COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KOAA) — The Broadmoor in Colorado Springs is buzzing, not just with golf fans and pros at the U.S. Senior Open, but with something far more unexpected.
Just off the fairway, inside the Golden Bee gastropub, guests are getting hit with a longtime tradition. Literally.
First-time visitor Jamie Pete didn’t see it coming.
“I had no idea what was happening,” she said. “They missed the first time, but they got me the second time.”
What hit her? A small sticker. Shaped like a bee. The sticker toss is a decades-old tradition that dates back to the 1970s, originally tied to the pub’s signature drink, the yard of ale.
“Rumor has it that when you would finish a full yard of ale, the bartender would draw a special bee for you on the back of a coaster,” said Jennifer Windom the General Manager of the Golden Bee.
Then one day, the story goes, a sticker company owner walked into the pub.
“He said, ‘I think I have something better for you,’ and handed a full sheet of bee stickers to the bartender,” said Windom. “Within six months, the first order was placed.”
Fifty-one years later, what started as a reward for serious drinkers has evolved into a lighthearted welcome for every guest.
“We kind of just throw it like a high five,” said Windom. “We try to sting you right when you sit down at the table.”
And for many, it becomes part of the memory.
“I still have one at home,” said Tom Grubin. “It’s on a picture of me and Nancy at Grand Lake. We took a bee from here one time and stuck it on the picture.”
His girlfriend, Nancy, added, “It’s kind of a memory thing.”
The two first met at the Golden Bee five years ago.
Others, like longtime local Sandy, are passing on the tradition.
“I was raised in Colorado Springs,” she said. “My family frequented here back in the ’60s. We came to the senior tour, and I wanted my family to experience it too.”
Of course, some visitors are completely caught off guard.
“I kind of wanted to throw the bee back at the guy, our waiter,” joked guest Rick. “But yeah, it was a cool place.”
The Golden Bee tosses out about 150,000 bee stickers each year. At peak times, such as during major Broadmoor events, they’ve launched as many as 250,000.
With the U.S. Senior Open in town, staff have been prepping for over three months.
“Right now, we’re expecting around 1,000 guests per day,” said Windom.
To honor the golf event, this week’s sticker theme is “golf bees,” some designed with mini golf balls, others acting as tiny caddies. And yes, every single design comes from a Golden Bee staff member.
So while the pros chase birdies on the green, fans at the Bee are getting stung, in the best way possible, and leaving with a story they’ll likely stick with.
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