Some golf trips are memorable because of the courses. Others are unforgettable because of the people you share them with.
The Colorado Golf Association's 2026 Dream Golf Vacation Raffle offers the best of both worlds through its “Scottsdale with Stoltz” prize package. The experience includes rounds at some of Scottsdale's premier golf courses and, perhaps most uniquely, the chance to spend a day at TPC Scottsdale with Drew Stoltz, co-host of GOLF.com’s “Subpar” podcast and one of the game's most recognizable personalities.
Helping bring the package to life is GolfTroop, the Arizona-based golf travel company that specializes in creating customized golf experiences at many of the country's top golf destinations. For GolfTroop co-founder Ryan Northrop, the opportunity to partner with the CGA is especially meaningful because it brings together three things that have shaped his life: Colorado, golf and lifelong friendships.
Northrop's connection with Stoltz dates back more than three decades.
"In third grade at Tavelli Elementary School in Fort Collins, my teacher pulled me aside and said, 'We have a new student from Arkansas and I'd like you to show him around,'" Northrop recalled. "I met Drew that day, and we've been best buds ever since."
The two spent countless hours together growing up in northern Colorado, playing basketball and golf, hanging out after school and developing a friendship that has endured well into adulthood.
"We are now in our 40s and still best buds," Northrop said. "We still play golf together, we just went on a golf trip together to scope out a new location, and we regularly discuss great movies and TV shows because we're both major film buffs. Drew is an incredible golfer, one of the most entertaining and fun people I know, and overall just a great human and lifelong friend."
Another key figure in that story is GolfTroop co-founder Cody Burgat.
Northrop met Burgat in seventh grade, and the two quickly became close friends through golf and other sports. Together with Stoltz, they formed a trio that competed throughout junior high and high school in Fort Collins.
"Drew was our No. 1 player, Cody was No. 2 and I was No. 3, although the gap between those two and me was pretty wide," Northrop joked. "We had a blast on and off the golf course."
After graduating from high school, Northrop and Burgat moved to Arizona, where the seeds of GolfTroop were planted. Northrop spent two years teaching golf aboard cruise ships, an experience that allowed him to travel extensively while playing many of the world's great golf courses.
"I've always loved golf and travel," Northrop said. "When I moved to Arizona from Fort Collins, I really fell in love with the golf courses here and the desert style. Working on cruise ships gave me a great worldly perspective and a chance to play amazing golf all over the world."
When he returned to Arizona, Northrop approached Burgat with an idea: create a company that would help golfers experience memorable destinations the same way he had.
"Cody invested in me and the idea, and he helped tremendously with the technology side of the business," Northrop said. "Overall, we love golf and travel and wanted to help others experience amazing golf around the world and build memories with the people closest to them."
Nearly two decades later, GolfTroop has grown into a premier golf travel company serving many of the country's top golf destinations, with international partnerships on the horizon
Yet the company's mission remains rooted in the same philosophy that inspired it from the beginning: bringing people together through unforgettable golf experiences.
That mission made partnering with the Colorado Golf Association an easy decision.
"Growing up in Colorado, I played CJGA events and was part of the CGA," Northrop said. "I remember watching Drew win a CJGA event at Southridge Golf Club in a playoff when we were probably 14 years old. I want to be part of helping the younger generation of golfers succeed."
Northrop also sees golf as something much bigger than competition.
"Golf brings people together. It's a beautiful game that you can play your entire life," he said. "I get to play with my father often, and now I get to play with my kids as they grow up. Golf travel is a great way to break away with those you care about and create memories."
That spirit is exactly what awaits the winner of the Scottsdale with Stoltz package.
"The overall golf package is fantastic," Northrop said. "You're playing some of the best courses in Phoenix and Scottsdale, so whoever wins is really in for a treat."
Then there's Stoltz.
"They will for sure be entertained during the day," Northrop said. "Not only because Drew is entertaining and fun to play with, but he's also incredibly fun to watch play. He'll hit shots that will blow your mind, and I guarantee he'll make putts you won't expect. He's probably the best putter I've ever played with."
To enter the 2026 Dream Golf Vacation Raffle and a chance to win not only golf with Drew, but a host of other incredible golf trips, visit here.