorado for the course and for the camaraderie, which joyfully expresses itself in night-putting—without the dean’s daughter. —Jon Rizzi
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