It’s not a coincidence that the annual Colorado Golf Alliance Day at the Capitol is scheduled the week following the Masters.

The first major championship of the men’s season typically draws more attention to the game than any other event on the calendar. So it’s useful to capitalize on that situation when the Centennial State’s golf industry leaders are trying to make lawmakers aware of the benefits golf brings to the community.

But the proximity on the calendar to the Masters presents another opportunity — to contrast everyday golf with perhaps the most pristine and manicured venue in the game, Augusta National Golf Club.

And so it was Friday at the third annual Capitol visit for the leading golf organizations in Colorado, which gathered in the west foyer and engaged state lawmakers that stopped by — six Senators and eight Representatives this year. (Among them were Sen. John Cooke, in center in photo at left, and Sen. Larry Crowder, at left in photo below.)

“We have to kind of keep chipping away at the image” of the golf industry, said CGA executive director Ed Mate, referring to the stubborn perceptions that it wastes water and resourses and is inaccessible. “There’s always going to be people who think golf is the Masters. I think it’s worked out well that we follow the Masters. It’s a nice landmark date. That (venue and event) is unique. This (Golf Alliance Day at the Capitol) is about affordability, and not emerald green (grass) but environmental stewardship.”

A placard displayed at Colorado Golf Golf Alliance Day at the Capitol makes the case concisely, citing the economic benefits of the game, its environmental record and pointing out its health and wellness benefits.

Specifically, the placard points out that golf contributes $1.7 billion a year to the state’s economy and creates 11,000 jobs that generate $177 million in wages. On the environmental front, the 239 courses in Colorado include more than 12,000 acres of natural green space, with considerable benefits to the ecosystem and wildlife habitats, while using less than one-third of 1 percent of Colorado’s water supply. And golfers benefits physically and (sometimes) psychologically by playing the game.

Beyond that, golf is a huge driver of charity, generating more money for charititable causes ($3.9 billion overall) than all other sports combined, according to WeAreGolf.org. And Alliance members — particularly the CGA and Colorado PGA — have oodles of programs in place that benefit different facets of society, with particular emphasis on youngsters.

A proclamation from Gov. John Hickenlooper and a similarly-worded tribute read Friday morning on the floor of the state Senate applauded the golf industry for the benefits it brings to the table, and industry leaders were recognized during the Senate session (bottom photo).

“Golf is a good thing. It’s good for the economy. It’s good for the soul, so get out and do it,” Sen. Lucia Guzman said after fellow Sen. Jack Tate read the tribute.

Giving state lawmakers the opportunity to meet and converse with the golf industry leaders in Colorado — and learn about the benefits of the game — has been a big plus in recent years, according to members of the Colorado Golf Alliance. The Alliance includes the CGA, Colorado PGA, the Rocky Mountain Golf Course Superintendents Association, and the Mile High Chapter of the Club Managers Association of America — all of whom had multiple representatives on hand at the Capitol on Friday.

Those industry leaders see such worth in this interaction that for the last three years they’ve had an Alliance lobbyist at the Capitol — Jennifer Cassell. She keeps an eye on any bills that may effect the golf industry — those dealing with water use, pesticide application, general environmental stewardship, independent contractors vs. employees, etc. — and helps organize the Colorado Golf Alliance Day at the Capitol.

“Absolutely there’s great value for the Alliance — for all of golf” — in the day at the Capitol and in Cassell’s ongoing presence there on behalf of the Alliance, said Eddie Ainsworth, executive director of the Colorado PGA. “We’d rather have someone here representing us even if nothing is happening to affect golf than have to react (when something pressing does happen). We’re being very proactive. …

“The perception piece when people think of golf, they think that we just overwater everything. So to hear somebody from the Senate floor this morning read and say that golf is good for the environment and they’re good stewards (was gratifying). We use less than one-third of 1 percent of the water in Colorado. That’s eye-opening to people in the state. They say, ‘That’s it?'”

Indeed, conservation is a high priority at golf facilities and much of the water that is used on golf courses is non-potable.

Friday’s event didn’t attract as many state lawmakers as last year, in part because about 20 members of the legislature were excused for various reasons. But golf industry leaders were happy to get the word out to those who were on hand.

“Whenever we can get our name out, that’s what we want,” said Gary Leeper, executive director of the RMGCSA. “We probably only got half the attendance we got last year, but anytime you can get out in front of these people, it’s great.

“I think most of the (lawmakers) who came this year were here last year so they remembered us. That’s really what it’s all about so when they have issues, they can call the RMGCSA or any of the people in the Alliance and ask them questions.

“We’ve been really lucky. We haven’t had a lot of water issues (that could affect golf move to the forefront at the Capitol), but those days are coming. The water, as it gets worse and worse and we get less and less rain and snow, I think we’re going to start getting those calls.”

Mate seconds the importance of water.

“If there’s any one issue that can cripple our business, it’s water,” he said. “You saw what happened in Cape Town, South Africa (when a severe water crisis hit). When water fails, everything fails. Health fails, hospitals fail, everything. Golf, I can promise you, would be the first thing to be cut if we don’t let people know, ‘Wait a minute, we’re only using a tiny (percentage). And when people are stressed, maybe being on a golf course (would help relieve that) and wouldn’t be a bad use of water.'”

Of course, the golf industry leaders understand that not all state legislators look at golf the same way, and that many may not have a connection to the game at all. But the goal is to provide information to all, and hopefully gain some allies along the way.

“We have some serious golfers in the legislature — those who really love the sport and love the game and try to get out as much as they can,” Cassell said. “There are others who wish they had more time to play but still appreciate the game. Then there are others who hopefully we can engage more — bring them out to play and educate them more about the benefits of golf.

“Today, it seemed like the legislators that came down here were very energetic about the day. They wanted to learn more and meet us.”

Which is a good indication that the Golf Alliance Day at the Capitol will remain a fixture on the spring schedule.

“It’s always a great opportunity for us to be here and for us to be in front of our legislature to let them realize how valuable golf is — valuable to the economy, valuable to the environment and that we are good stewards of the environment thanks to our golf course superintendents and different things like that,” Ainsworth said. “It’s always a highlight on my calendar.”

Watching the legislature operate — however briefly — on Friday made both Ainsworth and Mate realize that golf is a small fish in a big pond of issues. But it was also a heartening experience in some respects.

“It kind of makes me realize just how good we are,” Mate said of the golf industry. “There’s nothing controversial really about golf. The economics, the environmental benefits, the health benefits (are all pluses).

“You can say, ‘Why are we here (at the Capitol)? What’s the issue?’ We’re here because we want them to be aware of us because otherwise they’re going to come up with their own ideas about what golf is.”
 

All proceeds from the auction benefit the Rocky Mountain Environmental Golf Institute, which supports research in turf grass management.

About 40 Colorado golf courses have rounds up for bid through the auction.

To bid on the Colorado rounds starting on Friday, CLICK HERE.

(Updated April 11) At the conclusion of the auction, the RMGCSA reported that $6,861 was raised through the auction locally, with $155,330 coming in nationally.

This year, those reflections have particularly come into focus.

With the CGA celebrating its 100th anniversary this year, there’s been a concerted look back on the past century of golf in Colorado. That includes a 10-part series of stories on notable people and events from the last hundred years.

Writing that series was illuminating, which brings us back to Thanksgiving. A better understanding of the past can lead to increased appreciation for all we have to be thankful for in Colorado golf.

To wit, here are 10 things that come to mind:

— Rich History of Golf. The Century of Golf Gala held recently at The Broadmoor particulary brought this home, with Jack Nicklaus reminiscing about his strong links to Colorado over the last 60 years. Nicklaus is one of golf’s all-time pantheon to have won significant tournaments in the state, with others being Arnold Palmer, Ben Hogan, Kathy Whitworth, Babe Zaharias, Annika Sorenstam, Gary Player, Greg Norman and Phil Mickelson. For much more about Colorado golf history, CLICK HERE.

— Teamwork. Another thing that the Century of Golf Gala — 1,250 attendees strong — and related activities reinforced is that big things can happen when the Colorado golf community joins forces. Teaming up with the CGA in making it all a major success were the CWGA, Colorado PGA and the Rocky Mountain Golf Course Superintendents Association.

— Great Venues. The day of the Century of Golf Gala, a golf outing held at The Broadmoor (pictured) demonstrated yet again what stellar golf courses Colorado has produced. On a mid-November day, temperatures reached the mid-60s, and the setting was enough to make any golfer take pause. The same can be said for countless other courses in the state — Sanctuary, Arrowhead, Castle Pines, Ballyneal, Red Sky, Eisenhower, etc., etc. Golfers in Colorado are indeed fortunate.

— Good of the Game Partnerships. The recent creation of a partnership between the CGA and the Colorado PGA will result in a new Colorado Junior Tour and many other advantages for all levels of junior golfers in Colorado (READ MORE). It’s yet another example of how the game can be well served by constructive cooperation.

— Local Players Who Excel. Colorado has a long history of homegrown players hitting it big — with Hale Irwin, Steve Jones, Dale Douglass, Jill McGill, Brandt Jobe, Bob Byman, Kevin Stadler, Shane Bertsch, Bill Loeffler and to some extent Mike Reid, to name some. It’s always fun for Coloradans to have one of their own to root for on the national or international level. And we also have some very promising young players potentially in a similar pipleline with the likes of Mark Hubbard, Jennifer Kupcho, Wyndham Clark and Hannah Wood.

— Highly Regarded PGA Professionals. There are oustanding PGA professionals throughout the country, but members of the Colorado PGA have proven to be high achievers as the Section or its members have won national PGA of America awards eight times in the last nine years. And highly respected instructor Ann Finke was recently voted into the Colorado Golf Hall of Fame, along with Colorado-based Champions Tour player Craig Stadler. And Vic Kline was honored as Colorado Golf Professional of the Century during the Century of Golf Gala.

— Foundations to Support Good Causes. Numerous golf foundations in Colorado do considerable and commendable work in bolstering good causes through the game of golf. Among them are the Colorado Golf Foundation, Colorado PGA Reach, the Colorado Open Golf Foundation, and the Rocky Mountain Environmental Golf Institute.

— Volunteers. While the staffs of the major golf organizations in Colorado do yeoman’s work, those organizations would be a shell of what they are were it not for volunteers. Such volunteerism came to the forefront this past year with the passing of Joe Salvo, and the departure from the Colorado tournament golf scene of Rich Langston and Joan Scholes. Each of them made major contributions — in terms of both time and dediction — to the likes of the CGA, CWGA and Colorado PGA over the years. And many, many others do likewise each year.

— Another Senior Major on the Horizon.This year it was announced that the 2018 U.S. Senior Open will be contested at The Broadmoor the year the resort celebrates its 100th birthday. It will mark the third U.S. Senior Open held in Colorado, meaning only Ohio (with six) will have hosted more. The Centennial State also was home to another senior major, the Senior PGA Championship contested at Colorado Golf Club in 2010.

— Good People. I’ve always marveled at the number of good people you meet through the game of golf. Perhaps it’s part of the significant “self-policing” aspect of the sport that tends to attract people of high character. But whatever the case, it’s refreshing.

And yet another reason to give thanks.