InPlay Spring 2014 by A Lewis Creative

SPRING 2014 IN PLAY

WINE TIME

The vineyards and fairways of Napa p.50

BAG MAN

Inside the ropes at Augusta with a PGA Tour caddie p.60

MORE THAN A GAME

BRAVE

Pitching legend John Smoltz

FOURSOME ATLANTA’S HALL OF FAME ROTATION FROM DUGOUT TO LINKS

Volume 2 Number 1

THE WINE ISSUE Intriguing new whites, fun food pairings, golfer-grape connections and more

DIFFERENT FOR L TIGER WOODS

NIKE GOLF STAFF ATHLETE

LONGER’S SAKE

DISTANCE IS THE LAW. Powered by Low/Forward CG and the Speed Pocket™

©2014 Taylor Made Golf Company, Inc. #1 Driver and Fairway in Golf claims based on combined 2013 wins and usage on the PGA, European, Japan Golf, Web.com, Champions and LPGA Tours, as reported by the Darrell Survey Co. and Sports Marketing Surveys, Inc.

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CEO LETTER

SERIOUS FUN

Guerra Family Napa Valley Celebration

live in Georgia, which means like many of you, I’ve just survived one of the nastiest winters on record. Frigid temperatures, frozen roads and one of the longest Februarys in memory are finally, FINALLY coming to an end. Which makes the onset of springtime that much sweeter. As the dormant grasses of our fairways are beginning to turn green, my mind begins wandering to a little tournament down the road in Augusta. We’ve all read a lot about The Masters, but with this issue of In Play, we take you inside the ropes with Brian Gay’s caddie Kip Henley. You’ll get a unique perspective on Augusta from Kip—a guy who’s serious about the game and one of the funnest personalities on tour. Fun and serious. Two words that often fight each other find themselves intertwined in many conversations today about the challenges facing golf. As someone who is passionate about the golf lifestyle and all that it means for a family, it’s disheartening that over the last 10 years the game has lost roughly five million golfers. Industry leaders have tried for years to increase participation but with limited success. The latest attempt, though, is an intriguing approach called Hack Golf (see Shag Bag). It was started by TaylorMade CEO Mark King to solicit new and innovative ideas from the public—golfers and nongolfers—to make the game more fun. I really applaud this initiative. I can’t wait to see what ideas people come up with and what conversations these ideas will spark in the industry. Hack Golf, though, is not the only alternative approach to increasing the “fun factor” in golf. TopGolf is a new breed of driving range that has opened in several states that have games that are scored electronically like bowling. Then there’s FootGolf, a combination of soccer and golf in which players kick a soccer ball on a shortened golf hole into a 21-inch cup. There’s also the PGA Junior League, a great

IN PLAY, SPRING 2014

team competition billed as the “Little League baseball version of golf.” King has even proposed a 15-inch cup for beginners as a way to speed up play and reduce frustration. Golf may be facing some serious issues, but I’m pretty sure that by embracing unconventional approaches that make the game less intimidating, we’ll introduce more people—and especially kids—to the best game in the world. This issue of In Play marks the first-year anniversary of our publication. We launched In Play to celebrate the golf lifestyle across the Sequoia family of clubs and beyond. We’ve met great champions and touring pros, we’ve traveled to Scotland, Mexico and Napa Valley, and we’ve introduced you to the places, people and products that hopefully enrich your golf experience. And we think this anniversary issue is a good example of that commitment to sharing enriching experiences. We traveled to Napa for this Wine Issue (yes, someone had to) and discovered great bottles, spectacular restaurants, stunning resorts and, of course, great golf. I do hope you’ll enjoy our profile of Bill Foley, a true Napa Renaissance Man who further embodies our theme of Serious Fun. I hope you enjoy In Play as much as we enjoy bringing it to you. And as In Play turns 1, we’d love to hear from you. Please email us at info@inplaymedia.com with your comments and suggestions. On behalf of all of us at Sequoia Golf, welcome to Golf Season. I look forward to seeing you out on the course!

JOE GUERRA President & CEO Sequoia Golf

F E AT U R E S

CONTENTS

THE GRAPE AND THE GREEN Napa Valley marks the perfect spot to indulge in all things fine.

THE SERIAL STRATEGIST

Fidelity National Financial chairman Bill Foley has a penchant for amassing businesses. If only the same concepts applied to his golf swing.

MASTER WINGMAN

Augusta National as seen through the eyes of a PGA Tour caddie.

ON THE COVER: John Smoltz on his backyard practice green in Atlanta. Photographed by Jason Getz

DIAMONDS & THE ROUGH

Atlanta Braves aces Smoltz, Maddux, Glavine and Avery made golf key to their winning rotations. SPRING 2014, IN PLAY

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D E PA R T M E N T S

15 GREAT QUOTES Words to Remember 16 GALLERY Curtis Wagner 18 SHAG BAG New & Noteworthy 22 THE PRO FILE Todd Ormsby

24 ON TOUR Boo Weekley 26 GEAR 2014 Faves 28 HOOCH Great Whites 30 CHOW Pizza Perfect

32 GREAT READS Terror to Terroir 35 GOLF SCHOOL So Many Shots, So Little Time 38 CHAMPIONS John Calkins 39 CHAMPIONS Mike McCaffery

40 CHAMPIONS Marion Nojek

BEYOND COMMITMENT, GOLF HAS TAUGHT ME THE VALUE OF DAY-TODAY LIFE, STAYING PHYSICALLY FIT, MENTALLY ALERT.” P.16

41 CHAMPIONS Chase Hurt 42 INDULGE Cashmere

BACK NINE

66 PlayAway 70 Cruising Chris-Craft’s Capri 21

72 Mind/Body Silencing The Trash Talker in Your Head 74 On Course The Manor 77 Off Course Club Happenings From Everywhere

82 Golf is My Game Kermit Perry

SPRING 2014, IN PLAY

SEQUOIA

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EDITOR’S LETTER

Kate attempts to carry a glacier in New Zealand.

did not expect golf to be a part of my Christmas vacation in New Zealand. But golf has funny ways of showing up and connecting you with people when you least expect it. Our dear friend Mark had generously invited my husband, Scott (full disclosure: he’s our “Hooch” columnist), and me on a helicopter tour around the alps of the South Island and Milford Sound. It was jaw-droppingly stunning, surreal and very The Lord of The Rings. Middle Earth, indeed. Our pilot, Louisa “Choppy” Patterson, was said to be the country’s best helicopter pilot, and she lived up to billing. Choppy gave us an amazing tour, and on one of our two stops she landed us on a glacier and pulled out a mat, a driver and some biodegradable golf balls and suggested we hit one into the glacier. I was nervous, mostly about the footing, but I did manage to hit one into the water. It was a moment of profound delight that I’ll never forget. I hope to meet Choppy again sometime down the road and treat her to a round. Her other gift to us was arranging to drop us off at Amisfield Winery, where all 12 of our party were meeting for lunch. Let me just

VP, BRANDED MEDIA Emily S. Baker A Publication of Sequoia Golf

1955 Highway 34 East Newnan, GA 30265

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FORE PLAY

say that being dropped off in a helicopter at the restaurant where you are about to feast is as close to being a rock star as I will ever come. Completely over-the-top fun. The best thing to follow a gifted helicopter ride, golf or just about anything in New Zealand is a bottle of the country’s wine. I am a lover of sauvignon blanc, but at Amisfield we purchased several bottles of their dessert wine, Lake Hayes Noble 2012, to serve after Christmas dinner. The other fabulous thing about New Zealand wineries—which more U.S. proprietors should take note of—is that they serve fabulous food, especially charcuterie plates, to enjoy along with your tasting. We toured the North and South Islands and found stunning landscapes as well as wonderful wine and food just about everywhere. This trip had nothing to do with In Play’s first Wine Issue, but in hindsight it was a perfect pairing. I was hoping to sneak in one round of Kiwi golf at the local course during our stay on Waiheke Island, but the weather did not cooperate. Nothing else to do, of course, but kick back, relax and sip through it.

WRITERS

PHOTOGRAPHERS

Scott Gummer

Ken Dennis

ART DIRECTOR Angela Akers

Karen Holt

Chris Martin

Steve Hummer

Colleen Duff y

EDITOR

Capt. Dave Lear

Jason Getz

Kate Meyers

Scott Mowbray

Todd Spoth

Ann Taylor Pittman

Michael Neveux

GRAPHIC DESIGNER Anita Bilan COPY EDITOR Laura Watts

Alan Shipnuck

58 11th Street, Hermosa Beach, CA 90254 Tel 310-376-7800 | moontidemedia.com

MANAGING PARTNER Charles C. Koones MANAGING PARTNER Todd Klawin SPRING 2014, IN PLAY

SPRING 2014

FRONT SIDE

IT IS NEVERTHELESS A GAME OF CONSIDERABLE PASSION, EITHER OF THE EXPLOSIVE TYPE OR THAT WHICH BURNS INWARDLY AND SEARS THE SOUL.” Robert Tyre “Bobby”Jones, Jr., President in Perpetuity, Augusta National Golf Club

SPRING 2014, IN PLAY

CURTIS WAGNER FAIRWAY FLYER FLAT CREEK COUNTRY CLUB PEACHTREE CITY, GEORGIA

IN PLAY, SPRING 2014

IT’S A GIVEN WITH BOTH GOLF AND FLYING— YOU HAVE TO HAVE A STEADY HAND AND BE COMMITTED TO DOING IT RIGHT.”

FRONT GALLERY SIDE

urtis Wagner’s introduction to golf began in the caddie shack. A looper at age 12, Curtis learned the game (and earned 75 cents a round) while working and hanging out at Lake Lure Golf Course in North Carolina. By 17 he played well enough to win the Western North Carolina Junior Jaycee Golf Tournament. He then went on to compete at North Carolina State and in the Air Force. And to hear him tell it, life has been about three major passions ever since: family, flying and golf. “It’s a given with both golf and flying—you have to have a steady hand and be committed to doing it right, ” says Curtis, now a retired Delta pilot who has many former piloting colleagues among the two or three golf groups he joins weekly. “The large pilot population in town combined with our fly schedules allowed for plenty of golf,” he says. “We used to call Peachtree City ‘Base Housing South.’” His golfing resume is about a zillion tournaments deep, with highlights that include two U.S. Opens, five U.S. Amateurs, five U.S. Senior Opens, five U.S. Senior Amateurs, 10 British Amateurs, 10 British Senior Amateurs, one British Senior Open, two Azaleas, two Senior Azaleas and two Senior Masters—plus winning the Delta Men’s Open a record 12 times. And though Curtis’ wife, Nell, doesn’t play, she’s kept him great company as he traveled the world competing from Papua, New Guinea to Bombay, India and many fairways in between.

Though his heart belongs to The Old Course at St Andrews, it’s clear his great memories are all over: “The first golf course I played in the U.K. was Royal Troon. It was 1963 or ’64. While flying in the U.S. Air Force, I had a layover at Prestwick, Scotland. A phone call to the captain of Royal Troon Golf Club set me up with a tee time and a gracious welcome to the club. He felt really bad about charging me a pound and a half for the green fee, and after my round of golf he drove me back to the airport.” During his 32-year career with Delta, Curtis almost always had his trusty Pings in the cockpit. “One time we had a 30-hour layover in San Diego. I slept at the hotel, got to Torrey Pines by 8 a.m., played the North Course in the morning, the South Course after lunch, then went back to the hotel for a good night’s sleep. The next day, I flew my scheduled trip back to Atlanta.” These days Curtis flies his own airplane, a Mooney M20E, still with his trusty Pings. And he especially enjoys playing with the Society of Seniors, an organization that boasts the finest senior amateur golfers in the world. “Beyond commitment, golf has taught me the value of day-to-day life, staying physically fit, mentally alert and allowed me to enjoy the camaraderie of friends in beautiful surroundings,” he says, pausing to enjoy his own summation. “You can’t ask for more than that.” l

SPRING 2014, IN PLAY

SHAG BAG

A smattering of the current, the cool and the classic from the golf world and beyond

VINNI BAG Visiting a vineyard is an oenophile’s dream. Getting the wine home—not so much. Enter the VinniBag, an inflatable pouch designed to protect your wine from the hazards of checked luggage. Bonus feature: It deflates to store flat and can double as a travel pillow or lumbar support cushion. $28, vinnibag.com

REWINED CANDLES These stylish, soy-wax candles are totally handcrafted. Eco-cool in their green, hand-cut, recycled wine bottles, they burn for 60+ hours. The scents are said to mimic the characteristics and tasting notes of wine varietals like merlot, chardonnay, pinot grigio and a limited edition carménère. I can’t swear to that because I got a seasonal special mimosa candle as a gift from a friend. I can attest that I love lighting it and letting it flicker and scent the room while I work. A perfect present. $28, rewinedcandles.com

HACKGOLF.ORG WANTS YOU! What it is: Think of it as a public golf incubator. TaylorMade and The PGA of America are the founding partners of hackgolf.org, which—in its current (first) phase—is a place for anyone to voice their thoughts about the game: what’s good, what’s bad as well as ideas for innovation and change. What they want from you? Simply visit the site and participate in their online brainstorming session and answer as many questions as you chose. What’s the point? According to the National Golf Foundation, the game has lost 5 million participants and 25% of core golfers over the last decade. Hack Golf’s stated mission: “Reinvigorate the golf experience to ensure the game continues to thrive in the 21st century.”

IN PLAY, SPRING 2014

Don’t just take our word for it: The 2009 Meritage from Auburn James recently beat 350 other contenders to win the gold medal at the 2014 California Cabernet Shootout Challenge. Not only that, all gold medal winners were blind-tasted by 300 ticketbuying wine lovers from Northern California, and the Meritage won the popular vote as well. Auburn James currently produces about 2,500 cases a year and is best known for both its Artist Series and its single vineyard designate Napa Valley cabs. For more info go to auburnjames.com or, if you’re in Napa visit its Tasting Room & Gallery in Danville.

PHOTOGRAPHED BY STURLA DESIGN

AUBURN JAMES 2009 NAPA VALEY MERITAGE—ARTIST SERIES

Editor’s Picks

SHAG BAG

APP Watch

MY HEALTHY HABITS Who doesn’t need a little help keeping their choices healthy? My Healthy Habits app is a reliable partner in crime. Backed by the American Heart Association and Indiana University Health, the app provides an interface to hold yourself accountable for developing new, healthy habits—increasing the frequency of your workouts, investing $5 a day into savings instead of Starbucks—and shedding the old, unhealthy ones. It will even send you reminders if you need them to stay on track with your goals. Free, available on iTunes and App Store

MAKING TRACKS IN SCOTLAND

The Royal Scotsman train starts its 2014 season in April with two new itineraries—the Classic Scottish Golf Tour among them. This five-day, four-night itinerary includes play at the PGA Centenary Course, Royal Dornoch Golf Club, Castle Stuart Golf Links and Cruden Bay Golf Club. The tour also offers an optional stay at the Gleneagles Hotel as well as a round at the famous Gleneagles course, site of the 2014 Ryder Cup. Rates start at $8,810 per person. Trips depart May 17 and September 22.

WORKOUT TRAINER It’s like having a live-in personal trainer, except this one is always available, affordable (FREE!) and works according to your schedule. Simply plug in your time allotment for the day and scroll through a menu of workouts with video and audio instruction. Downside: absolutely no excuses for not breaking a sweat. Free, Available on iTunes and App Store

HISTORIC NOTES OF THE SEASON Golf facts for smart conversation 1. The earliest written record of golf as a sport was in a 15th-century proclamation

banning Scotland’s citizens from playing it. On March 6, 1457, under the direction of King James II, golf was described as a nuisance, banned from Scotland, and citizens were instead encouraged to practice archery in preparation for war with England. The king’s son, James III, repeated the ban in 1471, and in 1491 his grandson, James IV, repeated it again. Much like American prohibition, the ban didn’t last, and the rest, they say … is history.

2. Alister MacKenzie, designer of the original course at Augusta 1.

National, was a surgeon by trade who later designed camouflage for the British military during WWI. He translated the skill into course design, stating that “the chief object of every golf course architect worth his salt is to imitate the beauties of nature [and presumably also the hazards] so closely as to make his work indistinguishable from nature itself.” SPRING 2014, IN PLAY

TEE AND TOAST

Eight pros who have ventured into the vineyard

Golfer Arnold Palmer

Golfer David Frost Label: David Frost Wine Wine: David Frost Wine Estate, Paarl region, South Africa, first vintage 1997 Varietals: Current releases—shiraz 2006, cabernet sauvignon 2007; older vintages—chardonnay, merlot, “Par Excellence” red blend Price: $10 and up, frostwine.com

Label: Arnold Palmer Wines Wine: Produced by Luna Vineyards in Napa Valley, first vintage 2005 Varietals: 2012 chardonnay, 2010 cabernet sauvignon Price: $15, arnoldpalmerwines.com

Golfer Luke Donald Label: Luke Donald Collection Wine: First released by Terlato Wine Group in 2008, Napa Valley region Varietals: claret, chardonnay, viognier Price: $34–42, uncorked.com

Golfer Christie Kerr

IN PLAY, SPRING 2014

Label: Curvature Wine: Pride Mountain Vineyards, Napa Valley, first vintage 2006 Varietals: chardonnay, cabernet sauvignon Price: $50–$85, curvaturewines.com

SHAG BAG

Golfer Mike Weir Label: Mike Weir Wine Wine: Made by Château des Charmes of Niagara-on-the-Lake, Niagara, Canada, first vintage 2005 Varietals: riesling, chardonnay, cabernet, merlot, pinot noir, sauvignon blanc, sparkling brut Price: $14.95–24.95, mikeweirwine.com

Golfer Greg Norman Label: Greg Norman Estates Wine Wine: Accolades include 13 ratings of 90+ points from Wine Spectator and Wine Enthusiast and three Wine Spectator Top-100 Wines in the World Varietals: chardonnay, cabernet sauvignon, pinot noir, “Shark” red, “Reserve” syrah, “Reserve” shiraz Price: $13–50, gregnormanestateswine.com

Golfer Gary Player Label: Gary Player Wine: Black Knight Wine, Quoin Rock vineyards, Stellenbosch, South Africa, first vintage 2003 Varietals: custom blends 1961 Augusta (2004) and 1959 Muirfield (2003) Price: upon request, playerwine.com

Golfer Ernie Els Label: Ernie Els Wine: First release in 2000 by Stellenbosch Winery, South Africa Varietals: “Big Easy” red or white, Bordeaux, cabernet sauvignon, syrah, merlot, sauvignon blanc Price: $16–$32, ernieelswines.com

SPRING 2014, IN PLAY

f there is such a thing as a Canongate degree, Todd Ormsby would certainly have a PhD. The 40-year-old father of three graduated from riding his Big Wheel to riding a golf cart in the family yard just off No. 3 at Flat Creek. And for the most part, he’s been living a golfing life ever since. Here, he lets us in on his goals, his weaknesses and his (definitely!) better half. FIRST GOLF MEMORY: My parents bought me a sandbox and a set of plastic clubs, and I ended up hitting plastic golf balls out of the sandbox. Maybe that’s why I am a decent bunker player now. GOLF HISTORY: I started in the Atlanta Junior Golf Association and did pretty well. Won some little events. Won the Grand Championship a couple of times. Eventually I got into some American Junior tournaments. I ended up winning three in a row and was a first team Junior All-American. I was a first team All-American, ranked sixth in the country in 1990. I went to North Carolina State, graduated in ‘95 and then turned pro. Played mini tours for three-and-a-half years after college. TIGER TRIUMPH: When I was 17, I made the Canon Cup team. It’s the best 10 juniors from the East against the best 10 juniors from the West. We played at the Eisenhower Golf Course in Colorado Springs. Tiger was on the West team. I also played with Tiger in two rounds at the Rolex Tournament. There were rounds of stroke play, and then you qualified for match play. I ended up winning the tournament, but I think he beat me in stroke play. He was only 14, but he was really, really good. ON THE JOB: I had been selling food supplies to restaurants when Flat Creek head pro Mark Owen called me out of the blue and asked if I was interested in an assistant’s position. That was 10 years ago. I’ve been with Canongate ever since. CANONGATE COUPLE: I met my wife, Angela [Jerman], at White Oak. She was in sales, and we met at a function. I was head pro, and she became the assistant pro. When I went into teaching, she took the head pro job. Now we’re both at Braelinn teaching full time. PROUD HUBBY: She’s a great player. She played at the University of Georgia and was part of their only national championship team. She actually did better than I did after college. She played on the LPGA for seven years full time. She went through Q-school three times. She played in 13 majors. TEACHING: Angela and I talk about it all the time. It’s just amazing when you’re giving a lesson, and there’s that “aha” moment when a person gets it. It means that they’ll enjoy golf more, and that leads to everything—whether it’s getting their spouse out to play or getting the whole family involved. GUILTY PLEASURE: Hers is The Bachelor, and mine is Castle. We love movies, and we love going out to eat. RECKONING: But we’ve got to tone it down. We started The Biggest Loser Peachtree City, and we’ve got nine or 10 people. We had a public weigh-in the other day. It was very humbling. SURPRISING TRAIT: I keep a lot of stuff in and I’m a tough read, but I’m a crier. TV, commercials, anything. Movies especially crush me— Hoosiers, Remember the Titans—I’m a nose-running, bawling mess. GOLF GOALS: This year I made the cut in a web.com event. Angela was on the bag at the web. She’s a really good caddie. The LPGA and PGA Tour U.S. Opens are both at Pinehurst No. 2 on back-to-back weeks, and we are both going to try and qualify. It would be awesome if she could get into hers and I could get into mine, and then we could caddie for each other. HUSBAND VS. WIFE CAREER MATCH-UP: She beat me once (“Twice!” she yells from the kitchen), but the day she beat me, I actually won the money. So I can still claim victory.

IN PLAY, SPRING 2014

THE FRONT PRO SIDE FILE

TODD ORMSBY INSTRUCTOR, BRAELINN GOLF CLUB

IT’S JUST AMAZING WHEN YOU’RE GIVING A LESSON, AND THERE’S THAT ‘AHA’ MOMENT WHEN A PERSON GETS IT.”

SPRING 2014, IN PLAY

Q&A

BOO WEEKLEY Factory guy, hunter, orangutan fighter and the PGA Tour’s man in camouflage

IN PLAY, SPRING 2014

ON TOUR

AS: What gave you the belief you could play professionally? BW: I got invited to play in a little mini-tour pro-am “thang” and went and played and won it. Afterward I told my momma, “I think I can do this for a living.” And she was like, “What are you doing, skipping work?!” She was chewing me out but good. I said it was alright—I talked to my foreman. And that’s how I got chasing my dream. That’s what I tell kids now: Don’t ever give up on your dreams. Don’t ever stop being truthful to yourself. The whole key is to be truthful to yourself. AS: You’ve definitely stayed true to yourself, camo clothes and all. How much of your off-season is devoted to golf and how much to hunting? BW: It’s 95% hunting, 5% golf. AS: I’m surprised you devote so much time to golf. BW: Yeah, I think I’ll cut it back. The thing is, hunting is a totally different rush. I got the biggest buck of my life this year, and it’s a totally different rush than anything I’ve ever felt on a golf course. It doesn’t even compare. It has the similarities in that you gotta make the shot, but at the same time it ain’t no comparison. Getting the buck was way more exciting. Golf, you gotta hold it in. But as soon as you pull the trigger and see that thing go down, it’s on! You’re jumping around, hollering and hooting. AS: Tell me about the buck. BW: It was heavy-horned, scored 152 on the record books. It’s big for me—I hunt in Florida and Alabama, not the Rocky Mountains or wherever. That’s the biggest deer I’ll ever see. AS: You once said you only hunt what you can eat, right? BW: Oh yeah, we do all kind of things with the deer—grill it, fry it, smoke it, bake it … you name it.

good ol’ boy by way of the Florida Panhandle, Boo Weekley was a mere curiosity when he played his way onto the PGA Tour in 2002. One Ryder Cup, three victories and $12 million dollars later, he is one of golf’s most beloved characters, having never lost his down-home charm despite all of the unlikely success. Alan Shipnuck caught up with Weekley, 40, at the Hyundai Tournament of Champions in Maui, where Weekley cut an unmistakable figure in his trademark camouflage cap. AS: You’re a long way from home, Boo. Boo Weekley: Oh, man, who’d a-thunk it? When I got my Tour card in ’02, I’d only been on three airplanes my whole life. Now I go everywhere and anywhere. It’s crazy. AS: It must feel good to know that you’ve inspired a lot of people who otherwise might’ve thought golf wasn’t for them. BW: If I can do it, pretty much anybody can, that’s for sure. I mean, when I was 24, I was working at the Monsanto plant. That’s how it was at home—everybody either worked at the plant or worked offshore or worked on a farm. I loved golf and I loved watching the pros on TV, but I was just a weekend warrior. I played a lot on Saturday and Sunday, and that was pretty much it—unless I could get off work before the sun went down.

AS: What’s your favorite recipe? BW: What we call deer balls. You take the filet and marinate it in whatever you want to marinate it in. Then you cut it real thin. You cut up jalapenos and bacon, add some cream cheese, then roll it up and toothpick it and set it on the grill and slow-cook it. AS: I can’t let you go without asking about the time you boxed an orangutan. BW: Yes, it happened. (Awkward silence.) AS: What, you don’t want to talk about it? BW: I don’t want to make the animal rights people mad at me. AS: OK, I’ll set the scene: You’re 16 years old at the county fair, and a guy pulls up in a pickup. He sets up a big wire cage, puts an orangutan in the cage and hangs a sign that says it’s $5 to box the orangutan. And if you beat him, you win $50. You and four friends each put up $1 … BW: And I drew the short straw and had to get in the cage. AS: Then what happened? BW: I went to throw a punch, and next thing I know I wake up, bleeding. He knocked me out cold. AS: You and your friends must still die laughing about it. BW: I only see a couple of them around Christmastime. The others have been in and out of trouble. I ran with a little different crowd back then.

SPRING 2014, IN PLAY

BEST IN SHOW

Our man in merchandising shares his fun finds from the 2014 PGA Merchandise Show. 1 VOICE CADDIE

2 SWINGURU PRO

3 THE PILL

$139 VOICECADDIE.COM

Simple and powerful. A GPS device that clips to your cap and knows what course you are on when you step on the No. 1 or No. 10 tee. With a swipe of your finger, the VC300 will give you yardage to the front, center and back of the green. It does everything but pick the club for you.

IN PLAY, SPRING 2014

$895 SWINGURU.COM

A wireless, markerless, 3-D golf swing capture camera that gives a comprehensive diagnostic of your swing biomechanics (center of gravity, kinesthetic sequence, tempo, etc.) at a fraction of the cost of other kinesthetic tools.

$12.95 FOR ONE THEPILLGOLF.COM

A regulation, three-piece golf ball with the sides removed to help you better identify mis-hits on putts and short game shots. If you can make 15-footers with these babies, you can make anything under pressure. Take two of these and call me in the morning … doctor’s orders!

4 AQUIMO PIN HIGH

This free app is a wee bit of golfing fun at your fingertips. Lets you swing your smartphone and projects your ball flight on the 16th hole at the Waste Management Open (Birds Nest). There are currently a few courses and a driving range. (Additional courses and games available from the App Store: $.99 to $2.99.)

GEAR

By Brent Reid

5 SKYPRO

7 ACTIVMOTION BAR

8 EDEL CUSTOM WEDGES

$199.95 GOLFSKYPRO.COM

6 WRISTRAINER $29.95 OSIGOLF.COM

$129.99 TO $149.99 ACTIVMOTIONBAR.COM

FOR INFO & FITTING LOCATIONS, VISIT EDELGOLF.COM

Attach this little gadget under your grip, hit a shot to any target, and it will tell you all your stats on swing speed, attack angle, shaft lean, etc. You can then set parameters of your choosing, and SkyPro will beep when your next swing is out of range. Yep, the coolest thing ever.

A flat left wrist at impact is crucial to good ball striking, but getting that feel is key. Hit 10 balls with the device on and see how it feels. Then hit 10 balls with it off and watch and feel how your left wrist releases and rotates naturally.

Core power in a hollow stick. This fitness device has metal balls inside that create momentum, strengthening your core during the pivotal downswing transition. Comes in 6-, 8-, and 10-pound sizes with a golf fitness package and DVD. Use code PGA25 and receive 25% off.

Edel, famous for its custom putters that help with eye alignment, now offers 12 different wedge grinds with cool customization options. When Edel’s experts put you through their fitting process and a grind cuts through the ground like a knife through warm butter, you know you have found your perfect match.

SPRING 2014, IN PLAY

OTHER WHITE WINES OF AMERICA From roussanne to albariño, American winemakers are doing delicious things with less well-known grapes. By Scott Mowbray

◗ BLAIR FOX CELLARS 2012 PARADISE ROAD VINEYARD VIOGNIER, $29. The Santa Barbara area is one of the strongholds of this tricky, trendy and delicious varietal, which ranks with gewürztraminer as a full-bodied, big-flavored, fragrant white wine. This particular wine, oak-aged on its yeasty sediment for deeper flavor, has the body of a big chard but a wonderful character of its own. (Only 85 cases of the 2012 were produced!)

n a visit to New Zealand last Christmas—it was summer down there, a magical place for cold wine on a hot deck—I encountered more than one local who firmly steered me away from sauvignon blanc. This surprised me. Sav, as some New Zealanders call it, vaulted the Kiwis from bit players to the major wine leagues. In fact, you can trace that success to one particular wine: Cloudy Bay, still a paragon. Chalk it up to a maturing market. People eventually weary of the grape that brought them to the dance. Winemakers, chasing a boom, speed that process by producing cookie-cutter imitations. At some point the winemakers, too, grow bored and try something new. In the U.S., chardonnay was the gateway grape for a lot of wine drinkers, in the oaky-buttery-tropical-bombshell style. Like the loudest person at the dinner party, that style overstayed its welcome, although chard is still the biggest white wine category. (Chard is a versatile wine—a lean, tart, citrus-y Chablis, aged in stainless steel, with a profile more Kate Moss than Kate Upton.) Today, a lot of the most interesting U.S. white wine activity involves other grapes: pinot gris, viognier, chenin blanc, gewürztraminer. I didn’t mention sauvignon blanc, by the way, because I haven’t had a lot from the U.S. that I thought could remotely equal great-value examples from New Zealand and South Africa. The list of white grapes intriguing American winemakers is very long, including lesser-known varieties like roussanne and positively quirky examples like picpoul blanc. In their homeland, some of these grapes are used mostly for blending. They lend a special fragrance or acidity to a blend but may not, on their own, stand up. The treasured traits can be tricky, fragile, elusive—a challenge to a winemaker and therefore a risk to a wine buyer. You may get a dud or a pale imitation of the European version. It takes a while for winemakers and grape growers to discover the “true” expression of a grape on American soil, as they did in Oregon, for example, with pinot gris, which now produces superb examples. But there’s always risk when you wander off the main highways in the world of wine. The reward is something interesting, even thrilling. Suddenly, at the dinner party, in place of Old Familiar, you discover a new voice—quirky, usually interesting, sometimes brilliant. Some of the wines here come from tiny producers. You may not be able to find the exact bottles. Small producers will ship directly, though, and many states now allow that. Otherwise, go to your best local wine store and make it known that you’re interested in something new in the white line. Most stores have someone on staff who specializes in this stuff. I focused on U.S. producers here, but it can be fascinating to compare local versions with those from their country of origin.

IN PLAY, SPRING 2014

◗ TABLAS CREEK VINEYARD 2012 PICPOUL BLANC, $27. Tablas Creek makes an amazing range of wines, including the ultra-obscure picpoul blanc. In France, picpoul blanc is said to be stingingly tart. In this part of California, it apparently relaxes, becomes more rounded and fruity, even possesses a slightly honeyed quality—though it’s very dry in the Tablas Creek expression.

◗ BROOKS AMYCAS 2010 WILLAMETTE VALLEY, $15. The 2010 Amycas blend was 30% pinot gris, 26% pinot blanc, 18% riesling, 16% muscat and 10% gewürztraminer. People who love the acidic, fruity whites of Alsace will love this. It bursts with lychee aromas and has a lovely, almost lemony flavor, but it’s balanced enough to drink on its own as a summer treat.

HOOCH

◗ CLINE MARSANNE ROUSSANNE SONOMA COAST 2011, $22. Cline is another established Rhonestyle producer and very reliable. I prefer this two-grape blend to their straight roussanne—it’s more balanced, with deeper apple or pineapple flavors but still a lean, mineral-y wine that no one would mistake for a chard. No oak used—it’s aged only in stainless steel for maximum fruit.

◗ ADELSHEIM WILLAMETTE VALLEY 2012 PINOT GRIS, $19. Adelsheim, along with Eyrie, was an early producer of the bright, clean, bracing style (2012 was their 29th vintage). Almost tingly on the tongue, lots of lovely fruit. A peachy, full-bodied wine with tons of refreshing acid. Great with Chinese food or not-too-spicy Thai, or a fish taco.

◗ ACHA BLANCA 2012 CALIFORNIA ALBARINO, $24. The Acha Blanca has a peachy/apricot-y nose and flavor and a nice roundness in the mouth balanced with refreshing acidity. Seems like a wine for almost anything off the grill— vegetables, salmon, chicken, even burgers. SPRING 2014, IN PLAY

ter as your oven preheats. If the dough isn’t relaxed, it’ll fight your attempts to stretch it to size. To shape the dough, pick it up and start turning it as if you’re turning a steering wheel—this is a gentle way to begin stretching it and helps it keep a circular shape. Unless you’re a dough prodigy, you’ll need to place the dough back on the floured surface once it stretches to about an 8-inch circle; then finish shaping it by rolling with a rolling pin. If it snaps back too much and keeps shrinking, walk away for a few minutes; that means it needs to rest some more.

THE SAUCE

PIZZA PERFECT Family-friendly, low-fuss and downright tasty

Here’s where things start to get fun. Pizza dough is a beautiful, blank canvas for all kinds of interesting flavors—it ain’t all red sauce and mozzarella (though that is, indeed, delicious). Get adventurous with your sauces; the recipes here include a ricotta-based white sauce and caramelized onions (granted, not really a sauce but a darn tasty base). You could also slather on pesto, BBQ sauce, romesco or Alfredo sauce, olive oil, even pureed butternut squash or white beans.

THE TOPPINGS

eyond the burn-the-roof-of-your-mouth problem, pizza is straight-up fun in the round. Tell your troops that tonight is homemade pizza night and watch your in-house popularity ascend. Plus, after an active day outside (or even a long day on the job), pizza simply satisfies. It doesn’t take much to become a pie pro, either. Here’s all you need to know.

Another opportunity for creativity. Don’t forego the traditional toppers like pepperoni, Italian sausage, olives, peppers and such. But do think beyond what the delivery joint offers, because that’s the fun of making pizza yourself. Some of my favorite combos, besides the recipes here, include roasted butternut squash, walnuts and blue cheese; fresh corn kernels and shrimp; pulled pork, cheddar and onions; roasted garlic, asparagus and fontina cheese; prosciutto and plum; and pesto, wild mushrooms and toasted pecans. The only word of caution is to watch any topping that’s really wet because it can sog-out your crust. Blot moist ingredients like roasted bell peppers or artichoke hearts with paper towels—or add them at the very end after the pie is out of the oven.

THE DOUGH

PIZZA TOOLS

By Ann Taylor Pittman

There was a time when I’d make my own pizza dough, losing myself in the soothing pleasures of kneading to my own rhythm. That was before I had kids, though, and before grocery stores offered ready-togo dough that’s just as good as what I would’ve made. So unless you’re a kneadaholic, pick up a ball of dough from your local supermarket’s bakery section or freezer case. If the dough is frozen, thaw it for 24 hours in the fridge; poke it to make sure it’s fully thawed. Refrigerated (including thawed) dough needs a little time to relax, to loosen itself up. Let it hang out for about 30 minutes on the coun-

IN PLAY, SPRING 2014

Pizza stone: If you like crisp-browned crust that holds up to any topping, you simply must use a pizza stone. (If you don’t have one, you can get almost-as-good results by cooking your pie on a preheated heavy baking sheet.) Go for a stone with a 15-inch or wider diameter. Every stone I’ve ever used works well, and the CHEFS Round 16-inch model comes at a great price. amazon.com Pizza wheel: The Zyliss Palm-Held Pizza Slicer boasts a great ergonomic design that helps you feel more in control while you cut, and the pieces disassemble easily for thorough cleaning. Available in many discount and kitchenware stores or through amazon.com.

CHOW

WHITE PIZZA WITH BACON AND KALE SERVES 4 Kale is super-trendy and with good reason. It’s a good-foryou green with a hearty texture and sweet-earthy flavor; add some bacon, and it’s awfully delicious.

CARAMELIZED ONION, SAUSAGE AND PEPPER PIZZA SERVES 4 Traditional caramelized onions take more than an hour to achieve their buttery-silky texture and sweet, concentrated flavor. This version, where baking soda accelerates the process, takes half the time.

4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided 6 cups chopped yellow onion ¼ teaspoon baking soda ½ teaspoon kosher salt 1 pound refrigerated fresh pizza dough 6 ounces sweet or spicy Italian sausage, casings removed ¾ cup shredded fontina cheese 2 jarred roasted red bell peppers, cut into strips ¹/³ cup chopped, pitted Castelvetrano olives ½ cup crumbled feta cheese Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add 3 tablespoons oil to pan; swirl to coat. Add onion; cook 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in baking soda; reduce heat to medium-low and cook 30 minutes or until caramelized (onion will release liquid, liquid will evaporate, and onion will become caramelcolored). Stir in salt. Let dough stand at room temperature, covered, for 30 minutes. Place a pizza stone or heavy baking sheet in oven. Pre-heat oven to 500° (leave stone or pan in oven). Cook sausage in a skillet over medium heat until browned, stirring to crumble; drain. Shape dough into a 13-inch circle on a lightly floured work surface. Pierce entire surface of dough liberally with a fork. Carefully remove pizza stone from oven; place dough on stone. Spread onions over dough, leaving a 1/2-inch border. Sprinkle evenly with fontina; top evenly with sausage, bell peppers, olives and feta. Bake at 500° for 12 minutes or until crust is golden. Remove from oven; brush outer crust with remaining 1 tablespoon oil.

1 pound refrigerated fresh pizza dough 5 applewood-smoked bacon slices, chopped 4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes 5 cups chopped curly kale ¼ cup water ½ teaspoon kosher salt, divided 1¼ cups part-skim ricotta cheese ½ cup shredded fontina cheese ½ cup grated pecorino Romano cheese 3 tablespoons milk 1 large garlic clove, minced or put through a garlic press Let dough stand at room temperature, covered, for 30 minutes. Place a pizza stone or heavy baking sheet in oven. Preheat oven to 500° (leave stone or pan in oven). Cook bacon in a Dutch oven over medium heat until crisp. Drain bacon on paper towels; pour drippings into a measuring cup. Return 1 tablespoon drippings back to Dutch oven; add sliced garlic and pepper flakes. Cook over low heat for 3 minutes. Add kale and water; cover and cook over medium heat 5 minutes or until kale is tender, stirring occasionally. Drain (if needed); stir in 1/4 teaspoon salt. Combine cheeses, milk, minced garlic, and remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt. Shape dough into a 13-inch circle on a lightly floured work surface. Pierce entire surface of dough liberally with a fork. Carefully remove pizza stone from oven; place dough on stone. Spread cheese mixture over dough, leaving a 1/2-inch border. Brush outer edge of dough with some of remaining bacon drippings. Bake at 500° for 12 minutes or until crust is golden. Remove from oven; top evenly with kale mixture.

WINE PAIRING: A spritzy, acidic white counters the rich, cheesy sauce while standing up to smoky bacon. Go for grüner veltliner, albariño or steel-fermeted pinot gris.

WINE PAIRING: Go for the classic pizza wine—Chianti. Its acidity balances the sweetness of caramelized onions and roasted bell peppers.

SPRING 2014, IN PLAY

FROM TERROR TO TERROIR AND POINTS IN BETWEEN A wide range of standout titles for spring By Karen Holt

IN PLAY, SPRING 2014

GREAT READS

CODE NAME: JOHNNY WALKER By Johnny Walker, with Jim DeFelice

◗ “Warriors fight for the goal of peace. Warriors fight so things can be built. The insurgents fought to destroy,” writes former Iraqi interpreter “Johnny Walker.” (He’s still under too much danger of reprisals to reveal his real name.) At first, American soldiers didn’t trust him to carry a gun, even as he accompanied them into battle. But over years of serving alongside U.S. Navy Seals, he repeatedly proved his bravery and loyalty, coming to be seen as a brother-in-arms by the Americans, who eventually helped him immigrate to the U.S. His revealing memoir provides a fresh perspective of a conflict that has helped define our time.

EVERY SHOT COUNTS: USING THE REVOLUTIONARY STROKES GAINED APPROACH TO IMPROVE YOUR GOLF PERFORMANCE AND STRATEGY By Mark Broadie

◗ This isn’t another book about improving the mechanics of your swing (admit it: you’ve already read a few of those) but a guide to making better decisions on the course. Columbia Business School professor and 4-handicap club player Mark Broadie shows how analytical methods used in the world of finance—such as measuring risk versus reward—applied to the stats of professional golfers can help you develop a more effective golf strategy. Victory, he explains, may not belong to the stronger player but to the smarter.

PERFECT: A NOVEL

By Rachel Joyce

◗ A woman driving her children to school detours into a seedy neighborhood to avoid a traffic jam and accidently hits a girl on a bike. The girl is badly injured. Or is she? Whatever the truth, the collision’s consequences reverberate throughout Rachel Joyce’s poignant, suspenseful and multi-layered novel set in late 20th-century London. The plot unfolds primarily through the eyes of 11-year-old Byron, whose beloved mother is behind the wheel. Chapters interspersed throughout focus on a gentle, enigmatic man named Jim. When the two narratives converge, it makes for a hopeful ending that will long resonate with readers.

I AM PILGRIM By Terry Hayes

◗ Already a hit in Australia, this thriller by Aussie screenwriter and first-time novelist Terry Hayes moves at breakneck speed despite its massive 600+ page length. It opens with a retired U.S. intelligence officer, who literally wrote the book on criminal forensics, called to a grisly scene: a squalid New York hotel room where a woman’s body lies face down in a bath of acid. What begins as an investigation into an apparently isolated crime escalates into a race around the globe to prevent a biochemical terrorist attack. An intriguingly complex hero, brilliant villain and dazzling plot twists add up to an exhilarating ride.

LINCOLN’S BOYS: JOHN HAY, JOHN NICOLAY, AND THE WAR FOR LINCOLN’S IMAGE By Joshua Zeitz

◗ Combining lively prose and extensive research, historian Joshua Zeitz argues that two of the 16th president’s closest aides “helped invent the Lincoln we know today” with what they wrote about him in the aftermath of his assassination. Zeitz doesn’t try to debunk the image of the Great Emancipator as a wise and moral leader; he just points out that in Lincoln’s own time, opinions about the president were decidedly mixed. Hay and Nicolay, Zeitz writes, sought to secure for history the reputation of the exceptional man they served.

LAND AND WINE: THE FRENCH TERROIR By Charles Frankel

◗ If you roll your eyes when a self-proclaimed wine expert goes on about terroir, this book will make you think differently about the subject. Professional geologist and passionate wine enthusiast Charles Frankel takes us on a fascinating tour of the terroir—“the combination of geography, geology and climate that gives each wine its special character”—of France’s great wine regions, from Alsace to Anjou, Bordeaux to Burgundy. A great read for anyone who wants to appreciate that next glass of French wine just a little bit more—or quiet that droning “expert.”

SPRING 2014, IN PLAY

SERVICE THAT DESERVES A ROUND OF GOLF CLAPS. Come and enjoy a stay at the Hilton Atlanta hotel, located in the heart of Atlanta’s rejuvenated downtown scene. Visit Nikolai’s Roof, a AAA Four Diamond restaurant and the epitome of fine dining at its best or experience Trader Vic’s for Polynesian cuisine, tropical cocktails and an unforgettable ambiance. A modern hotel within walking distance of everything that makes Atlanta sizzle, the Hilton Atlanta is perfect for family vacations, a couples getaway or a weekend dedicated to golf. For room reservations please visit hilton.com or call 404-659-2000 S TAY HILTON. GO EVERYWHERE.

GOLF SCHOOL

SO MANY SHOTS, SO LITTLE TIME Our Golf Digest TOP 100 instructor’s strategy for making the most of your golf time By Kevin Kirk Illustrated by Anita Bilan

re you reading text messages at the stoplight on the way to pick up your kid to take him/her to soccer practice before a late meeting? Is your cell phone within reach of your pillow? The reality of life in 2014 is that most of us have PhDs in multitasking. There is a good chance that you are currently juggling several activities and relationships. Each of those requires time and attention. With all of those demands, it surprises me that most of us still find time to play golf, let alone practice it. Golf is a time vacuum. A touring professional will normally spend 40 to 50 hours each week playing and practicing golf. High school and college golfers will normally play and practice 20 to 30 hours each week. Unless you are retired, single or independently wealthy, my guess is you will be lucky to get five to 10 hours a week. If that sounds like you, read on.

SPRING 2014, IN PLAY

Indoor drills daily 10–15 minutes/day, 3–5 days/week 36 holes (10 hours) 27 holes (7.5 hours) plus three 45-minute training blocks

Indoor drills daily 10–15 minutes/day, 3–5 days/week 18 holes (5 hours)

18 holes (5 hours) plus six 45-minute training blocks 9 holes (2.5 hours) plus nine 45-minute training blocks Twelve 45-minute training blocks

9 holes (2.5 hours) plus three 45-minute training blocks Six 45-minute training blocks

3. CONTROL THE BALL TIMECRUNCHED GOLFER DEFINED

Let’s say, for the purposes of this article, that a “time-crunched golfer” is a person who spends 10 hours or less each week playing and practicing golf. Most golfers who only have five to 10 hours a week to play/practice golf do not improve. It is just enough time to get out and play a few times a week and, if they are lucky, fit in a little bit of practice on the side. I do, however, think it’s possible to be a “time-crunched golfer” and shoot lower scores. My plan requires some awareness, discipline and direction. Almost everyone, and especially beginners, will need some coaching (help of a qualified instructor) to put this together. Think of it as a personal trainer for your game who helps you come up with a plan to follow and then you check in occasionally to fine-tune and make sure you’re on track.

Controlling the golf ball is the essence of the game. Simply stated, the better you control the ball, the better scores you will shoot. There are four primary elements in ball control: distance, direction, trajectory and spin. Whether you are focusing on tee shot or putting, most of your practice should involve controlling the ball. Your golf instructor can help you establish the ball control parameters. Focusing your outdoor practice on controlling your mind and

Kevin Kirk

1. CONTROL YOUR MOVEMENT

Golf is a series of movement-based activities. There are five basic skills, each of which contributes to your score (full swing, putting, chipping, pitching and bunker play). Controlling your movement involves two major areas: movement of your body and movement of the club. The good news is that movement of the club and body are best trained in front of a mirror and not on the practice tee. We will be addressing these issues by working in front of a mirror 10 to 15 minutes, three to five times a week. You will need some guidance from a qualified golf instructor to make sure you are focusing your attention on the right things. This approach to learning movement is congruent with motor learning principles. Doing so will free you up to build your outdoor practice around activities that will transfer into better performance on the course.

INDOOR TRAINING STARTING POSITION

PIVOT

2. CONTROL YOUR MIND

From a mental perspective, motor skills are broken into two categories (open-loop and closed-loop). Open-loop skills are activities where the athlete reacts to an outside stimulus, while closed-loop skills are ones in which the athlete initiates the movement. Closed-loop skills involve activities like throwing a pitch, serving a tennis ball or hitting a golf ball. Open-loop skills would include hitting a baseball, returning a serve in tennis or defending the goal in soccer. By nature, closed-loop activities are more challenging due to the amount of time the mind has to wander. Most of those activities require mental training along with physical training. In very simplistic terms, these skills require a certain degree of technical/physical competence (which in this case will come mostly from your indoor training) and a strong emphasis on “target focus.” Most of the work you will be doing during your practice and on the course will involve “target focus.”

IN PLAY, SPRING 2014

HAND PATH

CLUB PATH AND IMPACT ALIGNMENTS

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GOLF SCHOOL

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controlling the ball will allow your practice to become impactful on your score when you play in a very positive way. Here is how it works. Ask your instructor to put together the following: 1. A 10- to 15-minute indoor practice to be done in front of a mirror to help you improve your golf body and golf club movements. 2. A 30- to 45-minute practice program that is focused on controlling your mind and controlling the ball. You will need a practice program for all five skills (full swing, putting, chipping, pitching and bunker play).

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[focus on target]

FULL SWING

3. Plot out your time and build a weekly plan that mixes and matches what you need. Just like weight training, you can break down your work on different parts to different days and factor in play time. ~~~~~ As you see, this structure will give you some options. It makes allowances for you and your coach to mix and match your time based on your individual situation, goals and training cycles. I hope this helps you in getting the most out of your “golf time” this year. Get out and enjoy yourself … wishing you all the best!

SPRING 2014, IN PLAY

CHAMPIONS FOUR-TIME CLUB CHAMPION AT EAGLE WATCH; 2013 CLUB CHAMPION AT ATLANTA NATIONAL HANDICAP: .6

I WAS 25 WHEN I ASKED A FRIEND TO HELP ME LEARN HOW TO PLAY, AND SO HE GAVE ME HOGAN’S FIVE LESSONS: THE MODERN FUNDAMENTALS OF GOLF. I READ IT THAT WINTER. I LEARNED BY THE IMAGES, DID ALL THAT STUFF THE BEST I COULD. WE WENT OUT IN THE SPRING TO HIT GOLF BALLS AND I COULD DO IT. WITH A LITTLE PRACTICE, I STARTED TO HIT IT STRAIGHT AND FAR.”

JOHN CALKINS 38 THE NATURAL

IN PLAY, SPRING 2014

PHOTOGRAPHED BY JASON GETZ

ATLANTA NATIONAL MILTON, GEORGIA

CHAMPIONS

MIKE MCCAFFREY AMAZINGLY GRATEFUL

WHEN I GET NERVOUS OR I’M IN CONTENTION AND GET INTO THAT ZONE, I OFTEN SING ‘AMAZING GRACE’ TO MYSELF. ANYTHING THAT’S CALMING HELPS. AS HAPPY GILMORE SAYS, ‘GET INTO THAT HAPPY PLACE.’ MY CHILDREN AND MY WIFE ARE ANOTHER PEACEFUL THOUGHT. THEN I CAN TAKE THAT DEEP BREATH AND NOT BE NERVOUS. BUT TIME AFTER TIME, ‘AMAZING GRACE’ HAS ALWAYS DONE IT.” 3-TIME BACK-TO-BACK CLUB CHAMPION AT SOUTH SHORE HARBOUR AND 2013 CLUB CHAMPION AT MAGNOLIA CREEK HANDICAP: +4

PHOTOGRAPHED BY TODD SPOTH

SOUTH SHORE HARBOUR COUNTRY CLUB LEAGUE CITY, TEXAS

SPRING 2014, IN PLAY

CHAMPIONS

THREE-TIME CLUB CHAMPION LAKE WINDCREST GOLF CLUB HANDICAP: 6 LAKE WINDCREST GOLF CLUB MAGNOLIA, TEXAS

MARION NOJEK

IN PLAY, SPRING 2014

THE SEEKER

PHOTOGRAPHED BY TODD SPOTH

WE MOVED TO THE WOODLANDS, TEXAS IN 2007 FROM PERTH, AUSTRALIA. WITH MY BOYS AT SCHOOL, I THOUGHT I’D TAKE UP GOLF FOR SOMETHING TO DO. I STILL TAKE LESSONS TWO TO THREE TIMES A MONTH, AND MY COACH, BOB KIRKELIE, HAS GOT ME WHERE I AM TODAY. THE BETTER YOU GET, THE MORE YOU REALIZE THERE IS TO LEARN. THERE’S NOTHING BORING OR PREDICTABLE ABOUT GOLF.”

CHASE HURT

CHAMPIONS

WORKER BEE

GOLF IS A LITTLE SAFER THAN MOTOCROSS. I WENT OUT AND PLAYED ONE DAY WITH MY SISTER’S FRIEND ZACH AND HAD PRETTY GOOD FUN. I MADE THE MIDDLE SCHOOL GOLF TEAM AS A SIXTH-GRADER. MOST OF THE GUYS ARE IN EIGHTH GRADE, SO I HAD TO TRY REALLY HARD. IF THERE’S SOMETHING NOT WORKING FOR ME, I JUST WORK ON IT. I’VE BEEN PLAYING FOR TWO YEARS. MY INSTRUCTOR SAYS THAT GOLF LIKES ME.” 2009, 2010 MOTOCROSS CHAMPION; 2014 DRIVE, CHIP & PUTT CONTEST FINALIST (14-15-YEAR-OLD DIVISION) HANDICAP: 4

PHOTOGRAPHED BY COLLEEN DUFFY

REGATTA BAY GOLF CLUB DESTIN, FLORIDA

SPRING 2014, IN PLAY

CURATING CASHMERE The word alone makes you feel cozy and pampered. But not all cashmere is created equal. 2

“Good cashmere is like artwork,” says Holly Adam, a cashmere expert and longtime fashion industry insider . Fortunately, though, it costs a bit less than a Matisse. The reason is simple: Cashmere is rare. It’s a natural fiber that is combed from the underbelly of goats, and it take three or four of those bellies to produce your average sweater. “High-end designers justify their high-end prices by selecting the best-quality, pure white fibers, which like most of the best things on earth, come in smaller batches,” says Holly. “The resulting sweaters (often made in Italy and Scotland) fit better, last longer and soften with age versus the mass-produced stuff, which is often made in China.” Purchase the real deal, take care of it, and it should last forever. Holly recommends the following: Use a D-Fuzz-It to remove piling. Hand wash your garments a few times a season with a very small amount of mild soap, such as baby shampoo, Dreft or Fels-Naptha. Do not wring out your sweaters; roll them in a towel to remove excess moisture. Lay flat to air dry and touch up with a warm iron if necessary.

1 Lightweight Cashmere Cardigan JOHN LAING CASHMERE

$725 johnlaing-cashmere.co.uk

IN PLAY, SPRING 2014

2 Stripe Sleeve 3 Patch Cardigan Quarter Zip Sweater SLATER ZORN

SLATER ZORN

$425 slaterzorn.com

$350 slaterzorn.com

4 Men’s Cashmere Fleece

5 Modern Madras Cashmere Scarf

JOHNSTONS OF ELGIN

$698 johnstonscashmere.com

JOHNSTONS OF ELGIN

$120 johnstonscashmere.com

INDULGE

Styled by Angela Akers

6 Long Sleeve Pullover

JOHN LAING

$705 johnlaing-cashmere.co.uk

7 Women’s Boot Socks

Slater Zorn $120 slaterzorn.com

8 Striped Wristwarmer

9 Men’s Striped Socks

10 Cozy Travel Throw

11 Sugar Kane Hot Water Bottle

SLATER ZORN

QUEEN OF CASHMERE

$75 slaterzorn.com

$850 queenofcashmere.com

$450 queenofcashmere.com

SLATER ZORN

$79 slaterzorn.com

SPRING 2014, IN PLAY

IN PLAY, SPRING 2014

DIAMONDS &

THE ROUGH Atlanta Braves aces Smoltz, Maddux, Avery and Glavine made golf key to their winning rotation. By Steve Hummer

ould there ever be a better day, at least on this side of the pearly gates? A rare summertime gap in the baseball schedule. Four teammates who were also great friends, all sharing a common passion for golf and the connections to indulge it. And a tee time on the top-rated golf course in America. As this perfect tableau came together years ago at the Pine Valley (New Jersey) Golf Club, Greg Maddux counted himself the luckiest man alive. “I remember saying to one of the guys, ‘You know what? It’s a good thing we can throw a strike. Because if we couldn’t, we wouldn’t be walking down this fairway right now,” he recalls.

SPRING 2014, IN PLAY

AND THE PITCH IS... Below: Maddux takes aim at his Maddux Foundation Celebrity Golf Classic in Las Vegas

Turns out that one of the best parts of being a major league pitcher is all the great golf you get to play. And one of the best parts of being on the Braves staff of the 1990s/early-2000s was the culture of playing as much golf as possible, especially on the road. The only rule: No playing either on the day before or the day of your scheduled start. And even that one got stretched. Former Braves starter Steve Avery remembers getting familiar with the flora while trying to cover up his transgressions from manager Bobby Cox. “I remember crossing him on the course on a day before I was supposed to pitch,” Steve says. “I sort of dived into the bushes to try to hide from him. I’m not sure if he ever saw me. We tended to skirt around that rule. Golf was like an addiction to us.” Perhaps no group of players before or since put the diversion of golf to better use than those one-time Braves starters who made up one of the best staffs of their time. Maybe of any time. Greg Maddux and Tom Glavine were voted into the Baseball Hall of Fame this year, along with Bobby Cox. And John Smoltz is a serious candidate for enshrinement next year. The cast on the course changed slightly according to the comings and goings of players and each day’s pitching schedule, but the Foundation Foursome would have to be Maddux, Avery, Glavine and Smoltz. Other teams wanted their players nowhere near a course during the season. They thought it would blur their focus on baseball. Maddux’s first team, the Chicago Cubs, fined any of its guys who skipped off to the course before reporting to the ballpark.

IN PLAY, SPRING 2014

Just what a different world Maddux entered in 1993 was made evident on one of his first road trips with the Braves. On the morning before the game, he was in the hotel lobby buying coffee and a paper when he happened upon his new manager. “What are you doing here?” Cox asked him. “Why aren’t you out playing golf?” “When I got to Atlanta, I was told by Smoltzie that it was kind of a requirement to play golf if you’re with the Braves—which I didn’t have a problem with,” Maddux says. “I loved the game. I always played in the off-season, but once the season started I put the clubs up.” Dealing with a laundry list of arm and shoulder injuries during his career, Smoltz credited the camaraderie of the golf course with extending his career. He was the concierge for the group, lining up invitations to the best courses, arranging transportation, even lodging on occasion. He was the one who kept the little black book of the important people to call to get access to some of the most exclusive tracks. “Smoltzie has accomplished a lot in this game, but I don’t think he gets enough credit for his ability to coordinate golf,” Maddux jokes. Golf was the not-so-secret weapon of a group of pitchers who were at the heart of the Braves dynasty (14 straight division titles between 1991 and 2005). “Its benefits were two-fold,” Glavine says. “Number one, it was fun. We enjoyed being out there, the playing and competing and goofing around and all that stuff.” He continues, “Also, yeah, there was some therapeutic value to it. I don’t care what you do, when you were doing what we were doing nine months out of the year, it gets monotonous sometimes. You need to have the outlet to get away from it, get away from your job so to speak. For all of us, and certainly for me, on those days where you went out and pitched and had a bad game, it was kind of nice to go out the next day and play golf to get your mind off it and recharge a little bit.” How serious was this need to golf during the season? When Smoltz went to the bullpen for a stint as the Braves closer (2001 to 2004), there were all kinds of questions surrounding the move: Could he physically adapt? Did he have the mentality to close? Was it the best thing for his tender elbow? And significantly, how would it affect his ability to play golf? After all, there are no set off days for closers, and Smoltz would be in the position of breaking the no-golf-on-days-you-pitch edict. While Cox cleared him to do both, there were front office concerns. The team’s general manager once questioned Smoltz about the arrangement—ironically on a golf course during a round that the pitcher had arranged. As Smoltz wrote in his book Starting and Closing in reference to a remarkable 2002 season: “Fifty-five saves later, no one said another word to me about it.” There was just no way that these players were going to break with a habit that provided them such a useful distraction from the stresses of their profession and such a wealth of memorable moments.

SMOLTZIE HAS ACCOMPLISHED A LOT IN THIS GAME, BUT I DON’T THINK HE GETS ENOUGH CREDIT FOR HIS ABILITY TO COORDINATE GOLF.”

PITCH N’ PUTT

Our Fairways and Mounds Analysis

How They Pitched ...

GREG MADDUX

TOM GLAVINE

JOHN SMOLTZ

STEVE AVERY

... and How They Putted

Years Pitched: 1986–2008 (1986–1992 Chicago Cubs; 1993–2003 Atlanta Braves; 2006 & 2008 Los Angeles Dodgers; 2007–2008 San Diego Padres) Won-Lost: 355-227 ERA: 3.16 Honors: Hall of Fame (2014); four-time National League Cy Young Award winner (1992, 1993, 1994, 1995); eight-time All Star; 18-time Gold Glove winner

Handicap: 4 Low round: 69, Spyglass. “I’ve had a couple 67s, 68s on my home course (in Las Vegas), but that’s not the same thing. Your low round shouldn’t count on your home course.” On golf now: “For me, golf is 100% pure recreation. I enjoy the game; I try to play with people I’m going to enjoy spending three or four hours with. I’m there to enjoy the game, enjoy the day, to enjoy even the lunch afterward. Obviously I do want to play well, but it’s not about what you shoot; it’s about the enjoyment you get from it.” A teammate’s assessment: “Greg plays very similarly to how he pitched— not overpowering by any stretch of the imagination. Very detail-oriented. Very much a thought process trying to play the smart shot, the right shot, the shot that fit his game. Not as consistent on the golf course as he was on the pitching mound.” – Glavine

Years Pitched: 1987–2008 (1987– 2002 & 2008 Atlanta Braves; 2003–2007 New York Mets) Won-Lost: 305-203 ERA: 3.54 Honors: Hall of Fame (2014); two-time National League Cy Young Award winner (1991 & 1998); 10-time All Star; 1995 World Series MVP

Handicap: 3 Low round: 71. “One-under, somewhere in Florida during spring training.” On golf now: “The big thing is, I’ve had the chance to take some lessons and have begun understanding my swing. I guess it’s similar to when I was pitching. I understand the mechanics of my swing a little bit better now, so I know what adjustments I need to make within the round to kind of hold the round together, where before I had no idea.” A teammate’s assessment: “He could hit it sneaky long like nobody you could imagine, because of the cocky wrists. His only faux pas, he’d have that one or two blow-up holes where a big number would come. Glavine made the best adjustment and got better quicker than anyone.” – Smoltz

Years Pitched: 1988–2009 (1988–2008 Atlanta Braves; 2009 Boston Red Sox; 2009 St. Louis Cardinals) Won-Lost: 213-155 Saves: 154 ERA: 3.33 Honors: 1996 National League Cy Young Award winner; 2002 Rolaids Relief Man of the Year; eight-time All Star; 1992 NLCS MVP

Handicap: Scratch. Low round: 63, the Floridian in Palm City, FL On golf now: “I’ve talked about trying to get the guys back together on an Ireland/Scotland trip, when everyone is a little less busy. I really want to set that up with as many guys as possible that we played with. Don’t know if there’ll ever be a perfect time frame or not. I’m determined to put that together before we get too old to swing the club.” A teammate’s assessment: “He’s legit, really good. He’s a little bit better than everybody’s club champion and a good notch or two below a Tour player. The Tour players, there’s something elite, something special about those guys. Then you have the rest of the golf world. Smoltzie is pretty high up the totem pole in that world.” – Maddux

Years Pitched: 1990–2003 (1990–1996 Atlanta Braves; 1997–1998 Boston Red Sox; 1999 Cincinnati Reds; 2003 Detroit Tigers) Won-Lost: 96-83 ERA: 4.19 Honors: One-time All Star; 1991 NLCS MVP

Handicap: 4 Low round: 68, Country Club of the South, Johns Creek, GA On golf now: “I play in a golf league in the summer. In the winter it’s too cold to do anything [he lives in Michigan]. When I retired I thought I’d keep playing as much, but with three kids you get busy. I don’t play nearly as much as I used to.” A teammate’s assessment: “Raw strength. He hit the ball a mile. And it was all about his direction on any given day. He hit the ball farther than any of us, Smoltzie included. But it was just a question of what direction it was going on any given day. If it was going straight, you knew you were in trouble.” – Glavine

SPRING 2014, IN PLAY

ROTATION SENSATIONS Tom Glavine, Greg Maddux, Pete Smith, John Smoltz and Steve Avery

They played the sublime: Medinah Country Club when the course was closed, just four players with this classic course to themselves. As they rolled along on the back nine, here came one of the cooks laden with food, and the group paused for a picnic on the 14th hole. And they played the absurd: back in Atlanta at the Country Club of the South. Smoltz had just crossed a footbridge, when he was startled by the sound of a loud splash behind him. Glavine, a graceful athlete who might have had a career in hockey had baseball not interceded, had fallen in. “All I remember seeing when I turned around was one club sticking out of water and a head coming up,” Smoltz says. “He had completely gone under, lost the lost club in his left hand and saved the club in his right hand.” That didn’t stop Glavine. “Just across the fairway was his house,” Smoltz continues. “He went and changed clothes and finished the round. All I could hear every time before I addressed the ball was this splash and the visual of him in the water, and I couldn’t stop laughing. He didn’t miss a beat and went on like nothing happened.” (Both men insist no beer was involved.) Sometimes there was a Goony Golf feel to their rounds. Like the time during spring training in Florida when Avery spotted a dead bass in a lake, retrieved it and put it in Maddux’s cart. Later, in retribution, Maddux stuffed the carcass into the hole at No. 9.

IN PLAY, SPRING 2014

Nonetheless, one of the members of the group chipped in—despite the smelly obstacle. Former PGA Tour pro Billy Andrade happened to be playing with them that day. Most people retire to play more golf. After these guys retired from baseball, their golf actually suffered. “I guarantee you none of us are playing near as much as we thought we would once we retired,” Glavine says. Smoltz, the best player of the group who often single-handedly took on the other three players’ best ball, has harbored dreams of joining the over-50 Champions Tour one day. But aching shoulders—he recently had surgery on his non-pitching left one—may short-circuit that. While the former teammates went their own way as their baseball careers ended, playing little together afterward, there is an opportunity upcoming for a very special reunion: sometime in late July, in the village of Cooperstown, New York, when Maddux and Glavine are inducted into the Hall of Fame. “I’ve been fortunate enough to go there a couple times, and they do have a nice golf course there,” Maddux said, just before he was voted into the Hall. “I’m not afraid to pack my clubs.” This summer, when baseball turns its attention to Cooperstown, how fitting would it be if Maddux and Glavine were delivered to the induction ceremony—and into the embrace of sporting immortality—by golf cart?

GRAPE

THE AND THE

GREEN

Napa Valley marks the perfect spot to indulge in all things fine. By Scott Gummer

golfer dreaming of the perfect vacation might ask why the scenic splendor of Napa Valley isn’t cherry-topped by an abundance of world-class golf, but the answer is simple: All that vineyard real estate is worth more for grape farming than it is for bunker building. You’d have to charge $100 for every available tee time and then fill every tee time 365 days a year to pull as much money from a golf course as you can from a plot of fine cabernet. But here’s why that doesn’t matter: The courses Napa has are plenty good, and you’re playing in America’s greatest wine and food area— the Tuscany of California. Napa’s windy roads invite you to get lost and take in the scenery. Drive in almost any direction—we recommend a convertible when the weather suits—and you’ll find spectacular offerings to taste and sip. But it’s also a worthy place to savor the fairway. We’re happy to report that the crisp ring of contact and the clink of a glass pair quite nicely, thank you. Here’s how.

NAPA’S FINE GREEN The 16th at Silverado’s North Course from the air.

IN PLAY, SPRING 2014

SPRING 2014, IN PLAY

TASTING 1,2,3 Top: Duckhorn Estate and Vineyards’ outdoor tasting room. Bottom: The chateau at Inglenook.

Francis and Eleanor Coppola bought parts and parcels of the Inglenook estate and returned it to its historic splendor. The iconic wine brand has been revitalized with a flagship red, Rubicon, and a white Rhone-style blend, Blancaneaux. inglenook.com Rutherford Hill offers a “winemaker for a day” program that provides guests the opportunity to blend and bottle their very own merlot, complete with cork and label. rutherfordhill.com The hit indie film Bottle Shock was based loosely on the story of Chateau Montelena’s 1973 chardonnay being honored—in an epic upset—as the finest white wine in the world at the celebrated Paris Tasting of 1976. The grounds are among the valley’s most impressive, with the hillside stone castle overlooking a lake and Chinese garden. montelena.com Sparkling wine lovers and architectural buffs will be duly impressed with Domaine Carnero—the former by the luxury cuvée Le Rêve Blanc de Blancs and the latter with the digs inspired by the historic Chatêau de la Marquetterie. domainecarneros.com Napa Valley is perhaps best known for cabernet sauvignon, and no one does it quite as uniquely as Palmaz Vineyards, where the winemaking occurs within the rock of Mount George. The wine cave is 18 stories tall, allowing Palmaz to practice gravity-flow winemaking; not pumping is said to preserve the molecular integrity of the wine. palmazvineyards.com Dan and Margaret Duckhorn founded Duckhorn Vineyards in 1976, and they’ve spent more than three decades, establishing themselves as one of North America’s premier producers of Bordeaux varietal wines. Duckhorn’s Estate House provides a stunning, intimate space for a seated tasting with views of the vineyards and the Napa River. duckhorn.com

IN PLAY, SPRING 2014

FOODIE FEST Top: Bottega, buttered biscuits from Thomas Keller’s Ad Hoc. Bottom: Gott’s classic cheeseburger.

DEBORAH JONES (EXCERPTED FROM AD HOC AT HOME; ARTISAN BOOKS).

Bottega does bold Italian food with flair. Grilled shortrib meatballs with Sicilian heirloom tomato sauce, wood-grilled octopus with olive oil-braised Ruby Crescent potatoes, and potato dough raviolo filled with spinach and ricotta are a few crowd favorites that reflect both the rustic and the refined. Large tables invite communal feasting. Chef Michael Chiarello is the Emmy-winning host of Food Network’s Easy Entertaining. botteganapavalley.com Dieters face a dilemma at Gott’s, a roadside burger joint that is your classic drive-in style but fancy in fare. The full spectrum of Niman Ranch burgers, chicken sandwiches, salads, and mahi mahi and ahi selections round out the menu. Wine is served, and the Double Rainbow ice cream milkshakes are a must. Go for the black & white or mint chip. Two locations in Napa and St. Helena. gotts.com Celebrity chef Thomas Keller, of the universally acclaimed, überexpensive French Laundry, figured that Ad Hoc would fill a space he liked while he developed a different concept. But his family-style comfort food proved a hit. The four-course, fixed-price menu changes daily and never disappoints, featuring classic American entrees like fried chicken and pot roast, all served with complimentary side dishes like twice-baked potatoes and baked beans. Each meal starts with a salad and finishes with cheese and dessert. adhocrestaurant.com Keller protégé Brandon Sharp has built a unique niche and a following at Solbar with his take on California soul food. The menu, which changes weekly, is divided into two sections: the left featuring lighter, more healthful dishes and the indulgent, hearty cuisine options on the right. Citrus-marinated beets, the Lucky Pig and the duck breast have diners raving. Sunday brunch on the outdoor patio is both delicious and relaxing. solagecalistoga.com

SPRING 2014, IN PLAY

The local muni is an ideal warm-up for serious golfers and a fun outing for more casual players. Napa Golf Course is picturesque and plays 6,704 yards from the back tees—plenty of golf and a bargain to boot, with a prime-time green fee of just $38. playnapa.com Meadowood Resort offers guests the opportunity to step back in time by offering the unique experience of playing its tranquil, tree-lined nine-holer with sets of authentic hickory clubs. meadowood.com Twenty-seven acres of working vineyards, fragrant in the fall, border Eagle Vines Golf Club. The signature par-3 6th hole packs a visual punch: island green, waterfall, grapevines, oaks and redwoods, ducks and geese. eaglevinesgolfclub.com Silverado Resort and Spa is the cream of the Napa golf crop. Memorable for its stately oaks and tall redwoods, the resort’s two courses—the North and the South—wend through 360 acres of countryside offering peace, quiet and plenty of challenges but nothing gimmicky. The courses are similar on paper: both are par-72 with a slope of 133 from the back tees, while the North is less than 200 yards longer and has a 72.6 rating to the South’s 72.5. But you don’t play golf on paper, and the North is the premier layout in all of Napa Valley. In October the PGA Tour returns to Silverado’s North Course for the Frys.com Open. (The resort hosted a Tour event from 1968 to 1980 and the Champions Tour from 1989 to 2002.) Johnny Miller not only updated and upgraded the original Robert Trent Jones design, but he led an investment group that bought the resort in 2010. The improvements have been notable, and Silverado is a must-stop for Napa golf. silveradoresort.com

IN PLAY, SPRING 2014

LIFE IS GOOD Opposite: The 1st on Silverado’s North Course. The 8th at Meadowood. Below: Evening comes to Auberge du Soleil.

The sunsets over the rolling hills surrounding The Carneros Inn are as colorful as the buildings at this upscale resort with a country farm vibe. Private cottages and suites, each with its own patio and garden, give guests the feeling of a vacation home and all the conveniences of a luxurious hotel. The spa on the property incorporates local ingredients into treatments. With its own town square featuring multiple restaurants, pools and a smorgasbord of activities including on-site wine tastings and outdoor concerts, guests need to be compelled to venture out. thecarnerosinn.com Rancho Caymus is a petite, all-suites inn with a Spanish decor that recaptures the spirit of the 1830s hacienda that once stood on the site. Each suite has its own individual design, calling back to early Napa Valley adventurers for inspiration. Learn about Black Bart, Lillie Hitchcock Coit or Robert Louis Stevenson while enjoying the rustic elegance of your room. The quaint getaway in the Rutherford region is owned and operated by the Komes family, proprietors of the award-winning Flora Springs Winery. ranchocaymus.com

A Michelin-rated boutique hotel with rooms overlooking its namesake waterway, the Napa River Inn has 66 rooms that anchor the Historic Napa Mill, built in 1884. Originally a warehouse and feed store, the inn has turned into a nouveau urban destination rich with local history in the heart of downtown Napa. With shopping, dining, its own entertainment complex, European day spa and onsite bakery, the establishment has helped lift lollygagging to an art form. napariverinn.com Auberge du Soleil is the most indulgent way to experience the Napa Valley. Set in a 33-acre sunlit olive grove with panoramic views to the west, every detail is impeccably tended to at this hillside retreat where solitude is redefined. Luxurious Mediterranean rooms and suites with outdoor space offer multiple opportunities for just taking in the spectacular scenery, glass in hand. Soak in the hotel’s three temperate springs overlooking the property before a visit to its award-winning spa. The otherworldly dining experience in the resort’s restaurant is, by itself, worth the trip to Napa Valley. aubergedusoleil.com

SPRING 2014, IN PLAY

WILLIAM P. (BILL) FOLEY II Chairman of the Board, Fidelity National Financial Vintner & Founder, Foley Family Wines ◗ Handicap: 8.8

IN PLAY, SPRING 2014

THE SERIAL STRATEGIST Bill Foley has a penchant for amassing businesses— from title insurance to wineries and lots in between. If only he could master the golf swing. By Kate Meyers

ill Foley likes to figure things out, conquer them and keep moving. That may explain why the hard-charging executive, entrepreneur and vintner has been part of several hundred (he guesses 300) mergers and acquisitions. In 2006 he was, according to Golf Digest, one of the Top 20 Executive Golfers in the World. These days he downplays his golfing prowess, but he does own a Tom Doakdesigned golf course, and the links is still the place Bill goes to unwind and have fun. His business skills, however, remain in overdrive. Ask him where he learned the traits that keep his portfolio expanding and that formed him the most, and he’ll offer two words: West Point. “That’s where I learned discipline and all my life lessons,” he says. “The basic tenets of West Point are always telling the truth, always taking responsibility for your actions, learning how to delegate but also manage multiple aspects of whatever is going on at one time. They strip you down, take everything including your hair and then build you back up.” His acceptance to attend that institution of higher learning was, according to him, pretty much a fluke. “I was a fourth alternate at West Point. After three days of testing, the principal broke his wrist and couldn’t go, the first alternate flunked the mental aptitude test, the second alternate flunked the physical test, the third alternate flunked the mental test, and then I was in.” But like all smart business people, he embraced his lucky bounce. Post-graduation with an engineering degree in hand, another twist of fate—bad vision—led Bill away from his dream of becoming a pilot and on to discovering his deal-making acumen while working for the Air Force plant office in Seattle and negotiating military contracts. Bill earned an MBA while in Seattle. (He has a law degree as well.) By 26, his skill at statistical analyses of cost and production was such that he was given the power to oversee contracts north of $250 million.

SPRING 2014, IN PLAY

CATTLE DRIVE Top to bottom: The 8th and the 5th at Foley’s Doak-designed golf course at Rock Creek Cattle Company.

Fast-forward a little more than three decades, and Bill is still figuring things out and still conquering. His biggest business baby, Fidelity National Financial, ranked 353 on the 2013 Fortune 500 list. Last year the Jacksonville-based title insurance giant reported revenue of $7.3 billion with a profit of $606 million. In the late ‘90s Bill got into the wine business and has amassed a long list of vineyards (see box, next page) from Napa to New Zealand. He divides his time between Healdsburg, California (he plays golf at Mayacama, a well-known course with a heavy vintner membership; members have their own wine lockers); Jacksonville, Florida (he tees up at Pablo Creek Golf Course); and in Whitefish, Montana—just a 50-minute helicopter ride (his helicopter, a six-seat black BELL407) away from his Rock Creek Cattle Company ranch, a community that he’s developed complete with a Tom Doak golf course. It makes sense that Bill, who likes to move on once he’s figured things out, has never moved on from golf. “In the last few years I have taken the components of the golf swing and really tried to understand what’s going on,” he says. “I thought I had it right last summer, but I changed a few things and couldn’t quite get it right again.” Okay so maybe there’s one thing Bill has in common with the masses. In Play caught up with him in Healdsburg, where he took a break to share some details of his life bio—from business to golf to the fruit of the vine. GOLF BEGINNINGS

I started playing in ninth grade in Caracas, Venezuela. My dad worked for the U.S. embassy. The course name was Valle Arriba. It was a good golf course, built up in the side of a hill, so lots of ups and downs. Today it probably wouldn’t be rated as a great course, but for a 14-year-old, it was great. My friends and I played constantly. Caracas has a temperate climate all year round. It never gets too hot or too cold. WORK BEGINNINGS

My first job was a busboy at the club at Andrews Air Force Base. My dad was at the end of his career, and he was director of personnel or something like that there. I made 90 cents an hour. Then I started working as a short-order cook there. ON CONTRACTING FOR THE MILITARY

I ENJOY THE TECHNICAL ASPECTS OF THE GAME. I LIKE THAT IT’S NO ONE ELSE’S FAULT BUT YOURS.”

IN PLAY, SPRING 2014

I worked on the Minuteman III project. I was the project development officer on the Burner II program, which was a secondstage booster where we put spy satellites into orbit. I saved the government a lot of money, at least a billion. I remember the first contract I worked on. I started out as an industrial engineer. They were doing spares for the KC-135 (the airborne tanker made from 707 jets) that refueled B-52s so they could stay airborne. They came in with a contract for $300 million. I did a time and motion study, and I developed a fact pattern that, as they built more spares, their learning curve would get better, so it would take less time and less man hours. I did these charts and graphs. The guy running the program thought it was ridiculous. And it came in exactly on my numbers. I got a good reputation off of that one.

THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A GOLFER AND A BUSINESSMAN

I’m not a very good golfer. In the summer I play three or four times a week. In the winter, I’m in Healdsburg, which is rainy and chilly. I’ve only played once in the past two months. I’m like an 8.8 index right now. I got down to 0.5 in Newport Beach from 1988 to 1990. I played a lot then because I only had one job, CEO at Fidelity National Title. BUSINESS SKILL

I kind of think in three dimensions rather than two. A lot of people think in two dimensions—they go left or right. When I’m looking at a transaction, I’m good at understanding the twists and turns a transaction can take and anticipating those twists and turns to make sure that we’re ready for that change. I’m good at following through and fixing things, but in my mind, once they’re fixed I should be able to move on. I have to have people around me that implement what I’m trying to accomplish, and then I’m out of there. They see me for a meeting once in a while, and if things aren’t working, we make a change. BUSINESS M.O.

It’s all building. The business model is really having a base in a particular industry and then acquiring other similar assets. Then we take the back off—accounting, sales, admin—consolidating all that and creating synergies with every company I buy, and then leaving the consumer-facing part of the business alone. For example, each winery has its own winemaker. I don’t have a

director of wine. As long as they are making quality product, I leave them alone. If they aren’t going to fit into our program, then I have to make a change. I try to keep each winery operating independently. I approve a capital expenditure for each winery every year. I try to figure out what they need, what they really need, and what they can get by without for a year. But other than that, they’re pretty much on their own. That’s the deal. CURRENT PROJECTS

We just bought the Black Knight Financial Services company. I’m the executive chair of that business and Fidelity National Financial. I don’t run businesses; I’m just the senior guy who strategizes what we’ll buy, and if we’re going to make a particular kind of move or transaction, how we’re going to structure it. I’m not really an operator, except in the wine business. In the wine business, I’m doing everything. WHY WINE?

I had a strong love of wine that developed back in the ‘80s. I started learning about pinot noirs and chardonnays from Burgundy. That’s where I kicked it off. I was always interested in the technical aspects of running the wine business but also of making the wine and growing the fruit. PENCHANT FOR ACQUISITION

I’m a builder. I love having the assets of the land and the vineyards and producing a great product. For example, right now we’re building a production facility at Foley Johnson, and we just finished redoing the tasting room at Sawyer Cellars. We’ve invested in that and made it a first-class facility. At Chalk Hill we’ve just poured money into the place to really bring it up to standard. We’re building a production facility across the street at Roth, and the tasting room should be ready in April. And we’re building about 11,000 square feet of caves. I’m always about taking something and trying to make it better. If I buy a winery, it usually needs help—because I’m a value guy. Then we just go in and fix it and make it better. I love getting into the details and learning about something new. And once I’ve learned it, it doesn’t bother me to just forget about it and go on to something else. I have different careers all the time because I’m always moving on.

WHAT’S IN YOUR PERSONAL WINE LOCKER AT MAYACAMA?

Just my stuff. I have some Chalk Hill Estate chardonnay, some Lancaster Estate cabernet. I’ve got Foley Johnson cabernet, Roth sauvignon blanc, Chalk Hill pinot—about three cases. I don’t have other people’s wines. I’m getting a little cellar-blind because I just drink my stuff. But it’s a good variety. FAVORITE COURSE

Augusta National, even though I’m not a member. When you walk down the 11th fairway, you can almost feel the champions around you. It’s unreal. I’ve played there about a dozen times. I play with whoever will invite me. THE MONTANA GOLF COURSE

VINE, VINE & MORE VINE Bill Foley was in the process of purchasing another winery on the day he spoke with In Play. Until that one closes, we offer the current count (18) of his wine holdings.

CALIFORNIA 12 ◗ NAPA: Merus Wines, Kuleto Estate Winery, Foley Johnson Winery ◗ SONOMA: Sebastiani Vineyards & Winery, Chalk Hill Estate Vineyards & Winery, Lancaster Estate, Roth Estate Winery ◗ SANTA BARBARA: Lincourt Vineyards, Foley Estates Vineyard & Winery, Firestone Vineyard ◗ LAKE COUNTY: Langtry Estate & Vineyards ◗ PASO ROBLES: Eos Estate Winery

WASHINGTON STATE 1

◗ WALLA WALLA: Three Rivers Winery I picked Tom Doak to design it because he’s a minimalist. NEW ZEALAND 5 I didn’t want to go through ◗ BLENHEIM: Vavasour Wines, Goldwater, this big, earth-moving course Clifford Bay, Dashwood where you tee off and go down ◗ MARTINBOROUGH: Martinborough Vineyard this concocted canyon with big, grass walls on either side, and you’ve moved all this dirt around, which is what other course designers do. I like working with the land, taking the land and making the land dictate what the course does—but making sure it’s a good course too. THE ROLE OF GOLF

Golf has helped me in terms of being something else to do other than business that I can have fun at. I think you meet some of your best friends on the golf course. You see the true character of a person. You’re with him for four or five hours, and you see how he reacts to a bad shot. I’ve learned a lot about people on the golf course and made some lifelong friends who are also business associates. CLOSING THE DEAL

I’ve helped solidify deals by going out on the golf course. I remember we were buying Alltel Information Services back in 2003. The guys we were buying from were all members at Augusta, so we finalized and put the deal together on the golf course. I bought Lancaster Winery on the golf course. RETIREMENT PLANS?

No. I would get bored. I handle my business transactions out of my office at Chalk Hill, but it’s a lot of different things every day. I never want to be bored. If I start getting bored, I’ll run out to the golf course and hit balls. I just can’t sit around.

SPRING 2014, IN PLAY

MASTER

WINGMAN

Augusta National as seen through the eyes of a PGA TOUR caddie By Alan Shipnuck

IN PLAY, SPRING 2014

ip Henley was probably destined to have a life in golf. Growing up in Chattanooga, Tennessee, his mom worked for the Arnold Palmer Company, folding boxes in a manufacturing plant. After a successful amateur career, which included winning two Tennessee Opens, Kip turned pro in 1982 and then spent the next five years going broke on various mini-tours. He became a teaching pro and then a minor celebrity, thanks to an appearance on the second season of The Big Break in 2004. He didn’t reach the big-time of the PGA Tour until three years later, having finally found his calling as a caddie who hearkened back to a different era. Kip, 53, treats caddying as a lark, not a profession—“After every round, I drink like it’s my job”—but his easygoing demeanor and deep knowledge of the game have made him a valuable wingman. After stints with Boo Weekley and Eric Axley, he landed the bag of Brian Gay in 2008. At that point, Brian was known primarily for wearing the loudest pants in golf, but with Kip whispering in his ear, he has become one of the game’s great success stories: a very short hitter who has won four times, thanks to guts and guile. Kip has no trouble identifying his favorite tournament. “I just love the Masters,” he says. “I love the whole stink of it. It’s like walking through history. And it’s the one time all year you don’t have wild fans screaming at you on every tee, because everyone is afraid of having their badge pulled.” Of Brian Gay’s first Masters, in 2010, Kip says, “I’ve never been more prepared for a tournament. I’d been studying that course my whole life.” And yet once he was inside the ropes, he found himself startled by the pageantry of the place. “The grass is greener, the hills are steeper, the greens are scarier. Everything is just turned up a few notches.” In 2013 Brian was 170 th on the PGA Tour in driving distance, at 275.1 yards a pop, meaning plenty of guys at your club hit the ball as far as he does (though probably not as straight). This should give a little more resonance to Kip’s scouting report on Augusta National, a 7,445-yard beauty/beast.

MEN AT WORK Kip Henley (L) and Brian Gay at the 2014 Humana Challenge.

THE FIRST HOLE is a killer. It’s gotta be one of the toughest opening holes in golf. You’re right next to the clubhouse. All those people are right on top of you. It’s intimidating. And with the new tees, it’s loooong. BG can’t fly his drive to the top of the hill. He flies it right into the bank, and it stops dead every time. So now he has a 5-iron into a green that was built to receive a wedge. That green is probably the most underrated on the course. It’s wicked, full of undulation and slopes and runoffs. You just want to make par there and run to the next tee. WHAT FANS DON’T UNDERSTAND is how much the course changes during tournament week. It just gets faster and faster, especially from Wednesday to Thursday. It’s like two different courses. Our first Masters, we spent a lot of time on the third green in the practice rounds. It’s the shortest par-4 [350 yards] and the only one on the course where BG can be aggressive. We hit probably 20 putts to the front-left pin position, watching the break, watching it feed out. We knew that putt cold. Come Thursday, he has that exact putt, but it breaks like 10 more feet. His ball damn near goes off the green. BG three-putted four times in 18 holes. You’re talking about one of the greatest putters on the planet—he’ll sometimes go a month without three-putting. But the adjustments you have to make there are incredible.

SPRING 2014, IN PLAY

IN PLAY, SPRING 2014

WHAT FANS DON’T UNDERSTAND IS HOW MUCH THE COURSE CHANGES DURING TOURNAMENT WEEK. IT JUST GETS FASTER AND FASTER, ESPECIALLY FROM WEDNESDAY TO THURSDAY. IT’S LIKE TWO DIFFERENT COURSES.”

SPRING 2014, IN PLAY

LINING UP THE

PERFECT DRIVE

VISIT YOUR LOCAL BUICK DEALER HEYWARD ALLEN Athens

JOHN MILES Conyers

CRONIC Griffin

SOUTHTOWNE Newnan

JIM ELLIS Buford

HARDY Dallas

CARL BLACK Kennesaw

HERITAGE Rome

MOORE Canton

RICK HENDRICK Duluth

COLONIAL Loganville

CARL BLACK Roswell

WYNN Cartersville

JIM HARDMAN Gainesville

BELLAMY STRICKLAND McDonough

CAPITAL Smyrna

JIM ELLIS Chamblee

JIMMY BRITT Greensboro

HENNESSY Morrow

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2/25/14 1:59 PM

9 PM

ON TASK Henley getting the job done in LaQuinta, California.

THE FRONT NINE is way tougher than the back nine, and some of that is because of the par-3s. No. 4 is 240 yards, and there’s nowhere to miss—long is dead, the bunkers are about the deepest on the course. The 6 th hole is only 180 yards and downhill, but that green is crazy. People sitting at home watching on TV have no idea. The first time you go to the course, that’s the one green for sure where you go, “Holy sh--, look at that.” It’s so steep; it’s like a ski slope. THE NEW TEES have really changed that course. That and the SubAir under the greens, which have made it play so firm. I bet a short hitter never wins there again. Take No. 7—it used to be a birdie hole. Now it’s 450 yards to the narrowest fairway on the course. Where BG drives it, we’re left on the downslope hitting steeply uphill to a green that’s 12 steps deep, surrounded by bunkers. My guy has 185 yards left for his second shot, and he can’t get it on the green. He just can’t. There was a practice round where we’re out in that fairway and he asked, “What do you like?” And I said, “Do you want to be in the front bunker or back fringe? Because you can’t hit this green.” NO. 11 IS A MONSTER now with the new tees. It plays 505 yards, and we’re so far back, and the way the fairway falls away, we can barely see the green for the approach shot. We’re shooting into the sky. We’re shooting at the clouds. BG often has a 4-wood in. He acts like he’s going for the green, but he’s not. He’ll say, “I’m trying to get it over there on the right edge,” and I’m like, “No, you ain’t. You’re trying to put it in an okay spot right of the green so you can get up-and-down.” And that’s smart, because he’s a genius in the short game. No sense taking on that pond with a 4-wood or 3-iron.

THE SCARIEST SHOT IN GOLF is No. 12. Nothing compares to that; it’s such a tiny target. But the real problem is the way wind swirls. Some guys say you have to look at the flag at 11 to judge the wind, but I don’t buy that. Pine trees don’t give away information like a leaf-bearing tree, but that time of year the pollen blows out, and that’s what I look for. If you study the pollen, you can see the wind. MY FAVORITE HOLE AT AUGUSTA is No. 13. It’s so beautiful and peaceful, and down in that corner of the course the sound really collects. So if you do something good, the roars are awesome. It’s a very important hole for BG because it’s the only par-5 he can reach. The long hitters are going in with a 7-iron and we have a 4-wood, but it’s still a birdie hole for us. FIFTEEN AIN’T REALLY A BIRDIE HOLE even though it’s a par-5. Once you lay up, the next one is a way underrated shot. I’ve heard players say they think that’s the toughest shot on the course. That grass down there is tight as sh--. You can’t help but spin the ball a little, and if you’re even one foot short of your target, it’ll come back into the pond. And if you go long, that’s one of the hardest chips on the course. There’s no margin for error on that shot. None. EIGHTEEN IS A TIGHTER TEE BALL than people think, but that’s not why I dread that hole. No, it’s a tough-ass walk up that hill. It’s a hard pull. It’ll kill you. THE TREATMENT OF THE CADDIES IS SICKO. You pull that bib off, and there’s a guy holding a cold beer for you. The food is so good. Players come in and eat with us all the time because the food is equal to theirs. And because we’re way more fun.

SPRING 2014, IN PLAY

CONTINENT OF

MEMBERSHIP It’s not just North America; it’s 8,100 holes of golf.

REGATTA BAY GOLF & COUNTRY CLUB DESTIN, FL

playawayclubs.com 66

IN PLAY, SPRING 2014

PLAYAWAY

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pring is the time when two words should be teasing your psyche: ROAD TRIP. Sequoia Golf’s PlayAway program is well aware of the golfer’s need to roam and explore fairways beyond, and it answers the call in a big way. Did we mention it is both simple and free? All you have to do is pack your clubs. Wherever planes, trains and automobiles take you in the U.S., the PlayAway program extends member benefits across the country by providing access to more than 400 private clubs as well as the 50 properties directly associated with Sequoia Golf. Simply log in with your account and fill out a tee time request form. You’ll also receive reduced guest fees at most clubs as well as the ability to bring your guests along. Requests will be answered within 48 hours. Members may also call the PlayAway Call Center at 678-288-3912. We’re thinking that spring is also ideal for catching the southern bloom from Hattiesburg, Mississippi to Hilton Head Island, South Carolina and the Florida destinations below. Ladies and gentleman, start your engines.

CHAMPIONSGATE GOLF CLUB, ORLANDO, FL CHAMPIONSGATEGOLF.COM ChampionsGate features two premier, 18-hole championship courses designed by Greg Norman. The International Course and The National Course are just 15 minutes from Walt Disney World. ChampionsGate Golf Club brings a unique combination to Orlando golf with two totally different signature designs that incorporate Florida’s natural habitat and offer beautiful vistas on every hole.

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SPRING 2014, IN PLAY

CANEBRAKE COUNTRY CLUB | HATTIESBURG, MS | CANEBRAKECOUNTRYCLUB.COM Canebrake Country Club is a spectacular par-71 course designed by Jerry Pate. Well-maintained wide fairways, a 250-acre lake, elevation changes that require you to strategize each shot and 130 acres of indigenous broomsedge grass are all part of the charm. Combine that with four acres of native bamboo and preservation of wildlife, and it adds up to No. 3 in the state of Mississippi.

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CURRAHEE CLUB LAKE HARTWELL, GA CURRAHEE CLUB.COM Situated in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains, near the shores of Lake Hartwell, Currahee lives up to its name—Cherokee for “stands alone.” Architect Jim Fazio sculpted this 7,513-yard track, and nature provided the seemingly endless mountain and lake views.

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IN PLAY, SPRING 2014

PLAYAWAY

OYSTER REEF GOLF CLUB HILTON HEAD ISLAND, SC OYSTERREEF GOLFCLUB.COM Oyster Reef Golf Club, originally opened in 1982, features an award-winning 18-hole championship course designed by Rees Jones. The course has been voted one of the “Top 20 in the Carolinas” and has been named as one of the “Top 75 U.S. Golf Resorts” by Golf Digest. Oyster Reef also boasts the distinction of being named the favorite course of Hilton Head Island golfers by The Island Packet.

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PALMETTO HALL PLANTATION GOLF CLUB HILTON HEAD ISLAND, SC PALMETTOHALL GOLF.COM Two courses, two renowned and award-winning course architects (Arthur Hills and Robert Cupp), and an endless supply of towering pines, live oaks with Spanish moss and Lowcountry beauty.

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SPRING 2014, IN PLAY

FLEET AND FETCHING Chris-Craft’s spirited runabout is a looker with deep talent. By Capt. Dave Lear

IN PLAY, SPRING 2014

CRUISING

he new Capri 21 may have the classic vertical bow profile and sloped tumblehome reminiscent of your grandfather’s pride and joy at the lake cottage. But make no mistake: This particular runabout is pure 21st century. It’s a drop-dead gorgeous piece of floating machinery with powerful performance, advanced construction and digital technology to boot. Sporting an overall length of 21 feet, 2 inches with the standard swim platform and a beam of 7 feet, 11 inches, the Capri is nimble and spirited. It rides as soft as a dogwood petal in a chop, thanks to an aggressive transom deadrise of 18º. Drawing 34 inches of water at rest, it has a fuel capacity of 34 gallons, which is ample tankage for leisurely day cruising. The Capri’s standard propulsion package is a Mercury 5.0 MPI Alpha engine with 260 horsepower. Optional upgrades include the Mercury 350 MAG or Volvo V8-C gasoline engines. If diesel is pre-

ferred, the Volvo D3 EVC is available for an extra $22,110. Both Mercury and Volvo engines can be ordered with dual props, as well as the Digital Throttle and Shift (Mercury) or Electronic Vessel Control (Volvo) for enhanced handling, monitoring and performance capabilities. Factory sea trials with the Volvo V8-320 horsepower engine produced an impressive data set. Cruising at 2,500 rpm, the boat made 22.4 mph with a fuel rate of 6.14 gallons per hour or an average 3.65 miles per gallon. Top speed was an eye-tearing 55.6 mph at 5,125 rpm. It only took a mere 3.75 seconds for the Capri to plane off, and the 0 to 30 mph acceleration rate is a scant 7.1 seconds. Nimble indeed! From the starboard helm, the operator has a commanding view through the low-profile tempered glass windshield and a comfortable perch in the deep bucket seat with flip-up bolsters. The companion seat is identical, while the aft bench seat adds to the luxury comfort level. The main dash with gauges and switches is made of custom silver perforated panels. Power-assisted tilt steering, a custom mahogany steering wheel and LCD in-dash depth finder are standard. Each boat comes with a Rockford Fosgate AM/FM CD stereo with four speakers and a subwoofer, tweeter and in-dash remote control. Like all Chris-Crafts, the Capri 21 is meticulously built with premium materials and components. All hardware is stainless steel, and the electrical wiring is color-coded throughout with waterproof Deutsch connectors. The boat is backed by a three-year factory warranty and a five-year transferable structural warranty on the woodfree hull. Capri 21 prices start just above $67,000 for the standard model. Buyers can opt for one of 14 vibrant colors, including metallic deep sapphire and sunburst gold, for the hull, cockpit and console paint. There’s a nice palette for vinyl colors as well. The Heritage Edition, which includes striking teak trim galore, and the Volvo V8-C engine will run in the neighborhood of $105,250—well-equipped with dual props, EVC controls, trim tabs and a transom shower. Chris-Craft’s Capri 21 represents the perfect blend of Cary Grant style and James Dean performance enhanced by Steve Jobs technology. Your grandfather would definitely approve.

SPRING 2014, IN PLAY

TAMING THE TRASH TALKER IN YOUR HEAD Get out of your own way and into the game. By Kate Meyers

im Gallwey wrote The Inner Game of Tennis in 1974. The book, considered revolutionary at the time, dealt almost exclusively with the mental and emotional side of the game. Five years later, Gallwey penned the The Inner Game of Golf. The resonance of its 213 pages is profound to anyone who has attempted hitting the dimpled ball with a big stick. How well we all know the many ways in which we are capable of mentally sabotaging our precious time on the golf course. When I asked Tim to if he’d be willing to sit down with In Play and share some thoughts, he sent an email that said: “Maybe the hardest thing about golf is to truly enjoy the game and not measure yourself by your score or quality of play. A round of golf can be enjoyable regardless of performance. It can also be a valuable learning experience in self-awareness. The key skill to master is nonjudgmental attention. This skill can minimize the spoilers of enjoyment and learning as well as performance. The biggest obstacles are not sand traps, lakes or woods but the ones in your own head. This applies to all levels.” Well said, sir! Here, in his words, are a few tidbits to help you clean the mental slate for the season ahead.

SELF 1, SELF 2 AND SELF-DOUBT Most golfers have a conversation with themselves as they play—before or after they hit a shot. Who is talking to whom? I call one part Self 1; that’s the controller/critic that tells you how to play golf and gives you feedback. And depending on how conscious of a game you’re playing, it is calling you names. Self 2 is the one that’s hitting the ball. But which one is smarter? The one that says keep your left arm stiff or the one that’s issuing hundreds of instructions to different muscle groups to even move your club back, keep it on plane, connect with the ball, follow through? This is a very complex, coordinated system. The only problem is, it doesn’t speak English, or whatever your language is. Golfers have very little idea of how they got their best shots. They’ll say, “It felt smooth, in balance, in rhythm.” Over-instructing the body is ego’s attempt to control you. What you have, in my understanding, is a 10-cent computer telling a billion-dollar computer how to play golf. The value I find in recognizing this internal dialogue is that it allows a person to separate himself or herself from the undermining voice of self-doubt. Most of us would not put up with someone speaking

IN PLAY, SPRING 2014

to us the way Self 1 does, but for some reason when the voice of self-doubt is coming from our own head, we find it harder to ignore. I’m not going to try to quiet that voice because I’ll lose that battle, but I am going to focus my attention away from it and onto the dimple of the ball, for example. That draws my attention away from the voice. With practice, the voice gives up. Relaxed concentration is the key to excellence in all things. You ask an Olympic champion what they were thinking about when they had that goldmedal performance, and they’ll say they weren’t thinking at all. They were too focused. Make practice of focus priority over results.

NONJUDGMENTAL OBSERVATION

WHAT YOU HAVE, IN MY UNDERSTANDING, IS A 10-CENT COMPUTER TELLING A BILLION-DOLLAR COMPUTER HOW TO PLAY GOLF.”

The next question becomes: What do you do with the multiplicity of swing thoughts that you bring to the course with you? You translate them from behavioral instructions—what your body should do—to awareness instructions. Imagine the person thinking about putting: “I’ve got to take my club back and follow through the same amount.” Instead try to feel the length of your back stroke; know where your club is at the moment it stops going back and starts going forward. Be aware of that moment. Be aware of where your clubface finishes. Be aware of the angle, rather than trying to keep it flat. Observe yourself without judgment. If you observe, “I took my club too far,” it’s not going to help you. If you observe, “I took my club 15° past parallel, so next time I’ll take it 10°,” that will help you. Go for an

MIND/BODY

observation that’s as exact as possible and trust your body to make the change. If you judge, then you will try to correct … and you’ll be back in the same Self 1 control loop with a little voice telling you how to fix everything. Why predict that you’re going to do whatever is bad again after one time and try to correct it? It’s like micromanaging an employee or a parent with their kid, correcting every little detail—not fun. But it’s a thrill to see the body correct itself. It gives you the kind of confidence that is real, not another magical secret to the perfect golf game.

PUTTING AWARENESS DRILL There’s a practical game you can play when you practice putting. You hit the ball without looking where it goes. Before you look, you guess: Will it go right or left of the hole, short or long, and by how much? At first you’ll find you’re not very accurate. But in this game, the goal is not to sink the putt. The goal is to be accurate in knowing where the ball went. The main way to do that is by feel. You feel for distance and feel for direction. Once you can be accurate and guess more or less correctly, you then say, “How did I guess that? How did I know? What was the clue that told me it went right?” It had something to do with the way the ball came off the club. It had something to do with the direction, etc. That’s where you put your attention. I could feel the ball spinning right when it came off my clubface. Do it again to see if there’s more spin, the same or less. Within a minute, you’ll be consistently hitting with less side spin. The body makes the correction.

IF YOU JUDGE, THEN YOU WILL TRY TO CORRECT … AND YOU’LL BE BACK IN THE SAME SELF 1 CONTROL LOOP WITH A LITTLE VOICE TELLING YOU HOW TO FIX EVERYTHING.”

SWINGING AWARENESS DRILL I did a segment for 60 Minutes in which I taught a woman to play tennis in just 20 minutes. I had her

just play and say “bounce” out loud whenever the ball bounced and “hit” whenever it hit her racket. We would have such long rallies that I’d have to hit harder. She never retreated. She attacked the ball; her form was great. So what started as an exposé became a discovery. If you get rid of the tension and ego of Self 1, then Self 2—the great computerized body—will do better. The golf equivalent of “bounce-hit” is “back-hitstop.” Say “back” the moment you can feel the club head at the back of the swing; “hit” the moment it makes contact; and “stop” the moment the followthrough is complete. Keep in mind that “back,” “hit” and “stop” are nouns, not verbs, in this exercise. It doesn’t mean take your club back or hit the ball. “Hit” is a moment of observation in which your club is making contact with the ball. It’s not a command; it’s an observation. The “stop” is especially useful. It keeps you from looking up, from staying in the swing until it’s finished. Mainly, it puts you in the observation mode rather than the “try to do it right” mode.

DON’T PUT ALL YOUR EGGS IN THE PERFORMANCE BASKET It’s also important to remember or rethink the reason why you play golf in the first place. It is easy to say, “I’m going out to enjoy a day on the golf course,” yet relatively few people actually do. Their enjoyment level is totally hooked into their results—hole to hole, shot to shot and certainly the score at the end. My mother used to be able to tell my dad what he shot within five seconds of him walking into the living room from having played. It was all over his face. Performance is not the only game in town. Why not learn consciously while you perform? What was your enjoyment level today and where do you want it? What’s getting in the way of it? There are three components with three results: performance, enjoyment and learning. It’s not all three eggs in the same performance basket, which makes you feel bad when you do badly and not interested in learning. If you spread your eggs around, you’re more likely to have a better performance because you’re putting less pressure on yourself. You’ll also have more awareness because you’ll be in a learning mode. You’ll feel things that you don’t feel when you’re in a judgmental frame of mind. Another good question to ask in preparation for the season is: What can I learn playing golf that would be valuable to me, besides golf? Focusing my attention, trusting myself, not reacting to every mistake, not judging myself, becoming more aware of what I’m doing. All those are inner skills that, unlike golf skills, relate to almost anything you do. That’s the purpose of the game: Take something that doesn’t really count where you can practice things that really do.

SPRING 2014, IN PLAY

ELEMENTARY,

WATSON! The Manor Golf & Country Club Alpharetta, GA

IN PLAY, SPRING 2014

ON COURSE

PHOTOGRAPHED BY RUSSELL KIRK / GOLFLINKSPHOTOGRAPHY.COM

On the initial walk-through, we got lost,” says course designer and 39-time PGA Tour winner Tom Watson of his first day on what would become The Manor golf course. “It was such a rough-and-tumble piece of property, and it was a cloudy day. I remember getting turned around between the eventual 17th green and 18th tee.” And to hear Tom tell the story of his Alpharetta design, it’s been all up- and downhill ever since. “Be prepared for playing a variety of elevations—a lot of beautiful downhill shots. But you’re going to have to manage the uphill,” says the eight-time major winner. “I think the most difficult shot in golf is the uphill shot.” Nevertheless Tom admits that he likes to narrow up the landings for the uphill shots because there’s less time for the ball to go offline. He’ll also admit he loves driving it downhill, especially on the second and ninth holes. But mostly he hopes players experience whimsy, challenge and a wonderful ride while playing The Manor’s 7,177 yards (from, naturally, the Tom Watson tees).

The 10th hole

SPRING 2014, IN PLAY

MANOR VIEW The 5th green.

I really don’t like a ball that’s lost in a hazard or a lost ball. We golfers, including me, hit the ball sideways. We worked on 350-foot widths because we wanted players to be able to find the ball even if when it’s not in the fairway.” This strategy, Tom explains, comes from beloved architect Alister MacKenzie, who said in his book on architecture that the loss of a golf ball should be avoided at all costs. Adds Tom, jokingly, “Of course he was a Scotsman and very thrifty.” Tom eschews the idea of a signature hole. “People always ask a designer, ‘What’s your signature hole?’ or ‘What do you do differently than other people on a golf course?’ But I let the land tell me what to do,” he says. “A lot of it has to do with the prevailing winds. I try to design the four par-3s and the four par-5s going in all different directions on the compass. The wind is the major factor in playing golf.” For Tom Watson, the goal is finding the right balance of challenge and confidence that adds up to fun. “There are certain shots that you know that when you play the golf course are going to be tough, but most should be in the framework where you think, ‘Yeah, I can play this shot.’”

IN PLAY, SPRING 2014

THE MANOR COURSE IS DESIGNED FOR ONE THING AND ONE THING ONLY: FUN FOR ALL.” —TOM WATSON

ELEMENTARY,

WATSON! The Manor Golf & Country Club Alpharetta, GA

IN PLAY, SPRING 2014

ON COURSE

PHOTOGRAPHED BY RUSSELL KIRK / GOLFLINKSPHOTOGRAPHY.COM

The 10th hole

SPRING 2014, IN PLAY

MANOR VIEW The 5th green.

IN PLAY, SPRING 2014

THE MANOR COURSE IS DESIGNED FOR ONE THING AND ONE THING ONLY: FUN FOR ALL.” —TOM WATSON

OFF COURSE

ON THE ROAD

VACATIONING IN BERMUDA THE WEEK OF THE PGA GRAND SLAM GOLF TOURNAMENT AT THE PORT ROYAL GOLF CLUB, OCTOBER 2013 Mike Grimes and Karen Grimes

The Ov family

BINGO NIGHT OLD RANCH JANUARY 2014

Paul Liles and Sue Liles

SUPERBOWL PARTY OLD RANCH FEBRUARY 2014

Canongate golf members (left to right): Kevin Austin, Carl Neigoot, Dean Kellerman and Steve Brinkmann playing Corales course (Fazio design) in Punta Cana

MY CLUBHOUSE

MEMBERS OF OLDE ATLANTA PLAYING LA CANA COURSE AT THE HARD ROCK IN PUNTA CANA, DOMINICAN REPUBLIC

The Ov family: 170 people attend the 1st Bingo event!

Canongate golf members (left to right): Kevin Austin, Carl Neigoot and Dean Kellerman

SPRING 2014, IN PLAY

NAPA VALLEY SEPTEMBER 2013

Nick Vanderpool, Ron Clary, Jim Dickson, Tim Garcie

Ryan Rosencrans, Alan Benson, Chris Cook, Richard Ocepek

Ed Hawkins, Morgan Gonzales, Tony Hayslip, Nick Jones Brad Dodson, Matt Johnson, Rick Miller, Mark Jones

WAR IN THE WOODS 78

IN PLAY, SPRING 2014

WCC STAFF VS. WMGA BOARD WOODLANDS COUNTRY CLUB - PALMER COURSE JANUARY 2014

OFF COURSE

BIRDIES FOR THE BRAVE WHITE COLUMNS | NOVEMBER 2013

Players sit back and relax after playing in the 2013 Rally For A Cure.

SUMMER 2013 GOLF ROYAL COUNTRY CLUBS

The Charpentiers and Johnsons have their game faces on for the 2013 2 Kings 2 Queens Couples Tournament.

Ellen Smith and Roberta Wright at the 2013 Royal Hawk Ladies Golf League Member-Guest Tournament. SPRING 2014, IN PLAY

A NIGHT WITH TEAM REED

HONORING JUSTINE & PATRICK REED’S WIN AT THE WYNDHAM CHAMPIONSHIP THE WOODLANDS COUNTRY CLUB DECEMBER 2013

TUTU & TEA

BLACKSTONE COUNTRY CLUB, COLORADO JANUARY 2014

GET IN THE NEXT OFF COURSE! IN PLAY, SPRING 2014

Send us your hi-res photos to info@inplaymedia.com

GIVING

PORTER’S PLAY GROUND Sequoia employees and friends traveled to Haiti in December to build a playground at an orphanage in Bois de Lance.

Next up for the Sequoia Foundation: The 5th annual James 1:27 Golf Marathon, hosted at Flat Creek on April 28, 2014 The First Tee of East Lake Golf-a-thon, hosted at Chapel Hills on June 3, 2014

SPRING 2014, IN PLAY

GOLF IS MY GAME <slug> GOLF IS MY GAME <hed> Kermit Perry <dek> GOODWILL AMBASSADOR Goodwill Ambassador

KERMIT PERRY |

Retired former assistant athletic director, University of Georgia and Auburn University, Retired former Assistant Athletic Director, University of Georgia and course ranger and starter and Auburn University; Course Ranger and Starter White Oak Golf Club, Newnan, GA White Oak Golf Club Newnan, GA Golf was the last sport to find Kermit Perry. “In high school I played everything I think you could play—basketball, football, baseball, track, tennis in summer—but I didn’t play golf.” Kermit earned a football scholarship the University of Georgia, a shoulder injury ended his “In high school I played everything Golf towas the last sportandtothenﬁnd Kermit Perry. gridiron days. He adeptly followed that with a track scholarship. Golf began after he bought a buddy’s used I think you could play—basketball football, baseball, track, tennis in summer—but I clubs in the Army. He started playing a bit during his early career as a football coach and got into it even didn’t playand golf.” more while working at the University of Georgia at Auburn University. “I’ve developed a lot of special, lasting friendships. I really think when you get down to it, you learn more about people in one round of golf than you’ll learn anywhere else in life,” he says. “Of course I love the Kermit earned football scholarship to the University of Georgia, and then a shoulder competitiveness. I’m a competitive person, and it’s a gameathat you never get right.” Kermit, 80, works twice a week, mostlyended as a coursehis ranger, and on average he plays three timesfollowed a injury gridiron days. Heabout adeptly that with a track scholarship. week. “I’ve been working here for about 10 years,” he says. “I have had friends who have retired and just dried up—just sat down and did nothing. I feel very connected. I look forward to not just playing; I look Golf began after he bought a buddy’s used clubs in the Army. He started playing a bit forward to going to work.” He continues, “I meet so many people when rangering. I see it asas morea than a job. I seecoach it as an and got into it even more while working at during hisI’mearly career football opportunity for me to make somebody have a little bit better of a day. If I’m polite to them and take time to the University of Georgia and at Auburn University. stop and talk, if I can make them smile and feel like I’ve done something for them, then I’ve had a good day. I’ve done what I was supposed to do.”

“I’ve developed a lot of special, lasting friendships. I really think when you get down to it, you learn more about people in one round of golf than you’ll learn anywhere else in life,” he says. “Of course I love the competitiveness. I’m a competitive person, and it’s a game that you never get right.” Kermit, 80, works twice a week, mostly as a course ranger, and on average he plays about three times a week. “I’ve been working here for about 10 years,” he says. “I have had friends who have retired and just dried up—just sat down and did nothing. I feel very connected. I look forward to not just playing; I look forward to going to work.”

PHOTOGRAPHED BY CHRIS MARTIN

He continues, “I meet so many people when I’m rangering. I see it as more than a job. I see it as an opportunity for me to make somebody have a little bit better of a day. If I’m polite to them and take time to stop and talk, if I can make them smile and feel like I’ve done something for them, then I’ve had a good day. I’ve done what I was supposed to do.”

IN PLAY, SPRING 2014

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InPlay Spring 2014

Articles inside

Golf is My Game

On Course

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Chris-Craft’s Capri

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