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the Annual Ron Sessions Memorial Ice Golf Tournament
Right now the long days of summer and green grass under your feet and blue sky overhead might seem like a distant memory. January marks the deepest part of Winter in North Park, with all sorts of winter activities happening all throughout the next few months. For now, lots of summertime activities will be on hold—with one exception. Did you know that the second biggest draw to Walden, CO (second only to rodeo weekend) is a golf tournament? You don’t have to wait until the snow melts to participate in this annual event either.
The Ron Sessions Memorial Ice Golf tournament has been around for years! It might not be Pebble Beach or the Masters, but it’s just about the most fun you can have in the wintertime in North Park there is! It happens every year on the last Saturday in January. This year, you’ll find it happening on January 25, 2025. Time is running out to book your team!
How It Got Started
For a small community, Jackson County, CO has always had its share of non-profits, volunteer groups, and local organizations that have worked hard to help the community. The Ron Sessions Memorial Ice Golf Tournament started in the spirit of other long-standing traditions, with a group of friends sitting in a local bar trying to stave off seasonal boredom.
With summer activities like baseball still a long way off, the Lions Club needed a way to get the locals out to support programs and build up charitable contributions for local causes. The biggest problem was nearly everything was under several feet of snow. The idea stemmed from some of the local Lions Club members who were avid golfers, daydreaming of those summer days when they could get back out on the links. Local contractor and businessman, Ron Sessions, had access to a strip of private land on the Walden Reservoir, which he offered for parking and concessions setup.
Some holes could be drilled into the ice and golfers could play several holes of golf, knocking tennis balls into the holes. At the time, nobody really knew what it would eventually become. Ron Sessions passed away several years ago, but his family still offers the use of the land for the tournament, including ice grooming, for the event. The Annual Ice Golf Tournament now bears Sessions’ name as a way to pay respects to a man who was deeply involved in his community and helped to create this popular wintertime event in North Park.
What is Ice Golf?
The event has grown a lot since that first winter on the ice so many years ago, but the concept is still much the same. Teams of three golfers follow the course, taking turns driving and putting tennis balls with regular clubs into 6” holes. Oddly enough the use of tennis balls in this terrain makes for nearly the same challenge as what is played with regulation golf balls on a green, with scores of 50-70 being pretty common.
Instead of the nine hole course, the Ron Sessions Memorial Ice Golf Tournament has grown exponentially. Today, ice golfers play an 18 hole round on a 40 hole course. Upwards of 82 golfers have played the tournament. Golfers mark their own score cards, carry their own bags, and enjoy their own beverages for a sunny day out on the cold ice.
A calcutta helps to make things more interesting, but participants will fight it out on the links for real cash prize money. The first place team will win $500 and a trophy. A total of $1500 in prizes and giveaways will also be presented at the end of the day at an awards ceremony at the River Rock in Walden, CO.
Start a Team
If you think you’ve got what it takes, sign up your team of three golfers before 5pm on January 20th, 2025. Green Fees are $150 per team. Payments are CASH or CHECK ONLY. Mail entry fees to:
Ron Sessions Golf
Box 307
Walden, CO 80480
If you would like more information, please contact Jim Dustin at [email protected].
When: January 25. Tee-time is at 10am
Where: The Ron Sessions Memorial Ice Gold Tournament takes place at the Walden Reservoir. How to get there: Take HWY 125/14 south from Walden and go west on County Road 12W towards Lake John. The turnoff to the Reservoir is only about a mile outside of Walden. Follow the plowed road to the parking lot!
Parking: Parking is free, and concessions are supplied by the local FFA.
Keep in Mind: Remember to dress for cold weather, stay hydrated, and drink responsibly.
Golf for a Good Cause
The people of North Park have a time-honored tradition of self-reliance and combined with our hardy nature and independent spirit, our charitable works need to go a long wayto help out this small community. The Ron Sessions Memorial Ice Golf Tournament is just one of the ways the Lions Club is able to raise funding for local programs and events.
Other Notable Causes
Each year, the Lions Club of Jackson County selects a graduating Senior at the local high school for its yearly scholarship in hopes of promoting our greatest local resource: our young people.
The Lions Club is also a big contributor to promoting eye care for the elderly and visually impaired, and has been very active in working with the community to help raise money and awareness for those in need. Past events have raised upwards of $7000 just from the Ice Golf Tournament!
Know Before You Go!
The Ron Sessions Memorial Ice Golf Tournament is just one of the many things we havegoing on in North Park this January. It’s a lot of fun and draws people from all over the state, if not nationwide! Since space is limited, accommodations do fill up on the weekends, which is why it is crucial to book your stay in advance.
Book your lodging in a hotel, VRBO, or AirBnB vacation rental property in Walden, CO. Choose from a wide selection of vacation rentals, ranging from quaint to unique, and anywhere between single occupancy or large groups of visitors. Be sure to check out our listings on your favorite vacation rental website or ourdirectory here.
Here are just a few of the places you can stay in North Park:
Weather can be unpredictable in the Colorado Rocky Mountains, so be sure to keep an eye on local weather conditions and know what to doin case of severe weather while traveling in winter.
Get the Colorado Experience of a Lifetime
We want all of our visitors to have a safe and enjoyable time when they stop in to visit us. North Park is truly a memorable place you won’t soon forget! So if you want to take part in an event that is certain to be Bucket List worthy, get signed up now to take on the locals for this year’s Ron Sessions Memorial Ice Golf Tournament.
North Park represents so much of the true Colorado, beyond the hype of cookie-cutter resort towns and overpriced lift tickets. Here you’ll experience the true Colorado, where people live, work, and most of all play!
