Colorado State University Athletics
Rams Relief: Ram Masters
1/4/2021 8:00:00 AM | Men's Golf, Ram Club, Stalwart Rams Relief
Ram Masters isn't a line item in the recruiting pitch for Christian Newton.
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Quite the opposite. The booster club for the Colorado State men's golf team is a major push, a massive selling point for prospective athletes Newton brings to Fort Collins. He goes deep into detail how the devoted group is there for the student-athletes even after their playing career in green and gold is finished.
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"It's huge. At some point we sit the recruits down and tell them we have a booster club and we're going to put you in front of 75 influential families who love golf, and by the time you're done here, you should have some really nice contacts from people who love CSU golf and they can help you find an internship, help you find a job, they can potentially sponsor your golf," Newton explained. "We sell it as a networking tool right out the gate."
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Newton knows because of the early support of Ram Masters, his program exists. With continued support from the boosters, as well as past letter winners, the Rams have turned into a nationally ranked program which actively seeks out competition against the best teams annually.
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Senior golfer A.J. Ott didn't have to be sold on Ram Masters. As a local product, he grew up among them, as many were friends of his family. He played golf with them, talked to them and he knew they were going to make his collegiate playing experience one which was on par with any school in the nation.
Â
Leave home? Why would he?
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"It was important for me. My dad has worked with the program since I was a young kid, so I've been around a lot of the players and those in Ram Masters for a while. I grew up playing at Ptarmigan and other courses in the area, so I've known them for a while. They were friends of my dad, and some of my friends growing up to.
Â
"Those guys have been pretty loyal for a long time. They were a reason I stayed. There are so many guys who have been here for so long in Fort Collins. That's a big reason. A lot of them are among the nicest people you'll meet, and they help our program out a lot with trips, money and they'll always send our team texts and emails. It's nice. It's pretty immeasurable. Knowing there are such a good group of guys around town, and a lot of them are former players, so just getting a lot of good advice from them. A lot of them are professionals in the business world. I look at it like we have an extra group of coaches."
Â
The support of Ram Masters and former players has never been questioned by anybody in the program, coach or player. But 2020 has brought about a different set of rules.
Â
In a very unprecedented time in all of our lives, Colorado State Athletics and the Rams Club are asking all of our valued supporters to donate or make a gift which will have a life-altering impact on our student-athletes. The financial crisis is real for everyone, yet our primary goal remains to create the greatest experience for our student-athletes. Your gifts will help lessen the impact they feel as they pursue their athletic and educational goals.
Â
When the pandemic shut down last season, the Rams were climbing up the rankings, and Newton had a deep roster poised to make noise nationally. Their goal was not just to reach the NCAA Championships, but be a factor on the final day.
Â
Newton said no one knows what the future will look like on the backend of the pandemic, making Ram Masters an even more valuable part of the program.
Â
"It's paramount, because the future is so unseen," Newton said. "We're so day to day. We just don't know what funding is going to look like from the university, and with Ram Masters, we can keep a Top 25 golf program rolling. And whenever we do come out of this pandemic, we're going to be in the best possible situation to move forward."
Â
The indoor golf facility was paid for by donations from Ram Masters. Upgrades have been made to the team's Harmony Club Golf Course facility and the team has access to the TPC Colorado course in Berthoud through the group's support.
Â
Newton's roster has an international flair, and past contributions have made it possible to enroll students in summer courses to help keep them on path toward their educational goals, while also allowing him to pick up insurance costs for foreign-born student-athletes.
Â
Ott has seen the rise of the program, and he knows they have Ram Masters and former players to thank.
Â
"Even if you meet somebody when you're on the team for the first time, and they are a booster who was a former player, you instantly have a connection," Ott said. "It is like a football program. It's a big family, and everybody is connected with that from the start. With their help, we're able to play a really good schedule year round, play a few extra events and travel more than normal. Without them, we wouldn't be able to be where we are at."
Â
Â
Quite the opposite. The booster club for the Colorado State men's golf team is a major push, a massive selling point for prospective athletes Newton brings to Fort Collins. He goes deep into detail how the devoted group is there for the student-athletes even after their playing career in green and gold is finished.
Â
"It's huge. At some point we sit the recruits down and tell them we have a booster club and we're going to put you in front of 75 influential families who love golf, and by the time you're done here, you should have some really nice contacts from people who love CSU golf and they can help you find an internship, help you find a job, they can potentially sponsor your golf," Newton explained. "We sell it as a networking tool right out the gate."
Â
Newton knows because of the early support of Ram Masters, his program exists. With continued support from the boosters, as well as past letter winners, the Rams have turned into a nationally ranked program which actively seeks out competition against the best teams annually.
Â
Senior golfer A.J. Ott didn't have to be sold on Ram Masters. As a local product, he grew up among them, as many were friends of his family. He played golf with them, talked to them and he knew they were going to make his collegiate playing experience one which was on par with any school in the nation.
Â
Leave home? Why would he?
Â
"It was important for me. My dad has worked with the program since I was a young kid, so I've been around a lot of the players and those in Ram Masters for a while. I grew up playing at Ptarmigan and other courses in the area, so I've known them for a while. They were friends of my dad, and some of my friends growing up to.
Â
"Those guys have been pretty loyal for a long time. They were a reason I stayed. There are so many guys who have been here for so long in Fort Collins. That's a big reason. A lot of them are among the nicest people you'll meet, and they help our program out a lot with trips, money and they'll always send our team texts and emails. It's nice. It's pretty immeasurable. Knowing there are such a good group of guys around town, and a lot of them are former players, so just getting a lot of good advice from them. A lot of them are professionals in the business world. I look at it like we have an extra group of coaches."
Â
The support of Ram Masters and former players has never been questioned by anybody in the program, coach or player. But 2020 has brought about a different set of rules.
Â
In a very unprecedented time in all of our lives, Colorado State Athletics and the Rams Club are asking all of our valued supporters to donate or make a gift which will have a life-altering impact on our student-athletes. The financial crisis is real for everyone, yet our primary goal remains to create the greatest experience for our student-athletes. Your gifts will help lessen the impact they feel as they pursue their athletic and educational goals.
Â
When the pandemic shut down last season, the Rams were climbing up the rankings, and Newton had a deep roster poised to make noise nationally. Their goal was not just to reach the NCAA Championships, but be a factor on the final day.
Â
Newton said no one knows what the future will look like on the backend of the pandemic, making Ram Masters an even more valuable part of the program.
Â
"It's paramount, because the future is so unseen," Newton said. "We're so day to day. We just don't know what funding is going to look like from the university, and with Ram Masters, we can keep a Top 25 golf program rolling. And whenever we do come out of this pandemic, we're going to be in the best possible situation to move forward."
Â
The indoor golf facility was paid for by donations from Ram Masters. Upgrades have been made to the team's Harmony Club Golf Course facility and the team has access to the TPC Colorado course in Berthoud through the group's support.
Â
Newton's roster has an international flair, and past contributions have made it possible to enroll students in summer courses to help keep them on path toward their educational goals, while also allowing him to pick up insurance costs for foreign-born student-athletes.
Â
Ott has seen the rise of the program, and he knows they have Ram Masters and former players to thank.
Â
"Even if you meet somebody when you're on the team for the first time, and they are a booster who was a former player, you instantly have a connection," Ott said. "It is like a football program. It's a big family, and everybody is connected with that from the start. With their help, we're able to play a really good schedule year round, play a few extra events and travel more than normal. Without them, we wouldn't be able to be where we are at."
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Wednesday, March 03
Rams Relief: Tennis
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Rams Relief: T&F / XC
Monday, January 25