In the case of Colorado Golf Club competing at the CWGA Club Team Championship, apparently the third time is a charm.

After top-10 finishes in the event each of the past two years, CGC hoisted the trophy on Monday at The Ranch Country Club in Westminster.

With three players out of the foursome shooting 90 or better despite temperatures hovering around 50 degrees, Colorado Golf Club edged out West Woods and Woodmoor by a single shot to claim the title in the 32-team event.

“It’s bragging rights and I think it’s really good for our club,” said Robin Thorsen, the club’s A player for the championship. “I’m really excited. I can’t wait to tell our head pro, Graham Cliff, and bring that big trophy home to the club. I think they’ll be really proud of us. We’re really proud to represent our club. I’m sure they’ll display our trophy in the entry hall.”

In a tournament that features an ABCD stroke play format in which the scores of four players of significantly varying abilities are added up for a gross aggregate team total, the Parker-based club finished with 82-over-par 366 for the day.

Individually, C player Leigh Ann Post led the way with an 83, while B player Gwyn Wheeler had an 89, Thorsen a 90 and D player Ann Motokane a 104. (The champions are pictured above, from left: Thorsen, Wheeler, Post and Motokane.)

“I think Leigh Ann was amazing all day,” Motokane said of Post, whose round included two birdies. Wheeler nearly aced the 122-yard eighth hole, recording CGC’s other birdie.

Post attributed much of her strong play to a new putter her husband just purchased for her. That would be Charlie Post, winner of the CGA Senior Amateur in 2000 and a competitor in the 2017 U.S. Senior Open.

“That putter really worked for me today,” Leigh Ann Post said. “For my whole life, I’m going to keep that putter.”

West Woods (left) — led by Sue Hartwell, who recently advanced to the round of 32 at the U.S. Senior Women’s Amateur — checked in at 367 along with Woodmoor, narrowly missing forcing a playoff. Hartwell’s round included an eagle on the 414-yard 16th hole, but also two 8s.

Rounding out of the top five team finishers were Broken Tee (377) and Fox Hollow (379).

The CWGA Club Team is unique in that every player feels some pressure given that each person’s stroke-play score on every hole counts toward the team total.

“It’s nerve-wracking because it’s (gross) stroke play; you don’t get to use your handicap at all,” Motokane said. “As a D player, you could really blow up and have some huge scores. That’s really stressful.”

That goes for the A, B and C players also. But the Colorado Golf Club team has bonded given that three of them — Thorsen, Post and Motokane — have competed together in the Club Team Championship three times, with Wheeler participating twice. And they’ve all been members at CGC since the club opened more than a decade ago.

“We all have our moments — both (good and bad),” Thorsen noted. “We’re serious — we played as well as we could — but it’s a lot of fun. We enjoy playing with each other.

“We just had good karma.”

The Club Team marks the final CWGA championship of 2017.

CWGA Club Team Championship
At Par-71 The Ranch CC in Westminster

1. Colorado GC 366
Leigh Ann Post 83; Gwyn Wheeler 89; Robin Thorsen 90; Ann Motokane 104.

T2. West Woods 367
T2. Woodmoor 367
4. Broken Tee 377
5. Fox Hollow 379
6. Hyland Hills 380
7. Rolling Hills 383
T8. Omni Interlocken 384
T8. Glenmoor 384
10. Ranch 385
T11. Foothills 387
T11. Blackstone/Black Bear 387
13. Valley 389
T14. South Suburban 391
T14. City Park 391
T14. Pinehurst 391
T17. Highlands Ranch 393
T17. Heritage Eagle Bend 393
T17. Indian Tree 393
20. Riverdale 395
21. Patty Jewett 397
T22. Wellshire 402
T22. Meridian 402
24. Saddle Rock 403
25. Willis Case 405
26. Lake Valley 409
27. Meadows 410
28. Overland Park 415
29. Littleton 416
30. Spring Valley 422
31. Olde Course at Loveland 432
32. Heather Ridge DQ

For all the scores from the Club Team — both team and individual, CLICK HERE.

The CWGA Club Team Championship will be held for the 14th time on Monday (Sept. 25), with The Ranch Country Club in Westminster hosting the tournament this time around.

The event features an ABCD stroke play format in which the scores of four players of significantly varying abilities are added up for a gross aggregate team total.

A team from Patty Jewett Golf Course in Colorado Springs will be back to defend its title. Lita Van Cleave will return after playing on the Patty Jewett foursome that won the title by nine strokes last year.

Other former champions in the field including South Suburban (2014 and ’15), Blackstone/Black Bear (2013), Saddle Rock (2011), Glenmoor (2010), The Meadows (2009), The Ranch (2008) and Heather Ridge, winner of the inaugural championship in 2004.

Among the individuals scheduled to compete who have won individual CWGA championships are Laurie Steenrod (Saddle Rock) and Mary Doyen (Foothills). Kelly Martin from Fox Hollow recently teamed up with Deb Hughes to win the CWGA Dunham Chapman title. And Sue Hartwell from West Woods earlier this month made it to the round of 32 at the U.S. Senior Women’s Amateur.

For Monday’s pairings at The Ranch, CLICK HERE.

A team from outside the Denver metro area had won the CWGA Club Team Championship just once — and never when the event was contested in the metro area — but a squad from Patty Jewett Golf Course in Colorado Springs broke new ground in an emphatic way on Monday.

With many competitors getting into the spirit of the event by wearing color-coordinated outfits at Valley Country Club, the team in pink from Colorado Springs ruled the day.

Though none of its four team members had played in the event before, Patty Jewett caught on quickly in posting a nine-shot victory in the ABCD stroke play format in which the scores of four players of significantly varying abilities are added up for a gross aggregate team total. Patty Jewett’s final tally of 363 was just four strokes off the tournament record, set last year by South Suburban.

Patty Jewett’s winning foursome — out of a 32-team field — consisted of Louise Lyle, who shot a 10-over-par 82; Hilary Dussing (86); Lita Van Cleave (91) and Beth Lindquist (104). (Pictured above are the champions, from left: Lindquist, Dussing, Lyle and Van Cleave. At left are Van Cleave and Lyle holding the trophy.)

“It’s nice (to prevail) because the Denver clubs seem to win everything,” Lyle said. “It’s nice to be like the little club that could. Our club itself is going to be so ridiculously happy. That’s what makes me so excited about it.”

Added Van Cleave: “They’ll be screaming. It’ll be so much fun. I’m excited about it because we’re a public course down in Colorado Springs and we want to make our club proud. It’s just a joy to be allowed to be part of this team.”

Patty Jewett, which hosted the first CWGA championship 100 years ago last month, joined the 2012 squad from the Country Club of Colorado as the only Colorado Springs teams to have won this event. The Country Club of Colorado prevailed at its home club four years ago.

Hyland Hills, The Club at Rolling Hills and the team from Blackstone/Blake Bear shared second place Monday at 372, while host Valley CC was fifth at 373.

South Suburban, winner of this event the last two years, placed ninth at 380 in the last CWGA championship of 2016.

In tying for second place individually, Lyle chalked up a birdie and eight pars in very windy conditions, while Dussing made a birdie and six pars, Van Cleave six pars, and Lindquist two.

“Everybody had bad shots (and) everybody had a bad hole or two,” Van Cleave said. “But we all had some good holes too. On a few of the holes, we all had good holes together. The D player (Lindquist) was getting some pars. That helped everyone involved.”

When asked after the round what they had shot individually, neither Lyle nor Van Cleave knew right away.

“We were just trying to play as a team,” Lyle said. “Somebody would have a bad hole, but someone else would have a par, and it’s like, ‘OK, we’re good.’ We weren’t trying to keep track of numbers. We were just thinking middle of the pack is great. We really didn’t have any expectations coming in. We just wanted to have a good time, and it just ended up that we pulled it out.

“Hilary had a couple of crazy chips that went about 6 inches from the cup. We all had some really good shots. It wasn’t like one person.”

Van Cleave wasn’t even originally scheduled to be on the squad competing at the Club Team Championship, but when another competitor’s handicap went down too much to be a C player, Van Cleave received a call.

“They said, ‘Can you fill in for us?’ I said, ‘You bet, because I’ve wanted to do this for many years,'” Van Cleave recalled. “You have to be asked at our club. I felt very honored to have this opportunity to play.”

Individually on Monday, Nina Dulacki of Broken Tee shot the best score of the day overall, an 8-over-par 80. Lyle and former CWGA Senior Stroke Play and Senior Match Play champion Mary Doyen from Foothills tied for second place in the individual competition at 82.
 

CWGA Club Team Championship
At Par -72 Valley CC in Centennial

Patty Jewett 174-189–363
(Patty Jewett Team Members: Louise Lyle 38-44–82; Hilary Dussing 42-44–86; Lita Van Cleave 44-47–91; Beth Lindquist 50-54–104)
Blackstone/Black Bear 186-186–372
Hyland Hills 185-187–372
The Club at Rolling Hills 187-185–372
Valley CC 190-183–373
Spring Valley 194-180–374
Broken Tee 189-186–375
Glenmoor CC 189-190–379
South Suburban 194-186–380
Colorado Golf Club 188-194–382
Kissing Camels 193-190–383
Pinery CC 192-191–383
Wellshire 187-196–383
Fox Hollow 192-194–386
West Woods 200-187–387
The Meadows 189-200–389
Heritage Eagle Bend 198-193–391
Willis Case 197-194–391
Foothills 198-195–393
Lake Valley 198-195–393
Highlands Ranch 199-198–397
Overland Park 196-204–400
Pinehurst CC 209-191–400
Littleton 205-198–403
Red Hawk Ridge 204-199–403
Meadow Hills 210-194–404
The Ranch CC 208-199–407
Saddle Rock 204-208–412
Fitzsimons 203-219–422
Pradera 214-214–428
Raccoon Creek 220-213–433
Indian Peaks NC

Take the case of Tuesday’s 11th annual CWGA Club Team Championship. In a tournament in which each participating course is represented by A, B, C and D players, it was the highest handicapper who really came up big for the winning team from South Suburban Golf Course.

In the 18-hole competition held at Kissing Camels at the Garden of the Gods Club in Colorado Springs, South Suburban and the Greg Mastriona Golf Courses at Hyland Hills tied in regulation and went to a playoff.

And in sudden death, 27.5 handicap Peggy Christopherson sank a 12-foot par putt, helping South Suburban prevail by three strokes on the first playoff hole.

Asked if she thought the outcome might come down to her in sudden death, Christopherson laughed and said, “I’m a clutch player. I tend to perform better under pressure.”

Laugh though she might, Christopherson drew praise for coming through on the extra hole.

“She was crucial on the playoff hole — probably the key,” said teammate Claudia Gallegos.

Both South Suburban and Hyland Hills recorded 381 totals in regulation. And in a championship in which 11 teams finished within 10 shots of the winners, host Kissing Camels placed third at 383. Defending champion Canongate finished fourth at 384.

At the Club Team, the gross scores for a course’s A, B, C and D players are added together. In the case of South Suburban, Janine Lowe posted an 84 individually, Gallegos an 89, Diane Rae Miller a 97, and Christopherson a 111. (The champions are pictured above.) It was South Suburban’s first title in the Club Team, and all four representatives were competing in the event for the first time.

“It’s a great honor and a big deal for us to bring this home to our course,” noted Lowe, whose round included a birdie. “We have a lot of wonderful, great players playing out of South Suburban. We are very competitive in all our leagues.”

Lowe and Gallegos have won CWGA titles before — claiming victories in various flights of team events. But the Club Team takes on a little different complexion.

“There are bragging rights,” Christopherson said. “You keep the trophy for a whole year and you’re the only team that won.”

Placing second on Tuesday, as representatives of Hyland Hills, were Mary Lou Grooms, Odette Kleidon, Karen Bergert and Diane Voake.

The low individual score carded in the Club Team was an 8-over-par 79 by Vickie Brown of Canongate. Jill Gaschler of Willis Case was next best with an 80.

All told, 29 teams competed in the Club Team, the final event of the 2014 CWGA championship season.

For scores from the championship, CLICK HERE.

Such was the case Monday in the final CWGA championship of 2013, the 10th annual Club Team competition held at the Omni Interlocken Resort Golf Club in Broomfield.

The four golfers representing Aurora-based Canongate at Blackstone Country Club had an inkling they might place, but they weren’t thinking victory.

But with a cumulative gross score of 81-over-par 369, Blackstone not only prevailed in the 29-team competition, but it did so by a relatively comfortable nine strokes over runner-up Cherry Hills Country Club. CommonGround and Hyland Hills shared third place at 383.

“It was really exciting because we didn’t think we played quite well enough to take first place,” said Ruth Van Zee, the “A” player in the ABCD format. “We thought we might place. We didn’t play a stellar round, but we played steady.

“We were all very surprised that we took first. Everybody just kept plugging along. We kept supporting each other and kept playing golf. That’s what you’ve got to do. We were ecstatic.”

Individually for Blackstone, Van Zee shot an 85, while Kim Gould had an 87, Riz Williams a 97 and Carol Iwata a 100. The winning foursome is pictured above, from left: Gould, Williams, Van Zee and Iwata.

Former CWGA Senior Player of the Year Christie Austin, until recently a member of the USGA Executive Committee, claimed low individual honors by firing a 4-over-par 76 for Cherry Hills. Tying for second place at 78 were Nikki Athey of the defending team champion Country Club of Colorado, Jane Ford of Hyland Hills and Cindy Snow of the Pinery.

Van Zee serves as the handicap chair at Blackstone, so she’s responsible for organizing the club’s team. Barring scheduling conflicts, the foursome usually falls together pretty easily.

“It’s kind of an honor to be able to play in this,” Van Zee notes.

And while no one from the Blackstone team was stellar on Monday, the four players teamed up the best of any of the clubs competing.

“Our C and D players (Williams and Iwata) played exceptionally well,” Van Zee said. “The A and B players, we each had a birdie. We each had our share of holes we did really well on and we each had our share of holes we got in trouble. Nobody played really outstanding, but we all played very steady.”

For Van Zee, it was her second CWGA championship in the last three years as she and Jessi McVay claimed the Chapman title in 2011.

“For me personally it’s quite an honor to win,” Van Zee said. “The CWGA has some great golfers.

“Team events are kind of nice because you have your team to support you and rally around you. Some people like individual (events) better because it’s just them. Either way, to win a CWGA tournament is quite an honor.”

CWGA Club Team Championship
At Par-72 Omni Interlocken Resort GC in Broomfield

Canongate at Blackstone CC — 184-185–369
Cherry Hills CC — 194-184–378
  
CommonGround GC — 194-189–383
   
Hyland Hills GC — 197-186–383
          
City Park GC — 188-200–388
       
Foothills GC — 192-198–390
       
The Pinery CC — 196-196–392
            
Red Rocks CC — 194-199–393
            
Fox Hollow GC — 197-198–395
           
Heritage Eagle Bend GC — 194-203–397
       
Pinehurst CC — 206-191–397
       
Saddle Rock GC — 182-216–398
     
Wellshire GC — 200-200–400
   
Westwoods GC — 209-191–400
        
Omni Interlocken Resort GC — 200-204–404
Broken Tee GC — 212-196–408
            
Deer Creek at Meadow Ranch GC — 199-210–409
       
The Club at Rolling Hills — 204-208–412
         
Coal Creek GC — 208-205–413
       
The Meadows GC — 204-209–413
        
CC of Colorado — 216-199–415
            
Willis Case GC — 201-214–415
   
South Suburban GC — 211-212–423
      
Glenmoor CC — 207-220–427
              
Meadow Hills GC — 208-220–428
             
Overland Park GC — 212-216–428
       
Patty Jewett GC — 208-227–435
     
The Club at Pradera — 229-206–435
         
Kissing Camels GC — WD
 

Besides getting to play some golf on a workday, Athey made the decision pay off in a couple of respects. First, she tied for the best individual score of any of the 120 players competing in the CWGA Club Team Championship, shooting a 9-over-par 80. And more importantly, she led the Country Club of Colorado to the team title at its home course.

“That’s awesome,” Athey said of claiming the team championship. “It’s the first time (the club) has ever played in this, so to win is fun and cool. The club was excited.”

The four representatives of the club in Colorado Springs (pictured) put their home-course advantage to good use as they ran away with the Club Team title. Though archived records for the event aren’t complete, the Country Club of Colorado’s 15-stroke victory is likely the largest winning margin in the tournament’s nine-year history.

It marked the second time in the last seven Club Team Championships that the home course has come out on top. Columbine Country Club did it in 2006.

The Country Club of Colorado posted a cumulative total of 369 for its A, B, C and D players, which gave the club a comfortable victory margin over the next-best teams: City Park Golf Course (384), Canongate Colorado (385) and Heritage Eagle Bend Golf Club (385).

In addition to Athey’s 80, individual scores for the winning team were: Carol Key 85, Terry Keller 88, and Sheila Manzanares 116.

“The main advantage we may have had is knowing our greens,” Athey said. “The mountain (Cheyenne Mountain) plays a huge factor.”

But having never competed in the Club Team before, Athey, Key, Keller and Manzanares didn’t know what a good score for the event was. Suffice it to say they didn’t expect their total to be in the hunt.

“We were really surprised because we had never done it before,” Athey said. “369 — that seemed high to me, but who knew?”

 And now Athey has one title to show for the one CWGA championship in which she’s ever competed.

“One-for-one, woo-hoo,” she said with a laugh.

Defending champion Saddle Rock Golf Course placed 20th this year with a 406 total. In the history of the CWGA Club Team Championship, no course has repeated as champion.

CWGA Club Team Championship
At Par-71 Country Club of Colorado in Colorado Springs


CC of Colorado 186-183–369


City Park GC 192-192–384


Canongate Colorado 192-193–385


Heritage Eagle Bend GC 197-188–385


Foothills GC 193-193–386


Kissing Camels GC 203-185–388


Patty Jewett GC 194-194–388


Fox Hollow GC 203-190–393


Glenmoor CC 199-195–394


CommonGround GC 201-194–395


Valley CC 202-196–398


The Links GC 201-198–399


Broken Tee GC 196-204–400


Red Rocks CC 206-195–401


Monument Hill CC 206-197–403


Westwoods GC 195-208–403


Willis Case GC 199-204–403


Raccoon Creek GC 211-194–405


The Meadows GC 202-203–405


Saddle Rock GC 201-205–406


Overland Park GC 207-203–410


The Club at Rolling Hills 212-198–410


Wellshire GC 203-208–411


The Ranch CC 205-209–414


South Suburban GC 207-209–416


Deer Creek GC at Meadow Ranch 211-208–419


Meadow Hills GC 212-209–421


Breckenridge GC 207-217–424


Highlands Ranch GC 211-218–429


The Courses at Hyland Hills 222-213–435