Boone Schweitzer

Chairman and Founder, Trashmasters International Charity Golf Tournament

By Colorado Avid Golfer

What’s your handicap?

I’m a 9.

What are your favorite Colorado golf courses?

I’m a member at the Snowmass Club, but I think Aspen Glen might be the best golf course in this part of the state.

What exactly is the Trashmasters, and how did it start?

It’s a tournament that rewards the strange and bizarre events as they occur during a round of golf using the Modified Trash Scoring System. It was born out of boredom and necessity when, 16 years ago, we got tired of playing the traditional betting games and tournament formats.

What’s so unique about the tournament?

We allow people to embrace the fun part of golf. Each hole has a different event like food stations, massages, bars, games and magicians. Last year we even did a version of the television show Deal or No Deal.

Which Trashmasters “event” is your favorite?

The Holy Trinity. It’s a combination of a Greenie (being closest to the hole on a par three) a Polie (making a putt longer than the flagstick) and a birdie, for a total of seven points.

What’s your role during the tournament? 

I wear an English judge’s wig and robe. I’m the master of ceremonies, and I also stand on one of the holes and announce people’s trash. It’s just a matter of time before I’m in the booth with Jim Nantz saying things like, “And now here’s Tiger for a Skippie, Drinkie, Barkie!”

How did you choose the Roaring Fork Valley Scholarship Fund as the tournament’s beneficiary?

I started the fund along with the tournament. My motivation is my belief in giving back to the community, especially to the many kids who need financial aid in the area. We have 25 college graduates and 23 more on four-year scholarships. We even had one girl, who’d grown up in a trailer park, graduate from the University of Denver Law School. She recently had dinner with the President of the United States.

What celebrities have played?

Actors like Robert Wagner and Michael Douglas, and golfers like Chip Beck, Scott Simpson, Gary McCord and David Feherty. Dan Quayle has played too.

You’ve also franchised Trashmasters. How many tournaments are there now?

There are big events in Scottsdale, Kohler, Topeka and Cabo San Lucas. There’s even a chance we’ll start one in Scotland at Carnoustie.

 

Colorado AvidGolfer is the state’s leading resource for golf and the lifestyle that surrounds it. It publishes eight issues annually and proudly delivers daily content via www.coloradoavidgolfer.com.