Judy grew up in Glenview, Illinois, outside of Chicago. After spending three years in Casper, Wyoming, she moved to Colorado in 1980. Judy graduated from the University of Illinois with Speech & Theater, English, and Secondary Education degrees. She completed her MA in Speech & Theater at Northeastern Illinois University. Judy spent most of her years as an educator at Chatfield High School, where she was the theater director for 15 years and finished her career as Chair of the English Department. After teaching for 37 years, Judy retired in 2007.
Judy is an avid golfer and plays in the Broken Tee Saturday Ladies Club, the Foothills Ladies Golf Club, and the Ladies Tournament Golf Association (LTGA). She competes in many CGA events and is on the CGA Tournament Committee.
KK: When did you start playing golf?
JM: I grew up on a golf course but never played. My father was an avid golfer, and when my mother was in her 40s, she took up golf and joined a ladies' club. I would stay home and babysit my brother, who then went on to caddie at the golf course and became a good golfer, but golf never spoke to me when I was younger. After I finished college and got my master’s, my husband was a geologist and got his first posting in Casper, WY, so I moved from Chicago to Casper. While I was living in Casper with my husband, he became ill, and sadly, he passed away.
KK: I am so sorry.
JM: Me too, but that was long ago, and my life continued. I had a friend from high school who lived in Evergreen, CO. I was still young and needed to find a place to have a social life, so I moved there. I lived in Evergreen for a few years, then moved to Lakewood, remarried, and moved again to Highlands Ranch when it was just being developed.
Somewhere along the line, a little bit before I married, my dad said, “Why don't you take up golf because you'll meet a lot of men. Just go and put yourself on as a single.” He wanted me to get remarried. At the time, I lived close to Foothills Golf Course, and I was teaching, so I had my summers off. In those days, I was still young, and I didn't want a golf tan. This is ridiculous - I would wear my bathing suit under a t-shirt and pair of shorts, go to the golf course, and always get paired with these retired guys. Once we got out to the 2nd or 3rd hole, I would remove my shirt, so I just had a bathing suit top and shorts on. I didn't know anything about golf etiquette. And trust me, the retired guys didn’t try to tell me that I was inappropriately dressed.
Eventually, I met the man who would become my next husband. Right about that time, they opened The Links course in Highlands Ranch. It was only nine holes at first, and they were looking to start men’s, women’s, and couples’ leagues, so we joined all three. We played every Saturday and Sunday.
KK: How did you get involved with the CGA/CWGA?
JM: I started to learn about the Colorado Women's Golf Association (CWGA) after playing in the women’s league at Highlands Ranch for a few years. The first CWGA event I played in was the Stroke Play Championship.
I heard about this women's club at the Englewood Golf Course, now Broken Tee. It was a Saturday working women's club, and I tried that because I wanted to play a full, non-executive course. Some women in the club were involved with the CWGA, so I started volunteering with them. After I retired, I played in every event I could.
I was then asked if I would be on the CWGA board as the CWGA Tournament Chair Director. I would find volunteers to be starters, set up the courses, and do scoring. When we merged with the CGA, I joined the CGA Board.
KK: Do you have a specific role on the CGA Board now? Are you on any committees?
JM: I am the tournament chair specifically for women; however, I sit on the men's tournament committee, as well.
KK: What do you discuss at tournament committee meetings?
JM: A lot of different things, but mainly how we can tweak the tournaments to attract more people each year. For example, a few years ago, we danced around the idea of having a Team Stableford tournament, what it might look like and where to fit it into the schedule. Finally, we said, “Let’s do it!” We had our first Stableford at Flying Horse in Colorado Springs, which was wildly popular. This year, the tournament filled in 4 minutes after registration opened!
KK: What’s your home golf club, and what is special about it?
JM: Foothills Golf Course for their 18-hole Thursday women’s league and Broken Tee’s Saturday women's club. I no longer need to play there on Saturday, but I do because those are my friends and we've grown up together. I remember when babies were born; now they are in their 20s and 30s. It's been a cherished group of people.
KK: That’s so special. What is your favorite CGA event?
JM: That's a tough one. I love team events. I guess my favorite team event is the Dunham Chapman. It’s always somewhere in the mountains in October to give the people on the western slope more opportunity to play.
KK: What is your favorite golf memory?
JM: When I met my current husband, our first date was on a golf course. That’s my favorite golf memory.
KK: If you could give one piece of advice to younger generations, what would it be?
JM: Don't be afraid to take chances. Don't be afraid to do something a little crazy because you never know where it will lead you. The path that it leads you down could be wonderful.