It’s fair to say that Lauren Harmon has grown right along with CommonGround Golf Course in Aurora.
When the CGA and CWGA opened the public course in the spring of 2009, Harmon landed a job as a golf shop attendant while still a teenager. She’s seen the facility — still the newest course in Colorado — develop through its formative years, to the point that it served as one of the host sites for the stroke-play portion of last year’s U.S. Amateur.
Just like CommonGround, Harmon (pictured) has graduated quickly. Now 22, she’s moved up the ranks to the point that the PGA apprentice was recently named director of player development at the CommonGround Learning Center.
“The progression has been very natural at CommonGround,” Harmon said. “I’m obviously really excited. I’ve been here since the very beginning, and it’s great to play a bigger role. I have a passion for CommonGround and the (growth of the game) programs out here, like Ed and Dave do.”
That would be Ed Mate, executive director of the CGA, and Dave Troyer, CommonGround’s director of golf.
“I understand what they’re trying to do with the program,” Harmon said. “I’ve seen the transformation and I know what to do to make the program ours.”
After almost four years of outsourcing most of the instruction at CommonGround, the CGA and CWGA, owners and operators of the course, have restructured the teaching program, bringing it more “in house.” Elena King, a director of instruction at CommonGround since its opening, will continue to do considerable teaching at the facility, but as an independent instructor. King was the LPGA Central Section Teacher of the Year in 2011.
“We wanted to have more control over the programming,” Mate said. “We had a great partnership with Elena — and with Elena and Gary Davis before that — but anytime you outsource you don’t have as much control. We want to make sure we’re executing the (CommonGround) mission: ‘A place for all, and all the game teaches.’ Teaching is a big part of that.”
Added Troyer, Harmon’s boss during all of her time at CommonGround: “We wanted someone on salary to run player development, someone who is 100 percent focused on growing the game. She makes it much more seamless regarding our outreach efforts, whether it be with Boy Scouts, Special Olympics or whatever.
“Lauren has been very integral for us since Day 1. She has a very good understanding of our clientele and who we’re marketing to.”
Harmon grew up in the Denver area and played golf for Grandview High School in south Aurora. She hopes to complete her PGA training and become a Class A PGA professional by 2015.
If sheer energy plays a significant role in her new position, Harmon figures to be a good fit for the job.
Asked to characterize Harmon, Troyer said, “She’s a non-stop energy bunny. Her relaxation and enjoyment is to spend more time at work.”
At CommonGround, Harmon anticipates that starting this year “we’ll have a lot more options for individual instruction (including golf fitness, biomechanics and the mental side of the game). I’m really focused on expanding the game for people. We’ll have a lot of programs for those who have not played the game (regularly).”
Harmon said that CommonGround likely will have seven instructors doing considerable teaching at the course this year. Among them are expected to be Colorado Golf Hall of Famer Tom Connell and Lauren Howe, winner of an LPGA Tour event in 1983 and a former CWGA Stroke Play champion.
“I am definitely excited to have her as a part of the team,” Harmon said of Howe.
As for Connell, the head professional at Denver Country Club for 27 years until retiring in 2009, Harmon said he’s “been a great mentor to me in helping grasp the concepts of teaching kids.”
