GUNNISON, Colo. – For decades, the annual Cattlemen’s Days celebration has been known for its livestock shows, 4H exhibits, the Watershed team ropings and barrel races, the carnival and, of course, the PRCA rodeo.

The organizers of this year’s festivities have added something new to the mix: the Cattlemen’s Cowboy Golf Scramble, which will take place at 1 p.m. Tuesday, July 9, at Dos Rios Golf Club in Gunnison. The deadline to enter is June 25.

“We came up with this idea as a way to provide something new and different to Cattlemen’s Days,” said Karla Rundell, second vice president of the organization’s volunteer committee. “Since we’ve merged the Watershed barrel racing with the team roping on Wednesday night, that opened things up for our Tuesday.

“Dos Rios has been a major sponsor for Cattlemen’s Days for years, and they have been great hosts to our contract personnel. We thought this would be a good way to give them some business back during the busy stretch of days during Cattlemen’s Days.”

The fee is $100 per person, and each entrant’s name is placed in a hat. The four-person teams are matched together via a random draw.

“Brian Turner suggested limiting it to 10 teams this first year and see how this plays out,” Rundell said of the Dos Rios golf pro. “He thought it would be a good way to start, and if it draws as good as we hope, we can always build on it for the future.

“We decided to really make this tournament Western by placing the random draw in there. It’s similar to what happens at a lot of team ropings, so it’s a nice twist to something people have been doing for a long time. You won’t know what team you’re on until they are drawn. I think it’s going to make it a lot of fun.”

It’s also going to open the door for new friendships.

“It’s just different, but I think everyone will like it,” Rundell said. “It’s a great chance for people to have fun together on the golf course.”