Page 49 - AreaNewsletters "Aug 2021" issue

to help run the family business, and joined it as the Vice President of Land Development.
Jack A. Vickers brought innovative ideas to gasoline-retailing by adding soda pop, milk and groceries to stations that were placed in the middle of the block instead of at the intersection; land was cheaper, and the ingress and egress were better with less congestion.
Let’s fast-forward:
“The year was 1980 and at 55 years old, Jack A. Vickers had just sold the family oil company he had run
for 29 years, amassing
a fortune he had never imagined. As an avid golfer and a member of 17 of the country’s best clubs, that fortune allowed him to dream of building a world-renowned golf club to share with family and friends, on the level
of the exclusive Augusta
National. From that experience and inspiration, his vision of Castle Pines was born.” —The Making of One of America’s Greatest Golf Clubs
Mr. Vickers had long had his eye on property west of I-25 at the Happy Canyon exit, north of Castle Rock. It took time trying to buy this land but his patience and persistence paid o when he nally closed on 1200 acres!
Mr. Vickers asked his close friend,
Jack Nicklaus, to look at the property, and then design 18 truly great golf holes. A circle of 12 close friends, the Founding Members, came together to create Castle Pines. Each Founder was dedicated to the vision of the entire club being grounded in absolute quality.
The nal piece of Mr. Vickers’
vision was to host a world-renowned professional golf tournament, and that dream became a reality when The INTERNATIONAL became a xture on the PGA TOUR for 21 years.
The INTERNATIONAL established many “ rsts,” like being the very rst PGA TOUR event with a purse of one million dollars. One thing that was mentioned constantly about The INTERNATIONAL was its
use of the Modi ed Stableford format – (more later). Attempts
to lure players from around the world to play at Castle Pines were successful when Ernie Els
and Sergio Garcia played their rst American Tournaments here.
The scoring system for The INTERNATIONAL is the Modi ed Stableford format, originally designed by Dr. Frank Stableford and rst used in competition at Wallasey Golf Club in England in 1932. Mr. Vickers’
son, Jimmy Vickers, concocted this
Continued on next page...
Vicker’s fortune allowed him to dream of building a world- renowned golf club... on the level of the exclusive Augusta National.
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Castle Rock “AreaNewsletters” • August 2021