Highlights of what the 2026 CGA championship schedule has in store; registration for many of the competitions begins March 16
By Gary Baines – 3/11/2026
After not having much of a winter, weather-wise, in Colorado, here’s one of the sure signs that spring is almost here — at least for golfers in the Centennial State:
Registration opening for many of the top amateur golf championships in the state.
This year, that date comes on Monday (March 16) at 8 a.m., when sign-ups begin for the 2026 CGA men’s championships and the CGA State Junior, as well as for a couple of CGA women’s tournaments. Dates vary for other CGA women’s championships. For the registration links, click on the following: MEN’S SCHEDULE; WOMEN’S SCHEDULE, CGA STATE JUNIOR.
As registration approaches, let’s look at some of the highlights and otherwise notable aspects of the 2026 CGA championship season:
SEASON OPENERS
— Men: CGA Four-Ball, May 1-3, with May 1-2 being at both Highlands Meadows Golf Course and RainDance National in Windsor, and May 3 at RainDance National only. RainDance, which opened in 2022, hosted the CGA Amateur the next year.
— Women: CGA Team Stableford, May 20, Legacy Ridge Golf Course in Westminster.
Flying Horse North, where the CGA Match Play and Women’s Match Play will conclude. (Photo: flyinghorseresort.com)
MATCHING UP
The oldest continuously-held state golf championships in Colorado will be conducted — at least in part — at a venue they’ve never visited before as the 126th CGA Match Play and the 111th CGA Women’s Match Play are set for June 8-12 at CommonGround Golf Course in Aurora and Flying Horse North in Colorado Springs.
CommonGround has hosted the pod-play portion of the event — and the men’s round of 16 — in recent years, but the quarterfinals, semifinals and finals for both the men and women move to another prominent course. This year, that course is Flying Horse North, which opened in 2020 and has never before hosted a CGA major championship for either the men or the women. But FHN was home last September to the Colorado PGA Professional Championship, the CPGA’s top tournament.
The two days Flying Horse North will be hosting this year’s Match Play are June 11 and 12.
The CGA Amateur is set for Sonnenalp Club in Edwards. (Photo: sonnenalpclub)
OTHER CGA OPEN-AGE MAJORS
Meanwhile, the CGA Amateur — the other men’s CGA open-age major — will be contested Aug. 3-6 at Sonnenalp Club in Edwards, west of Vail. Sonnenalp hosted the Colorado Open in 2001 and ’02, with 2026 Colorado Golf Hall of Fame inductee Kevin Stadler winning the latter in his pro debut. The CGA Amateur was last held at Sonnenalp in 2017, when Glenn Workman claimed the title. It will be the first CGA Amateur held in western Colorado since the 2022 event was contested at River Valley Ranch in Carbondale.
As for the CGA Women’s Amateur (previously the Stroke Play) — the second CGA women’s major of the year — it’s scheduled for July 20-22 at Mariana Butte in Loveland, where the Women’s Mid-Amateur will be held concurrently. It marks the first CGA women’s open-age major for Mariana Butte.
The CGA Women’s Amateur and Women’s Mid-Amateur is scheduled for Mariana Butte in Loveland. (Photo: GolfLoveland.com)
AROUND THE HORN
While we’re on the topic of venues, the CGA will make the rounds in the state in 2026. Here are the championships that are being held outside the greater Denver metro area:
Northern Colorado
— RainDance National and Highlands Meadows in Windsor for CGA Four-Ball May 1-3.
— Olde Course at Loveland for CGA Women’s Mashie, May 26-28.
— Highland Meadows in Windsor for Women’s Niblick Tournament June 23.
— Mariana Butte in Loveland for CGA Women’s Amateur and CGA Women’s Mid-Amateur July 20-22.
— Estes Park Golf Course for CGA Super-Senior Amateur Aug. 11-12.
— Fox Hill Club in Longmont for CGA Senior Amateur Sept. 21-23.
— TPC Colorado in Berthoud for CGA Mid-Amateur Match Play semifinals and final Oct. 7. The preceding portion of the season-long championship will be held at sites set by the participating competitors. It’s the second time in the last three years that TPC Colorado — home of a Korn Ferry Tour event — has hosted the Mid-Am Match Play semis and final.
Southern Colorado
— Flying Horse North in Colorado Springs for final two days of CGA Match Play and CGA Women’s Match Play June 11-12.
— Eisenhower Golf Club Silver Course for CGA Super-Senior Match Play, CGA Women’s Senior Match Play and CGA Women’s Net Match Play, held concurrently July 6-9.
Western Colorado
— Sonnenalp Club in Edwards for CGA Amateur Aug. 3-6.
— Ironbridge Golf Club in Glenwood Springs for CGA Western Championship Aug. 27-29.
— Gypsum Creek Golf Course in Gypsum for CGA Parent-Child Sept. 12-13.
— River Valley Ranch in Carbondale for CGA Dunham Chapman Sept. 28-29.
SELDOM-USED VENUES FOR CGA EVENTS
Several notable CGA tournaments will be hosted by courses seldom seen on CGA championship schedules. For instance, while there have been plenty of notable big-time tournaments at Eisenhower Golf Club’s Blue Course at the Air Force Academy, it’s been far less so with ECB’s Silver Course. But July 6-9, it will host the CGA Super-Senior Match Play, the Women’s Senior Match Play and the Women’s Net Match Play.
Meanwhile, regarding other state championships at sites that rarely host such events, the CGA Women’s Senior Stroke Play is set for Aug. 3-4 at Foothills Golf Course in southwest Denver, the CGA Super-Senior Amateur is scheduled for Estes Park Golf Course Aug. 11-12, and the CGA Women’s Club Team Sept. 16 at Plum Creek Golf Club in Castle Rock. Plum Creek hosted a PGA Tour Champions event — the Denver Post Champions of Golf — from 1984-87, with World Golf Hall of Famer Gary Player among the winners.
AS FOR THE JUNIORS
One of the top junior championships in the state, the open-age CGA State Junior, will remain at the same site — at roughly the same dates — as has been the case. This year, it’s set for June 22-26 at CommonGround, the CGA-owned course in Aurora. Similar to most USGA amateur championships, the CGA State Junior features 36 holes of stroke play, followed by match play to determine the champions.
NOTES REGARDING SELECT 2025 CGA CHAMPIONS
— Colin Prater (Won CGA Match Play last year): Has claimed five CGA open-age major titles.
— Kristine Franklin (Won CGA Women’s Senior Stroke Play and Women’s Senior Match Play last year): Has captured titles in the last four CGA women’s senior majors.
— Bill Fowler (Won CGA Senior Amateur last year): His two victories in the CGA Senior Amateur have come a decade apart.
— Jimmy Makloski (Won CGA Mid-Amateur last year): The 2025 victory marked his first in a non-team CGA championship since 2012.
— Brayden Forte and Ella Scott (Won CGA State Junior last year) — Both Team Colorado members were named Colorado Golf Hall of Fame Future Famers for their 2025 accomplishments.
— Kent and Steven Moore (Won CGA Parent-Child last year): They’ve won the Parent-Child three times, including twice in the past four years.
— Robert Polk (Won CGA Super-Senior Match Play last year): Colorado Golf Hall of Famer has 16 CGA championship titles to his credit.
— Jon Lindstrom and Richard Bradsby (Won CGA Senior Four-Ball last year): After winning the CGA (open-age) Four-Ball together in 2017 and ’18, the two added a Senior Four-Ball title last year.
— Jolene Wong won the CGA Women’s Mashie and Women’s Four-Ball with different partners last year — Kelly McCormick and Neige Dunn, respectively. Wong was also was part of the Plum Creek Golf Club team that won the CGA Women’s Team Stableford (as was McCormick).
— David Delich (Won CGA Super Senior Amateur last year): Went a decade between his most recent CGA championship victories before his win last year.
— Kirsty Hodgkins-Redner (Won CGA Mid-Amateur last year): The former University of Colorado golfer claimed the CGA Mid-Am title five years after claiming the CGA Women’s Match Play crown. Hodgkins-Redner also advanced to the round of 64 at the U.S. Women’s Mid-Am last year.
About the Writer: Gary Baines has covered golf in Colorado continuously since 1983. He was a sports writer at the Daily Camera newspaper in Boulder, then the sports editor there, and has written regularly for ColoradoGolf.org since 2009. The University of Colorado Evans Scholar alum was inducted into the Colorado Golf Hall of Fame in 2022. He owns and operates ColoradoGolfJournal.com