Ram Masters Continues to Elevate Men's Golf Program
Once a necessity for survival, booster club is a necessity for continued success
A fully funded program is great. It is what’s expected.
A fully subsidized one is even better, which Colorado State men’s golf coach Christian Newton understands very well. Since his arrival on campus, the funding from the program’s booster club – Ram Masters – has afforded him the chance to continually build his program into one which rivals those at larger universities. And in terms of giving the players on his team a chance to grow post-college, the members extend those opportunities, too.
“It is huge from a resource standpoint, that it allows us to do above and beyond what we have,” Newton said. “It allows us to do some extra things, but it also gives me a really great group of people to introduce my players to so they can start their network when it comes to finding jobs, internships, sponsors, that kind of thing. It’s basically we’re introducing them to influential people in Northern Colorado, and they’re learning how to talk to them and network with them. Hopefully they build a relationship and do all the things you’ll have to do in the business world four years later.”
That is what the Ram Masters is now. In the beginning, the booster club is what allowed the men’s golf program to even exist. The group was funding it, everything from scholarships, equipment, uniforms and travel. When Mark Crabtree arrived as coach, he had a box of personnel files and about $5,000 to work with. Every member of the team was a walk-on, and if you brought your clubs to campus, you had a real shot at making the team.
Humble beginnings, to say the least. But also large goals.
“I would say when I walked into CSU as the coach, the university was unable to provide very much funding,” said Crabtree, who left for Louisville and recently retired and has taken up residence in Fort Collins again. “That being said, to create and start a competitive program, we had to come up with a plan, and that plan was the community, the people in the community who liked golf and supported Colorado State. The question was would we be able to reach out to them.
“At that point and time, whether the university didn’t want to or couldn’t – I don’t remember what that was – so what started it was all of those dollars.”
So Crabtree went into the community and started shaking hands and sharing his vision. In the first couple of years, a pair of business owners donated $5,000 in start-up money, which at least allowed the coach to drive his team to local tournaments. Jim Smith and others started to gain interest, asking Crabtree what he felt he really needed to get it going, because they all felt it was a shame Colorado State didn’t have a funded men’s golf team.
Crabtree said with $50,000, he could really get things moving.
Smith and others started by speaking to friends of theirs at the Fort Collins Country Club, they came up with a solid group of 30 people, each of whom promised to donate $1,000 annually to the program for three years. It was a great start, but seeking more, they came up with an idea to host mixers at people’s houses, generally around the country club.
“We invited the wives and everybody, and Mark would coach the kids up to go around and shake hands and thank people for helping out. Those kids, they were up to the task,” Smith said. “About halfway through the first one, the women were telling their husbands, ‘we need to support these guys, they’re nice young guys.’ Usually it’s the guy that wants to give $1,000 bucks and the wife would rather have a new dress or go on a trip. So I knew when we got the wives stepping up that we were going to hit our goals.”
Reaching those initial goals was great, and to some, unexpected. Yet it never stopped, and as time has passed and the board members have changed, the giving still takes place. Van Dewar joined five years into its existence, and he helped created the logo the organization uses. A business investor at heart, he always had a passion for youth golf and has been involved with the sport at the youth level since early in his adulthood. While he now lives in Arizona, he set up an endowment for the program before he left, and he still follows the team throughout the season.
He also saw the group help the athletic department as a whole.
“I think if we’re going to have a program, we want it to be as good as it can be,” said Dewar, who was also an assistant coach for a spell under Bermel. “Back in the day when we started it, the university didn’t have money for golf. As the 75 guys, we would raise $50,000-100,000 a year to get them better clubs, bags, a coach, to help their travel budget. The thing that happened was the university began to understand during that time they could have a golf program and a golf coach that would help them put on fundraising golf tournaments. The tournaments the coach and Ram Master were involved in raised money for the athletic program.”
It allows us to do some extra things, but it also gives me a really great group of people to introduce my players to so they can start their network when it comes to finding jobs, internships, sponsors, that kind of thing.Christian Newton
The group raised a large amount of money and created a sizeable endowment as the Ram Masters grew to 75 members at one point.
As time evolved, the athletic department started funding the program more and more, and with good reason. Crabtree took the team out to Stanford for a tournament, topping a field which included No. 1 Georgia Tech, the only time a program at Colorado State has defeated a team ranked No. 1 in the country. The success has continued through Newton and Jamie Bermel with a host of appearances in the national rankings.
“As it evolves, it allows you to expand, allows you to do more things and allow you to grow your program in different ways when it’s a supplemental income,” Crabtree said. “At the same time, the connection you make with these individuals, and the relationships which are developed – for example my relationship with Jim now spans closer to 25-30 years. It’s not only the income, the supplemental help, it’s the connection and the relationships which continue to develop. That’s very important for a program.”
That’s what Newton sees now, saying it’s a nice feeling not having to check the bank account if the team needs cold-weather gear or improvements are needed at the Harmony Club or on campus. When a golf simulator was donated to Colorado State, Ram Masters raised the needed funds to make sure the project was done right. Travel is easier on the team, and if they need to keep a player on track to graduate, money is available for summer classes.
Martin Laird is the most recognizable former Ram with four PGA Tour victories on his resume. Smith helped fund his start as a professional, and Laird lived at Van Dewar’s homes in Fort Collins and later in Scottsdale as he started to set roots in professional golf. As a reward, Smith has twice been his guest at The Masters.
Others have been sponsored by Ram Master’s members, as well. But it’s not always golf related, either. Not every golfer knows every member of the Rams Masters, but those they do can become mentors and resources, because not all former Rams are pursing professional careers. Others are headed off the business world, and to Newton, these relationships are just as valuable for the overall development of his players.
Connections are made, which lead to introductions, even how to approach a job interview or prepare a resume. The success of the golf program will always be key, but not the sole pursuit.
“Without a doubt. We want to help in any way we possibly can, and we have those discussions,” said current board member Steve Stoecker. “Is there anything else you need that may or may not be financial in nature that we can help with? Yes, the objective here is -- and ultimately -- I think Christian is working very hard to make these young men better men, period. While the golf is certainly a very important part of it and it’s important for the program to be successful, but I don’t’ see that as the only thing, and maybe not the most important thing. In reality, I think the goal here is certainly to have a great program, but to have these young men turn into better men.”
Stoecker is a big fan of Newton, who he says is a full supporter and humbly appreciative of all the booster club allows him to do on a yearly basis. For that reason. Stoecker remains a very active member, because he wants to see Newton successful, too.
Membership has changed, and active membership will ebb and flow throughout time. What they all share, those in the present and those who helped build the group, is the common goal of seeing Colorado State men’s golf chase excellence, each and every year.
Which has most certainly been the case.