The week of Thanksgiving presents a natural time to contemplate all the things for which we should be appreciative.

And for those of us in Colorado, this time of year marks the end of the golf season. That seems ideal for reflecting on why we’re grateful to be golfers in the Centennial State.

So, after scanning through the stories that have made news so far this year in Colorado golf, and just generally considering all the great things that the game gives us, it’s time for our annual look at Colorado golf-related reasons to be thankful:

— This year, I’ve had the pleasure to revisit Arrowhead Golf Club (below), Sanctuary, The Broadmoor and Perry Park, among many other courses. Taking in all the scenery at venues like these — and there are plenty of them in Colorado — never fails to provide a sense of serenity. Playing golf there is just gravy.

— Colorado golf organizations are often a proactive lot when trying to grow the game. Bringing the Youth on Course initiative to Colorado is but the latest example. YOC makes golf more affordable for youngsters, who pay no more than $5 per round at participating facilities, with the program subsidizing the initiative by giving the course a similar amount. Fifteen Colorado courses participated in the program this first season, and it’s sure to grow by leaps and bounds in coming years.

— Rarely, if ever, have so many players who grew up in Colorado been rookies at the same time on the PGA and LPGA Tours as there will be for the 2019 season. On the PGA Tour, where the wraparound season actually began this fall, there’s Wyndham Clark and Jim Knous. And on the LPGA side, there will be Jennifer Kupcho and Becca Huffer, in addition to University of Colorado golfer Robyn Choi. It should be a source of pride for the Colorado golf community.

— Following up on the above, it ought to be kept in perspective that players the caliber of Kupcho don’t come around every year — or even every decade. It’s more like once in a generation when it comes to a state like Colorado. The Westminster resident has been the No. 1-ranked women’s amateur in the world for 15 weeks this year, though she recently dropped to No. 2. She became the first American woman to win the McCormack Medal that goes to the top amateur on the globe. The Wake Forest senior captured the women’s NCAA Division I individual title in May, she led three U.S. teams to international titles this year, and she earned her LPGA card by finishing second in the final stage of Q-school. Add it all up and that’s rarefied air indeed.

— A vibrant golf business — and economy in general — is paying dividends in Colorado. For instance, a second Topgolf facility in the state — this one in Thornton — broke ground this fall and is expected to open late next year. TPC Colorado in Berthoud, the first new 18-hole championship course in Colorado in a decade, opened to the general public this year. And Green Valley Ranch Golf Club, which hosts the three CoBank Colorado Open Championships, recently announced that it will be the eighth location worldwide for the Jim McLean Golf School, which is considered one of the top golf schools/academies in the country.

— Though the aforementioned strong economy no doubt will push prices a bit higher, the fact remains that there’s a lot of good golf to be had for reasonable fees in Colorado. For people who want to — or must — keep costs down, it’s not hard to find 18-hole summer green fees of $35 or less. And that’s on decent golf courses. That’s hard to beat.

— The Colorado PGA continues to be a leader among PGA of America Sections, and Colorado golfers are the beneficiaries. This year, the CPGA received a national player development award from the PGA of America for the second time since 2011. From 2007 through ’18, the Colorado PGA has now earned 10 national awards from the PGA of America.

— Speaking of the Colorado PGA, its senior players should be an inspiration to 50-and-older golfers throughout the state. This year, 56-year-old Doug Rohrbaugh of Carbondale became the first player from the Section to win the Colorado PGA Player of the Year and Senior Player of the Year awards in the same year. Sherry Andonian-Smith of Centennial, also 56, was the Section’s inaugural Women’s Player of the Year after placing second 29th out of 264 players at the national Senior PGA Professional Championship. Five times in the last six years, players 50 or older have won the Colorado PGA Professional Championship, including 52-year-old Patrick Reidy this year. Senior golfers Rohrbaugh (three times) and John Ogden (once) have also claimed the title in recent years. And, for the record, the winner of the Colorado Senior PGA Professional Championship was 64-year-old Mike Zaremba.

— The CGA and CWGA joined forces at the beginning of this year after each organization had a 100-plus year run of its own. And the integration has gone nearly seamlessly from the perspective of the members — both men and women — who are served by new-look Colorado Golf Association. In addition, the CGA and the Colorado PGA often team up for the betterment of golf in the state. A good example of that is the ever-growing Junior Golf Alliance of Colorado, which just completed its third season.

— Speaking of which, it should be noted again that Joe McCleary and Juliet Miner, the presidents of the CGA and CWGA, respectively, in 2016 and ’17, selflessly agreed to serve a third year as co-presidents of the CGA in order to make the transition to one organization go smoothly. They’ll soon be stepping down from their presidential roles, but it shouldn’t be forgotten the way they’ve gone above and beyond in volunteer roles for the sake of Colorado golf.

— For Colorado golf fans who don’t get to attend major golf championships very often, the 2018 U.S. Senior Open (left) was another breath of fresh air. Not only was there great golf, but it was in a setting that’s tough to beat — The Broadmoor Resort in Colorado Springs. And it was nice to hear that the U.S. Senior Open will be returning to The Broadmoor in 2025.

— Also on the spectator tournament front, there are a couple of events to look forward to in 2019. First up is the Web.com Tour’s TPC Colorado Championship at Heron Lakes July 8-14. It’ll be just the third time the feeder circuit for the PGA Tour has held a tournament in Colorado as the Nike Colorado Classic was played at Riverdale’s Dunes Course in Brighton in 1996 and ’97. Then Colorado Golf Club in Parker will host the U.S. Mid-Amateur national championship — for players 25 and older — Sept. 14-19, with CGA-owned CommonGround Golf Course serving as the second course for the stroke-play portion of the event. The only previous time Colorado has hosted a U.S. Mid-Am was in 1983, when Cherry Hills Country Club did the honors.

— Amazingly, this year produced national champions from Colorado in two major events. Colorado State University teammates Katrina Prendergast and Ellen Secor prevailed in the U.S. Women’s Amateur Four-Ball in early May. And later that month, Kupcho became the first Coloradan to win a Women’s NCAA Division I individual title. Other Coloradans this year won regional or age-group championships — Dillon Stewart of Fort Collins (the Junior America’s Cup) and Nicholas Pevny of Aspen (the 12-13 division of the Optimist International Junior Golf Championships). Stewart recently signed a National Letter of Intent with the No. 1 men’s college program in the nation, Oklahoma State.

— Two of the most worthwhile caddie-related development programs have strong ties to Colorado, and continue to do invaluable good. One is the Solich Caddie & Leadership Academy, based at CommonGround Golf Course, Meridian Golf Club, and at Lincoln Park and Tiara Rado in Grand Junction. The other is the Evans Scholarship for caddies, which has a house at the University of Colorado. Both do wonders in developing boys and girls into productive young adults.

— Two Coloradans who passed away in 2018 left strong legacies in the Colorado golf community — and beyond — that will pay dividends far into the future: Jack Vickers, founder of Castle Pines Golf Club and The International PGA Tour event that had a 21-year run; and longtime high school golf coach George Hoos, the patriarch of a well-known golf family in Colorado.

— Especially when taken as a group, it’s hard to beat the three state open championships (left) held in Colorado for which CoBank is the title sponsor. And it goes beyond the large purses — $250,000 for the CoBank Colorado Open and $150,000 for the CoBank Colorado Women’s Open. I interview many competitors during the Opens, and it’s remarkable how many of them comment on how professionally the tournaments are run — sometimes even comparing them favorably with events conducted by major tours.

— The Colorado Golf Hall of Fame continues to do yeoman’s work in recognizing and preserving the history of golf in Colorado. Its museum is based at the Riverdale Golf Courses in Brighton. It’s next inductee will be longtime Coloradan Lauren Howe, who was among the best young female golfers in the nation through much of the 1970s and ’80s.

— Also on the Hall of Fame front, Colorado continues to be fortunate to call World Golf Hall of Famer Hale Irwin one of its own. Irwin, who grew up in Boulder and attended the University of Colorado, continues to give back to the state in many ways. He lends his name to the AJGA Hale Irwin Colorado Junior tournament and to the Hale Irwin Player Program, and in recent months he’s helped out in various roles as Colorado hosted the U.S. Senior Open, and as a design advisor for Denver’s historic City Park Golf Course, which is being redesigned.

— And last but far from least, we should be thankful for the many volunteers that make golf what it is in Colorado. They help lead many of the major golf organizations in the state, officiate at tournaments, rate courses, play many roles when major championships comes to Colorado, and on and on. The game would be a shell of itself without them.

All told, it’s quite a Thanksgiving smorgasbord on which Colorado golfers can feast.
 

When thinking about Thanksgiving, one of the first things that comes to mind for many people is turkeys.

But for the purposes of this Thanksgiving story, there isn’t a turkey in the bunch. After all, this is about reasons to giving thanks, Colorado golf-style.

The list is plenty long, so without further ado, let’s consider the things and people for which Colorado golfers can be thankful:

— Scenic Courses: Many areas of the country have distinctive-looking, beautiful courses, but Colorado can hold its own with the best of them. Anyone who has seen the likes of Arrowhead, Sanctuary, The Broadmoor (left), Fox Acres, Lakota Canyon, Perry Park, Red Sky and countless others can attest as much.

— Weather: Sure, there are mid-winter days with snow on the ground and golf is the furthest thing from your mind, but the prime season here features near-ideal conditions much of the time. And there’s more days than non-Coloradans think that skiing and playing golf in the same day is possible. And this Thanksgiving, it’s expected to reach 70-plus degrees in the Denver metro area. So feel free to tee it up after feasting.

— Cost of Golf: There’s no lack of quality Colorado courses where a person can play 18 holes for $30 or $35. Add another $10 and the numbers jump considerably. That isn’t the case in many areas of the country.

— CGA, CWGA Joining Forces: While the impetus for the CGA and CWGA teaming up and becoming one state golf association was a USGA directive, the bet here is that the end result will be efficiently and ably serving all members, male and female, for many, many years to come.

— Jennifer Kupcho: It’s not often that young Colorado golfers with the promise of Westminster resident Jennifer Kupcho come around — maybe once every two or three decades. In women’s golf, the last Coloradan with comparable accomplishments at a similar age was probably Jill McGill, who won two USGA championships in the 1990s before embarking on a long LPGA Tour career. Kupcho (left), who’s ranked No. 3 among the world’s female amateur golfers, finished second this year in the NCAA Finals and 21st overall as an amateur in the U.S. Women’s Open. In her case, the sky’s the limit.

— Big-Time Events on the Horizon: While there’s reason to miss an annual PGA Tour stop in Colorado after The International was held for 21 years at Castle Pines, there are several upcoming events to whet the appetite of golf fans: the 2018 U.S. Senior Open at The Broadmoor in Colorado Springs, the 2019 U.S. Mid-Amateur at Colorado Golf Club in Parker, and an annual Web.com Tour stop at the new TPC Colorado course in Berthoud starting in 2019.

— Courses Ranked Among the Best: Coloradans who have had the pleasure of playing at Castle Pines Golf Club, Ballyneal and Cherry Hills shouldn’t be surprised, but all three were ranked among the top 75 courses in Golf Digest’s biennial list of “America’s 100 Greatest Golf Courses.” That list is considered the gold standard among golf course rankings.

— New Course Debuting: While a person could argue there’s no need for new courses in Colorado given the net loss thereof the state has experienced in the last decade, the aforementioned TPC Colorado in Berthoud that will likely open around June 1 is intriguing given the TPC backing, the unique aspects of the course and the plan to host a Web.com Tour event there for at least five years beginning in 2019.

— State Opens Second to None: CoBank has stepped up to the plate in a big way over the last two years in doubling the purse sizes and increasing the winners’ portions to $100,000 and $50,000 for the Colorado Open and Colorado Women’s Open, respectively. That puts the tournaments in a category of their own compared to other state opens.

— Great People: Having been in the sports writing business for more than three decades, I can say that there are extremely nice, impeccably honest, generous, well-mannered athletes and coaches in all sports. But golf takes a back seat to none of them in that regard. Good examples are the late Les Fowler, who was recently inducted into the University of Colorado Athletic Hall of Fame, and John Hamer, a fellow Colorado Golf Hall of Famer and former Boulder Country Club member who passed away this year. And there are many young golfers in Colorado showing the same qualities, which bodes well for the future.

— Giving Back: Speaking of generosity, John Ogden, the PGA head professional at Cherry Hills Country Club, demonstrated plenty immediately after winning the Colorado PGA Professional Championship in September. He earned $8,000 for that victory, and told CPGA executive director Eddie Ainsworth that he was donating half of that total to the Colorado PGA REACH Foundation.

— Rich History. This year marked the 50th anniversary of Columbine Country Club hosting the 1967 PGA Championship that Don January won and where Jack Nicklaus finished a stroke out of a playoff. That’s one of six men’s major championships that have been held in the state, including the 1960 U.S. Open that Arnold Palmer won at Cherry Hills. On the women’s side, Colorado has hosted four majors, with winners including Babe Zaharias and Annika Sorenstam.

— Outstanding Associations: Colorado is fortunate to be home to some of the better golf associations in the nation. Besides the CGA and the CWGA, that includes the Colorado PGA and the Rocky Mountain Golf Course Superintendents Association, among others. All of them do Colorado proud.

— Junior Golf Alliance of Colorado: The JGAC was formalized just a couple of years ago, but it’s proven to be a big-time winner for junior golfers in the state and beyond. Founding partners from the CGA and the Colorado PGA, with the help of the CWGA, have developed an organization where young golfers of any ability can come to get their needs addressed.

— Mark Passey. After 27 years as a USGA regional affairs director — including the last 11 while based in Colorado — Mark Passey retired this year. The Utah Golf Hall of Famer (left) served the region — and the game in general — very well.

— Impending Colorado Golf Hall of Famers: Speaking of people who have been admirable stewards of the game locally, the Colorado Golf Hall of Fame is honoring a very worthy pair after voting Jim Bunch and Danny Harvanek in for induction. Bunch has devoted countless hours of voluntary service at some of the highest levels of golf in this country, and Harvanek certainly has lived up to the award he won in 2007 as the PGA of America’s Junior Golf Leader.

— Golf Volunteers: While noting Bunch’s work as a volunteer, we’d be remiss not to mention the role played by all of the golf volunteers in Colorado. It’s no exaggeration to say that without them, Colorado golf would be a shell of what it is today.

— Local Tour Players for Whom to Root: It’s always fun to see players who honed their game while growing up in Colorado go on to big things by competing on the world’s top professional tours. In that vein, this year we’ve watched Brandt Jobe win for the first time on the PGA Tour Champions; Wyndham Clark make a couple of cuts on the PGA Tour after winning the 2017 Pac-12 title in Colorado, and Jim Knous compete regularly on the Web.com Tour.

— Other Great Stories: Besides the aforementioned, it was fun following as Davis and Emma Bryant combined to win a “Bryant Slam” in JGAC majors in 2017; as former Fort Collins resident Sam Saunders shot a 59 on the Web.com Tour; and as two-time PGA Tour winner Jonathan Kaye claimed his second CoBank Colorado Open title 21 years after his first.

— Having 2 College Player of the Year Finalists: This may never happen again, but in 2017 both a male and a female golfer from Colorado were among the finalists for the national college golfer of the year awards, as Wyndham Clark and Jennifer Kupcho did the honors.

— Giving Juniors a Leg Up: There are plenty of worthwhile golf-related programs that provide kids an opportunity to help themselves. Three of those in Colorado that make a big-time difference in youngsters’ lives are the Evans Scholarship for caddies, which has a chapter house at the University of Colorado; The First Tee program; and the Solich Caddie & Leadership Academy.

— Homer McClintock: While noting the Evans Scholarship above, one of people who played a key role in developing the chapter at CU was Coloradan Homer McClintock, who passed away this fall just 11 days shy of turning 100 years old. Besides his considerable work on behalf of Colorado caddies, McClintock served as a volunteer on the CGA Board of Governors for almost two decades.

— The New and Different: It’s interesting to see novel concepts come on the horizon, including in the golf realm. This year, for instance, the inaugural Major Series of Putting was held in Las Vegas. And, competing against a field in the All Pro Championship that included Brad Faxon, John Cook, Tommy Armour III and Cole Knost, Cole Nygren of Longmont claimed the title. Take that, Tour pros.

All in all, there’s plenty for Colorado golfers to feast on this Thanksgiving — and leftovers to boot.
 

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.
 

This week, the focus is more on turkey than two-putts, more on pumpkin pies than pars, and more on family and fellowship than fairways and flagsticks.

But that doesn’t mean there aren’t reasons to reflect on the game of golf, and reasons to be thankful for it, especially here in Colorado.

Therefore, in honor of the Thanksgiving holiday, here are nine things for which to be grateful, Colorado golf-wise:

— Stellar Golf Venues: Think of the golf courses and locales that are options in the state, and it’s enough to make anyone who loves to play the game salivate as if they were sitting down for Thanksgiving dinner. And not only are venues like Arrowhead (pictured above), the Broadmoor, Ballyneal, Sanctuary, Eisenhower, Perry Park and Red Sky jaw-droppingly beautiful, but the topography of the state makes for a great variety of courses.

— Diversity of Major Events: When The International PGA Tour stop took its final bow in 2006 after a 21-year run, there’s no doubt it created a big void. But looking back on the diversity of tournaments that helped fill that void is truly remarkable. Over the last seven years, Colorado has hosted the best men’s and women’s professionals in the world, the best seniors, as well as the best amateurs. There’s been the 2008 U.S. Senior Open and the U.S. Amateur Public Links, the 2009 Palmer Cup, the 2010 Senior PGA Championship, the 2011 U.S. Women’s Open, the 2012 U.S. Amateur, the 2013 Solheim Cup and the 2014 BMW Championship. Suffice it to say it’s been a pretty nice lineup for Colorado golf fans.

— Relatively Inexpensive Golf: While there are plenty of golf courses in Colorado that cost a pretty penny to play, there’s also an abundance of quality, well-maintained venues that charge $40 or less for a round. And there are even some nice courses where you can walk up to the counter on a summer weekend, pay your 18-hole green fee, and get change from the $30 you hand the golf shop attendant. For those who have played much in other states, you can get some pretty good bang for your buck in Colorado.

— Outstanding Golf Associations: While your average golfer in Colorado may or may not know it, there is tireless work being done behind the scenes by local golf associations — the CGA, CWGA, Colorado PGA, the Rocky Mountain Golf Course Superintendents and others — to assure that the game thrives not just now, but well into the future.

Colorado Golf Hall of Famer Kent Moore summed it up well on Sunday at the Colorado Golf Awards Brunch. While he was speaking specifically about the CGA, it’s safe to say the general notion applies as well to the other major golf associations in the state: “I’ve seen this come from a cigar box and two guys on the first tee to an incredible organization that runs championships as professional as any you’ll ever see, and now making an incredible impact in the community. It’s just fabulous.”

— Volunteerism: While there are many paid staffers that make Colorado golf special with their day-to-day work, the amount of time and energy and wholehearted effort devoted by volunteers in the game is impressive. More than 2,500 people — 90 percent coming from Colorado — volunteered in the first week of September at Cherry Hills to help make the BMW Championship the PGA Tour’s Tournament of the Year. Other volunteers devote countless hours year-in and year-out to the CGA, CWGA, Colorado PGA and a myriad of other organizations to make the game what it is. In yet another example, just this week it was announced that Colorado Golf Club head professional Graham Cliff will serve as a volunteer assistant coach for the University of Denver men’s golf team. Without all these volunteers — and those who donate financially to the game — golf would be a shell of what it is.

— A Game of Honor: While this one certainly isn’t limited to Colorado, it’s noteworthy that golf is a leader in the world of sports regarding sportsmanship, integrity and honesty. Seldom does more than a couple of months go by without stories coming out about how a golfer reported a costly rules violation on himself or herself that no one else was aware of. Even at this year’s BMW Championship at Cherry Hills, Keegan Bradley withdrew after having lingering doubts about an embedded-ball ruling he received early in the tournament (CLICK HERE). 

— Great Programs for Juniors: Knowing that kids are the future lifeblood of the game, there is particular emphasis in recent times in drawing youngsters to golf and exposing them to all the virtues of the game, including through caddying.

Among the many worthwhile local programs that focus on youth are the Solich Caddie & Leadership Academy (left) at CommonGround Golf Course, the Colorado PGA Golf in Schools program, the Evans Scholarship house for caddies at the University of Colorado, and the local First Tee chapters.

— Local Tour Players: Every golf fan has his/her favorite tour players, but many Coloradans take a special interest in those who cut their teeth in the state as junior golfers and college players, then make it to the big time. Certainly that’s true in Colorado, with players like Hale Irwin, Steve Jones, Brandt Jobe, Kevin Stadler, Martin Laird and Jill McGill. And now there’s a younger group of local players who are getting their chance on golf’s big stages, golfers like Mark Hubbard, Espen Kofstad, Emily Talley and Becca Huffer, along with transplanted Coloradans like Sam Saunders. It’s always fun to see the local kid make good on a national/international level.

— The Sheer Camaraderie Achieved Through Golf: As the world gets ever faster-paced, and more and more time is devoted to gadgetry of one type or another, spending a few hours on the golf course with friends, family or random acquaintances can be remarkably refreshing.

Kind of like Thanksgiving.
 

Those of us who play golf in the state seem particularly fortunate. With that in mind, here are some of the many reasons Colorado golfers should be appreciative this Thanksgiving week:

— Weeks Like This: We may not be able to play golf every week of the year in Colorado — and yes, there are times during the dead of winter when we might long for a chance to break out the sticks — but it’s hard for a golfer to complain about a Thanksgiving week with temperatures in the 60s or 70s on several days.

And it’s rare when an entire month goes by without any playable days in Colorado. For an area that gets a full taste of all four seasons, it’s a bonus to be able to get out on the course pretty much year-round, should we get the inkling.

— Great Courses, Great Settings: Anyone who has played Arrowhead (pictured above), the Broadmoor, Perry Park or any number of other stunning Colorado courses can attest how jaw-droppingly beautiful the golf settings in our state can be.

And seldom does one of those national “greatest” or “best of” list of courses come out that doesn’t include several Colorado entries.

— Major Events Year-In and Year-Out: There’s no doubt that the departure of The International PGA Tour event after a 21-year run was a big blow for Colorado golf fans, but we’ve had a great run of national and international events just about every year since to help fill the void.

There was the 2008 U.S. Amateur Public Links, where Rickie Fowler was a big draw, at Murphy Creek in Aurora, then the 2008 U.S. Senior Open at the Broadmoor, the 2009 Palmer Cup at Cherry Hills, the 2010 Senior PGA Championship at Colorado Golf Club, the 2011 U.S. Women’s Open at the Broadmoor, and the 2012 U.S. Amateur at Cherry Hills and CommonGround. And upcoming are the 2013 Solheim Cup at Colorado Golf Club, and the 2014 BMW Championship, a PGA Tour playoff event at Cherry Hills.

— Business on the Upswing: Although it was probably almost exclusively due to the nice weather this year, it was still good news to find public courses reporting that rounds jumped considerably in the first eight months of the year.

Now it would be nice to see the game of golf grow due to the many initiatives that have been implemented in recent years.

— Giving Nature of Coloradans: There are plenty of good people in Colorado who get paid to nurture the game of golf, but the ones who particularly deserve praise are the many volunteers who give graciously of their time for the good of the game.

Whether it be rules officials for tournaments, course raters, general administrators, financial contributors, or folks who make valuable golf initiatives go, the game would suffer greatly without the many people who volunteer.

— National Leadership: Coloradans Jim Bunch and Christie Austin have been stalwarts in national leadership positions in recent years, and as such they’ve significantly benefited both the game in our state and on a much larger scale.

Bunch, who formerly served on the powerful USGA Executive Committee, currently is the chairman of the Western Golf Association, which administers the Evans Caddie Scholarship and conducts the BMW Championship on the PGA Tour. And Austin is finishing up her sixth year on the USGA Executive Committee, from which she will “retire” in early February.

— A History to Savor: Just looking at a list of all-time greats who have won significant tournaments in Colorado brings back all sorts of indelible memories for the state’s golf fans.

There’s Arnold Palmer (1960 U.S. Open), Jack Nicklaus (1959 U.S. Amateur and 1993 U.S. Senior Open), Phil Mickelson (1990 U.S. Amateur, 1993 and ’97 Internationals, and the 1990 CU-Fox Acres Invitational), Annika Sorenstam (1995 U.S. Women’s Open), Greg Norman (1989 International), Juli Inkster (1982 U.S. Women’s Amateur), Vijay Singh (1998 International), Ernie Els (2000 International), Davis Love (1990 and 2003 International), Hubert Green (1985 PGA Championship) and Jay Sigel (1983 U.S. Mid-Amateur).

— Recovery of Dennis Lyon: The retired longtime manager of golf for the city of Aurora suffered life-threatening injuries when he was struck by a truck last December while walking his dog near Murphy Creek Golf Course.

Thankfully, the Colorado Golf Hall of Famer and 2011 winner of the national USGA Green Section Award made a major recovery in 2012 and is largely back to his old self.

— Two Colorado Golf Expos: There’s something about the Denver Golf Expo — and the Southern Colorado Golf Expo, which will return in 2013 — that helps put local golfers in the mood for the coming season.

The timing is certainly ideal, with the Denver show in early February and the Southern Colorado Expo a month later. Coming as the state emerges from the dead of winter, there’s nothing like a multi-day golf show to get golfers back in the mindset.

— Productive Local Golf Associations: Members of the CGA and CWGA who also are members of out-of-state golf associations often rave about how well the Colorado organizations perform in comparison.

And the Colorado PGA and its professionals obviously stack up very well among their peers as they’ve earned seven national PGA of America awards in the last six years.

— Affordable Golf: People who play golf in a lot of other states appreciate the quality of courses and relatively inexpensive green fees we have available in Colorado. For $30 or so, golfers can play some very nice layouts, and bump it up to $50 and most public facilities are accessible. That combination of quality and affordability can be rare.

— Caddying Alive and Well: Although carts have eroded the utilization of caddies, there are still roughly 20 clubs in the state that have caddie programs.

And thanks to the CGA/CWGA’s new Solich Caddie & Leadership Academy at CommonGround Golf Course, there are new opportunities. By paying the base caddie fees, the program gives extra incentive for taking a caddie at CommonGround.

Which brings us to the Evans Caddie Scholarship at the University of Colorado. The Solich Academy no doubt will create additional candidates for the scholarship, which provides full tuition and housing at CU to qualified caddies who demonstrate financial need and meet other requirements.

Nationwide, there are 835 Evans Scholars currently in school at 19 universities.

And the reasons to give thanks go on and on.