A retired longtime USGA regional affairs director, Mark Passey played an essential role in the creation of the new Colorado Golf Hall of Fame Museum at The Broadmoor. The Utah Golf Hall of Fame inductee—who moved to Colorado in 2005 and now serves on the CGHOF board of directors—spent countless hours on the planning and physical creation of the museum after coming up with the idea of moving it to the resort and raising support for the project. The $1.6 million facility opened to rave reviews in April 2023.
In all likelihood, the new museum wouldn’t have become a reality without the vision and stewardship of Passey.
It all started with a “Hail Mary” play of sorts.
In 2020, Passey had a phone call with Jack Damioli, now the president and CEO at The Broadmoor. The two discussed the possibility of The Broadmoor hosting the Hall of Fame’s tournament and/or dinner in 2023, to coincide with the organization’s 50th anniversary.
Damioli said The Broadmoor would be happy to do both. “I said, ‘Jack you’re in a really good mood,’” Passey recalled, sensing some momentum. “‘Is there any chance you’d consider The Broadmoor being the home of our museum?’ The phone went quiet. I thought he’d hung up on me. ‘Jack, are you still there?’ ‘Yeah, I am. That’s really an interesting idea. Let’s have another conversation about this.’
“I kind of hung up with the idea that … I’ll never hear another word on the museum. But about two weeks later, Russ (Miller, The Broadmoor’s PGA director of golf) called me. He said, ‘Jack asked me to call you. Do you still want to talk to us about the museum?’
“And that’s how we ended up where we are.”
Thanks to the efforts of Passey and numerous board members, donors, inductees, designers, planners, researchers and myriad contractors and vendors, the Colorado Golf Hall of Fame Museum at The Broadmoor became a reality in 2023. And what a hit it’s been.
“To see the history they have (compiled), it’s astounding,” Colorado Golf Hall of Famer Jill McGill said at the Grand Opening. “To look at the (museum’s) timeline and all the different people who are displayed or represented, and to be part of that, I don’t know if I really appreciated it prior. But now going through what I have and having kids, you realize, ‘Wow, there really is history.’”
