Lindsay Kuhle was named the league’s coach of the year for the third consecutive time, while junior Jessica Carty earned women’s golfer of the year honors, and freshman Kathi Baratta landed the newcomer of the year award. (Kuhle and Baratta are pictured lining up a putt last fall.)

In April, Kuhle’s Pioneers won their league tournament for the 13th consecutive year, and Carty claimed top individual honors, tying the tournament record with a 217 total for 54 holes.

As a team, DU recorded a 52-stroke victory in the Summit League tourney.

(June 9 update: Also this week, the DU women announced that Lauren Whyte of Scotland, a transfer from Baylor, will join the team in the fall. Whyte competed for the Bears when they finished NCAA runner-up in 2015.)

Consider it a variation of the “drive for show, putt for dough” theme. Both portions of the college golf season are important, but it’s what a team does in the spring — more so than the fall — that really gets remembered.

And though “spring” may seem a long way off for Colorado golfers, the spring season will begin for at least one Colorado-based college team this weekend.

The University of Denver men will tee off their second-half schedule Friday and Saturday at the 54-hole, 17-team Arizona Intercollegiate in Tucson. The Pioneer men are one of nine NCAA Division I teams based in Colorado, and all nine will begin their spring seasons before February ends.

And the rubber really meets the road in April, May and early June, when conference championships and NCAA regionals and finals are contested.

Most notable from a Colorado perspective this year are the men’s and women’s NCAA Division II Championship finals, set for May 17-21 at Green Valley Ranch Golf Club and May 18-21 at CommonGround Golf Course, respectively. It will be the first NCAA golf nationals held in Colorado since The Broadmoor last hosted the NCAA Division I men’s championship, in 1969.

As for the local Division I schedule, the Arizona Intercollegiate in which the DU men are competing this weekend marks the first major tournament of the spring season nationwide. College teams will be resuming competition after a three-to-four-month intermission following the fall season.

Among in-state DI schools, the University of Colorado is the top-ranked women’s squad (24th nationally according to Golfweek), while CU is also tops among the men (Golfweek has the Buffs 68th).

The individuals from Colorado and Colorado schools who are top ranked nationally are, for men:

82. Jeremy Paul (pictured above), Colorado (Golfstat)
91. Wyndham Clark of Lone Tree, Oklahoma State (Golfweek)
100. Philip Juel-Berg, Colorado (Golfstat)

And for women:

16. Esther Lee (left), Colorado (Golfweek)
37. Hannah Wood of Highlands Ranch, Oklahoma (Golfstat)
86. Jennifer Kupcho of Westminster, Wake Forest (Golfweek)
138. Kathi Baratta, Denver (Golfweek)
143. Alexis Keating, Colorado (Golfweek)

Here’s a team-by-team rundown on the Colorado-based Division I teams going into the spring portion of the season:

Air Force Men

National Ranking — 184th (Golfweek).

Best Fall Team Finish — Second at Bill Ross Intercollegiate.

Best Fall Individual Finishes — Brenden Bone (second), Sunwoo Choi (eighth).

Best Individual Stroke Average in Fall — Brenden Bone 72.6.

Next tournament — Feb. 28-March 1, Snowman Getaway, Goodyear, Ariz.

Conference Championships — Mountain West, April 22-24 in Tucson, Ariz.

Colorado Men

National Ranking — 68th (Golfweek).

Best Fall Team Finishes — Won Mark Simpson Colorado Invitational, second at Gene Miranda Falcon Invitational.

Best Fall Individual Finishes — Philip Juel-Berg (first, second and eighth), Jeremy Paul (first, third and seventh), Ethan Freeman (fifth three times), Ross Macdonald (fifth).

Best Individual Stroke Average in Fall — Jeremy Paul 70.6.

Next Tournament — Feb. 4-6, Amer Ali Intercollegiate, Big Island, Hawaii.

Conference Championships — Pac-12, April 29-May 1 in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Colorado Women

National Ranking — 24th (Golfweek).

Best Fall Team Finishes — Second at East & West Match Play Challenge, fourth at Pac-12 Preview.

Best Fall Individual Finishes — Esther Lee (first, fourth and ninth), Alexis Keating (third), Brittany Fan (ninth).

Best Individual Stroke Average in Fall — Esther Lee 72.6.

Next Tournament — Feb. 13-14, Peg Barnard Stanford Invitational, Stanford, Calif.

Conference Championships — Pac-12, April 18-20 in Pleasanton, Calif.

Colorado State Men

National Ranking — 74th (Golfstat).

Best Fall Team Finishes — Won Gene Miranda Falcon Invitational and Ram Masters Invitational, third at Tucker Intercollegiate, fourth at Herb Wimberly Intercollegiate.

Best Fall Individual Finishes — Dominic Kieffer (second, third, sixth), Max Oelfke (second, sixth, seventh), Kyler Dunkle (fourth, fifth, seventh), Jimmy Makloski (eighth), Jake Staiano (eighth).

Best Individual Stroke Average in Fall — Max Oelfke 71.9.

Next Major Tournament — Feb. 28-March 1, National Invitational, Tucson, Ariz.

Conference Championships — Mountain West, April 22-24 in Tucson, Ariz.

Colorado State Women

National Ranking — 68th (Golfstat).

Best Fall Team Finishes — Fourth at Ron Moore Women’s Intercollegiate.

Best Fall Individual Finishes — Allie Andersen (fifth), Sarah Archuleta (eighth).

Best Individual Stroke Average in Fall — Elizabeth Rau 74.1.

Next Tournament — Feb. 22-23, Gold Rush, Long Beach, Calif.

Conference Championships — Mountain West, April 18-20 in Rancho Mirage, Calif.

Denver Men

National Ranking — 207th (Golfstat).

Best Fall Team Finish — Fifth at Pacific Invitational.

Best Fall Individual Finish — Chris Korte (fifth).

Best Individual Stroke Average in Fall — Chris Korte 73.4.

Next Tournament — Jan. 29-30, Arizona Medalist, Tucson, Ariz.

Conference Championships — Summit League, May 1-3 in Newton, Kan.

Denver Women 

National Ranking — 57th (Golfweek).

Best Fall Team Finishes — Won Ron Moore Women’s Intercollegiate, fourth at Golfweek Conference Challenge.

Best Fall Individual Finishes — Kathi Baratta (fifth, eighth).

Best Individual Stroke Average in Fall — Kathi Baratta 72.5.

Next Tournament — Feb. 13-14, Peg Barnard Stanford Invitational, Stanford, Calif.

Conference Championships — Summit League, April 18-20 in Nebraska City

Also Notable — The DU women, who have won 12 consecutive conference championships, are favored to make it a baker’s dozen. The Pioneers were recently picked No. 1 in the nine-team Summit League in a midseason poll of the conference’s head coaches. DU is in its third season in the Summit League.

Northern Colorado Men

National Ranking — 202nd (Golfstat).

Best Fall Team Finish — Seventh at Gene Miranda Falcon Invitational.

Best Fall Individual Finishes — Joshua Matz (fourth).

Next Tournament — Feb. 8-9, Thunderbird Invitational, St. George, Utah.

Conference Championships — Big Sky, April 29-May 1 in Boulder City, Nev.

Current Ranking Among Big Sky Conference Teams — Fourth out of eight.

Northern Colorado Women

National Ranking — 116th (Golfweek).

Best Fall Team Finish — Eighth at Hawaii Rainbow Wahine Invitational.

Best Fall Individual Finishes — Amanda Myers (third, eighth), Kala Keltz (eighth).

Next Tournament — Feb. 22-24, Grand Canyon Invitational, Goodyear, Ariz.

Conference Championships — Big Sky, April 18-20 in Boulder City, Nev.

Current Ranking Among Big Sky Conference Teams — Second out of 12.
 

Lindsay Kuhle has accomplished plenty in golf in her native state of Colorado, including winning a couple of state amateur championships, the CWGA Junior Stroke Play in 2000 and the CWGA Stroke Play in 2005. And she was an assistant coach when the University of Denver finished sixth and fifth in the NCAA Championship finals, though those events were obviously held out of state.

One thing she hadn’t done, though, is win a golf tournament in Colorado as a college head coach.

But on Sunday, she checked that off the list.

Kuhle, head coach of the DU women’s team since early 2013, celebrated among friends, family and co-workers Sunday as the Pioneers claimed the team championship in the ninth annual Ron Moore Women’s Intercollegiate at Highlands Ranch Golf Club.

The Pios rallied from a three-shot deficit heading into the final round to post a five-stroke victory in the 18-team field. Aside from conference championships, it was DU’s first team title since the 2009 Moore Intercollegiate. That was also the last time Denver won a team title at a Colorado-based tournament.

All in all, it was a nice way to close out the fall portion of the schedule for DU and Kuhle, whose daughter, Lucy, turned 1 year old on Saturday and happily spent the weekend at Highlands Ranch GC. (Lucy is pictured at left with mom Lindsay on Sunday.)

“It means a lot,” Kuhle said. “To get a win, especially in front of all of our friends and families at our home course is so special.

“I’m so proud of the way the girls competed. We had the best energy and attitude and we were so relaxed, and I think that tells you a lot about how you play good golf. If you’re having fun, it’s so important. That’s something I preach. No matter how you’re playing to act like you’re playing well, to also have a positive attitude, and wave to your teammates to be encouraging. I think that really helped us get this win.”

The victory was the fourth for Kuhle since she took over as head coach, on the heels of a WAC title in 2013 and Summit League championships in 2014 and ’15.

On Sunday, Denver posted the low round of the day, a 2-under-par 286, as all the DU golfers who were competing for the team score shot between 70 and 73 despite windy conditions.

With a 2-under 862 total for three rounds, the Pioneers finished five ahead of San Francisco and eight in front of Washington State.

Colorado State recorded its best tournament score — 872 — since 2009 in placing fourth. Northern Colorado (893) was 11th.

Individually, DU freshman Kathi Baratta and CSU sophomore Allie Andersen shared fifth place at 1-under-par 215, seven behind champion Kassidy Teare of Long Beach State. For Andersen, it was the best college tournament score she’s recorded.

As for Baratta (pictured at top and at left with Kuhle), she’s shaping up to be a real find for Denver. Coming from the Austrian national team, she agreed in June to sign a letter of intent with DU site unseen, after being recruited by Kuhle to fill the roster spot vacated when Elyse Smidinger transferred to Oregon State. Baratta had never set foot in Colorado before coming to Denver in late August.

The Austrian couldn’t compete in the Pioneers’ first tournament because the school doesn’t allow freshmen to miss their first week of classes, but she’s certainly shown her stuff since. In her first two college tournaments, she’s finished eighth in an event at Red Sky Golf Club in Wolcott and fifth on Sunday. In her first month as a college golfer, she was named the Summit League Women’s Player of the Month for September.

“I came here and I really just wanted to be an asset to the team,” she said Sunday. “My target was to qualify for every tournament, then try my best to support the team. If you can earn two top-10s in your first two college tournaments, that’s a bonus. I’m personally very happy with the result.”

And seeing her team claim a championship so soon after arriving was satisfying as well.

“I’m really happy,” she said. “It was only the second tournament I played, so it’s great to actually earn a victory. The whole team played great. No one had a bad score today. It was a beautiful day to finish what we started. The motivation went from the older girls to us freshmen. We really wanted to win. We knew we could win.”

DU has one of the more diverse college rosters you’ll find. Five of the Pioneers’ seven players are from oversees. Besides Baratta (Austria), there’s fellow freshman Sophie Newlove (England), juniors Mariell Bruun (Norway) and Jessica Carty (Northern Ireland, who would have had a high individual finish Sunday had she not inadvertently signed for an incorrect score on Saturday), and sophomore Jessica Dreesbeimdieke (Namibia in southwest Africa). And then there are two Americans, senior Isabel Southard (Sharon, Mass., who was sidelined this weekend due to a back injury) and sophomore Aleana Groenhout (Kirkland, Wash).

“I’m just trying to get the best student-athlete in the world,” Kuhle said of her recruiting approach. “My assistant (Daniela Lendl, daughter of former tennis great Ivan Lendl) and I will go over to Europe, but we’re looking for someone who really cares about school and golf.”

On Sunday, Baratta finished fifth individually, while Groenhout was 12th and Newlove was 17th after a final-round 70.

“They fit right in,” Kuhle said of her freshmen, Baratta and Newlove. “We didn’t skip a beat at all in the transition from losing a couple of (players) from last year to this year.”

For her part, in choosing DU, Baratta was attracted to the surroundings and climate in Colorado, which are not so different from Austria.

“If you look around, it’s beautiful here,” she said. “I decided if I want to go to the States, them I’m not going to go somewhere it’s 365 (days-per-year) heat. I can’t handle that, so Colorado was similar to home, so that’s why I came here. It basically feels like home. It’s really great.”

And Kuhle feels fortunate to have landed such a quality player just months before the season started.

“To get someone like that, I think there is some luck in that,” Kuhle said.

Ron Moore Women’s Intercollegiate
Oct. 9-11, 2015 (final) at Par-72 Highlands Ranch GC

1. (out of 18 teams) Denver 282-294-286–862
5. Kathi Baratta 71-71-73–215; 12. Aleana Groenhout 74-70-72–216; 17. Sophie Newlove 73-76-70–219; 30. Mariell Bruun 72-77-73–222; Jessica Carty 66-DQ-71. Competing as individual: 37. Jessica Dreesbeimdieke 67-74-83–224.

4. Colorado State 293-290-289–872
5. Allie Andersen 70-71-74–215; 17. Elisabeth Rau 74-70-74–215; 17. Katrina Prendergast 73-73-73–219; 37. Brianna Becker 78-77-69–224; 46. Mikayla Tatman 76-76-73–225. Competing as individual: 50. Sarah Archuleta 74-77-75–226.

11. Northern Colorado 293-300-300–893
22. Amanda Myers 71-73-76–220; 32. Kala Keltz 70-73-80–223; 46. Christina Ferrreira 74-76-75–225; 74. Baile Winslow 78-78-75–231; 89. Janet Yeo 86-78-74–238.

Also
22. Jamie Oleksiew, Colorado 72-72-76–220
25. Lauryn Keating, Colorado 73-76-72–221
32. Coloradan Bryce Schroeder, Wichita State 71-76-76–223
37. Coloradan Taylor Dorans, Wyoming 77-75-72–224
37. Gillian Vance, Colorado 74-72-78–224
68. Coloradan Jaylee Tait, Montana State 78-75-77–230
82. Coloradan Kathleen Kershisnik, Wyoming 78-77-80–235