The seed was planted a few years ago when Gary Potter received a request from former CGA executive director Warren Simmons, asking for a pledge for a fundraising event in which Simmons was participating.

“I was kind of curious, and that’s where it started,” Potter recalls.

Now that seed that was inadvertently planted by Simmons is set to bear fruit in Colorado in the form of the Colorado Golf Hall of Fame Classic 100.

On April 7 (or March 31 in the case of some determined participants, pictured below) at the South par-3 layout at the Greg Mastriona Golf Courses at Hyland Hills in Westminster, Potter and about 15 of his cohorts on the Colorado Golf Hall of Fame board of directors plan to play 100 holes for a couple of good causes. Through a ProFund campaign in which participants garner pledges for the 100-hole event, the Classic 100 will raise money for the History of Golf in Colorado Foundation — a 501c3 which benefits the Colorado Golf Hall of Fame and its museum — and for youth programs that will be determined in coordination with the Colorado Golf Foundation.

(Updated March 31) More than $95,000 has been pledged to the causes. Some individual sponsors have committed to pitch in $1,000 each.

“It’s a hell of a success,” said Potter, himself a Colorado Golf Hall of Fame inductee, and the campaign captain for the Classic 100. “Our goal Jan. 31 was to get to $40,000 overall, so doubling that is a great success.”

The Colorado Golf Hall of Fame was established in 1973 and this year — May 14 at Cherry Hills Country Club to be exact — it will induct its 44th class, Craig Stadler and Ann Finke (READ MORE). The Hall of Fame will hold its CGHOF Team Championship June 13 at Riverdale Dunes in Brighton, where the CGHOF museum is located. The public is welcome to participate in the tournament. The $125 entry fee includes golf, carts, tee gifts and lunch. Contact Potter for more information at garytpotter59@gmail.com.(Among the Hall of Fame’s inductees — and board members — are Dan Hogan and John Gardner, pictured together at top during last month’s Denver Golf Expo.)

As for the Classic 100, Colorado Golf Hall of Fame board member Dave Richardson, a longtime regular at Hyland Hills, persuaded course officials to donate the South par-3 facility for the event, which figures to last about five hours. Colorado Golf Hall of Fame board members are invited to participate in a celebration after the golf has wrapped up on April 7.

Greg Mastriona, after whom the Hyland Hills golf facility is named, was inducted into the Colorado Golf Hall of Fame in 2014.

The Classic 100 participants have garnered pledges from more than 480 donors, with that total likely to increase. Steve Bell has 80 sponsors, with Potter (75), former USGA staffer and CWGA executive director Maggie Giesenhagen (51) and Castle Pines Golf Club general manager Keith Schneider (49) also garnering more than 45.

All of which tells Colorado Golf Hall of Fame president Scott Radcliffe — another Classic 100 particpant — one thing. “We have some really nice friends, and they believe in us,” he said.

Just Schneider and Potter, who like Giesenhagen have been inducted into the Colorado Golf Hall of Fame, have received combined pledges totaling more than $35,000. And Bell checks in at more than $13,000.

“The best part is we have over (480) sponsors,” Potter said. “That’s a broad base. Some don’t even play golf, but they support the Colorado Golf Hall of Fame. It’s amazing.”

Anyone interesting in being a Classic 100 sponsor — or for more information — can contact Potter at garytpotter59@gmail.com.
 

This year, those reflections have particularly come into focus.

With the CGA celebrating its 100th anniversary this year, there’s been a concerted look back on the past century of golf in Colorado. That includes a 10-part series of stories on notable people and events from the last hundred years.

Writing that series was illuminating, which brings us back to Thanksgiving. A better understanding of the past can lead to increased appreciation for all we have to be thankful for in Colorado golf.

To wit, here are 10 things that come to mind:

— Rich History of Golf. The Century of Golf Gala held recently at The Broadmoor particulary brought this home, with Jack Nicklaus reminiscing about his strong links to Colorado over the last 60 years. Nicklaus is one of golf’s all-time pantheon to have won significant tournaments in the state, with others being Arnold Palmer, Ben Hogan, Kathy Whitworth, Babe Zaharias, Annika Sorenstam, Gary Player, Greg Norman and Phil Mickelson. For much more about Colorado golf history, CLICK HERE.

— Teamwork. Another thing that the Century of Golf Gala — 1,250 attendees strong — and related activities reinforced is that big things can happen when the Colorado golf community joins forces. Teaming up with the CGA in making it all a major success were the CWGA, Colorado PGA and the Rocky Mountain Golf Course Superintendents Association.

— Great Venues. The day of the Century of Golf Gala, a golf outing held at The Broadmoor (pictured) demonstrated yet again what stellar golf courses Colorado has produced. On a mid-November day, temperatures reached the mid-60s, and the setting was enough to make any golfer take pause. The same can be said for countless other courses in the state — Sanctuary, Arrowhead, Castle Pines, Ballyneal, Red Sky, Eisenhower, etc., etc. Golfers in Colorado are indeed fortunate.

— Good of the Game Partnerships. The recent creation of a partnership between the CGA and the Colorado PGA will result in a new Colorado Junior Tour and many other advantages for all levels of junior golfers in Colorado (READ MORE). It’s yet another example of how the game can be well served by constructive cooperation.

— Local Players Who Excel. Colorado has a long history of homegrown players hitting it big — with Hale Irwin, Steve Jones, Dale Douglass, Jill McGill, Brandt Jobe, Bob Byman, Kevin Stadler, Shane Bertsch, Bill Loeffler and to some extent Mike Reid, to name some. It’s always fun for Coloradans to have one of their own to root for on the national or international level. And we also have some very promising young players potentially in a similar pipleline with the likes of Mark Hubbard, Jennifer Kupcho, Wyndham Clark and Hannah Wood.

— Highly Regarded PGA Professionals. There are oustanding PGA professionals throughout the country, but members of the Colorado PGA have proven to be high achievers as the Section or its members have won national PGA of America awards eight times in the last nine years. And highly respected instructor Ann Finke was recently voted into the Colorado Golf Hall of Fame, along with Colorado-based Champions Tour player Craig Stadler. And Vic Kline was honored as Colorado Golf Professional of the Century during the Century of Golf Gala.

— Foundations to Support Good Causes. Numerous golf foundations in Colorado do considerable and commendable work in bolstering good causes through the game of golf. Among them are the Colorado Golf Foundation, Colorado PGA Reach, the Colorado Open Golf Foundation, and the Rocky Mountain Environmental Golf Institute.

— Volunteers. While the staffs of the major golf organizations in Colorado do yeoman’s work, those organizations would be a shell of what they are were it not for volunteers. Such volunteerism came to the forefront this past year with the passing of Joe Salvo, and the departure from the Colorado tournament golf scene of Rich Langston and Joan Scholes. Each of them made major contributions — in terms of both time and dediction — to the likes of the CGA, CWGA and Colorado PGA over the years. And many, many others do likewise each year.

— Another Senior Major on the Horizon.This year it was announced that the 2018 U.S. Senior Open will be contested at The Broadmoor the year the resort celebrates its 100th birthday. It will mark the third U.S. Senior Open held in Colorado, meaning only Ohio (with six) will have hosted more. The Centennial State also was home to another senior major, the Senior PGA Championship contested at Colorado Golf Club in 2010.

— Good People. I’ve always marveled at the number of good people you meet through the game of golf. Perhaps it’s part of the significant “self-policing” aspect of the sport that tends to attract people of high character. But whatever the case, it’s refreshing.

And yet another reason to give thanks.
 

Former Masters champion Craig Stadler, a resident of Colorado for more than two decades, and Ann Finke of Colorado Springs, the first female member of the Colorado PGA and a national leader in junior golf, were voted into the Colorado Golf Hall of Fame on Wednesday.

The two will be inducted as the Hall of Fame’s 44th class next year, likely in mid-May.

“I can hardly put into words (my reaction),” Finke said Wednesday. “It’s amazing. I can’t help but think about that kid playing golf a hundred years ago and wonder, ‘How did I get here?’ I can’t tell you how neat it is. I’m taken aback, to be honest.”

Stadler, an Evergreen resident since 2003 and a Coloradan since 1994, has won 13 times on the PGA Tour, including the 1982 Masters, plus nine times on the Champions Tour, along with the 1973 U.S. Amateur.

Between the PGA Tour and Champions Tour, 11 of Stadler’s victories have come since he moved to Colorado, including two Champions Tour majors: the 2003 Ford Senior Players Championship and the 2004 JELD-WEN Tradition.

Propelled by his victory in a playoff against Dan Pohl at the Masters, Stadler led the PGA Tour money list in 1982, when he posted four wins overall. Twenty-one years later, he became the first Champions Tour player to win on the PGA Tour as he claimed the title at age 50 in the B.C. Open.

Later in 2003, Stadler was named the Champions Tour Rookie of the Year, and in 2004 he earned Champions Tour Player of the Year honors after a five-win season. In his first 15 months as a senior player, the Walrus notched eight victories. Among those was the 2004 First Tee Open at Pebble Beach, where Stadler teamed with Aaron Woodard — son of now-Colorado Golf Hall of Famer Tom Woodard — to also win the junior-pro best-ball competition.

In 2013 at age 60, Stadler claimed another distinction by winning the Encompass Championship — that of having the longest time between victories on the Champions Tour (8 years, 8 months, 28 days).

During his PGA Tour career, Stadler played in each of the first 17 Internationals contested at Castle Pines Golf Club, placing in the top 15 five times.

Stadler’s son Kevin is also a player of some prominence, and Craig caddied for Kevin in his son’s professional debut at the 2002 Colorado Open at Sonnenalp Golf Club just west of Vail, where the younger Stadler won in a playoff over PGA Tour player Gary Hallberg and Brian Kortan. That same year, Craig and Kevin teamed up to win the nationally televised Office Depot Father/Son Challenge. In 2014, the two became the first father and son to compete in the same Masters (pictured above).

In addition to his outstanding playing record, Craig Stadler has co-designed a course in Colorado (with Tripp Davis), Grand Elk Ranch & Club in Granby.

“I’ve had some great memories in Colorado,” Stadler told Golf Digest in 2012. “Denver is a perfect place to be. The city and surrounding area has a great sports scene, a wide variety of golf courses, a ton of things to do and fantastic restaurants. It’s home, and we love being here.”

Stadler, now 62, has previously been inducted into several other Halls of Fame: San Diego Breithard Hall of Fame (1996), the University of Southern California Athletic Hall of Fame (1999), the Argentine Golf Association Hall of Fame (2012) and the Southern California Golf Association Hall of Fame (2014).

Finke (left, teaching kids), meanwhile, has been a fixture on the Colorado golf scene for three decades. During that time — all spent at the Country Club of Colorado in Colorado Springs, where she’s now director of instruction — she’s given about 38,000 lessons, more than 40 percent of those to juniors.

“When you think 40 or 50 swings for each of those, that’s a lot of swings,” Finke said with a laugh on Wednesday.

Finke was the first female to become a member of the Colorado PGA, joining in 1985, six years after she turned pro. She was also the first woman member in the Nebraska Section PGA, gaining that status in 1983.

Finke has drawn particular acclaim for her work with junior golfers, and in 2010 she was named the PGA of America’s national Junior Golf Leader, making her the first female member of the Colorado PGA to earn a major national PGA award.

Finke has had an impact on thousands of junior golfers over the years — not just from her club, but from all around southern Colorado and even Denver and Wyoming — so much so that an area at the Country Club of Colorado has long been dubbed “Finke Hill” by her students. Finke gives roughly 1,000 junior lessons each year and does almost 50 hours of golf clinics, according to the PGA of America.

Perhaps the most recognizable junior player to have been taught by Finke was Tom Glissmeyer, who grew up playing the Country Club of Colorado and went on to qualify for the U.S. Open as a 16-year-old in 2003.

Finke (left) also has taken a very active role in the Pikes Peak Junior Golf organization, including serving as president from 1991 through 2002.

Finke was just the ninth female nationally to become a quarter-century PGA member. This fall, she and Hale Irwin received a legacy award from The First Tee of Pikes Peak, and next month she’ll be honored with the Noble Chalfant Award for distinguished service to the Colorado PGA.

“I’ve had so many neat things happen this year,” Finke said. “I keep thinking, ‘Wow!’ We go out and do our thing, and it’s very gratifying to do something you love. To be recognized for that is really neat.”

On the same night that Stadler and Finke are inducted into the Hall of Fame, the Hall will hand out three awards.

Jim Hajek, the PGA head professional at Fossil Trace Golf Club in Golden, will receive the Golf Person of the Year Award. Hajek recently earned the PGA of America’s national Public Merchandiser of the Year honor, becoming the eighth Colorado PGA national honoree in the last nine years.

Mike and Terri Knode will be given the Distinguished Service Award. They founded the Western Colorado Golf Foundation, a longtime beneficiary of the Rocky Mountain Open which has awarded many educational scholarships to junior golfers from the Western Slope over the years. The Western Colorado Golf Foundation owned the Rocky Mountain Open before being sold last year. Mike Knode serves on the CGA Board of Governors and has also been president for the CGA’s Western Chapter.

Coloradan Homer McClintock will receive the Lifetime Achievement Award. McClintock played a key role in the acquisition of the Evans Scholars house for caddies at the University of Colorado in the late 1960s and in the CGA’s Eisenhower Scholarship linking up with the Western Golf Association’s Evans Scholarship. McClintock also served on the CGA Board of Governors when the CGA started to greatly expand its reach and services.