The people who showed up for the 2018 CGA Season Tee-Off event at Aqua Golf in Denver on Saturday proved adept at following directions.

As one CGA staffer noted when some would-be participants came up to inquire about the proceedings, “Just have fun; that’s all that we ask.”

Mission accomplished.

In the first of what very well might become an annual happening, the Season Tee-Off function drew about 150 people on Saturday, according to CGA manager of programs Matthew Walker, who helped launch the event along with Denver Golf director of marketing Leslie Wright.

Those who came on Saturday had their choice of several free activities — miniature golf at the 36-hole facility, hitting balls into the lake at the driving range and getting 10-minute lessons from PGA and LPGA professionals including Rick Timm, Susie Helmerich, Chris Hamilton and John Cassidy.

There were contests — for holes-in-one in miniature golf, chipping contests to targets in the water, and even for guessing how many tees were in a sealed jar. The stakes were pretty high for the tee-guessing game: tickets to the U.S. Senior Open at The Broadmoor early this summer and free rounds of golf at CGA-owned CommonGround Golf Course.

The day was punctuated by yells and screams and high-fives from people who made holes-in-one on one of the two miniature golf courses at Aqua Golf.

“Everyone had one (in our group) so everyone is leaving happy,” noted Moe Oro, a CGA member who brought his daughter and son and a friend of his son. “My son is always eager to get out golfing, and this was a good way to get my daughter out too and just have some fun today.”

The four-hour-long Season Tee-Off was hosted not only by the CGA, but Denver Parks & Recreation (Aqua Golf is a City of Denver facility, located across Florida Avenue from Overland Park Golf Course.) In addition, the Junior Golf Alliance of Colorado held a rules seminar on site that was attended by about 40 junior golfers and their parents.

“I think this is another great example of coming together with the CWGA (which integrated this year with the CGA),” said CGA executive director Ed Mate, who was among those on hand on Saturday. “This is the kind of thing they’ve been more active in — with the golf Experience events — than we have. They have a great relationship with the City of Denver. It’s another example of ‘we’re better together.’ Looking out here today, it’s really gratifying to see families (enjoying themselves) and everybody working together.”

A call from Walker to Wright asking about a possible facility to host a Season Tee-Off led the event taking shape. And with Denver Golf wanting to give Aqua Golf more exposure, it seemed like a win-win.

“I thought this would be a perfect facility because you can teach, do the putting and really get some exposure for Aqua Golf because a lot of people don’t know it’s here,” Wright said of the facility, which is just off Santa Fe Drive, but isn’t readily apparent from the road. “(Staffers) take real pride in how they maintain this facility and keep it pristine.”

Some of the people who came to the Season Tee-Off had heard about it in advance. Others just happened upon the event on Saturday. That included Stephen Dwyer, who showed up with his sister and his young kids, Anne and Beau.

“We just kind of came upon it,” Stephen said. “We didn’t know it was going on today. I used to play at Aqua Golf all the time before they redid it many years ago, but we just happened to come here today. It was great.”

Mate and former CWGA Match Play and Senior Match Play champion Laurie Steenrod, now a CGA Executive Committee member, got into the spirit of the day by competing in a friendly putting contest (below).

Given how the inaugural event came off, the Season Tee-Off might just become a fixture on the local golf schedule.

“It’s a first, but from what I can tell — the driving range is full, there are plenty of people on the miniature golf course — I think it’s something we’ll want to do every year,” Mate said.

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.