Q&A
Travis Schenk recently was hired as general manager of the town of Castle Rock’s Red Hawk Ridge Golf Course. Born and raised in Watonga, Okla., Schenk has a bachelor’s degree in biology with a minor in chemistry from Southwestern Oklahoma State University.
He previously was the regional manager of four Denver-area golf courses – Arrowhead, Thorncreek, Applewood and Park Hill – for American Golf Corp. of Dallas during 10 years with the company.
Q: What attracted you to Castle Rock, other than the job?
A: The “small town” atmosphere and the friendly people. I grew up in a small town in western Oklahoma, and it reminds me of home, except for the great view.
Q: There are several world-class courses in the south metro region. How does Red Hawk Ridge fit into that constellation?
A: I feel Red Hawk is well-positioned as the best value among the nicest public facilities in the south metro. Unlike some of the other courses in the area, Red Hawk can provide a very enjoyable golfing experience regardless of your skill level.
Q: Why has the pace of golf-course construction nationwide slowed the last few years?
A: It’s the result of the huge boom which started in the late ’90s. Many courses were built to attract homeowners, and the land developers didn’t know how to operate a golf course. This created an environment where the supply began to dramatically override the demand. The number of golfers participating remained flat. This caused many courses to struggle financially and made lenders more tentative with regard to financing new construction.
Q: What is your best advice to improve one’s game?
A: The best advice is to practice your short game twice as much as the full swing. Most people want to get on the range and try to hit their driver 300 yards. You only use this club 12 to 14 times a round. You use your wedges and putter
35 to 40 times a round.
– Joey Bunch, Denver Post staff writer
REGIONAL NOTES
JEFFERSON COUNTY
Open house at workforce center
There will be an open house from 1 to 4 p.m. Thursday at the new Jefferson County Workforce Center at 3500 Illinois St. in Golden. The Laramie Building provides computers for job seekers, an assessment lab for testing and training, and a business center for area employers.
The center serves Jefferson, Gilpin and Clear Creek counties. For more information, visit www.jeffcoworkforce.org or call 303-271-4700.
FORT COLLINS
Regional-transit feedback sought
The North Front Range Metropolitan Planning Organization is conducting several sessions to find out what improvements the public would like to see in regional transportation.
Three sessions will be held, all from 8:45 a.m. to noon: Saturday at the Fort Collins Harmony Library, 4616 S. Shields; Sept. 30 at the Loveland Senior Center, 700 E. Fourth St.; and Oct. 7 at the Greeley Recreation Center, 651 10th St. Each session will break participants into small groups.
Transportation experts will use the results of the sessions, along with technical information and other comments, to decide which improvements should be tested with computer models.
For more information, call 970-669-0710.
