My Aunt Alice was born on January 2, 1927. To put that in perspective, golf’s four major winners that year were Tommy Armour (US Open), Walter Hagen (PGA Championship) and Bobby Jones (Open Championship). Who won the Masters that year you ask? No one! It didn’t start until 1934!
The women’s game in the 1920s was dominated by Glenna Collet Vare who won six U.S. Amateur titles and was known as the “First Lady of Golf.”
Alice Watkins is the last of her generation. She was not a golfer, but she has many qualities that would have made her a damned good one. I spend most Sunday mornings with her and we chat over Starbucks about family history, world events, and our shared interest in eastern philosophy. Some people are wise beyond their years, she is wise with her years—98 in January!
Recently we were discussing our core values. We have a lot in common and it was fun to compare notes. After I shared my list of things like honesty, self-reliance, kindness and curiosity, I asked her to share hers. Without hesitation she said, “put in the effort and never give up.” She has certainly lived by those words.
This last month we named the inaugural Team Colorado at our Medal of Excellence Award’s event on November 24th. The CGA is proud to be among the first states to create a feeder to the USGA’s new U.S. National Development Program. The eight boys and eight girls named will be among the first generation of young golfers to participate in this exciting new initiative. The goal is simple—to elevate American golf talent and return the U.S. to world dominance in the sport.
America’s most talented young golfers will be given the same opportunities their peers from around the world have enjoyed for years—the chance to represent their country, spend time around other elite players, be exposed to the best coaches and trainers—all with an eye toward maximizing their potential.
The CGA has always strived to be a leading golf association in the United States. Colorado has hosted more than its share of national championships and is known for being one of the strongest golf states in the country. This reputation led the USGA to select Colorado as one of the first seven states to set the example for the rest of the country in building the pipeline for elite junior golfers ages 13-18 into the USNDP.
Team Colorado is led by an oversight committee who work with the USNDP to meet the requirements of this exciting new program. One of the most important responsibilities of the oversight committee is to select Team Colorado members every year. The committee takes this responsibility very seriously and look at many factors to determine these selections. Such factors include, but are not limited to, the CGA and COPGA Junior Points Lists, junior rankings (Junior Golf Scoreboard (JGS), American Junior Golf Association (AJGA), World Amateur Golf Rankings (WAGR), etc.), top-finishes at events, strength of field in events played, trending indicators, graduation year, and, on-course observations in both tournament play and practice. For the inaugural class of 2025, this process began early in 2024 and was continued throughout the year and included many thoughtful discussions.
Selecting a team for such an elite program is difficult given the number of very talented junior players in Colorado. It is our hope that both those who are selected, and those who are not use this program as motivation to achieve their full potential in the game of golf.
So what does all this have to do with my Aunt Alice? Ultimately, golf is an individual game. No matter how good a team you are surrounded by, in golf it is up to you. So for our 16-player Team Colorado my advice is this—put in the effort and never give up!