When it comes to women assuming major leadership roles in Colorado golf organizations — ones traditionally held by men — the last five years have marked a seismic shift in the landscape.

— In 2014, Leslie Core-Drevecky became the first female president of the Colorado PGA.

— A year ago, when the CGA and CWGA joined forces and became one organization, Juliet Miner and Joe McCleary agreed to serve one year as co-presidents of the CGA, with Miner becoming the first female president of the association.

— This fall, Colorado Golf Hall of Fame inductee Janet Moore was chosen the new president of that organization. Moore is a five-time winner of the CGA Women’s Stroke Play Championship.

— Also this fall, Molly Greenblatt was selected chairperson of the board for the Colorado Open Golf Foundation, which adminsters the CoBank Colorado Open Championships and The First Tee of Green Valley Ranch. Greenblatt earned low-amateur honors in the 1999 Colorado Women’s Open.

— On a national level, last month Suzy Whaley became the first female president of the PGA of America.

— Then last week, Janene Guzowski (pictured) was elected president of the CGA’s volunteer board of directors, becoming the first woman to hold that position outright. It was just over two years ago that Guzowski and Tracy Zabel became the first women to serve on the CGA board. Before the CGA and the CWGA started down the road of integrating — at the behest of the USGA — “we were operating under the understanding with the CWGA that if there were any talented women that were being considered, the CWGA would sure appreciate the opportunity to have them join their board,” CGA executive director Ed Mate said. “And that would happen a lot. We’d have a woman we thought highly of, and we’d steer that individual to the CWGA.”

But nowadays, with the boards of the CGA and CWGA having merged a year ago, roughly 40 percent of the CGA board in 2018 were women. That will remain true in 2019. And next year, three members of the Executive Committee will be women, with Guzowski joined by Dana Murray (secretary) and Miner (past president). To see the CGA’s 2018 volunteer leadership, CLICK HERE.

Asked her impression of women taking more leadership roles in Colorado golf, Guzowski said, “It’s a phenomenon, and to me it represents what happened last year with the historic merger of the CGA and the CWGA. Women are coming forward and people are giving us a chance to show everybody what we can do with golf in Colorado. It’s not strictly a man’s world anymore with golf or anything else for that matter. For us it’s an amazing growth and coming together in Colorado golf.”

The CGA has obviously experienced major changes over the last year, and Mate is among those who see the selection of Guzowski as the association’s new president as ideal in several respects.

“We have a lot of positive momentum with the integration and we just want to continue that as we have a lot of work yet to be done,” Mate said. “Having a strong, positive leader like Janene, it became obvious she was the right choice. This was the decision of the Nominating Committee, chaired by Doak Jacoway. They looked at the talent and looked at the situation and what does the organization need right now, and Janene was the clear, head-and-shoulders choice for the job at this point in time.

“She has the right set of skills. She personable. She loves caddies; that’s been her passion. The work she does with the Western Golf Association (which administers the Evans Scholarship for caddies) is also part of our mission. She was the right person at the right time.”

Though McCleary ended up serving three years as CGA president/co-president — while Miner did two as CWGA president and one as CGA co-president — traditionally CGA presidents have served two consecutive one-year terms. That was the case for every president from 2000 through 2015, and likely will be true for Guzowski as well.

“I hope to take us into the new year strong,” said Guzowski, a resident of the Cherry Creek area of Denver who belongs to Lakewood Country Club and Frost Creek in Eagle and owns a 15 handicap. “The committee chairs are all picked and they’re all off and running. I have some big shoes to fill after Joe and Juliet. I have four huge shoes to fill. They were instrumental in bringing the CGA and the CWGA together and they’ve led strongly and wonderfully through the process. I’m looking forward to taking what they have done and running with it.”

Guzowski, a graduate of Southern Methodist University who sells the Carlisle clothing line, is certainly no stranger to being in golf leadership roles on boards traditionally dominated by men. As mentioned, she was one of the first two women on the CGA board. She was also the first female director in Colorado for the WGA, joining that organization in 2011. In addition, she was the first female chairperson of the caddie committee at Lakewood Country Club.

“She’s the most likeable person,” Mate said of Guzowski. “She made it so comfortable for everybody. Let’s be honest: There’s a patriarchal culture, but she came in and didn’t miss a beat (in the WGA role). Now there are more women being considered for director’s positions around the country, and she was a pioneer in that respect.”

Guzowski also has served on the Colorado Golf Hall of Fame board since 2015.

As Guzowski begins her term as the CGA president, we conducted a Q&A with her last week. Here’s some of that conversation:

Q: How does it feel to be one of first women to become president of the CGA?

Janene Guzowski: “Of course, I’m honored and I’m humbled. I’m looking forward to leading the united group (after the merger of the CGA and the CWGA) and serving golf in Colorado for all people. I’m just thrilled. It’s going to be a learning experience for all of us.”

Q: Whenever you were first approached about possibly taking the role as president, what compelled to say yes?

JG: “I didn’t say yes right away. I was first of all very stunned. I understand the reason why they have asked me. I needed to see what kind of time commitment was involved, which is a lot. I’m approaching it as a full-time unpaid job. It already is. I had to think about it, talk to my husband (Alan). I have an 82-year-old gorgeous mother who I spend a lot of time with. I assume it’s going to take some time away from everybody — friends, family — and I wanted to make sure that it was OK with everybody.

“Of course, I was honored and flattered. I feel I can do a good job and do what they’ve asked me to do and expect me to do — and I’m excited to go forward.”

Q: What are your priorities for your time as president?

JG: “We’re introducing our new branding, our new logo, which is amazing. That will all come out at the end of January, and I look forward to representing that logo and getting it out there for people to look at and know what it stands for. I’d like to work with a lot more women’s groups and getting more women involved with the CGA. I’d like to have tournaments that serve a broader range of mainly men — a handicap or flighted tournament for a golfer of any handicap, which we don’t have right now with the CGA. Women have all kinds of (those types of) tournaments, but there aren’t any for the men. I’d like to see if we can get one of those tournaments implemented (possibly for 2020 or 2021). I’d like to have a co-ed tournament sponsored by the CGA open to all level of players as well. Those are some top issues for me.”

Q: Caddies are close to your heart. Will that be another priority for you, whether it be the Solich Caddie & Leadership Academy at CommonGround Golf Course or the Evans Scholarship at CU or whatever the case may be?

JG: “I’ve been on the caddie committee at Lakewood Country Club for 18 years. I chaired the committee for five years on and off. Next year will be my ninth year on the board of directors for the WGA. I’ve work with the Solich Caddie Academy kids. I was the chairman of the Caddie Development Committee for the CGA. All that will continue. It’s all near and dear to my heart.

“I was put on the caddie committee at Lakewood Country Club 18 years ago and watching these 13- and 14-year-old children — they’re children at the time — being trained to be a caddie, trained to talk to adults, trained to get up and be at a job at 6:30 in the morning … These kids are trained to be accountable and to have a future job throughout high school and perhaps college. Watching these kids grow and mature, talking to them about the Evans Scholarship and the possibility of getting full-ride tuition at CU, it changes children into adults and it’s an amazing thing to see. I’ve enjoyed it and will continue to enjoy it. I enjoy training caddies (left), I take caddies, I keep in touch with caddies. It’s going to continue to be a big thing for me. One of my favorite things that Ed Mate always says is the ‘C’ in CGA stands as much for caddies as it does for Colorado. That’s perhaps one of the reasons I became so involved so quickly because I have that same love that Ed does.”

Q: Having been on the CGA board, how do you think the integration of the CGA and CWGA has gone?

JG: “It could not have gone better. Joe and Juliet are now almost best friends. They got along so famously. I love Juliet’s analogy of a marriage. She gave up her name, her bank account, she moved. The CGA offered the CWGA so much in return for what they gave up. Golf in Colorado is going to be so much better for everybody. The Colorado Golf Association is all people, all ages — women, kids, men, people of all backgrounds and all inclusive of golf — whereas it wasn’t in the previous years.”

Q: What’s been your experience like since joining the CGA board in September 2016?

JG: “I think it’s one of the best boards I’ve ever served on. I think the Colorado Golf Association is the best golf association in the United States if you ask me — not that I’ve served on other ones. But in comparison to other boards I sit on, it’s organized and it runs smoothly. The staff … Ed Mate is amazing as our executive director. Meetings are run efficiently and timely. The issues that are brought up are important for golf in the state of Colorado. The talent on the board itself, there’s so much talent that can be tapped. I hope to do that as well; I hope to bring out the best in every person on the board, to get them involved in volunteering. There are so many smart, intelligent, talented people to work with. It’s thrilling.”
 

It’s been a quick-moving, eventful last three years in golf administration for Laura Robinson.

And, as of the end of this month, the ride will be over for a person who couldn’t have foreseen all the twists and turns along the way.

Robinson, a former CWGA executive director who’s currently the managing director of membership and integration for the CGA, plans on retiring at the end of the year, calling it a career after lengthy stints in the business world, as a college faculty member in an information technology studies program — and these recent years in leadership roles in Colorado golf.

“This has been the most rewarding three years of my career,” Robinson said in a recent phone conversation. “I had to pull knowledge from every aspect of all my experience together — from accounting and finance, employment law, human resources, marketing, customer service (and) operations in order the lead the CWGA, then to integrate the two associations (the CGA and the CWGA).

“I think I’ve been very, very lucky to have this as the capstone to my career. It’s been so much fun. I truly appreciate the support the CWGA board of directors gave me by first hiring me for the job, then keeping me in line and teaching me about golf administration and everything we were trying to do to build out women’s golf in Colorado.”

Robinson, a Colorado resident for the last 20 years, couldn’t have known what to expect when she volunteered in the summer of 2014 to help develop an I.T. stragegy for the CWGA. She then joined the association’s volunteer board of directors in 2015.

When the CWGA board decided to go in a new direction, leadership-wise, it turned to Robinson, who became the acting executive director at the beginning of 2016 and resigned her board position. And in May of that year, the “acting” part of her title was removed and Robinson became just the fourth E.D. the CWGA ever had, following Maggie Giesenhagen (1988-1991), Robin Jervey (1992-2014) and Ann Guiberson (2014-15).

During Robinson’s time as executive director, the CWGA celebrated its 100th anniversary throughout 2016, then the association joined forces with the CGA, becoming one organization at the beginning of this year. The unification, prompted by the USGA’s decision to partner with just one full-service Allied Golf Association in each state or region, was long in the works, with current CGA co-presidents Joe McCleary and Juliet Miner playing key roles in the process, along with Robinson and CGA executive director Ed Mate. (The four are pictured below.)

“This was an unexpected career move for me,” Robinson said regarding golf administration. “I was thrilled to be working for the CWGA for two years and learning about golf administration and running a small business. Merging with the CGA was a wonderful business move and I was really excited to be one of the leaders in that effort.

“It was very exciting formulating a plan make the CWGA and CGA a new organization to support the future of the game. It was so exciting to be part of all that — to lead an effort to integrate two companies so successfully, to identify a new logo, a new website (both of which will be unveiled early next year), a new way of operating, to expand our programs to men. It was just so exciting to be part of making sure the future of golf was strong in Colorado.”

And, given that this process has played out over more than three years, how does she think the integration has worked out?

“The two organizations were combined to make both of us stronger,” Robinson said. “We could share the resources the CGA had. They had more resources than the CWGA. And the CGA could benefit from all of the programs that are developed for women and high handicappers that could be rolled out for men. We were literally building the future of a golf association in Colorado to serve a wider variety of people than either organization had served before. It was really exciting to be part of that.”

Mate has worked closely with Robinson in recent years, both before and after the unification, and he certainly appreciates what Robinson has done to make the merger relatively seamless.

“Laura was just the right person at the right time in so many ways because of her business background, her ability to organize, prioritize and really kind of tease out the right questions through the integration,” Mate said. “She maintained the really good continuity with the leadership of the CWGA through this transition. She was just indispensible.

“Her business background has been such a great addition, a skill set we’ve been able to really capitalize on because she was able to develop a strategic plan by working with a team during the busiest time of the year. As we’re preparing for next year, we have by far the best blueprint to guide us for the next several years. She led us through a process of prioritization and analysis of membership. She almost did a Masters degree project that was an excercise in strategic planning. It will have huge benefits moving forward. She’s leaving us in great position. What a great legacy that that will live on for a while.

“Beyond that, she’s been very fun to work with, very passionate about the game of golf.”

The staff of the CWGA didn’t simply move into the same offices as the CGA. The volunteer boards of the two organizations were joined together — with McCleary and Miner agreeing to serve a year as co-presidents to further ease the transition period — and the CWGA staff has become integral in CGA work moving forward. That includes Kate Moore, Matthew Walker, Aaron Guereca and Debbie Kolb — in addition to Robinson.

“We had a great team in the (CWGA) office, and I’m so glad for the CGA that every one of them has decided to stay,” Robinson said. “I feel like I’ve made friends for life through this whole experience.”

And Robinson’s run over these recent years also gave her an ever-increasing appreciation of the work volunteers do — and have done — for the associtions.

“Due to this experience, I truly learned about volunteerism,” she said. “The CWGA has almost a hundred dedicated volunteers, passionate about golf, passionate about giving back to the game they love. Without the volunteers, we couldn’t have had the successful tournaments and Golf Experiences that we had. Thank you to each and every one of the volunteers for being part of the success.”

During the last year as part of the CGA staff, Robinson (at left with Miner) has taken on a multi-faceted role in the effort to make the association as good as it can be serving its newly combined membership.

“I led the team to integrate the two organizations,” she said. “It was a lot more than simply moving in together. We had to identify new roles and responsibilities. We kicked off a plan to develop a new brand and identity through a new logo and color scheme, which will be shared with the public at the (Denver) Golf Expo in February. We have a new website that is currently under development to take advantage of the new brand identity — presenting one consolidated view of the CGA to all golfers in the state.

“I was behind the effort to create a strategic plan for the newly formed CGA. It wasn’t merely taking two organizations and band-aiding them together. We really wanted to take advantage that we were a new organization focused on new programs, new demographics and a new way of operating. So a strategic plan that I developed helped support that effort. We still have a few tasks left in the integration, (including) merging all of our documents and the combined website. Though we started moving in (to the CGA offices) in late October of 2017, it truly has taken over a year to complete the integration of the two organizations.”

As the CGA forges on, Robinson and her husband Paul will continue to split time between Colorado and Florida — and will remain members at Hiwan Golf Club in Evergreen. The plan for the foreseeable future includes “playing lots of golf, ski and travel,” she said.

And, there will be time to reflect on these eventful last few years in golf administration.

“Every day was memorable,” she said. “Every day was a learning experience, meeting new people, developing new programs, cementing our relationship in the golf community. One of the highlights was when the CWGA (received a distinguished service award from) the Colorado Golf Hall of Fame. I think that cemented our history and our place in history in the golf community. Another high moment was when I chaired my very first annual meeting for almost 175 women from clubs all over the state. That was incredibly rewarding to see the level of passion, energy and participation from public clubs, private clubs, nine-hole leagues, 18-hole leagues, championship golfers and high handicappers alike.”
   

“I’m a comer, I’m a doer, I’m a participant.”

That was Juliet Miner’s matter-of-fact reaction after answering in the affirmative when recently asked if she had attended each G4 Summit since the event’s inception in 2014.

Indeed, when it comes to volunteering in Colorado golf, Miner does far more than her fair share. And she’s not just a passive volunteer. She plays key roles, and doesn’t hesitate when tough decisions have to be made and big-picture planning is needed.

In that regard, she’s been in the right position at the right time. For the past two years, Miner served as president of the CWGA, and this year she’s a co-president of the CGA along with Joe McCleary.

And during her tenure as president/co-president, she, along with other association leaders, has been where the buck stops as the CWGA switched executive directors, conducted a series of celebrations as part of its 100th anniversary, and as the CWGA joined with the CGA to become a single Allied Golf Association serving both men and women in Colorado.

It’s little wonder why Miner was named Volunteer of the Year for 2017 at the recent CGA Women’s Annual Meeting.

“It’s been unbelievable working with her,” said McCleary, who was sole president of the CGA for two years before he and Miner agreed to be co-presidents. “She’s a thinker, she’s a doer. I think everything came together at the right time because we have an excellent working relationship.”

Asked about all that’s happened in her time as president/co-president, Miner won’t deny that it was more than she expected, but she didn’t shy away from doing what needed to be done.

“I’m from the Midwest (she grew up in Iowa) and we’re big on duty,” she said in a recent interview. “I was surprised that it was as much of a challenge as it was. Fortunately for me, I thrive on challenges, so I just set to it and got it done.

“If we all do our part, it makes it easier for all of us. If we all gave a bottle of water, people wouldn’t be thirsty. If we all gave food, nobody would be hungry. If we all volunteered, people would be helped. It just takes a big effort from a lot of people. If everybody did their part, it would be easy.”

And Miner is quick to point out she’s gotten plenty of help during her time in a leadership role.

“I have a sense of great pride for the accomplishments that I’ve been able to make through all the wonderful friendships and collaborations with everyone — the men, the women, commitee chairs, golfers, members,” Miner said. “I’ve gotten feedback from everyone I’ve come into contact with and if I didn’t know the answer (regarding a particular issue), I’ve asked for help from people. I’d have to say Laura Robinson and Kathryn Davis (former CWGA executive director and president, respectively) were my pillars of support, along with Joanie Ott, who was my predecessor” as CWGA president.

Robinson, currently the managing director of membership and integration at the CGA, served with Miner on the CWGA board of directors before becoming executive director in 2016, heading the staff that carried out the wishes of the CWGA board.

“It’s been very special with Juliet,” Robinson said. “We really do complement each other. Juliet sees the big picture so clearly. Her job is to set the vision and strategy and my job is to execute. We were fortunate that we had complementary sets of skills. We actually had a lot of fun. I’m going to miss her (when she steps down as co-president at the end of the year) as far being as my boss.”

With the executive director change, the CWGA’s 100th anniversary celebrations and the integration with the CGA, “She made all that happen,” Robinson added. “Juliet has a lot of courage to make change happen. She saw the need for change a couple of years ago and knew that kind of change would be better for women’s golf.”

Miner, a criminal defense attorney since 1984 and a Colorado resident since ’83, was helped in her current role by experience she gained in the 1990s. That was when she served as the president of the club at Perry Park Country Club in Larkspur.

“Not the ladies group — the club (overall),” she noted. “It was a similar situation (as now). They got me on the board and the vice president resigned, so I was president for two years, which was unprecedented. I went through the death of a club manager (and other significant issues). This is nothing new to me.”

Like McCleary and other association presidents in the past, Miner volunteers considerable time to the role. It’s not unusual for her to spend 20 hours a month on her volunteer duties during busy times of the year. And in 2017, she racked up 4,000 miles of driving while serving the CWGA. She averages four meetings a month, along with a like number of phone calls. Overall, this is her seventh year on the board of the CWGA/CGA. She’s a past captain of the Colorado Girls Junior America’s Cup team and she continues to serve on the CGA Course Rating Committee and on the board of trustees for the Colorado Open Golf Foundation. Still, she notes that there are other women’s golf volunteers in the state who devote even more time to the cause.

(And despite her job as a lawyer and her volunteer duties, Miner still plays more than 100 rounds of golf per year. “I try to play golf every day that I can,” she said. “I’m no spring chicken and I’ve only got probably 20 years left (to play regularly). I want to play every day that I can in the 20 years that I have left.”)

Pivotal in the bigger picture of golf in Colorado was the integration with the CGA, which was long in the making. As part of efforts to streamline its relationship with state and regional golf associations, the USGA announced that starting at the beginning of 2018, it would partner with just one full-service Allied Golf Association in each state or region. That directive led to the unification of the associations, which was finalized in the case of the CGA and the CWGA late last summer. The board of directors of the two associations formed into one leadership team, with McCleary and Miner becoming co-presidents. And the staff of the associations merged, based out of the existing CGA offices in Greenwood Village.

Integration of separate golf associations in some other states/regions didn’t go as smoothly. But a foundation that Miner and McCleary laid in the fall of 2015 — before they were presidents — paid dividends in that regard.

The USGA had held a town hall meeting in K.C. regarding its Allied Golf Association plan. On the flight back to Denver, Miner had boarded first, and when McCleary later walked down the aisle, he sat in an available seat in the same row. The two chatted on the flight — mainly about personal things rather than the USGA plan — and hit it off well.

“I firmly belive if you know someone personally, you can do business with them,” Miner said. “That’s the beauty of golf. If you can play a round of golf with someone, you can do business with them. You know what their ethics are, you know what their goals are, what their challenges are. That’s the way to do business.”

Said McCleary: “I didn’t really know her until we went to Kansas City. Our friendship — which is what I’ll call it because I think it’s applicable — really started to develop on the plane flight back.”

From there, as presidents of the CGA and CWGA, McCleary and Miner met regularly for breakfast or lunch, and called each other whenever needed.

“We constantly met and refined the goals of both organizations in the unification (process) so we could combine them to make a better organization,” Miner said. “We’ve always had the same vision — to be the best Allied Golf Association there is and to continue to do the groundbreaking efforts both the CGA and the CWGA have made.

“Although we have a written transition agreement (for the unification of the CGA and CWGA), I would say this is a handshake deal. He promised me and I promised him that we would both get what our members wanted. Although we confirmed it in writing, it was a handshake deal. When I say a handshake deal, that’s a good thing. We trusted each other to understand what each other wanted and needed. We were working toward a common goal.”

McCleary has pointed out at recent public golf functions that he and Miner share the same initials, including the middle name — JFM. McCleary is Joe Franklin McCleary and Miner is Juliet Frances Miner. If that wasn’t a good omen for the two getting along, what is?

“It’s been one of those connection points,” McCleary said. “A lot of time it’s chemistry that gets things done and there was a certain amount of chemistry in getting everything finished (with the unification). That just made it easier for me. I’ve always had a good working relationship with the women from the time I was at Saddle Rock (Golf Course), and this took it to the next level.”

After Miner and McCleary had put so much effort into the integration process, their terms as president were supposed to expire at the end of 2017. But to them — and many others — it didn’t make sense to possibly lose that momentum. So they agreed to stay on in a leadership role for 2018 and presented a united front by sharing the CGA president’s role.

“That sent the right message to everybody involved,” McCleary noted.

Given this unexpected third year as a president, Miner jokingly says she’s the reluctant president — similar to the names of films such as the Relucant Astronaut and the Reluctant Debutante.

“No, I never hesitated (in adding a year to her term),” she said. “It was a show of unity and unification and (McCleary and my) personalities just melded because we have the same work ethic. He’s more detail-oriented, I’m more overview-oriented but together we’re pretty fantastic. I think we were able to present a united front that was best for both organizations and the united organization.”

The unification process was smooth to the point that the CGA nominated the CWGA for the Colorado Golf Hall of Fame’s Distinguished Service Award, which will be formally presented on May 20 at Sanctuary.

At the recent CGA Women’s Annual Meeting, where Miner received the Volunteer of the Year Award, she was happy to have her husband, Butch Pike, on hand.

“I got to share the award with my husband,” she said, noting that he has driven her to many golf functions over the years. “I think it’s important to say nobody can volunteer without the support of the families because the families are the ones that give up the time with you. It was really fun to have my husband there so he could see what it’s all about because he’d managed to avoid it up until then.”
 

The transition from what was long known as the CWGA Annual Meeting to what is now named the CGA Women’s Annual Meeting appeared seamless on Saturday at the Hilton Denver Inverness.

To be sure, there were some questions from attendees about how specific things will work now that the CGA and CWGA are one unified organization.

But, generally speaking, longtime CGA executive director Ed Mate seemed to sum up the mood of the day when he noted, “We’re just better together. It’s that simple.”

Saturday’s Women’s Annual Meeting featured many of the mainstays from years past — there were golf worshops, a silent auction to benefit the Junior Golf Alliance of Colorado, awards presentations, brunch and plenty of socializing among the 175 attendees, which represented about 90 clubs from around the state.

But the one thing that veered from the normal was a panel discussion featuring CGA co-presidents Juliet Miner and Joe McCleary, with Mate asking questions. (Pictured above are, from left, McCleary, Mate and Miner.) One of those queries was about the integration of the CGA and the CWGA, which became official as of Jan. 1. It’s part of a nationwide effort by the USGA to streamline its relationship with state and regional golf associations by partnering with just one full-service Allied Golf Association in each state or region. 

Subsequently, the board of directors of the two associations have formed into one leadership team — in fact it held a quarterly meeting just after the Women’s Annual Meeting. McCleary, the CGA president for the past two years, and Miner, who  served as the CWGA president for a similar time, are co-presidents of the CGA for 2018. And the staff of the associations have also merged, based out of the current CGA offices in Greenwood Village.

“We love to do course rating, we love to run tournaments, we love to run USGA qualifiers, we love to work with (members),” Miner told the audience at the Women’s Annual Meeting. “It was only obvious to our membership that this (unification) was a good thing because now we’re bigger, better, stronger, richer — and we have lots of staff. If you talk to our staff, each and every one of them loves the synergy of being in that office together. … This is not just to make the best of something that the USGA decided was a good idea for golf, but to make it the best for golf in Colorado, and to be a beacon for golf in the United States of America.”

McCleary feels similary after going through a unification process that lasted more than two years.

“From the beginning I said, ‘Let’s do what’s best for golf and golfers in the state of Colorado,” he told the attendees. “We needed to come together as one organization representing both men and women (in order) to lay the groundwork for the future. Things are changing. It’s incredibly important to do what we’ve done. I think it’s paid dividends and it will pay significant dividends in the future.”

Laura Robinson, former CWGA executive director and current managing director of membership and integration for the CGA, organized Saturday’s meeting and liked the way the panel discussion went.

“I hope the women here who heard Joe, Juliet and Ed talk gained a sense of confidence that this (integration) is really good for women’s golf,” Robinson said.

One way that the inification paid off tangibly was evident on Saturday. Last year, the silent auction at the CWGA Annual Meeting raised slightly under $7,000 for junior golf. This year, more than double that total — $15,365 to be exact — was raised for the cause (left). With increased resources being brought to bear with the merged organizations, close to 100 items were available for auction, and a nearly two-week-long online element was added this year, yielding $7,570 of the $15,365 total.

All in all, Miner saw this year’s Annual Meeting as a valuable tool in more ways than one.

“I think the meeting went as successfully as it has been for the last number of years,” she said. “The difference is that we had all of the (pre-existing) CGA board here, which is comprised of mostly men. They’re all here and they’re seeing what we do. They get to see our product — which before they’d only heard about — up close.”

Saddle Rock WGA Named Women’s Club of the Year: For the second straight year, a Women’s Club of the Year was recognized at the Annual Meeting, and this year the honor went to members of the Saddle Rock Women’s Golf Association (left).

The award is presented to a club that has demonstrated a commitment to golf or their community through innovative programs such as fundraising, programs or competitions.

Saddle Rock WGA stood out in part thanks to a tweak of the traditional member-guest tournament format that led to additional fundraising for a good cause. The club played a “Cha-Cha-Cha for Charity” and members were able to invite multiple guests, which increased participation significantly. That resulted in a donation of more than $1,100 to the Alzheimer’s Association.

Additionally, to support the teaching and development of junior golf programs in the community, money was raised for the Paul McMullen Scholarship Fund. Also, Saddle Rock has long provided volunteers for the annual Grandview High School girls golf invitational, running shuttles, registration, check-in and scoring.

The Saddle Rock WGA has celebrated 20 years as an association, with 10 of its original members still actively participating in league play.

Other nominees for the Women’s Club of the Year were:

— Aurora Hills 9-Hole Women’s Golf Association
— Kissing Camels Ladies Golf Association
— Pinery Ladies Golf Association
— Red Sky Ranch
— Riverdale Women’s Golf Association

Last year’s co-Clubs of the Year were from Patty Jewett and Fitzsimons.

Miner Honored as Volunteer of the Year: Juliet Miner has overseen much in her two  years as president of the CWGA and now as co-president of the CGA. There was the hiring of a new CWGA executive director. There was the CWGA celebrating the centennial of its founding. There was the CWGA joining forces with the CGA in establishing a single USGA-affiliated golf association in Colorado.

On Saturday, for all Miner has done for the CWGA, she was named the Volunteer of the Year. (She’s pictured speaking to attendees.)

(FYI: A feature story on Miner and her accomplishments will be published later this month on the coloradogolf.org and coloradowomensgolf.org websites.)

Players of the Year for 2017: The CWGA Players of the Year — and the winner of a related award — were announced last fall, but the three honorees were publicly recognized on Saturday.

Jennifer Kupcho of Westminster, the CWGA’s Player of the Year the previous three seasons, was given the President’s Award, the CWGA’s highest honor. Mary Weinsten of Highlands Ranch earned the Player of the Year honor. And Colorado Golf Hall of Famer Kim Eaton won the Senior Player of the Year Award for the eighth time in nine years. Eaton, now an Arizona resident, was likewise named the Arizona Women’s Golf Association Senior POY in 2017, earning that honor for the sixth time.

Kupcho and Weinstein are in the midst of their college seasons — Kupcho at Wake Forest and Weinstein at the University of Denver — and were unable to attend Saturday’s festivities. But Eaton (left) traveled from Arizona for the event.

For information on the 2017 accomplishments of the three players, CLICK HERE.

In Short: A $7,000 check — from money raised at the 2017 CWGA Annual Meeting, was presented Saturday to Colorado Golf Hall of Famer Alan Abrams, president of the Junior Golf Alliance of Colorado. … Besides CGA co-presidents Juliet Miner and Joe McCleary and executive director Ed Mate, among those in attendance Saturday were the CGA volunteer board of directors, Colorado PGA executive director Eddie Ainsworth and Colorado Golf Hall of Fame president Scott Radcliffe and executive director Jennifer Lyons. The CWGA is receiving a Distinguished Service Award from the Golf Hall of Fame in May. … Among the announcements to attendees on Saturday was a reminder that the Girls Junior America’s Cup, a tournament featuring many of the top female junior golfers from the western U.S., along with Canada and Mexico, will be played in Colorado for the first time in 18 years. The event is set for July 25-27 at Hiwan Golf Club in Evergreen. … Recognized Saturday for its fundraising was the Raccoon Creek Ladies 9-Hole Group, whose 2017 tournament to benefit the Evans Scholarship for caddies led to a $1,200 donation. … Among the former CWGA board members — and current CGA board members — who have accepted chairperson duties for CGA committees are Laurie Steenrod (Course Rating Committee) and Phyllis Jensen (Tournament Site Selection Committee). … Miner said CGA Women’s Annual Meetings will continue into the future “as long as you (attendees) keep coming.”
 

As is typical, a couple of hundred people — primarily women — will gather to attend golf workshops, learn about upcoming events conducted by their state golf association and the benefits of membership, socialize a little bit, have brunch and raise money for a worthy cause.

And it will all happen at the usual site, the newly renamed Hilton Denver Inverness in Englewood — on Saturday, March 3.

Still, there will be changes from years past — some noticeable and others fairly subtle.

First, there’s a tweak of the name — from CWGA Annual Meeting to CGA Women’s Annual Meeting.

And the staff on hand running the show will be quite a bit larger than normal.

It’s all a byproduct of the CGA and CWGA joining forces and becoming one USGA-recognized Allied Golf Association, under the CGA banner. The unification process was in the works much of last year and officially went into effect a couple of months ago.

One upshot is that the two associations merged staffs — and board of directors — with most of them expected to be on hand at the Women’s Annual Meeting. Indeed, a CGA board meeting is scheduled at Inverness right after the conclusion of the women’s annual festivities.

“We’re excited about introducing people to the whole CGA,” said Laura Robinson, the former CWGA executive director who now serves as the managing director of membership and integration for the CGA and who continues to organize the Women’s Annual Meeting.

With the changes that have taken place with the CGA and CWGA since last year’s Annual Meeting, part of the agenda — during brunch — will be a panel discussion featuring CGA co-presidents Juliet Miner and Joe McCleary, moderated by CGA executive director Ed Mate.

Miner was the president of the CWGA in 2016 and ’17 before taking on the CGA co-presidency. And McCleary was the CGA’s president in 2016 and ’17 before becoming co-president with Miner this year.

“It’ll be possible for people to ask questions about the integration (of the two associations),” Robinson said. “We have done an enormous amount of communication with member clubs (over the last year-plus). The first of the month we have have sent emails to all the member clubs. I hope that all the communication that we’ve done has answered a lot of questions.”

Robinson said one of the benefits of the integration of the two associations is more resources for events like the Women’s Annual Meeting. That’s apparent in the case of the silent auction benefiting junior golf that’s traditionally been held in conjunction with the event. Now that auction includes close to 100 items, many of them rounds of golf (including foursomes at Ballyneal and Frost Creek, each valued at $1,000), golf accessories and memorabilia, plus a smattering of non-golf items. 

In a departure from the past, 21 of the items are up for auction for a couple of weeks leading up to the Women’s Annual Meeting — along with up until 11:45 a.m. on March 3, both online and in person. As of Friday, more than $4,100 had been bid online. Suffice it to say that it’s very likely more will be raised for junior golf through the auction than last year (just under $7,000). (CLICK HERE for the online auction.)

Four different hour-long workshops are scheduled as part of the Women’s Annual Meeting: Discover How You Play Your Best Golf (led by Elena King, a highly-regarded instructor at CGA-owned CommonGround Golf Course); Rules of Golf: Oh, What a Relief It Is! (led by rules officials Karla Harding and Sandy Schnitzer); Tournament Management (led by Aaron Guereca from the CGA staff and Rory Luck from Golf Genius Software); and Handicapping (led by longtime CGA director of handicapping and course rating Gerry Brown).

Also on March 3, several awards will be given out. The women’s Club of the Year and the Volunteer of the Year will be announced at the meeting. And three players who earned awards for their 2017 play will be recognized: Jennifer Kupcho (President’s Award), Mary Weinstein (Player of the Year) and Colorado Golf Hall of Famer Kim Eaton (Senior Player of the Year for the eighth time in nine years). Kupcho (Wake Forest) and Weinstein (University of Denver) are in the midst of the spring portion of their college schedules.

And, in another first at the Women’s Annual Meeting, CGA bag tags will be distributed.

It’s only appropriate given the CGA tagline of “Celebrating the Future of Golf Together”.
 

Heggie used to play more golf than she does these days. She calls the Riverdale Golf Courses her home facility, but three hip surgeries in the last six years have curtailed her number of rounds. But because she loves being around the game and the people, and being involved with the Rules of Golf, the result has been an increase in the time she donates for CWGA events.

“I don’t play as much golf, so my time is more available,” Heggie noted recently.

In part because of that devotion — and her dedication to making the experience of participating in CWGA events as pleasant as possible — Heggie was recently awarded the CWGA Volunteer of the Year Award.

“Vivian is the most dedicated, passionate, enthusiastic and nutsy person,” CWGA executive director Laura Robinson said with a smile. “She stayed out at last year’s U.S. Women’s Open qualifier for more than 10 hours in the rain and cold. We kept trying to rescue her. She is there when we ask her to be — helping the golfers and making sure everyone has a great experience.

“She’s as enthusiastic about the Rules as she is knowledgeable.”

Last year, Heggie devoted a dozen days to CWGA volunteer work, mainly as a rules official working CWGA championships and USGA qualifiers. That was the most by anyone in 2016. (Heggie is pictured above in a yellow shirt-collar with Sandy Schnitzer, who chairs the CWGA Rules Committee.)

What draws Heggie to play such an active role?

“Staying in touch with golf as much as anything,” she said. “It’s a delightful time — peaceful and quiet. I love being on the golf course. I don’t play as much anymore, but I want to stay in touch with people I know.”

Heggie has served on the CWGA Rules Committee since 2003. Over the years since, she said she’s worked events at more than 50 courses around the state.

“Our winner (Heggie) 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,” CWGA president Juliet Miner said at the CWGA Annual Meeting last month. “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.”

Heggie is a native of England, but as a young woman she was traveling in the U.S. with the plan on proceeding to New Zealand. But she never made it that far. She ended up getting married and settling in Colorado in 1965. Since then, she’s lived in Aspen, Glenwood Springs and Durango before putting down roots in Thornton, her current residence.

Back in her native England, Heggie was a fine player as a girl. In fact, by the time she was 16, she owned roughly a 4 handicap. But when she started beating the boys, she largely gave up the game, not picking it up again and playing regularly until about age 40. Subsequently, for many years, Heggie was a regular competing in the CWGA Brassie and Mashie best-ball championships.

In recent years, Heggie’s hip issues have limited her to about a half-dozen rounds per year. But her interest in the Rules of Golf have filled the void regarding the game.

“The Rules have always fascinated me,” she said when asked what prompted her to start volunteering for the CWGA. “If you really pay attention to the Rules, they can help you rather than hinder you. I thought it would be a good fit for me. And I had friends on the Rules Commitee.”

Heggie has a unique perspective on the role of a rules official.

“I’ve always felt being a rules person is a cross between a mailman and a roadside assistant,” she said. “You’re not stopped by weather and you’re out there to help people. ‘Can I help you and what can I do to make it easier for you?’ I go out there with that attitude.”

Being “fascinated” by the Rules, Heggie is among the rules officials who have followed the USGA’s current Rules modernization process with considerable interest. On March 1, the USGA and R&A announced many proposed Rules changes, but they will accept public input on them through Aug. 31, and later will decide which changes will be implemented and which will be shelved.

“I look forward to change always,” Heggie said. “When I first saw (the proposed changes), I printed it all out (to study more thoroughly). I was basically in favor of most of the things, and there were a few I felt very strongly are absurd. I think dropping a ball from 2 inches is absurd; you might as well place it. But I like the rule about the ball being accidentally moved on the putting green (and no penalty resulting). And I like reducing the maximum length of a ball search to three minutes. But there are just some things in there that don’t make sense to me. I don’t think all of them will go into effect necessarily.

“I haven’t yet commented to the USGA, but I plan to,” Heggie added.

Meanwhile, Heggie is gearing up for another big season of volunteering in CWGA events. She plans on working 11 or 12 tournament days, in addition to helping at a rules seminar and one of the CWGA Experience events.

“When you volunteer, you don’t expect accolades for it,” she said. “It’s one thing I enjoy doing.”
 

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.

There was a nice bit of centennial symmetry at work on Wednesday.

One hundred years ago this month — in September, 1916 — the CWGA held its first championship. Twenty-eight women competed at Colorado Springs Golf Club (now known as Patty Jewett Golf Course) in the debut of the event we now call the CWGA Match Play.

Almost exactly a century later, the CWGA put the other 100-year bookend in place on Wednesday by hosting a Centennial Celebration Tournament at Hiwan Golf Club Club in Evergreen.

The association capped off its yearlong celebration of its 100th anniversary with, appropriately, a fun round of golf at a course that is about as Colorado as can be.

Eighty-eight players enjoyed the mountain setting — elk bugling and all — in the final major festivities marking the CWGA’s centennial.

“This was the culmination of our centennial,” said CWGA president Juliet Miner. “We couldn’t have asked for a better day, weather-wise; better turnout; better food; better hospitality. We’re so fortunate to have it here. And it gives us a chance to reflect what a good year it’s been and how grateful we are for the participation and volunteers. We’ve had great support.”

Among those participating in the golf and/or lunch that followed on Wednesday were past CWGA presidents Jan Ford, who chaired the association’s 75th-anniversary celebration, and Kathryn Davis; current president Miner; Colorado PGA president Leslie Core-Drevecky; CGA executive director Ed Mate; Colorado Open Golf Foundation board member Melissa Hubbard, mother of PGA Tour player Mark Hubbard; and a host of other CWGA supporters and volunteers and board members.

In other words, it was quite a cross section of the Colorado golf community, especially on the women’s side.

The CWGA started the year with three major centennial-related events on the agenda. In February at the CWGA annual meeting at The Inverness Hotel & Golf Club, exceptional players, volunteers and friends of the CWGA from over the years were recognized and a video history of the association was shown. Last month, Denver Country Club hosted the CWGA Stroke Play Championship, and a celebratory 100th anniversary luncheon and awards ceremony followed the final round. Then there was Wednesday’s Centennial Celebration Tournament in which CWGA tournament/flight winners, volunteers and board members from the last couple of years, among others, were invited for a fun round of golf and lunch.

“I think this is a really special day because this is the first time this year (non-tournament players) got to do what we love, which is play golf,” said Laura Robinson, executive director of the CWGA. “Every other time, we got to watch or celebrate with a luncheon, but this time we got everyone out there playing golf. It was a lot of fun.”

Robinson and CWGA vice president Kathy Malpass are both members at Hiwan Golf Club and helped facilitate this third leg of the centennial celebration. Malpass returned home to Evergreen just in time for the event as she has been on the road the last two weeks — first at the U.S. Women’s Mid-Amateur in Erie, Pa., as a member of the USGA Women’s Mid-Am Committee, then competing at the U.S. Senior Women’s Amateur in Wellesley, Mass., where she made match play and competed in the round of 64 on Monday.

But making it back for the Centennial Celebration Tournament was a priority for Malpass both because she’s a CWGA board member and as a member at Hiwan.

“This (event), I fought hard for it,” she said. “I think we need to give back to the people that spend countless hours trying to make things happen for us: the rules officials, the tournament people and the grinders — the ones that play in our events and they win their flight, but you don’t ever see their name in the headline. So I’m really pleased with how we’ve done that.”

Two women who made all the centennial-related events come together and run smoothly were CWGA board members Nancy Wilson and Phyllis Jensen (together at left), who have co-chaired the Centennial Committee. They also made sure the events complemented one another and drew a variety of “constituents”, if you will.

“What we (at the CWGA) tried to do, we were successful with, which was to involve and engage all of our members,” Malpass said. “The annual meeting (draws) a lot of presidents of clubs, some of whom don’t play in our events, and they don’t know a lot about us, so we reached out to them and got them involved. The Stroke Play, what a field! Oh my gosh. It gives me chills just thinking about caliber of player that was there. And for Jennifer (Kupcho, the 2015 and ’16 champion) to play so well and break the (Denver Country Club women’s course) record set eons ago by Babe (Zaharias) … that engages the younger player and the higher-caliber player. And then this.”

In essence, the centennial celebrations have been both a look back and to the future.

“I feel like this has been a really special year because we focused on how far we’ve come — on the history, on the amazing women who contributed to supporting golf in Colorado,” Robinson said. “We hope it continues just as successfully for another 100 years.”

Added Miner: “We don’t plan to rest on a laurels. We’re ready for the next 100 years.”

As part of Wednesday’s festivities, money was raised through merchandise sales and other means for the 2018 Girls Junior America’s Cup, which will be played at Hiwan Golf Club. For instance, for $20 (with Westerra Credit Union matching the donation), players could utilize one of the “long hitters” from the CWGA staff — Kate Moore (left) or Aaron Guereca, depending on the hole — to hit potentially imposing shots for them.

Meanwhile, since this was a tournament, there was a contest involved — in this case a variable best-ball, with each group counting one ball on par-5s, two balls on par-4s and three balls on par-3s.

Here are the top three finishers in the gross and net divisions:

Gross: 1. Jo Ann Higgins, Darlene Evans, Harlene Bowman and Constance Brodt 152; 2. Linda Loveland, Lucille Moreno-Peacock and Lourdes Swanson 153; 3. Marie Schriefer, Debbie Mills, Dana Rinderknecht and Hee Chung 153.

Net: 1. Janine Lowe, Katherine Rojas, Ellen Thomas and Mary Jo Turner 121; 2. Kirk Huggins, Jeanne Surbrugg, Jennifer Cassell and Melissa Hubbard 124; 3. Carol Iwata, Maureen Fujiki and Anne Mursch 125.

Until Monday, that is.

That’s when Laura Robinson, who has served as the acting executive director for the last five-plus months, had the “acting” portion of her title officially removed. So she becomes the fourth E.D. in CWGA history, joining Maggie Giesenhagen (1988-1991), Robin Jervey (1992-2014) and Ann Guiberson (2014-15).

“I feel like the luckiest person,” Robinson said Monday, when she was serving as a starter at the U.S. Women’s Open qualifier at Heritage at Westmoor. “This is a dream job. It’s sports. It’s golf, which I love. It’s non-profit. It’s working with women and goals. It’s working with a great group of volunteers and the staff — Kate (Moore) and Matthew (Walker) and Aaron (Guereca); they’re a wonderful group to work with. So it just feels like a dream job.”

The volunteer CWGA board, which leads the organization, was impressed with Robinson’s work over her time as acting executive director.

“We’re proud and pleased and so excited” with Robinson’s appointment, said CWGA president Juliet Miner. “When you’re looking for an executive director for a golf organization, you really need someone with business experience and background, and she has that. She’s challenged the staff, and they’ve blossomed under her.”

Robinson has a Masters degree in Business Administration from the London Business School. In addition to her duties at the CWGA, she’s been teaching at Colorado Women’s College at the University of Denver as the chair of the information technology studies program.

So what are Robinson’s priorities now as the full-fledged executive director of the CWGA?

“My objectives in any job I’ve had have always been to work very very hard to deliver great products and services, and to have fun,” she said. “And that hasn’t changed. I think the goal for right now is to make sure this (centennial) season comes off successfully. All of us in the office want to make sure that we’re serving our members, we’re adding value, and we’re running great tournaments.”

Robinson has been an avid sports participant for her whole life. She’s skied, run (finishing both the New York City and London Marathons), played squash, and been a cyclist.

She gave golf a go about a decade ago, participating in a “Get Golf Ready” session at Hiwan Golf Club, where Robinson and her husband, Paul, have been members since 2004 — and live nearby. Given how she’s picked up sports relatively easily in the past, she thought it would be the same for golf.

But suffice it to say that things didn’t go quite according to plan.

“I was completely humbled and went back to cycling,” recalls Robinson, who at the time served on the board of directors for Team Evergreen Cycling.

But in 2009, while living in Evergreen, she was cycling near Soda Creek during rutting season for elk. A bull started to charge, which she noticed out of the corner of her eye. Going about 35 mph down a hill, she hit the brakes and took a nasty fall, breaking her pelvis and some ribs. Evergreen Fire and Rescue transported her to St. Anthony’s Trauma Center, where she spent the next three days.

Robinson got back in the saddle — literally and figuratively — for the 25th Ride the Rockies the next year, but shortly after that, she went to the driving range at Hiwan. And with that, she was hooked on golf for good.

“It was time to learn something new,” she said. “I’m one of those people who focus and set goals. And to become good, you really have to pick your sport.”

And now, somewhere around 500 rounds of golf later, Robinson finds herself as the executive director of the CWGA.

Robinson first played a role for the CWGA in the summer of 2014, when she volunteered to help Guiberson develop an IT strategy at the association. Then she joined the CWGA’s volunteer board of directors more than a year ago. (CLICK HERE to see all the board members.)

Robinson and her husband moved to Colorado in 1998, after she spent much of her early life in the greater New York City area before she and Paul relocated to London for eight years.

“The culture shock of moving from New York City to London is not nearly as great as it was moving from London to Evergreen,” she notes.

But in 1998, after having been to Colorado just a few times, Robinson and her husband were on a ski trip with friends and decided to stay.

“I saw blue sky, sun and mountains,” she said, recalling her thinking.

Since becoming a resident, Robinson has worked as a principal consultant at CSC Consulting, as a senior program manager at McData, and as director of product management at MX Logic before becoming a co-owner at PWR Consulting and teaching at Colorado Women’s College at DU.

And, as noted, Robinson loves golf. In her first round of nine holes, she shot a 74 in 2010. But she’s been devoted to improving, and those hundreds of rounds over the last six-plus years seem to be doing the trick. At Hiwan, she was named most improved golfer twice — for the nine-hole group in 2011 and for the 18-holers in 2012.

“And I’m really disappointed I haven’t won it again (since),” she said with a chuckle.

Robinson also received a “rising star award” from fellow Hiwan member — and current CWGA vice president — Kathy Malpass in 2014. Robinson regularly competes for the B team at Hiwan in interclub competitions.

Administratively, Robinson has served as the tournament chairperson for the Hiwan Women’s Golf Association.

“I love golf in Colorado,” she said.

And now Robinson will have a role in helping shape it.