Jack Vickers was born in Colorado Springs on August 8, 1925. A one-time 5-handicapper who once belonged to 15 country clubs, Vickers has been a giant in the Colorado sports and business world. As chairman of the Vickers companies, he oversaw a firm that had business interests in oil, gas and mineral properties, real estate, land development and farm and stock investments. He was former chairman and majority owner of the Colorado Rockies National Hockey League team in Denver; organizer and president of the University of Colorado’s Flatirons Club, which is a major fundraiser for the university; sponsor of the Vickers Wichita team in the old National Industrial Basketball league that later formed the ABA; and sponsor for the start of the pro career of three-time U.S. Open champion Hale Irwin.
Jack’s greatest legacy to Colorado golf is Castle Pines Golf Club, which he founded north of Castle Rock in 1981, and The International PGA Tour event, which debuted at Castle Pines in 1986. Vickers ended the International’s 21-year run after the 2006 event. Among the International’s champions were Phil Mickelson, Greg Norman, Ernie Els, Davis Love, Vijay Singh, Jose Maria Olazabal and Retief Goosen.
As a player, Vickers was runner-up in the 1950 Trans-Mississippi Championship.
Vickers, who passed away in 2018 at the age of 93, is a member of the Colorado Sports Hall of Fame, Colorado Business Hall of Fame and Denver and Colorado Tourism Hall of Fame. In 2014, the PGA Tour honored him with the 11th Lifetime Achievement Award in its 98-year history.
1985 Golf Person of the Year
The founder and owner of Castle Pines Golf Club debuted The International, the PGA Tour event that took place every Augusts until 2006.
