David Lopez, Beaver Creek's director of golf, estimates that 90 percent of the course's golfers didn't even know the pro shop building had a restaurant.

"They would just take off after their round," he said. "It was out of sight, out of mind."

So Vail Resorts, owner of the Beaver Creek course, ponied up $4 million to move the restaurant from upstairs down to the main floor, redecorate it, renovate the menu and rename it The Rendezvous Club, open to the public daily from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.

The indoor dining room extends to a deck that overlooks the 18th green. "We cut down five or six cottonwoods so you can see the 18th green," Lopez said. "You can have drinks there and harass the players coming up 18."

The pro shop that was originally on the main floor entrance has moved downstairs. On the course, all the bunkers have been reshaped with new sand, and the cart paths have been repaved and widened (to the tune of another mil).

"The sand is lighter and fluffier," Lopez said. "You have more of a chance of getting a plugged lie." And that's a good thing?

The Beaver Creek Golf Course, a Robert Trent Jones Jr.-designed track, is open for public play for lodging guests staying in Beaver Creek, Bachelor Gulch and Arrowhead. Tee times: beavercreek.com.

MANGIA MAKERS: You are invited to get in touch with your inner Italian during the seventh annual Maggiano's Best Italian Cook contest, presented by little old Irish-English me. Closet cooks (or kitchen veterans) are invited to submit their best Italian recipe and the story behind it for a chance to win a trip to Las Vegas.

Entry forms, due to Maggiano's by Sept. 9, are in the Rocky Mountain News, at postnewsads.com/cookcontest/ and at MIX100.com. Maggiano's chefs will narrow the foodie field down to six semifinalists, who will be notified by Sept. 21.

The semifinalists will compete Sept. 29 at Maggiano's in the Denver Pavilions to become Denver's Best Italian Cook. The winner will be selected by a panel of judges, including MIX radio morning man Dom Testa, CBS 4 sports guy Vic Lombardi, Rocky food editor Marty Meitus, 5280 magazine's Cheryl Nedderman, freelance foodie Lori Midson, marketing maven Devany McNeill and Maggiano's exec chef George Poston.

The winning dish will be put on Maggiano's menu for a month following the contest, with $2 from each dish sold going to the theater department of the Denver School of the Arts.

SURF'S UP: The Surfer King, an indie film shot three summers ago at Water World, is now available on DVD (go to thesurferking.com). The movie, about a surfer dude whose mom (Lindsay Wagner) moves him from California to Colorado, stars Alan Thicke, Ben Ziff, Randy Wayne and Denver's own Denis Berkfeldt. The film was produced by local guy Bernie Murray.

THE SEEN: Actress-singer Hilary Duff at Neiman Marcus on Tuesday afternoon.

EAVESDROPPING on two women at Elway's: "Do you have a boyfriend?"

"No, I'm on the catch-and- release program."

Maggiano's Best Italian Cook contest

• How to enter: Submit your favorite Italian recipe on an entry form, found on SPOTLIGHT 10 of today's edition, postnews ads.com/cookcontest/ or MIX100.com and return to Maggiano's by Sept. 9.

• Semifinals: The field of chefs will be narrowed by Sept. 21 and will cook for a panel of judges Sept. 29.

Penny Parker's column appears Tuesday through Saturday. Call her at 303-954-5224 or e-mail parkerp@RockyMountainNews.com.