Arizona Golf Insider - February 2021

ARIZONAGOLF INSIDER

Longbow Golf Club Hitting the Target in Public Golf

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High Country Living at its Finest!

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Golf Membership is included to the adjacent Forest Highlands Golf Club, home of the #1 1 Golf Course in Arizona.*

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Phoenix “The Estates” provides the ultimate in high country living and only 16 of these magnificent 10 acre estates are available for purchase. This exclusive community is also located immediately adjacent to the fabulous Forest Highlands Golf Club, privately accessed through their 24-hour guard gate.

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* https://www.top100golfcourses.com/golf-course/forest-highlands-canyon AZGOLF.ORG

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contents AZ Golf News

50

Features 14.

COVER STORY - TOURNAMENT TESTED | By Tom Mackin Bob McNichols makes Longbow Golf Club a sought after venue

24.

THE GOLF ECONOMY A look at the $4.6B annual impact golf has on Arizona’s economy

26.

A BRIGHT WELCOMING LIGHT IN A DARK YEAR | By Ken Van Vechten Despite a global pandemic, golf saw one of its best years in recent history

30.

SCOTLAND HISTORY & TRAVEL | By Joshua C. Evenson The second installment of the series, profiling the history of The Open Championship

36.

THE NEED FOR SPEED | By Reid Spencer How NASCAR is giving golfers a different kind of driver boost

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8.

12.

40.

56.

Ryan Brady | @thearizonadrone

SIGNATURE HOLE MEMBERS ONLY USGA REPORT 19TH HOLE

Departments 52.

RULES

By Ed Gowan The 10th Annual Patriot All-America featured a handful of rulings that players rarely see.

54. OUT OF BOUNDS

By Gary Van Sickle The incredible story of the life of Bill Johnston, a man both lucky *and* good in life, as well as golf.

ON THE COVER

A look at the 6th green from the 5th fairway gives players a glimpse of the test to come just a piece of what has made Longbow Golf Club in Mesa a must-play for golfers of all skill levels.

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ARIZONAGOLF INSIDER

7600 E. Redfield Rd., Suite 130, Scottsdale, AZ 85260 (602) 944-3035 | www.azgolf.org

EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE OFFICERS

PRESIDENT ......................................... Bob McNichols VICE PRESIDENT ........................................ Tim Brown VICE PRESIDENT .................................... Michelle Cross SECRETARY ............................................. John Souza TREASURER .......................................... Tim Hulscher GENERAL COUNSEL ....................................... Greg Mast

EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE MEMBERS

From the Executive Director

Jackie Bertsch, Tim Brown, Vera Ciancola, Michelle Cross, Barbara Fitzgerald, Ed Gowan, Bryan Hoops, Jerry Huff, Tim Hulscher, Mark Jeffery, Mike Kane, Leslie Kramer, Ann Martin, Scott McNevin, Bob McNichols, John Souza

BY ED GOWAN AGA STAFF

W

elcome to the second edition of the new Arizona Golf Insider. We ended a challenging year with a very successful Patriot All America, where Graysen Huff from Auburn University tamed the Wigwam Gold Course with an 8-under par 202 total for a twostroke victory over the field of 84 of the best college players in the world. A total of 17 players finished at par or better, demonstrating the quality of the field. At the same time, Talking Stick Golf Club hosted the Golf Coaches Association’s Winter Classic, a championship for their 25 events this past fall, including four which Arizona Golf managed along with co-hosting the Championship, which was won by AJ Ewart from Barry University in Florida.

Both the Wigwam Gold and Talking Stick O’odham courses more than held their own in showing off two of Arizona’s best stroke-play golf courses.

Looking forward to 2021, we expect the experiences of this past year will re-energize the golfer interest in many areas. Expect another outstanding tournament season with an enhanced focus on women’s golf, especially at the championship level. The Golf Insider, both printed and digital editions, will expand your golf information with many opportunities for special course discounts, social events,

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travel, competitions and more connections to the Arizona golf lifestyle. Once we pass by the COVID-19 restrictions, we will be offering a wide variety of golf-travel opportunities.

Our special group offer for the 150th British Open in July of 2022 is nearly full, but other offers for California, Oregon, Alabama and South Carolina are ready to go either for individuals traveling separately, or as part of the AGA group.

Although the Waste Management Phoenix Open was something less than we have grown to enjoy, we expect that the golf season both in Arizona and throughout the world will return to near normal very soon. It’s our wish for all of you that your golf year will be one of the most enjoyable, both playing and spectating. We have suggested in the past that if everyone could only play one more round this year, the golf economy would boom. It certainly was true for 2020. My personal goal is to play one more round and one new course per month in 2021. Won’t you join me?

Ed Gowan, David Bataller, Anj Brown, Alexa Cerra, Tim Eberlein, Le Ann Finger, Brianna Gianiorio, Sharon Goldstone, Vivian Kelley, Mike Mason, Derek McKenzie, Chris Montgomery, Robyn Noll, Cullen Perron, Kylie Shoemake, Alex Tsakiris, Susan Woods Advertising and Sponsor Contact................. Chris Montgomery cmontgomery@azgolf.org - (602) 872-7011 National Advertising Contact......................... Brian Foster bfoster@azgolf.org - (602) 909-7799

AZ GOLF INSIDER STAFF

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF .................................. David Bataller AGA EDITOR .............................................. Anj Brown GENERAL ASSIGNMENTS ................................ Tom Mackin CONTRIBUTORS.......................... Ed Gowan, David Bataller, Anj Brown, Josh Evenson, Scott McNevin, Chris Montgomery, Reid Spencer, Ken Van Vechten, Gary Van Sickle

SENIOR ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES

PERRINE ADAMS, ROBYN LAMBERT, LISA GRANNIS, MICHELLE SCHNEIDER, DEIDRA VIBERG CREATIVE DIRECTION ........................... Haines Wilkerson, Hither & Wander Inc. ART DIRECTION ....................................... Michael Min FOR PRINT ADVERTISING SALES CONTACT: SALES@ONMEDIAAZ.COM Arizona Golf Insider is published four times per year by the Arizona Golf Association. It is supported by members’ dues, utilizing $5 per member per year. We welcome all editorial submissions, including letters, but assume no responsibility for the loss or damage of unsolicited material. They will not be returned unless accompanied by a self-addressed, stamped envelope. Views expressed within these pages do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the editors or official policies of the Arizona Golf Association. No part of this magazine is intended as an endorsement of any equipment, publication, videotape, golf course, or other entity. No part of this magazine may be reproduced for use as an advertising, publicity or endorsement item without written approval of the AGA. Arizona Golf Insider is offered on a subscription basis for $12.95 annually.

Individual copies may be obtained by forwarding $5 to the address above.

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FEBRUARY 2021 EQUAL HOUSING OPPORTUNITY

fifty years of great design & strong value

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even more important at home than on the course.

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SIGNATURE HOLE

The Westin Kierland Golf Club

A centerpiece on The Westin Kierland Resort & Spa’s 250 acres in Scottsdale, The Westin Kierland Golf Club presents an award-winning brand of golf in which guests are met with an elevated golf experience rich in innovation, one-of-a-kind offerings and fun new ways to play. Designed by Scott Miller, the Troon-managed Golf Club features a dramatic 27-hole course offering a complementary collection of three nines, each with its own flavor and strategy.

For those looking to stay and play, mention code (ZX0) when booking your stay to enjoy a $100 resort credit that may be applied to golf.

IRONWOOD HOLE #9 PAR 5

495 YDS

Visually challenging tee shot with water down the right and desert on the left. A true risk/ reward hole, reachable in two but a guarded green surrounded by water and bunkers can spell trouble if the second shot is not precise. A tricky green with subtle undulations requires accuracy on the approach shot and with the putter.

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Investing.

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MEMBERS ONLY

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EARNHARDT HYUNDAI Hit the course in style with the all-new 2021 Hyundai Santa Fe - now available at Earnhardt Hyundai North Scottsdale. With available premium Nappa leather interior and a Harmon Kardon audio system, you will not be able to resist taking the long way home. Stop by Earnhardt Hyundai North Scottsdale to see it for yourself!

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COVER STORY

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Tournament

Tested

McNichols Makes Longbow Golf Club A Sought After Venue

BY TOM MACKIN PHOTOS BY KEN EASLEY

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COVER STORY

T

he Cactus Tour owner Mike Brown thought Bob McNichols was kidding. During a phone call early last December, the developer of Longbow Golf Club in Mesa made Brown, who has run the professional women’s golf mini-Tour since 2011, an offer he couldn’t believe. “He said to me, ‘What do you think about a $10,000, winner–take–all event over 18 holes at Longbow for your top four money earners,’” recalled Brown. “I said, “Yeah, right.’ He said he was dead serious, and that he would raise the money himself.”

Although The Cactus Tour had two previously scheduled events at Longbow last year, the inaugural Longbow Cactus Cup Championship was organized in less than two weeks. Former University of Arizona golfer Haley Moore edged Mina Harigae on the first playoff hole to win.

“It was a great event,” said Brown. “It was Bob’s baby. He did it right. I never thought of doing something like that. What he’s done for The Cactus Tour, for women’s golf, and for juniors and amateurs, is just incredible,” said Brown. “I can’t say enough good things about him.”

The event was just the latest example of a two-pronged business model that McNichols has put to good use since buying Longbow Golf Club in 2001 as part of a land development project. Tournaments on the junior, amateur, and professional level draw valuable attention to the course in Mesa, and daily-fee golfers get to play on a tournament-tested layout.

“We’re not just taking anything that comes along,” he said. “I’m looking for quality tournaments that enhance Longbow.” In addition to successful events, McNichols has also brought in the largest fleet of GolfBoards in Arizona as an alternative to carts and walking; signed up Scottsdale-based Troon two years ago to manage operations; and debuted the Longbow Toptracer Range last November, enabling golfers to benefit from the latest ball-tracking technology.

“We’re not trying to be all things to all people, but we are trying to expose the course to as many people as possible so they come back and play a regular round of golf,” he said. “We saw that 2020 did that for everybody in spades. Without travel, vacationers, or 16 | ARIZONA GOLF INSIDER |

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“

Longbow Golf Club is a challenging course that is similar to the courses players will see out on the LPGA Tour. We can make it as difficult as we need to, and we have crowned some great champions there.

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COVER STORY

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COVER STORY

tourism really coming our way, we had one of the best years in terms of golf revenue ever.”

It was also a year full of tournaments, once again featuring Symetra Tour, The Cactus Tour, and American Junior Golf Association (AJGA) events despite the ongoing pandemic. When the LPGA canceled its Founders Cup at Wildfire Golf Club in March last year, Mike Nichols, Chief Business Officer for the Symetra Tour, reached out to McNichols regarding a women’s professional tournament at Longbow Golf Club.

“We said, let’s call Bob,” said Nichols. “He’s always been super loyal to us, so let’s see if he wants to do it.” He did and the result was The Founders Tribute last August at Longbow Golf Club. Sara White won by one stroke over Casey Danielson and Sophia Popov (the latter went on to win the Women’s British Open the following week at Royal Troon in Scotland).

“Bob is always super accommodating,” said Nichols. “He will always take the phone call. In terms of friends of women’s golf that we have found across the country, I can’t think of somebody who raises his hand more than Bob, and we’re certainly grateful that he’s been such a great partner with us. At a time last year that was difficult to make things work operationally, we figured out a way to make it work.”

According to Nichols, the Ken Kavanaugh-designed course at Longbow also helps fulfill the Symetra Tour’s primary goal: preparing golfers for success when they get to the next level. “If we’re not playing LPGA Tour-caliber venues, we’re doing the players a disservice,” he said. “Longbow Golf Club is a challenging course that is similar to the courses players will see out on the LPGA Tour. We can make it as difficult as we need to, and we have crowned some great champions there.”

McNichols’ most memorable Symetra Tour event thus far was the Gateway Classic in February 2015. “I had a host course exemption and gave it to Hannah O’Sullivan, a high school junior from Chandler,” he said. “The Symetra Tour asked me if I was sure I wanted to include a 16-year-old with the professionals. I was sure. They said OK. She won by four strokes. Then she won the AJGA’s Heather Farr Classic by nine strokes here one month later, and then the U.S. WomAZGOLF.ORG

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COVER STORY

en’s Amateur at Portland Golf Club that August and more! It was the year of Hannah O’Sullivan.”

Speaking of the AJGA Heather Farr Classic, Longbow Golf Club has hosted that tournament annually since 2004, and the impressive list of past girls champions includes Paula Creamer and Inbee Park. AJGA Chief Operating Officer Mark Oskarson is one of many who appreciate the genuine commitment McNichols has showed to junior golf.

“It’s part of who he is to be able to give back,” he said. “He’s also proud of what they have been able to do at Longbow in creating what’s just a great golf atmosphere. It’s really been overwhelming in terms of the generosity he’s shown over the years.”

The AJGA, which coordinates 125 tournaments around the country each year, requires a high degree of commitment from a host course. “Bob certainly has done that, and everyone on his staff is committed to making sure the participants and their families have a great experience at Longbow,” said Oskarson. “What takes his efforts above and beyond are things like the signage there highlighting past champions. That shows the amount of pride Bob has in having hosted prior events at Longbow Golf Club through the years.”

“I think what’s even more important to him than the relationship with the AJGA are the relationships he’s created with the players and their families through the years,” added Oskarson. “Not only is he giving them his golf course, but he’s out there spending his personal time during the entire event meeting with players and parents, saying hello, and asking them how they are enjoying their experience. If you were to rank all of our events (125-130 annually), the AJGA Heather Farr Classic is a Top 10 event to win every year on our schedule. “ Hosting tournaments does mean that daily-fee players lose access to Longbow Golf Club for up to a week, but McNichols explains it this way. “I believe that the customer is the game of golf. That’s youth, amateur, and professional players, as well as the daily fee player. We don’t think we have overreached our capacity because we’re still not full every day. But then you can’t start people on an 18-hole round after 2 p.m. in the winter, and in the summer you don’t want to because it stays hot until 9 p.m.”

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“

My favorite thing of all is to walk out the front door of the clubhouse here and watch the little kids, shorter than their golf bag, wearing the hat and gear, and they’re all in ready to go,

”

Another element of Longbow’s success has been adaptability. That came to the forefront when the COVID-19 pandemic made its presence known last March during the 9th Annual Clover Cup, a 16-team women’s collegiate tournament hosted by Notre Dame University.

“The entire field was out on the course practicing the day before it started and all of sudden the coaches’ phones started to ring in relation to the pandemic,” recalled McNichols. “Every team had to pack up and leave to go home immediately. That’s when we knew it was real and that it could impact sports, including golf. But understanding the necessary precautions (masks are mandatory when not on the course; no bunker rakes; a foam noodle in each hole, social

COVER STORY

distancing etc.) and enforcing them has been healthy for both our staff and the players.”

A new Home2 Suites by Hilton Mesa Longbow opening up this May right next to the 18th green complex will attract even more golfers. “That will bring the type of business and group events that we have never been able to host before because the nearest hotel was eight miles away,” said McNichols. “That’s going to help us attract more out-of-town visitors with stay and play packages.”

Longbow’s 2021 tournament schedule continues to fill up, with the Clover Cup (March 11-14), LPGA Symetra Tour Carlisle Arizona Women’s Golf Classic (March 18-21), the AJGA Ping Heather Farr Classic (April 2-4), and the United States Disabled Golf Open Championship (May 17-20) just a few of the confirmed highlights.

But for all the talented golfers who tee it up at Longbow, McNichols retains a soft spot for the smallest golfers who come to his facility. “My favorite thing of all is to walk out the front door of the clubhouse here and watch the little kids, shorter than their golf bag, wearing the hat and gear, and they’re all in ready to go,” said McNichols who started playing at age 11 in his native Colorado. “They’re coming to play golf.”

McNichols was recently asked how the recent pandemic-related surge in rounds played will be sustained. He believes the momentum will be there for a few more years, and behind that surge is a large population of young girls, young boys, and women who are taking up the game.

“There are more junior golfers playing the game than ever before,” he said. “Gone are the days when courses don’t want a 13-year-old junior playing from the regular tees because these kids are hitting balls farther than ever. They keep up the pace and they score well. They come in afterward and go over their scorecards like 60-year-old men. It’s just a joy to see that.

Someday they’re going to be playing in tournaments out here.

Our goal is to have Longbow Golf Club utilized by all ages and genders to the point where it’s always a community asset.”

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Ryan Brady | @thearizonadrone

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$

$

The

Golf

$

Economy Arizona’s $4.6B Engine

Arizona Golf’s economic engine is driven by its 360 courses and 10 million rounds annually played by 550,000 residents and an equal number of visitors.

Its impact reaches beyond the golf industry itself and is intertwined throughout other industries, supporting other local businesses, manufacturing, tourism, restaurants, real estate values, employment of 50,000 individuals and creating significant tax revenues. It is the core of the tourism industry along with lifestyle enhancement, noted as a primary driver for tourism second only to weather.

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THE GOLF ECONOMY

EDITOR’S NOTE Every fifteen to twenty years, Arizona Golf with our association partners have found it both important and necessary to educate all golfers and governmental authorities on the position of the game of golf in the Arizona lifestyle. In the two previous iterations, it was shown that golf is both an important economic component, as well as having an environmentally positive impact. This is important if for no other reason than the often emotional anti-golf editorials that crop up from concerned but ill-informed sources. This article and others to follow will again offer verifiable data to show golf’s use of resources, environmental and economic impact far outweigh any perceived negative issues.

The following information is taken from the Executive Summary of a report created by the Rounds Consulting Group, which specializes in economic and policy analysis. It is available on request from the Arizona Golf Association and AzGolf.org.

50,000 jobs, split about 50-50 between blue and white collar with $1.7B in employee wages – all of which remains in Arizona $4.6B (yes, that’s “Billion”) in demonstrable economic impact $388 Million in State and local taxes Over 650 charitable events creating millions of dollars Three major Championships annually generating tourism dollars and highlighting the Arizona lifestyle to millions of viewers internationally, with the Waste Management Phoenix Open alone having created over $160 million in charitable giving, not to mention bringing hundreds of thousands of visitors to the State

Some of the key findings of the research:

Golf is played primarily by the general public, with private facilities comprising less than 20% of the total rounds Golf is centric to the development of master-planned real estate communities and resorts, driving increased property values and higher

property taxes. Surveys of buyers in such communities indicate the presence of golf was a driving factor in the decision to buy, as much for non-golfers as the players themselves.

Premiums on homes with golf course frontage range from 18% to 40% Golf uses less than 2% of the water in return for its $4.6B economic impact, far outstripping other commercial uses Irrigation practices are by far the most efficient of any industrial use The 100-acre “cooling engine” effects of courses located in urban or community settings significantly enhances air quality and moderates temperatures both in summer and winter

“

Economic & Fiscal Impacts

Golf Facility Operations Economic Output $1,239,902,400 Direct $492,426,300 Indirect $600,985,700 Induced $2,333,314,400

Total

Jobs 17,686 Direct 3,214 Indirect 4,186 Induced

25,086

Total

Wages $552,086,100 Direct $145,580,000 Indirect $194,147,200 Induced

$891,813,300 Total

Tax Revenues $121,053,900 Direct $15,938,700 Indirect $21,035,100 Induced

$158,027,700 Total

W W W. A ZGO LF.O R G

$

With major golf tournaments and more than 200 golf courses in the region (Valley of the Sun), Arizona remains an unparalleled golf destination… Many of our visitors come to Arizona solely for our pristine courses, and many more book tee times once they’re here. Golf has and always will be a foundational part of Arizona’s tourism industry.

”

– Rachel Sacco, President & CEO of Experience Scottsdale

Total Daily Water Use in Arizona by Category Other Uses 1.2%

Golf Course Irrigation 2.0% Industrial/Manufacturing 2.6%

Public Supply 20.7%

Crop Irrigation 73.5%

With regard to water usage, golf

of irrigation being returned to the

course use remains minimal with

water table in purer form.

respect to the other various uses like

In summary, golf is one of

agriculture, residential, commercial,

the most productive industries

etc. The ADWR (Arizona Department

in Arizona, providing an annual

of Water Resources) data shows

lifestyle and financially beneficial

golf courses accounted for only

impact to the state. Arizona is a

1.7% of total water use across the

must-visit destination for golf on

state’s Active Management Areas,

the global scene, simultaneously

with a significant amount being

boosting revenues in numerous

from non-potable sources. The fact

industries. While considered “just

remains that turfgrass is nature’s

a game” to a few, golf has proven

most effective filter with a majority

“essential” to Arizona.

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GOLF BUSINESS

H A BRIGHT WELCOMING LIGHT IN A DARK YEAR WORDS BY KEN VAN VECHTEN

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ope springs eternal in golf. And that’s a good thing given the nature of our game, where a textbook birdie so often is followed by a hole for which we invoke Equitable Stroke Control. If we can’t compartmentalize the bad while overaccentuating the good, we might as well just take up bowling.

Has that ever been truer in a non-wartime year, the hope within golf?

2020 was a landmark of crushing news and unprecedented challenges for us individually, as family units or knots of friends, as a nation. COVID-19 was a tsunami. Yet a steady hand helped steer us, in a manner, through the roiled seas, and that rudder man was golf. Golf was there for us and we were there for golf, and how we were.

According to the National Golf Foundation and Golf Datatech, there were nearly 57 million more rounds played nationwide in 2020 than in 2019, an increase of 13.1 percent. Arizona did slightly better at a 14.9 percent increase.

Arizona golf, unlike what happened in California and other states, never went into deep freeze when COVID restrictions hit in March, so while courses had to deal with the nearly instantaneous loss of group, leisure-travel. and snowbird rounds, tee sheets remained open and as soon became evident, locals were eager to pick up the slack.

“It [COVID] kicked into gear in mid-March and at that time we weren’t sure what was going to happen as that is the start of our peak season,” recalls Robb Palmgren, Tucson City Golf general manager. “As time went on we realized that peak season actually never ended. Summer was the busiest summer we ever had.

We had historic numbers month-after-month and it continued through December. We are lucky to have the support of our locals and local play is definitely up.

They have really supported us throughout these difficult times.”

Echoes Kris Strauss, senior vice president of sales and marketing for Troon: “With COVID, we were instantly hit with travelling-golfer cancellations as inbound travel shut down. The hard part for Arizona is we rely on travel golf in spring to buoy us through the year.”

Troon’s network of resort and daily-fee courses each responded in keeping with its target audience, with locals’ courses coming back borne

LPGA*USGA Girls Golf of Phoenix

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The global pandemic created new ways to offer encouragement on the course, ranging from putter taps to elbow bumps (right).

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“

...Summer was the busiest summer we ever had. We had historic numbers month-aftermonth and it continued through December...

on the backs of the same Arizonans sustaining Tucson’s municipal rota, then a rebound for resort courses owing to heavier-than-usual local support and drive-in visitation from neighboring states.

“Resort properties caught up to be on par,” Strauss says. “Daily fee-centric courses are doing well, with some seeing an increase in rounds up by 22-to-23 percent.”

Now ancillary income for facilities has not summarily rebounded; proceeds from group play, food and beverage, special events, weddings. But more people are playing more golf, and in a national (world) economy torched by the outfall of COVID, that is a positive - “and a cool (per Strauss) – thing”.

Golf’s near-immediate pivot from the dire predictions of early March to a record-breaking year came with quick adoption of the host of health and safety protocols we now take for granted as part-and-parcel of our play. Already hard-wired to distance safely, golf only needed masks in public spaces, remote check-in, the removal of bunker rakes and ball washers, no-touch putting, single-rider carts (or other forms of conveyance, from golfboards to scooters) and many people remembering that golf is a sport so walk they did for it to continue apace.

A few other things jump out as we look back at Golf 2020. First, for courses that had not already done so, moving tee-time spacing from eight- to 10-, even 12-minute intervals to separate groups eased on-course logjams, improving pace-of-play. (Industry thinkers have long urged doing this as contrary to many operators’ grandpa-did-itthis-way mindsets, spreading out tee times doesn’t reduce tee-time inventory, it opens it up, as over the course of the day you don’t lose sellable spots come late-morn or afternoon to fairway sclerosis, and there is less need for

”

discounting. And you get happier players who are happy to return.)

Equipment sales also went through the roof, after tanking in the spring owing to lockdowns in so many parts of the country and supply-chain difficulties. Golf Datatech reported the industry experienced an all-time third-quarter high at a tick past $1 billion (U.S. retail sales), just a fraction behind the record set during the ‘Tiger Mania’ of summer 2008.

Surprisingly, multiple individual manufacturers chose not to comment on what the larger industry openly touts as a phenomenal year, overall, as did a leading retailer.

“I don’t think COVID has been a negative to the golf industry,” shares Scottsdale-based PXG founder Bob Parsons, not backing down from talking up the positives of the year.

“Golf was one of the few outlets – outside, easy to social distance – available to people and it was something to do for those who wanted recreation.” Touting PXG innovation and its direct-to-consumer business model, he succinctly concluded: “2020 was significant for us.”

Finally, the face of golf changed. Course after course, in Arizona and elsewhere, reported sharp increases in new players of all ages and people who had stepped away. For the reasons we all love the game coupled with the physical, mental and social outlet it offers when so much is denied to us, golf’s a natural. Here’s to hoping this particular bubble doesn’t burst.

“We need to make sure the on-ramps to golf remain open,” Strauss advises. “It needs to remain friendly and inviting, and we need to reward loyalty and frequency. And we need to constantly celebrate what we love about the game – it is outside in wide open spaces, there’s an inherent beauty around it that is so captivating and striking, it is challenging and rewarding.”

“Two words. One word is ‘women’ and the other word is ‘children’, says Bob McNichols, general manager/ developer of Longbow Golf Club and newly installed AGA president, on the question of on-ramps and increased traffic. “The growth in the game will come from those two categories. It is a male-dominated game. Build women and children into the game and that will get us past this surge we didn’t create but all enjoyed and sustain that growth.”

Golf as society. What could be more apt for that most of social games, particularly in times of social distancing.

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“

If you’re going to be a player people will remember, you have to win the Open at St Andrews.

”

– JACK NICKLAUS

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Scotland HISTORY WORDS BY JOSHUA C. EVENSON

STEP BY STEP - A GAME WAS MADE OPEN

At the heart of the game of golf for many are the four majors: The Masters, U.S. Open, Open Championship, and PGA Championship. Golfers and non-golfers from around the world are virtual spectators for four days per event each year, dreaming of one day walking one of the championship courses which plays host to the event.

For The Open Championship - the oldest of the majors - many of us long to stroll the links golf courses in Scotland, England, and Northern Ireland where the wind, rain, sand, and land often dictate what player rises to win that year.

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TRAVEL

In the 160 years that The Open Championship has been in existence, the tournament has been canceled on only two occasions with the exceptions of World War I (1915-1919) and World War II (1940-1945). The first time was in 1871. The second non-war cancellation was last year in 2020 due to COVID-19, as you will see below.

PRESTWICK - BIRTHPLACE OF THE OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP

Designed and built by Old Tom Morris in 1855, it is one of two or three traditional links that is among the most respected and historic in Scotland. Located southeast of Glasgow, it is just 20 miles from another past Open-rota course: Turnberry Golf Club, with a re-design that offers a much more compelling test of golf than before.

Prestwick hosted the first eleven Open Championship tournaments and has hosted twenty-four to date, second only to the Old Course at St Andrews Links. Almost every early golf champion won here.

Note to the Reader: This is the Home of the original ‘Alps’ hole - one of the great template holes later appreciated and replicated by other leading golf course architects throughout the world, the seventeenth. If you have the joy to one day play it, be sure to have a pair of hiking shoes or at least a pair with good spikes.

FOUNDING OF THE OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP

Early evangelists of any game rarely leave an impact that can be felt - and experienced - for decades or even centuries that follow as that game grows.

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In our great old game, the forefathers who brought the game from primitive to professional include the likes of a few Scottish men from the ancient Kingdom of Fife, East Lothian, and South Ayrshire. They included Allan Robertson, The Morris Family, The Park Family, The Dunns Family, Andrew Strath, and countless other men who built clubs, made golf balls, maintained the greens, and eventually designed and built golf courses that live on to this day.

When The Open was established in 1860 by members of Prestwick Golf Club, the purpose of the event was to determine ‘The Champion Golfer’ of the day. Allan Robertson, widely accepted as the best golfer in Scotland, passed away in 1859. At his passing, it was questioned who would take up the torch as the finest living golfer. To determine the answer, a tournament needed to be conducted; thus The Open was born.

The champion would receive the first trophy, a handmade Moroccan leather belt called the “Challenge Belt,” and a cash prize of twenty-five pounds. If someone were to win three times, the belt would be theirs to keep. From 18681870, Young Tom Morris did exactly that, winning three times in succession. There was no belt to be played for in 1871 - the first time The Open was canceled. Prestwick did not believe a man would win their tournament so swiftly that the trophy would become the possession of one person.

Tommy Morris, they say, was one of the finest golfers to ever play the game. He was the first person to average less than four strokes per hole in a round; and he came from a legendary pedigree of golfers who lived and breathed golf every day of the week - except for Sunday, of course, the Sabbath, a day

St Andrews by Robert Kelsey

TRAVEL

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TRAVEL

of rest for both the links and workers of Old Tom Morris’ shop. This tradition continues today as on Sundays, other than in Open years, you will see picnics, dog-walkers and no golfers as the course is open to the Town as any central park.

The desire to again identify the Champion Golfer for the Year led to a reinstatement of the Championship after meetings among Prestwick, The Royal & Ancient Golf Club, and Honourable Company of Edinburgh Golfers, The Golf Champion Trophy (commonly known as the Claret Jug) became the trophy for the next Open in 1872.

Allan Robertson is widely accepted as the first golf professional as well. He was a ball and club maker who lived and conducted business in St Andrews. He was a master craftsman of making the early feathery golf ball, as well as the various hickory clubs used in that vintage - including various brassies, spoons, mashies, niblicks, and more.

Tom Morris first learned his trade from Mr. Robertson in St Andrews before moving to Prestwick due to a wellknown feud where Robertson noticed Tom playing with a new gutta-percha ball from another maker; he fired him immediately, leaving him unemployed.

These steps led Old Tom Morris to become one of the first professional golf course architects. We know that he charged only a couple of pounds for his work, plus expenses. Many courses were laid-out in a few days. He would see the land, plant stakes for the tees as well as for the greens, maybe a bunker or two, and then be on his way. He left descriptions, often only verbally, of how to proceed after he left. Occasionally he would return later to comment on what had been done, but not regularly.

In 1865, Old Tom Morris returned to St Andrews to become “The Keeper of The Greens of St Andrews” - a new position and title. This meant he was the caretaker of the course, ensuring the greens were cut and the course would be kept in good condition. With this position, in 1895 he was able to design the New Course at St Andrews Links to

Robert Kelsey

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TRAVEL

Robert Kelsey

SUGGESTED READING: Robert Kelsey

accommodate the increasing numbers of visiting golfers, which has become a favorite among the locals. It is a friendlier companion to the Old Course, with fewer bunkers and a more diverse routing, but still challenging.

To the historians among us, The Open Championship is the most special tournament of all. It is the oldest. It is the most historic. It was the first. For these reasons and more, The Open Championship is the most important of all. As Jack Nicklaus once said: “If you’re going to be a player people will remember, you have to win The Open at St Andrews.”

2021 ROYAL ST GEORGE’S GOLF CLUB

As The Open Championship returns to Royal St George’s for the fourteenth time in July 2021, we eagerly await watching as they crown The Champion Golfer of the Year for the 149th time.

Who do you think will win? A journeyman? A lessknown player? A past Open Champion? Royal St George’s has been the host of many unusual occurrences and surprise endings. This 2021 version is likely to be just as full of surprises.

1. Behrend, John, and Lewis, Peter N., CHALLENGES & CHAMPIONS, The Royal & Ancient Golf Club, 1754-1883, (The Royal & Ancient Golf Club, 1998) 2. Cook, Kevin, TOMMY’S HONOR, The Story of Old Tom Morris and Young Tom Morris, Golf’s Founding Father and Son, (Avery, 2008) 3. Joy, David, THE SCRAPBOOK OF OLD TOM MORRIS, (John Wiley & Sons, 2001) 4. Lewis, Peter N., WHY ARE THERE EIGHTEEN HOLES, St Andrews and the Evolution of Golf Courses, 1764-1890, (The Royal & Ancient Golf Club, 2016) 5. McStravick, Roger, ST ANDREWS: IN THE FOOTSTEPS OF OLD TOM MORRIS, (St Andrews Golf Press, 2015) AZGOLF.ORG

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THE

NEED

SPEED

FOR

How NASCAR is giving golfers a different kind of driver boost

BY REID SPENCER

T

he operative word is “drive.”

That word, of course, has a distinctly different meaning when it comes to golf versus auto racing.

In the latter sport, a driver hurtles around an oval track at speeds exceeding 200 miles per hour. At Talladega, NASCAR’s longest closed course at 2.66 miles, a stock car can cover the length of a football field in slightly less than one second.

In golf, to state the obvious, the driver is the weapon and not the player. But in golf, as in auto racing, the driver nevertheless embodies speed. In the hands of prodigious hitter Bryson DeChambeau, the driver can propel the ball at 211 mph, not far from the record lap of 216.309 mph run by Rusty Wallace at Talladega in 2004.

At first glance, though, auto racing and golf couldn’t be more different.

Tightly belted into place in the cockpit of a machine that weighs 3,400 pounds, in the case of a NASCAR Cup Series car, a driver must race other competitive cars while avoiding the hazards posed by back markers jamming up race traffic.

Despite recent meaningful safety advances in all forms of motorsports, there’s real danger involved. A blown tire can send a car rocketing into the 36 | ARIZONA GOLF INSIDER |

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NASCAR Racing Experience

outside wall at 190 mph. Sebastien Bourdais’ 2017 wreck at Indianapolis Motor Speedway sustained 118 Gs at impact, meaning the driver was subjected for a moment to a force 118 times his body weight. Bourdais survived and is driving today.

Golf, on the other hand, looks like a brisk walk in the park, where the object is to propel a stationary ball forward with precision, find it and hit it again.

Outward appearances, however, can be deceiving. In fact, golf and racing have a lot in common. Symbolically, the obvious example is current LPGA Tour venue Brickyard Crossing, the Pete Dye-designed layout that requires a drive underneath the backstretch of Indianapolis Motor Speedway to play holes 7 through 10. The roars of cars on the track are loud enough to drown out the desperate pleadings of golfers trying to carry the lake on the eighth hole.

On a more concrete level, both are individual sports. The driver in the cockpit and the Tour player on the course control their own destinies. Mistakes often happen, and there is no one else to blame for a spin on the track or a ball that strays off line and buries in a bunker.

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NASCAR Racing Experience

as they race side-by-side inches apart on a superspeedway, The 40-year-old Hamlin also is the driving force bedisdaining any notion of “social distance.” hind The Golf Guys Tour, an invitation-only league for And both sports, at the highest levels, are intensely drivers and other prominent figures in racing. Hamlin competitive and ego-driven. That’s why there’s a growing and Ricky Stenhouse Jr., arguably the second-best synergy between those who drive fast and those who drive golfer in the NASCAR garage, are the two most recent long, particularly on the racing side. tour champions.

Twenty years ago, the acknowledged best golfer in the If Hamlin is making his mark as a player, 2014 Cup NASCAR garage was 1999 Cup champion Dale Jarrett, champion Kevin Harvick has approached golf from who turned down a golf scholarship to follow his Hall of the business side. That started roughly seven years ago Fame father, Ned Jarrett, into competition at NASCAR’s when he signed Jason Gore to a contract under KHI highest level.

Management, Harvick’s celebrity marketing agency.

The best golfer distinction now belongs to Denny That marked an expansion from the management of Hamlin, who drives for one of the marquee NASCAR drivers and UFC fighters, which had been the staple of teams, Joe Gibbs Racing. With friends throughout the the agency. sports world, Hamlin is a low-single-digit handicapper Gore has retired, but in recent years, KHI Manwho takes his golf seriously. agement has signed Tour pros James Hahn, Vaughan Veteran driver AJ Allmendinger, who has won races Taylor, Chesson Hadley and Anirban Lahiri. Through NASCAR Racing Experience in IndyCars, stock cars and sports cars, despaired at the Hahn, Harvick has established a relationship with challenge of beating Hamlin head-to-head.

PXG. An avid golfer himself, Harvick maintains a set “Denny’s definitely the best golfer out of all of us,” of the PXG clubs in the motor home that travels from Allmendinger told ESPN two years ago. “I want to say he track to track, as well as a set in his home in North has an unfair advantage, because he tells me when he’s Carolina. struggling, he gets on his plane and goes to see Butch Interestingly, Harvick at one point was a teammate Harmon to get lessons. at Stewart-Haas Racing to Danica Patrick, for years “I don’t have that luxury. Denny is putting up good the marketing symbol for GoDaddy, founded by Bob scores… My game is in transition of mental issues right Parsons, who sold his interest in the Internet company now. It’s like my racing—every third hole I get it right, to launch PXG. about every third lap I nail it.”

The synergy between golf and racing has not gone Hamlin’s golf buddies include Michael Jordan, with unrecognized. In 2015, Fox Sports chose the Daytona whom he recently launched a race team, and Bubba 500 as a vehicle to cross-promote its broadcast partWatson, a long-time friend. Hamlin caddied for Watson nership with the USGA. Drivers and media members in the Wednesday Par-3 Contest before the 2012 Masters. joined Paula Creamer and Marco Dawson in firing balls In April of this year, he and Watson combined in an All In at a small island green in the middle of Lake Lloyd, Challenge for charity, offering a round of golf at Jordan’s which runs the length of the backstretch at Daytona private golf course, Grove XXIII in Hobe Sound, Fla.; International Speedway. custom-fit clubs from Ping; a Richard Mille Aviator watch The juxtaposition of race track and golf venue— from Watson’s private collection; and a VIP trip to the as with Brickyard Crossing—is more than a mere NASCAR Racing Experience 2021 Daytona 500—including a ride-around with Hamlin. metaphor.

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USGA

Key findings of the project include: >> There is a 100-year trend of hitting distance increases in golf, as well as a corresponding increase in the length of golf courses, across the game globally. The USGA and The R&A believe this continuing cycle is detrimental to the game’s long-term future. >> The inherent strategic challenge presented by many golf courses can be compromised, especially when those courses have not or cannot become long enough to keep up with increases in the hitting distances of the golfers who play from their longest tees. This can lead to a risk of many courses becoming less challenging, or obsolete.

Key Findings of Distance Insights Project Released

>> Increased hitting distance can begin to undermine the core principle that the challenge of golf is about needing to demonstrate a broad range of skills to be successful.

USGA

T

he USGA and The R&A have issued the Distance Insights Report, which provides comprehensive research and analysis on the contributors to, and long-term impacts of, hitting distance in golf.

The complete reports and library can be found at usga.org/distanceinsights.

To facilitate input from manufacturers and other stakeholders in the golf community, specific topics of further research will be identified and published within 45 days.

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No solutions have been determined as of yet.

The USGA and The R&A will now enter the next phase of the work by assessing potential solutions that can help end the cycle of increased distance.

There will also be an assessment of a potential Local Rule option specifying the use of reduced-distance equipment for use by anyone.

Several other topics will also be part of the research, as many aspects from agronomy to water use to the average player’s game must be included.

>> If courses continue to lengthen, it is at odds with growing societal concerns about the use of water, chemicals, and other resources. >> Longer distances and courses, longer tees, and longer times to play are taking golf in the wrong direction and are not necessary for a challenging, enjoyable and sustainable game. >> A concern has been identified that many recreational golfers are playing from longer tees than is necessary relative to their hitting distances, and, in particular, that the forward tees on many golf courses are very long for many of the golfers who play from them.

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JUNIOR GOLF

AZ NEWS

2020

Player Awards

Mikayla Fitzpatrick // Women’s Player of the Year For the second year in a row, Phoenix-Xavier College Preparatory alum Mikayla Fitzpatrick is the AGA Women’s Player of the Year. She won the AGA Women’s Match Play Championship at Desert Mountain, beating Madison Voissard in the final match, 4 & 3. Fitzpatrick also finished runner-up in her first AGA Players Cup, and posted a third-place finish in the AGA Women’s Stroke Play Championship at Grayhawk Golf Club’s Talon Course, firing a three-over-par score of 219 (72-74-73).

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AZ NEWS

Kim Eaton // Women’s Senior Player of the Year Kim Eaton has earned the AGA Women’s Senior Player of the Year for the eighth time in her illustrious career. Her 2020 campaign included six events and two wins: the AGA Women’s Four-Ball Championship with Leigh Klasse and the Partners tournament with Judy Penman. Eaton finished runner up twice in 2020, at the AGA Mid-Amateur Championship and the Women’s Senior Division of the Players Cup, and reached the semi-final round of the AGA Senior Women’s Match Play Championship.

Bryan Hoops // Player of the Year / Masters Player of the Year In addition to winning the Masters Division Player of the Year, Bryan Hoops captured the 2020 AGA Player of the Year title. He played in eight events in 2020, with a win at the Mid-Amateur Championship and three top-four finishes overall helping him get off to a fast start.

Hoops was runner-up at Southern Amateur as well as runner-up at the season-ending Players Cup. He finished fourth at the Northern Amateur after firing a final round 64. Rounding out Bryan’s 2020 season was a tie for eighth at the Falcon Amateur and a T15 finish at the AGA Championship and AGA Four-Ball tournament, respectively.

Hoops reached the Round of 64 at the 96th Arizona Amateur Championship, and was a participant on the Arizona vs. Utah Shootout team at the Wigwam Golf Club, where he won all three of his matches for Team Arizona and nine points.

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2020 Player Awards

AZ NEWS

Rusty Brown // Senior Player of the Year The Senior Player of the Year for 2020 is Rusty Brown after dominating the Senior Division points list, posting six topfive finishes in nine events and winning the Senior Division of the AGA Championship. His top-five finishes came at the Short Course and San Tan Amateur; and in the Senior Division of the Divisional Stroke Play (fifth), Southern Amateur (fourth) and Players Cup (third). He also finished tied for 10th place in the Arizona Senior Open.

Murphy Mitchell // Legends Player of the Year The 2020 Legends Player of the Year is Murphy Mitchell, whose 2020 run included nine events, with seven top 10 finishes. He won the Divisional Stroke Play at TPC Scottsdale’s Champions Course in a one-hole playoff and finished tied for first in the Legends Division of the Northern Amateur, falling in a playoff. Mitchell was also runner-up in the Legends Division of the AGA Championship, and finished tied for third in the Legends Division at the Players Cup. He was also the medalist qualifier for the 2020 Divisional Match Play Championship in the Legends Division.

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AZ NEWS

Tournament Review WORDS BY DAVID BATALLER

Graysen Huff Goes Wire-to-Wire to Win 2020 Patriot All-America Invitational

Auburn University senior Graysen Huff shot three straight rounds of par or better at the Wigwam Golf Club Gold Course, turning in a final-round -3 (67) to win the 2020 Patriot All-America Invitational at -8 overall. Huff’s final score was two shots better than Lincoln Memorial University senior Dan Bradbury, who finished alone in

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second at -6.

“It’s pretty awesome – I don’t really have words for it,” said Huff, the Eagle, Idaho-native playing in his second straight Patriot All-America. “This is what we work for, to just give yourself the opportunity. Thankfully the cards fell my way this week.”

Huff found himself down one stroke to Bradbury on the par-4 13th hole, before finding another gear down the stretch.

Bradbury would bogey 13 to drop to -5, and Huff would birdie three of his last five holes to take home the F-35 Trophy and authentic Air Force leather flight jacket. In all, 83 of the top amateur players in the world made up this year’s 10th Anniversary Patriot All-America field.

Turk Pettit of Clemson University and Logan McAllister of Oklahoma University finished tied for third at -4, respectively.

University of Arizona teammates Christian Banke and Trevor Werbylo, along with San Diego State University’s Puwit Anupansuebsai, finished tied for fifth at -3.

The Patriot All-America honors fallen or severely wounded soldiers in partnership with the Folds of Honor Foundation. The golfers received a golf bag donated by PING Corporation at the event’s opening ceremony this past Sunday emblazoned with the name and branch of service of a fallen or injured military member whom they shall represent. Participants also received a card with the soldier’s story so they can be familiar with that soldier.

Visit patriotallamerica.com for a full recap and leaderboard.

Silver Belle Crowns Youngest Champion in 50 Year History

The Joanne Winter Arizona Silver Belle Championship was won by fourteen-yearold Yana Wilson of Henderson, Nev., at the Briarwood Country Club in Sun City West.

Her three-round total of two-under-par 214 outpaced second-round leader Alexa Melton of USC by one stroke. Wilson became the event’s youngest champion in its Golden Jubilee.

Seventeen-year-old 2019 Champion Katherine Schuster and Pepperdine freshman Kaleiya Romero finished tied for third at even-par 216. The final round was thrilling from start to finish as Wilson, Melton, and Romero exchanged the lead several times over the first twelve holes. Wilson pulled ahead on the par-5 13th with a birdie, while Romero bogeyed and Melton suffered a triple-bogey. Wilson dropped a stroke on the par-4 14th while Romero parred to tie her, but a birdie at the par-5 17th gave the lead back to Wilson, and she never looked back.

All competitors played Briarwood Country Club’s par 72 layout at 6,268 yards. In addition to the overall champion, winners were crowned in five divisions: Kylee Choi of Murrieta, Calif., in the 14-and-under age division shooting a three-round total of 221; Leigh Chien of Irvine, Calif., in the 15-16 age division (220); Kaleiya Romero of San Jose, Calif., in the 17-18 age division (216); and Alexa Melton of Covina, Calif., in the 19-23 age division (215).

“The Silver Belle has grown into one of the premier amateur events for young

women from across the United States and around the world,” said Silver Belle President Barbara Byrnes of the event’s illustrious history. “The results from the championship earn many players points toward their World Amateur Golf Ranking.

Yana Wilson joins an impressive list of past champions, including (former LPGA President) Cathy Gaughan Mant (1971), (USGA, PGA of America Board member and ASU grad) Mary Bea Porter-King (1973), Jenny Lidback (1981), (ASU grad) Danielle Ammaccapane (1984), (ASU grad) Emilee Klein (1991), (former LPGA POY) Yani Tseng (2005), and Angel Yin (2011).”

For a complete list of past champions and more information, visit azsilverbelle.com.

Ewart Outlasts Top Field to Win Bushnell Golf Winter Classic at Talking Stick Golf Club

The Championship for the Golf Coaches Association collegiate series this past year was hosted at the Talking Stick Resort December 29-31. Barry University sophomore AJ Ewart birdied the 54th and final hole to emerge with a one-shot win over fellow Canadian and Oakland University senior Thomas Giroux.

In order to have NCAA approval, a few non-collegians had to be included in the field. As a co-host with the GCAA for several of these Series events, the AGA was pleased to have Bryan Hoops, Adam Walicki and Abe Candelaria compete with some of the best collegians, men and women.

Visit collegiategolf.com/events/gcaaamateur-series for the full leaderboard.

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JUNIOR GOLF

AZ NEWS

COLLEGE SIGNEES – CLASS OF 2021 Player

JGAA Members Sign National Letters of Intent to Play Collegiate Golf in 2021 WORDS BY SCOTT MCNEVIN Junior Golf Association of Arizona

A

s of late January, more than 30 JGAA members have signed National Letters of Intent to play collegiate golf in the fall of 2021. Pinnacle High School features five seniors who have signed, including Joseph Lloyd from the boys team (University of Utah) and 4 girls team members, Kyla Wilde (University of Wyoming), Lexi Pelle (Savannah College of Art and Design), Katie Stinchcomb (University of Memphis) and Sydney Seigel (University of Tulsa).

“As the game gets more and more competitive and so many solid players are looking to play at the next level, it’s great to see Arizona’s juniors at

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the top of the list,” said Scott McNevin, executive director of the JGAA. “Their hard work, dedication and the accomplishments that follow raise the overall caliber of the JGAA experience for all of our members.”

The JGAA serves as a valuable stepping stone for players to sharpen their skills by competing in tournaments like the PING Junior Master Series and attending informative clinics. And the rewards go beyond trophies and golf scholarships. No matter where they stand on the leaderboard, all JGAA members build lifelong friendships while having a lot of fun along the way.

High School

Cade Anderson Notre Dame Prep Gavin Aurilia Arcadia Libby Axen Catalina Foothills Sydney Bryan Red Mountain Mary Beth Doss Xavier Prep Olivia Florence Frisco

Kylie Franklin Hamilton Lauren Garcia Xavier Prep Trevor Grenier Highland

Kai Heiner Basha Julie Huggins Boulder Creek Joshua Jack Queen Creek Davis Johnson Scottsdale Prep Cameron Kaiser Brophy Sean Lehman Notre Dame Prep Trevor Lewis Basis Joe Lloyd Pinnacle Kylee Loewe Cactus Shadows Max Lyons Sandra Day O’Conner Rio Newcombe Casteel

Madison O’Sullivan Cactus Shadows Lexi Pelle Pinnacle

Kylie Rehberger Perry

Calynne Rosholt Cactus Shadows Sydney Seigel Pinnacle Leighton Shosted Mountain View Katie Stinchcomb Pinnacle Preston Summerhays Chaparral Jacob Tarkany Cactus Shadows Kendall Todd Arizona Connections Alex Vekich Desert Mountain Johnny Walker Hamilton Kyla Wilde Pinnacle

College Rutgers University USC Embry Riddle UNLV Colorado Christian University University of Colorado – Colorado Springs University of Montana Sonoma State University University of Colorado – Colorado Springs University of Hawai’i at Hilo University of Missouri Glendale Community College University of Utah Santa Clara University Cal Poly Embry Riddle University of Utah Texas Tech University Marquette University University of Colorado – Colorado Springs Regis University Savannah College of Art & Design South Mountain Community College Arizona State University University of Tulsa Utah Valley University University of Memphis Arizona State University Ohio State University UNLV DePaul University University of Arizona University of Wyoming

2021 ARIZONA GOLF ASSOCIATION Tournament Schedule DATE

COMPETITION SITE

HOST SITE

TOURNAMENT

JANUARY Jan. 9 - 10 Jan. 16 -17 Jan. 14 - 17 Jan. 25 - 27

Women’s State Medallion Club Team Arizona Short Course Latin America Amateur U of A Men

PebbleCreek Golf Club Oakwood Golf Club Lima Golf Club - Lima, Peru Sewailo Golf Club

Women’s Tournament AGA Tournament USGA Championship Collegiate

FEBRUARY Feb. 15 - 17 ASU Women’s Desert Classic Feb. 20 Women’s Season Opener Feb. 27 - 28 San Tan Amateur

Talking Stick Golf Club Longbow Golf Club Las Colinas Golf Club

Collegiate Women’s Tournament AGA Tournament

MARCH Mar. 8 - 9 Mar. 12 - 14 Mar. 12 - 14 Mar. 26 - 28 Mar. 27 - 28

U of A Women Clover Cup AGA Championship ASU Women’s PING Invitational Mayan Palace

Sewailo Golf Club Longbow Golf Club Aguila Golf Club Papago Golf Club Vidanta Puerto Peñasco - Mexico

Collegiate Collegiate AGA Championship Collegiate AGA Member Day

ASU Men’s Thunderbird Invitational Rocky Mountain Collegiate Arizona Stroke Play Championship U.S. Women’s Amateur Four-Ball

Papago Golf Club Wigwam Golf Resort Ak-Chin Southern Dunes Golf Club Maridoe Golf Club - Carrollton, TX

Collegiate Collegiate AGA Championship USGA Championship

U.S. Open Qualifier #1 U.S. Open Qualifier #2 U.S. Open Qualifier #3 U.S. Women’s Open Qualifier Falcon Amateur / AZ Am Qualifier #1 Women’s Four-Ball Championship U.S. Open Qualifier #4 Mayan Palace U.S. Amateur Four-Ball U.S. Senior Open Qualifier

Sewailo Golf Club Phoenix Golf Club Ak-Chin Southern Dunes Golf Club Superstition Mountain Golf Club Falcon Dunes Golf Course Troon North Golf Club The Country Club at DC Ranch Vidanta Puerto Peñasco - Mexico Chambers Bay - University Place, WA Arizona Country Club

USGA Qualifier USGA Qualifier USGA Qualifier USGA Qualifier AGA Tournament Women’s Championship USGA Qualifier AGA Member Day USGA Championship USGA Qualifier

SCHEDULE SUBJECT TO CHANGE

APRIL April 16 - 17 April 18 - 20 April 22 - 25 April 24 - 28

MAY May 6 May 10 May 12 May 13 May 14 - 15 May 17 - 18 May 17 May. 21 - 23 May 22 - 26 May 24 JUNE June 3 - 6 June 5 - 6 June 7 - 10 June 7 June 11 - 13 June 14 - 17 June 14 June 17 - 20 June 21 - 22 June 26 - 27 June 28

U.S. Women’s Open The Olympic Club - San Francisco, CA Father & Son Antelope Hills Golf Club Arizona Divisional Stroke Play Championship TPC Scottsdale - Champions Course U.S. Junior Amateur Qualifier Arizona Country Club Arizona Mid-Am / AZ Am Qualifier #2 Talking Stick Golf Club Women’s Match Play Championship We-Ko-Pa Golf Club U.S. Girls’ Junior Qualifier Blackstone Country Club U.S. Open Torrey Pines Golf Course - San Diego, CA Heather Farr Trophy Matches Papago Golf Club Southern Am / AZ Am Qualifier #3 The Gallery Golf Club U.S. Women’s Amateur Qualifier TBD

USGA Championship AGA Member Day AGA Championship USGA Qualifier AGA Championship Women’s Championship USGA Qualifier USGA Championship AGA Team AGA Tournament USGA Qualifier

AGA TOUR Events

Women’s Championships and Tournaments

USGA Qualifier

AGA Team Events

AGA Scramble/Member Days

Senior Cup Series

Collegiate Events

USGA Championship

DATE

COMPETITION SITE

HOST SITE

TOURNAMENT

JULY July 8 - 11 July 11 July 12 - 13 July 12 - 17 July 15 July 17 - 18 July 19 - 20 July 19 - 24 July 21 - Aug. 10 July 28 July 29 - Aug. 1

U.S. Senior Open AZ Am Qualifier #4 U.S. Amateur Qualifier #1 U.S. Girls’ Junior U.S. Senior Women’s Open Qualifier Mixed Stix Tournament U.S. Amateur Qualifier #2 U.S. Junior Amateur U.S. Senior Amateur Qualifiers U.S. Senior Women’s Amateur Qualifier U.S. Senior Women’s Open

Omaha Country Club - Omaha, NE TBD TBD Columbia Country Club - Chevy Chase, MD Longbow Oakcreek Country Club TBD Country Club of North - Pinehurst, NC TBD Moon Valley Country Club Brooklawn Country Club - Fairfield, CT

USGA Championship AGA Tournament USGA Qualifier USGA Championship USGA Qualifier Women’s Tournament USGA Qualifier USGA Championship USGA Qualifier USGA Qualifier USGA Championship

AUGUST Aug. 2 - 4 Women’s State Stroke Play Championship Quintero Golf Club Aug. 2 - 8 U.S. Women’s Amateur Westchester CC - Rye, NY Aug. 9 - 14 97th Arizona Amateur Championship Grayhawk Golf Club Aug. 9 - 15 U.S. Amateur Oakmont Country Club - Oakmont, PA August 24 U.S. Mid-Amateur Qualifier Talking Stick Golf Club August 26 U.S. Women’s Mid-Amateur Qualifier Mirabel Club Aug. 28 - Sept. 2 U.S. Senior Amateur CC of Detroit - Grosse Pointe Farms, MI Aug. 30 - Sept. 2 Women’s State Senior Championship Superstition Mountain Golf Club

SEPTEMBER Sept. 10 - 15 U.S. Senior Women’s Amateur The Lakewood Club - Point Clear, AL Sept. 11 - 12 Arizona Four-Ball Wigwam Golf Club Sept. 13 Goldwater Cup Matches Phoenix Country Club Sept. 14 U.S. Amateur Four-Ball Qualifier Wigwam Golf Club Sept. 25 - 30 U.S. Mid-Amateur Sankaty Head Golf Club - Siasconset, MA Sept. 25 - 30 U.S. Women’s Mid-Amateur Berkeley Hall Club - Bluffton, SC Sept. 27 - 29 Arizona Divisional Match Play Championship TBD Sept. 30 U.S. Women’s Amateur Four-Ball Qualifier Briarwood Country Club TBD AZ - Utah Shootout TBD (in Utah) OCTOBER Oct. 3 - 4 Women’s Scotch Play Tournament Oct. 16 - 17 Northern Amateur Oct. 23 - 24 Mayan Palace

Flagstaff Ranch Golf Club Oakcreek Country Club Vidanta Puerto Peñasco - Mexico

Women’s Championship USGA Championship AGA Championship USGA Championship USGA Qualifier USGA Qualifier USGA Championship Women’s Championship USGA Championship AGA Tournament AGA Team USGA Qualifier USGA Championship USGA Championship AGA Championship USGA Qualifier AGA Team Women’s Tournament AGA Tournament AGA Member Day

NOVEMBER Nov. 14 - 15 Women’s Partners Tournament TBD Nov. 20 - 21 AGA Players Cup Championship TBD Nov. 20 - 21 AGA Women’s Players Cup Championship TBD

Women’s Tournament AGA Championship AGA Championship

DECEMBER Dec. 5 - 8 SW Team Challenge Dec. 29 - 31 Patriot All-America

AGA Team Collegiate

Cascata Golf Club - Boulder City, NV Wigwam Golf Resort - Gold Course AZGOLF.ORG

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RULES OF GOLF

The proximity to a canal made it possible for players to drop on the 18th green at the Wigwam Golf Club’s Gold Course.

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here are always interesting happenings at the Patriot All America. In addition to an astonishing five holes-in-one, we had three rare and unusual rulings.

The first incident was at the Wigwam’s par 3 6th, playing at 203 yards. The hole was located in the left-front of the green about 30 feet from a lake. The player’s tee shot had trickled into the lake to the left of the hole. After taking relief (Rule 9.3), he walked up to the hole and while he did, his ball released on the slope and rolled back into the water. Since nothing other

than natural forces caused the ball to move, the ball was in play and had to be played as it lies. The player took another penalty stroke and dropped again from the penalty area. He chipped up next to the hole and putted in for a five: one into the water, two dropping out, three dropping out, the chip for four and putt for a five. He was not happy, but the choice of where he took relief left him in jeopardy. The same thing happened to the PGA TOUR’s Rickie Fowler last year.

The second incident was even more rare. While a player was preparing for a 40-foot putt on the 10th green, his caddie removed the flagstick and placed it on the green behind the hole, indicating the player’s line.

Rule 10.2 states that, while the ball is on the putting green, a player or caddie may not set an object down anywhere to indicate the line of play. This carries a penalty of two strokes. If the object is removed before the stroke is taken, the penalty still applies but only for a ball on the putting green. Elsewhere the object can be moved before the stroke is made to avoid the penalty.

The third is not known by most players but much more common. The 18th green is closely bordered by a canal which is only two feet from the putting green surface. Five times after hitting into the canal, in taking two club-length relief, players were able to drop on the putting green itself. This is permitted at any time a player takes penalty relief, Rule 17.1d.

The Rules can sometimes cause consternation to players, but to those in the know they also provide opportunities to save strokes. The USGA has many videos online at USGA.org if you’re interested in a quick study to improve your Rules knowledge. If you’re a competitive player at any handicap, it will make a difference. If for no other reason, it will win you several bets and free drinks from your friends.

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OUT OF BOUNDS

Bill Johnston: Lucky *and* Good WORDS BY GARY VAN SICKLE

I

don’t remember what I did the day after I graduated from high school. That day is “Star Wars” stuff—a long time ago and a galaxy far, far away.

I know what Bill Johnston did. He enlisted in the U.S. Navy in Ogden, Utah. World War II wasn’t going so great in early 1943 yet he never considered not enlisting.

Johnston wanted to be a fighter pilot but was sent instead to the submarine service aboard the U.S.S. Sea Fox in the South China Sea. He got tonsillitis after his first two-month patrol and was transferred to the U.S.S. Tang when it appeared he wouldn’t recover before the Sea Fox left Guam to get back into action.

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OUT OF BOUNDS

“ Johnston successfully begged his way back aboard the Sea Fox because, he said, “I didn’t want to have to get to know 80 new guys.” The Tang went down two weeks later, sunk by one of its own torpedoes that meandered back after a miss.

A Sea Fox torpedo circled back once, too, and just missed hitting its conning tower. Another time, the sub’s five-inch deck gun was used for target practice on a train from off Japan’s Honshu coast. A bevy of Zeros (fighter planes) came screaming over the ocean like angry hornets a few minutes later and the sub crash-dived to escape. “We damned near got nailed,” said Johnston.

Once, the Sea Fox surfaced in the fog south of Japan in the middle of a large enemy convoy. It fired off six torpedoes and quickly dived. But the sub’s rudder stuck so all the Sea

My god, the screams and yells that went up when we did that,” Johnston recalled. “I said, ‘Arnie, I feel like I just won the tournament!’ He got a good laugh from that.

”

Fox could do was troll in a circle. The crew soon heard depth charges exploding along the convoy’s perimeter, where the Japanese destroyers figured the sub would be—and where it would have been had the rudder not stuck. “That might have saved us,” Johnston said.

That was a lucky day. Just like when a mutual friend arranged for me to meet Johnston a few years ago at the Biltmore Resort in Phoenix, where Bill was pro emeritus and also designer and builder of its 18-hole Links Course. I was in town from Pittsburgh to cover the Phoenix Open. We were just supposed to have lunch and talk golf. Then came war stories. And golf stories. I was drawn in.

Johnston played college golf at Utah, played part-time on the not-very-lucrative PGA TOUR then, winning the 1958 Texas Open and 1960 Utah Open, and snagged 11 state titles.

In the 1956 PGA Championship in Canton, Mass.

Johnston beat Walter Burkemo, known as the MatchPlay Killer because of his 23-1 match-play record, to reach the semifinals. “The No-one from Nowhere, Utah, reaches PGA semis,” was how one local paper reported it.

“I thought it was a hell of a headline,” said Johnston, who finished fourth.

At the 1960 Open Championship at St Andrews, Johnston flashed a thumbs-up, go-get-‘em sign to Arnold Palmer

as he walked to the 18th green as Palmer was coming off the adjacent first tee. Palmer waved him over for a handshake.

“My god, the screams and yells that went up when we did that,” Johnston recalled. “I said, ‘Arnie, I feel like I just won the tournament!’ He got a good laugh from that.”

Nagle beat Palmer by a stroke. Johnston finished 26th and won about $126.

It’s been a wonderful life. Johnston married and helped raise four sons. He designed and built nine golf courses. The Thunderbirds still run the junior tournament he founded in 1962, making that event older than most PGA TOUR tournaments. He’s in the Arizona Golf Hall of Fame (and two other Halls) and only recently quit playing golf after a fall tweaked his back and he left his Scottsdale home to move to Idaho to live with one of his sons. “It’s time,” Bill said when he called to tell me the news.

Oh, did I mention that he somehow earned a pilot’s license (since the Navy didn’t accommodate his dream) during those early barn-storming years? Amazing.

When I wrote a magazine-length story on him two years ago (findable on the Internet by Googling our names) Johnston said he’s been lucky in love, in war and in life.

Johnston is still on a roll. He turned 96 in January. What more is there to say about his one-of-a-kind life?

Except maybe: So far, so good.

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19th Hole

Old Town Tortilla Factory Scottsdale, Arizona

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Treat your guests to Old Town Scottsdale’s most inviting patio, featuring some of Arizona’s unique southwestern cuisine. Locally owned and operated, our establishment has the ability to take care of groups of 2-300. It’s the perfect spot to gather for a night under the stars after a wonderful day of golf.

480-945-4567 | www.oldtowntortillafactory.com

Established in 1978 Arizona’s Finest Men’s Store 8787 N. Scottsdale Rd. #230, Scottsdale, Az 85253 480.947.3800 Hours: Monday – Saturday 10am to 6pm | Sunday 12 pm to 5pm 2870 E. Skyline Dr. #170, Tucson, Az 85718 520.747.0680 Hours: Monday – Saturday 11am to 7pm | Sunday 12pm to 5pm AZGOLF.ORG

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