Starting on Friday (Sept. 7), in the span of just over a month, seven multi-day NCAA Division I events will be held in Colorado, and there’s another one of the single-day variety. There are five on the men’s side and three on the women’s.

In fact, in the same week, Colorado State University is hosting both a men’s and a women’s tournament, though they finish on different days (Sept. 18 and 19).

Here’s the rundown:

MEN

Sept. 7-9, Gene Miranda Falcon Invitational, Eisenhower Golf Club north of Colorado Springs.

Sept. 17-18, Ram Masters Invitational, Fort Collins Country Club.

Sept. 24-25, Mark Simpson Colorado Invitational, Colorado National Golf Club in Erie.

Oct. 1 — University of Northern Colorado individual event, Greeley Country Club.

Oct. 8-9, Paintbrush Invitational, Colorado Golf Club in Parker.

WOMEN

Sept. 17-19, Ptarmigan Ram Classic, Ptarmigan Country Club in Fort Collins.

Sept. 24-26, Golfweek Conference Challenge, Red Sky Golf Club in Wolcott.

Oct. 5-7, Ron Moore Intercollegiate, Highlands Ranch Golf Club.

Of the six of those team events that were conducted in 2017 — the Paintbrush Invitational was canceled due to weather — four Colorado-based schools claimed either team titles outright or were tied for the top spot at the end of regulation.

The University of Denver women won the Women’s Golfweek Conference Challenge and the Ron Moore Intercollegiate, while the Colorado State University men won for the fourth straight year at their Ram Masters Invitational. The University of Colorado men were tied at the end of regulation at their Mark Simpson Colorado Invitational, though Utah defeated CU in a team playoff.

This season, every Colorado-based DI team except one (the CU women) will compete in at least one tournament in the Centennial State.

Here’s a brief look at the nine Division I golf programs in Colorado.

CU MEN

Season Opener: Sept. 7-9, Gene Miranda Falcon Invitational, Eisenhower GC.

Division I Tournaments in Colorado:
— Sept. 7-9, Gene Miranda Falcon Invitational, Eisenhower GC.
— Sept. 24-25, Mark Simpson Colorado Invitational, Colorado National GC.
— Oct. 8-9, Paintbrush Invitational, Colorado GC.

Conference Championship: April 22-24, Men’s Pac-12 Championship, Eugene, Ore.

Notable: Coloradans on the active fall roster include Wilson Belk (Colorado Springs), Cole Krantz (Windsor), Ross Macdonald (Castle Rock) and Trevor Olkowski (Grand Junction). … Coloradan Oliver Jack, the 2016 3A state high school champion from Kent Denver, was scheduled to join the Buffs this fall, but he was involved in an automobile accident over the summer. CU coach Roy Edwards said Jack remains in the hospital recovering and has deferred his enrollment at CU until the spring semester of 2019. … Among CU’s key losses from last season were then-seniors Yannik Paul, Spencer Painton and John Souza. Paul had a CU single-season-record 70.24 stroke average last season. Painton is a student-assistant coach this season. … Last spring, CU posted its best finish in the Pac-12 tournament since joining the conference by placing second.

CU WOMEN

Season Opener: Sept. 10-11, Branch Law Firm/Dick McGuire Invitational, Albuquerque, N.M.

Division I Tournaments in Colorado: None.

Conference Championship: April 15-17, Women’s Pac-12 Championship, Palos Verdes Estates, Calif.

Notable: The Buffs, who finished 19th at the NCAA Division I Finals last spring, are 21st in the national preseason women’s college rankings published by Golfweek’s Lance Ringler, who puts junior Robyn Choi as a third-team preseason All-American. … Choi, who has qualified for the last two U.S. Women’s Opens, finished 21st individually in the Women’s NCAA Division I Finals in May. She recently advanced to Stage II of LPGA Q-school. … Junior Kirsty Hodgkins represented Australia in last week’s Women’s World Amateur Team Championship, finishing 92nd individually out of 170 players. … Coloradans on CU’s roster include Jaclyn Murray (Grand Junction), Gillian Vance (Lakewood) and Kelsey Webster (Boulder). … A key loss to graduation was Brittany Fan, who had the second-best stroke average on the team last season.

CSU MEN

Season Opener: Sept. 7-9, Carpet Capital Collegiate, Rocky Face, Ga.

Division I Tournaments in Colorado:
— Sept. 17-18, Ram Masters Invitational, Fort Collins CC.
— Sept. 24-25, Colorado Mark Simpson Invitational, Colorado National GC.
— Oct. 1, UNC Individual Event, Greeley CC.
— Oct. 8-9, Paintbrush Invitational, Colorado GC.

Conference Championship: April 26-28, Mountain West Conference Championship, Tucson, Ariz.

Notable: CSU is No. 28 in the nation in preseason rankings published by Golfweek’s Lance Ringler. … Coloradans on the roster include Davis Bryant (Aurora), AJ Ott (Fort Collins) and Jake Staiano (Cherry Hills Village). … Ott won the CGA Match Play and qualified for the U.S. Amateur over the summer. … For the first time in seven years, the Rams won’t play in the Gene Miranda Falcon Invitational to start the season, instead competing in a tournament in Georgia this weekend. … CSU has finished second in the Mountain West Conference tournament each of the last two years. … The Rams lost 2017-18 seniors Max Oelfke and Colton Yates, who ranked second and fifth on the team in stroke average, respectively.

CSU WOMEN

Season Opener: Sept. 17-19, Ptarmigan Ram Classic, Ptarmigan CC.

Division I Tournaments in Colorado:
— Sept. 17-19, Ptarmigan Ram Classic, Ptarmigan CC.
— Oct. 5-7, Ron Moore Intercollegiate, Highlands Ranch GC.

Conference Championship: April 15-17, Women’s Mountain West Conference Championship, Rancho Mirage, Calif.

Notable: CSU will start the season with a new head coach as Laura Cilek replaces Annie Young (READ MORE). Pro golfer Zack Byrd will be her assistant coach. Byrd most recently played on the Sunshine Tour in South Africa. … Katrina Prendergast and Ellen Secor won the U.S. Women’s Amateur Four-Ball title in May, and Prendergast finished second last week in the CoBank Colorado Women’s Open. Secor won the Oregon Women’s Public Links title in 2018 and placed 13th last week in the CWO. … The Rams didn’t lose any seniors to graduation in 2018. … CSU finished third in the Mountain West Conference tournament last spring, marking the Rams’ best showing in that event since 2010.

UNC MEN

Season Opener: Sept. 7-9, Gene Miranda Falcon Invitational, Eisenhower GC.

Division I Tournaments in Colorado:
— Sept. 7-9, Gene Miranda Falcon Invitational, Eisenhower GC.
— Sept. 17-18, Ram Masters Invitational, Fort Collins CC.
— Sept. 24-25, Colorado Mark Simpson Invitational, Colorado National GC.
— Oct. 1, UNC Individual Event, Greeley CC.
— Oct. 8-9, Paintbrush Invitational, Colorado GC.

Conference Championship: April 26-28, Big Sky Championship, Boulder City, Nev.

Notable: Coloradans on the roster include Jack Castiglia (Lakewood), Li Chen (Westminster), Barrett Jones (Eagle), Owen Pasvogel (Colorado Springs), Marcus Tait (Littleton) and Coby Welch (Highlands Ranch). … Welch qualified for the U.S. Amateur this summer, a year after Chen did likewise. … Castiglia won the Colorado Junior Match Play in early August. … In the spring, UNC won its first conference title since 2014 in capturing a Big Sky crown and advancing to NCAA Regionals. … The Bears lost Sam Marley and Andrew Romano, who were seniors last season.

UNC WOMEN

Season Opener: Sept. 10-11, Hobble Creek Classic, Orem, Utah.

Division I Tournaments in Colorado:
— Sept. 17-19, Ptarmigan Ram Classic, Ptarmigan CC.
— Oct. 5-7, Ron Moore Intercollegiate, Highlands Ranch GC.

Conference Championship: April 19-21, Women’s Big Sky Conference Championship, Boulder City, Nev.

Notable: Coloradans on the roster include Aili Bundy (Fort Collins), Jenna Chun (Highlands Ranch) and Morgan Sahm (Centennial). … UNC finished ninth last year at the Women’s Big Sky Conference Championship. … The Bears lost Christina Ferreira, who was a senior last season.

DU MEN

Season Opener: Sept. 17-18, Ram Masters Invitational, Fort Collins CC.

Division I Tournaments in Colorado:
— Sept. 17-18, Ram Masters Invitational, Fort Collins CC.
— Oct. 8-9, Paintbrush Invitational, Colorado GC

Conference Championship: April 28-30, Summit League Championship, Newton, Kan.

Notable: Coloradans on the roster include Cal McCoy (Highlands Ranch) and Jackson Solem (Longmont). … DU lost two of its mainstays from Regis Jesuit High School, Chris Korte and Jake Kelley, both of whom were seniors last season. … Denver finished second in last year’s Summit League Championship. … Brandon Wilkins becomes Erik Billinger’s assistant coach after previously being an assistant at Abilene Christian.

DU WOMEN

Season Opener: Sept. 24-26, Golfweek Conference Challenge, Red Sky GC in Wolcott.

Division I Tournaments in Colorado:
— Sept. 24-26, Golfweek Conference Challenge, Red Sky GC in Wolcott.
— Oct. 5-7, Ron Moore Women’s Intercollegiate, Highlands Ranch GC.

Conference Championship: April 21-23, Women’s Summit League Championship, Newton, Kan.

Notable: Head coach Lindsay Kuhle recently signed a new contract with DU that extends to 2023. … DU will defend team titles at two Colorado-based tournaments, the Women’s Golfweek Conference Challenge at Red Sky in Wolcott, and its own Ron Moore Women’s Intercollegiate at Highlands Ranch Golf Club. Those are the Pioneers’ first two tournaments of the season. … Mikayla Tatman, a former CSU golfer and a former intern for the CGA and the Colorado PGA, joins Kuhle’s staff as an assistant coach. Tatman, runner-up in the 2014 CWGA Stroke Play, has been a teacher and instructor for ExperienceGolf at CommonGround Golf Course in Aurora. … Also helping out with the DU women’s squad — on a volunteer basis — will be PGA professional Don Hurter from Castle Pines Golf Club. … One Coloradan is on the roster, Mary Weinstein (Highlands Ranch). Weinstein finished 17th last week at the CoBank Colorado Women’s Open.

AIR FORCE ACADEMY MEN

Season Opener: — Sept. 7-9, Gene Miranda Falcon Invitational, Eisenhower GC.

Division I Tournaments in Colorado:
— Sept. 7-9, Gene Miranda Falcon Invitational, Eisenhower GC.

Conference Championship: April 26-28, Mountain West Conference Championship, Tucson, Ariz.

Notable: A year after playing four tournaments in Colorado, Air Force has just one this fall season, its own Gene Miranda Falcon Invitational this weekend. … The one Coloradan on the roster is former 4A state high school champion Luke Trujillo (a freshman from Colorado Springs). … Air Force finished 10th last season in the Mountain West Conference Championship. … Air Force lost Dane Hankamer and Todd Millard to graduation.
 

But for Colorado-based fans of college golf, there’s a lot to be said for the fall schedule. It has everything to do with proximity.

During the 2017-18 college season, seven NCAA Division I tournaments will be held in the fall in Colorado — four men’s and three women’s. There will be none in the spring. So anyone who has an interest in witnessing the high level of golf that comes with the D-I college ranks, that time is at hand. Starting this weekend, all seven of those Colorado-based DI tournaments will take place in a five-week stretch.

In fact, for the record, on Sept. 18-19, two DI tournaments will be held in the same city — Fort Collins — with all three rounds of the men’s Ram Masters Invitational at Fort Collins Country Club and the last two rounds of the women’s Ptarmigan Ram Classic at Ptarmigan Country Club.

Here’s the rundown of the Colorado-based Division I tournaments:

Sept 8-10 — Gene Miranda Falcon Invitational (men), Eisenhower GC at Air Force Academy.

Sept. 17-19 — Ptarmigan Ram Classic (women), Ptarmigan CC in Fort Collins.

Sept. 18-19 — Ram Masters Invitational (men), Fort Collins CC.

Sept 25-26 — Mark Simpson Colorado Invitational (men), Colorado National GC in Erie.

Sept. 25-27 — Women’s Golfweek Conference Challenge, Red Sky GC in Wolcott.

Oct. 6-8 — Ron Moore Women’s Intercollegiate, Highlands Ranch GC.

Oct. 9-10 — Paintbrush Invitational (men), Colorado GC in Parker.

Here’s a brief look at what awaits the nine Colorado-based Division I golf programs in Colorado:

AIR FORCE ACADEMY MEN

Season Opener
Sept 8-10 — Gene Miranda Falcon Invitational, Eisenhower GC at Air Force Academy.

Tournaments in Colorado
Sept 8-10 — Gene Miranda Falcon Invitational, Eisenhower GC at Air Force Academy.

Sept. 18-19 — Ram Masters Invitational, Fort Collins CC.

Sept 26-25 — Mark Simpson Colorado Invitational, Colorado National GC in Erie.

Oct. 9-10 — Paintbrush Invitational, Colorado GC in Parker.

Conference Championship
April 20-22 — Mountain West Championship, Gold Mountain GC in Bremerton, Wash.

Notable — Air Force will host the Gene Miranda Falcon Invitational at Eisenhower Golf Club’s Blue Course for the 49th time this weekend. The 54-hole event runs Friday through Sunday (Sept. 8-10). … Each of the Falcons’ first four tournaments will be in Colorado. After the Falcon Invite, there’s the Ram Masters Invitational Sept. 18-19 at Fort Collins Country Club, the Mark Simpson-Colorado Invitational Sept. 25-26 at Colorado National in Erie, and the Paintbrush Invitational Oct. 9-10 at Colorado Golf Club in Parker. … Air Force’s top player, scoring average-wise, Sunwoo Choi, was lost to graduation in the spring.

CU MEN

Season Opener
Sept 8-10 — Gene Miranda Falcon Invitational, Eisenhower GC at Air Force Academy.

Tournaments in Colorado
Sept 8-10 — Gene Miranda Falcon Invitational, Eisenwower GC at Air Force Academy.

Sept 25-26 — Mark Simpson Colorado Invitational, Colorado National GC in Erie.

Oct. 9-10 — Paintbrush Invitational, Colorado GC in Parker.

Conference Championship
April 23-25 — Pac-12 Championship, Los Angeles.

Notable — The Buffs, who posted eight top-five finishes in all-stroke-play events last season, are ranked 42nd in the preseason Bushnell/Golfweek NCAA Division I Coaches Poll. … CU lost two of its top three players, scoring-average-wise, from last season as they were seniors: Jeremy Paul and Ethan Freeman. Paul, who competed on the Web.com Tour this summer, owned a 71.75 scoring average, while Freeman checked in at 72.43, the same as then-junior Yannik Paul, Jeremy’s twin brother. … CU’s two freshmen are Coloradans — Trevor Olkowski of Grand Junction and Cole Krantz of Windsor. … CU will host the Mark Simpson-Colorado Invitational for the eighth time. This year’s event is set for Sept. 25-26 at Colorado National Golf Club in Erie. Colorado has won the event for the past four years. … Overall, CU will play three of its first four tournaments in Colorado — the Gene Miranda Falcon Invitational Friday through Sunday at Eisenhower Golf Club at the Air Force Academy, the Simpson Invite and the Paintbrush Invitational Oct. 9-10 at Colorado Golf Club in Parker. … The Buffs will play two consecutive tournaments in Hawaii — albeit separated by three months as they bookend the winter break. The Hawaii Warrior Princeville Intercollegiate is in Kauai Oct. 29-31, with the Amer Ari Intercollegiate is in Waikoloa Feb. 1-13.

CU WOMEN

Season Opener
Sept. 11-12 — Branch Law Firm/Dick McGuire Invitational in Albuquerque, N.M.

Tournaments in Colorado
None.

Conference Championship
April 22-24 — Pac-12 Championship, Seattle.

Notable — The CU women are the only local DI team that won’t play any tournaments in Colorado in the coming season. … The Buffs will play a fair amount of island golf this season as trips to Hawaii and Puerto Rico are planned. The Pac-12 Preview at Nanea is set for Oct. 23-24 in Kona, Hawaii, while the Lady Puerto Rico Classic is scheduled for Feb. 11-13 in San Juan. … CU lost its top player, according to scoring average, Esther Lee, who wrapped up her college career in the spring. Lee recently advanced through stage I of the three-stage LPGA Tour qualifying process. … Sophomore Robyn Choi from Australia competed in the U.S. Women’s Open over the summer after qualifying in Colorado. … The Buffs have three players from outside the U.S. on their seven-person roster: Choi (Australia), Kirsty Hodgkins (Australia) and Alisha Lau (Canada).

CSU MEN

Season Opener
Sept 8-10 — Gene Miranda Falcon Invitational, Eisenhower GC at Air Force Academy.

Tournaments in Colorado
Sept 8-10 — Gene Miranda Falcon Invitational, Eisenhower GC at Air Force Academy.

Sept. 18-19 — Ram Masters Invitational, Fort Collins CC.

Oct. 9-10 — Paintbrush Invitational, Colorado GC in Parker.

Conference Championship
April 20-22 — Mountain West Championship, Gold Mountain GC in Bremerton, Wash.

Notable — The Rams will play three of their first four tournaments in Colorado — the Gene Miranda Falcon Invitational Friday through Sunday at Eisenhower Golf Club, their own Ram Masters Invitational Sept. 18-19 at Fort Collins Country Club, and the Paintbrush Invitational Oct. 9-10 at Colorado Golf Club. … CSU will host the Ram Masters Invitational for the sixth time at Fort Collins Country Club, this year on Sept. 18 and 19. The Rams will be the defending team champions. … Three CSU players competed in the U.S. Amateur in August: Jake Staiano, AJ Ott and 17-year-old freshman Parathakorn Suyasri, all of whom qualified in Colorado. … Staiano owned the team’s best scoring average last season, 71.81. … Suyasri is one of two incoming freshmen from overseas, joining Jack Ainscough of England. … CSU’s Max Oelfke won the German Amateur in his home country over the summer. … CSU will play the University of Denver in a dual match on March 23 at Gold Mountain Golf Course in Bremerton, Wash., site of the Mountain West Conference Championship April 20-22. Jordan Spieth won the 2011 U.S. Junior Amateur at Gold Mountain.

CSU WOMEN

Season Opener
Sept. 17-19 — Ptarmigan Ram Classic, Ptarmigan CC in Fort Collins.

Tournament in Colorado
Sept. 17-19 — Ptarmigan Ram Classic, Ptarmigan CC in Fort Collins.

Conference Championship
April 16-18 — Mountain West Championship, Rancho Mirage, Calif.

Notable — Colorado State will begin its season in a host role as the Ptarmigan Ram Classic will take place Sept. 17-19 at Ptarmigan Country Club. … CSU teammates Katrina Prendergast and Ellen Secor both qualified for — and competed in — the U.S. Women’s Amateur this summer. … The Rams will make a trip to Hawaii for the March 13-14 Dr. Donnis Thompson Invitational. … Prendergast, a junior, led CSU in scoring last season with a 74.31 average.

DU MEN

Season Opener
Sept. 18-19 — Ram Masters Invitational, Fort Collins CC.

Tournaments in Colorado
Sept. 18-19 — Ram Masters Invitational, Fort Collins CC.

Oct. 9-10 — Paintbrush Invitational, Colorado GC in Parker.

Conference Championship
April 29-May 1 — Summit League, Newton, Kan.

Notable — Head coach Erik Billinger added highly-regarded coach Brian Guetz, a two-time Colorado Open champion, as a DU assistant. Guetz’s last coaching stint was with Oklahoma State, perennially one of the top programs in the nation. … Denver hosts the second annual Paintbrush Invitational Oct. 9-10 at Colorado Golf Club, home of the 2010 Senior PGA Championship, 2013 Solheim Cup and 2019 U.S. Mid-Amateur. … DU doesn’t open its season until the Ram Masters Invitational in Fort Collins Sept. 18 and 19. … Senior Chris Korte of Littleton won the CGA Match Play title over the summer. … With the addition of Jackson Solem of Longmont, four DU players are from Colorado. The others: Korte, Jake Kelley of Littleton and Isaac Petersilie of Colorado Springs.

DU WOMEN

Season Opener
Sept. 11-12 — Branch Law Firm/Dick McGuire Invitational in Albuquerque, N.M.

Tournaments in Colorado
Sept. 25-27 — Women’s Golfweek Conference Challenge, Red Sky GC in Wolcott.

Oct. 6-8 — Ron Moore Women’s Intercollegiate, Highlands Ranch GC.

Conference Championship
April 22-24 — Summit League Championship, Nebraska City.

Notable — Head coach Lindsay Kuhle won’t coach the team this fall as she’s on maternity leave. Assistant Kolton Lapa will oversee the squad in Kuhle’s absence… Once again this year, the Pioneers will host the Ron Moore Women’s Intercollegiate at Highlands Ranch Golf Club. … Former Junior Golf Alliance of Colorado female Player of the Year Mary Weinstein joins the Pioneers after transferring from Regis University. Weinstein qualified for the 2017 U.S. Women’s Amateur and finished 35th in the recent CoBank Colorado Women’s Open. … DU lost its top two players, scoring average-wise, to graduation, Jessica Carty and Mariell Bruun. … The Pioneers have won titles in their last 14 consecutive league championships.

UNC MEN

Season Opener
Sept 8-10 — Gene Miranda Falcon Invitational, Eisenhower GC at Air Force Academy.

Tournaments in Colorado
Sept 8-10 — Gene Miranda Falcon Invitational, Eisenhower GC at Air Force Academy.

Sept. 18-19 — Ram Masters Invitational, Fort Collins CC.

Sept 26-25 — Mark Simpson Colorado Invitational, Colorado National GC in Erie.

Oct. 9-10 — Paintbrush Invitational, Colorado GC in Parker.

Conference Championship
April 27-29 — Big Sky, Boulder City, Nev.

Notable — UNC will play its first four tournaments in Colorado — the Falcon Invitational Friday through Sunday at Eisenhower Golf Club, the Ram Masters Invitational Sept. 18-19 in Fort Collins, the Mark Simpson-Colorado Invitational Sept. 25-26 at Colorado National in Erie, and the Paintbrush Invitational Oct. 9-10 at Colorado Golf Club in Parker. … Then-freshman Coby Welch won the Simpson-CU Invitational individual title last year. … Junior Li Chen recently competed in the U.S. Amateur after being medalist in a qualifying tournament. … Two UNC freshmen are Coloradans: Marcus Tait of Littleton and Owen Pasvogel of Colorado Springs.

UNC WOMEN

Season Opener
Sept. 11-12 — Hobble Creek Fall Classic, Salt Lake City.

Tournaments in Colorado
Sept. 17-19 — Ptarmigan Ram Classic, Ptarmigan CC in Fort Collins.

Oct. 6-8 — Ron Moore Women’s Intercollegiate, Highlands Ranch GC

Conference Championship
April 20-22 — Big Sky, Boulder City, Nev.

Notable — Ben Portie, former head coach of the Metro State University of Denver women’s team, is taking over the UNC program, succeeding Stephen Bidne. … Northern Colorado will play two of its four fall tournaments in Colorado, at the Ptarmigan Ram Classic Sept. 17-19 in Fort Collins, and the Ron Moore Women’s Intercollegiate Oct. 6-8 in Highlands Ranch. … UNC has two Coloradans on its roster, sophomore Morgan Sahm of Centennial and freshman Aili Bundy of Fort Collins. … The Bears lost former 4A state high school champion Kala Keltz of Montrose to graduation.
 

To give you some indication of how many NCAA Division I tournaments will be held in the Centennial State, the University of Northern Colorado men’s entire fall schedule will be conducted without having to cross a state border.

The Colorado-based fall college slate was already pretty packed, but an additional tournament will make its debut this year. The men’s Paintbrush Invitational, hosted by the University of Denver, is set for Oct. 10-11 at Colorado Golf Club in Parker, site of a Solheim Cup and a Senior PGA Championship.

And not only will all five D-I men’s programs in Colorado — DU, the University of Colorado, Colorado State, UNC and Air Force — compete in the event, but so will 2016 national champion Oregon and perennial national power Oklahoma State. Coincidentally, Coloradan Wyndham Clark, who recently advanced to the round of 32 at the U.S. Amateur, will play his final college season at Oregon after spending his previous college years at Oklahoma State.

The other out-of-the-ordinary tournament coming to Colorado this season will be the men’s Pac-12 Conference Championship, which will be hosted by CU and Boulder Country Club April 28-30. The Pac-12 is one of the top conferences in men’s golf, having accounted for four national team champions since 2004.

It will be the first time CU has hosted a men’s golf conference championship since 1972, when the Big Eight came to Boulder CC.

“The opportunity to host the Pac-12 Championship at home is unique and exciting,” CU head coach Roy Edwards said earlier this year. “It will be fun, not only for our team, but to showcase the entire Pac-12 in our own backyard.”

Locally speaking, the college season will begin Tuesday (Sept. 6) with the Ballyneal Challenge, a three-team event which CU will host at Ballyneal in Holyoke. UNC and Wyoming will fill out the field.

The Ballyneal Challenge starts a five-week stretch in which an amazing eight D-I tournaments will be played in Colorado. That includes five men’s events and three women’s.

Here’s the rundown of all the D-I events scheduled for the state this season, with the Colorado teams that are competing in each:

— Men’s Ballyneal Challenge Sept. 6 at Ballyneal in Holyoke (Colorado teams competing: CU, UNC)

— Men’s Gene Miranda Falcon Invitational Sept. 10-11 at Eisenhower GC at the Air Force Academy (Colorado teams competing: AFA, CU, CSU, UNC)

— Women’s Ptarmigan Ram Classic Sept. 12-13 at Ptarmigan CC in Fort Collins (Colorado teams competing: CSU, UNC)

— Men’s Ram Masters Invitational Sept. 19-20 at Fort Collins CC (Colorado teams coming: CSU, DU, UNC, AFA)

— Men’s Mark Simpson Colorado Invitational Sept. 26-27 at Colorado National GC in Erie (Colorado teams competing: CU, UNC, AFA)

— Women’s Golfweek Conference Challenge Sept. 26-28 at Red Sky GC in Wolcott (Colorado team competing: DU)

— Ron Moore Women’s Intercollegiate Oct. 7-9 at Highlands Ranch GC (Colorado teams competing: DU, CSU, UNC)

— Men’s Paintbrush Invitational Oct. 10-11 at Colorado GC in Parker (Colorado teams competing: DU, CU, CSU, UNC, AFA)

— Men’s Pac 12 Conference Championship April 28-30 at Boulder CC (Colorado team competing: CU).

 
Here are a few tidbits for all nine Colorado-based NCAA Division I teams:

CU Men

Season Opener: Ballyneal Challenge at Ballyneal Golf Club in Holyoke Sept. 6.

Team Tournaments in Colorado: Ballyneal Challenge Sept. 6 at Ballyneal in Holyoke; Gene Miranda Falcon Invitational Sept. 10-11 at Eisenhower GC at Air Force Academy; Mark Simpson Colorado Invitational Sept. 26-27 at Colorado National GC in Erie; Paintbrush Invitational Oct. 10-11 at Colorado GC in Parker; Pac-12 Conference Championship April 28-30 at Boulder CC.

Top Returning Player from 2015-16: Jeremy Paul (70.66 stroke average).

Players from Colorado on 2016-17 Roster: Wilson Belk from Colorado Springs; Ethan Freeman from Denver; Ross Macdonald from Castle Rock; Spencer Painton from Aurora; Ryan Schmitz from Greenwood Village.

CU Women

Season Opener: New Mexico Invitational in Albuquerque Sept. 12-13.

Team Tournaments in Colorado: None.

Top Returning Player from 2015-16: Esther Lee (72.53 stroke average).

Players from Colorado on 2016-17 Roster: Tori Glenn from Castle Pines; Gillian Vance from Lakewood.

Notable: The CU women are No. 25 in Golfweek’s preseason national rankings, while Lee is No. 26 in Golfweek’s list of the top players nationally.

CSU Men

Season Opener: Gene Miranda Falcon Invitational at Eisenhower GC at Air Force Academy Sept. 10-11.

Team Tournaments in Colorado: Gene Miranda Falcon Invitational Sept. 10-11 at Eisenhower GC at Air Force Academy; Ram Masters Invitational Sept. 19-20 at Fort Collins CC; Paintbrush Invitational Oct. 10-11 at Colorado GC in Parker.

Top Returning Player from 2015-16: Max Oelfke (72.32 stroke average).

Players from Colorado on 2016-17 Roster: Pierce Aichinger from Cherry Hills Village (transfer from CU); Jimmy Makloski from Pueblo; AJ Ott of Fort Collins; Jake Staiano from Cherry Hills Village.

CSU Women

Season Opener: Ptarmigan Ram Classic Sept. 12-13 at Ptarmigan CC in Fort Collins.

Team Tournaments in Colorado: Ptarmigan Ram Classic Sept. 12-13 at Ptarmigan CC in Fort Collins; Ron Moore Women’s Intercollegiate Oct. 7-9 at Highlands Ranch GC.

Top Returning Player from 2015-16: Katrina Prendergast (73.69 scoring average).

Players from Colorado on 2016-17 Roster: none.

UNC Men

Season Opener: Ballyneal Challenge Sept. 6 at Ballyneal in Holyoke.

Team Tournaments in Colorado: Ballyneal Challenge Sept. 6 at Ballyneal in Holyoke; Gene Miranda Falcon Invitational Sept. 10-11 at Eisenhower GC at Air Force Academy; Ram Masters Invitational Sept. 19-20 at Fort Collins CC; Mark Simpson Colorado Invitational Sept. 26-27 at Colorado National GC in Erie; Paintbrush Invitational Oct. 10-11 at Colorado GC in Parker.

Players from Colorado on 2016-17 Roster: Eric Chen of Westminster; Phillip Lee of Denver; Austin Lienemann of Highlands Ranch; Sam Marley of Littleton; Andrew Romano of Lone Tree; Coby Welch of Highlands Ranch.

UNC Women

Season Opener: Ptarmigan Ram Classic Sept. 12-13 at Ptarmigan CC in Fort Collins.

Team Tournaments in Colorado: Ptarmigan Ram Classic Sept. 12-13 at Ptarmigan CC in Fort Collins; Ron Moore Women’s Intercollegiate Oct. 7-9 at Highlands Ranch GC.

Players from Colorado on 2016-17 Roster: Kala Keltz of Montrose; Morgan Sahm from Centennial; Jordan Sunset from Boulder.

DU Men

Season Opener: Ram Masters Invitational Sept. 19-20 at Fort Collins CC.

Team Tournaments in Colorado: Ram Masters Invitational Sept. 19-20 at Fort Collins CC; Paintbrush Invitational Oct. 10-11 at Colorado GC in Parker.

Top Returning Player from 2015-16: Chris Korte (74.7 stroke average).

Players from Colorado on 2016-17 Roster: Troy Dangler from Grand Junction; Jake Kelley from Littleton; Chris Korte from Littleton; Isaac Petersilie from Colorado Springs.

DU Women

Season Opener: New Mexico Invitational Sept. 12-13 in Albuquerque.

Team Tournaments in Colorado: Golfweek Conference Challenge Sept. 26-28 at Red Sky GC in Wolcott; Ron Moore Women’s Intercollegiate Oct. 7-9 at Highlands Ranch GC.

Top Returning Player from 2015-16: Jessica Carty (76.1 stroke average).

Players from Colorado on 2016-17 Roster: none.

Air Force Academy Men

Season Opener: Gene Miranda Falcon Invitational Sept. 10-11 at Eisenhower GC at the Air Force Academy.

Team Tournaments in Colorado: Gene Miranda Falcon Invitational Sept. 10-11 at Eisenhower GC at the Air Force Academy; Ram Masters Invitational Sept. 19-20 at Fort Collins CC; Mark Simpson Colorado Invitational Sept. 26-27 at Colorado National Golf Club in Erie; Paintbrush Invitational Oct. 10-11 at Colorado GC in Parker.

Top Returning Player from 2015-16: Sunwoo Choi (73.76 stroke average).

Player from Colorado on 2016-17 Roster: Todd Millard from Longmont.