Built by Association

The CGA and CWGA’s historic merger will better serve all Colorado golfers.

By Jon Rizzi

With the goal of growing engagement among all golfers and clubs across Colorado, the Colorado Golf Association (CGA) and Colorado Women’s Golf Association (CWGA) have announced that they will unify operations and programs of both associations. The unified organization will operate as the Colorado Golf Association to serve as the USGA-designated Allied Golf Association for the state of Colorado to foster stronger golf communities and improve the quality of services to golfers and golf clubs.

Effective January 1, 2018, the unification will result in an association serving more than 250 golf facilities, 500 organized clubs and 60,000 golfers throughout the state. The association will blend its board of directors into a single governing body with current CWGA President Juliet Miner and current CGA President Joe McCleary serving as co-presidents for a one-year term beginning in 2018.

Continuing to serve in his capacity as executive director over the unified organization, CGA Executive Director Ed Mate will supervise the professional staff. Current CWGA Executive Director Laura Robinson will take on the role of Managing Director of Program Integration with the responsibility of overseeing the integration of women’s golf programs and services, including tournaments and member programs.

The organization will focus on its core services in the areas of membership, championships and delivering USGA-led programs in the state. Additionally, it will continue to own and oversee the operation of CommonGround Golf Course in Aurora, which is home to numerous association and community programs that serves as “A Place for All and All the Game Teaches,” utilizing golf as a means for wellness, outreach and youth development.

“We look forward to entering this new chapter with our partners at the Colorado Golf Association,” CWGA President Juliet Miner says. “The idea of joining forces is not new. Both organizations recently celebrated their centennials, and believe that the opportunity to grow and expand golf in Colorado for the next 100 years lies through developing one strong state association that serves everyone. This structure will elevate the importance and profile of women golfers who represent the fastest growing segment in the golf industry.”

CGA President Joe McCleary echoes those remarks. “Our number one goal in this unification process was to create a structure that provides a collaborative foundation for golf in Colorado through the creation of an inclusive and diverse association that provides programs and services to golfers of all abilities across the state.”

The CGA and CWGA were formed in 1915 and 1916 respectively with very similar missions. The founding purpose of both associations was to conduct amateur golf competitions recognized as the official state championships for the state of Colorado. Today, the organizations continue to conduct state amateur championships but have grown to serve much broader missions including collaboration with allied state golf associations, such as the Colorado PGA Section, to advocate and advance the game of golf.

A critical part of this initiative was to satisfy the vision of the USGA to work through a single point of contact in each state or region to grow engagement among all golfers, increase the adoption of the USGA Handicap System, foster innovation and standardize golfer experiences throughout the United States.

The merger of the two associations will impact more than just titles, letterhead and office space.

As Ed Mate, executive director of the Colorado Golf Association puts it: “Through this unification we will continue to honor the legacy of the CWGA while also developing into one strong state association with the resources to expand our programs to all golfers.” 

“Think of what we can do together!” adds Laura Robinson, executive director of the Colorado Women’s Golf Association. “We have the opportunity to have a real presence in Colorado. And this provides many more opportunities for our staff to grow and develop their careers.”

The USGA on the CGA + CWGA Merger:

“Colorado has consistently been a place of innovation when it comes to creating unique programs to serve and grow the game. We are very excited about this collaboration, and look forward to working together to serve all golfers and clubs in Colorado.”
    —USGA Executive Director/CEO Mike Davis

To learn how the historic CGA + CWGA merger can serve you, take a look at the graphic below!