Twelve players. Four rounds. Three of Colorado's finest tracks.
One purse, settled at sundown.
Points awarded after each round; total points decide the purse. Individual rounds use a 12-1 ladder. Team rounds award a 6-1 ladder per player on each placing team. No ties broken — split the points and split the smack-talk.
The points for the tied positions are averaged and each player receives the same share. No coin flips, no countbacks at the round level — math settles it.
Total points decide the championship. If two players finish on the same total, we walk down this ladder until one wins.
Competitive and friendly. Spirit of the game over the letter of the rule.
All rounds will be played from the Blue Tees (one tee in from the tips) unless otherwise communicated.
All putts must be holed out. No gimmies. No conceded putts.
Play all balls as they lie. Play everything down. No preferred lies, no improving your stance.
For the purposes of the Solstice Invitational, all hazards and out-of-bounds areas will be played as lateral relief with a one-stroke penalty to keep pace of play moving.
The Solstice Invitational is intended to be a highly competitive tournament among friends. Any situation not specifically covered by the rules will be resolved based on fairness, common sense, and preserving the spirit of the competition.
Bear Dance for the opener. Fox Hollow twice on Saturday. CommonGround on Sunday for the close. All three within an hour of downtown Denver, all three earning their place in the rotation.
Tucked in the rolling foothills between Denver and the Springs. Wide fairways, dramatic elevation changes, and views of Pikes Peak from nearly every tee. We open the week here on Friday afternoon.
Three nines — Meadow, Canyon, and Links — woven through Bear Creek Lake Park. We play it twice on Saturday: best ball in the morning, scramble in the afternoon. The longest day of the week.
Where the CGA's home course closes the championship. Open, walkable, classically routed — every shot earned, none gimmicked. Trophy presented after the final group walks off 18.
Per round, per player. Hole-by-hole, ties carry. Pot pays out at the end of each round — winner-take-all if a hole isn't tied.
Closest-to-pin, longest drive, sandies, snake — bring whatever your group plays at home. Settle in cash on the 19th hole. Not required, but it's the buddies trip.
A small field by design. Everyone tees off in earshot of one another, and everyone knows the score by Sunday afternoon.
Three rounds to go. Standings settle after each round, points carry across the week.
Updated after Round I · Bear Dance · Friday, June 19
Three groups of four, each round. Sunday's groups are set by the leaderboard after Saturday — the top four play the final group, last off the tee.
Sunday pairings will be determined by the standings following Saturday's rounds. The field will be grouped by tournament ranking, with the top four players teeing off in the final group — last off on Sunday, for a true championship finish.
Quick reference for travel, lodging, and the group chat. Tee times locked; everything else is up to you.
First group off at 12:24 PM. 9-minute intervals. Drinks on the deck after.
Dawn patrol. First tee 7:00 AM, 9-minute intervals. Lunch between rounds.
Same partners, new format. Afternoon shotgun-feel from 1:45 PM.
Final round, lowest scores last. 9:10 AM first tee. Trophy presented at 18.