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Colorado YouTuber Dude Dad taps local builders to create mini golf course for charity tournament

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DENVER — Colorado YouTuber Dude Dad tapped local builders to create a mini golf course for his second-annual charity tournament.

The 2nd Annual Dude Dad Mini Golf Open features 18 90s-themed putt-putt holes, each built by Coloradans. The builders were selected based on their design plans.

The play cost is $5 and will benefit Respite Care of Fort Collins.

"I would say I'm about 25 hours so far. And I'd say I got probably another maybe 10 hours to go," said builder Shawn Storeby.

Shawn and his wife, Lauren, are building a "Happy Gilmore"-inspired hole.

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Shawn Storeby places a screw.

For the Storebys, paying homage to a golf comedy classic wasn't as easy as just tapping it in. Both spent time and money to complete their project but said it was worth the effort.

"I think the joy watching people get to, you know, the joy of the hole is going to be great, right?" Lauren said. "It's going to just add to that whole building community and that Respite Care money and just, you know, give people joy for the day."

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Shawn and Lauren Storeby near their Happy Gilmore putt-putt hole.

Across town, another couple is taking the 90s TV route with "Saved by the Bell." Nicole and Andrew Pankopp hope their homemade hole is as popular as Kelly Kapowski. Afterall, New Belgium Brewing is offering 1-year of free beer to the best hole design.

"I grew up on "Saved by the Bell" and I think it's an exciting thing to use," said Andrew Pankopp.

Nicole and Andrew made sure to add recognizable details in their hallway scene from Bayside High School.

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Nicole and Andrew Pankopp cut a Kelly Kapowski standee from plywood.

"I couldn’t get past the idea of adding the red lockers to the putt-putt hole," said Nicole.

Their hallway scene is complete with life-size cutouts of Zack Morris and Kelly Kapowski.

"The idea of building something that other people can enjoy too really excites me. I can't wait to set our hole up and see other people experiencing something that we've built," said Nicole.

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Red lockers, like the ones in Saved by the Bell, are part of Nicole and Andrew's putt-putt hole.

Shawn and Lauren Storeby agree.

"It’s a fun way to give back. It’s not just, 'Hey, here’s a check.' It’s, 'Let’s be interactive,'" said Lauren. "It's a partnership. It's a relationship with your community."

If you'd like to experience the Dude Dad Mini Golf Open, visit New Belgium Brewing in Fort Collins between Friday and Sunday. Putting begins at noon daily, and the closing ceremony is scheduled for Sunday afternoon. You are also encouraged to wear your best 90s apparel.



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Children's Colorado says the reimbursement cuts will continue to be catastrophic to its operations

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