Laurie Steenrod has called Saddle Rock her home course ever since it opened 18 years ago.
So it should come as no surprise, given that Steenrod has won about 10 state golf titles over the years, that the plaque which lists the women’s club champions at Saddle Rock includes Steenrod’s name seven times. Or at least it will once her 2014 title is added.
When perusing the list of 2014 club champions that have been submitted to the CWGA — CLICK HERE for the list — Steenrod is one of several CWGA champs who claimed club titles in 2014.
For instance, Colorado Golf Hall of Famer Janet Moore (below), the women’s champion at Cherry Hills Country Club, has earned five CWGA Stroke Play crowns. Lynn Larson, the women’s champ at The Pinery Country Club, has won six CWGA Senior Stroke Play titles and a Senior Match Play. Susie Noel, the champ at Pole Creek, has won a CWGA Senior Stroke Play and she once served as president of the CWGA (as did Marti Alter, champ at Raven at Three Peaks). And Stacey Arnold, Willis Case club champ in 2014, has won six two-person CWGA titles.
Also among the 2014 club champs are Shelly Edwards (Boulder CC), a former University of New Mexico golfer and wife of University of Colorado men’s head coach Roy Edwards; and LindaSue Chenoweth (Club at Fox Hill), a former CU golfer and CWGA staffer who was a longtime chief operations officer for the Colorado Open Golf Foundation.
As for Steenrod, the longtime Aurora resident has been a prominent player on the Colorado golf scene for the last two decades. She won the CWGA Match Play title in 1995 and claimed the Senior Match Play in 2011 when she became one of the few local players in recent years to beat Colorado Golf Hall of Famer Kim Eaton, prevailing in 19 holes in the final.
She’s also won at least eight CWGA team titles — including ones with Larson and 2015 Colorado Golf Hall of Famer Christie Austin — and has qualified for at least eight USGA national championships.
Given all that experience, Steenrod is more at ease when playing in club championships at Saddle Rock.
“I’m much more comfortable (in those events),” she said. “It’s a different mindset. Playing on a course I’m very familiar with and with people I’m very familiar with, it’s nice.”
Even at age 58, the retired Aurora Public Schools science and P.E. teacher said she’s usually the low handicapper in the women’s championship field at Saddle Rock. And while she’s prevailed most of the time she’s competed — teaching sometimes prevented her participation — she said she’s often had to come from behind on the final day of competition.
“Given my age, it’s interesting and fun, and perhaps a bit more satisfying” to win club titles in recent years, she said.
Steenrod, a former University of New Mexico golfer, helped Saddle Rock win the CWGA Club Team Championship in 2011, joining with Laura Dunston, Heather Watson and Melva Hahn. And for as long as Saddle Rock has been around, Steenrod has competed for the club in women’s A Team League play.
Saddle Rock plays in one of the four women’s A Team Leagues in the Denver metro area — two of which are on the public course side, and two of which involve private facilities.
“Back in the day, there was only one league. Now there’s four, and two very large weekend leagues,” Steenrod said. “I’m impressed by that. Women want to play.”
In addition to being a very fine golfer, Steenrod became a member of the 11-person CWGA volunteer board of directors last fall. And at the beginning of this year, she took over chairmanship of the CWGA’s course rating and handicap committee.
“I still don’t feel up to speed, but it’s all about contributing, all about learning,” she said.
