colorado national golf club
COLORADO NATIONAL GOLF CLUB The Official Home of the Buffaloes Les Fowler had a dream. Mark Simpson had the same one. The two head golf coaches at Colorado, each for 29 years between 1948 and 2006, longed for the University of Colorado to have its own golf course. Enter Steve Kerr and current CU head coaches, Roy Edwards (men) and Anne Kelly (women). Kerr graduated from Thomas Jefferson High School in Denver and was one of Fowler’s last recruits, playing under both coaches as Simpson took over in the middle of his Buffalo career. A long-time supporter of CU’s golf teams, Kerr remained close with Simpson through the years and saw his daughter Erin become one of CU’s first real stars of its fledgling women’s program. She graduated from CU in 2003 as the school’s all-time leader in stroke average and is now playing professionally. To say that Kerr wanted to give something back to the program he loves and cherishes would be an understatement. In addition to the financial contributions through the years he has made to both programs, on March 2, 2009, it became official: the Buffaloes finally would have a golf course and facility to call its very own thanks to him. Located in Erie and formerly known as Vista Ridge Golf Club, Kerr’s purchase of the entire operation and subsequent licensing agreement with his alma mater has created Colorado National Golf Club, which will now provide Colorado’s men’s and women’s programs with one of the finest arrangements in all of college golf. Kerr floated the idea of purchasing and/or developing land in or around Boulder to build the school a course, but that became unrealistic due to several factors. Edwards and Kelly then suggested models in place at Texas A & M and the University of Washington, where local courses were purchased and then for all intents and purposes were basically donated back to the schools for their privileged use without any of the financial responsibility or liability for owning or operating the course.
Kerr liked the idea and as it became more of a reality, athletic director Mike Bohn and former CU chancellor Bud Peterson became integral players to make CNGC happen. Knowing Vista Ridge was attainable, Kerr worked to acquire the property to set everything in motion by the end of 2008. The club officially had its grand opening under the new name on May 2, 2009, with CU legends Hale Irwin and Steve Jones in attendance to celebrate the event. CNGC and the school signed a long-term licensing agreement for it to be the exclusive home golf course of the CU men’s and women’s golf programs and will utilize the primary athletic mark and a newly created secondary logo in all branding efforts. The club features CU memorabilia from all sports, highlighted by CU Golf All-America Awards and already has plaques on display, as well as Simpson’s last golf bag he maintained as head coach. The club has incorporated the CU brand in many ways, including adorning the President’s Room with donated keepsakes and memorabilia from the greatest golfers to ever play for the Buffaloes, including Irwin, Jones and Jonathan Kaye, as well as tributes to former coaches Fowler and Simpson. Golf carts are emblazoned with the CU logo, with 11 others representing each school rival in the Pac-12 Conference. In 2012, the George Boedecker Jr. Golf Facility, a 5,500-square foot state-of-the art indoor practice facility was completed, giving CU’s golf teams one of the premier winter homes in all of college golf (when Colorado’s often mild winter weather along the Front Range doesn’t cooperate, of course). The course remains open for public play as well as tournament play, both amateur and for charity. CNGC has already hosted several top amateur tournaments, including both a men’s and women’s NCAA regional. Matt Schalk is the club’s director of golf and general manager, with Jason Dumler the head professional; both are native Boulderites and Schalk at one time served as a volunteer assistant coach for the Buffs. The championship configuration of CNGC is 7,676 yards with a par-72 layout, though there are six tee boxes, the shortest all the way down to 4,790 yards with four inbetween providing every golfer to play in his or her own comfort zone. CNGC is located at 2700 Vista Parkway (Colorado Highway 7), about two miles west of Interstate 25. More information can be found at the club’s website: www.coloradonationalgolfclub.com.
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Kerr liked the idea and as it became more of a reality, athletic director Mike Bohn and former CU chancellor Bud Peterson became integral players to make CNGC happen. Knowing Vista Ridge was attainable, Kerr worked to acquire the property to set everything in motion by the end of 2008. The club officially had its grand opening under the new name on May 2, 2009, with CU legends Hale Irwin and Steve Jones in attendance to celebrate the event. CNGC and the school signed a long-term licensing agreement for it to be the exclusive home golf course of the CU men’s and women’s golf programs and will utilize the primary athletic mark and a newly created secondary logo in all branding efforts. The club features CU memorabilia from all sports, highlighted by CU Golf All-America Awards and already has plaques on display, as well as Simpson’s last golf bag he maintained as head coach. The club has incorporated the CU brand in many ways, including adorning the President’s Room with donated keepsakes and memorabilia from the greatest golfers to ever play for the Buffaloes, including Irwin, Jones and Jonathan Kaye, as well as tributes to former coaches Fowler and Simpson. Golf carts are emblazoned with the CU logo, with 11 others representing each school rival in the Pac-12 Conference. In 2012, the George Boedecker Jr. Golf Facility, a 5,500-square foot state-of-the art indoor practice facility was completed, giving CU’s golf teams one of the premier winter homes in all of college golf (when Colorado’s often mild winter weather along the Front Range doesn’t cooperate, of course). The course remains open for public play as well as tournament play, both amateur and for charity. CNGC has already hosted several top amateur tournaments, including both a men’s and women’s NCAA regional. Matt Schalk is the club’s director of golf and general manager, with Jason Dumler the head professional; both are native Boulderites and Schalk at one time served as a volunteer assistant coach for the Buffs. The championship configuration of CNGC is 7,676 yards with a par-72 layout, though there are six tee boxes, the shortest all the way down to 4,790 yards with four inbetween providing every golfer to play in his or her own comfort zone. CNGC is located at 2700 Vista Parkway (Colorado Highway 7), about two miles west of Interstate 25. More information can be found at the club’s website: www.coloradonationalgolfclub.com.
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