A Hall of Fame Move
The Colorado Golf Hall of Fame has announced that it will relocate its museum to The Broadmoor Golf Club in Colorado Springs in early 2023.
SINCE ITS FOUNDING in 1973, the Colorado Golf Hall of Fame has inducted 144 men and women whose accomplishments have had a profound impact on Colorado golf; and since opening in 2004, the clubhouse at the Riverdale Golf Courses in Brighton has served as home to the Colorado Golf Hall of Fame museum.
That arrangement will soon change. The move will be the first of three major Hall-related events scheduled at the resort that year. The other two are the nonprofit organization’s annual fundraising tournament and its Golden Anniversary gala.
“This process began as the board considered how to celebrate our fiftieth anniversary,” Colorado Golf Hall of Fame President Kevin Hood explains. “Given The Broadmoor’s impeccable reputation in golf and hospitality—plus the stellar job it did hosting the Century of Golf Gala in 2015 and the Hale Irwin Medal dinner two years ago— the choice was obvious. The conversation didn’t last very long.”
Nor did it take very long for Hall of Fame Vice President and banquet committee chair Mark Passey to get an enthusiastic response from The Broadmoor about hosting the 2023 events. During discussions with The Broadmoor President/CEO Jack Damioli and PGA Director of Golf Russ Miller, “the conversation turned to the possibility of moving the Hall to The Broadmoor permanently,” Passey explains. “That initiative soon took on a life of its own.”
“We have great a relationship with Riverdale and appreciate the generosity of Adams County and General Manager Steve Bruening in providing the space for 17 years,” Hood says. “But we are running out of room there, and the opportunity to relocate to The Broadmoor is difficult to pass up.”
It’s hard to imagine a more perfect fit. The Colorado Golf Hall of Fame’s mission is to recognize excellence…past, present and future, and The Broadmoor has dedicated itself to delivering its guests exceptional service, uncompromising excellence and distinctive amenities since open- ing its doors—and Donald Ross-designed golf course—in 1918.
Consistently evolving and expanding amenities, the resort perpetually earns Forbes Five-Star and AAA Five-Diamond ratings. It celebrated its 2018 centennial by staging the U.S. Senior Open and announcing it would again play host to the event—its ninth USGA championship—in 2025.
Factor in five NCAA Division I men’s golf championships, 100 years of the prestigious Broadmoor Invitation tournament and 11 induct- ees into the Colorado Hall of Fame (including Class of 2020 member Russ Miller) and you have one of the state’s most distinguished golf pedigrees.
That pedigree already beams from cherry- wood-framed glass cases in the stunning Heritage Hallway leading from the Broadmoor Golf Shop to its plush Golf Grille. Plans for the Colorado Golf Hall of Fame—which will occupy the high- ceilinged atrium of the main Golf Club Complex and the long east-west corridor entered from the northwest corner—call for a similarly refined presentation on an even grander scale.
These preliminarily include interactive dis- plays, etched-glass inductee portraits, a historic timeline and space for rotating exhibits. To exe
cute this, the Hall has engaged Nancy Woelfel, principal of Denver-based artworker, with whom The Broadmoor has collaborated for two decades on projects throughout the resort—including the Heritage Hallway and Golf Grille.
In addition to playing a pivotal role in the growth of golf in Colorado, The Broadmoor’s unique position as a world-renowned public resort affords the Colorado Golf Hall of Fame the kind of partnership that will increase the nonprofit organization’s exposure and profile.
Funding for the project will come in the form of a capital campaign that has already com- menced, with moneys coming from public and private donations, foundation grants and support from Hall of Fame board members and inductees.
Both organizations look forward to a long, mutually beneficial relationship.
“The Colorado Golf Hall of Fame is honored by this partnership with The Broadmoor to provide a wonderful home for the museum,” Passey says. “It will allow us to chronicle the history of Colorado golf in a dynamic way, celebrate the achievements of those we’ve enshrined and inspire future generations of golfers.”
Calling it a “great privilege and source of pride for The Broadmoor,” Miller believes that “showcasing the distinguished men, women and golf championships that have had such a profound impact on golf in Colorado allows our members and our guests to recognize and reflect on the great history and traditions of the game.”
Damoli emphasizes those emotions: “The Broadmoor is very proud of our long and rich golf history and believe that the Hall of Fame has found a fitting new home at our resort,” he says. “We look forward to sharing the many individuals from Colorado who have impacted the game of golf, their unique stories and memorabilia for everyone to enjoy in the future.” coloradogolfhalloffame.org
This article was also featured in the June Issue of Colorado AvidGolfer.
Colorado AvidGolfer is the state’s leading resource for golf and the lifestyle that surrounds it, publishing eight issues annually and proudly delivering daily content via coloradoavidgolfer.com.
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