Originally from El Paso, Texas, Janene is a beloved woman in the Colorado Golf Community. She has lived in Colorado since she graduated from SMU in 1983. Janene was introduced to the Colorado Golf Association after being a Director for the Western Golf Association (WGA). Happily married for 25 years this March, she and her husband are both avid golfers passionate about growing the game and supporting caddies.
“I take a caddie whenever I can unless it’s 100 degrees.”
KK: How did you get involved in golf?
JG: When I was in high school, we lived on a golf course. I started playing going into my freshman year, but never played on the high school golf team. After high school, I probably didn’t start to play again until about 27 years ago when I joined Lakewood Country Club. For a while, I only played golf on the weekends because I worked full-time in real estate, retail, and running a jewelry company with my mom. When I golfed, I always took a caddie, hit pink balls, and I had a terrible slice. All my pink balls wound up on 6th Avenue. I have since remedied my slice thanks to my long-time coach Andrew Tucker. I am now a 15.8 handicap. I love the game. I still love taking caddies. And I love to compete, which I do. I play on the ladies A & B team at Lakewood during the week.
KK: What is your home golf club?
JG: I have been a member at Lakewood Country Club for 27 years now and am a more recent member at Frost Creek in Eagle, as well. Lakewood has a caddie program that was originally run by George and Duffy Solich before they moved on to Columbine and Cherry Hills. Lakewood is in the top 3 or 4 clubs in the state of Colorado for caddie fundraising. Our club also raised enough money to cover the base rate of every caddie loop.
KK: Can you tell us about your journey with the CGA?
JG: Because of my connection with the WGA, the CGA asked me if I would like to sit on their board 9 years ago. At the time, they did not have a female member on their board because there was still a split between the CGA and the CWGA. I said I would be honored. I was then put on the board with another woman (Mary Woulfe) who lives in Aspen, and we were the first 2 women on the CGA Board in 2016.
Once I joined the CGA Board in 2016, I was co-chair of the caddie committee. It was mainly for the Solich Academy when the program had started solely at CommonGround. Then they wanted women on the executive committee, so they made me Secretary. From there, I just moved up the ladder and later became CGA President in 2019. I was the CGA’s first solo female President for two years and all through COVID.
I am currently still on the CGA Board (9 years), the Colorado Golf Foundation Board (4 years), and a WGA Director (14 years). I recently just went off the Colorado Golf Hall of Fame Board, which I served on for the past 6 years.
KK: What were some of the biggest changes or implementations that you made when you were CGA President?
JG: One of the biggest accomplishments I made was getting us out of a long-time contract agreement and using that extra income to put towards the betterment of the game. We started to donate that extra money to other golf organizations like the Colorado Golf Hall of Fame, the Superintendents of Colorado, and First Tee Organizations.
Additionally, during my term we were COVID-bound. Our goal was to put together a task force with doctors. We did a study on why golf was a safe sport to play during the pandemic and sent it out to all golf courses. We had given them a list of reasons why they should stay open and how to keep the golf course a safe environment. We got that done and golf remained very healthy. It even became healthier because of COVID. I hate to say it, but COVID was the best thing that happened to golf. You couldn’t play tennis. You couldn’t do anything. And some courses closed due to state mandate, but we were lobbying lawmakers that golf was a safe game during COVID. And we won. With the help of the CGA, courses were open. And we were very proud of that.
KK: On Thursday, January 18th, you attended the 2024 Evans Scholar Selection Meeting, could you describe to us what that is and how you were invited?
JG: Well, I have been a WGA Director for the state of Colorado for 14 years, so I have my Green Coat and am automatically invited to the selection meetings. 11 applicants: 7 boys and 4 girls were interviewed to receive the Evans Scholarship at the selection meeting this year.
I am looking forward to the biggest fundraising event for the Evans Scholars Foundation this summer: The 2024 BMW Championship. It is being held at Castle Pines this August. I will be volunteering along with all the WGA Directors in the state. I can’t believe it has already been 10 years since the host site for this event was in the state of Colorado.
KK: What is one piece of advice you would give to your younger self?
JG: Don’t love things that can’t love you back.