Long before the first shot was struck in the 71st Senior PGA Championship, the first major event at Colorado Golf Club never seemed to merely be about four days of play.
Whether it was the boldly stated intentions of the facility’s management to be a player on a national stage, or the love-at-first-sight palpitations from the PGA of America, the sense has always been that last week in Parker was a first date to test the waters for a possible long- term commitment.
Now that the final putt has dropped, it’s clear that both sides have a lot to offer, from a star-studded leaderboard throughout the week, to the drama of Fred Couples’ back-to-back eagles on the back nine Sunday, to the three-man playoff — all played out amid spectacular views that were impressive on the TV screen — as the Ben Crenshaw/Bill Coore design delivered.
And the PGA noticed. With officials undoubtedly looking at the course, as well as the rest of the 1,700 acres the property has to offer, there had to be visions of future Ryder Cups and PGA Championships dancing in their heads.
“Colorado Golf Club is that good,” said Joe Steranka, the PGA’s CEO.
But there are some difficult choices that will have to be made to determine if a long-term relationship is in the cards.
The most pressing issue is the CGC’s stability. Even before the Senior PGA, there were rumors the facility would be closing as soon as the winner was presented the trophy. The club’s financial difficulties were brought up by players in more than one post-round news conference, and the sight of the incomplete clubhouse, and the sand and dirt that swirled near it, brought up more images of a Hope and Crosby road movie than a long-standing association with golf.
Unstable future
Steranka admitted the uncertainty was a distraction for the tournament, but the problems are also an ongoing concern. One way to wed the club and the PGA of America, for example, would be for the latter to take over at CGC. The PGA wants to establish a stronghold in the West for its major championships.
The organization already owns and operates Valhalla, the Kentucky site that hosted the 1996 and 2000 PGA Championships and the 2008 Ryder Cup. That course is kept in major championship condition, and it wouldn’t be hard for the same to be done at Colorado Golf Club, which would see an influx of working capital and clinch a spot in the PGA’s major rotation.
It was revealed last week that such conversations have taken place. Mike McGetrick, the founding partner of CGC, said that while the club would be interested, he admitted that now it “isn’t a good fit” as far as the PGA is concerned.
Steranka concurred.
“The talks were never serious, in part because of the uncertainty of what’s going on here,” he said. “Valhalla is still a Kentucky-run private club; while the PGA owns it, we’re very hands-off in the management. In my mind, corporate-run clubs lose their individuality, the personal culture.
“It’s people who drive successful clubs, and that still has to be determined. Who’s going to drive the future of Colorado Golf Club?”
City, state to help?
Looking at other golf tournaments in the state, most notably The International, the former Denver-area stop on the PGA Tour, Steranka also expressed disappointment over what the PGA of America considered lack of support from the city of Denver and the state government. Both have been making moves in recent years to position themselves as players in athletic events, whether winning the 2011 NCAA Women’s Final Four or the growing talk of a bid for the Winter Olympics.
That same machinery would certainly spring into motion if the PGA of America were to announce that a Ryder Cup or PGA Championship were coming to the area, but it’s clear that fence-mending would have to be done first.
“We know how they supported The International, and maybe it was a case of them having that event for what, 20 years?” Steranka said. “But we’re proud of the job creation and the tax revenue situation from our events and the fact that this event is in 122 countries, showcasing the beautiful views from this state.
“It’s a big deal, and we want people to know that it’s a big deal in advance, not after we award an event. This was their chance to tell us, ‘OK, we’re on board.’ “
While some might interpret that as so much posturing, the civic element is crucial for events like the Ryder Cup or PGA Championship, which Steranka estimates is five to 10 times bigger than the Senior PGA.
Last weekend in Parker, a larger-than-expected walk- up crowd Friday led to delays of up to 30 minutes in moving people from outlying parking lots to the course. The problem was immediately rectified, but it was one more question to be answered.
“Could you multiply what we have here this week by five, six, or 10 and still deliver the experience we want to deliver?” Steranka asked. “And if we had six times the buses, I don’t know that we have six times the space (for cars).”
However, Steranka was quick to label the tournament a success — just the first, hesitant step down the aisle.
“The priority is the course,” he said. “And in an area this size, you should be able to figure out the rest of it.”
Anthony Cotton: 303-954-1292 or acotton@denverpost.com
