Comments From The Chairman
Looking Back And Looking Forward

by Scott A. Romero

As the 15th season of Golf 4 Fun comes to a close, I like to look back and gain knowledge from the past and at the same time eager- ly anticipate what is yet to come. My first introduction to the Golf 4 Fun organization took place in the spring of 1998. As a relative “hack,” a title I still hold today, I had great respect for what this organ- ization stood for. I had even greater admiration for each student and what they went through to enjoy the game of golf. I received the first newsletter and I was amazed at the breadth of people involved. I looked at the Board of Directors and noticed volunteers of all ages and from all walks of life. I further examined the lifeblood of the pro- gram: the students. This group of people was as diverse as the folks who ran the programs. Each had their own story and their own rise to greater independence and enjoyment of their lives. What a won- derful mix of seasoned golfers as well as those with little familiarity with the game we all love. I thought it would be wonderful to vol- unteer for a group of people like this with such dedication to those in need. Almost seven years later, my sentiment still stands.

2004 Year In Review

First of all, what a great year! Thank you to all of our volunteers who make this program run. A special thank you goes to Judy Mackenzie for organizing our superb volunteer program. Back in mid- April, Judy put together a wonderful volunteer evening. She thanked our current volunteers and recruited additions to our workforce. Due to personal reasons, Judy handed her volunteer duties to David Milster who has taken the reins and run with things for the Golf 4 Fun volunteer program. Thanks to both of you for your continued commitment.

For the past few years we have struggled with the date to start our student lessons. If we start too early, the cold keeps many people away. If we decide on a later date, we miss some wonderful spring golf weather. This year we picked the last week of April and aside from some early season rain and slush, our students and volunteers fared well. The following 17 weeks proved to be wonderful for instruc- tion and learning. Thank you to our outstanding PGA teaching pro- fessionals Bud Jenkins and Dick Hartman. These two gentlemen have the touch with the golf clubs and especially our students. Special thanks goes to our directors of golf at various courses: Bob Spada at Englewood Golf Course, Marv Mazone at The Courses at Hyland Hills and Dan Hylton at Foothills Golf Course. I would like to offer my continued gratitude to Renee Lee in Ft. Collins, Cory Lasher-Miller in Boulder, and Diane Ridderhoff in Colorado Springs, for their organization and commitment to Golf 4 Fun. Without all of you, this program would not exist.

Our annual “Red Nelson” Fundraising Tournament in mid-July did well again this year, despite the sluggish economy. Bill Burney and all the staff at Thorncreek Golf Course generously donated the course for this event. Thank you to all who participated and volunteered for our fundraiser. Every player received a prize of some sort and some walked away with weekend golf trips, new golf clubs or restaurant freebies. Thank you to everyone who supported the tournament — individuals and companies alike! Board member and tournament director extraordinaire Sue Burris did an outstanding job yet again. August brought us to the only PGA event in the state of Colorado. The International debuted in the first week of August and the Golf 4 Fun demonstration did not disappoint. Seven students showed hun- dreds of people their abilities on “kids’ day.” Golf 4 Fun provided topnotch services for people with disabilities for the entire week. Phyllis and Larry Bulock coordinated this needed service and many positive comments were directed to Mr. Jack Vickers directly. Many people took the time to volunteer at The International and I thank you. In late August our instructional classes ended and our students had a play day followed by lunch at Foothills Golf Course. It was indeed a great day.

In September Bob Nelson was inducted into the Colorado Golf Hall of Fame for his leadership, dedication and commit- ment to Golf 4 Fun. What a well-deserved award and I extend my sincere thanks to Bob for all he has done for so many. As I write this, I look forward to our last two events of the year: the volunteer play day and the volunteer luncheon. These last two events give me a chance to drive home the point that Golf 4 Fun succeeds by the diligent work and dedication of many volunteers including the Golf 4 Fun Board of Directors.
Thank you for a great 2004 season, my first as Chairman of the Board of Directors. I look forward to reaching out to more people with disabilities, expanding our volunteer base, main- taining our great relationship with The International and the Golf Club at Castle Pines, as well as forging new relationships for our program and for the good of the game of golf. I hope to build Golf 4 Fun’s exposure statewide and bring smiles to many faces for another 15 years. This is truly an amazing organization.

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John Edwards, right, President of the Colorado Golf Association Hall of Fame, presents Bob Nelson with the Distinguished Service Award, as he is inducted into the Hall of Fame as a member of the Class of 2004. Story and more photos inside