The Coore and Crenshaw Wing at the Colorado Golf Club

A Legacy Exhibit

Condit was honored to contribute to the Colorado Golf Club’s latest project, the Coore & Crenshaw Wing of the Clubhouse. Collaborating with the CGC team, artist Bob Fletcher, and Kris Clay Studios, Condit partnered in completing the Crenshaw Boardroom and the Coore & Crenshaw hallway. These two spaces feature custom display cases, original artworks, and golf memorabilia commemorating both the duo’s celebrated design work and Crenshaw’s sporting career, which includes 19 PGA Tour wins, three NCAA titles, and the 1999 Ryder Cup.

 

“Simply put: the value of our team in producing the Colorado Golf Club experience is the passion that we have for the game. This project was complicated and detailed, but when you have a passion for the game itself the work becomes inspirational and fulfilling,” said Randy Condit.

 

About The Game of Golf

 

The modern game of golf dates back to the 15^th century. First played in Scotland, the world’s oldest golf course is located at Musselburgh Links in East Lothian. As one of the final modifications to the original rule set in 1764, the number of holes was reduced from 22 to the 18-hole “round” we know today.

 

Unlike most other “ball games,” golf does not utilize a standard playing area for those 18 holes. Instead, navigating and playing to the various terrains within different courses is a crucial component of the game. The overall objective, to use different clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a course in as few strokes as possible, is accomplished beginning at the teeing ground, through fairway, roughs, sand traps, hazards, and ending at the putting green.

 

Globally, the United States boasts some of the most golf courses per capita, more than 160 of which are located in Colorado. Employing a number of avid golfers and sports enthusiasts, Condit was an ideal partner to go “through the green” of this project with the Colorado Golf Club.

 

“Condit’s craftsmanship will be here as long as the club is here! What a great legacy…just like the rooms we see over in Ireland and Scotland that have been around for hundreds of years,” said Chris Pitaniello, Senior Board Member of the Colorado Golf Club’s Legacy Group.

 

 

Golf in Colorado

 

The sport of golf has an illustrious history in the Mountain West. For example, two of the oldest golf courses this side of the Mississippi, Overland Park Golf Course (established 1895) and the Patty Jewett Golf Course (established 1898), are located right here in Colorado. In the early 1900s, famous golf architect Donald Ross contributed heavily to the revered East Course of The Broadmoor in Colorado Springs, a Condit client. Ross also crafted the famed Wellshire Golf Course in 1926 (formerly the Wellshire Country Club).

 

Later that century, Charles “Babe” Lind was the first Colorado native to play in the Masters in 1947. In 1959, Wellshire Golf Course in Denver hosted the U.S. Amateur Public Links won by Bill Wright, who became the first African American to win a USGA championship. In 1960, Arnold Palmer made his legendary U.S. Open comeback and won the title at the Cherry Hills Country Club, another prestigious Condit client. In 1967, Don January won the PGA Championship at the Columbine Country Club. The INTERNATIONAL, held from 1986 through 2006, was previously a part of the PGA Tour and hosted at the Castle Pines Golf Club in Castle Rock, Colorado. Other Colorado golf-greats include University of Colorado alumni: Hale Irwin, who won winner three U.S. Opens; Dale Douglass, winner of three PGA Tours; and Steve Jones, a U.S. Open winner.

 

 

The Colorado Golf Club

 

In more recent history, the Colorado Golf Club was established in 2007. The distinguished landscape of the Club was previously home to Bett’s Ranch, which bred and raised Arabian horses. Designed by Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw, the 1,700-acre property is nestled in the Rocky Mountain foothills of Parker, Colorado. One of only 30 handpicked golf courses the pair designed over their 35-year partnership, Coore and Crenshaw’s expert routing takes golfers on a journey through ponderosa forest, scenic hillsides, rugged barrancas, and open meadows. The spectacular landscape sits facing the 14,000-ft Pike’s Peak to the southwest, is home to antelope and deer, and is blushed throughout the summer months with blazing red Indian Paintbrush wildflowers to which the club’s logo pays homage. It has been competition tested and critically acclaimed as one of their finest works, the crown jewel of which is the Championship Course.

 

“We’re very proud of this course,” Ben Crenshaw said. “It’s impossible to rate the courses, but what we love about this course is it looks like it has been here for a long time and it’s wed to the ground, wed to the holes that we thought could be placed very carefully on the ground. It doesn’t look like anything else; it’s unique to this ground. And that’s our job. There are some really interesting situations out there — things that you don’t set out to build, you just discover.”

 

“We try to be really low key with our promotional side, but at the same time you’re looking at it knowing no one is going to confuse this golf course with another one we’ve done,” said Bill Coore. “This looks and feels like Colorado. It’s a compliment to this site.”

 

Despite such a distinguished beginning, in 2010 the facility underwent substantial financial turmoil and was near closure. 30 investors, led by longtime board member Chris Pitaniello and later named the “Legacy Group,” were able to shepherd the Club to solvency. With the help of 60 Colorado Golf Club members and the land development agency Arendale Holdings, more than $10 million was raised to preserve and improve the Club.

 

From there came a refocusing on a major goal: to become a top modern club. This began with strategic site renovations, including a luxurious facility pool and a revamped men’s locker room and lounge area. These early projects were set at a high standard of quality for later renovations to the Clubhouse and throughout the grounds.

 

In the span of 14 years, the Club has hosted many notable events, including: the 2010 Senior PGA Championship, the 2013 Solheim Cup, and the 2019 US Mid-Amateur. Meanwhile, the efforts to “build the club back up,” in the words of Pitaniello, have been enormously successful in terms of both revenue and membership. “We’ve seen the good, the bad, and the ugly, and we’ve come through it,” Pitaniello said. “We have an enduring commitment to the game and to giving back to the game.”

 

Today, in addition to solid finances and strong membership, the Club boasts a robust caddie program, significant contributions to the Evans Scholars Foundation, and active support of and participation in the National Women’s Golf Association (NWGA). The Colorado Golf Club regularly collaborates and engages several other prestigious local golf courses and venues while undertaking regular assessments and improvements to their own grounds, the latest of which includes a new tennis court, pickleball court, driving range, and three pergolas. Pitaniello said, “Our members and guests are so excited about our updates – wondering what we are going to do next.”

 

 

 

Condit & the Colorado Golf Club

 

Condit began work with the Colorado Golf Club in 2015. Inspired by Condit’s heritage exhibit at the Cherry Hills Country Club after an on-site tour, the Colorado Golf Club contacted Randy Condit to build their own heritage hallway.

 

“Six years ago, we began to realize that we had all this space where people spend significant amounts of their time,” said Tom Ferrell, membership and marketing director of the Colorado Golf Club as well as the Club’s interpretive specialist. “The culture of our Club is built on the land, the views, and the feeling. We wanted to bring that inside and display it, with dramatic impact, as the heritage of the Club. We engaged Condit to help us accomplish that.”

 

The Colorado Golf Club’s Heritage Hallway has been successful in both internal and external marketing.

 

“The Heritage Hallway tells the same stories that we tell prospective members on their first visit, and it makes a big impression,” Ferrell said. “It’s been our best and most effective form of marketing to our visitors, guests, and their decision to become members with us. It has also been a tremendous source of pride for our members.”

 

The heritage exhibit includes two murals honoring the surrounding land and wildlife, interpretive panels and triptych display cases detailing and commemorating the events of hosted tournaments, a welcome panel, and a historical photo wall. To achieve aesthetic cohesion throughout the building, Condit was also commissioned for various branded metal pieces and interior decorating.

 

Over the past six years, Condit has contributed to a number of Clubhouse renovations, display case builds, and other facility improvements on the grounds of the Colorado Golf Club.

 

“It’s a great pleasure to work with a client like Colorado Golf Club. They have so many stories to tell, and trusting Condit to create the proper layouts for their showcases, with all of the interesting artifacts, photos, and journalistic accounts they have acquired over time, has really helped bring these stories to life. Moreover, the Club’s directors have a deep understanding of the importance of timeless style and quality craftsmanship.  They really wanted to create a premium experience for their members and guests, and they have succeeded admirably,” said Kevin Trainor, Condit’s creative director.

 

The Colorado Golf Club prides itself on a modern and youthful approach to the golf club experience, however, they are not without serious dedication to the game, possessing “a different culture and unique atmosphere unlike any other club,” in the words of Pitaniello. It is from this culture that Condit continues to draw inspiration in executing Colorado Golf Club projects.

 

“Any club that considers itself a culture-driven club should think seriously about telling its story,” said Ferrell. This story continues with the Coore & Crenshaw Wing project.

 

 

 

Custom Displays to Celebrate Two Legacies

 

Condit was honored to contribute to the Colorado Golf Club’s latest project, the Coore & Crenshaw Wing of the Clubhouse. Collaborating with the CGC team, artist Bob Fletcher, and Kris Clay Studios, Condit partnered in completing the Crenshaw Boardroom and the Coore & Crenshaw hallway. These two spaces feature custom display cases, original artworks, and golf memorabilia commemorating both the duo’s celebrated design work and Crenshaw’s sporting career, which includes 19 PGA Tour wins, three NCAA titles, and the 1999 Ryder Cup.

 

“This is everything that Bill and I have subscribed to all these years, and it’s been put together in a remarkable succession,” said Crenshaw. “It means a lot to golf history and golf architecture that we think so much of… it’s just beautifully done.”

 

Over many years, the investment by the CGC to create a top modern club is in the millions, including the swimming pool, Club improvements, and interior heritage exhibits like the Crenshaw Boardroom. The boardroom itself centers on Crenshaw’s 1994 and 1995 Master’s wins coupled with his Ryder Cup success. A bronze statue, crafted by Bob Fletcher, serves as a moving centerpiece that artfully depicts Crenshaw’s emotional 1995 Master’s victory. The project, coordinated by General Manager Bob Kunz, also incorporates Fletcher’s original paintings, drawings, and busts as well as relics, photographs, and artifacts researched and curated by Tom Ferrell.

 

 

“The way that they presented my artwork was like what you would see in a gallery,” Fletcher said. “This was a direct result of the work that Condit and the crew did. Every time I go in there, I am so impressed with how nicely the artwork is presented. The reactions of Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw were the biggest thrill. They responded so positively and had such kind words for our work, and this meant an awful lot to me.”

 

The hallway shifts focus to Coore and Crenshaw’s renowned golf course architecture, which spans many decades and multiple continents of original design work, renovations/restorations, and their specific contributions to the Colorado Golf Club. By reading the detailed graphic panels, observers can travel through time, linking the golf architecture of Europe and Old Tom Morris with Coore, Crenshaw, and the Colorado Golf Club. The boardroom and hallway were presented through an on-site tour with both Coore and Crenshaw in attendance and concluded with a congratulatory dinner.

 

 

“We believe it’s special and we want to honor these guys,” said Ferrell. “Our relationship with Coore and Crenshaw is the best thing we have. It’s better than the U.S. Mid-Am, it’s better than the Solheim Cup, it’s better than the Senior PGA.”

 

 

For the Condit team, it was a privilege to contribute to this project, which includes custom display cases, detailed millwork, expert mounting, and elaborate graphics. “I really have enjoyed working with the Colorado Golf Club to create an experience like no other,” said Pete Nelson, Condit’s graphics manager. Monty Zabonik, Condit project manager and main supervisor of the Coore and Crenshaw Wing project felt tremendously rewarded, remarking, “This has been one of the great projects of my career.”

 

 

At present, the Coore & Crenshaw Wing of the Colorado Golf Club can only be accessed by club members and their guests. However, it will be open to attendees of future events in 2021 and beyond, including the Colorado Golf Hall of Game Tournament and, later, the Induction Ceremony.

 

“We are inspired to tell a story through livable environments that function for today’s lifestyles, said Clay Pryor, Principal. “Colorado Golf Club is one such endeavor to create spaces the members can enjoy for years to come. It is a unique place, and Clay Pryor Interiors is privileged to be a part of the Club’s transformation.”

 

Plans for the Future

 

In the coming months, the Colorado Golf Club is hosting many exciting events. In addition to the Colorado Golf Hall of Fame Tournament (June 1) and the Induction (August 29) mentioned previously, the final portions of both the CGA Match Play and Women’s Match Play will be held there June 11 and 12. Later this season, a regional qualifying event will also take place for Drive, Chip & Putt and First Tee, the final being held in Augusta just prior to the Master’s.

 

Amidst all these happenings, renovations to the facility continue, including A/V upgrades to the men’s locker room (called “the grill”) as well as improvements to the women’s lounge. Extensive new additions throughout the Clubhouse will feature select members’ recent victories in the Colorado Golf Club’s private games and tournaments.

 

“Our biggest mission is to extend the quality of life for our membership and find opportunities for relationships there. Showcasing, recording, highlighting and displaying the history of the club and the achievements of its members is a critical method of doing that,” said Ferrell. “People want to be a part of it. It creates a culture of respect for the past and excitement for the future.”

 

The Condit team looks forward to supporting these and other projects at the Colorado Golf Club as they continue to build their history.

 

“With Condit’s help we’ve learned the best ways to give members a significant place in the history of our Club and to tell these stories,” Ferrell continued. “This is something no ad, brochure, or testimonial can give you, and it’s integral to the entire mission of our Club.”