As meetings go, what could be better than an event which features the Rules of Golf being taught Dr. Seuss style — complete with rhymes and big colorful hats — and adds equal doses kids-based philanthrophy, collaboration, awards and learning, with a little frivolity mixed in?

The CWGA Annual Meeting, held Saturday at The Inverness Hotel & Conference Center, included all of the above and more. With almost 200 people on hand, many representing about 75 clubs from around the state, there was a little something for everyone.

CWGA rules officials Jan Fincher, Karla Harding and Sandy Schnitzer set a humorous, yet educational tone by donning Dr. Seuss hats and even writing Seuss-like rhymes for their Rules of Golf breakout session:

Look at the greens. Look ’em over with care. Mark your ball and proceed. Do it with flair.

The rule that has changed is quite fundamental. Just put the ball back. Was it accidental? …

“We do it every year (with an ingenious approach to a Rules breakout session), but we’ve gotten more fun,” noted Harding, pictured below with Schnitzer.

“Every year we have Rules of Golf breakout sessions, and every year Jan Fincher, Karla Harding and Sandy Schnitzer come up with a new educational way to teach the Rules of Golf,” noted CWGA executive director Laura Robinson. “Last year it was a Jeopardy game. This year they came up with the Dr. Seuss adaptation. And they wouldn’t be the three of them without wearing the hats.

“It’s a balance. The Rules are complex and can be overwhelming, and what we’re trying to achieve in these breakout sessions is some education, and we’re going to bring it down to a level that’s easy to understand so that when you’re out on the golf course you have the confidence to apply some of these Rules. We’re not trying to teach all 500 pages of the Decisions book.”

Among those in attendance for the Annual Meeting festivities on Saturday was a who’s who of golf orgnizations from Colorado and beyond: There was representation from the USGA and leaders of the CGA, Colorado PGA, CoBank Colorado Open championships, the Junior Golf Alliance of Colorado and the Colorado Golf Hall of Fame. Included was Highlands Ranch resident Mark Passey, a director of regional affairs for the USGA who plans to retire from the national organization on July 1, after more than 27 years.

“Look around the room,” noted Colorado Golf Hall of Fame executive director Sammie Chergo, one of Saturday’s speakers. “You have so many people here from the world of golf in Colorado that want to work together and make golf in Colorado great.”

And much of that effort revolves around building a solid foundation for the future through support of junior golf. So on Saturday, the CWGA presented a check for $10,000 to the Junior Golf Alliance of Colorado, a comprehensive set of programs and tournaments led by the CGA, Colorado PGA and the CWGA. In its inaugural year of 2016, the JGAC included 836 members, who played 3,695 rounds in Junior Alliance events. The JCAC also includes such things as the Colorado PGA Golf in Schools program, the Solich Caddie & Leadership Academy, PGA Junior League, the Hale Irwin Elite Player Program and Drive, Chip & Putt competitions.

“Our beginning year we were hoping to shoot, using a golf analogy, 1 or 2 over par,” said Colorado Golf Hall of Famer Alan Abrams, the president of the JGAC . “But we had an incredible sub-par round and ended up winning the tournament. Exciting things happened for us that first year.

“Thanks to all of you (CWGA members) for … the wisdom to (support) junior golf. Obviously, that’s a legacy that you’ll have, and this Alliance covers everything junior golf in the state. Congratulations for giving us this great gift. I promise we will take it and do great things with it.”

(Abrams is pictured at top receiving the check from CWGA president Juliet Miner.)

In addition to the $10,000 — which was raised in 2016 by the CWGA — the association earned another $6,723 for junior golf through a silent auction and other sales held Saturday at the Annual Meeting.

“It looks like the silent auction once again broke the bank so we’re very pleased,” Miner said.

Overall regarding the meeting on Saturday, “In spite of the beautiful weather — it’s hard to compete with 70 degrees in March — we had a great turnout,” Miner noted.

Fitzsimons, Patty Jewett, Heggie Receive CWGA Awards: Saturday’s meeting also recognized the CWGA’s award winners for 2016, including the Club of the Year, which is a new honor.

The women’s clubs from Fitzsimons and Patty Jewett Golf Courses shared the inaugural Club of the Year Award for their work in raising money for charity, growing membership, etc.

Fitzsimons made significant charitable contributions thanks to annual golf events for the Susan G. Komen Foundation and the Colorado chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association. And it took pro-active steps to bringing new golfers into the fold, and paid tribute to veterans and their families, which is inherent given the course’s military roots.

Patty Jewett raised almost $10,800 for charity through golf and related events in 2016. In addition to that money, members volunteered for Special Olympics, for cleanup day at the course, and for the CWGA.

“I think what you heard today through our Club of the Year awards and our fundraising efforts is that a lot of women’s organizations are very good at giving back,” Robinson said. “I think what you saw here was reaffirming that it really is about helping others through what we do.

“We tried to tally how much our clubs raised for charity this year through grassroots events and we think it’s well over $100,000, not including what we do in the office.”

Meanwhile, the 2016 CWGA Volunteer of the Year Award went to Vivian Heggie, who worked as a rules official at more CWGA championships and USGA qualifiers last year than any other volunteer. That included a dawn-to-dusk 36-hole U.S. Women’s Open qualifer in very cold and rainy conditions at Heritage at Westmoor.

“Our winner (Heggie, pictured in a yellow shirt-collar with Schnitzer) personifies dedication to the game of golf and dedication to making sure the players are well looked after and that they have a memorable experience,” Miner said. “It takes more than knowledge of the Rules to be a good rules official. It takes tact and the appropriate way to deliver a difficult message at times. Of course, it always helps if you have a delightful English accent (like Heggie). It takes perseverance and patience, and great respect for the players.”

The CWGA Player of the Year and Senior Player of the Year winners, both previously announced, also were recognized on Saturday. Both Jennifer Kupcho (the POY who is competing in a college tournament for Wake Forest) and Colorado Golf Hall of Famer Kim Eaton (the SPOY who is playing in a Legends Tour event in Arizona) could not attend because they’re at tournaments, but sent their thanks. For more on their accomplishments in 2016, CLICK HERE.

“I’d like to thank the Colorado Women’s Golf Association for selecting me for this award,” said Kupcho, who received the POY honor for an unprecedented third straight season. “It’s a great honor to be your Player of the Year … My first time at Denver Country Club (in winning the CWGA Stroke Play) was definitely one to remember.”

Said Eaton, the SPOY for the seventh time in eight years: “Thank you to the CWGA for this honor. I had every intention of being there today, but I received a better invitation — to play in the LPGA Legends Tour event in Arizona. I had a great year and did not want to pass up that opportunity. … I’m very grateful that I continue to play well and enjoy the game so much.”

Also receiving recognition Saturday was the nine-hole women’s club from Raccoon Creek Golf Course, which was the top 2016 CWGA fundraiser for the Evans Scholarship for caddies, bringing in $1,450. Almost 60 caddies currently receive full tuition and housing Evans Scholarships at the University of Colorado, with about a quarter of them being young women.

Chip Shots: Among the speakers on Saturday besides Chergo were CGA executive director Ed Mate and Colorado Open Golf Foundation CEO Kevin Laura, both of whom spoke on topics in the news this week. Mate, who serves on the USGA Rules of Golf Committee, gave attendees an update on the Rules changes the USGA and R&A proposed that are expected to go into effect on Jan. 1, 2019. And Laura noted some big news that was announced on Thursday — that the CoBank Colorado Women’s Open is increasing its purse to $150,000 and more than quadrupling its first prize to $50,000. …

CWGA Centennial Committee co-chairs Phyllis Jensen and Nancy Wilson assembled 357 slides, 511 pictures and a lot of memorabilia from CWGA centennial-year activities and events in 2016 into a scrapbook and a slideshow. On Saturday, they presented their work to Miner for CWGA historical purposes. “I want to thank (Jensen and Wilson) for stepping forward,” Miner said. “They made our centennial a great success.” (Wilson, Miner and Jensen are pictured at left.) …

With the CWGA planning to unveil an updated logo in the near future, 24 proposed logo submissions that the association received were showed off to attendees on Saturday. “Many people have said a woman with a long skirt (as in the current logo) is not representative of golf today,” Miner said. “We don’t want to necessarily change the logo to something that is unrecognizable, but we do want to modernize it.” …

CWGA organizers were pleased with Saturday’s attendance, which was just shy of 200. “We had one of the biggest turnouts, and as a follow-up to the centennial year, that says something,” Robinson said. “Today we achieved our objective by making it educational and giving lots of information, besides celebrating women’s golf in Colorado.”
 

With the annual get-together of members, association leaders and staff “” along with assorted other interested parties “” set for Saturday (March 4) at The Inverness Hotel & Conference Center in Englewood, more than 175 people are expected to attend.

Coming off its 100th-anniversary year in 2016, the CWGA will devote a little time to reflecting on its past, with Centennial Committee co-chairs Nancy Wilson and Phyllis Jensen presenting a scrapbook and compilation from the centennial year festivities to CWGA president Juliet Miner.

As for the present/recent past, the CWGA will recognize some of its best from 2016 with its annual awards. That includes Jennifer Kupcho of Westminster (Player of the Year for an unprecedented third straight season) and Colorado Golf Hall of Famer Kim Eaton (the Senior Player of the Year for the seventh time in eight years). Those honorees were previously announced, but a couple of others will be disclosed at the meeting: the Volunteer of the Year and the winner of a new award, CWGA Club of the Year, in recognition of all the work done at the club level in growing membership, raising money, etc.

But most of Saturday’s proceedings will be devoted to improvement looking ahead. That covers an array of items:

“” The CWGA will present a check for $10,000 to the Junior Golf Alliance of Colorado, which is beginning its second season as a one-stop-shop for junior golf in the state. The JGAC is a combined effort of the CGA, the Colorado PGA and the CWGA.

“” Club officials will be involved in an orientation session regarding the new USGA Tournament Management Software (powered by Golf Genius), led by CWGA tournament manager Kate Moore and Golf Genius’ Rory Luck.

“” In breakout educational sessions held opposite of the USGA Tournament Management session, meetings will focus on the Rules of Golf (led by Jan Fincher, Karla Harding and Sandy Schnitzer), handicapping (led by Laurie Steenrod), and a President’s Roundtable (led by CWGA vice president Kathy Malpass).

“” From 7:30 to 11:15 a.m., a silent auction will be held, with the proceeds benefiting junior golf, most notably the programs that fall under the auspices of the Junior Golf Alliance of Colorado.

In addition, there will be updates on the impending and recent changes regarding the Rules of Golf (presented by CGA executive director Ed Mate, who sits on the USGA Rules of Golf Committee) and the JGAC.

Overall, in addition to education, training and networking, “the theme (of Saturday’s meeting) is collaboration and community,” CWGA executive director Laura Robinson said. “In order to grow golf effectively in Colorado, it’s important to work hard to collaborate with the various golf organizations and associations in the state, including the CGA, Colorado PGA, the Colorado Golf Hall of Fame, the First Tee, etc. We want to be a strong remember of the community.”

The keynote speaker at Saturday’s business meeting will be Sammie Chergo, the new executive director of the Colorado Golf Hall of Fame. Chergo was head coach when the University of Denver women’s golf team posted fifth- and sixth-place finishes in the women’s NCAA Championships, and she later also coached at Oregon State.

In addition, the CWGA is in the midst of modernizing its logo. The association has opened the idea up to members and 17 new logos have been submitted. The CWGA will get input on those logo submissions at the meeting.

Speaking of new looks, the CWGA launched its new website (coloradowomensgolf.org) about two months ago. The site includes many new resources and features for members and clubs, including how to find a club to join.

For the CWGA Annual Meeting agenda, CLICK HERE.

In fact, in the 43-year period from 1972 through 2014, there’s was only one year (2007) that Colorado didn’t host at least one event that fell into the aforementioned category.

The LPGA Tour held tournaments in the state for 16 consecutive years beginning in 1972. The Senior/Champions Tour had a six-year run in Colorado beginning in 1982. And the PGA Tour visited annually from 1986-2006 thanks to The International at Castle Pines Golf Club. In addition, there were numerous USGA championships and other big events held in the Centennial State during that time span.

And since The International exited, Colorado has hosted the U.S. Senior Open and the U.S. Amateur Public Links in 2008, the 2009 Palmer Cup (a Ryder Cup-like competition for the best college players), the 2010 Senior PGA Championship, the 2011 U.S. Women’s Open, the 2012 U.S. Amateur, the 2013 Solheim Cup and Junior Solheim Cup, and the 2014 BMW Championship.

But since September 2014, the state has experienced a bit of a lull in hosting major spectator golf competitions in the state — the kind that draw national or even international attention. That will continue in 2017, but a couple of USGA championships are on the horizon, with the 2018 U.S. Senior Open coming to The Broadmoor in Colorado Springs and Colorado Golf Club in Parker hosting the U.S. Mid-Amateur in 2019.

However, that certainly doesn’t mean the almost four-year period from the 2014 BMW Championship at Cherry Hills Country Club to the 2018 U.S. Senior Open has been/will be without significant golf events in Colorado. Last year, for instance, the NCAA Division II men’s and women’s national championships were held in the Centennial State along with the first four majors in Junior Golf Alliance of Colorado history, and in 2015 Colorado hosted the 100th CWGA Match Play and the Women’s Pac-12 Conference Championships.

Which brings us to 2017. What will the new year hold for golf fans and competitors in the way of significant new, different or otherwise notable events? Here’s a brief rundown:

— Pac-12 Tourney Coming to Boulder: For the first time since 1972, the University of Colorado will host a men’s golf conference championship as the Pac-12 meet comes to Boulder Country Club April 28-30. BCC hosted the women’s Pac-12 tournament in 2015.

The Pac-12 has traditionally been one of the top men’s golf conferences in the nation, winning four national team titles since 2004, including Oregon claiming the crown last spring. The Ducks will defend their title this year, almost certainly with Colorado’s own Wyndham Clark in the lineup.

Going into the spring portion of the college schedule, five Pac-12 teams are ranked among the top 30 in the nation, according to Golfweek: USC (sixth), Stanford (eighth), Colorado (24th), Oregon (28th) and Arizona State (30th).

— High-Country Golf: Both the CGA and the Colorado PGA will hold major championships in the mountains this year.

The 81st CGA Amateur is set for Aug. 3-6 at the Sonnenalp Club in Edwards, west of Vail, marking the first time the tournament has been contested in the mountains since 2003, when Kane Webber won at River Valley Ranch in Carbondale. Meanwhile, the Colorado PGA Professional Championship will be hosted by Red Sky Golf Club at the Fazio Course in Wolcott Sept. 11-13.

Other 2017 CGA championships scheduled for the mountains are the Parent/Child (June 3-4 at Frost Creek Ranch & Club in Eagle) and the Mid-Amateur (Sept. 8-10 at Keystone Ranch Golf Course).

The CWGA also will on the Western Slope or in the mountains for several events in 2017: the Brassie Championship at Rifle Creek Golf Course Aug. 5-6; the Chapman Championship at Raven Golf Club at Three Peaks in Silverthorne Sept. 16-17; the U.S. Senior Women’s Amateur qualifying at Pole Creek Golf Club in Tabernash Aug. 1; and the U.S. Women’s Mid-Amateur qualifying at Vail Golf Club Aug. 28.

The CWGA two-person Chapman Championship, by the way, is returning after a one-year hiatus.

As for the biggest CGA championships, in addition to the Amateur at Sonnenalp, the 117th Match Play is set for June 19-23 at The Club at Ravenna in Littleton.

On the CWGA side, the Stroke Play is scheduled for June 19-21 at Lone Tree Golf Club and the 102nd Match Play for July 17-20 at Buffalo Run in Commerce City.

Overall, the first CGA championship of 2017 will be the Senior Four-Ball May 1-3 at Broadland Golf Course in Broomfield. The CWGA will open with the Mashie June 6-8 at Todd Creek in Thornton and Saddleback in Firestone.

— USGA Qualifiers: Colorado once again will host two final-stage qualifying tournaments for USGA open championships.

U.S. Women’s Open Qualifying is scheduled for May 24 at Riverdale Dunes in Brighton, while U.S. Senior Open Qualifying is planned for June 8 at Meadows Golf Club in Littleton.

And while no final-stage qualifiers for the U.S. Open are set in Colorado, the state will host three Local Qualifiers: May 8 at Heritage at Westmoor, May 15 at CommonGround and May 16 at Collindale.

— Colorado Open Championships: This year’s schedule for the CoBank Colorado Open Championships at Green Valley Ranch Golf Club in northeast Denver will be similar to last year’s, with the Senior Open set for May 31-June 2, the Open scheduled for July 20-23, and the Women’s Open planned for Aug. 30-Sept. 1.

— Junior Golf: On the junior golf end of things, not all the sites for the four Junior Golf Alliance of Colorado major championships have been set, but Eisenhower Golf Club at the Air Force Academy will be a host for a JGAC major for the second time in two years.

Here’s the JGAC major schedule as it stands:

June 12-14 — Colorado Junior PGA Championship, Eisenhower GC

July 10-12 — Colorado Junior Amateur Championship, site TBD

July 31-Aug. 2 — Colorado Junior Match Play, Black Bear GC

Oct. 7-8 — JGAC Tour Championship, site TBD

Meanwhile, Heritage at Westmoor in Westminster will be the new host of the AJGA Transamerica / Hale Irwin Colorado Junior June 6-8, beginning at least a three-year run at the course.

— Winter Events: While the statewide tournament golf season won’t begin until spring, there are several significant events in the interim that can serve to whet the appetite.

The Denver Golf Expo will be held Feb. 10-12 at the Denver Mart. The G4 Summit, which brings together many of the leaders in the Colorado golf industry to hear about and discuss key issues facing the game, is set for Feb. 21 at the Omni Interlocken Resort in Broomfield. And the CWGA’s annual meeting is scheduled for March 4 at the Inverness Hotel & Conference Center in Englewood.
 

As birthday bashes go, this was one to be remembered. It marked a major milestone, plenty of people were in attendance, and some of the biggest names in the history of Colorado women’s golf took part. And, for good measure, there were some oversized birthdays cards and, of course, a cake commemorating the occasion.

Such was the scene at the Inverness Hotel & Conference Center on Saturday as the CWGA kicked off its centennial celebration as the centerpiece of its annual meeting.

More than 230 people attended the event, with at least 125 clubs around the state represented. Those on hand included at least eight current or past presidents of the CWGA (pictured below, from left: Juliet Miner, Jan Ford, Robin Bartlett, Joanne Braucht, Kathryn Davis, Pat Kuntz, Joanie Ott and Mary Lee Browne), one Colorado Sports Hall of Famer (Joan Birkland), several Colorado Golf Hall of Famers (Birkland, Kim Eaton and Maggie Giesenhagen), and the first two CWGA executive directors (Giesenhagen and Robin Jervey). Also in attendance were leadership from the CGA, Colorado PGA and the Colorado Open Golf Foundation.

“It was so much fun,” said Miner, the current president of the CWGA, which serves about 17,000 members. “We were so happy to have everyone here. The best part was watching the past (CWGA) presidents sit together and talk about old times, even though many of them didn’t serve that long ago. And the people who couldn’t be here like Judy Bell and Lynn Zmistowski, they were in our videos, so that was so great. People were inspired by the presentation. I think everyone enjoyed reflecting” on the last 100 years.

That reflection took the form of a 10-minute video that was shown publicly for the first time at the annual meeting. Besides featuring some historical highlights of the CWGA and noting what the association does to fulfill its mission, the video included some thoughts by women who have played major leadership roles over the years. Most notable was World Golf Hall of Famer Judy Bell of Colorado Springs, the first female president of the USGA.

“The CWGA is one of the most respected women’s golf associations in the United States,” Bell noted. “Its reputation has grown over the years right along with its membership. In all my years with the USGA, I was always very proud of the Colorado Women’s Golf Association.

“Happy birthday, CWGA. I wish I was there to blow out the candles.”

One of the centerpieces of Saturday’s centennial celebration was honoring key volunteers, outstanding players and other exceptionally “valued friends”. Receiving the highest awards were Lynn Zmistowski (volunteer of the century), Carol Flenniken (golfer of the century), and Bell, Giesenhagen and Jervey (centennial honorees). (Jervey and Giesenhagen are pictured at left.)

Zmistowski has served more than 30 years on the Course Rating Committee and in 2009 she received the USGA’s Ike Grainger Award for more than 25 years of volunteer work on USGA committees. “Lynn Z”, as she is known, represented Colorado on the USGA Handicap Procedure Committee for 25 years. She was the first captain of the Colorado’s Girls Junior Americas Cup teams, serving in that capacity in the late 1970s and early ’80s. In addition, she’s been an outstanding player, having captured five major individual CWGA championships. She’s been inducted into both the Colorado and Minnesota Golf Halls of Fame.

Flenniken has won more major CWGA individual championships than anyone (15), with eight Stroke Plays, four Match Plays and three Senior Stroke Plays. Before becoming a mainstay in Colorado, she won the 1960 U.S. Girls’ Junior, the 1962 Women’s Western Amateur and the 1964 British Ladies Amateur.

“Thank you to the CWGA for this great honor,” Flenniken said via messenger to annual meeting attendees. “Golfer of the Century, Wow!. … I have fond members of playing in CWGA championships over the years and I cherish the many friendships I have made along the way.”

Bell was the first female president in the history of the USGA (1996-97), was selected the Colorado golf Woman of the Century, and has been inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame, the Colorado Sports Hall of Fame and the Colorado Golf Hall of Fame. She competed in 38 USGA championships and shot a then-record 67 in the 1964 U.S. Women’s Open. She both played on and captained U.S. Curtis Cup teams. And in June, Bell will receive the USGA’s highest honor, the Bob Jones Award.

Giesenhagen served as the first executive director of the CWGA (1988-92) before spending 19 years working for the USGA. A U.S. Girls’ Junior runner-up and the 1965 Big Ten champion, she played in three U.S. Women’s Opens and nine U.S. Women’s Amateurs and claimed the 1974 CWGA Match Play title. She was inducted into the Colorado Golf Hall of Fame in 2002.

“I had the pleasure of following the incomparable Maggie Giesenhagen (as CWGA executive director),” Jervey said. “She was an outstanding golfer, a pioneer for women’s golf. She was a Rules expert and basically phenomenal at everything she did. I just want to commend Maggie for the influence she had on golf in the state — and for what everyone around the country tried to copy.”

Jervey was the executive director of the CWGA for 22 years (1992-2014), was a rules official at the Masters, U.S. Open, U.S. Women’s Open, U.S. Senior Open and other USGA national championships, and served as president of the International Association of Golf Administrators before taking a job as director of event management for JBC Golf — and the Legends Tour, the 45-and-over LPGA senior circuit. Jervey, who served on the USGA Rules of Golf Committee, received the 2015 Distinguished Service Award from the Colorado Golf Hall of Fame.

“The CWGA has been a fabulous organization and Robin took it to new heights,” Giesenhagen said. “She came in at the right time for the CWGA. She took the CWGA right into the 21st century.”

In addition to Zmistowski, the CWGA recognized longtime stellar volunteers (pictured above, from left) Jan Ford, Georgene McConagle, Juna Orr, Jan Fincher, Ouida Neil, Karla Harding and Braucht. Volunteer honorees not pictured are Joan Scholes, Sally Lou Schultz and Zmistowski.

Besides Flenniken, outstanding players who were honored Saturday included Eaton, Lynn Larson, Birkland, Marcia Bailey, Phyllis Buchanan, Zmistowski, Janet Moore and Sally Hardwick. (Pictured at left are, from left, Birkland, Eaton and Larson.)

All in all, the centennial event “was very impressive,” Jervey said. “It was a great celebration. I loved the video they put together. It was nice to hear from people who are still involved and those who have been involved in the past.”

Jervey, who oversaw 23 annual meetings in her time as executive director, admitted it was an unusual feeling to return to the event. It was the same for the former CWGA staffers and interns who were on hand Saturday: (pictured with Jervey from left, Dawn McConkey, Ginger Washco, Kim Schwartz, former USGA P.J. Boatwright intern Bridget Coulton, Jennifer Cassell and Edie Bell.)

“I was telling the (old) staff, ‘Did you guys have deja vu on your drive into Inverness this morning?'” Jervey said. “I’m not wearing a (CWGA) blazer and I didn’t have to be here in the dark setting up, so that part was nice. But it definitely felt like old times.”

The annual meeting was the first of three events during the year in which the CWGA will celebrate its centennial. Others will come during the CWGA Stroke Play at Denver Country Club in early August, and a centennial celebration tournament Sept. 21 at Hiwan Golf Club.

Handing Out Accolades: In addition to its centennial activities, the CWGA on Saturday gave out several annual awards.

The volunteer of the year honors went to CWGA board members Phyllis Jensen and Nancy Wilson, who are heading up the association’s centennial-year activities this year. (The two are pictured at left.)

The previously announced CWGA players of the year for 2015 were Jennifer Kupcho (Player of the Year), Kim Eaton (Senior Player of the Year) and Mary Weinstein (Junior Player of the Year). For more on their accomplishments last year, CLICK HERE.

Receiving the President’s Award on Saturday was Chad Leverenz, who’s played a key informaton technology role as the CWGA set up its new offices at the end of 2014 and beginning of 2015.

Also, the CWGA noted the contributions of retiring board of director members Joanie Ott, Patricia Latta and Patrish Bergamo.

In addition, the association recognized the Raccoon Creek Golf Course’s women’s nine-hole group for selling more than $1,000 worth of Evans Scholars bag tags, helping caddies receive college scholarships. That amount was the highest for any women’s golf club in Colorado. Overall, CWGA clubs raised in excess of $4,000 for the Evans Scholars in 2015, almost $1,000 more than in 2014. Among the Evans Scholar chapter houses is one at the University of Colorado.

Auction Raises $7,171 for LPGA*USGA Girls Golf: The silent auction that was held in conjunction with the CWGA annual meeting on Saturday raised $7,171 for LPGA*USGA Girls Golf. That total was about $1,000 more than at the same event last year.

Let the celebration begin.

On Saturday, just two weeks before the official 100th birthday of the CWGA, the association will throw a wingding commemorating the occasion.

It will be part of a meeting — the CWGA annual meeting, to be precise — which is appropriate because it all started with a meeting, the one that took place on March 14, 1916 that formed the CWGA.

At Saturday’s event at the Inverness Hotel & Conference Center in Englewood, the association will kick off its centennial year with a celebration that will draw many of the most influential figures in the history of the CWGA.

Though association officials want to leave some suspense for Saturday’s festivities, among those expected to be on hand are a Colorado Sports Hall of Famer, seven Colorado Golf Hall of Famers, at least seven past presidents of the CWGA and numerous prominent past staffers. And though World Golf Hall of Famer Judy Bell of Colorado Springs won’t be able to attend due to a recent injury, the former USGA president sent a videotaped message.

“We see this as a very big event,” CWGA acting executive director Laura Robinson said this week. “It’s a great opportunity to celebrate our history, introduce our history to new members attending, and look forward to the next 100 years.”

Also expected to attend are leaders of other major golf organizations in the state, including president Joe McCleary from the CGA, president Leslie Core-Drevecky and executive director Eddie Ainsworth from the Colorado PGA, along with representatives of the Colorado Open Golf Foundation and the LPGA.

“This shows we not only have history, but we have a history of working with partners” within the Colorado golf community, Robinson said. “It’s special that we share this with them.”

In all, the CWGA expects about 230 people on Saturday, with about 120 clubs represented.

During the centennial celebration portion of the annual meeting, a 10-minute video history of the CWGA will be shown publicly for the first time. “It was humbling and touching,” Robinson said of previewing part of the video.

And three groups of outstanding people will be recognized: 10 exceptional volunteers, nine outstanding players who have won at least five major individual CWGA championships, and three especially valued friends of the association.

A “Volunteer of the Century” and “Golfer of the Century” will be singled out.

Also at the annual meeting, three items of CWGA centennial memorabilia will be available for purchase — a ball marker, bag tag and water bottle, all featuring the association’s centennial logo.

A silent auction will be held in conjunction with the annual meeting, with proceeds benefiting LPGA*USGA Girls Golf. Among the more than 50 items that will be up for auction will be an autographed photo of Bronco DeMarcus Ware, a Junior Golf Alliance of Colorado hat autographed by former LPGA standout and current CBS on-course reporter Dottie Pepper (left), a puck from the Colorado Avalanche, and plenty of rounds of golf at Colorado courses.

In addition, the CWGA is inviting people to sign up for its Centennial Club, which will raise fund for the association’s centennial events. In addition to what will take place on Saturday, that will include a celebration during the CWGA Stroke Play at Denver Country Club in early August, and a centennial celebration tournament Sept. 21 at Hiwan Golf Club.

Though the centennial celebration and related activities are a big draw for Saturday’s annual meeting, there are also some things on the agenda that take place every year at this event. Most notably, there’s a business meeting and several breakout sessions planned, including on the Rules of Golf (Karla Harding, Jan Fincher, Sandy Schnitzer), an update on GHIN/Handicapping (Gerry Brown), Test Your Golf Knowledge and Play the Rules Game (Jennifer Lorimor), a Club Presidents Roundtable (Kathy Malpass), and Acupuncture for Golfers.

It would be another four years before ratification of the 19th amendment to the U.S. Constitution gave American women the right to vote, but on March 14, 1916, a group of eight women from five clubs made a pre-suffrage statement that still resonates a century later.

At a meeting that day, the CWGA was formed, with Mrs. Olyn Hemming being elected the first president. The group settled on this purpose for the association: “To promote and maintain the best interests of the game of golf; to hold golf tournaments; and to promote good fellowship among member clubs.”

Six months later, in September 1916 at Colorado Springs Golf Club (what is now Patty Jewett Golf Course), the CWGA held its first champonship, with 28 women competing in what is now known as the CWGA Match Play.

Plenty of water has gone under the bridge since then, bringing the CWGA to a major milestone in its history. This year, the association will celebrate its 100th anniversary, and the festivities will be spread out over the course of 2016.

“I hope the celebration of the winners, players, volunteers and leaders from the past 100 years will be inspiring,” said Laura Robinson, acting executive director of the CWGA.

Over the last two years, plans have been in the works for the centennial, with association board members Phyllis Jensen and Nancy Wilson co-chairing the Centennial Committee.

Most notably, three events are planned that will commemorate the CWGA’s first century:

— The CWGA’s annual meeting, set for Feb. 27 at The Inverness Hotel & Golf Club in Englewood, will feature a video history of the CWGA likely lasting 6-8 minutes. Among other things, it will include sections on tournaments, the rules and the Girls Junior Americas Cup. Several current and recent volunteer leaders of the CWGA have been interviewed, along with Jan Ford, who chaired the CWGA’s 75th-anniversary celebration, and Colorado Golf Hall of Famer Lynn Zmistowski. Organizers are also hoping to have World Golf Hall of Famer and former USGA president Judy Bell of Colorado Springs contribute the introduction and summary for the video. Also planned are unique time-lapse shots from a camera placed at a CWGA championship last year.

Three groups of people — to be announced — will receive centennial honors at the annual meeting: 10 CWGA volunteers who have gone “above and beyond” over the years; nine players who have won at least five major CWGA individual championships (Match Play, Stroke Play, Senior Match, and Senior Stroke); and three exceptional friends of the CWGA.

And beginning at the annual meeting, and for the remainder of the year, three items of CWGA centennial memorabilia will be available for purchase — a ball marker, bag tag and water bottle. Each will feature the association’s centennial logo. In addition, the CWGA will be awarding a special medallion to selected honorees in the course of 2016.

— The CWGA Stroke Play Championship, set for Aug. 2-4 at Denver Country Club, will include centennial-related festivities, though the details are still being finalized. Jensen said the centennial video will likely be shown again.

Denver Country Club is certainly a historic venue from the CWGA’s perspective, having hosted the CWGA Match Play in the association’s 25th anniversary year and the CWGA Stroke Play in the 50th, 75th (and now the 100th) anniversary years. The first CWGA championship held at the club was the 1917 Match Play.

— And on Sept. 21 at Hiwan Golf Club in Evergreen, the CWGA will host a centennial celebration tournament to which some of the most dedicated volunteers and top champions will be invited. A luncheon will follow.

The idea is a take-off of the “medallion mixers” the CWGA used to hold for current and former association board members. “It’ll be called ‘Winners and Workers’,” Wilson noted.

“That will be a neat event,” Jensen added. “And if you can’t play golf, you can come to the luncheon and see people you may not have seen in a while.”

When Ann Guiberson attended the CWGA Annual Meeting on Saturday at the Inverness Hotel and Conference Center, she was expecting to see just a smattering of people she knew from back when she worked for the association.

After all, it’s been 15 years since she departed Colorado to take a job at the USGA.

“I thought I’d see a handful of people that I knew from 15 or 20 years ago, but I saw dozens,” Guiberson said after the meeting. “The players’ names are familiar to me. Many volunteers are still the same; they’re still volunteering and giving back to the game. So I’m very comfortable here in Colorado.”

That’s part of the reason Guiberson (pictured above) was hired this week to become just the third executive director in CWGA history. She’ll officially succeed Robin Jervey on April 1, about two weeks after Jervey bids adieu to Colorado after a 22-year run as the CWGA’s top staff member.

Jervey will move back to her old stomping grounds on the East Coast, where her fiance Scott Whitcomb works and resides. Jervey will handle tournament operations for the Legends Tour, the 45-and-over LPGA senior circuit. Officially, Jervey’s title will be director of event management for JBC Golf, a Boston-based management company. (For more about Jervey’s departure, CLICK HERE and see below.)

While Jervey is moving back East, Guiberson — her right-hand person at the CWGA from 1995 to ’99 — is returning to guide the CWGA after 15 years on the East Coast. Guiberson was introduced to the membership at Saturday’s meeting, and she’ll spend the next week working with Jervey on making a smooth transition. Then after attending the Women’s (golf) Association Roundtable Meeting with some CWGA staff and board members March 10-12 in Phoenix, Guiberson will return to her home in Rochester, N.Y., and get ready to move back to Colorado.

Jervey believes she’s leaving the CWGA in very good care.

“I’m happy to turn it over to Ann,” she said. “She’s excited to come back to Colorado. I know her heart is in the right place. The CWGA will be in really good hands.

“She’s wonderful with detail. Nothing will be undone. She’s the kind that will make sure everything is just right. I know we got along very well when we worked together because we both had that same quality of checking all the boxes.

“Her temperament is excellent. It takes a lot to fluster her. Working with volunteers is kind of an art that you learn over time because you’re working with a ton of different personalities. The (USGA) has thousands of volunteers around the country. I think she really enjoys that. It will be great to bring her here because we’ve got our pool to work with and we rely on them heavily to get everything done.”

Guiberson — an All-Big Eight golfer and Scholastic All-American at the University of Nebraska where she played from 1988 to ’92, and an assistant coach at NU and Colorado State University — worked for the USGA from 1999 to March of last year, when her department was realigned. For those 14 years, she was the director of regional affairs for the East and Great Lakes Regions, covering nine states and the District of Columbia and encompassing roughly 30 golf associations. For much of her time at the USGA, she also was the director of the USGA Women’s State Team Championship.

“With the USGA I wore many different hats,” Guiberson said. “I might be giving a presentation, working on a website, marking a golf course, recruiting volunteers. I’ve done a lot of different things. At the CWGA, I worked in the day-to-day, then I went to work at the USGA in more of a strategic position. Now I’ll be coming back and working in the day-to-day as well as the strategic, so I can blend the experience of those two positions.

“I’m excited to get back to Colorado. It’s really returning home for me.”

It was Guiberson’s work with the USGA that helped set her apart for the CWGA executive director job.

“Just look at her resume and the experience she had with the USGA,” said CWGA president Joanie Ott, part of a five-person group that selected Guiberson. “She has all the tools that we’re looking for. Her interview was incredible. She has a fine sense of humor, and her attention to detail, her skill set, her expertise, it just came out. It was head and (shoulders) above other candidates. We’re just thrilled to have her.”

When Guiberson worked at the CWGA in the 1990s, she and Jervey were the association’s only staffers (compared to now, when there are five women on staff). That was also a time in which golf was growing considerably. The number of female golfers in the U.S. jumped from 5 million in ’95 to 5.4 million in 2000, and courses were opening on a regular basis. But from 2005 to 2012, the ranks of female golfers dropped from 7 million to 5 million, and no new course has opened in Colorado since 2009.

“The staff is larger, and it’s more sophisticated,” Guiberson said of the CWGA. “They’re expanding their programs. Golf was booming back in that time; it was doing well. There were golf course openings in Colorado. It seemed like every couple of weeks we were working with a new club. Now, there’s a different set of challenges with golf overall — participation, affordability and access and making golf fun and welcoming. That’s all things the (CWGA) is working on. … Everyone is interested in getting more women and players out there to play golf. What every association in the country is addressing every day is membership — growing membership and also retaining membership. That will be a priority.”

While Guiberson has some familiarity with the golf market in Colorado, she will take some time learning how the landscape has changed, and getting to know the CWGA staff and volunteers, the clubs that have opened in Colorado in the new millennium, as well as local PGA professionals.

“The CWGA is a leader in promoting women’s golf,” she said. “I’m confident everything is going to be pretty solid. And we can come in and take a look at where we can expand and what we need to do to increase our membership at this point.”

Guiberson, a 4.0 handicap and a former regular at Willis Case Golf Course who competed in the U.S. Women’s Amateur in 1996, also plans to uphold the CWGA’s long tradition of running first-class state championships and national qualifiers. In addition, she’ll be part of the leadership of the CGA/CWGA-owned CommonGround Golf Course, and she’ll be at the forefront of the CWGA’s plans to celebrate its 100th anniversary in 2016. That just touches on a few of her many duties.

But Guiberson knows it won’t be easy to follow in the footsteps of Jervey, who is one of the longest-serving executive directors in Colorado golf history.

“As I was sitting through the meeting, I was thinking all the things Robin Jervey has done over the last 22 years,” Guiberson said. “She’s done a lot. Those are going to be very big shoes to fill.”

Fond Farewell for Jervey: If there was any question how much Jervey is appreciated for her 22 years as CWGA executive director, it was answered at Saturday’s Annual Meeting, the last Jervey will preside over before heading East for a new job.

When she closed her remarks by noting her impending departure, those in attendance at Inverness gave her a 20-second ovation.

Two of those in attendance, Colorado Golf Hall of Famer Kim Eaton and former CWGA president Pat Kuntz, thought so much of Jervey (pictured at left) in her time with the CWGA that they made a special trip from their residence in Tempe, Ariz., to attend Saturday’s meeting.

Not surprisingly, Jervey became emotional when she spoke about leaving in the final minutes of her business-meeting address.

“It’s been an honor and a privilege to serve you for the last 22 years,” she said. “Colorado is an amazing state filled with outstanding people. I will cherish my experiences here and all the wonderful friends and acquaintances I’ve made. … Thank you very much.”

Ott then presented Jervey with “a medallion for you to remember us by.”

Meanwhile, Saturday marked the final day for fellow staffer Kelley Mawhinney, the CWGA’s tournament and junior golf operations manager, who is moving to Charleston, S.C., after three years with the association, the last two as a full-time staffer.

CWGA Annual Meeting Notes: A total of about 240 people attended Saturday’s meeting, with 96 clubs from around the state represented (see photo below). … The three members of the CWGA board of directors who stepped down from that role at the end of 2013 were recognized for their years of service: Kathryn Davis, Karla Harding and Sue Romek. Davis is a former CWGA president. … Also recognized was Jan Fincher, who received the CWGA Volunteer Award at last fall’s Colorado Golf Awards Brunch. … Jervey announced that the CWGA will hold a season kickoff party on April 10, from 4-8 p.m., at the PGA Tour Superstore in Greenwood Village. Admission is free. … Also noted was a new series of social golf outings at CommonGround Golf Course this year, called Monday Mixers. For more information on these and a multitude of other social golf events, CLICK HERE. … Janene Guzowski of Lakewood Country Club, a director for the Western Golf Association, gave those in attendance a brief preview of the BMW Championship, the PGA Tour FedEx Cup playoff event that will be held at Cherry Hills Country Club the first week of September. “It is rockin’ awesome because I went to the one in Chicago last year,” Guzowski said. “It’s going to blow Denver away.”

It was a nice bit of symmetry for Jervey. In ’92, she presided over her first annual meeting as the CWGA’s executive director. On Saturday (March 1) at Inverness, Jervey will oversee her last as she’s leaving the CWGA in about a month to become director of event management for JBC Golf, based in the Boston area. (For that story, CLICK HERE.)

After Jervey’s 22 years on the job, her last major public event as CWGA executive director could be emotional.

“I’m sure it will be,” said Jervey (pictured above, with fellow CWGA staffer Kim Schwartz, at last year’s annual meeting). “I couldn’t keep it together the other day (at a party in her honor at the home of Colorado Golf Hall of Famers Kent and Janet Moore). As the time gets closer, some things hit me as sentimental. I’m sure it will be tough to deal with, with this (annual meeting) being the last one. I’ll try to keep it together, but I’m sure I’ll lose it.”

These first months of 2014 have been — and will be — full of change for female golf administrators in the state. Besides Jervey, Saturday’s CWGA annual meeting will mark the final day on the job for Kelley Mawhinney, CWGA tournament and junior golf operations manager, who is moving to South Carolina/Georgia (or thereabouts) after three years of working for the association, the first one as an intern, then two as a staffer.

In another move, former CWGA staff member LindaSue Chenoweth recently departed — for family-related reasons — after nearly a decade with the Colorado Open Golf Foundation, much of it spent as the chief operations officer. Chenoweth did considerable behind-the-scenes work to make the three HealthOne Colorado Open championships (men’s open, women’s open and men’s seniors) run smoothly. She also played a key role with the First Tee of Green Valley Ranch.

To add to the list, two CGA female staffers are going on maternity leave in the first half of 2014. Director of operations Briena Goldsmith is expected to give birth in mid-April and return to her CGA work after three months. And Evans Scholarship Recruiter Emily Olson begins her maternity leave late this month and plans to work part-time upon her return in the spring.

A lot of things “seem to be happening all at once,” Jervey said.

Amid all the changes, the CWGA will host one of Colorado’s biggest women’s golf-related meetings of the year, Saturday’s CWGA annual meeting at the Inverness Hotel and Conference Center.

The day will feature a variety of 50-minute educational breakout sessions and a keynote speech by Cheryl Burget, who runs leadership and transformational workshops. Jervey said about 250 people are expected to attend the meeting, most representing the roughly 100 clubs which come to the event.

Among the highlights of the day will be:

— Burget, who speaks internationally, is the founder of “Your Intended Life”, a company that helps people become successful “by learning to live their passions.” She’ll touch on that subject, as well as “the Passion Test for Golf — Keys to Creating Your Best Game” and about “the importance of focus and intention” in breakout sessions and during her brunch keynote address.

“It’s been a few years since we’ve had a keynote speaker, so hopefully the members will enjoy that,” Jervey said.

— The other breakout sessions will include a best-practices discussion regarding women’s club membership, with some of the more successful clubs in Colorado sharing what makes things work for them; one-time LPGA Tour champion Lauren Howe will speak about managing your emotions to have greater success in golf and life; a Rules of Golf interactive session; and an open forum with CWGA staffers.

— Janene Guzowski of Lakewood Country Club, a director for the Western Golf Association, will talk about the 2014 BMW Championship PGA Tour event that will be played at Cherry Hills Country Club this year, and about the Evans Caddie Scholarship. Proceeds from the BMW Championship benefit the Evans Scholarship. Near the the end of the day, there will be a drawing for BMW Championship tickets.

— In the business meeting that will conclude the day, Jervey will speak about the CWGA highlights of last year and what’s upcoming, and she’ll undoubtedly bid adieu to the membership.

— And, depending on how candidate interviews go this week, the new CWGA executive director may be introduced to the members.