News
Outdoors
ENLARGE
Golf season comes late at 9,600 feet, but with three new greens and a fresh approach to the pace of play, Copper Creek is teeing off for the 2011 season today.
“It's barbecue weekend in Frisco, which kind of kicks the summer off. Certainly Copper Mountain Resort kicks off at the same time. We see ourselves as Frisco's mountain, and Frisco is our town. And we like to align with some of the events happening around the region,” said director of Skier and Golf Services JP Chevalier.
Today is the last day to purchase a season pass at the spring rate of $399 (plus $149 if you choose to ride a cart). After today, the price jumps up to $599.
“We're pretty laid back — open to the family and all types of golfers really,” Chevalier said. “We see ourselves as a local community course.”
Holes 2, 9, 11 have been completely rebuilt at North America's highest 18-hole championship golf course (8 and 18 were replaced last year). With new contours and surfacing, the improvements should make the greens smother, faster and more challenging.
“You're looking at a lot more challenging putting surface,” said tournament coordination Jeff Ogren. “Not only as far as speed and the new grading go, but certainly the new contours will make it extremely challenging — definitely a positive step.”
In the last 20 years, golf courses have adapted to new technology in clubs and balls by pulling tee boxes back, but with limited space, that hasn't been an option at Copper Creek. They have, however, made the course more challenging by way of penalizing stray shots off the tee, which some would argue is a truer test for avid golfers.
Also a key project for the upcoming season is the effort to improve the guest experience and advance the pace of play. It should be a four-and-half-hour round on the busiest of days, Ogren said.
“I was told this by my daddy: Your position in golf is directly behind the group in front of you — not in front of the group behind you,” he said.
The course has changed the model with regard to the player assistant (aka course marshal). From 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. everyday, groups that are struggling to keep up will be offered assistance. The marshal will forecaddie and help rake traps to expedite the process. There are 29 water hazards on the front and one on the back, so in some ways, the course design also aids in the process of moving people through.
“The message to the community is we respect and appreciate every golfer, and local golfers are used to playing this course,” Chevalier said. “But we also expect them to respect the people coming from out of town and other parts of the world, because for them, it's not their everyday course. The key is finding the balance.”
Are you a little rusty or looking to learn some new skills? Golf Pro Tim Spring, who worked for Jack Nicolas and instructed the likes of President Bill Clinton while he was in office, is offering two-for-one private lesson for the month of June.
Men's and Ladies' leagues will also begin next week. Visit the website at www.coppercolorado.com.
“It's barbecue weekend in Frisco, which kind of kicks the summer off. Certainly Copper Mountain Resort kicks off at the same time. We see ourselves as Frisco's mountain, and Frisco is our town. And we like to align with some of the events happening around the region,” said director of Skier and Golf Services JP Chevalier.
Today is the last day to purchase a season pass at the spring rate of $399 (plus $149 if you choose to ride a cart). After today, the price jumps up to $599.
“We're pretty laid back — open to the family and all types of golfers really,” Chevalier said. “We see ourselves as a local community course.”
Holes 2, 9, 11 have been completely rebuilt at North America's highest 18-hole championship golf course (8 and 18 were replaced last year). With new contours and surfacing, the improvements should make the greens smother, faster and more challenging.
“You're looking at a lot more challenging putting surface,” said tournament coordination Jeff Ogren. “Not only as far as speed and the new grading go, but certainly the new contours will make it extremely challenging — definitely a positive step.”
In the last 20 years, golf courses have adapted to new technology in clubs and balls by pulling tee boxes back, but with limited space, that hasn't been an option at Copper Creek. They have, however, made the course more challenging by way of penalizing stray shots off the tee, which some would argue is a truer test for avid golfers.
Also a key project for the upcoming season is the effort to improve the guest experience and advance the pace of play. It should be a four-and-half-hour round on the busiest of days, Ogren said.
“I was told this by my daddy: Your position in golf is directly behind the group in front of you — not in front of the group behind you,” he said.
The course has changed the model with regard to the player assistant (aka course marshal). From 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. everyday, groups that are struggling to keep up will be offered assistance. The marshal will forecaddie and help rake traps to expedite the process. There are 29 water hazards on the front and one on the back, so in some ways, the course design also aids in the process of moving people through.
“The message to the community is we respect and appreciate every golfer, and local golfers are used to playing this course,” Chevalier said. “But we also expect them to respect the people coming from out of town and other parts of the world, because for them, it's not their everyday course. The key is finding the balance.”
Are you a little rusty or looking to learn some new skills? Golf Pro Tim Spring, who worked for Jack Nicolas and instructed the likes of President Bill Clinton while he was in office, is offering two-for-one private lesson for the month of June.
Men's and Ladies' leagues will also begin next week. Visit the website at www.coppercolorado.com.
