Not surprisingly, more than 95 percent of those loops came from either private clubs or resorts, with caddie-friendly Cherry Hills alone accounting for almost 30 percent of the state’s total.

On the other hand, a notable number of public courses in the state feature some sort of organized caddie program, though almost all of them are very modest in size.

And this year, that number will increase as the Solich Caddie & Leadership Academy starts a small pilot program in Grand Junction at Lincoln Park and Tiara Rado (READ MORE), both municipal courses.

Among the other Colorado public courses that have caddies available through a formal program are CGA-owned CommonGround Golf Course in Aurora, Green Valley Ranch Golf Club in northeast Denver, and five City of Denver courses: City Park, Willis Case, Wellshire, Kennedy and Overland.

In the case of CommonGround and the Grand Junction courses, the caddie programs are part of the Solich Caddie & Leadership Academy, which also has a chapter at the private Meridian Golf Club. As for the City of Denver facilities and GVR, they’re linked with The First Tee chapters of Denver and GVR.

Suffice it to say caddie programs in Colorado are by no means limited to private and resort courses.

“You’ve got to build the demand for (caddies) at a public course,” said Kevin Laura, the president of GVR who attended the University of Colorado on an Evans Scholarship for caddies. “Public golfers don’t expect to take a caddie, but we (at GVR) have 40 percent walkers.”

Laura said GVR caddies accumulated a total of about 125 loops in 2016, with roughly half of them coming through the three CoBank Colorado Open championships held at the club — the Open, Women’s Open and Senior Open.

Of course, CommonGround Golf Course has proven to be the gold standard for caddie programs at Colorado public courses. Thanks to being the original home of the Solich Caddie & Leadership Academy — which promotes the use of caddies by paying the base caddie fees through an educational grant, with participating golfers having the option of adding a tip — CommonGround was the site of 1,108 caddie loops in 2016. To put that number into perspective, less than 10 private clubs produced more caddie loops.

“Admittedly it’s a subsidized program so we’re trying to create a culture or an awareness that wouldn’t otherwise exist,” said CGA executive director Ed Mate, who’s also a CU Evans Scholar alum. “We know the economics of a caddie program at a public facility just don’t mesh. That’s the most important underpinning of the Solich Caddie & Leadership Academy: it is subsidized. I think we need to be very sensitive to any unintended consequences of making subsidized caddie programs the norm. I don’t think that should be. Ultimately, we want these independent contractors working for the players. But if we can use the subsidies smartly to kind of fill that pipeline …

“Our intention with that (Solich) program is to generate applicants for the Evans Scholarship. That’s a separate and distinct goal from having healthy caddie programs. Most people in that (Caddie Summit) room recognize the value that our society can benefit from by having kids that are hard-working and that have the ability to communicate — and not (just) on a phone or an app or whatever.”

The Solich Academy, named for philanthropists and ES alums George and Duffy Solich (the latter being the Western Golf Association’s state chairman), isn’t just a caddie program. A major component of the Academy is that all of the caddies are required to attend weekly leadership classes and do volunteer community-service work each summer. And, as Mate noted, the hope is that some of the participants will become good candidates for the Evans Scholarship at CU.

Laura, a former CGA president, certainly has seen how successful the Solich program has been. And he hopes GVR can offer something similar.

“We’ve applied for a grant through the Colorado Golf Foundation about doing what they do at CommonGround — saying ‘Take a caddie, we’ll pay for it,'” Laura said. “The kids really want to loop more. They just don’t have the demand and it’s really frustrating. But if we had all six or eight of our kids waiting to get out and our golf shop was actively trying to push it, they would come four to five days a week if the players are going to take the kid because the base rate is covered.

“Those kind of ways to create demand by eliminating the cost factors, that can work at a public, private, resort — any of those courses. We’re hoping to be able to do that with some financial support. We can double and triple our number of loops if we just have that hurdle (eliminated). That’s why CommonGround is so great because you know you can get a caddie and just pay a tip. A $20 or $30 tip is well worth it, but if someone is looking at a $50 or $60 fee on top of their $50 or $60 public green fee, that’s where a decision is made and most of the time it’s against taking a caddie.”

The Colorado Golf Foundation, by the way, was founded with a $2 million gift from George and Carol Solich.

“We’re trying to get our sea legs around the foundation, but we’re very much open to (Laura’s idea regarding GVR),” Mate said. “I love the (idea of a potential) partnership with The First Tee because they already have kids who know golf. They’re looking for programming for kids who get to be 13-14 years old; that’s when they kind of fizzle out with The First Tee. And I think they lose them because they have to start earning money. So what a great segue — from knowing the game and having the base knowledge (to caddying regularly). I’d love to have a lot of First Tee kids in our program. That would be awesome.

“That’s one other thing that’s being discussed: How can we scale the Solich program nationwide? We’re not saying that; the World Golf Foundation has started a discussion around this. Is there some place for a nationally-supported caddie initiative? The fact that that conversation is going on is encouraging for sure.”

Strong Showing for Caddie Summit: More than 50 people attended last week’s Caddie Summit, presented by the CGA. That included representatives of 18 courses/clubs in Colorado that feature a caddie program.

The Summit is held annually to discuss various issues regarding caddies, including best practices; to release results of the survey of caddie clubs; and give updates on caddie-related programs in the state. That includes the Solich Caddie & Leadership Academy and the full-tuition and housing Evans Scholarship.

This time around, there was also a caddie club profile, with head professional Bryan Heim discussing the situation at Columbine Country Club, where a once-thriving program largely went away for a while but has been brought back, to the point that now it features 40-50 caddies accumulating about 1,300 total loops annually.

Also, there was a talk by Boulder-based Evans Scholar alum Jeremy Stroiman, the CEO of a company he and his twin brother Jason run that was named after the scholarship: Evans Senior Investments, which deals with senior housing and skilled nursing solutions.

Heim, for one, always gets a few useful tidbits out of the Caddie Summit.

“If nothing else it gives you a check and balance — some new ideas to say, ‘Hey listen, have we thought about that or that’s maybe a better way of doing something’,” Heim said. “It gets your wheels turning a little bit just to make sure we’ve got that down or we’re doing this.”

Each clubs which sends multiple participants to the Summit receives a $500 grant for its caddie program from the Colorado Golf Foundation.

“I thought it was our best one yet,” Mate said of the 2017 Caddie Summit. “The attendance was great. We didn’t stretch the agenda. Like they say about a vacation, it’s always better when you wanted to stay a little longer. I felt like that best practices discussion could have gone on longer. But I filled up my notepad of notes and I hope everybody else did too.

“There was some inspiration in this one that we haven’t had in the past, with Jeremy (Stroiman). Janene Guzowski (a new CGA board member who chairs the caddie committee) has brought some great new energy. It’s great to have more voices and not just have a few of us drone on. I thought it was very successful.”
 

Whether — or should we say weather? — it’s unseasonably snowy, cold or warm can have a big effect on the bottom line for the Denver Golf Expo.

Last year, when a major snowstorm hit the metro area the weekend of the Expo, the show drew its fewest attendees since 2002. This year, a dramatically different weather issue tooks its toll, according to organizers.

The three-day Expo, which concluded on Sunday at the Denver Mart, attracted 8,130 people, said Mark Cramer, who, along with Lynn Cramer, has run the show for the last 16 years. That total is up 13 percent from last year — and marked the first time since 2011 that attendance has increased compared to the previous year — but as noted, 2015 was a low point. From 2011 through ’14, the average for the show was 10,132.

Mark Cramer believes the issue was in stark contrast to last year: weather so warm that many golfers hit the course and played rather than possibly coming to the Expo. Temperatures approached the mid-60s on Friday and Saturday, while Sunday’s high was more typical — in the high 40s.

“I have mixed feelings,” Cramer said. “I came in with expectations high. After the blizzard last year, I thought there would be a real strong bounceback. But again, weather kind of bit me. The weather was too good. Talking to golf course operators, their tee sheets were full. If you multiply that out, that’s a lot of golfers. The courses have been under snow for two or three months. If I wasn’t doing the show, I would have finagled a tee time.

“I think we would have been between 9,000 and 9,500 if the weather had not been so nice. I’m looking forward to getting back to my (more) regular dates next year, Feb. 10-12. Those have been good dates for us.”

Other numbers from this year’s Expo were a mixed bag compared to recent norms.

The CGA’s Used Club Sale, which raises money for junior golf development programs through the Colorado Golf Foundation, sold $6,150 worth of clubs and equipment at the Expo. While that number was down considerably from recent years, it brings the total raised from the event since it started in 2002 to $146,500. The total over the last five years has surpassed $66,000.

“We didn’t have the high-end donations” that we had in recent years, said Dustin Jensen, the CGA’s managing director of operations, who helped oversee the Used Club Sale. “But it was a good show. We moved a lot of lower-dollar things. We appreciate the donations and the opportunity to showcase all that we do.”

Elsewhere, about 290 kids went though Junior Golf Central, with its Drive Chip & Putt theme — up a little from 2015. And Colorado PGA professionals gave 375 free 10-minute lessons to Expo attendees (left), down somewhat from 2015.

Cramer plans to move both Junior Golf Central and the free lesson area from the back to the front of the Expo next year.

Meanwhile, Cramer said he sold out exhibitor booths this year, with the CGA, CWGA, Colorado PGA and the new Junior Golf Alliance of Colorado among those on hand.

“I’m disappointed when I don’t meet (some of my expectations),” Cramer said. “But it’s also about getting customers in front of exhibitors. I always see myself in partnership with exhibitors. I didn’t get my numbers, but talking to exhibitors, they were very happy. The people that were there came to buy. There were less ‘tire-kickers.’

“It was a good show. I was proud of it. Just about all the (exhibitors) I talked to were really happy.”
 

The Hall of Fame, founded in 1964, designated a total of $200,000 — proceeds from its annual induction and awards banquet, Colorado state high school football “Championship Saturday”, and the Colorado Sports Hall of Fame Golf Classic.

The donations announced Wednesday bring the amount of cash and in-kind donations the CSHOF has made to youth sports programs and other sports organizations in Colorado to more than $1 million over the past 11 years.

“All of these organizations meet our mission of helping youth sports, education, and youth of color in Colorado, and we are happy that we can impact so many worthy programs,” said Tom Lawrence, president and CEO of the Hall of Fame. “Our goal was to have an impact on as many youth sports groups as we could, to further the goal of the Hall of Fame in improving youth sports and education in our state.”

Lawrence is a former president of the CGA.

This latest set of donations are made in partnership with Colorado Sports Hall of Fame sponsors Gatorade, King Soopers/City Market, the Denver Broncos, Sports Authority, Wells Fargo, Century Link, and El Pomar Foundation.

For all of the organizations that will benefit from the CSHOF event proceeds, CLICK HERE.

And in many ways the activities and initiatives that were directly the result of the “Century of Golf” exceeded expectations. The Century of Golf Gala and related activities raised roughly $400,000, according to CGA executive director Ed Mate — significantly more than originally envisioned. The proceeds from the Gala and related undertakings benefit the Colorado Golf Foundation and its mission of youth development through golf, including junior player development, caddie programs, community partnerships, and college scholarships.

Besides the Gala and other fundraising efforts, and an extensive look back on the last 100 years of Colorado golf, the Century of Golf included a rebranding for the CGA, and “positioning the Colorado Golf Foundation as a mechanism for collaboration to raise money for golf,” Mate said recently.

“We made the most of the centennial,” Mate noted. The Gala was “the biggest golf gathering of our time (with about 1,250 in attendance at The Broadmoor). We raised a ton of money. We launched an exciting relationship with the PGA. It’s a home run. I look back on this as a special year. It’ll be a tough act to follow.”

Indeed, the question now is, where to go from here? And what will the second century of the CGA — the the future of Colorado golf in general — look like?

Of course, it’s much easier to foresee the short term, but that may provide some hints about what’s to come decades from now.

“Going forward, there’s a lot of ways it will manifest itself,” Mate said when asked what he hopes will come out of the Century of Golf. “None is more important than our collaboration with the (Colorado) PGA on junior golf (READ MORE). That’s evidence of us working together. We’re walking the walk. By (joining forces) we can accomplish the greatest good in golf.” (Pictured at top are CGA president Phil Lane and CPGA president Leslie Core-Drevecky signing a memorandum of agreement in October.)

Indeed, many activities and initiatives revolving around the Century of Golf were collaborative efforts of the CGA, Colorado PGA, CWGA and the Rocky Mountain Golf Course Superintendents Association.

Looking ahead, another partner, the USGA, is examining its business model and how it works with state and regional golf associations like the CGA and CWGA, Mate said.

“It’s a great opportunity to create a stronger partnership with the USGA — one robust and with more meat on it,” said Mate, who recently joined the USGA Rules of Golf Committee. “I think our future over the next 100 years will look much different. We’ll have ways to reach more golfers — whether it be through technology, apps or other things to be determined. We’ll work very closely with the USGA and Colorado PGA to reach more golfers — including more casual and less serious golfers. And then there’s things like the World Handicap System (READ MORE). Some game-changing stuff is being worked on.”

And some of those things currently in the pipeline, or in their formative stages, could significantly blossom over the coming decades. That includes programs such as Colorado PGA Golf in Schools; the Drive, Chip & Putt Championship, PGA Junior League, etc., etc.

“I foresee our role being more significant,” Mate said. “The CGA won’t exist unless the game of golf is healthy, and I think the game of golf will be. It’s a fundamentally great game. I think we’ll look back on this chapter, when we were so oversupplied with golf courses because of the real-estate bubble. We went through soul-searching, and I think we kind of were grasping at straws — with things like using a bigger hole, less holes … — but the game isn’t broken.

“If we’re smart — with things like Golf in Schools, Drive Chip & Putt and PGA Junior League — we’ll make sure the game is put in the hands of the next generation in a thoughtful way. Sanity has returned. We got back to the basics of blocking and tackling (in growing golf). The game will take care of the rest. I think we’ll see the game thriving.”
 

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.
 

About 1,250 people attended the festivities, which were a culmination of a year of activities and initiatives held in conjunction with the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Colorado Golf Association.

The Gala featured a fireside chat with Jack Nicklaus and the honoring of six Colorado golf People of the Century:

Man of the Century — Will Nicholson Jr.

Woman of the Century — Judy Bell

Male Player of the Century — Hale Irwin

Female Player of the Century — Barbara McIntire

Golf Professional of the Century — Charles “Vic” Kline

Superintendent of the Century — Dennis Lyon

The Colorado Golf Foundation, which was founded three years ago, benefits youth player development, caddie programs, community partnerships, and college scholarships.

For links to Gala-related information:

— Article on the Gala: CLICK HERE

— YouTube: Nicklaus Reflects on Career in Colorado at The Broadmoor: CLICK HERE

— Photos for Download: CLICK HERE
 

Colorado’s annual February golf shindig — also known as the Denver Golf Expo — will be held this weekend for the 22nd consecutive year.

The show, set for Friday through Sunday (Feb. 20-22) at the Denver Mart just east of I-25 on 58th Ave., as always is designed to whet the appetite of local golfers as the season approaches. There are deals on everything from equipment to green fees to travel, instruction and educational seminars for golfers of all ages, a demo area, contests, some fun for kids and much more. Typically, about 10,000 people attend the three-day event.

Let’s hit on some of the Expo’s 2015 highlights:

— The popular Used Club Sale this year will feature not only clubs and equipment, but clothing from the 2014 BMW Championship PGA Tour playoff event that Cherry Hills Country Club hosted in September. All the net proceeds from the sale go to the Colorado Golf Foundation, with the money benefiting junior golf development programs. The sale raised $14,400 last year and about $32,000 over the last two years combined.

Those who still wish to donate quality used equipment for the sale can bring it to the Denver Mart on Thursday between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m.

— As part of its centennial celebration this year, the CGA will display its new logo to the public at the Expo. And all CGA members who visit the association’s booth near the entrance to the Expo will receive a CGA centennial ball marker.

Both the CGA and CWGA — which will have an exhibit nearby the CGA’s — will be informing non-members about the many benefits of membership, and telling people about their core programs. And the CWGA will be encouraging women to sign up for one of its CWGA Experience events, golf outings that combine small-group instruction with some fun social interaction with other women interested in the game. The CWGA will be giving out mementos to members who show their GHIN cards — or the smart-photo equivalent.

— As has been the case for years, Colorado PGA professionals will provide free 10-minute lessons to interested attendees.

— The newly rebranded “Junior Golf Central” — formerly known as the Junior Golf Experience — will cater to the younger set. This year, Junior Golf Central will have a theme based around the new nationwide Drive, Chip & Putt junior skills competition that culminates at Augusta National Golf Club the Sunday before the Masters. Each of those three skills will be emphasized at JGC, which will feature a running leaderboard. And the long drives of the youngsters will be announced over the public address system.

— The Colorado PGA, CGA and others will lead educational seminars, with a dozen scheduled over the course of three days. Look below in the “Essentials” area for specific themes and times for the seminars.

— The club demo area, sponsored by Lenny’s Golf, is another popular feature of the Expo, with attendees able to try out clubs that could be difference-makers in their games.

— Some contests will be held — with prizes available — including a long putt challenge and a closest to the pin challenge.

— And, of course, many of the exhibitors give special deals at the Expo. This year, about 135 exhibitors are expected to be on hand. CLICK HERE for a list.

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Denver Golf Expo: Just the Essentials

What: 22nd annual Denver Golf Expo.

When: Friday through Sunday (Feb. 20-22). Open Friday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.; Saturday, 9 a.m.-5 p.m.; Sunday, 10 a.m.-4 p.m.

Where: Denver Mart (58th Ave., just east of I-25).

Tickets:
Adults, $13; Seniors, $11; Military with I.D., $11; Kids 16 and Under, $3. Available by CLICKING HERE, at King Soopers or at the Denver Mart during Expo days.

Scheduled Educational Seminars:
— Short Game Myths and How Tour Players Hit the Spinning Pitch Shot (Patrick Nuber, PGA), Friday, 11 a.m.
— Par Plan: Break Your Personal Par in 30 Days (Andy Hilts, PGA), Friday, noon
— Prior Teacher of the Year Panel (Ty Walker, Patrick Nuber, Andy Hilts), Friday, 1:30 p.m.
— Uncommon, But Effective Practice Methods (Tom Gibbs, PGA), Friday, 3 p.m.
— Rules of Golf (CGA), Friday, 4 p.m.
— Putting/Short Game/Learning Styles (Don Graham, PGA), Saturday, 11 a.m.
— Colorado Golf Fitness Club (Dee Tidwell), Saturday, noon
— The Difference Between Your Driver & Irons, and How to Take Your Game to the Course (Trent Wearner, PGA), Saturday, 1 p.m.
— GolfSquid (Gary Robinson), Saturday, 2 p.m.
— Navigating College Golf Recruiting (Dustin Jensen, CGA), Saturday, 3 p.m.
— The Importance of Club Fitting (Corey Butler, PGA), Sunday, noon
— Rules of Golf (CGA), Sunday, 1 p.m.

More information: CLICK HERE.

The CGA didn’t have an official employee until 1963, when Wilford Woody was hired as executive secretary at the princely salary of $100 per month, plus expenses.

To say that the scope and reach of the CGA’s work have grown by leaps and bounds would be a grand understatement. For a partial rundown on what the CGA and CWGA do, CLICK HERE. 

Which brings us to the CGA’s latest effort to maximize what the game of golf can be in Colorado. Recently, the association hired its first director of development, who will be responsible for raising money for the Colorado Golf Foundation, which was launched in January 2013. The foundation in turn provides funding support for Colorado-based youth-development programs and organizations which use golf to build important life skills and character, emphasizing instilling hard work and self-reliance in young people in the process.

Though the Colorado Golf Foundation is a separate entity from the CGA, the CGA runs it on a day-to-day basis. And many of the key association-supported programs, most notably at CommonGround Golf Course — including the Solich Caddie & Leadership Academy, the Hale Irwin Elite Player Program, and the course’s community and outreach partnerships — are funded through the foundation. CommonGround is owned and operated by the CGA and CWGA.

So when Colorado native Ryan Smith started as the CGA’s director of development last month, he took on a very important role.

“The mission of the Foundation — youth development and character-building and (youngsters) developing skills to be future leaders — is one I really believe in,” Smith said recently. “The mission really resonates with me.”

Smith (pictured above) calls himself a career fundraiser and a golf advocate. The 37-year-old most recently worked as director of development and communications at Habitat for Humanity of Metro Denver. Over the six years he held that position, he said his resource development team raised a little over $25 million in private contributions for Habitat for Humanity.

“He’s a passionate golfer and a native of Colorado, but most importantly he’s spent a career in development,” CGA executive director Ed Mate said. “We’re golf administrators; we don’t know how to raise money. He’ll cultivate donors and our programming will get better as a result. Everything comes back to that programming, and he’ll shed light on that.”

Smith’s first major public event in his new job was the Colorado Golf Foundation Tournament fundraiser at CommonGround on May 29. That event raised $44,750 for the Foundation.

One of the first priorities for Smith is to create a strategic plan for fundraising for the foundation, which was launched thanks to a seven-figure lead gift from businessman and philanthropist George Solich. The Solich Caddie & Leadership Academy was named for George and brother Geoff (Duffy) Solich, both of whom caddied as youngsters and attended CU on an Evans Scholarship.

“We want to get a plan in place to meet our objectives for 2014,” Smith said. “Another priority is to recognize the (2015) centennial of the CGA — how to tell the story of the history of golf in the state, and what the next 100 years could look like and how the foundation plays a part in that.”

Smith also plans to take part in the BMW Championship’s community partner program leading up to the PGA Tour event being held at Cherry Hills Country Club Sept. 4-7. “That’s a neat opportunity early on — to build a base of relationships,” he said.

Smith has been meeting with Colorado golf leaders and foundation board members, and will continue to do so in the near future.

“I think there will be a learning curve,” he said. “I’ll be spending the first couple of months being a sponge, getting to know the golf community and leaders of all the peer organizations. I have a lot of work to do to familiarize myself with everything, but I’m so excited to be working with the foundation.

“I’m used to working with a lot of different people. There are many opportunities to build a lot of goodwill — and build a culture of philanthropy.”

Smith, who was born in Fort Collins, is a fourth-generation Coloradan and has spent all but six years of his life as a resident of the state. He graduated from Colorado State University with a business administration degree, with an emphasis on entrepreneurship. He was also once a tennis coach for the city of Fort Collins’ CARA program.

“Early on, I realized the value of competition,” Smith said. “Professionally, that lent itself to (the position with the CGA).”

At the CGA, Smith can be reached at ryansmith@cogolf.org, or at 303-974-2109.