Part One in a Series of
Neighborhood 9-hole Courses:

By Joe E. Cervi
Rockies Golf Daily Staff Writer

FLORENCE -- Legend has it that Bear Paw Golf Course was the site where oil was first discovered west of Pennsylvania.

A young Indian, the story goes, was traveling near what is now the Arkansas River. He found that he could keep bears away at night by fueling his campfire with the black sludge abundant in the area. He would then easily track the bears in daylight; he just had to follow the dark prints left behind.

Heather Fodor has a hard time believing that this accidental finding, by a boy supposedly named Running Wolf, has greatly enhanced her future in golf.

Hey, stranger things have happened.

Fodor, a senior-to-be at Florence High School, served as both playing partner and tour guide at this neighborhood 9-hole course 40 miles west of Pueblo. Fodor knows the course as well as anyone; her father, Arthur, is both head pro and part owner.

"I spend a lot of time out here, but I should probably spend some more (practicing)," Heather said. She is a two-time state qualifier and could be one of the area's standouts next spring.

The track is 3,102 yards of grass cut out of acres of arroyos and prairie land. Its claim to fame, aside from the Running Wolf fable, is that it sits at the foot of SuperMax -- the maximum security federal prison that houses such infamous villains as Unabomber Ted Kacyzinski, Olkahoma City bomber Timothy McVeigh and the World Trade Center bombers.

Just four years young, Bear Paw offers scenic views as well as challenging golf holes. The course is designed as a links-style layout with plenty of water and sand to avoid. Most of the greens are huge, and many are flanked by rolling hills that funnel shots toward the holes.

Bear Paw's signature hole is a 560-yard par-5 with, of course, five bunkers at the foot of the narrow green. The bunkers form the shape of a giant bear paw. Fodor said she has spent time "in every one of them. Except maybe the far left one. I've been in the big one in front a lot, though."

The sixth hole measures just 308 yards long and is reachable off the tee. Those who go for it, though, must navigate the small opening to the green, which is closely guarded by a pair of bunkers.

Both par-3s have elevated tee boxes and well-guarded greens. In spite of its young age, Bear Paw also boasts fantastic greens.

"The course definitely has character," Art Fodor said. "You have to keep it pretty straight, but the greens are as good as any greens around. Considering the (small) amount of money we can put into it, the course is in great shape."

The course, too, is on the cusp of expansion. Plans for nine more holes, and possible reconfiguration of existing ones, are already underway.

Bear Paw has a full-service pro shop and rents clubs, as well as riding and pull carts. Play has increased by 30 percent over last year and head pro Art Fodor said calling ahead for tee times is preferred. The number is (719) 784-6152.

Bear Paw has both character and history on its side. The future looks bright -- except for those felons watching from afar.

Joe E. Cervi is the golf writer for the Pueblo (Colo.) Chieftain and was named 1996 Colorado Golf Association writer of the year. He is also a staff writer for Rockies Golf Daily. Comment on this story on our reader feedback page.

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