2007 golf planner`s guide - The Ridge at Castle Pines North

A Wiesner Publication
February 2007
www.cobizmag.com
DARRELL FUSTON,
DIRECTOR OF GOLF,
THE RIDGE AT
CASTLE PINES
MAIN
EVENTS
Ingredients of a total
golf experience » 4
Rating the top 10 courses for
company events » 8
2007 charity tournament
calendar » 10
GUIDE • TOURNAMENT PLANNER’S GUIDE • TOURNAMENT PLANNER’S GUIDE • TOURNAMENT PLANNER’S GUIDE • TOURNAMENT
PLANNER’S GUIDE •
2007 golf planner’s guide
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Perfect golf...
Perfect Tournament...
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A
HOS IOR PG S
SEN EVENT
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Only 20 minutes from Tech Center
“The Player’s Club”
Private Club Experience Without the Price Tag
• Pete Dye Design, Stadium Course
• Banquet facilities for large groups
• Expert staff available to exceed your expectations
• Price ranges to fit your budget
Call 303-688-2612 to book your next tournament.
331 Players Club Drive, Castle Rock, Colorado 80104
www.plumcreekgolfandcc.com
Darrell Fuston, The
Ridge at Castle Pines
THE RIDGE
The
Ridge
at
Castle
Pines
leads corporate tournament venues
C O R P O R AT E T O U R N A M E N T S D I F F E R F R O M C H A R I T Y E V E N T S ; TA K E T H AT I N T O A C C O U N T
Written by Keith DuBay | Photography by Todd Nakashima
Just as with professional athletics, it’s not good enough for
a golf club to have talent alone to succeed. As the cliché goes:
You’ve got to “execute.”
And when it comes to hosting corporate golf outings, The
Ridge at Castle Pines is all about execution.
COLORADOBIZ 2007 GOLF TOURNAMENT GUIDE
[5]
THE RIDGE
Despite a popular conception that
having a first-class golf course is the most
important draw in attracting corporate
tournaments, golf-course operators insist
that a host of performance factors on the
part of course employees play just as
much a role.
portant thing we do. We fill in around it,
but in many ways we’re geared to do
group business,” Fuston told ColoradoBiz.
“We’re not perfect, but we care and I
think that shows through.”
At least in the mind of one customer,
the perception is different from Fuston’s.
“Corporate business is the most
important thing we do. We fill in
around it, but in many ways we’re
geared to do group business.... We’re
not perfect, but we care and I think
that shows through.”
– Darrell Fuston, director of golf at The Ridge
For the third year in a row, The Ridge
was named No. 1 on the ColoradoBiz Top
10 golf courses for company events. Our
judge, Michael Marston, president of Colorado Resort Net, cited great course conditioning, a friendly helpful staff and a
great patio with stunning views of the
Front Range.
Darrell Fuston, director of golf at The
Ridge, said success in the corporate game
goes “beyond the obvious: the facility and
the golf course – although that’s a big part
of it. It’s the total experience, from the
first contact with the sales manager to the
handling of the tournament coordinator.”
Fuston said The Ridge is unofficially
second in the number of corporate events
hosted year in and year out, behind Arrowhead Golf Course, which is blessed
with spectacular natural beauty and a
new clubhouse (although its course conditioning historically hasn’t won many
awards). Fuston’s estimate is based on his
own count of 8,000 corporate or groupevent rounds per year and his own industry intelligence.
“Corporate business is the most im[6]
I participated in a Hein & Associates
customer appreciation golf tournament at
The Ridge. It was one of those wonderful
freebies, dinner and drinks included after
the round. Jim Brendel, a partner in the
well-known Denver accounting firm, said
he chose The Ridge for seven years running for one reason: design, conditioning
and reputation. The course was routed
and built by the Redstone Group of
Denver and designed by internationally
known golfer Tom Weiskopf.
“There’s a little bit of prestige involved.
When (clients) see the name, it gets them
excited,” Brendel said. “It’s the course.
They want to play a great course.”
But what about all the things that
Fuston and others stress: the planning, the
service with a smile, the traffic-flow
routing, the cart arrangement, the food,
the clubhouse?
“The rest of it you assume will be there.
You might not come back if those aren’t
there,” Brendel replied.
Corporate events are a totally different animal than charity events, and to
be successful, you should do some
COLORADOBIZ 2007 GOLF TOURNAMENT GUIDE
homework when choosing a venue. The
corporate golfer, unlike the charity event
golfer, is much more likely to be serious
about his or her game. Therefore, the
course conditions, pace of play and tournament rules will be paramount. Charity
golfers are usually just filling a foursome,
and the contest is more likely to be a social or fun event.
The corporate golfer also has to choose
from a myriad of summer outings, and can
afford to be picky. That’s why Hein & Associates offers a raffled trip for two to
Mexico during the tournament, and lots of
hole prizes. It’s all an attempt to stand out
from the others.
It’s also why Fuston and others focus
on customer service so hard.
In fact, if Fuston sees a golfer carrying
his or her own bag to the club house,
Fuston admits he gets on his employees
pretty good. Now as a fairly serious golfer
who isn’t too comfortable with my
custom-fitted golf clubs being out of my
hands, having someone grab my clubs
and putting them “somewhere” isn’t too
comforting, but Fuston insists that the
corporate golfer demands bumper-to-golf
cart service.
If you are the director of an association
looking for a venue, the No. 1 mistake you
can make is to concern yourself only with
price, and not the total experience for
your clients or members, said Mark Pfingston, head golf professional at our No. 3
rated corporate venue, The Golf Club at
Bear Dance.
“Don’t get sticker shock,” Pfingston
said. “Often tournament directors will discard courses immediately due to price. Investigate. Since this is probably an
inclusive price, find out what amenities
are included in the package.”
Here’s Pfingston’s list for the discerning
tournament director:
How close is the course to your
target market? And is there proper signage to your course? “If you are scheduled
for an 8 a.m. start in an urban location
with poor signage, you have guests that
may travel a considerable distance and you
could have trouble starting on time,” Pfingston said.
144, which is two foursomes per hole),
which will ensure a mind-numbing sixhour round that takes time away from important client contact after the tournament.
3) Don’t organize golf carts in the
staging area, so that they are heading toward the proper starting hole in a
shotgun start.
4) Have a driving range that isn’t sufficient for the number of players. Same with
practice putting greens and chipping
areas.
5) Don’t have any weather contingencies.
6) Stuff two groups of players on every
tee box. If you remove the second group
on the hole after a par 3, the pace of play
improves.
In the end, Fuston said a course distinguishes itself not for what it does in good
weather or good local traffic, but how the
tournament team reacts to misfortune, inclement weather and freeway traffic jams.
we go
Visit several different courses and
check out whether there’s a dedicated
tournament director for your event; a
diverse menu offered; enough golf carts
for your players, sponsors and volunteers; whether your group will fit into
the dining room; if there is enough merchandise in the golf shop for prizes and
most importantly, if there is enough
staffing to run your tournament, including an onsite golf pro and food-andbeverage director.
What is the course’s reputation? Find
out where the “sizzle” is.
What’s included in the price, such as
tournament prizes, food, practice balls
and bag handling?
On the flip side, here’s The Ridge’s
Fuston’s recipe for messing up your tournament:
1) Don’t have the course ready for play.
2) Overfill the golf course with players
(try limiting your field to 128 instead of
GOLF TOURNAMENT PLANNER’S GUIDE
February 2007
P U B L I S H E R Bart Taylor
bt [email protected]
E D I TO R Robert Schwab
[email protected]
M A NAG I N G E D I TO R Mike Taylor
mt [email protected]
G RO U P A RT D I R E C TO R Tom Visocchi
[email protected]
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS
Keith DuBay, Michael Marston
AC C O U N T E X E C U T I V E S
Leslie Pera, [email protected]
Siobain French, [email protected]
A S S I S TA N T A RT D I R E C TO R Rob Vogt
[email protected]
B U S I N E S S D E V E LO P M E N T M A NAG E R
Becky Fenton, [email protected]
CEO Dan Wiesner
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COLORADOBIZ 2007 GOLF TOURNAMENT GUIDE
[7]
TOP 10 FOR COMPANY OUTINGS
Top 10 for company golf outings
COLORADO COURSE-INFO SOURCE RANKS THE BEST EVENT VENUES
TOP
10
Michael Marston makes it his business to
monitor developments at the state’s more
than 230 golf courses, and so for the fourth
straight year we asked him to rank
Colorado’s best golf courses for hosting
company events.
Marston is the founder and president of
Colorado Resort Net and GolfColorado.com,
through which he provides information as
well as coupons on golf-related vacations,
lodging, real estate, memberships, tournaments and more.
Following are his top 10 Colorado courses
for company outings:
1. THE RIDGE AT CASTLE PINES NORTH
6. RIVERDALE DUNES GOLF COURSE
The course is always in fantastic condition and
the staff is the most experienced and friendly you
can find. The patio is great for the post-event banquet with stunning views of the Front Range.
A fantastic Pete Dye links-style layout and a
large clubhouse make this a truly unique golf
experience. No houses around the course, just
pure golf.
2. THE RAVEN AT
THREE PEAKS
Always ranked as one of
the
best
mountain
courses in the state, the
service is fast and friendly.
A large deck overlooking
several mountain peaks
makes a great place to relax after your event.
3. THE GOLF CLUB AT BEAR DANCE
The home of the Colorado Section of the PGA,
the modern clubhouse is large and beautiful, but
it is the course layout, greens and views that will
make your event a memorable one.
4. ARROWHEAD GOLF CLUB
Still one of the most scenic courses in the world, a
great clubhouse and a one of a kind experience
will certainly impress any golfer. Watch out for
the wildlife on the course.
5. VISTA RIDGE GOLF CLUB
One of the best clubhouses anywhere. Great food,
very friendly staff and large fairways make this a
great venue for corporate outings of any size.
OR
7. BRECKENRIDGE GOLF CLUB
This Jack Nicklaus course is one of the best
mountain courses in the world, and the deck
overlooking the Continental Divide and beaver
ponds make it the perfect place for an event.
8. FOSSIL TRACE GOLF CLUB
Jim Engh’s masterpiece is a fun track with
plenty of unique holes. The modern clubhouse and deck overlooking several holes
make it ideal for hosting small to large events.
Great food.
9. GREEN VALLEY RANCH GOLF CLUB
Host of the Colorado Open Championships,
Green Valley Ranch has a staff that knows how to
put on a quality event. With a fantastic outdoor
pavilion and friendly staff, it is a great venue for
any size event.
10. OMNI INTERLOCKEN
RESORT & GOLF CLUB
Home of the Mike Shanahan Golf Classic, the
service is outstanding and the three nine-hole
courses can accommodate large groups or
small events.
C O N TA C T
MICHAEL MARSTON
AT ( 3 0 3 ) 4 3 6 - 1 2 1 6
VISIT GOLFCOLORADO.COM.
FOR A COMPLETE LISTING OF COLORADO GOLF COURSES, VISIT WWW.COBIZMAG.COM
[8]
COLORADOBIZ 2007 GOLF TOURNAMENT GUIDE
COLORADO CHARITY GOLF EVENTS
PHOTO
OF
SANCTURY GOLF COURSE
Colorado
charity golf
events
confirmed for 2007
H ISPANIC E DUCATION T OURNAMENT
C EDAREDGE R OTARY S CRAMBLE
B OYS & G IRLS C LUB I NVITATIONAL
15 TH A NNUAL G IRLS
IN
G OLF F UNDRAISER
15 TH A NNUAL L INKS
FOR THE
L EGACY G OLF T OURNAMENT
April 21
Hollydot Golf Course
Evelyn Flores (719) 561-8111
May 5
Deer Creek Village Golf Club
Steve LaDonne (970) 856-7781
May 7-8
Castle Pines Golf Club
Don Hurter (303) 688-6022
May 14
Kennedy Golf Course
Girls in Golf (303) 333-5861
May 19
Fox Hollow Golf Course
Kevin King (303) 937-3886
P AT M URPHY M OTORS M EMORIAL D AY T OURNEY
May 27-28
Hillcrest Golf Course
John Vickers (970) 247-1499
C HILDREN ’ S H OSPITAL C HARITY
Beth Beard (720) 917-1763
May 30-31
Sanctuary
12 TH A NNUAL P AUL H OSHIKO J R . M EMORIAL 4-H T OURNAMENT
June 1
Pelican Lakes Golf & Country Club
Becky Fry (970) 491-1537
J UNIOR A CHIEVEMENT C HARITY
June 4
Sanctuary
Christy Fath (303) 628-7369
A DOPTION E XCHANGE C HARITY
N ORTHWEST M ETRO C HAMBER
June 6
Hyland Hills Golf Course
D OUGLAS C OUNTY S HERIFF ’ S O FFICE FALLEN O FFICER ’ S F UND C HARITY
June 7
Sanctuary
Alan Stanton (303) 660-7524
6 TH A NNUAL R OCKY M OUNTAIN MS G OLF C LASSIC
June 8
Deer Creek Golf Club
Kathy Haruf (303) 788-4030 x103
FCA T OURNAMENT
June 8
Hollydot Golf Course
Prim Ivan (719) 676-3341
S ANGRE
C RISTO H OSPICE T OURNAMENT
June 9
Hollydot Golf Course
Prim Ivan (719) 676-3341
D ENVER S OUTHEAST R OTARY T OURNAMENT
June 11
Columbine Country Club
Kathi Erber (303) 549-9199
DE
C OMMERCE T OURNAMENT
Sanctuary Jacki Propernick (303) 755-4756 x261
June 6
OF
N INE H EALTH FAIR
June 14
Sanctuary
Erica Cain (303) 996-2132 x1303
June 14-19
Hillcrest Golf Course
John Vickers (970) 247-1499
F IRST T EE B ENEFIT T OURNAMENT
June 15
City Park Golf Course
Liz Estes (303) 370-1554
8 TH A NNUAL H OSPICE G OLF T OURNAMENT
June 16
Black Canyon Golf Course
Rex Swanson (970) 249-4653
L IONS C LUB T OURNAMENT
June 16
Hollydot Golf Course
Prim Ivan (719) 676-3341
P ROJECT C.U.R.E. C HARITY
June 18
Sanctuary
Claire Cunningham (303) 754-2425
C RAIG H OSPITAL C HARITY
June 20
Sanctuary
Sue Lynch (303) 789-8578
A NCHOR C ENTER
June 21
Sanctuary
Sheila Galawitsch (303) 377-9732
N AVAJO T RAIL O PEN
FOR
B LIND C HILDREN C HARITY
P OLE C REEK C LASSIC
June 22-24
Pole Creek Golf Course
Cyndy Flores (970) 726-8968
23RD ANNUAL DENVER GOLF TOURNAMENT FOR SPECIAL OLYMPICS COLORADO June 25
Pinehurst Country Club
Kasey Lohman (720) 359-3124
F LIGHT F OR L IFE – S T. A NTHONY H EALTH F OUNDATION C HARITY June 25-26
Sanctuary
Megan Peters (303) 629-4124
T HE H OME F RONT C ARES C HARITY
June 28
Sanctuary
Jeff Dahlberg (719) 237-8071
T HE INTERNATIONAL C HARITIES I NC .
July 8
Sanctuary
Kevin Laura (303) 688-6171
C OLORADO S TATE P ATROL FAMILY F OUNDATION
July 9
Sanctuary
Tonya Cataldo (303) 688-9779
N ATIONAL S PORTS C ENTER
FOR THE
D ISABLED C HARITY
H YLAND H ILLS F OUNDATION T OURNAMENT
July 11-12
Sanctuary
Rachel Hirt (303) 663-5802
July 20
Hyland Hills Golf Course
Marv Mazone (303) 428-6526
FOR A COMPLETE LISTING OF COLORADO GOLF COURSES, VISIT WWW.COBIZMAG.COM
[ 10 ]
Marv Mazone (303) 428-6526
COLORADOBIZ 2007 GOLF TOURNAMENT GUIDE
COLORADO CHARITY GOLF EVENTS
S PORTS L EGENDS G OLF T OURNAMENT
July 23
Lakewood Country Club
Karen Novotny (303) 412-3643
L ITTLETON P UBLIC S CHOOLS F OUNDATION G OLF C LASSIC
July 23
Castle Pines North
Beth Best (303) 347-3479
C OLORADO S EMINARY
AKA
July 26
Sanctuary
Jon Boos (303) 871-4467
P UEBLO C HAMBER
C OMMERCE T OURNAMENT
July 27
Hollydot Golf Course
Prim Ivan (719) 676-3341
July 28
Deer Creek Village Golf Club
Steve LaDonne (970) 856-7781
OF
U NIVERSITY
OF
D ENVER C HARITY
P ARTNERS T OURNAMENT
C OLORADO AIDS P ROJECT 6 TH A NNUAL R ED R IBBON G OLF T OURNAMENT
RE/MAX W ILDLIFE C UP
TBA
Kristin Schumacher
(303) 962-5305
July 29-30
Sanctuary
Paula Hentz (720) 488-3312
U.S. P ARALYMPICS C ORP. C HARITY
C ORE N ET G LOBAL T OURNAMENT
T ENNYSON C ENTER
V OLUNTEERS
W ATER
OF
FOR
C HILDREN
FOR
Y OUTH B IZ
AT
C OLORADO C HRISTIAN H OME
A MERICA C HARITY
Sanctuary
Emily Ford (719) 866-4975
Aug. 6
Buffalo Run Golf Course
Laurie Anderson (303) 758-1118
Aug. 6
Sanctuary
Tera Boehmer (720) 855-3316
Aug. 9
Sanctuary
Denise Robert (303) 368-5208
Aug. 13
Sanctuary
Nancy Stewart (303) 734-3489
3RD ANNUAL LASALLE BANK GOLF CLASSIC FOR SPECIAL OLYMPICS COLORADO Aug. 13
Country Club at Castle Pines
Kasey Lohman (720) 359-3124
FOR
P EOPLE C HARITY
Aug. 1-2
P UEBLO C OMMUNITY C OLLEGE T OURNAMENT
Aug. 15
Hollydot Golf Course
Shirley Carey (719) 549-3314
S TEADMAN H AWKINS R ESEARCH F OUNDATION
Aug. 16
Sanctuary
Rachele Palmer (970) 479-5809
W OMEN ’ S C HAMBER
Aug. 23
Green Valley Ranch
Women’s Chamber (303) 860-1380
C YSTIC F IBROSIS C HARITY
Aug. 27
Sanctuary
Erin Walker (303) 296-6610
MCPN A NNUAL C ELEBRITY C HARITY G OLF T OURNAMENT
Aug. 30
Vista Ridge Golf Club
John Reid (303) 761-1977
F OOD B ANK
Aug. 30
Sanctuary
Kristina Cordova (303) 371-9250
OF THE
OF
C OMMERCE G OLF T OURNAMENT
R OCKIES
F ORE -A-B REAST T OURNAMENT
R EGIS J ESUIT H IGH S CHOOL C HARITY
N ORTH J EFFCO F OUNDATION C HARITY T OURNAMENT
B OYS &G IRLS C LUBS
OF
A MERICA C HARITY
20 TH A NNUAL F ORT C OLLINS A REA C HAMBER G OLF C LASSIC
Sept. 9
Hollydot Golf Course
Prim Ivan (719) 676-3341
Sept. 12
Sanctuary
Julie Alcorn (303) 269-8026
Sept. 14
Indian Tree Country Club
Faith Gregor (303) 403-2516
Sept. 16-17
Sanctuary
Barb Reynolds (972) 690-1393
Sept. 24
Fort Collins Country Club
Erin Collins (970) 482-3751
FOR A COMPLETE LISTING OF COLORADO GOLF COURSES, VISIT WWW.COBIZMAG.COM
Hosting a
Golf Tournament?
With 7 courses from Par-3 to Championship,
Aurora Golf has a course for you.
YSaddle Rock 303-699-3939
YMurphy Creek 303-361-7300 (site of the 2008 U.S. Amateur Public Links Championship)
Y Aurora Hills 303-364-6111 YFitzsimons 303-364-8125 Y Meadow Hills 303-690-2500
Y Springhill (Executive) 303-739-6854 Y Centre Hills (Par-3) 303-343-4935
For more information on Aurora Golf, tournament facilities or to book a tee time, visit
www.golfaurora.com
Saddle Rock Golf Course - hole #5
Parks & Open Space
Photo Courtesy of Premier Aerials
• Premier location for Monday, Corporate, Charity Golf Outings
• Tom Bendelow, Donald Ross and Gil Hanse Golf Course Architects
Call Tim Lollar, PGA at 303-233-0503 for information
• New Clubhouse opened February 2007
Call Carol Kaiser at 303-233-4614 for information
• Weddings, Receptions, Banquets and Private Events
Call Michelle Kiser at 303-233-4614 for information
Lakewood Country Club
6800 West 10th Avenue, Lakewood, CO 80214
303-233-4614 | www.lakewoodcountryclub.net