On Friday morning, Eric Wilkinson could empathize with Target employees who man the front doors leading up to post-Thanksgiving sales.
The CGA’s director of junior competitions was overseeing the CGA/CWGA Used Club Sale at the Denver Golf Expo, but suffice it to say he wasn’t ready for what awaited him when the show opened at the Denver Mart on Friday.
“We didn’t open until 10 and some people were waiting in line for an hour,” Wilkinson recounted on Monday. “One guy thought another guy was cutting in line, and things started getting physical. They were shoving to get the best spot. (When we opened), it was like the Running of the Bulls. People were running toward the putters and the sets of clubs we were selling. It was literally like Black Friday at Target. Things were priced to sell, and we were swamped for two hours.”
While the Used Club Sale, which benefits the associations’ junior developmental programs, didn’t set a record for the third straight year, that was probably only because they had little inventory of donated clubs and equipment available on Sunday after doing brisk sales on Friday and Saturday.
The Used Club Sale, which this year also featured women’s clothing, netted about $14,400 for junior developmental programs. While that was down from the record $17,500 raised last year, it was still the third-highest total in the 12-year history of the event.
“We had another really good year. It’s a testament to the generosity of the Colorado golf community,” Wilkinson said, noting that clubs and equipment are donated throughout the year, culminating in more than a month of golfers contributing equipment at the PGA Tour Superstore in Greenwood Village. “It shows that word of mouth is really working.”
Overall, numbers at the 21st annual Denver Golf Expo were a mixed bag.
Mark Cramer, who owns and operates the Expo along with his wife Lynn, said that 9,486 people attended the three-day show. That’s down about 3 percent from last year. The attendance has dropped each of the last three years, going from 10,749 in 2011 to 10,519 in 2012 to 9,773 last year to 9,486 this winter. The Expo’s record for attendance was 11,202, in 2008.
“What we’re seeing regarding the numbers is probably following industry (trends),” Cramer said, noting the National Golf Foundation has reported that the number of golfers in the U.S. dropped from 30 million in 2005 to 25.3 million in 2012. “There’s a trend. That begs the question: What else can I do for the industry, and what do we need to do to bring those numbers up? That will be stuff I’ll be puzzling over and sorting through for the next four months or so. And I’ll talk to a lot of people” to get their input.
Cramer said the number of exhibitors at the Expo was down about 20 from last year, but some of that might have been due to higher exhibitor rates the Expo was charging this year. That hike was in response to considerably higher rent the Denver Mart charged the Expo, and the fact that the Expo bought out the parking so that attendees wouldn’t be charged for it.
On the positive side, the Colorado PGA reported that its professionals gave 528 free 10-minute lessons (left) over the three days of the show.
“I’ll tell you what is significant about that: You get a lesson, you hit more balls, then see what you can do on the course,” Cramer said. “If you start to do better on the course, it affects the (number of) rounds played. I’m delighted with that number.”
And though the numbers were down from previous years at the Junior Golf Experience activity center (middle photo), about 300 kids participated this year.
Meanwhile, Cramer said he heard from numerous exhibitors that their sales during the show surpassed the figures of last year.
“They smoked it down there,” Cramer said. “(Course-related exhibitors) smoked it on passes. They saw substantial increases in sales. And sales at Lenny’s Golf were up over last year.
“We’re doing a lot right. I think the world of the state associations (the CGA, CWGA, Colorado PGA, etc.) and how much they do to grow the game. They aren’t afraid to go out and do stuff (outside the box) if that’s what it takes.”
Attendance at the Denver Golf Expo has dipped slightly each of the last two years, but you wouldn’t know it by the results of the CGA and CWGA’s Used Club Sale conducted at the event.
The 12th annual sale, which raises money for the associations’ youth developmental programs, has set records each of the last two years at the Expo, which this year is set for Friday through Sunday (Feb. 7-9) at The Denver Mart, located at I-25 and 58th Ave.
In 2012, the Used Club Sale doubled its intake from the previous year by netting about $16,000 for youth programs. And last year, that figure increased to $17,500.
“The generosity of the golf community has been awesome,” said Eric Wilkinson, the CGA’s director of junior competitions and the point man in the Used Club Sale. “We had a lady come into the PGA Tour Superstore and said she wanted to make sure her donation was going to the Used Club Sale. So it’s starting to have a snowball effect with a lot of word of mouth.”
Wilkinson said between donations collected at the Tour Superstore and elsewhere, there’s a storage unit completely full of clubs and other equipment.
“It’s comparable or we have more than last year,” he said. “We have a ton of sets, more than what we had last year. It’s been another great year of receiving donations.”
Said Mark Cramer, who owns and operates the Expo along with his wife, Lynn: “The CJGA has that (Used Club Sale) running like a machine.”
One variable this year is that consignments are no longer being accepted, so all clubs and equipment involved in the Used Club Sale will be donations. Donations for the sale can be made this week at the north side main entrance of the Denver Mart, from noon to 3 p.m. on Thursday, and from 8 a.m. to noon on Friday.
“We’re obviously going to try to exceed what we’ve done in the year before (in raising money), but if we hit last year’s mark, that would be great,” Wilkinson said.
Meanwhile, another major youth-oriented exhibit, the Junior Golf Experience activity center, will remain a popular mainstay of the Expo, but it won’t be found in its usual spot. It’s been moved to the Pavilion, adjacent to the area where the Colorado PGA conducts its free 10-minute lessons.
“With that one huge area, hopefully it will be an added attraction,” said Eddie Ainsworth, executive director for the Colorado PGA. “We’re looking forward to doing that.”
And Ainsworth said the Colorado PGA plans to advertise its new tee time network, which is scheduled to go live in the first week of April. And at their exhibit area, the CGA and CWGA will be trying to attract new members. Existing CGA and CWGA members can receive a free gift by stopping by the associations’ exhibit — a free bucket of practice balls at CommonGround Golf Course, which is owned and operated by the CGA and CWGA.
With all that, plus a lot of great golf deals, a club demo area, free education seminars and a lot more, it should certainly be enough to whet the appetite of golfers looking forward to the 2014 season.
“We’re glad the season is right around the corner,” Ainsworth said.
21st Annual Denver Golf Expo: Just the Essentials
What: 21st Denver Golf Expo.
When: Feb. 7-9 (Friday through Sunday).
Where: The Denver Mart (I-25 and 58th Ave.)
Show Hours: Friday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.; Saturday, 9 a.m.-5 p.m.; Sunday, 9 a.m.-4 p.m.
Ticket Prices: adults, $13; seniors (50 and over) and military with ID, $11; kids 16 and under, $3.
Tickets Available: At the door at the Denver Mart or at TicketsWest at King Soopers.
Parking: Free.
Show Features: The Junior Golf Experience activity center (now located in the Pavilion, near the Colorado PGA instruction area), free swing seminars from Colorado PGA professionals, Used Club Sale to benefit CGA and CWGA junior golf developmental programs, free educational seminars beginning at 10 a.m. each day, club demo area.
Donations for Used Club Sale Accepted: Drop off at the north side main entrance of the Denver Mart Thursday, noon to 3 p.m.; and Friday, 8 a.m.-noon. (Note: There are no consignments accepted this years; all clubs dropped off are simply donations.)
For More Information: CLICK HERE
Educational Seminars Scheduled for Expo
Friday, Feb. 7, 10-10:30 a.m. — Building business on and off the course (CWGA)
Friday, Feb. 7, 11-11:30 a.m. — Impact drills for better ball-striking (Kevin Cubbage, PGA)
Friday, Feb. 7, noon-12:30 p.m. — Golf training aids (Rick Timm, PGA)
Friday, Feb. 7, 1-1:30 p.m. — Great wedge play and utilizing bounce (Nathan Morris, PGA)
Friday, Feb. 7, 2-2:30 p.m. — Dispelling golf’s common myths and misconceptions (Patrick Nuber, PGA)
Friday, Feb. 7, 3-3:30 p.m. — How to improve your game by 5 shots this year (Ed Oldham, PGA)
Friday, Feb. 7, 4-4:30 p.m. — Rules of Golf (Alex Crall, CGA)
Saturday, Feb. 8, 10-10:30 a.m. — Building business on and off the course (CWGA)
Saturday, Feb. 8, 11-11:30 a.m. — Is your game painful? Three ways to reduce the pain in your game (Dee Tidwell)
Saturday, Feb. 8, noon-12:30 p.m. — How to take a successful golf lesson (Rick Timm, PGA)
Saturday, Feb. 8, 1-1:30 p.m. — The elements of playing better (Trent Wearner, PGA)
Saturday, Feb. 8, 2-2:30 p.m. — Aimpoint green reading: Stop guessing (Scott Hofer, PGA)
Saturday, Feb. 8, 3-3:30 p.m. — Innovative mobile golf instruction & entertainment fore everyone (Casey Schiel, PGA)
Saturday, Feb. 8, 4-4:30 p.m. — Rules of Golf (Alex Crall, CGA)
Sunday, Feb. 9, 10-10:30 a.m. — Innovative mobile golf instruction & entertainment fore everyone (Casey Schiel, PGA)
Sunday, Feb. 9, 11-11:30 a.m. — Building business on and off the course (CWGA)
Sunday, Feb. 9, noon-12:30 p.m. — P3: Plan, practice, perform (Steve Patterson, PGA)
Sunday, Feb. 9, 1-1:30 p.m. — Junior golf opportunities (Rick Timm, PGA)
Sunday, Feb. 9, 2-2:30 p.m. — Rules of Golf (Alex Crall, CGA)
But one event that makes spring golf seem not quite so far off is the Denver Golf Expo, which uses the catch phrase, “Your Season Starts Here.”
The 2014 Expo will take place a month from now, Feb. 7-9, at the Denver Mart (I-25 and 58th Ave.).
The 21st annual Expo will be familiar in many respects, but several notable changes await those who plan to attend:
— The decision by officials of the Denver Mart to require compensation for parking during the Denver Golf Expo has had some repercussions.
In response to the requirement, those running the Expo surveyed many of its customers about the parking situation. More than 1,600 responded, roughly 1,500 left comments, and 85 percent were unhappy with the prospect of paying for parking when it’s been free in the past.
Subsequently, Mark Cramer, who owns and operates the Expo along with his wife Lynn, decided to buy out the Denver Mart parking lots for $8,000. That will keep the parking free for the 2014 Expo, though it’s also led to small admission cost increases.
Adult attendees will pay $13, and seniors and military with I.D. will be charged $11 — in both cases $1 more than last year. In addition, where kids 12 and under used to be admitted for free, now attendees 16 and under will pay $3. Exhibitor pricing has also increased after the Expo’s rent went up.
“We have to recover the $8,000 (parking buyout) somewhere,” Mark Cramer said. “Some people (in the survey) don’t differentiate between us and the Mart, but we’re not the Mart. But the new owners (of the Mart) are putting a lot of money into the place, and you can’t blame them for trying to recover those costs. It is what it is.”
— The Southern Colorado Golf and Travel Expo, run by the same organizers as the Denver Golf Expo, has been discontinued, apparently for good.
The Southern Colorado show was held in Colorado Springs in 2010 and 2013, but it won’t return this year, Cramer said.
A major spring snowstorm led to attendance of just 1,600 for the two-day show last year — a little more than half of the 2010 total — but in general Cramer said the Southern Colorado Expo didn’t have the support it needed to be financially viable.
Beyond that, Cramer said that Denver Golf Expo attendance dipped both of the years there was also a show in Colorado Springs.
Cramer had signed a three-year deal — starting in 2013 — to hold the Southern Colorado Expo, but he had an escape clause in case the show wasn’t financially viable.
— Unlike recent years, the Season Tee-Off Luncheon, hosted by the Allied Golf Associations of Colorado (including the CGA, CWGA and Colorado PGA) won’t be held at the Golf Expo this year.
The establishment of a “G-4 Summit” — a day-long series of events involving the top golf associations in Colorado, along with other key individuals — led to the change. The G-4 Summit, designed to promote collaborative efforts to work on problems golf faces, will be held Feb. 11 at the Inverness Hotel & Golf Club.
— The Junior Golf Experience, one of the popular mainstays of the Denver Golf Expo in recent years, will return this year but it’s moving out of its traditional spot at the Denver Mart. Instead of being situated not far from the Expo entrance, it’ll be placed adjacent to the area where the Colorado PGA conducts its free 10-minute golf lessons for attendees.
Meanwhile, other major mainstays of the Expo — the CGA/CWGA Used Club Sale, a golf demo area, and swing and topical seminars — will remain where they’ve been in past years.
Speaking of the Used Club Sale, no consignment items will be accepted this year, unlike in previous years. All clubs and equipment that will be sold will come from donations.
But after the Southern Colorado Golf Expo debuted in 2010, then didn’t return in 2011 or ’12 because of venue issues, Cramer knows that the show needs that staying power and continuity the Denver Golf Expo has demonstrated.
Establishing those characteristics begins this weekend.
The Southern Colorado Golf and Travel Expo will return Saturday and Sunday (March 23-24) after its two-year hiatus. The show will take place at the Freedom Financial Services Expo Center in Colorado Springs. The 55,000-square-foot facility is located at 3650 N. Nevada Ave.
“This show will grow, but we have to prove we’re going to be there” long-term, Cramer said. “We’re trying to do this thing the right way, and hopefully people will see we’re quality people and that we’re putting on a quality show and not going to skimp. We have to show them we’re there for the long haul, and we have to educate people about the opportunity.”
To that end, when Cramer agreed to a deal to bring back the Southern Colorado Golf Expo, he signed a three-year contract that will keep the show in place at the FFSEC through 2015.
The Southern Colorado show drew 3,032 people for its two-day run in 2010 — more than Cramer had expected — but things subsequently hit a major snag. In particular, the Phil Long Expo Center, site of the first Southern Colorado show, was sold and turned into a place of worship by The Springs Church in Colorado Springs. And Cramer couldn’t find a suitable alternate venue.
But he hopes that now that the Expo is at a stable site, it can gain some traction.
“I’m hoping for a little bit of a bump (attendance-wise) over what we got last time,” he said. “We’re hoping for good attendance for the exhibitors’ sake, and for the future of the show. Of course, you can wish all you want; you get what you get.”
In many respects, the Southern Colorado Golf Expo is a scaled-down version of the Denver show, which is held in February. Besides exhibitors providing deals on golf equipment, rounds and travel, there are individualized free 10-minute golf lessons, seminars about the game, an interactive Junior Golf Experience for youngsters, a club-demo area, and a used-club sale that benefits local junior developmental programs.
The CGA, CWGA, CJGA and Colorado PGA will have big roles, as they do at the Denver show.
The CGA/CWGA Used Club Sale, which netted a record amount ($17,500) at the Denver Golf Expo last month, will donate some money from this weekend’s sale to the Pikes Peak Linkers, which provide “affordable golf access and instruction for kids, individuals with disabilities, and others who are interested in learning the game, its traditions, rules and etiquette.”
The CGA and CWGA have some equipment left over from the Denver Golf Expo, and they’re collecting more for the Southern Colorado show this week. Cherokee Ridge Golf Course in Colorado Springs is accepting donated high-quality equipment on Wednesday (March 20), and additional equipment can be brought to the expo site on Friday afternoon.
As for the Junior Golf Experience, in addition to a fitness area, it will feature a “SNAG” golf course, which uses equipment designed for introducing kids to the game. SNAG, which stands for Starting New At Golf, is helpful when playing and practicing golf in restricted indoor spaces.
Local Colorado PGA members also will conduct free seminars and provide 10-minute individualized golf lessons to interested attendees.
“There will be a big emphasis on women and juniors” at the Expo by the Section, Colorado PGA executive director Eddie Ainsworth said.
The lineup for the seminars includes:
Saturday, 10-10:30 a.m. — Golf swing Q&A (Colorado PGA professional Gregg Jones).
Saturday, noon-12:30 p.m. — The role of coaching in golf (Colorado PGA professional Ty Thompson).
Saturday, 3-3:30 p.m. and 4-4:30 p.m. — Building a swing that repeats for consistency, and the keys to lowering your scores (Colorado PGA professional Dave Arbuckle)
Sunday, 10-10:30 a.m. — How to maximize power in your golf swing (Colorado PGA professional Paul Surniak)
Sunday, noon-12:30 p.m. — How to lower your score without practice (Colorado Golf Hall of Famer and PGA professional Gene Miranda)
Sunday, 2-2:30 p.m. and 3-3:30 p.m. — Building a swing that repeats for consistency, and the keys to lowering your scores (Colorado PGA professional Dave Arbuckle).
World Golf and Lenny’s will be the “anchor” retailers at this weekend’s show. Cramer said he expects 45-50 exhibitors in all.
The hours for the Southern Colorado Golf Expo are 9-5 on Saturday and 9-4 on Sunday. Admission is $10 for adults, $8 for those 50 and over, and military with I.D. Kids 12 and under are admitted free. Tickets are available at the door or at TicketsWest at participating King Soopers stores.
For more information about the show, CLICK HERE.
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With the Solheim Cup being played in the western U.S. for the first time ever this summer, it’s not surprising that this year’s star-gazing at the Expo revolves around that event, set for Aug. 16-18 at Colorado Golf Club in Parker.
Meg Mallon, team captain for the Americans in their biennial matches against the Europeans, and assistant U.S. captain Dottie Pepper will be center stage as the Denver Golf Expo kicks off Friday (Feb. 8) at the Denver Merchandise Mart. The Expo will run through Sunday.
Mallon and Pepper, who between them have won 35 LPGA Tour events, including six major championships, will be on the Expo’s main stage from 11 to 11:30 a.m. on Friday, promoting the biggest event on the 2013 Colorado golf schedule and answering questions from Expo attendees and the media.
The two former players, along with LPGA Tour commissioner Mike Whan, are also scheduled to attend — and be recognized at — Thursday night’s Denver Nuggets-Chicago Bulls game at the Pepsi Center. Mallon and Pepper will sign autographs in the arena concourse during the game.
While the Mallon/Pepper appearance on Friday will be one of the highlights of the Denver Golf Expo, let’s run down some of the others, in addition to the usual golf-related deals various vendors will offer:
— The CGA/CWGA Used Club Sale, a popular feature at the Expo over the years, netted a record $16,000 for junior developmental programs last year, and it looks to be in for another big showing.
Among the items up for sale this year are some of the practice balls — Titleist Pro V1s — from the 2012 U.S. Amateur at Cherry Hills.
Last-minute donations for the Used Club Sale will be accepted at the north-side main entrance of the Merchandise Mart Thursday (Feb. 7) from noon to 3 p.m., and Friday (Feb. 8) from 8 a.m.-noon.
— As has been the case in recent years, attendees can receive free 10-minute lessons from Colorado PGA professionals near the west end of the Expo complex.
— Also popular with attendees is the large Lenny’s Golf club demo area, in the northwest section of the complex.
— With kids 12 and under admitted free to the Expo, a big magnet for them is the Colorado Junior Golf Experience, an interactive exhibit in which youngsters can practice and get help with their games.
There’s an area for hitting Birdie balls, for putting, a jump castle, and an information table about junior golf and various programs and initiatives.
At some point on Friday, there also may be an opportunity to get autographs from Mallon and Pepper and have photos taken with them, both in the Junior Golf Experience area.
And when kids leave the Junior Golf Experience, they can go on an Expo-wide scavenger hunt in which they follow questions/clues to various booths at the show. The last stop on the hunt is the Colorado PGA area, where they will receive a card good for free golf at participating par-3 facilities, and receive a free lesson, if they wish.
— As of late last week, 122 exhibitors had signed on for the 2013 Expo.
“That’s on track with last year (a week before the show),” said Mark Cramer, who’s owned and managed the Expo since July of 2000. “That’s significant because last year was a record year — we ended up with 134. I don’t know if we’ll get as many, but I don’t feel bad about it, especially in a year we’re reintroducing the Southern Colorado Golf Expo (next month).”
— Free seminars will be conducted on the Expo’s main stage each day beginning at 10 a.m., with many of them conducted by members of the Colorado PGA, CGA and CWGA.
Here are some of the seminars scheduled.
Friday: green reading, 10 a.m.; Mallon and Pepper, 11 a.m.; getting started in golf for women, noon; getting rid of swing faults, 1 p.m.; ways to improve your game, 2 p.m.; curving your ball, 3 p.m.; swing faults and fixes, 4 p.m.; golf training aids, 4:30 p.m.
Saturday: recruiting tips for junior golfers, 10 a.m.; getting rid of swing faults, 11 a.m.; taking your game to the course, noon; green reading, 1 p.m.; getting the most out of your talent, 2 p.m.; how to take a lesson, 3 p.m.; rules of golf, 4 p.m.; getting started in golf for women, 4:30 p.m.
Sunday: getting the most out of your talent, 10 a.m.; girls guide to overcoming the barriers of golf, 11 a.m.; getting started in golf for women, noon; Sport Haley fashion show, 1 p.m.; playing and lesson opportunities for women in city of Aurora, 2 p.m.; rules of golf, 3 p.m.
— For those attending Saturday’s Season Tee-Off Luncheon presented by the Allied Golf Associations of Colorado, the 2013 Solheim Cup at Colorado Golf Club and the 2014 BMW Championship PGA Tour playoff event at Cherry Hills Country Club will be highlighted. Featured speakers in that regard will be Solheim Cup tournament director Becky Newell and 2014 BMW Championship championship manager Doug Habgood.
Overall, Cramer is hoping for a stellar turnout this weekend, not only for his own sake, but for the golf associations that help greatly in putting together the show: the CGA, CWGA and Colorado PGA.
“The number of man-hours that goes into putting this on — not just us, but for the CGA and the PGA — means there’s a lot riding on it,” Cramer said.
20th Annual Denver Golf Expo: Just the Facts
What: 20th Denver Golf Expo.
When: Feb. 8-10 (Friday through Sunday).
Where: Denver Merchandise Mart (I-25 and 58th Ave.)
Show Hours: Friday Feb. 8, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.; Saturday Feb. 9, 9 a.m.-5 p.m.; Sunday Feb. 10, 9 a.m.-4 p.m.
Ticket Prices: adults, $12; seniors (50 and over) and military with ID, $10; kids 12 and under, free.
Tickets Available: At the door at the Merchandise Mart or at TicketsWest at King Soopers.
Parking Shuttles: Available from the East parking lot and at the south side of the Merchandise Mart.
Show Features: Colorado Junior Golf Experience interactive exhibit, free swing seminars from Colorado PGA professionals, Used Club Sale to benefit CGA and CWGA junior golf developmental programs, free seminars beginning at 10 a.m., club demo area.
Donations for Used Club Sale Accepted: Drop off at the north side main entrance of Merchandise Mart Feb. 7, noon to 3 p.m.; Feb. 8, 8 a.m.-noon.
The 2012 Denver Golf Expo didn’t set the record for attendance that event officials were hoping for, but certain aspects of the show achieved new standards.
Attendance for the three-day Expo that ended Sunday at the Denver Merchandise Mart totaled 10,519, which is the third-highest number ever, but still down more than 2 percent from last year. The record for attendance came in 2008, when 11,202 people passed through the doors.
But the CGA/CWGA Used Club Sale, a mainstay of the Expo for years, set the standard for the amount of money the initiative raised for junior golf developmental programs. The sale netted about $16,000, twice what it did a year ago. In fact, it brought in more money than the program did two years ago at two Golf Expos combined — Denver and Southern Colorado.
“It was a really good year,” said Eric Wilkinson, director of junior competitions for the CGA. “I was talking with Ed (Mate, the CGA’s executive director) beforehand, and we thought $15,000 would be a home run, and we got a thousand more than that. We’re very, very happy.”
Mate said many people made the program a success.
“We want to thank all of the donors and our friends at the PGA Tour Superstore who supported our efforts this year,” he said. “The spirit of this event is to give back to the game. Everyone has old clubs they no longer use, and this event turns that equipment into real money for our programs to bring golf to kids who might not otherwise have that opportunity.”
An early effort to advertise the program, combined with donated equipment being accepted at the PGA Tour Superstore, apparently paid big dividends. The CGA and CWGA even encouraged attendees of their November awards brunch to bring in clubs and bags for the Used Club Sale.
“The keys are the quality of equipment and the amount, and the CGA knocked it out of the park in getting equipment this year,” said Mark Cramer, who owns and manages the Denver Golf Expo with his wife Lynn.
Meanwhile, the Junior Golf Experience, an interactive exhibit in which kids can receive instruction from Colorado PGA professionals and play interactive games, drew about 600 youngsters at the Expo — about 50 more than last year.
As for the Denver Golf Expo overall, Cramer was hoping for higher attendance, but said an unusually cold Saturday, when the high temperature in Denver didn’t even reach 20 degrees, may have had an impact. He also speculated that some snow in the Monument Hill area might have kept several hundred people away who otherwise would have considered coming up from areas further south.
“I really came in confident that we had a legitimate shot at breaking 12,000, but my crystal ball broke in about 1986, so you never know,” Cramer said. “You might think you have a feel, but you can’t plan for 19-degree weather and a dusting of snow.
“We ended up with the third-largest attendance ever, so with a day that was 19 degrees and snow flurries, it’s OK.”
One change the Expo made for this year proved “phenomenally successful,” according to Cramer. Because long lines sometimes developed at the entrance to the Expo in years past, in 2012 tickets were available in advance at King Soopers sites. The result was 2,200 tickets sold at the grocery store’s outlets.
Though the number of exhibitors was down from 2011, Cramer said that all but two exhibitor booths were sold, and revenue received from exhibitors was up from last year.
Cramer remains confident that there’s still untapped potential for golf expos in Colorado. Through ever-expanding social media opportunities, he hopes to bring in more attendees in the 25-45 age group. In addition, Cramer said his commitment to bring back the Southern Colorado Golf Expo in Colorado Springs remains strong. That Expo was held in 2010, but lost its building later that year.
Two women who have made their mark in national and international golf circles are scheduled to be on hand Saturday as part of the 2012 Expo at the Denver Merchandise Mart (I-25 and 58th Ave.). The show runs Friday through Sunday (Feb. 10-12).
World Golf Hall of Fame member Patty Sheehan will be at the Expo to promote the Solheim Cup, which will be held Aug. 16-18 next year at Colorado Golf Club in Parker. At roughly the same time on Saturday, Colorado’s own Christie Austin, just the fifth female ever to join the USGA Executive Committee, will be the keynote speaker at the 2012 Season Tee-Off Luncheon, an event presented by the Colorado Golf Alliance and attended by many prominent members of the state’s golf community.
Austin, since 2007 one of the 15 members of the powerful USGA Executive Committee, became treasurer of the USGA at the association’s annual meeting Saturday in Houston. She’s also now chairman of the USGA Rules Committee, which, along with its counterpart from the R&A, writes, interprets and maintains the Rules of Golf.
“We always like to have keynote speakers who can talk about trends in the game,” said CGA executive director Ed Mate, who noted that previous Tee-Off Luncheon speakers have included then-USGA executive director David Fay, First Tee CEO Joe Louis Barrow Jr., and PGA of America CEO Joe Steranka. “Using our local resources, Christie Austin is a perfect person to address our group.”
As for Sheehan, she won 35 times in her LPGA Tour career, including six major championships. She’s also a two-time captain of the U.S. team that faces Europe every other year in the Solheim Cup. Sheehan will be available to sign autographs at the Expo’s Solheim Cup booth from approximately 10:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday.
Beyond the appearances by Sheehan and Austin, there will be plenty going on this weekend at the Expo, including much involving the CGA and CWGA, who team up with the Colorado PGA and the Rocky Mountain Golf Course Superintendents to form the Colorado Golf Alliance. The Alliance will join forces to conduct many events over the three days at the Merchandise Mart.
The CGA, CWGA and Colorado PGA will play prominent roles in operating the Junior Golf Experience — an interactive exhibit for youngsters — and in conducting free seminars for the public. And the ever-growing CGA/CWGA Used Club Sale will benefit junior golf development programs.
The Junior Golf Experience, an Expo fixture in recent years, will be expanded for 2012. New this time around are areas devoted to putting and fitness that will supplement the existing chipping station and video-gaming area, which this year will feature Microsoft Xbox. Professionals from the Colorado PGA will provide much of the instruction.
“We have more room this year and we’ll fit more kids into each station,” said Eric Wilkinson, director of junior competitions for the CGA.
Kids 12 and under will be admitted free to the Expo, which encourages junior participation.
“We really roll out the red carpet for juniors,” Mate said.
As for the Used Club Sale, last year it raised over $8,000 for junior programs, and more could be in store this weekend. With the CGA and CWGA partnering with the PGA Tour Superstore this time around, the amount of equipment that’s been donated has increased significantly. Wilkinson estimated that 500 pieces of equipment came from Superstore donations alone, and that overall there may be several times that many pieces that have been donated.
The Superstore partnership “has been a huge, huge help,” Wilkinson said. “The response has been great. We’re poised for a very big year.”
And while volunteers will help price the clubs on Thursday, the associations will accept more donations Thursday (noon-3 p.m.) and Friday (8 a.m.-noon) at the Merchandise Mart.
The CGA and CWGA, meanwhile, will be conducting a couple of the free education seminars organized by the Colorado PGA. Pete Lis, director of rules and competitions for the CGA, will handle a Rules of Golf Seminar each afternoon (2 p.m. Friday, 4 p.m. Saturday and 1 p.m. Sunday), while the CWGA will put on “Getting Started in Golf for Women” (4:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday).
The latter seminar “is designed for women who have been intimidated by the game or not gotten into golf for a variety of reasons,” CWGA executive director Robin Jervey said. “We’ll try to give them some answers” to help them break down the barriers to becoming involved.
At its Expo booth, the CWGA will be promoting its Affiliate membership, designed for women more interested in social golf or instructional events than in competing or having a handicap.
CWGA officials hope to entice women, through a drawing for a $250 shopping spree at the PGA Tour Superstore, to fill out a brief survey. Later, the CWGA will contact those who submitted a survey, inviting them to come to an April 4 CWGA event at the CWGA Superstore or to a CWGA Experience instructional event in May.
Meanwhile, at the Colorado PGA exhibit, Section professionals will give free 10-minute lessons to those interested.
Expo hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday.
Tickets for the Expo — available at the door or at King Soopers stores — run $12 for those age 13-49, $10 for seniors (50 and over) and for military and veterans with I.D.