There are almost as many stories about what led a person to become a devoted golfer as there are devoted golfers. But Laura Robinson’s tale is particularly unique.
Robinson, the CWGA’s acting executive director, has been an avid sports participant for her whole life. She’s skied, run (finishing both the New York City and London Marathons), played squash, and been a cyclist.
She gave golf a go about a decade ago, participating in a “Get Golf Ready” session at Hiwan Golf Club, where Robinson and her husband, Paul, have been members since 2004 — and live nearby. Given how she’s picked up sports relatively easily in the past, she thought it would be the same for golf.
But suffice it to say that things didn’t go quite according to plan.
“I was completely humbled and went back to cycling,” recalls Robinson (pictured), who at the time served on the board of directors for Team Evergreen Cycling.
But in 2009, while living in Evergreen, she was cycling near Soda Creek during rutting season for elk. A bull started to charge, which she noticed out of the corner of her eye. Going about 35 mph down a hill, she hit the brakes and took a nasty fall, breaking her pelvis and some ribs. Evergreen Fire and Rescue transported her to St. Anthony’s Trauma Center, where she spent the next three days.
Robinson got back in the saddle — literally and figuratively — for the 25th Ride the Rockies the next year, but shortly after that, she went to the driving range at Hiwan. And with that, she was hooked on golf for good.
“It was time to learn something new,” she said. “I’m one of those people who focus and set goals. And to become good, you really have to pick your sport.”
And now, somewhere around 500 rounds of golf later, Robinson finds herself as the acting executive director of the CWGA, having succeeded Ann Guiberson, who left the E.D. position in November after about 20 months on the job. Robinson, who teaches at Colorado Women’s College at the University of Denver as the chair of the information technology studies program, plans to stay in the CWGA position until a new permanent director is hired.
Robinson first played a role for the CWGA in the summer of 2014, when she volunteered to help Guiberson develop an IT strategy at the CWGA. Then she joined the CWGA’s volunteer board of directors a year ago. (CLICK HERE to see all the board members.)
As acting executive director, Robinson is in the midst of helping organize the CWGA’s annual meeting (Feb. 27 at the Inverness Hotel), preparing for a board retreat Jan. 23, planning for the CWGA’s presence at next month’s Denver Golf Expo, and finalizing the 2016 CWGA tournament schedule and the courses that will be rated by the association this year.
“I’m just keeping things running,” she matter-of-factly.
And many of the tasks CWGA leadership are focusing upon have taken on some added significance this year with the CWGA celebrating its 100th anniversary in 2016.
“This is an exciting year for us, celebrating the past 100 years and looking toward what we want to be in the next 100,” Robinson said. “I’m very excited to do this, particularly in the centennial year. We all hope to grow the game and extend it to more girls and women.”
Robinson and her husband moved to Colorado in 1998, after she spent much of her early life in the greater New York City area before she and Paul relocated to London for eight years. There, she received her Masters in Business Administration from the London Business School.
“The culture shock of moving from New York City to London is not nearly as great as it was moving from London to Evergreen,” she notes.
But in 1998, after having been to Colorado just a few times, Robinson and her husband were on a ski trip with friends and decided to stay.
“I saw blue sky, sun and mountains,” she said, recalling her thinking.
Since becoming a resident, Robinson has worked as a principal consultant at CSC Consulting, as a senior program manager at McData, and as director of product management at MX Logic before becoming a co-owner at PWR Consulting and teaching at Colorado Women’s College at DU.
And, as mentioned earlier, Robinson loves golf. In her first round of nine holes, she shot a 74 in 2010. But she’s been devoted to improving, and those hundreds of rounds over the last six years seem to be doing the trick. At Hiwan, she was named most improved golfer twice — for the nine-hole group in 2011 and for the 18-holers in 2012.
“And I’m really disappointed I haven’t won it again (since),” she said with a chuckle.
Robinson, who recently returned from a Florida trip where she played 24 rounds of golf over seven weeks, also received a “rising star award” from fellow Hiwan member — and current CWGA vice president — Kathy Malpass in 2014. Robinson regular competes for the B team at Hiwan in interclub competitions.
Administratively, Robinson serves as the tournament chairperson for the Hiwan Women’s Golf Association.
“I love golf in Colorado,” she said.
As if there was any doubt.
