In fact, five local golfers posted top-10 individual performances over the last eight days:

— Senior Amanda Myers (pictured) of Northern Colorado scored a runner-up showing this week at the Sacramento State Invitational in Roseville, Calif. Myers carded rounds of 74-74-72 for a 4-over-par 220 total, which put her in a playoff, where she lost to champion Vanessa Ha of San Francisco after two extra holes. For her performance, Myers was named Big Sky Conference women’s golfer of the week. She’s chalked up three top-10 performances so far this season (second, third and eighth).

— Colorado State freshman Katrina Prendergast recorded the best finish of her young college career by tying for fifth in the 85-player MountainView Collegiate last weekend in Tucson, Ariz. She shot rounds of 67-75-72 for a 2-under-par 214 total. The 67 tied the single-round CSU women’s record. Overall, it was Prendergast’s second top-10 of her freshman season. For her showing, Prendergast was named the Mountain West Conference’s women’s golfer of the week.

— Also notching a top-10 finish was Pueblo resident Jimmy Makloski, the Colorado State University golfer who placed 10th in the Desert Shootout last weekend in Goodyear, Ariz. Makloski went 69-68-70 for a 207 total. He’s posted five top-20 individual finishes in large-field tournaments this season.

— And on Saturday at The Goodwin in Palo Alto, Calif., University of Colorado teammates Philip Juel-Berg and Jeremy Paul placed ninth and 10th, respectively, in a 26-team event with a strong field. Juel-Berg notched his fourth top-10 in large-scale tournaments this season, going 70-68-71 for a 1-under-par 209 total. One stroke behind Juel-Berg was Paul, who went 67-68-75. It was Paul’s third top-10 in large events this season.
 

Conference championships, which mark the start of the most important part of the school season, begin within the next week and continue through early May for Colorado teams.

Two in-state NCAA Division I programs — the University of Denver and University of Northern Colorado women — won conference titles last year and will be looking to extend their success. In fact, the University of Denver women, now led by new head coach Lindsay Hulwick (pictured), are taking aim at a rather remarkable feat: winning 10 straight conference championships. The Pioneers won the Sun Belt Conference title the last nine seasons, and now are focused on claiming the Western Athletic Conference championship early next week in Mesa, Ariz.

“We’re in a new conference, and our goal for sure is to win and keep our streak going,” DU junior Tonje Daffinrud said recently. Denver is ranked among the top 35 Division I women’s teams in the nation.

This will be the only season in the WAC for both the DU women and men as they will move to the Summit League this summer.

Meanwhile, two Colorado Division I golf teams — the University of Colorado and Air Force Academy men — have each won two team titles so far in the 2012-13 college season.

After the conference tournaments, local teams will hope to land spots in NCAA regional events. Division I regionals are scheduled for May 9-11 (women) and May 16-18 (men). The top performers at regionals then will advance to the NCAA championship finals, set for May 21-24 (women) and May 28-June 2 (men).

Here’s the schedule of all the Division I conference tournaments featuring Colorado teams, plus the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference men’s and women’s meets. The events are listed in chronological order:

Big Sky Conference Women, April 21-23 in Chandler, Ariz. — Colorado team competing: Northern Colorado. … After claiming its first Big Sky championship last year, the Bears and senior Carleigh Silvers will both be defending conference titles. … Northern Colorado recently won the Monterey Bay Invitational, with Silvers claiming the individual title. … UNC is ranked 174th in the nation by Golfstat.

Pac-12 Conference Women, April 22-24 in Valencia, Calif. — Colorado team competing: Colorado. … Last spring, CU hosted an NCAA regional tournament at Colorado National Golf Club and for the first time in program history earned a spot in the NCAA Championship finals, where the Buffs finished 18th. … Earlier in the spring of 2012, CU placed sixth in the Pac-12 Conference tournament. … After losing three top players in 2012, the Buffs haven’t posted a top-five team finish yet this season. … CU junior Jennifer Coleman won one individual title — the Dick McGuire Invitational in Albuquerque in mid-September — during the 2012-13 campaign. She’s ranked 113th in the country individually by Golfweek. … CU is ranked 74th in the nation by Golfweek.

Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference Men, April 22-23 in Goodyear, Ariz. — Colorado teams competing: Adams State, Colorado Christian, Colorado Mesa, Colorado School of Mines, Colorado State-Pueblo, Fort Lewis, Regis, Colorado-Colorado Springs. … Last year, the Colorado School of Mines men won the RMAC spring title, with Colorado Mesa placing second. It was Mines’ first conference championship since 1968. … The Orediggers went on to finish 11th in the NCAA Division II Championship Finals. … Going into this week, CSM has won four team titles this season. … Three programs in the RMAC field are ranked among the top 50 teams in the nation in NCAA Division II: Mines (21st), CSU-Pueblo (40th), and CU-Colorado Springs (44th). … CSM’s Michael Lee is ranked 74th in the nation by Golfstat, which combines all classes in its individual rankings. Colorado Mesa’s Brandon Bingaman is 80th nationally, according to Golfstat.

Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference Women, April 22-23 in Goodyear, Ariz. — Colorado teams competing: Adams State, Colorado Christian, Colorado Mesa, Colorado State-Pueblo, Regis. … Last spring, CSU-Pueblo earned the RMAC title… Later, Colorado Mesa finished 11th in its first trip to the NCAA Division II Championship Finals. … Currently, CSU-Pueblo is the highest-ranked local Division II women’s team, sitting at 36th, according to Golfstat.

Western Athletic Conference Women, April 22-24 in Mesa, Ariz. — Colorado team competing: Denver. … After winning the last nine Sun Belt Conference championships they competed in, the Pioneers will be going for their 10th straight league crown. … DU recorded a 17-stroke victory last year in the SBC championship. Denver’s Rachael Watton won the individual conference title, with teammate Tonje Daffinrud fourth and Kelly Drack seventh. … This season, Daffinrud has recorded five top-10 finishes and is ranked 38th in the nation individually by Golfweek and Golfstat. … Watton is ranked 163rd in the country individually by Golfweek, while Elyse Smidinger is 196th. … DU is 32nd in the Golfstat women’s national team rankings.

Mountain West Conference Women, April 25-27 in Rancho Mirage, Calif. — Colorado team competing: Colorado State. … CSU finished fifth in this tournament last year. … The Rams are playing in the Fresno State Lexus Classic Monday and Tuesday (April 15-16) before gearing up for the conference tourney. … CSU sits 129th in the Golfweek team rankings.

Pac-12 Conference Men, April 29-May 1 in Los Angeles — Colorado team competing: Colorado. … CU finished eighth in the Pac-12 tourney last year. … This season, the Buffs own two team victories and three seconds. … CU’s Jason Burstyn won one individual title in the fall and finished third in the Bandon Dunes Championship in March. Burstyn is ranked 128th in the nation individually by Golfstat. … CU sits 67th in the national Golfstat team rankings.

Western Athletic Conference Men, April 29-May 1 in Henderson, Nev. — Colorado team competing: Denver. … DU placed seventh in its Sun Belt title defense last year, with Chun-Ji Kim finishing fourth individually. … DU recently took second place at its own Desert Shootout. … The Pioneers are ranked 101st in the nation by Golfstat and Golfweek.

American Sky Conference Men, April 29-May 1 in San Antonio — Colorado team competing: Northern Colorado. … UNC was fifth in the conference last year as Steven Kupcho finished sixth individually. Kupcho subsequently had a 2012 summer season that earned him CGA Player of the Year honors. … UNC stands 150th in the Golfstat national rankings.

Mountain West Conference Men, May 3-5 in Tucson, Ariz. — Colorado teams competing: Colorado State and Air Force Academy. … CSU made it to the NCAA regionals last year after advancing to the championship finals in 2011. … In the 2012 MWC Championship, CSU finished fifth and Air Force seventh. … CSU’s Kirby Pettitt placed fifth individually last year in the conference tournament. … Pettitt and teammate Jordan Wetsch won individual titles in the fall of 2012. … CSU’s Parker Edens took third recently in DU’s Desert Shootout. … Air Force won its second team title of the season at the Jackrabbit Invitational in March, with Kyle Westmoreland claiming the individual crown. … Both CSU and Air Force still have one significant tournament remaining before the MWC championship, the Ping Cougar Classic April 26-27 in Provo, Utah. … CSU is ranked 69th nationally by Golfstat, while Air Force is 119th.
 

After a three-month hiatus, the college season is set to resume in February for all the Colorado-based NCAA Division I programs, with the University of Colorado men teeing it up first, next week in Hawaii.

And leading up to the beginning of the spring season, a couple of the local teams have had the good fortune of picking the brains of some of the game’s major champions.

The CU men recently spent several hours with two of the most famous players in program history, three-time U.S. Open champion Hale Irwin and 1986 U.S. Senior Open winner Dale Douglass. Between them, they’ve won 23 PGA Tour events and 56 Champions Tour tournaments.

And David Duval of Cherry Hills Village, winner of 13 PGA Tour events including the 2001 British Open, noted recently on Twitter that he spent a day with the University of Denver team.

All in all, it’s not a bad way to gear up for the spring season.

With the spring schedule culminating in conference championships and potential NCAA regional and national tourneys, the coming months build toward the most crucial point of the season.

With that in mind, here are some notable tidbits about the local Division I college teams — and a few other selected individuals — heading into the spring.

Men’s National Division I Team Rankings:
Colorado State: 59th (Golfstat) and 60th (Golfweek).
Colorado: 66th (Golfstat and Golfweek).
Denver: 98th (Golfweek) and 101st (Golfstat).
Northern Colorado: 131st (Golfstat) and 139th (Golfweek).
Air Force Academy: 152nd (Golfweek) and 159th (Golfstat).

Women’s National Division I Team Rankings:
Denver: 27th (Golfstat), 32nd (Golfweek) and 36th (Coaches).
Colorado: 84th (Golfweek) and 85th (Golfstat).
Colorado State: 120th (Golfstat) and 122nd (Golfweek).
Northern Colorado: 178th (Golfstat) and 188th (Golfweek).

Top National Men’s Individual Rankings:
Michael Lee, Colorado School of Mines: 38th (Golfstat).
Brandon Bingaman, Colorado Mesa: 62nd (Golfstat).
Jason Burstyn, Colorado: 84th (Golfstat) and 145th (Golfweek).
Parker Edens, Colorado State: 162nd (Golfstat) and 258th (Golfweek).
ChunJi Kim, Denver: 178th (Golfstat).
Charlie Laudermilk, Fort Lewis: 185th (Golfstat).

Top National Women’s Individual Rankings:
Tonje Daffinrud, Denver (pictured): 23rd (Golfweek) and 29th (Golfstat).
Jennifer Coleman, Colorado: 82nd (Golfweek) and 86th (Golfstat).
Lindsay McGetrick, North Carolina State and Valor Christian HS: 121st (Golfstat) and 163rd (Golfweek).
Rachael Watton, Denver: 161st (Golfweek) and 216th (Golfstat).

Men’s Spring Season Openers:
Colorado: Feb. 6-8, Hawaii-Hilo Amer Ari Invitational, Hilo, Hawaii.
Denver: Feb. 11-12, Pat Hicks Thunderbird Invitational, St. George, Utah.
Northern Colorado: Feb. 11-12, Pat Hicks Thunderbird Invitational, St. George, Utah.
Colorado State: Feb. 20-22, John Burns Intercollegiate, Oahu, Hawaii.
Air Force Academy: Feb. 25-26, Snowman Getaway, Goodyear, Ariz.

Women’s Spring Season Openers:
Colorado: Feb. 11-13, Northrop Grumman Regional Challenge, Palos Verdes Estates, Calif.
Northern Colorado: Feb. 11-13, The Lumberjack, Chandler, Ariz.
Denver: Feb. 18-19, Central District Invitational, Parish, Fla.
Colorado State: Feb. 24-25, Westbrook Spring Invitational, Peoria, Ariz.

Chip Shots: Two of the Colorado-based NCAA Division I programs won multi-team tournaments during the fall: Colorado men (Gene Miranda Falcon Invitational) and the Air Force Academy men (Service Academy Championship). … Individual tournament victories were posted by CU’s Jason Burstyn and Jennifer Coleman, and Colorado State’s Jordan Wetsch and Kirby Pettitt. … The University of Denver men and women will play in their one and only Western Athletic Conference Championship in the spring. The Pioneers moved last year from the Sun Belt Conference. The DU women won a record nine straight SBC titles before leaving. The Pioneers will join the Summit League in the 2013-14 school year. … In her last three tournaments of the fall schedule, DU junior Tonje Daffinrud posted three top-10 finishes and was named the WAC’s women’s player of the month for October. … Both the Colorado State men’s and women’s teams are competing this season with new head coaches. Christian Newton took over the men’s squad five months ago, while Susan Jennings is leading the CSU women on an interim basis.
 

Suffice it to say it’s a lot of competitive golf in a relatively short stretch. A 54-hole tournament every nine or 10 days is a pretty hectic run, especially considering the travel involved and that the players also are going to school full-time.

With the fall schedule having recently concluded for the Colorado-based NCAA Division I teams, it’s time to bring that blur into focus.

All told, the nine local D-I programs posted a couple of team victories and four individual wins in multi-team tournaments held during the last two months. (Among the individual champs was Colorado State’s Kirby Pettitt, pictured above with assistant coach Bret Guetz.)

After a winter break, most teams will return to tournament action in February.

Here are how the Colorado-based Division I teams and individuals fared in the fall season. (Note: Only multi-team tournaments results are included.)

Air Force Academy Men

National Rankings: 150th (Golfweek), 162nd (Golfstat).

Best Team Finish: Won Service Academy Championship.

Top-Five Team Finishes: Two in five events. One win and one fourth.

Top-Five Individual Finishes: Three. Second (Andrew Hoops), third (Philip Colwell), fifth (Kyle Westmoreland).

Begins Spring Season: Feb. 25-26 at Snowman Getaway in Goodyear, Ariz.

Notable: In tying for first place with Army, Air Force claimed its 16th consecutive title in the Service Academy Golf Classic. Westmoreland owns the top stroke average for the Falcons, at 73.1.

University of Colorado Men

National Rankings: 66th (Golfstat), 69th (Golfweek).

Best Team Finish: Won Gene Miranda Falcon Invitational.

Top-Five Team Finishes: Three in five tournaments. One win and two seconds.

Top-Five Individual Finishes: Three. One win (Jason Burstyn), two thirds (both Derek Fribbs).

Begins Spring Season: Feb. 6-8 at Hawaii-Hilo Intercollegiate in Waikoloa, Hawaii.

Notable: The Buffs went first, second and second in their opening three invitationals before placing 12th in two October tournaments. Including the season-opening Ballyneal Challenge, Burstyn leads the team in stroke average at 71.65 and is ranked 84th in the nation individually, according to Golfstat. He won the Gene Miranda Falcon Invitational title by three shots.

CU Women

National Rankings: 84th (Golfstat), 84th (Golfweek).

Best Team Finish: Eighth in Dick McGuire Invitational.

Top-Five Team Finishes: None in five tournaments.

Top-Five Individual Finishes: One. One win (Jennifer Coleman).

Begins Spring Season: Feb. 11-13 in Northrop Grumman Regional Challenge in Palos Verdes Estates, Calif.

Notable: The Buffs, who lost three of their top four players from a team that went to the NCAA Finals last season, are rebuilding. But Coleman is ranked 82nd in the nation individually by Golfweek and 86th by Golfstat. She won the Dick McGuire Invitational by a whopping eight strokes.

Colorado State University Men

National Rankings: 59th (Golfstat), 60th (Golfweek)

Best Team Finish: Second in Ram Master Invitational.

Top-Five Team Finishes: Four in six events. One second, two thirds and one fourth.

Top-Five Individual Finishes: Four. Two wins (Jordan Wetsch and Kirby Pettitt), third (Pettitt), fourth (Parker Edens)

Begins Spring Season: Feb. 20-22 in John Burns Intercollegiate in Oahu, Hawaii.

Notable: With three top-four finishes, CSU was knocking on the door of a team title a lot in coach Christian Newton’s first season. But the Rams broke through on the individual end with two victories, one each by senior Pettitt and freshman Wetsch.

CSU Women

National Rankings: 118th (Golfstat), 122nd (Golfweek)

Best Team Finish: Fourth.

Top-Five Team Finishes: One in five events. One fourth.

Top-Five Individual Finishes: One. One fifth (Betsy Kelly).

Begins Spring Season: Feb. 24-25 in Westbrook Spring Invitational in Peoria, Ariz.

Notable: The Rams struggled for most of the fall, but placed fourth in the Give ‘Em Five Intercollegiate. Former assistant coach Susan Jennings is running things this season as interim head coach.

University of Denver Men

National Rankings: 96th (Golfweek), 101st (Golfstat).

Best Team Finish: Third in Lone Star Invitational.

Top-Five Team Finishes: Two in four tournaments. One third and one fourth.

Top-Five Individual Finishes: One. One second (ChunJi Kim)

Begins Spring Season: Feb. 11-12 at Pat Hicks Thunderbird Invitational in St. George, Utah.

Notable: The Pioneers posted two top-four team finishes in four fall events, but they placed in the bottom half of the field in the other two tournaments.

DU Women

National Rankings: 27th (Golfstat), 32nd (Golfweek), 36th (Coaches).

Best Team Finish: Third in Susie Maxwell Berning Classic.

Top-Five Team Finishes: Two in four events. One third and one fifth.

Top-Five Individual Finishes: One. One fifth (Tonje Daffinrud).

Begins Spring Season: Feb. 18-19 in Central District Invitational in Parish, Fla.

Notable: Tonje Daffinrud had an October to remember, posting three top-10 finishes in three events and being named the Western Athletic Conference women’s Golfer of the Month. Daffinrud is ranked 23rd in the nation individually by Golfweek and 29th by Golfstat. Teamwise, DU had a solid fall against good competition, recording two top-five finishes.

University of Northern Colorado Men

National Rankings: 129th (Golfstat), 137th (Golfweek).

Best Team Finish: Seventh three times.

Top-Five Team Finishes: None in five events.

Top-Five Individual Finishes: None.

Begins Spring Season: Feb. 11-12 in Pat Hicks Thunderbird Invitational in St. George, Utah.

Notable: All of UNC’s seventh-place team finishes came in September in Colorado. Eleventh-place individual performances by Ben Krueger and Charlie Mroz are UNC’s best of the fall.

UNC Women

National Rankings: 178th (Golfstat), 188th (Golfweek).

Best Team Finish: 10th in Colby Invitational.

Top-Five Team Finishes: None in four events.

Top-Five Individual Finishes: Two. One third and one fifth, both by Carleigh Silvers.

Begins Spring Season: TBA.

Notable: Senior Carleigh Silvers had a solid fall for UNC, opening the season with two consecutive top-five finishes.
 

The overwhelming majority of college golf tournaments played in Colorado take place in September, for an obvious reason: It’s the best month in the state, weather-wise, during the college golf season.

And this year, more than ever, September will be prime time for college golf in Colorado. In the Division I ranks alone, five multi-team invitational tournaments will be played this month in the Centennial State — three on the men’s side and two on the women’s. Four of the events have been held in previous seasons, but the Colorado State men’s Ram Masters Invitational will be contested for the first time.

And the good news for local golf fans is that in many of the Colorado-based tournaments, several of the state’s teams compete against one another.

Here’s the lineup of Division I invitationals being held in Colorado this month:

— Sept. 9-10: Men’s Gene Miranda Falcon Invitational hosted by Air Force at Eisenhower Golf Club at the Air Force Academy. Div. I teams from Colorado participating: Air Force, CSU, CU, UNC.

— Sept. 10-11: Women’s Ptarmigan Ram Fall Classic hosted by Colorado State at Ptarmigan Country Club in Fort Collins. Div. I teams from Colorado participating: CSU, CU, UNC.

— Sept. 17-18: Men’s Ram Masters Invitational hosted by Colorado State at Fort Collins Country Club. Div. I teams from Colorado participating: Air Force, CSU, DU, UNC.

— Sept. 24-25: Men’s Mark Simpson Invitational hosted by the University of Colorado at Colorado National Golf Club in Erie. Div. I teams from Colorado participating: Air Force, CSU, CU, DU, UNC.

— Sept. 24-26: Women’s Golfweek Conference Challenge hosted by the University of Denver at Red Sky Golf Club in Wolcott. Div. I team from Colorado participating: DU.

Colorado College Golf Chip Shots: The Falcon Invitational at Eisenhower Golf Club Sunday and Monday (Sept. 9-10) will mark the first event in his new job for CSU men’s head coach Christian Newton. Newton was hired after longtime CSU head coach Jamie Bermel took the same position at the University of Kansas. … The CU women, who in the spring went to the NCAA Finals for the first time in program history, are ranked 16th in the nation in the preseason coaches’ poll. … Also ranked nationally are the Colorado School of Mines men, who are 20th in the Div. II coaches’ poll after placing 11th in the Div. II national finals last season. … Both the University of Denver men and women will be in a new conference this season, moving from the Sun Belt to the Western Athletic. The Pioneer women won the last nine Sun Belt Conference championships. … Former DU golfer Erik Billinger is the new assistant golf coach for the women’s team at his alma mater. Billinger was an assistant for the university’s golf programs from 2002 to 2004. Billinger replaces Lindsay Hulwick, who became an assistant coach at the University of Georgia. … UNC sophomore Steven Kupcho is coming off a stellar summer in which he won the CGA Stroke Play Championship, was low amateur at the HealthOne Colorado Open and placed second in the CGA Public Links. … In addition to the Mark Simpson Invitational, the CU men will host a 36-hole one-day tournament at Colorado National this season — the Colorado Spring Invitational on April 22. UNC will be among the teams competing. … The DU men recently announced the addition of two freshmen to their roster: Arti Edelman of Switzerland and Trey Pflug of Portland, Ore.

Conference tournaments, the lead-ins to possible NCAA regional meets and cherished berths in the NCAA Championship finals, will be held over the next three weeks for Colorado-based schools. The University of Denver women, and men’s teams from the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference — which includes a couple of nationally ranked Division II programs — will kick things off on Monday (April 16).

The various conference meets feature several notable storylines for local teams. The DU women, for instance, are seeking their ninth consecutive Sun Belt Conference title, and the DU men are looking for their third Sun Belt championship in five years.

Meanwhile, the University of Colorado women, ranked among the top dozen Division I female teams in the nation, will face a formidable test in the Pac-12, arguably the toughest women’s golf conference in the nation. That league meet will set the table for the Buffs hosting the NCAA West Regional May 10-12 at Colorado National Golf Club in Erie. (CU sophomore Alex Stewart, winner of a tournament in late February, is pictured above.)

Here’s a rundown of all the Division I conference championships featuring Colorado teams, plus the RMAC men’s meet, which includes the top local non-Division I programs the state has to offer. (The tournaments are listed in chronological order.)

— Sun Belt Conference Women, April 16-18 in Muscle Shoals, Ala. — Colorado team competing: Denver. … The Pioneers, winners of the last eight Sun Belt championships, are ranked 34th in the nation by the coaches and 44th by Golfstat. … DU’s only top-five team finish of the season was a second in Dick McGuire Invitational in late September. … Denver’s best individual showings of the season are eighths by Kelly Drack and Tonje Daffinrud. Drack is ranked 98th in the nation by Golfweek.

— RMAC Men, April 16-17 in Litchfield Park, Ariz. — Colorado teams competing: Adams State, Colorado Christian, Colorado Mesa, Colorado Mines, Colorado State-Pueblo, Fort Lewis, Regis and CU-Colorado Springs. … Colorado School of Mines, winner of five team titles this season, owns the league’s best stroke average and is ranked 30th nationally in the Division II coaches’ poll. … CU-Colorado Springs, twice a team champion this season, checks in even higher, at No. 21 in the coaches’ rankings. … CSU-Pueblo is the defending conference tournament champion but hasn’t won a team title this season. … Mines senior Jim Knous is the highest-ranked male golfer from a Colorado school — regardless of classification — standing 155th in the country, according to Golfstat. Knous has won three individual titles this season.

— Mountain West Conference Women, April 20-22 in Phoenix — Colorado team competing: Colorado State. … CSU is coming off its best team finish of the season, a runner-up showing at the Wyoming Cowgirl Classic. … CSU senior Brianna Espinoza won the individual title at the Cowgirl Classic. … Rams teammate Betsy Kelly was second in 2011 MWC tournament.

— Big Sky Conference Women, April 22-24 in Chandler, Ariz. — Colorado team competing: Northern Colorado. … UNC’s best team finish of the season was a third in October. … The Bears’ top individual finish was also a third, by Carleigh Silvers in the Santa Clara Colby Invitational in late October.

— Sun Belt Conference Men, April 23-25 in Muscle Shoals, Ala. — Colorado team competing: Denver. … The Pioneers will be defending their team title after prevailing in the weather-shortened conference tournament in 2011. … DU’s two third-place team finishes are their best of the season. … Individually, a fifth-place showing by Oskar Arvidsson has been tops by a Pioneer.

— Pac-12 Conference Women, April 27-29 in Pullman, Wash. — Colorado team competing: Colorado. … The Buffs are ranked the highest they’ve ever been nationally, sitting 11th according to the coaches and Golfweek, and 12th in Golfstat. … The Buffs will face one of their biggest challenges of the season as three fellow Pac-12 teams — UCLA, USC and Arizona State — are ranked in the top four in the country. UCLA is the only team in the top 25 to have won more tournaments (five) than CU this season. … The Buffs have claimed a program-record three team titles this season, including back-to-back championships in their last two invitationals. They’ve also been runner-up twice. But CU will be competing in a multi-team event for the first time in a month. … CU’s Stewart and senior Jessica Wallace have posted individual victories this season. … Stewart is ranked as high as 36th nationally among female college players, while Emily Talley is 47th and Wallace 74th.

— Pac-12 Conference Men, April 27-29 in Corvallis, Ore. — Colorado team competing: Colorado. … The Buffs won their first tournament of the season, then tied for first and lost in a playoff in their second meet. CU’s only top-five showing since then came in its last event, the Wyoming Cowboy Classic, where the Buffs placed second. … Junior Beau Schoolcraft has recorded first- and third-place finishes individually this season. … CU was hurt in midseason by the loss of Sebastian Heisele, who turned pro in December. Heisele had one of the team’s top scoring averages in the fall (72.08). … The Buffs face a tall task at their first Pac-12 Championships as six of the top 14 teams in the nation are from the conference, according to Golfstat. CU is currently ranked 72nd.

— America Sky Conference Men, April 30-May 2 in North Stonington, Conn. — Colorado team competing: Northern Colorado. … Earlier this month, UNC had its most impressive performance of the season. The Bears tied for first and lost in playoff to Seton Hall at the Fireline Towson Invitational. UNC freshman Steven Kupcho placed second individually at the Towson Invite. … The Bears finished third at the America Sky Championship in 2011.

— Mountain West Conference Men, May 4-6 in Tucson, Ariz. — Colorado teams competing: Air Force Academy and Colorado State. … CSU senior Mike Wuertz shared the individual title in his last event, the Wyoming Cowboy Classic. Zahkai Brown, Kirby Pettitt and Cameron Harrell have joined Wuertz in posting top-five individual finishes during the course of this season. … CSU’s best team performances of the season have been two third-place showings, both in the fall. The Rams are ranked 64th in the nation, according to Golfstat. … Air Force won the Service Academy Golf Classic in the fall. The Falcons’ Kyle Westmoreland claimed the individual title in the Service Academy Classic. … Both CSU and Air Force will compete in the Cougar Classic in Provo, Utah April 27-28 before playing in the conference tournament.
 

Winning major college invitational tournaments is no small feat, yet a handful of local players pulled it off this fall. Senior Brian Dorfman of Greenwood Village won twice for Georgetown, while fellow Coloradans Becca Huffer (a senior at Notre Dame, pictured) and Beau Schoolcraft (a junior at Colorado) both posted their first college victories. In addition, Coloradan Lindsay McGetrick, a freshman at North Carolina State, won a tournament — though it wasn’t part of the Wolfpack’s varsity schedule — and Air Force Academy sophomore Kyle Westmoreland claimed the title at the Service Academy Golf Classic.

Beyond that, several other Coloradans recorded their best Division I college finishes with top-10 showings, including Michael Schoolcraft for Oklahoma (Beau’s brother placed third in an event), Beth Buchner for New Mexico (third place) and Alex Gutesha for Kansas (eighth place).

Team-wise, the CU men won one tournament and lost a playoff in another, while the CU women and Air Force men also posted team victories.

Here’s a brief rundown on how Colorado-based Division I teams fared in the fall:

Air Force Men

National rankings — 150th (Golfstat), 152nd (Golfweek).

Best team finish — First.

Top-five team finishes — One in five tournaments.

Top-five individual finishes — Kyle Westmoreland (first), Robert Belz (second).

Begins Spring season — Feb. 20-21 at Rice Intercollegiate.

Notable — The Falcons won the Service Academy Golf Classic for the 15th consecutive time, defeating Navy and Army. Air Force’s Kyle Westmoreland earned the individual title at the tournament.

Colorado State University Men

National rankings — 61st (Golfstat), 64th (Golfweek).

Best team finishes —  Third (twice).

Top-five team finishes — Three in five tournaments.

Top-five individual finishes — Zahkai Brown (third), Kirby Pettitt (third).

Top individual national rankings — Zahkai Brown (126th Golfstat, 163rd Golfweek), Kirby Pettitt, (139th Golfstat, 186th Golfweek).

Begins Spring season — Feb. 15-17 at John Burns Intercollegiate is first spring invitational.

Notable — The Rams placed in the top six four times in five fall invitational tournaments.

CSU Women

National rankings — 72nd (Golfstat), 68th (Golfweek).

Best team finishes — Fourth (twice).

Top-five team finishes — Two in five tournaments.

Top-five individual finishes — Betsy Kelly (fourth).

Begins Spring season — Feb. 20-21 at UNLV Spring Invitational.

Top individual national rankings — Betsy Kelly (84th Golfstat, 147th Golfweek), Brianna Espinoza (139th Golfstat, 198th Golfweek).

Notable — The Rams had an up-and-down fall, finishing fourth twice, seventh, 10th and 16th. Kelly posted three top-seven individual performances in the fall.

University of Colorado Men

National rankings — 36th (Coaches), 55th (Golfstat), 56th (Golfweek).

Best team finishes — First outright, and tie for first (lost playoff).

Top-five team finishes — Two in four tournaments.

Top-five individual finishes — Beau Schoolcraft (first), Kevin Kring (third and fifth).

Top individual national rankings — Kevin Kring (124th Golfstat, 182nd Golfweek).

Begins Spring season — Feb. 1-3 at Hawaii-Hilo Intercollegiate.

Notable — The Buffs started the season in stellar fashion, winning their Mark Simpson Invitational and tying for first before losing in a playoff at the Gene Miranda Falcon Invitational. And Colorado product Beau Schoolcraft won an individual title in his first official competition for CU. But the Buffs tailed off later in the fall, placing ninth and 16th in their last two tournaments.

CU Women

National rankings — 24th (Coaches), 23rd (Golfstat), 20th (Golfweek).

Best team finish — First.

Top-five team finishes — Two in four tournaments.

Top-five individual finishes — Alex Stewart (fourth), Emily Talley (fifth), Jenny Coleman (fifth).

Begins Spring season — Feb. 5-7 at Arizona Wildcat Invitational.

Top individual national rankings — Alex Stewart (76th Golfstat, 75th Golfweek), Emily Talley (101st Golfstat, 104th Golfweek), Jessica Wallace (125th Golfstat, 123rd Golfweek), Jennifer Coleman (172nd Golfstat, 163rd Golfweek).

Notable — With first- and second-place finishes in the fall, the Buffs are in the top 25 in all of the national rankings.

University of Denver Men

National ranking — 98th (Golfstat), 93rd (Golfweek).

Best team finish — Third.

Top-five team finishes — One in four tournaments.

Top-five individual finishes — Oskar Arvidsson (fifth).

Begins Spring season — Feb. 15-17 at John Burns Intercollegiate.

Notable — The Pioneers placed in the top six in all four of their fall tournaments.

DU Women

National rankings — 39th (Coaches), 40th (Golfstat and Golfweek).

Best team finish — Second.

Top-five team finishes — One in four tournaments.

Top-five individual finishes — none.

Begins Spring season — Feb. 4-6 at Arizona Wildcat Invitational.

Top individual national rankings — Rachael Watton (92nd Golfstat, 90th Golfweek), Tonje Daffinrud (133rd Golfstat, 121st Golfweek).

Notable — Three different DU players — Tonje Daffinrud, Rachael Watton and Kelly Drack — posted top-10 individual finishes in the fall.

University of Northern Colorado Men

National rankings — 220th (Golfstat), 234th (Golfweek).

Best team finish — Fifth.

Top-five team finishes — One in six tournaments.

Top-five individual finishes — none.

Begins Spring season — March 16-17 at National Invitational Tournament.

UNC Women

National rankings — 180th (Golfstat), 181st (Golfweek)

Best team finish — Third.

Top-five team finishes — One in four tournaments.

Top-five individual finishes — Carleigh Silvers (third).

Notable — Carleigh Silvers finished sixth and third in her last two tournaments of the fall season.

Meanwhile, at the NCAA Division II level, the CU-Colorado Springs men are ranked 13th in the nation, while the Colorado School of Mines men are No. 32 and the Colorado State-Pueblo men are No. 44.
 

While the competitive golf season is beginning to wind down in many respects, the college golf year is just in its infancy. Nevertheless, for Colorado, it’s prime time.

Almost every NCAA Division I tournament that will be held in the state during the 2011-12 season will take place within the next few weeks. Specifically, four large D-I invitationals, plus a dual meet between the University of Colorado and Colorado State University men’s teams, are scheduled locally in September.

The one Colorado-based Division I tournament that’s set for a month other than this one will have national significance, though: the women’s NCAA West Regional that will be played in May at Colorado National Golf Club in Erie, with CU hosting.

All of the nine Division I teams in Colorado — four women’s and five men’s — will appear in at least one tournament in Colorado this season.

Here is the rundown for the D-I events that will be held in the Centennial State during the 2011-12 school year:

Sept. 12-13 — Mark Simpson CU Invitational (men), Colorado National GC in Erie (Participating local teams: CU, CSU, Air Force, Northern Colorado).

Sept. 12-13 — Ptarmigan Ram Fall Classic (women), Ptarmigan CC in Fort Collins (Participating local teams: CSU, CU, UNC).

Sept. 18-19 — Gene Miranda Falcon Invitational (men), Eisenhower GC in Colorado Springs (Participating local teams: Air Force, CU, CSU, DU, UNC).

Sept. 19-21 — Golfweek Conference Challenge (women), Fazio Course at Red Sky GC in Wolcott (Participating local team: DU).

Sept. 26 — Colorado Cup dual (men), Ballyneal in Holyoke (Participating teams: CU vs. CSU).

May 10-12 — NCAA West Regional (women), Colorado National GC in Erie (Participating local teams: To be determined; CU will host).

With the new season at hand, here are some of the notable happenings regarding various D-I programs in Colorado:

CU Men: With four incoming freshmen from Colorado — John Ahern of D’Evelyn, Tyler Engel of Regis, David Oraee of Greeley West and Drew Trujillo of Montrose — the Buffs will play their first three events in the state (the Simpson Invite, Falcon Invitational and Colorado Cup). Over the summer, Ahern won the CGA Junior Match Play and Trujillo qualified for the U.S. Amateur.

CSU Men: The Rams will open the season at the Simpson Invite at Colorado National, where CSU finished second at both the CU tournament and the NCAA regionals last season. The latter earned the Rams a spot in the NCAA Finals for just the second time in program history. Coloradan Zahkai Brown (pictured above) is coming off an August in which he won the CGA Stroke Play title and advanced to match play at the U.S. Amateur.

DU Men: Sophomore C.J. Kim won the CGA Public Links Championship in June, and coach Eric Hoos claimed low-amateur honors in the HealthOne Colorado Senior Open last week.

UNC Men: Coloradan Steven Kupcho will begin his freshman season in Greeley after winning the 2011 CGA Junior Stroke Play Championship at Greeley Country Club.

CU Women: Two Buffs — seniors Jessica Wallace (pictured at left) and Emily Talley — appear on Golf World magazine’s list of the top 50 female college players to watch. Wallace won a tournament on the CN Canadian Women’s Tour in late June and earned a spot in the Canadian Women’s Open LPGA Tour event. Wallace finished 16th individually in the World University Games in China last month. And with the addition of sophomore Alex Stewart, a transfer from Purdue who was runner-up in the 2011 Women’s Trans-National Amateur, the Buffs are ranked 33rd in the preseason coaches’ poll. Because CU is hosting an NCAA regional tournament at Colorado National this season, it is not holding its Heather Farr Memorial tournament in 2011.

DU Women: After having to sit out one year after transferring from Colorado State, two-time CWGA Stroke Play champion Melissa Martin from Grand Junction will be eligible to play for DU this season. This will be the second straight year the Pioneers have hosted the Golfweek Conference Challenge at Red Sky. Reigning CWGA Match Play champion Somin Lee of Denver is expected to play her first college tournament — for Pepperdine — in her home state at the Conference Challenge. DU coach Sammie Chergo is serving on the NCAA Division I Women’s Golf Committee this season.