Celebrate with limited edition collectables
The Lake Arbor Golf Course is turning 50! Be sure to stop by the course and restaurant to get commemorative 50th anniversary collectables. Commemorative pint and wine glasses are free with the purchase of a round of golf and a beverage! Special edition poker chips and towels are also available to purchase on in the pro shop.
Throughout the past five decades “The Arb” has become a locals’ favorite, known for having some of the best greens in the area, as well as a place where all ages and abilities feel welcome.
The History of Lake Arbor – starting with the 1969 US Open
Built in the early 1970s as part of Arvada’s first planned community, Lake Arbor Golf Course has a unique and fascinating origin story. It begins – oddly enough – with the 1969 US Open in Houston, Texas, where Orville Moody claimed an improbable victory.
At the time, Moody was less than two years into his career on the PGA Tour – and to this day, he is still the last US Open champion to earn his spot in the field through local and sectional qualifying. Before becoming a full-time professional golfer, he had served in the Army for 14 years, earning him the nickname “Sarge.”
Moody’s victory in the 1969 US Open – coupled with his backstory and sudden rise to prominence in the golf world – drew the interest of Lake Arbor’s community master developer, who convinced Moody to design the new Arvada golf course course.
Moody mixes it up with the regulars
The City purchased the course in 1974, and following a short but successful career on the PGA Tour, Moody moved to the area to run the course’s daily operations. Moody only managed the course for a few years, but he left quite an impression on those who got to know him.
According to Bruce Pelon, a longtime member of the Lake Arbor men’s club, Moody was witty and funny, but he didn’t like being the center of attention. He did, however, enjoy mixing it up with the regulars. Moody was known to wager anyone who was willing that he could hit drive the green of a par 4 with a 1-iron – without even needing a tee.
Moody would also meet up with a group of regulars in the evenings on hole 12 to play a game called “stymies.” The group would split up into two teams, and when everyone’s ball reached the green, that’s when the real fun began. Balls were not marked with coins like during a regular round of golf, and instead you had to pop your ball up over any that were in your way.
The teams usually wagered a dollar per hole. Naturally, you wanted to be on Moody’s team.
“Orville’s team almost always won,” Pelon said. “ “It was awfully fun. We’d have a great time. He was just such a nice guy.”
