Play Away, Sir…

Anthony Cotton teeing off.
Colorado AvidGolfer’s new Editor, Anthony Cotton, teeing off ( Photograph by Jamie Schwaberow/Clarkson Creative). 

Colorado AvidGolfer’s new Editor, Anthony Cotton, has the honors.

By Anthony Cotton

ONE YEAR AT Colorado’s late, lamented PGA TOUR stop, The International, Hank Kuehne famously played the 644-yard, par-5 opening hole at Castle Pines Golf Club with driver, 9-iron, reaching the green in two. Thin air or not, it was a mind-boggling accomplishment, and, as was the case after witnessing it firsthand over a decade ago, it had me breaking out into the giggles as I stood on the tee box for this photo.

I believe I, too, once hit a 9-iron onto the green on the same hole—before three-putting for, I think, a 10.

The laugh was a welcome respite from today’s very serious, incredibly troubling times.

The novel coronavirus and its playing partner, COVID-19, have knocked the world for a loop; there’s virtually no aspect of our daily lives that hasn’t been negatively affected. That includes, of course, golf, which here in Colorado has meant (largely) closed courses, lost tee times and the subsequent bouts of depression.

It is indeed not the most optimal time to provide a proper sendoff to someone who, as far as the local and regional golf scene is concerned, deserves more than a tip of the cap and a hearty handshake—although it would be great if we could all be doing that sometime soon! If you haven’t had the chance, I’d heartily recommend you read “Holing Out and Signing Off,“ the thoughtful—and funny—farewell column penned by my predecessor, Jon Rizzi, as well as his final feature as editor.

It also may not be the best time to say hello either, but here we are.

I’m honored to be joining the team at Colorado AvidGolfer and excited by the prospect of living up to the standards set by Jon. It’s a daunting challenge, but please know that, even if we don’t always reach the green in two like Kuehne—and as Jon so often did in every issue—we’ll be scrambling like heck for the best possible score, and stories, for you to enjoy.


This article was also featured in the May 2020 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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