Hale Irwin solidified himself as one of golf’s all-time greats with his victories in USGA championships, so it seems appropriate that the Hale Irwin Elite Player Program should be unveiled just after the most recent USGA championship was held in Colorado, where Irwin grew up.
The Irwin Elite Player Program, named in honor of the most successful golfer with Colorado roots, has been established to nurture the budding careers of exceptional junior golfers in the state. Specifically, recipients — all age 18 and under, of either gender — will receive free unlimited use of the practice range and Kids Course at CommonGround Golf Course in Aurora — and of the championship course on a space-available basis.
CommonGround, a public facility that opened in 2009, is owned and operated by the CGA and CWGA, both of which will administer the Irwin Elite Player Program. Last week, CommonGround served as the second course for the stroke-play portion of the U.S. Amateur, along with championship host Cherry Hills Country Club.
The initial Irwin program award recipients will be announced at the Colorado Golf Awards Brunch on Nov. 18. While the initial awards will be good for next year, they can be renewed.
It’s hoped that award winners will follow in the footsteps of Irwin (pictured), a Boulder High School and University of Colorado graduate who’s won five USGA championships: three U.S. Opens and two U.S. Senior Opens. Overall, he’s claimed 20 titles on the PGA Tour and a record 45 on the Champions Tour, and he was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 1992.
Before achieving national prominence, Irwin won numerous titles in Colorado, including the 1963 state high school championship, three straight CGA Stroke Plays (1963, ’64 and ’65) and the CGA Match Play in 1966.
“The ultimate goal is to try to generate great players — and great citizens too,” said Steve Irwin, Hale’s son and a member of the CGA Board of Governors. “We want to find the best players out there. We want them to have the qualities a lot of people see in dad, especially a great work ethic.”
Indeed, that work ethic and determined competitiveness have been Hale Irwin’s hallmarks over his career. He said as much during a recent trip to Colorado.
“(It) just comes down to the ‘These guys aren’t going to beat me’ attitude,” Irwin said. “They could certainly outplay me but they weren’t going to beat me. They might win the battle, but I was going to win the war.” The visionary behind the Irwin Elite Player Program is another CGA Governor, former Cherry Hills Country Club head professional Clayton Cole, who worked with Steve Irwin and others to make the idea a reality.
“We want the reputation that CommonGround attracts championship players,” CGA executive director Ed Mate said. “And we want this program to motivate and inspire top young players to achieve their full potential. It’s part of our mission. We do a lot with kids who don’t have access to the game. This is the other end of spectrum. These kids have access, but we want to enhance that access.”
Junior golfers who wish to be considered for the Hale Irwin Elite Player Program should send a letter and their player resume by Oct. 15 to CGA director of youth programs Erin Gangloff, 5990 Greenwood Plaza Blvd., Suite 130, Greenwood Village, CO 80111. Gangloff can be reached at egangloff@cogolf.org.
Candidates will be evaluated based on their golf skill and their character, as exhibited through community service, academic performance and general demeanor.
