It’s that time of year again in golf.
No, we’re not talking about the approach of the Masters, which marks the unofficial start to the golf season for many. Nor are we referring to the beginning of spring, which likewise indicates the start of golf in earnest for many in this area of the country.
What we’re noting is certainly related to both of the above, but falls into a category of its own. It’s the beginning of a new season for radio golf shows based in Colorado.
By the end of March, at least three such shows — devoted exclusively to golf — will each be broadcasting once per weekend for the foreseeable future:
There’s “Tee to Green”, which airs year-round, originating from The Broadmoor Resort in Colorado Springs.
There’s Fort Collins-based “Morning Cup of Golf”, which begins its 2018 run on Saturday (March 24).
And there’s Denver area-based “In the Fairway”, which will crank into action on March 31, though it did air from the Denver Golf Expo last month.
Here are the essentials for listeners who care to partake on the weekends:
— Tee to Green: The show, which airs on Sundays from 8-9 a.m., on XTRA Sports Radio (1300 AM in Colorado Springs) and iHeart Radio, is hosted by Jay Ritchie and Jerry Butenhoff. It’s syndicated and streamed live online at SportsByline.com. The show has been around since the early 1990s, with Ritchie and Butenhoff co-hosting the current iteration of the program from The Broadmoor since 2006.
— Morning Cup of Golf: The show will air from 7-9 a.m. on Saturdays on KCOL radio (600 AM) and streaming on iHeartRadio.com. Hosts Stan Fenn and Doug Perry, both Colorado PGA members, co-host the show, now in its third season. Interviews feature both national and local guests, and the CGA sponsors the “Rule of the Week” segment posing a Rules of Golf question then providing the answer.
— In the Fairway: Jerry Walters has been a mainstay as host for this show for 25 years, even as it has switched stations. In the Fairway now airs at 8-10 a.m. on Saturdays on 104.3 The Fan (FM), with Ray Best serving as co-host since 2014. The programming features a mix of national and Colorado topics and interviews. CGA executive director Ed Mate, a member of the USGA Rules of Golf Committee, regularly is featured in a rules segment. (Mate is pictured being interviewed on The Fan at the Denver Golf Expo last month.)
In addition, starting on April 4, Mate will be on the air each Wednesday, in the 12:45-1 p.m. timeframe, on Mile High Sports Radio (1340 AM). There, he’ll talk golf with hosts Gil Whiteley and Mark Jackson on their “Anything’s Possible” midday sports show. It will be Mate’s second year on the CGA Golf Show segment, which runs April 4 until Oct. 3 in 2018.
