MEET THE TEAM
Meet the Pelican Lakes Golf Course Team
MAX BIGFORD
Head Golf Professional at Pelican Lakes
ABOUT MAX
Max initially started playing the game of golf as a competitive outlet, but he soon found that the sport turned into a passion.
“Golf is such a fantastic game because you can enjoy it for your entire life with people of all different backgrounds and abilities,” he said. “The best part of our jobs as golf professionals is introducing someone new and watching them fall in love with the game that has given us so much.”
As the head golf professional at Pelican Lakes, Max leads the inside and outside shop staff and coordinates and operates all member tournaments.
Max’s golf journey began in northern Michigan at Shanty Creek Resorts in Bellaire, MI when he spent summers working in the golf shop of one of the property’s five golf courses. During the winter months, Max worked in the resort’s ski rental and tuning shops.
In 2016, Max moved to Fort Collins to finish his degree at Colorado State University. During that time, he worked in the Mariana Butte Golf Course in Loveland. Three years later he took over the Outside Services Supervisor role at Ptarmigan Country Club before being promoted to First Assistant Golf Professional while pursing Class A PGA status.
Max is a native of St. Louis, MO and after high school attended Northwest Missouri State for two years on a baseball scholarship.
“If I am not on the golf course, you can find me on the river catching fish, or in the mountains on my snowboard,” he said.
CHRIS WILLIAMSON
GM of Golf Operations
ABOUT CHRIS
In early 2022, four months before the opening of RainDance National, The Water Valley Company introduced Chris Williamson to be the first Head Professional at the highly anticipated property.
Nearly two years later, in late 2023, Chris was promoted to the Director of Instruction for company, overseeing all player development for Pelican Lakes and RainDance National. Then in August 2024, he accepted the role as General Manager of Golf Operations. He leads the golf operations for both properties, working alongside fellow professionals in elevating the experiences of members and guests.
Chris has been a PGA Member for over a decade and in 2020 became PGA Specialized in Teaching and Coaching, putting him in the top 5% of PGA Professionals in those fields. He has worked with hundreds of students the last few years from across Northern Colorado.
Originally from Iowa, Chris and his wife Rachel have come to love Northern Colorado. When free time allows, they can be found outdoors and usually are headed to explore the beauty of this region with their three children.
HENRY RAABE
Assistant Golf Professional
ABOUT HENRY
Originally from Denver, Colorado, Henry moved to Fort Collins in 2018 after graduating high school. He began his career in the golf industry at Mariana Butte Golf Course, gaining experience across multiple areas of operations. In 2022, he joined the team at Pelican Lakes, where he now manages the Men’s and Ladies’ Golf Leagues and assists with various in-house events. Outside of work, Henry enjoys playing golf with members and friends, watching a wide range of sports, and traveling whenever possible.
JEFF ORR
Director of Agronomy
ABOUT JEFF
Jeff Orr is no stranger to Pelican Lakes, or RainDance National.
The Director of Agronomy of Pelican Lakes and RainDance National Golf Club has worked for the company since 2003 when he first joined the maintenance staff as a spray tech.
Jeff was fresh out of Colorado State University having completed his Bachelor’s Degree in Landscape & Horticulture Technologies with an emphasis in Turf when he was hired at Pelican Lakes.
Jeff was born in Austin, Texas, and moved to Fort Collins in 1996 from Boca Raton, Florida to attend Fort Collins High School and CSU.
While in college Jeff worked on the maintenance staff at Boomerang Links in Greeley.
Jeff and his wife Cinda have two daughters, Allie and Collins, and when he’s not working he enjoys playing golf, touring breweries and hanging out with the family.
KURT HINKLE
Membership Director & Tournament Sales
ABOUT KURT
Kurt Hinkle moved to Windsor in 1998 after he received a bachelor’s degree from the University of Northern Colorado in news-editorial journalism.
His ties to Windsor date back to 1912 when his great-great-grandparents moved into the area from Grimm, Russia.
The native of Sterling, Colorado enjoyed a 10-year career as a reporter and editor of the Windsor Beacon newspaper and another five years serving as the general manager of the student-operated The Mirror newspaper at UNC before joining The Water Valley Company in 2014 as its Director of Marketing and Public Relations, and later as its Director of Communications.
In December of 2023, Kurt accepted the role as Director Golf and oversaw the day-to-day operations of the pro shops and agronomy teams at RainDance National and Pelican Lakes. He also assisted in the strategic planning of golf events and maintenance projects. In August 2024 he accepted the role as Director of Memberships & Tournament Sales.
Kurt and wife Jill raised their college-aged son Carter in Water Valley and spend their leisure time playing golf, attending live music, skiing, traveling, and spending most weekends with friends and family.
“Since moving to Windsor in 1998, it’s always felt like home,” said Hinkle. “I’ve been immersed in The Water Valley Company’s culture and vision for decades, which only enhances my desire to live, work and play in the Windsor area.”