“I said, ‘You guys need to pay attention,'” the head professional at the Country Club at Castle Pines recounted recently during a phone interview. “Of course, they were on the computer and all that. I said, ‘Are you watching?’ and they were like, ‘Yeah, yeah’. All of a sudden my name pops up on the TV, and they said, ‘Hey, that’s you.'”

Indeed, Kahrhoff and Collindale Golf Course director of golf Dale Smigelsky hit the national radar late in the summer by being named 2012 winners of PGA of America nationwide awards, both for merchandising. Kahrhoff (pictured above, at right) earned his honor in the private facility category, while Smigelsky (pictured left of Kahrhoff) won for public facilities.

Both Coloradans will receive their PGA honors on Friday (Jan. 18) in Orlando, Fla., and they’ll celebrate there next week with fellow members of the Colorado PGA. The Section has won seven PGA of America national awards in the last six years.

Smigelsky and Kahrhoff were both taken aback when they originally heard they earned national PGA honors. And that’s understandable, considering that they’ll be joining an elite group of Colorado PGA members who have received such awards. Sixteen Section members have landed national PGA honors since 1958.

“I got a call from Allen Wronowski, who was president of the PGA of America at the time,” remembers Smigelsky. “I had kind of forgotten we were up for the award, so I thought it was a joke at first, but then I recognized his voice. So many people apply that the chances (of winning) are slim. So it was a shock. I called my wife; it was exciting. Everything has happened real fast.”

Smigelsky grew up in the Orlando area — in Winter Park, Fla., to be exact — so this will be a return to his old haunts, although he hasn’t been there in the last eight or 10 years.

Like Smigelsky, Kahrhoff said his initial reaction was “disbelief and shock. You never belief it will happen. You put together your presentation and give it your best shot, and when you win it’s like, ‘wow’, almost surreal. Then you put your shoes on and do the same thing all over again (on the job). I think it will hit me more when I’m down there.”

Kahrhoff and Smigelsky try to think a little outside of the box in merchandising at their facilities, and they both credit their members/customers, as well as their staffs.

At the Country Club at Castle Pines, “we look at it as providing entertainment for the membership,” said Kahrhoff, who came to the facility in 2008. There are times when the golf shop is set up specifically for women, and when mobile golf shops are utilized. And there are demo days, ball and club fitting sessions, special purchasing opportunities for particular products, etc.

“We have a busy calendar giving membership opportunities to buy,” Kahrhoff said. “There’s always something going on. To me, (the award is) great recognition for the club, and how the membership supports golf operations. And the staff, they work so hard.”

At Collindale in Fort Collins, Smigelsky said, “what sets us apart … is we’re still full service when a lot of other places are cutting back. We’re kind of reversing the trend; while other places are getting away from full service, we’re the other way, trying to do more. We do a lot with a little here, and we’ve built a lot of credibility with our clientele. We sell customer service, and we get a lot of repeat business.”

Smigelsky, who came back to Collindale at the beginning of 2009, owns the golf shop and the Collindale Golf Academy, which helps drive business. Also located on the property is a C.B. & Potts restaurant, so there’s a lot of cross-marketing going on.

“Even though my name is on it, it’s really a team award,” Smigelsky said. “We have so many great people, all I do is really stay out of the way. What I really do best is surround myself with the best people.”

Smigelsky and Kahrhoff are two of nine PGA of America national award recipients that will be honored in Orlando this month.

Kahrhoff and Smigelsky will be the third and fourth members of the Colorado PGA to receive the national merchandising honor from the PGA of America. Keith Schneider of Castle Pines Golf Club won in 1990 in the private facility category, while Russ Miller of the Broadmoor Golf Club earned the resort-category award in 2003.
 

With the year drawing to a close, it’s time to play one final 18. In this case, we’ll run down the top 18 Colorado golf stories of 2012, then throw in some honorable-mention selections at the end.

And just for the sake of a little suspense, we’ll start with the 18th-biggest story.

18. Woodard Inducted into National Black Golf Hall of Fame, Voted into Colorado Golf Hall of Fame: 2012 was a big year for longtime Coloradan Tom Woodard, now the director of golf for the Foothills Park & Recreation District. In March, he was inducted into the National Black Golf Hall of Fame, then in October he was voted into the Colorado Golf Hall of Fame, along with fellow Colorado PGA professional Alan Abrams and Jimmy Vickers. COLORADO GOLF HALL OF FAME FULL STORY, NATIONAL BLACK GOLF HALL OF FAME FULL STORY

17. Tourney Routs by Eaton, Humerickhouse: There were a couple of lopsided state tournament victories that went beyond the norm. Colorado Golf Hall of Famer Kim Eaton prevailed by 16 shots in the CWGA Senior Stroke Play at the course on which she grew up, Greeley Country Club. STORY And in winning his third straight CGA Mid-Amateur, Keith Humerickhouse was a dozen shots ahead of the runner-up, marking the biggest margin in the event since 1991. STORY Then Humerickhouse put an exclamation mark on the year by proposing to his girlfriend in the midst of his acceptance speech for the CGA Mid-Amateur Player of the Year award.

16. A Lucky Seven Straight for Kent Denver: Kent Denver, coached by Bob Austin, set a Colorado record by winning its seventh consecutive state high school boys team championship, this time in Class 3A. STORY 

15. Bertsch, Jacques, Huffer ‘Open’ the Door: Three Coloradans qualified for the top USGA championship for their respective gender. Shane Bertsch of Parker earned a U.S. Open berth for the first time since 1998. STORY And Becca Huffer and Kelly Jacques made it through qualifying at the Broadmoor to punch their tickets to their first U.S. Women’s Open. STORY Then in December, Jacques joined former University of Denver golfer Stephanie Sherlock in earning LPGA Tour status in 2013. STORY

14. Jones Joining Nicholson in Colorado Sports Hall of Fame: Former USGA president Will Nicholson Jr., was inducted into the Colorado Sports Hall of Fame in April. STORY And after being voted in in October, 1996 U.S. Open champion Steve Jones, a former University of Colorado golfer, will follow suit in the spring of 2013. STORY

13. Ringsby Hits the National Stage: Calli Ringsby of Cherry Hills Village had a memorable 2012 tournament season. She swept both the CWGA Junior Stroke Play STORY and Junior Match Play titles. Then she was one of just four American girls selected to compete in the USA-China Youth Golf Match. STORY

12. Lee Adds Still More Variety to Her Accomplishments: With a nine-shot victory in the CWGA Stroke Play, Somin Lee became just the second player in history to win the CWGA Junior Stroke Play, Junior Match Play, Stroke Play and Match Play. Lee joined Wendy Werley as the only golfers to capture all four of those titles during their careers. STORY

11. Colorado PGA Keeps its Streak Going: For the sixth and seventh time in six years, the Colorado PGA earned national awards from the PGA of America. Dale Smigelsky, the director of golf at Collindale Golf Club in Fort Collins, was named PGA Merchandiser of the Year for Public Facilities, while George Kahrhoff, head professional at The Country Club at Castle Pines in Castle Rock, earned the Merchandiser award for private facilities. STORY The Colorado PGA also was among the national leaders in the “Get Golf Ready” initiative in which PGA and LPGA professionals teach people everything they’ll need to know to play golf with confidence — in five lessons, usually for $99 total. The idea is to bring new and former golfers into the game as seamlessly as possible in a no-pressure environment.

10. Tolan Doubles Up in Colorado Open: Coloradan Derek Tolan won his second HealthOne Colorado Open in the last four years, this time rallying after trailing by four strokes with six holes to play. STORY

9. Bermel Departs CSU After 13 Years: After 13 successful years at the helm of the Colorado State University men’s team, Jamie Bermel resigned to take the same job at the University of Kansas. Bermel’s teams went to the NCAA regional tournament in 12 of his 13 years, and in 2011 the Rams earned a berth in the NCAA Finals for just the second time in program history. Overall, the Rams won 18 multi-team tournaments in Bermel’s tenure, including two conference titles. Former national assistant coach of the year Christian Newton succeeded Bermel at CSU. STORY

8. Near Miss in College Finale for Knous: Colorado School of Mines golfer Jim Knous finished up his college career with a flourish. After leading most of the final round of the NCAA Division II national finals, Knous finished second, losing in a playoff. STORY

7. Mallon, Neumann Will Lead the Way at Colorado Golf Club: The leadership of the competing teams for the 2013 Solheim Cup matches that will be played at Colorado Golf Club in Parker was set early this year. Meg Mallon, winner of 18 LPGA Tour events in her career, will captain the U.S. squad, while 1988 U.S. Women’s Open champion Liselotte Neumann will be her European counterpart. STORY 

6. CU Women Score NCAA Breakthrough in Colorado: An NCAA women’s regional golf tournament was held in Colorado for the first time, and the University of Colorado took advantage of its host role at Colorado National by advancing to the NCAA Finals for the first time in program history. STORY

5. Kupcho Rallies from 9 Down in Final Round to Win CGA Stroke Play: After starting the final round nine strokes out of the lead and in 16th place, Steven Kupcho posted one of the biggest final-round rallies ever by a winner of the CGA Stroke Play. His final-round 66 at Fort Collins Country Club gave him the title as a 19-year-old. STORY

4. Solich Caddie & Leadership Academy Debuts: The CGA and CWGA launched a unique initiative to promote the use of caddies and foster candidates for the Evans Caddie Scholarship at the University of Colorado. The Solich Caddie & Leadership Academy at CommonGround Golf Course — which is owned and operated by the CGA and CWGA — provides a powerful incentive to use caddies by paying all of their base fees. The program’s mission is to use caddying and the game of golf to help kids learn how to succeed in life. STORY

3. Stacy Gains Spots in World Golf Hall of Fame: Part-time Colorado resident Hollis Stacy earned one of golf’s biggest honors by being inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame. Stacy, who lives in Lakewood during the summer, won 18 times on the LPGA Tour, but particularly excelled in USGA events. She won three U.S. Women’s Opens and three U.S. Girls’ Juniors. STORY

2. Austin Departing Powerful USGA Executive Committee: Not many women preceded Coloradan Christie Austin as a member of the USGA Executive Committee, one of golf’s most powerful governing bodies. But after six years in that role, Austin will be stepping down in February. STORY 

1. U.S. Amateur a Hit in Colorado: The U.S. Amateur was held in Colorado for just the fourth time, with Cherry Hills hosting and CommonGround being the second stroke-play course. The week started with Jack Nicklaus, winner of 18 major championships and two U.S. Amateurs, playing the role of spectator as son Gary competed. It continued with two players with strong Colorado ties — Michael Schoolcraft and Justin Spray — qualifying for match play. And it ended with largely unheralded and 63rd-seeded Tennesseean Steven Fox winning a final in 37 holes after being 2 down with two holes left. Fox (pictured above with his dad Alan) was the the highest-seeded player to win the U.S. Amateur since the USGA began the seeding process in 1985. About 4,500 fans attended the final day, one of the largest totals in recent U.S. Amateurs. STORY

Honorable Mention: Former University of Colorado athlete Hale Irwin followed the likes of Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus and Tom Watson in receiving the Nicholson Award given for a lifetime of commitment and dedication to the game of golf. Later in the year, the Hale Irwin Elite Player Program was launched, with the initiative designed to nurture the budding careers of exceptional young golfers in the state. … After Ray Makloski won the CGA Senior Match Play in May, son Jimmy claimed a CGA title of his own (the Junior Stroke Play) in June. Later in the year, University of Denver golfer Andy Yang qualified for the U.S. Amateur shortly after sister Jennifer advanced to the U.S. Women’s Amateur. … Former college hockey standout David Delich won the CGA Senior Stroke Play the week after placing second in the HealthOne Colorado Senior Open, which marked the best finish by an amateur in that event since 1999. … Despite dozens and dozens of entrants both years, Lone Tree Golf Club repeated as champion in the season-long CGA Team InterClub Championship. … Nicole Zhang made it to the semifinals of the U.S. Women’s Amateur after qualifying for the event in Colorado. … At age 14, Jordan Sahm of Centennial qualified for U.S. Women’s Amateur Public Links Championship. … Cherry Creek’s Mackenzie Cohen, who shot 93 in the first round of the 5A state tourney in 2011, posted a score 26 strokes better in the final round of this year’s meet en route to an improbable victory. … Six-time CGA Player of the Year Rick DeWitt, who had never before competed in an event on the PGA, Champions or Web.com Tours, qualified for the U.S. Senior Open.
 

But the Section not only has extended its “win streak”, but it’s gone one better.

The PGA of America recently announced its 2012 national award winners, and two Colorado PGA members made the list. Dale Smigelsky, the director of golf at Collindale Golf Club in Fort Collins, was named PGA Merchandiser of the Year for Public Facilities. And George Kahrhoff, head professional at The Country Club at Castle Pines in Castle Rock, earned the Merchandiser award for private facilities.

So that makes seven national PGA awards in six years for the Colorado Section.

“I think that speaks volumes about Colorado golf,” said Eddie Ainsworth, executive director of the Colorado PGA since 2008. “Our PGA professionals continue to be seen as the best of the best. Colorado is leading the country, from our golf courses to our PGA professionals.”

Smigelsky and Kahrhoff (left and right, respectively, in photos above) will receive their awards Jan. 18 in Orlando, Fla.

The honors for Smigelsky and Kahrhoff give the Colorado PGA 16 national PGA awards dating back to 1958. The Section’s recent win streak has included Danny Harvanek (2007 Junior Golf Leader), Clayton Cole (2008 Bill Strausbaugh Award for mentoring fellow PGA professionals), Kyle Heyen (2009 President’s Plaque for player development), Ann Finke (2010 Junior Golf Leader), and the Colorado Section as a whole (2011 Herb Graffis Award for extraordinary and exemplary contributions in player development). And the Section has continued to be at the forefront in player development in 2012, specifically through the Colorado PGA Golf in Schools program — a joint initiative with the Section’s partners in Colorado golf, including the CGA and CWGA — and the national Get Golf Ready campaign.

The PGA of America announced a total of 11 national award winners for 2012. Only Colorado and Connecticut earned two national honors each.

Two times previously, Colorado PGA members have garnered national Merchandiser of the Year awards. Keith Schneider of Castle Pines Golf Club earned the honor in the private category in 1990, and Russ Miller of the Broadmoor Golf Club was named in the resort category in 2003.

In the Colorado PGA’s Section awards, Kahrhoff has twice landed Merchandiser of the Year honors — in 2006 in the resort category at Sonnenalp Golf Club in Edwards, and in 2010 in the private category at The Country Club at Castle Pines. Smigelsky was the Section’s 2010 Merchandiser of the Year for Public Facilities for his work at Collindale.