Finke is First Colorado Woman to Serve 25 years as PGA Member

Ann Finke, director of golf instruction at the Country Club of Colorado at Cheyenne Mountain Resort, has become the first woman in the history of Colorado golf to serve for 25 years as a member of the PGA of America.

Finke also joined a select national group: She's only the 10th woman in the history of the PGA of America to have been a member for a quarter of a century. "We are extraordinarily proud of Ann who has demonstrated over the years that she is truly a consummate golf professional," said Matt Cohen, the head pro at the Country Club of Colorado. "Ann is recognized statewide and throughout the Rocky Mountain region as both a top-notch instructor and a special person, by her peers and students alike. The Country Club of Colorado and those who have benefited from her immense talent as a golf instructor have been very fortunate indeed."

Born in Scottsbluff, Neb., to a family of avid golfers, Finke was taught to play at an early age by her grandmother and went on to earn a golf scholarship - becoming the first girl at her high school to receive an athletic scholarship. She played college golf at both the University of New Mexico and the University of Nebraska. In 1979, she decided to join the PGA of America while working at her home club in Scottsbluff and, after four years as an apprentice, became a full PGA member on August 5, 1983.

After spending four years as a pro at Riverside Golf Club in Grand Island, Neb., she joined the Country Club of Colorado in Colorado Springs in 1985 and worked for the club's noted head pro at the time, Bill Majure, who was later inducted into the state's Golf Hall of Fame. There, Finke began to develop her career in golf instruction.

Finke has taught many gifted players over the years, including current University of Southern California golfer Tom Glissmeyer, who in 2003 became the youngest player ever to qualify for a U.S. Open at the age of 16.

"It was truly my love for kids and the enjoyment that I get working with children that provided the motivation to pursue teaching golf on a full-time basis," she said.