TEE TIMES GOLF GUIDE Magazine April 2018 by TEE TIMES GOLF GUIDE Magazine

Golf in Kansas City ● Lake of the Ozarks Golf

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APRIL 2018

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Kansas City's #1 Monthly Golf Magazine Since 2001

What’s All the Buzz About the New 2018 Golf Balls?

Golf Tips

How to BOMB Your Driver… PHOTO CONTEST WIN FREE GOLF

K n o w Yo u r D i s t a n c e

Bushnell’s New Phantom GPS with Bite Tech

Elite Girls Golf

Performance League Tees Up

Lake of the Ozarks Golf Destinations —

Triple Creek’s Hybrid 18-Hole Course and Redfield Golf Club

Chip Shots — Tomahawk Hills, Tiffany Greens, WinterStone

We’re Serious About Your Game! Spring Workout Special

Get A Range Punch Card Today Buy 10 buckets – get 2 Free!

Co-Owner John Richman, a Two-Time Midwest Section PGA Teacher of the Year, and his Golf Academy Staff Provide High-Tech Golf Training and Coaching Packages that Will Get You On The Path to Playing Better Golf. The Golf Channel Academy at Martin City Golf Center Coaches ● John Richman ● Mark Nigro ● Rob Wilkin ● Chris Cone ● Derrek Dubsky ● Charlie Johnson

Looking For The Best Clubfitting? Our award-winning clubfitting team is ready to fit you with the newest equipment. Advanced certified clubfitters for Callaway, Mizuno, Ping, TaylorMade and Titleist. Featuring: • TaylorMade Performance Lab • Titleist Scotty Cameron Showcase Partner • SAM Putter Fitting Lab

All The Newest Equipment Available in Our Large Golf Shop The Golf Channel Academy 816.941.9000

“At the Martin City Golf Center, We’re Serious About Your Game!” www.MartinCitySports.com

at Martin City Golf Center

1 West 135th Street, Martin City, MO (West of 135th and Holmes Road)

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Warm-up your short game at our new short game practice area. Lower your score by perfecting the “Scoring Zone.”

Affordable Rates with Cart! Monday thru Thursday: Regular — Open to 11:50 a.m. Regular — Noon – 2:50 p.m. Senior — Open to 11:50 a.m. Senior — Noon – 2:50 p.m.

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Make Tee Times Online at www.StoneCanyonGolfClub.com ● 22415 East 39th St S, Blue Springs, MO 64015

Contents

FIND YOUR PERFECT DAY ON A GOLF COURSE!

Now In Our 18th Year Every Issue

From the Editor ....................................................... 6 KC Golf Course Guide & Location Map ........ 20 - 21 Lake of the Ozarks Course Guide ...................... 34 Driving Ranges, Golf Stores, Private Courses ...... 42 Charity Golf Tournaments ................................... 44 Youth On Course Guide Juniors Play Golf for $5 ... 45

Tap-Ins Local Golf News — • •

Superintendents News —

New Golf Equipment —

Reflections — My First-Ever Custom Clubfitting... The Editor gets fitted for new clubs.

Midwest Section PGA News —

Photo of the Month Contest — WIN FREE GOLF Take Your Best Shot at Guessing the Photo of the Month

Playing Better — Elite Girls Golf Performance League Tees Up at Shamrock Hills

Featured Course of Month —

Pro Tips — How to BOMB Your Driver…

How Golf Turf Stresses Trickle Away What’s All the Buzz About the New 2018 Golf Balls?

Where Do They Get All Those Golf Shop Goodies?

Shawnee Golf and Country Club... Stay Below the Hole!

Product Profiles — • Bushnell’s New Phantom GPS Has Bite Tech •

Find Bogie,Win a

$100

Bushnell Neo iON GPS Watch Find this photo of Bogie in one of the advertisement’s within this issue and enter your guess for this month’s drawing to Win a Bushnell Neo iON GPS Watch. Submit your guess and mailing address by the 18th of this month to: I Found Bogie and email to VP@TeeTimesGG.com. See Last Month's Winner on Page 42 Cover Photo: This month’s cover (hole #1 at Shamrock Hills) celebrates women’s golf. The Masters is April 5 - 8 and National Golf Day April 10, so celebrate golf all month. Find your perfect day on a golf course. (Course photo by Bill Cromwell) 4

TEE TIMES GOLF GUIDE

April 2018

Join The Fred Arbanas Women’s Golf League Stone Canyon Completes New Projects

FEATURES

Tour Edge Exotics CBX Fairway Wood

Lake Ozarks Golf Features — Redfield Golf Club and

KC Golf News —

Chip Shots — KC Area Golf Options — a Chip Shot Away Tomahawk Hills, Tiffany Greens, WinterStone

KC Junior Golf News —

Missouri to Host The 100th PGA Championship

Triple Creek’s — Hybrid 18-Hole Course

My Clubs Were Stolen! — How to Avoid Golf Club Theft

• •

U.S. Kids Golf Spring Schedule Grand Summit Junior Golf Camps

Plus More Good Stuff Within These Pages — Enjoy!

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The Best Golf Value in K.C. Walk Away Smiling — That's Our Goal! “So come on down and let our friendly staff show you a good time!” Jay Kennedy, PGA Head Professional

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From

The Editor

Bill Cromwell, Editor-in-Chief TEE TIMES GOLF GUIDE™ Magazine

It’s Masters Month

hut the refrigerator; man, am I ever happy that April has arrived. Harsh winter for golfers this year compared to the last few years. Yes, we had a few golfable days, but they were far and few between. Hopefully, you took advantage of those days and are now pumped-up to hit the course this spring and celebrate Masters (April 5-8) month. Heck, I’m celebrating it all month. Like most, I think it’s great to see Tiger back on tour, and he had a good showings at the Valspar Championship and Arnold Palmer Invitational. No matter how he finishes a tournament, it’s still great for golf to have him playing and the attention his presence brings to the game. The Masters is always great to watch no matter who is in the field or topping the leaderboard, but with Tiger playing, this year, it will be especially awesome for golf fans. The Legends of Golf with many of the best PGA TOUR Champions tee off in Branson this month (April 17 – 22) at Top of the Rock, Buffalo Ridge and the new Mountain Top golf course. This will be the fifth playing of the Bass Pro Shops Legends of Golf at Big Cedar Lodge, and with the new Mountain Top Course designed by Gary Player making its debut, this will be a fun tournament to hop in the car for a short drive to Branson and watch. PGA TOUR Champions players will add the Mountain Top (9-hole) course to their competitive schedule, playing Buffalo Ridge Springs on Thursday, April 19; Top of the Rock on either Friday or Saturday, and Mountain Top on the alternate day; and closing out the week with a final round at Top of the Rock on Sunday, April 22. There’s a Celebrity Skins Shootout at Top of the Rock on Sunday, April 22, starting at 9:30 a.m. including appearances by Jack Nicklaus, Gary Player, Lee Trevino, actor Mark Wahlberg, and Kid Rock, singer-songwriter, actor and the defending Skins Game Champion! Saturday, April 21, is Family Fun Day, where all children ages 17 and under receive free admission with a paid adult. There will be fun entertainment by a golf trick-shot entertainer and all “Family Fun Day” guests will receive a special gift from the Branson Convention and Visitors Bureau, plus more free goodies (limited quantities available). Daily Pass tickets for $25 are available at www.bassprolegends.com/tournament-tickets. Military and first responders (with valid ID) receive free Tuesday through Saturday daily passes courtesy of Big Cedar Lodge. Emerge from hibernation and play golf this “Masters” month — we all need the warm sunshine and birdies.

Thank you for reading our magazine. Enjoy your golf!

We Encourage Our 30,000-Plus Monthly Readers To Do Business With The Advertisers Within This Publication. 6

TEE TIMES GOLF GUIDE

April 2018

Kansas City’s Longest Running Monthly Golf Magazine

Our Now In r ea 18th Y Our Mission — To Promote Golf 365 Days per Year. Tee Times Golf Guide™ Inc.

Mailing Address: P.O. Box 2196, Independence, MO 64055 Corporate Office: 816.878.4509 Publisher, Bill Cromwell, Editor-in-Chief Ad Placement and News Article Requests Editor@TeeTimesMagazine.com Managing Editor Victoria Cromwell, VP@TeeTimesGG.com Creative Designers, Graphic Arts, Golf Course Photography, Bill and Victoria Cromwell • •

Roving Course Analysts (a person who conducts analysis): Mike Hull, John Baccala and Ron Underwood Field Ambassador: Deanie Olinger Our Team of the Best Contributing Golf Writers in KC Alan Hoskins — Lead Feature Writer John Baccala — Professional Golf Course Profile Writer Ann Butenas — Midwest Section PGA News Writer Eddie Hall — Equipment Reviews & Clubfitting Tips Courtney (Mahon) Gildea, LPGA — Golf Tips Writer John Richman, PGA — Golf Tips & Instruction Jacob Rockhold — Golf Course Superintendent Columnist

Association News Features: KCGA (Kansas City Golf Association) – Monthly News PGA Midwest Section – News – Brad Demo, Director GCSAA (Golf Course Superintendents Association of America) – News Tee Times Golf Guide Magazine offers a monthly Kansas City Edition that is distributed throughout the entire KC Metro area, Lake of the Ozarks and Branson, MO. Found at nearly 500 locations including public and private golf courses, driving ranges, golf stores, restaurants, sports bars, resorts, hotels and many other select locations. In addition, the magazine is offered online as an inter-active E-magazine at www.TeeTimesMagazine.com. © Tee Times Golf Guide™ Inc. 2001 through 2018. All Rights Proprietary & Conceptual Designs Reserved. Reproduction of any part of this publication’s contents is strictly prohibited. Notice: The editor reserves the right to reject whatever material does not fit with the vision or intent of this publication. Advertising is accepted at the discretion of the publisher and does not imply endorsement. The contributing writers, staff or owners of TEE TIMES GOLF GUIDE™ Inc. cannot be held liable for hardship or losses incurred due to content associated with this publication or website. Written views and information expressed in this publication belong to the writers and do not reflect the sentiments or editorial opinion of the publisher or staff. We cannot be held responsible for scheduling, prices, rate changes or the occasional typographical errors. NOTICE: Advertisers have the right to terminate promotions or special offers, change rates or fees without notice. All listed guides, rates, fees and information herein are non-binding reference material only. Always check with listed courses for updated rates and special offers.

View our online E-magazine at www.TeeTimesMagazine.com. This Magazine is Proudly Endorsed by the

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April 2018

TEE TIMES GOLF GUIDE

Tap-In s LOCAL GOLF NEWS

Join the Fun in The Fred Arbanas

Women’s Golf League

he Fred Arbanas Women’s 18-Hole Thursday Golf League tees-up in May, and interested women can play “warm-up” rounds in April every Thursday morning at 9 a.m. This is a great opportunity for anyone who wants to play prior to the season’s start, to learn more about the course and meet fellow golfers. The Women’s 18-Hole Golf League begins play on Thursday, May 3, with an 8 a.m. shotgun start. League play continues every Thursday thru September 27. Weekly games are played with prizes awarded at the end the of season. The Club Championship Tournament will be held during August. Come Join The Fun Every Thursday in Our Ladies Golf League!

League fee is $26. Green fees are $34 including cart. A GHIN handicap is required, and the $35 fee may be paid at Fred Arbanas. If you play in the April warm-ups, you can develop a league GHIN handicap during those rounds.

Stone Canyon Completes New Projects Stone Canyon Golf Club, is now in its third year (2018) of new ownership by Kevin Stallings, President of D&D Building, Inc., dba Dreams & Design Building. Stallings is a residential builder in various communities including the surrounding Stone Canyon subdivision. Under the new ownerships, nearly a half million-dollars in upgrades have been completed, including a new state-of-the art short game practice area that includes 5,000 square feet of hitting/chipping areas with two sand bunkers to a 5,000-square-foot green. In March, construction of the new cart storage building was completed along with renovations to the women’s and men’s restrooms including a men’s shower and other features. New Precedent Club Car golf carts where also delivered in March that include two USB ports for convenient charging of electrical devices and custom seats.

Stone Canyon Golf Club, the only Greg Norman Signature Design course in the Midwest, is an 18-hole championship layout that provides a truly memorable golf challenge with Norman’s signature design traits, which include velvet Bentgrass from tees to closely mown greens, creative bunkering and landscape accents that pay homage to some of the world’s greatest courses. Stone Canyon’s dramatic layout and elevated tees traverse rolling and rugged terrain with several spectacular stone outcroppings integrated into the layout — hence the name Stone Canyon.

The Fred Arbanas Women’s 9-Hole Tuesday Evenings Golf League begins play on Tuesday, May 1, with tee times approximately at 4:30 p.m. or after. League play continues through September, weather permitting. An 18-hole league tournament is scheduled on a weekend in late September or early October. League fee is $25. Green fees are $27 including cart. Walking fee is $18. No GHIN handicap is needed.

While improvements are always ongoing under the leadership of Superintendent Jacob Rockhold, the course is indeed an Elite KC golf destination.

To sign up or for more information about either ladies leagues, please call the Fred Arbanas Golf Course pro shop at 816-761-9445. Facebook — Longview Ladies Golf League or Longview Ladies 9-Hole League.

Located in Independence (with a Blue Springs address) just off I-70 and Woods Chapel Road, it’s less than 10 minutes east of Arrowhead and Kauffman Stadiums at 22415 East 39th St S, Blue Springs, MO 64015. For more information and tee times, call 816-228- 3333 or visit www.StoneCanyonGolfClub.com.

8 TEE TIMES GOLF GUIDE

April 2018

After your round, the Shark’s Cove Bar and Grill is the perfect place to tally the skins game, have a cool brewsky and reflect on your day.

We Encourage Our 30,000-Plus Monthly Readers To Do Business With The Advertisers Listed In This Publication.

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How Golf Turf Stresses Trickle Away

News ] by Michael Gardner

Advertorial

] Superintendents

Relieving Golf Course Heat and Heavy Traffic Stresses

just had one of those days on the golf course when you sit back and think, “Wow, what a great day!” I played a fabulous course in Carlsbad, CA, where the ocean breeze is cool and refreshing and the sun warms your soul.

The course runs through coastal hills and valleys with impressive elevation changes. From the hilltops, you can see the ocean. Down in the valleys are wetlands, streams and what are called “environmentally sensitive” areas where the foliage is thick and tall. An impressive seven miles of cart paths weave in and out of canyons. You may drive two to three minutes through beautiful surroundings to get to the next tee box. This day reminded me how much I love the beauty of golf. Not necessarily the game itself, but the actual beauty of the game. Standing on the first tee box with a large ravine in front of me, the green grass of the fairway in the distance, and the ocean to my right, I felt life’s stresses fading away. I often think about the different stresses of life. As a “turf guy,” I’m aware of the stresses affecting golf courses. Just as stress affects our bodies, the different avenues stress takes are no different with turf. Stress from different angles affects turf health and playability. Heat Stresses of Summer

With spring around the corner, and soon the summer heat, it’s important for superintendents to get an early start on soil health and hydration. The summer heat brings drought, hot spots, water repellency and other issues. Proper soil health ensures water penetration and retention, alleviating and reducing heat stress symptoms now and in the future. Huma Gro® Turf focuses on long-term soil health to combat the summer heat. With summer also comes the stress of soil compaction caused by heavy play. This includes all parts of the course: cart paths, walking paths, fairways, tee boxes and greens. Running hundreds of golf carts each day takes a toll on golf courses. Superintendents take great care in directing traffic to reduce compaction. Proper soil health can help maintain air pockets in the soil and break up compaction. TEE TIMES GOLF GUIDE

Whether stress is created by the environment or the game, Huma Gro Turf products can help. Programs have been developed that use a range of turf products to combat stress caused by summer heat and heavy play. Huma Gro Turf products can be another tool for superintendents to use to prevent many stress issues on the course. Heat Stress Program Huma Gro Turf’s Surf-Max® soil surfactant improves water penetration and movement through the soil and roots. Turfplex® VII is recommended to nourish and correct deficiencies for vigor, vitality and color. Calcium is applied for strength, growth and plant health; Sil-K® for stronger blades for heat and wear tolerance; and Multi-Purpose™ for improved air and water exchange in the soil. These products make the Huma Gro Heat Stress Program and can be mixed together. The Heavy Traffic Program includes Turfplex® IV, a fastacting, long-lasting nitrogen source for vigorous turf, as well as Sil-K and Multi-Purpose, which are also in the Heat Stress Program. These products are recommended for use prior to tournaments and in heavy traffic areas. They strengthen the grass stem to prevent ball marks, fight cleat damage and give the ball a faster, truer roll.

Golf turf stresses are similar throughout the country. It’s a warm weather activity, and local courses get a lot of play. These factors bring stress, not only to the courses, but to the golf course superintendents.

Other proactive measures to prevent damage caused by summer heat and heavy play include raising mowing heights and using smooth rollers, alternating mowing and rolling and skipping a day when possible; aerating soil using smaller tines; fertilizing in small doses; and monitoring traffic patterns. Water management is essential — a surfactant should be used for quick water penetration and to increase moisture retention during a drought or to treat hot spots. A preventive fungicide is recommended.

April 2018

In addition to preventing heat and heavy traffic stress, Huma Gro Turf’s Promax is a recommended zero re-entry pesticide to cure and protect against nematodes and diseases in the soil. Huma Gro Turf products can be mixed together. Huma Gro Turf provides the tools for stress-free turf. Whether you’re a superintendent enjoying your stress-free turf, a turf guy like me, and/or a golfer, the next time you’re standing at the tee box, look out and enjoy the beauty of nature, take a deep breath, and feel the stress trickle away. Consult your local Huma Gro Turf representative TJ Blankenship of Green Partners USA at 816.519.6737 or TJ@GreenPartnersUSA.com for specific recommendations. Huma Gro Turf products include Micro Carbon Technology®, a proprietary blend of very small organic molecules that allows for more effective absorption of nutrients by plants.  Michael Gardner is Senior Director of Huma Gro Turf Sales at Bio Huma Netics, Inc. A complete listing of Huma Gro Turf special programs can be found at https://humagroturf.com/special-turfprograms. www.TeeTimesMagazine.com

Advertorial

Should You Get Your Clubs Custom Fitted?

et’s face it, just because you watched a commercial about the newest golf clubs and how they will enable you to hit longer than ever, doesn’t mean they are the best for your swing.

If you want to play better golf, buying a set of clubs off the rack is not the answer. In fact, there is no shortcut to playing better. It’s about practicing, making adjustments to your swing, more practice, and yes, the correct equipment for your swing. Not being professionally fit for clubs is truly a grim oversight for even moderately serious golfers. That’s why a clubfitter can help. While a clubfitting can help shave strokes for all players, higher handicap golfers can eliminate a decent number of strokes by getting fitted properly. A clubfitter will make sure your lie angles and shafts are right for your swing, helping you hit more accurate shots, and even increase your distances. Mike Dickerson (photo on left), owner of Golf MD, has been in the clubfitting business since 1992 — before clubfitting was cool! Dickerson says, “At Golf MD we offer a complete custom golf club and testing facility, using two Trackman launch monitors, a putter fitting studio and video systems. We can find the club or shaft that will make your clubs perform to the maximum capabilities for your swing — not simply fit you as the average guy or gal.” Golf MD has ranked as a top “100 best Clubfitter” by Golf Digest for the past seven years and a “Worlds Top 100 Clubfitter” in 2006 thru 2017, so building and fitting clubs for amateurs all the way up to touring professionals is what it does best.

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“Making sure a customer’s clubs will perform the way they should is where we excel,” said Dickerson. “We frequency match the shafts, checking length, loft, lie, weight, club balance, spine alignment, and provide custom wedge grinding, stamping and finishing.” Golf MD also offers a complete club repair shop for re-gripping and re-shafting.

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“By getting fit for your clubs, you can make the game easier,” said Dickerson. “For example, by having a driver that is fit to your swing, you can optimize ball flight, which will not only lead to distance gains, but also improved accuracy. Simply put, we all want to enjoy the game and playing the correct equipment will help good shots fly father and miss-hits land closer to the target.”

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Preview

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For more information or fitting appointments, contact Golf MD at 913.663.5050 or visit www.Golf-MD.com. Located at 11231 Strang Line Rd. Suite B, Lenexa, KS 66215.

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Golf MD offers only Pro line components such as PXG, Titleist, Callaway, TaylorMade, Cobra, Mizuno, Ping, and more. “We have nearly 35,000+ combinations of shaft and clubheads,” he said. “You’ll get the best equipment for your swing. If you want to get one up on your opponents, you are in the right place.”

15101 Grand Summit Blvd. ● Grandview, MO 64030

]

New Golf Equipment

What’s All the Buzz About the New 2018 Golf Balls?

The new Tour B XS golf ball replaces the Tour B330S, which was among the most popular premium balls in golf. From a performance standpoint, the B XS provides more spin and control around the green thanks to a softer urethane cover. It also features a modified dimple design that promotes improved aerodynamics for more distance. Bridgestone also offers the Tour B X golf ball, which is designed to promote more accuracy and control with the increased distance. Bridgestone has replaced the Tour B330 RX, which has been one of the most popular balls among recreational players, with the Tour B RX ball. This ball offers exceptional tee-to-green performance along with a soft feel. Its modified core offers more distance. The Tour B RX ball is designed for maximum control off of the tee, while the Tour B RXS has more feel. You owe it to your game to look in the pro shop for the Bridgestone balls and use the special pricing to try them out. You will be pleasantly surprised! Titleist keeps its golf balls in the line for a two-year cycle, and this is the year for the unveiling of new DT Trusoft and Velocity. Both of these balls have been tweaked, but the big news is that the new Tour Soft ball, which replaces the NXT line, is a two-piece golf ball that features the largest core ever used by Titleist. The large core promotes faster speed and a soft, responsive feel. This ball is designed for golfers who want commanding distance, soft feel and advanced control in the short game. This is a ball to definitely try. It’s a mid-priced golf ball at $34.99 per Doz. 12

by Eddie Hall, Equipment Writer

he 2018 golf season is starting out with a lot of buzz about the new equipment, and the golf ball market is no exception. Spring is a great time to try out some different golf balls, before deciding what to play this year. Let’s look at some of the better options.

Bridgestone is making a lot of noise in the golf ball market, and they’ve spent big dollars on tour to increase their presence. The most notable addition is Tiger Woods, who is now playing the Bridgestone Tour B XS golf ball. Most big golf companies spend hordes of money on tour players in hopes that TV fans see its golf ball in use and then go to pro shops and buy the ball. This is a proven way to get market awareness, but Bridgestone is going a step further by promoting its golf balls in the golf shops with huge promotional pricing. This is proving to be money well spent, as many of our golfers are buying these balls up and playing them.

TEE TIMES GOLF GUIDE

]

As mentioned, the DT Trusoft and Velocity golf balls have been updated for the 2018 season. The DT Trusoft takes that proven soft ball and juices it up with more distance. The increased distance comes from a larger core, which is still low compression, but now produces less spin on full shots. Retail $21.99 Doz. The new Titleist Velocity ball is designed to maximize distance on every shot. A softer core and faster cover work together to create extremely low-spin off of the tee, resulting in increased distance. In addition to the increased distance, the ball is flying higher, which helps stop the ball faster on the green. The Titleist brand is still #1 in the golf ball market, and with these improvements, I expect that it will continue to dominate. Retail $26.99 Doz. Callaway has the #1 driver, fairway, hybrids, irons and putters (Odyssey) in the market. They are now determined to keep moving up the ladder in the golf ball market. Its SuperSoft golf ball is still one of the most popular in the “soft” ball market, but Callaway is really excited about its new Chrome Soft offering. This ball does it all. It has Tour-level performance, great feel and incredible forgiveness. The 2018 offering features a new “Dual SoftFast Core,” which has been infused with a material called “Graphene.” Graphene is one of the strongest materials made but is very lightweight. This enables Callaway to increase the core size and have a thinner mantle, allowing the spin to be better managed. All of this, put together with a Tour Urethane cover, produces less spin off of the tee for more distance, while getting optimal spin off of the irons and wedges. This is the best combination for golfers looking for more forgiveness, while still getting that soft feel and straight flight. Callaway Chrome Soft is definitely a ball to try this spring. To know that you are getting the new 2018 Chrome Soft golf balls, look for the words “New Graphene” printed on the box cover. Retail $44.99 Doz. There are a large number of golf ball options for the 2018 season not covered here. Talk to your golf course professional to learn which balls might benefit your game and then give them a try.  Eddie Hall is the general manager at Paradise Pointe Golf Complex and owner of Paradise Pointe Golf Shop. Hall preforms hundreds of custom clubfittings yearly. For questions or help with your golf clubs, contact him at eddie.hall@paradisepointegolf.com.

April 2018

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M y F irst-E ver C ustom C lubfitting Golfers choose from 35,000 head and shaft combinations. Words and Photography by Bill Cromwell

In photo from left is Store Manager Kent Clodfelter and to his right is Club Champion Founder Nick Sherburne visiting with two guests.

fter playing golf for over 50 years, I finally experienced my first custom clubfitting at the new Club Champion Store in Overland Park, KS, which opened this past January. My story begins quite comically. Club Champion invited me to preview the new store and experience a custom clubfitting. I was more than happy to tour the store, take some photos and see first-hand what a clubfitting was all about. I was given an appointment date of January 18 for my fitting and was emailed two appointment date and time reminders several days prior to the date. I blocked my calendar for January 18. I was so excited for my first-ever clubfitting that I woke that morning, dressed appropriately and watched the clock, making sure I was not going to be late. I arrived at Club Champion about 40-minutes early to take photos and prepare for my clubfitting. Store Manager Kent Clodfelter was more than gracious welcoming me to the store, “I thought we had you scheduled for the 18th,” he said. I replied, “That’s correct, and here I am.” Kent replied, “Today is the 17th, but I think I can work you in.” Now, I felt my face rapidly turning really red, so I quickly responded, “Kent, I’m so excited about getting fitted for the first time, I guess, I wanted to be a day early.” Geeezzz! Thank goodness, Kent was so gracious and had time available. Club Champion, established in 2010, fits, sells and builds clubheads, shafts and grips from the best brands in golf including Callaway, TaylorMade, Ping, Titleist and all other major manufacturers. The company 14

TEE TIMES GOLF GUIDE

says it delivers a Tour-quality clubfitting that produces longer, more accurate shots, with a nearly 100% satisfaction rate for golfers of any caliber.

assembling golf clubs. The wall of hundreds of clubheads and shafts is remarkable. It’s truly a golfer’s candy store. My first walk-in impression was —Wow!

Club Champion is a national clubfitting and building company headquartered in Chicago, IL, and currently has 30 studios in major markets across the country with plans to open seven more locations this year.

A full fitting takes about two hours, and you’ll hit plenty of golf balls and clubs. To make the most of your fitting, you’ll bring your entire current golf bag and clubs, which is an essential part of analyzing your swing and creating a benchmark for your new clubs. You also need to wear golf or tennis shoes and comfortable clothes. You will be taking a lot of swings so dress accordingly.

The new Overland Park, KS, location at 7400 W. 121st Street (Southridge Shopping Center off 135th and Metcalf) features approximately 3,000 square feet of space. It has been designed to showcase Club Champion’s premium fitting experience with over 35,000 hittable head and shaft combinations. The studio includes two indoor hitting bays with Trackman launch monitors for analyzing performance, a SAM PuttLab’s fitting system to find the perfect putter on its practice green, and an on-site build shop for repairing and

April 2018

At this point, I should mention that this review will not be about the technical aspects of a clubfitting. I’m not the guy knowledgeable enough to go into all of the different specs, weights of clubs or telling you what can help you eek out extra yards. This is simply based on my first-hand clubfitting experience as an 8-10ish handicapper. Kent started off my fitting process by acquiring a host of Trackman launch monitor performance numbers from my current 6-iron, which is the Tour Edge Exotics XCG5 with Project X Flighted 5.5 Regular Rifle shafts. I’d been using these clubs for maybe four years and hit them well — mostly! Sure, I want a bit more accuracy, and if I can gain some distance with new clubs, that’s great too.

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I’m from the school of “I don’t care how far I hit a 6-iron, what matters to me is where the shot ends up.” Meaning, did the shot fly to its intended target? So, hitting a 6-iron 150 yards or 200 yards is meaningless to me. What matters to me is simply landing a shot where I want it. Greens in regulation will lower scores quicker than hitting a 6-iron 200 yards. So, after hitting a half-dozen shots with my current clubs, Kent had baselines with which to compare my current clubs to the performance of the optimal clubs for my swing characteristics via Trackman: club speed mph, ball speed mph, smash factor, launch angle, spin rate, carry yards, attack angle, loft, face angle and at least four more important stats. You get the idea of how in-depth we’re going with the fitting process. Kent started the new clubfitting based on my Trackman numbers and asking if I prefer a particular club. After reading Eddie Hall’s irons review article in the March issue (page 12) of this magazine, I had my eyes set on a set of the new TaylorMade M3 or M4 irons. So, we start with that brand. I hit four shots with one shaft, then switch to another shaft and so on. This process is repeated with four to five different shaft combos (I lost count), but in the end, that was not the club for my swing. It’s important to note that Club Champion’s approach is unbiased; no specific club brand is promoted. The only goal — find the best combination of components to lower your scores. Now, that’s likely the most important point to this entire article. I loved reading about the TaylorMade M2 — they are great irons and a club I would buy off the shelf thinking my game would instantly improve. How wrong I would have been. After hitting them for a month or two, thinking I could learn to hit them well, which would never happen — now, I’d be stuck with a $1,000 set of clubs that I can’t hit well. Great clubs, just not the club for my unique swing characteristics. Fortunately, through the Club Champion clubfitting process, I discovered that the brands I thought would work and the many clubheads – shaft combos I tried did not give me any measurable improvements with my swing over my current clubs. So why not just keep hitting the clubs I have? After nearly two hours of hitting different head and shaft combinations —

and trust me, I hit a lot — Kent had to give me a bandage for a blister that I was getting on my thumb. Finally, we found the correct clubhead, shaft and even grip-size combination that gained me about six yards (with the 6-iron), and more important for me, my consistency in shot accuracy (proximity to the hole) increased about 6.4% over my current clubs. That’s what I wanted! More putts for par and birdie. Okay, you’re dying to know — what clubs were best for my swing? The drumroll please! Mizuno JPX 900 Hot Metal irons, 6-iron – gap wedge, with KBS Tour Graphite Iron 70 shafts that are SST PURE™, which correctly aligns the clubhead to optimize shaft stability and performance. We found that the Golf Pride CP2 Wrap Jumbo grips with a double wrap for my right hand worked great for my mild hand arthritis and tendency to re-grip with my right hand during the swing. I also got a 56-degree Cleveland RTX-3 Wedge with the same shaft/grip setup.

How do my new Mizuno’s compare to the clubs that I was using? As of this writing, I’ve only played two rounds with my new Club Champion custom fitted Mizuno’s. I spent about 30-minutes on the range before my rounds. At first, I didn’t hit them so well — oh no! They are much lighter than the steel shafts that I’m used to — hence faster clubhead speed, but after a few more swings, I was hitting them in the sweet-spot, and they felt great. Distance was good and accuracy — spot on. I’m feeling really good about my golf game for 2018. On the course both days, I hit more greens than normal in regulation (85%), so much so, that I barley had the chance to chip-on missed greens with my new Cleveland wedge. But, I’m good with that. The

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the first round, I shot 44 on the front nine and 38 on the back and close to that on the second round; however, if the putter had been working during either round, my final scores would have been lower. A putter fitting may be next! I can’t say enough about the wonderful Club Champion clubfitting experience and Kent’s extreme patience to find the correct clubhead – shaft combo for my amateur swing — far from perfect. But, that’s the whole idea behind why we should get custom fitted — you’ll find the best clubs for “your” unique swing.

Best of all, I no longer need to blame user error (me) for my bad shots; I can blame my clubfitter, sorry Kent!  For more information or to request a clubfitting with a Club Champion Master Fitter, call 913-498-8580. Located at 7400 W. 121st Street, Overland Park, KS 66123 (Southridge Shopping Center).Visit www. clubchampiongolf.com/overland-park-ks. Cell phone users can use this QR code for a direct link to Club Champion’s website for clubfitting reservations or more information.

April 2018

Bill Cromwell, Editor-in-Chief TEE TIMES GOLF GUIDE™ Magazine

TEE TIMES GOLF GUIDE

]

Midwest Section PGA News

Where Do They Get All Those Golf Shop Goodies?

o one ever said being a golf sales representative would be easy. In fact, there are some days when the work might just seem frustrating. It’s sales, after all. The ebb and tide of the retail waters is a constant challenge and determining how to adjust one’s sails in response to fashion and golf equipment market trends can present challenging waters to navigate. However, two such sales reps have managed to succeed in the world of the golf sales professional with award-winning results, never losing their drive and passion for the game that brought them to this role in the first place. There are a two types of golf sales representatives: corporate and independent. The former typically works for the manufacturer of a certain brand and the latter usually carries a variety of lines, either working with a distributor or perhaps directly with the manufacturer. The common denominator shared by these reps is a passion for the game of golf and a love of the people they serve. Meet Nate Wright and Bruce Rist. These two gentlemen and golf enthusiasts bring their passion to all of their customers, which include members of the Midwest Section PGA. Putting in excess of 32,000 miles a year on a car to call on clients pales in comparison to the satisfaction they receive delivering the best in products to their customers. For Wright and Rist, their view from the “car/ office” is quite spectacular, as it involves meeting a variety of people every day. An outside sales rep for Callaway Golf Sales, Kansas City division, Wright services all of Kansas and Western Missouri. Now in his 11th year with the company, Wright eagerly puts in the work from the moment his feet hit the floor in the morning to the last call of the day. With a strong background in competitive sports, Wright was captain of the baseball team and a four-year letterman at the University of Michigan, where he earned his degree in Sports Management and Communications. His first introduction to golf, however, was from his dad when Wright was a kid. “I spent summers growing up playing golf on Jekyll Island, Georgia,” reminisced 16

TEE TIMES GOLF GUIDE

]

by Ann E. Butenas, Contributing Writer

Wright, who, even though he eventually put his love of the game on the back burner for several years, circled back around to it after honing his sales skills in other industries.

Callaway sales rep, Nate Wright with wife Mandi and daughters Alex 2 and Sammi 5. “I got back into golf because it became an addiction,” he smiled. “I wanted to sell what I love. Those of us who do this job, do so because we love the game and have a passion for it.” As a sales rep of hard goods (clubs, balls, bags, gloves, hats and towels), calling mainly on all green grass professionals within his territory, Wright is continually motivated to grow and obtain his goals. To that end, he has been awarded Sales Rep of the Year by the Midwest Section PGA three times. Additionally, he has been a National winner for Callaway once and a finalist twice, as well as enjoyed a Top Ten spot in the country within the company at least five times in his career.

Cutter & Buck, American Needle, 2UNDR and Heritage Creations. Growing up, Rist learned the basics of the game from his dad, and the skills he acquired landed him a spot on the high school golf team. Although he did not play at the collegiate level, his passion for the game never faded, and after graduating from the University of Kansas with a degree in Communication Studies, Rist began his golf career at Overland Park Golf Club in Overland Park, KS, working under famed golf professional Randy Hunt and then as a teaching professional at Eagle Bend Golf Course in Lawrence, KS. However, when the opportunity to become a sales rep knocked on his door, he knew he had found his professional home. “I love being a partner with a pro and making the sale,” he indicated. While Rist understands this business does have a seasonal component, and some periods during the year are a bit more lucrative than others. His tenacity for the job and the passion for the game never allow him to fall asleep at the wheel. He attributes his success to one simple philosophy. “I just do what I say; I’ll interact with the customers daily,” he explained. In recognition for his hard work, Rist (photo on left) has been nominated for Sales Representative of the Year by the Midwest Section PGA and was also Sales Representative of the year in 2016 for Cutter & Buck.

However, the challenges of the job are not lost on Wright. “You have to work to keep growing and sometimes it is difficult shutting the work off, but I am lucky to be with Callaway, as we have grown considerably in the last year and have some great products, great marketing and phenomenal leadership,” he emphasized. Serving a more expansive territory, Rist calls on clients throughout Missouri, Iowa, Nebraska, and Kansas. Rist specializes in soft goods, which translates to apparel and active wear. Among the lines Rist represents include

April 2018

True success for these men, though, most notably, comes in the comradery they share with all of the customers they serve, as golf is more than just a game; it’s a relationship. When Wright and Rist make their customers happy, then that is the perfect shot.  Ann Butenas is a contributing writer for the Midwest Section PGA. For more information about the Midwest Section PGA, call 816.229.6493 or visit www.midwest.pga.com.

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TEE TIMES GOLF GUIDE

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April 2018

TEE TIMES GOLF GUIDE

Tee Times Golf Guide™ STRONGLY RECOMMENDS VERIFYING INFORMATION HERE WITH THE COURSE YOU WANT TO PLAY. Many of the courses listed here now offer Dynamic Pricing, which fluctuates throughout the day. This guide reflects average daily rates. For best rates, we suggest visiting course websites. We rely on golf course management to submit any change to the rates listed below. It is not our intent to provide any incorrect information. Rates Can and Do Change Without Notice To Us. Rates are Non-Binding and Only a Reference Guide. Courses listed here should email updated information to Editor@TeeTimesMagazine.com. © 2018 Tee Times Golf Guide™ Inc. All Conceptual Designs Are Proprietary & Reprint Rights Reserved. Below is a list of Kansas City area public golf courses where you can find Tee Times Golf Guide™ Magazine

e Ran g

Cart In-Season Rates Weekday (wd) Weekend (we) Fee

Blue Springs

Bentgrass

6938

131

$44(wd) $47(Fri) $57 (we)

w/fee

Yes

816-350-9900 15400 E 34th St

Independence

Zoysia

7121

133

$40 (wd) $50 (we)

w/fee

Yes

816-229-8103 816-353-1323 816-356-1111 816-228-3333 816-257-5755 816-251-3582

Blue Springs Kansas City Kansas City Blue Springs Independence Unity Village

Zoysia Bentgrass Zoysia Bentgrass Zoysia Blue

72 70 65 72 72 36

6537 6388 4236 7200 6752 5874

124 $42 (wd) $48 (we) 116 $30 (wd) $43 (we) N/A $28 (wd) $31 (we) 144 $46 (wd) $50 (Fri) $56(we) 131 $44 (wd) $52 (Fri. - Sun.) 109 $14 (9h) & $18 (18h)

w/fee w/fee w/fee w/fee w/fee $7/10

Yes

8. Country Creek/The Rock 10. Country Creek/Hoots Hollow 11. Eagles Landing Golf Course 12. Fred Arbanas G.C. (9-hole) 12. Fred Arbanas G.C. (18-hole) 13. Hillcrest Golf Club 14. Minor Park Golf Course

6 1 0 2 ©

1600 NW Circle Dr 10501 E 47th 12040 E 86th 22415 E 39th St. 291 Hwy & Kentucky Rd 1901 NW Blue Parkway

15. River Oaks Golf Course 16. Shamrock Hills Golf Course 17. Swope Memorial G.C. 18. Heart of America G.C. (9-hole) 19. The Golf Club at Creekmoor

21. Excelsior Spring Golf Club

23. Hodge Park Golf Course 24. Paradise Point/The Posse 25. Paradise Point/The Outlaw 26. Hidden Valley Golf Course 27. Shirkey Golf Club 27A. MariMack Golf Complex (par3) 28. Shiloh Springs Golf Club NEW TBR 28A. Plattsburg Golf Club 29. Shoal Creek Golf Club

. c n I ™

816-540-5225 816-380-4920 816-318-0004 816-761-9445 816-761-9445 816-523-8601 816-942-4033

21601 E State Rd P 20800 E 215th St 4200 Bong Ave 11100 View High Dr 11100 View High Dr 8200 Hillcrest Rd 11215 Holmes Rd

Pleasant Hill Pleasant Hill Belton Kansas City Kansas City Kansas City Kansas City

Blue Zoysia Blue/Rye Zoysia Zoysia Zoysia Blue

72 72 72 27 72 72 70

6856 7021 6888 1497 6761 6663 5560

119 119 136 N/A 121 132 105

660-543-4182 Pertle Springs Park

Warrensburg

Zoysia

6362

N/A

816-966-8111 816-537-6556 816-513-8910 816-513-8940 816-331-2621

Grandview Lee’s Summit Kansas City Kansas City Raymore

Blue Zoysia Zoysia Zoysia Zoysia

72 71 72 35 72

6354 6310 6274 2604 7406

119 114 128 110 145

es Go

e d i u lf G

14204 St Andrews Dr 3161 S 291 Hwy 6900 Swope Memorial Dr 7501 Blue River Road 1112 E 163rd St

$18 (wd) $21 (wd) $23 (wd) $12 (daily) $25 (wd) $40 (wd) $21 (wd)

$23 (we) $26(we) $31 (we) $10 (Jr/Sr) $35 (we) $50 (we) $25 (we)

$28 (wd) $32 (we)

N/A

816-630-3731 816-271-5350 816-781-4152 816-532-4100 816-5234100 816-580-3444 816-470-2582 816-628-4800 816-270-4653 816-539-3328 816-407-7242

1201 E Golf Hill Dr 33rd and Pacific 7000 NE Barry Rd 18212 Golf Course Rd 18212 Golf Course Rd 800 W 184th St 902 Wollard Blvd 525 S. MariMack Dr. 14750 Fairway Ln 804 W Frost St 8905 Shoal Creek Pkwy

m i T e e 016 T

TEE TIMES GOLF GUIDE

913-782-1323 913-897-3804 913-573-8570 913-592-5292 913-631-8000 913-651-7176

April 2018

10195 Monticello Terr 11099 W 135th St 122nd St & Riverview 21731 Clubhouse Dr 17501 Midland Drive 306 Cody Ave

Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes

Zoysia Zoysia Zoysia Blue Zoysia Blue Zoysia Blue Zoysia Zoysia Zoysia

72 72 71 72 72 72 71 54 71 72 71

6553 6395 6223 7018 7016 6702 6967 2710 6470 6250 6983

121 127 117 132 133 119 136 N/A 125 121 136

$18 (wd) $23 (we) $22 (wd) $25 (we) $23 (wd) $27 (we) $30 (wd) $32 (we) $30 (wd) $32 (we) $14 (wd) $18 (we) $35 any day $10 (wd) $13 (we) $21 (wd) $25 (we) $27.50 any day $58 (wd) $67 (we)

$18 $15 $15 $17.50 $17.50 $12 w/fee $10 $11 w/fee w/fee

Yes

St. Joseph Kansas City Smithville Smithville Lawson Richmond Kearney Platte City Plattsburg Kansas City Kansas City

Zoysia

6977

133

$58 (wd) $68 (we)

w/fee

Yes

Excelsior Springs

. c n I ide™

u G f l es Go

47. Prairie Highlands Golf Course 913-856-7235 14695 S Inverness St

Yes

No $33 (wd) $37 (we) w/fee Yes $23.50 (wd) $28 (we) $16 No $25 (wd) $32 (we) $15 $15 daily / Senior $13 M-F $7 / 9-hole Yes $70 (wd) $80 (Fri-Sun) w/fee Yes

816-781-3636 19808 Country Rd. H Liberty Zoysia 70 6530 126 $29 (wd) $39 (we) w/fee Red = Look For Course Ad Within These Pages. Rates Listed Can Change & are a non-binding reference guide only. 913-301-3000 7909 Wyandotte DeSoto Bermuda 35 2750 114 $10 (9 holes) $15 (18 holes) $5/10 913-681-3100 7000 W 133rd St Overland Park Zoysia 72 6870 137 $55 (wd) $65 (we) w/fee 913-933-0523 12601 Hollingsworth Rd Kansas City, KS Zoysia 72 6993 133 $32 (wd) $53 (we) w/fee 785-748-0600 1250 E 902 Rd Lawrence Zoysia 72 6984 130 $26 (wd) $42 (we) w/fee 913-724-4653 4605 Clubhouse Dr. Bashor Zoysia 71 7036 126 $39 (wd) $45 (we) w/fee 913-780-5976 9801 Falcon Valley Dr Lenexa Zoysia 36 3336 126 $28 (wd) $30 (we) w/fee 785-966-2100 12524 150 Road Mayetta Bentgrass 72 7500 137 $65 (wd) $75 (we) w/fee 913-856-8858 15810 S Gardner Rd Gardner Blue 72 6165 118 $25 (wd) $35 (we) w/fee 913-829-4653 16445 Lackman Rd Olathe Zoysia 71 6875 131 $23 (M-Th) $29 (F) $34 (we) $16 913-685-4653 15400 Mission Rd Leawood Zoysia 72 6889 140 $58 (wd) $72 (we) w/fee 931-837-5476 6302 W 295th Street Louisburg Bermuda 71 6400 135 $45 (wd) $45 (we) w/fee 913-583-3503 8800 Scott Dr Desoto Blue/Rye 66 3918 101 $23 (wd) $27 (we) w/fee 913-897-3809 12501 Quivera Rd Overland Park Zoysia 70 6455 121 $25 (wd) $32 (we) $16 913-334-1111 7101 Parallel Pkwy Kansas City, KS Zoysia 70 5781 119 $28 (wd) $38 (we) w/fee

48. Smiley’s Golf Complex 49. St. Andrews Overland Park 50. Sunflower Hills Golf Course 51. Sycamore Ridge Golf Club 52. Tomahawk Hills Golf Club 54. Trails West Golf Club

Yes

w/fee

816-880-9600 6100 NW Tiffany Spgs Pkwy

Yes

31. Liberty Hills Golf Club 33. Burning Tree G.C. (9-hole) 34. Deer Creek Golf Club 35. Dub’s Dread Golf Club 36. Eagle Bend Golf Course 38. Falcon Lakes Golf Club 39. Falcon Valley G.C. (9-hole) 40. Firekeeper Golf Club 41. Gardner Golf Club 42. Heritage Park Golf Course 43. Iron Horse Golf Club 43A. Metcalf Ridge Golf Club 44. Oak Country Club 45. Sykes/Lady Overland Park 46. Painted Hills Golf Course

No Yes

$14 $14 $14 $8 $16 w/fee $15

30. Tiffany Greens Golf Club

Kansas Area Courses

STAR RATINGS ARE BY AREA & VOTED BY READERS. Forms available at www.TeeTimesMagazine.com

m i T e e T

Not Rated 22. Fairview Golf Course

Fairways

816-220-3673 1601 RD Mize Rd

North of the River Area STAR RATINGS ARE: Fair Good

TBR

City

— STAR RATINGS Details on Page 21.

2. Drumm Farm Golf Club

14b. Mules National Golf Club

TBR

Address

Best of Area

1. Adams Pointe Golf Club

South Kansas City Area

TBR

Excellent

s Sl op e

Phone

3. Blue Springs Golf Club 4. Royal Meadows Golf Course 5. Teetering Rock Golf Course 6. Stone Canyon Golf Club 7. WinterStone Golf Course NEW TBR 7b. Unity Village G. C. (9-hole)

TBR

Very Good

Rating

Map# Missouri South East Area

In-Season

STAR RATINGS ARE: Fair Good

KC Area Public Golf Courses

Kansas City Metro Area Public Golf Courses

Olathe

Zoysia

Lenexa Blue/Rye Overland Park Zoysia Bonner Springs Zoysia Spring Hill Bentgrass Shawnee Zoysia Fort Leavenworth Zoysia

Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No Yes Yes No No Yes Yes Yes No Yes Yes Yes Yes

Yes No Yes No

7036

134

$50 (wd) $60 (we)

w/fee

Yes

60 71 72 72 71 71

3402 6334 7001 7081 6003 6188

N/A 134 132 141 1115 121

$15 (wd) $19 (we) $25 (wd) $32 (we) $28 (wd) $35 (we) $44 (wd) $53 (we) $23 (wd) $32 (we) $28 (wd & we)

None $16 $14 w/fee $16 $13

Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes

Notice to Golf Courses: Please Email Rate Changes To: Editor@TeeTimesMagazine.com

KC Metro Area Public Golf Courses Map

Platte City

Hwy 116

I-29 to St. Joe

STAR ratings are voted by readers, course raters and are for overall course conditions — Tees, Fairways, Greens, Rough and experiences with customer services. All factor into the overall rating. All ratings can change monthly. Ratings are by Area as listed. Rating forms available at www.TeeTimesMagazine.com.

Plattsburg

28A



24 25

27A

28 21

Trails West Golf Course Tiffany Greens Golf Club



Shirkey GC 210 to 27 Rich mond 

Liberty Hills Golf Club



50 

a Topek

Shawnee Golf & Country Club

17 18 13

 Lawrence, KS



Wo o

Blue Springs Country Club

0 to  I-7

™

FL 38

7b 5

Falcon 39 Valley

Smiley’s Golf

45 49 41

34 15 43

14b

nsb

urg

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MISSOURI

Louisburg, KS 43A

to W arre

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11 

KANSAS

50 H

Metcalf Ridge GC

April 2018

TEE TIMES GOLF GUIDE

] Playing Better ]

Elite Girls Golf Performance League Tees Up in June at Shamrock Hills by, Ernie Wasmer

n elite girls golf program will launch this May at Shamrock Hills Golf Course. Shamrock Hills has partnered with Boost Physical Therapy and Sports Performance Clinic to create this very unique program. The golf performance program, taught by a some of the best KC area PGA professionals, golf coaches and physical therapist, is designed for junior girl golfers to not only give young women more playing time, but to improve their golf performance. If you are or know an “Amateur Girl” golfer between the ages of 15 and 20 this is a program that you should seriously look at.

one flight to another as their scores indicate. In addition, there will be an “Open Flight.” This flight will be available to any girl. The goal with the “Open Flight” is to provide a more advanced level of competition. Program Cost: The Elite Program includes the eight (8) green fees at Shamrock Hills, guaranteed four (4) individual one on one Sports Performance Sessions with Boost Professionals. Boost will provide pre-round and post-round fitness programs in cooperation with the Titleist Performance Institute (TPI) program. The Boost Performance Program will provide education and instruction in golf related exercises, warm-up exercises, body mechanics and injury prevention. The fee for the Elite Program is $164.

The brainchild of Program Director, Ernie Wasmer MS, PT, who said, “We have worked closely with the MSHSAA and local girls' coaches to be certain that eligibility and amateur status is maintained. All participants will interact with local golf professionals, Elite girls golf program coaches and sport performance specialists. The designed for junior girl Performance Programs will be conducted by golfers to not only give well qualified staff members whose interests go beyond simply playing the great game of golf.” young women more playing

time, but to improve their

Daily Agenda — Daily Instruction 8 a.m. – 8:30 a.m. Specific topics related to the mental and/or physical components of golf. During the “Instruction Phase,” a staff member will discuss and demonstrate a specific topic. On-course play begins 8:48 a.m. (modified shotgun start), flighted for 9-hole competition. Wasmer says, “Our goal is to finish the 9-hole competition in 2 hours and 30 minutes.

To accomplish the program’s goals, Wasmer says, “Each week we will offer an instructional golf performance. program dealing with various aspects of golf. For example, topics for the ‘Instructional Program Phase’ will include pre-round exercises, off-season and in-season exercises, importance League Dates: The league will meet and play on Mondays: June 4, of general fitness to include strength, core stability and flexibility as 11, 18, 25 and July 2, 9, 16 and 23. An 18-hole (flighted) tournament related to golf, golf swing analysis presentation, putting instruction will be held during the July 23 round with a modified shotgun start. and drills, short game instruction and drills, and emphasis on golfing etiquette.” The Professional Staff — The Performance Program will be a “Two-Phase Approach.” First, as mentioned above, the “Instructional Phase” and second, the on-course phase. The initial competition will be flighted as to the estimated score or GIHN number that is listed on the registration form. Each of the following weeks, an “accumulative” score will determine into which flight the girl will be placed. The girl may be moved from 22

TEE TIMES GOLF GUIDE

Eric Reisner, general manager and PGA professional of Shamrock Hills Golf Course, played golf at Lee’s Summit High School and Division-1 golf at UMKC (1993-1996). He has served as General Manager at Shamrock Hills since 1998.

April 2018

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Ernie Wasmer, MS, PT, is the Program Director. His experience includes high school teaching and coaching, a Past Back to Golf Instructor, private practice physical therapy owner and instructor in the Human Anatomy Division at Longview Community College.

Thank You, For Choosing Shamrock Hills! We Appreciate Your Business!

Rick Reynolds, PGA Class A professional with 35 years of experience, is currently the Teaching Professional at Stone Canyon Golf Course where he provides golf swing analysis, instruction and clubfitting. He was formerly the long-time head professional at Lakewood Oaks Country Club.

Dan Myers is a PTA for Boost Physical Therapy. He served as a golf professional at The National Golf Club and is one of only nine people in the KC Metro Area with a TPI Level 2 Certification. Dr. Tyler Wasmer, DPT, ATC, has been practicing physical therapy for nine years and is currently the Facility Director for Boost Physical Therapy in Belton, MO. Dr. Wasmer has experience in coaching, teaching on the college level, managing Boost Physical Therapy where he’s worked with numerous elite level amateur and professional athletes. This is a great opportunity for junior girl golfers who want to excel by learning the game of golf from some of KC’s best instructors. Interested junior golfers should enroll by May 25. For inquires and registration forms, contact Ernie Wasmer shsggl@yahoo.com. Spectators and coaches are welcome to watch the competition. Carts will be available for $8 and are to remain on the cart path at all times. Spectators may walk the course but must remain on the cart paths and exit the course at the posted “Exit” signs. High school coaches must adhere to MSHSAA rules. Shamrock Hills Golf Course, 816.537.6556, www.ShamrockHills. com. Located at 3161 W. M291 Hwy in Lee’s Summit, MO 64082. 

Lowest Rates with Zoysia Fairways 18-Hole Green Fees ● Weekdays Only $23.50 ● Seniors Only $17 ● Weekends Only $28 (Cart Fee $16)

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Bob Nelson is the assistant boys and girls golf coach at Harrisonville High School. Coach Nelson played college golf for Kansas University earning his varsity letter. Nelson maintains an amateur status and has won 11 Club Championships at Leawood South Country Club. He has participated in a Royal and Ancient Amateur Championship.

Shamrock Hills Golf Course 816.537.6556

3161 S. 291 Hwy, Lee’s Summit, MO. South of Hwy 50 on 291Hwy.

www.TeeTimesMagazine.com

April 2018

TEE TIMES GOLF GUIDE

]

Featured Course

]

by John Baccala

Shawnee

Golf and Country Club — Stay Below The Hole or Putting Will Be Your Biggest Challenge ...

The par-4 9th hole plays at 430 yards from the tips. Tee shots from the elevated tee box need to land on the right side of the fairway to have a shot at the slightly uphill green. A very similar tee shot will challenge players on the 18th hole.

ne of the most interesting and fun Kansas course’s I’ve played in recent years, and tucked away in western Shawnee, just west of K-7 off Shawnee Mission Parkway, is Shawnee Golf and Country Club. This wonderful 27-hole layout is the “twin brother or sister,” depending on proper golf course gender etiquette, of the Grand Summit Golf and Country Club in Grandview, MO. Both country clubs feature identical clubhouses and apartment homes bordering the course. However, while the terrain and elevation changes found at both courses is somewhat similar, they are uniquely different courses. Shawnee Golf and Country Club opened in the late summer of 2001 and, like Grand Summit, is owned and operated by Lindsey Management Company. The company owns

TEE TIMES GOLF GUIDE

and operates 42 golf courses (and adding more) throughout the Midwest and Southern regions including: Alabama, Arkansas, Kansas, Missouri, Mississippi, Nebraska, Oklahoma and Tennessee. Members have access to all Lindsey courses. Each of Shawnee’s nines (27-holes) are distinct, and each set of holes has a name. Holes one through nine is aptly named “Clear Creek” for a creek that meanders through almost every hole. Holes 10-18, “Heartland Hills,” features some pretty distinct elevation changes and perhaps hosts the hardest par 4 in the city (more on that later). Holes 19-27, named “Chapel Creek,” is nestled in a residential setting. “It’s a shot-shapers nine,” Hadden said. While there are differences in each nine, there is one similarity. When you reach the green, you do not want to be above the hole.

April 2018

“There are lots of tiers and slopes to them,” said Larry Hadden, Shawnee’s general manager and PGA professional. “Almost every hole, from one to 18, has some sort of slope, so positioning your approach shot below the hole gives you a huge advantage. On the first nine, most of the greens slope back to front, so you definitely want to leave the ball short of the flag. “Putting will be your biggest challenge.” It’s not just the greens you’ll find challenging at Shawnee. There are numerous elevation changes throughout the course. Holes like the uphill par-4 4th and the downhill par-3 5th may make you over-think your shot. Don’t! “Off the tee, No. 4 looks intimidating to most golfers,” Hadden said. “It’s all

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Shawnee carry, but there is plenty of room for error. Hitting your approach, the elevated green can make club selection a challenge.” Remember to leave the ball below the hole. “My tip on No. 5, hitting from an elevated tee, is take less loft and keep the ball low off the tee,” he said. “Why hoist the ball way in the air when you’re already 50 feet in the air to start?” That’s also a great tip when you go to the Lake of the Ozarks and play the many elevated tee shots found there. The back-nine starts with back-to-back par 5s. The tee shot on 10 is straight uphill (“It’s the toughest tee shot on the course,” Hadden said.) and there’s trouble left and right of the fairway, but a good tee shot, especially for long hitters, can result in a birdie opportunity. The par-5 11th is the number one handicap hole on the course. “It can be tough on bogey golfers, but a birdie or eagle hole for scratch players,” he said. Then, there’s the long par-4 17th — it’s no wonder many golfers think it’s the hardest par 4 in the city. “Without a doubt, it’s [17] the signature hole on the course,” Hadden exclaimed. This 430-yard hole (410 yards from the white tees) features a nearly 90-degree dogleg-right to an elevated, three-tiered green. Through the years, Hadden said several changes have been made to the 17th

to make it more “player friendly,” but depending on pin position, this hole can be brutal. “If the pin is on the back tier and you don’t hit a good shot, it can put you in a fetal position,” he said. I can see why. I almost cried when I was putting this green. “It is one of the toughest holes you will ever play,” he said. “But, I love the hole because it honors a great par and awes when someone gets that rare birdie.” Needless to say, but as you can probably assume, the flat stick will make or break your round at Shawnee. More often than not, reaching the green in regulation isn’t the hard part — it’s finding the bottom of the cup. “Your speed control must be spot on if you want to two-putt and make those short breakers,” the Shawnee pro said. “There is room for error tee to green, but there is no room for error with the putter.” Whatever you do, be sure to arrive early and hit the range before your round!

Both Shawnee Golf and Country Club and Grand Summit are open to limited public play. Public golf fees Monday Thursday are $64 and Friday - Sunday $75, which includes cart and floating range

Shawnee Golf and Country Club is more than just golf. Hadden said there’s something for everyone. “Our club is family friendly with several amenities for all members,” he said. “We recently added a large slide to our pool, and that has been a favorite for the kids at the club.”

Shawnee has the only aqua driving range in the Kansas City area. That’s right; you hit range balls into the water, aiming for floating flags 50 yards apart. “We use floater balls and rely on the wind direction to round up the balls for retrieval,” Hadden

The par-4 4th requires a well struck tee shot to carry the rock wall and creek fronting the fairway. www.TeeTimesMagazine.com

said. “The floater balls show accurate ball flight and give nice feedback to the golfer. The floater balls really only lose about 10 percent of a normal golf ball’s carry distance.” I am happy to report, I didn’t lose another ball in the water the rest of the day!

balls. Memberships start at only $140 monthly and includes cart, range, green fees, pools and use of the facility’s fitness center. Guest of member fees are $45 and $55. Insiders tip: Currently both Shawnee Golf and Country Club and Grand Summit are running fantastic membership special promotions where new members can receive a set of new PING 400 irons (a $900 value). More information about memberships and public tee times can be found at www.ShawneeGolfCC.com or call 913.422.8357. Give Shawnee Golf and Country Club a shot this year —especially the aqua range. Embrace the challenge and enjoy the view along the way! 

April 2018

TEE TIMES GOLF GUIDE

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Featuring 13 of Missouri’s Top Rated Golf Courses

TEE TIMES GOLF GUIDE

April 2018

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Pro Tips

How to BOMB Your Driver by Courtney Mahon, LPGA

re you the short-knocker in your group, searching for more distance or wondering how those dainty LPGA women hit it so far? Here are a couple of secrets that will help you bomb your drives.

Optimize the Impact Zone The direction the clubhead travels and position of the clubface (opened or closed) at impact plays a tremendous role on distance achieved. A clubhead that travels from out-to-in (likely a slicer) will generally have a steep angle of attack, causing an immediate loss of distance. The more severe these positions are, the shorter the ball will travel. Photo 1

Need For Speed You have to have speed to hit it far. In my entire teaching career, there has only been a handful of players that I have actually slowed down. The majority of players swing it too slow. I believe, the “I feel fast” or “I was too quick on that one” comes from a “quick transition,” not from actually swinging too fast. The pros have a backswing to downswing ratio of 3:1. Three parts back to one part down. My recommendation would be to make the entire swing faster, including the backswing. Miss It Fast!

Centerness of Contact Lastly, hitting the ball in the center of the face is many times overlooked, but certainly important to hitting it far. It is called the sweet spot for a reason! Photo 2 Toed and heeled shots will cause the ball to have more “side spin” or tilt, which creates more curvature resulting in a loss of distance. Center Contact e Target Lin

Target Line

NO Strip Stick is Target Line

Swin

YES

Open = Slice

NO Square = Straight or Slight Draw

Strip Stick is Target Line

Practice by using an alignment stick. The Stripped stick is the Target Line. The Orange Stick is the Club Face. The Yellow Stick is the Club Path (swing path). An out-to-in swing path (photo 1) creates a slice or curve right ball flight. An in-to-out swing path (photo 2) creates a draw or curve left ball flight. You must feel like you’re swinging your club down the Yellow Line to change from out-to-in to an in-to-out swing path.

TEE TIMES GOLF GUIDE

April 2018

Target Line

YES

Changing from out-to-in to an in-to-out swing path with an appropriate angle of approach can result in a distance increase ranging anywhere from five to twenty-five yards, without any additional increase of clubhead speed. Some of the primary factors causing a player not to be optimized include: lack of arm structure (the chicken wing), limited trail arm rotation, excessive weight transfer and flat shoulder turn.

g Pa

YES

Cheers to more distance. Coach Courtney

Closed = Pull-Hook

Courtney (Mahon) Gildea is a LPGA Class A professional and Director of Instruction at Tour Striker Golf Academy Midwest at Falcon Ridge Golf Club. Awarded a Top 50 U.S. Kids Tour teacher for 2017. For questions or help, contact her at Courtney@TourStriker.com or call 913.393.4653. Lesson videos at www.youtube.com/courtneymahongolf. www.TeeTimesMagazine.com

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Can You Tame — The Green Monster? 18-Hole Golf Course

A Par 66 Course with 2 Par 5s, 8 Par 4s, and 8 Par 3s. Plush Zoysia Fairways with Family Owned & Operated Golf Carts The Perfect Tournament Venue

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Call 816.356.1111

12040 E. 86th St., Kansas City, MO 64138

www.TeeteringRocks.com Make Tee Times Online at www.TeeTimesMagazine.com

2 Golfers ONLY $36

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Offer valid for two players. (You save $8 per player off the normal green fee. Valid anytime weekdays or after 2 p.m. Sat. - Sun.)

Must call to book tee time to get special rates. Rates are not valid with any other offers. Subject to change at any time. Not valid for leagues or tournaments. Coupon Not Valid From Pro Shop. Offer expires 04/30/18. Only Available at Teetering Rocks Golf Course

April 2018

TEE TIMES GOLF GUIDE

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Visit Our Website for Daily SPECIALS!

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New Product Profiles

Tour Edge Exotics CBX Fairway Wood

Bushnell’s New

Phantom GPS

Has Bite Tech by Bill Cromwell, Publisher

ushnell’s popular Ghost GPS rangefinder has been upgraded and is now named the Phantom for 2018 featuring new “Bite Technology,” which incorporates a powerful magnet allowing this compact GPS to easily attach to a cart post or any metal surface for quick reading.

Phantom is an easy-to-use, convenient golf GPS with a Bite Magnetic Mount. Also new to the Phantom, which the Ghost did not include, is that it comes standard with Bluetooth technology that eliminates the need for a computer to update new course information. In addition to the Bite magnet, the Phantom comes preloaded with over 36,000 courses and provides distances to front, center and back of the green, as well as up to four hazards or layup distances per hole. Other useful features include automatic hole and course recognition, shot distance calculator, and a battery that can last up to two full rounds without recharging. It also includes a “Clip Holder” to attach to your bag or belt.

Bite t ne Mag

he engine of the Exotics CBX Fairway Wood lies within Exotics core ethos of using superior multi-materials and construction methods. A Beta Ti cup-face is brazed with a Hyper-Steel body to produce the perfect launch and low spin combination. The CBX design alters the club’s Center of Gravity (CG) to manipulate initial launch angle and velocity, also reducing the amount of spin the ball will have on release. The precise engineering creates a spin-killing distance machine — and the proof is in the numbers. Independent testing proves that the CBX fairway wood outdistances its most popular competitors an average of over 16 yards. So far in 2018, the CBX fairway woods and hybrids have been the fastest growing on the PGA TOURS with over 30 clubs in play and eight Top 10 finishes on the PGA TOUR, PGA TOUR Champions and Web.com. “The CBX wood is a game-changer,” said Tour Edge President and Founder, David Glod. “The distance gains from the independent test are phenomenal. Then we saw the spin numbers and started calling it the ‘spin-killer’ around the office. Everything has lined-up for the CBX, the design, compilation of materials, and CG location to make it our next best fairway wood.”

This small and very affordable GPS is perfect when it’s not obvious how deep the pin is, alleviating the need to use a laser rangefinder for every approach shot.

The Phantom is offered in four colors — Black, Red, Electric Blue, Neon Yellow and will be available at retailers nationwide in April for $99.99. Edwin Watts in Overland Park, KS and Bushnell Factory Outlet Stores are good starting points to pick up yours.  Bushnell Factory Outlet Stores: Lee’s Summit store 816.525.2220, 445 Murry Rd., Lee’s Summit, MO 64081, or Lenexa store, 913.310.0783, 8500 Marshall Dr., Lenexa, KS 66214. www.BushnellGolf.com. 30

Beta Ti cup-face brazed with a Hyper-Steel body.

TEE TIMES GOLF GUIDE

The CB stands for “combo brazing,” the technique that made Exotics fairway woods a cult favorite in 2004. The technique fuses the face to the rest of the club without welding to save weight and allow the marriage of a flexible, lightweight titanium cup face and a stability-enhancing steel body. The carbon-composite panel near the back of the sole moves the CG level with the center of the face and forward to lower spin. Available in Lofts of: 13.5, 15, 16 and 18 degrees. Street Price: $350. Currently available at select authorized Tour Edge retailers and Martin City Golf Center. To find more Tour Edge retailers near you, visit www.touredge.com. 

April 2018

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TIFFANY GREENS

Fun Golf Course with Five Sets of Tees Enjoy Your Day Outdoors with Family & Friends!

18 New 20 ips ersh Memb

Voted #1 in Northland!

Rated  by TEE TIMES GOLF GUIDE™

Open to Public Play

New Young Professional Memberships for 2018

Young Professional – *Ages 18-29 — Only $125 Monthly! (6 month plan) YP 2.0 – *Ages 30-34 — Only $150 Monthly! (8 month plan) YP 3.0 – Ages 35-39 — Only $150 Monthly! (12 month plan) *Young Professional and YP 2.0 Plans Pay No Dues November thru February! Many Free Benefits Included. Call us today for details! Call 816.880.9600 ext. 208 Today! Hurry, a limited number of these memberships available!

Call today — tee it up tomorrow!

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] LAKE GOLF DESTINATIONS ]

Golf’n the Lake of The Ozarks Golf Trail

Redfield Green Fees – 18 Holes with cart on Monday-Thursday $44. Weekends/Holidays open to twilight $54. Senior/Military rates w/ Military ID (Monday – Thursday) $34. Location: 14005 Redfield Dr, (Hwy 54 & 17 Junction north of Osage Beach) Eugene, MO 65032. Call 573-498.0110 or visit www.RedfieldGolf.com.

Redfield Golf Club

edfield Golf Club in Eugene, MO, joined the Central Missouri's Lake of the Ozarks Golf Council during 2017. A semi-private, links-style golf course with Bentgrass fairways, Redfield is located just minutes north of the Lake of the Ozarks’ Osage Beach area. Not your typical Ozarks mountain course, Redfield’s 18 holes features 6,720 yards of links-style golf, six lakes, 42 bunkers,

four par 5s, 10 par 4s and four par 3s. It’s the only course in the Lake area with Bentgrass fairways. The course offers five sets of tees to accommodate golfers of every skill level. Redfield offers a full-service restaurant and bar that will take care of all your food and beverage needs. They also offer a lighted driving range that is open seven days a week, as well as professional instruction to improve the game of any golfer.

Golfers who travel to Central Missouri's Lake of the Ozarks will have 13 courses to play with several of the country's best. For additional details about the Lake of the Ozarks Golf Trail courses, including nine unique lodging properties offering money-saving Golf Getaway Stay & Play Golf Packages, visit www.GolfingAtLakeofTheOzarks.net.

Triple Creek’s — Hybrid 18-Hole Course

TRIPLE CREEK

GOLF COURSE

The Lake Area’s Most Unique Golf Course

Cole Camp, MO.

riple Creek Golf Course, located in historic Cole Camp, MO, opened in 2010. It was built on 75 acres of beautiful rolling Ozark hills, old growth timber and meandering creeks. With its mature oak and hickory trees scattered throughout and lining most fairways and greens, this course does not play like a young course.

Swing by on your way to the Lake... Triple Creek is one of the most unique golf course layouts you’ll ever experience. This hybrid 18-hole, par 71 course combines 9 holes of executive par 35 golf with 9 holes of championship par 36 golf. It has par 3s and 4s that require difficult shot-making decisions and monster par 5s that will challenge golfers of every level. Fun course to play!

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Triple Creek Golf Course 333 Triple Creek Drive │Cole Camp, MO 65325

www.TripleCreekGolf.com

TEE TIMES GOLF GUIDE

April 2018

At Triple Creek, you’ll play one of the most unique golf course layouts you have ever experienced. This hybrid 18-hole, par 71 course combines 9 holes of executive par 35 golf with 9 holes of championship par 36 golf. It has par 3s and 4s that require difficult shot-making decisions and monster par 5s that will challenge golfers at any level of ability. Triple Creek has 18 tee boxes playing through wide, luscious Zoysia fairways hitting to nine large, picturesque Bentgrass greens. The idea was to put in 9 holes that gives you the feeling like you played 18. Experience a round of golf at Triple Creek with your friends. We are confident that you will return again and again! For more information or tee times at Triple Creek Golf Course, call 660-668-4653 or visit www.TripleCreekGolf.com. Located at 333 Triple Creek Drive, Cole Camp, MO. 65325 (on B Highway, just a half mile South of Highway 52). 

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The Official Home of Lake Trip Golfers Ranked # 1 of 7 Specialty Lodging in Lake Ozark, by TripAdvisor.com

For Best Dates Book Your 2018 Lake Golf Trip NOW! Stay & Play Golf Packages at The Best Rates Available at The Most Conveniently Located Family-Owned Lake Area Waterfront Resort! Remodeled Spacious 3 Bedroom Cottages on Wooded Lots.

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1. Senior Mondays (Age 55+) — Only $44. 2. Golf-N-Food Tuesdays — $58. Includes golf with cart and menu breakfast or lunch selections. Must schedule tee time accordingly to Restaurant hours of 7 a.m. – 3 p.m. 3. Bring-A-Friend Wednesday — 2 Play for $83, after 11 a.m. 4. Twilight Thursday — $45 after 11 a.m. 5. Super Twilight — $30 after 4 p.m. Everyday play until Dusk 6. Super Saver Sundays — $40 after 12 p.m. (All specials are subject to change. Not valid with tournaments, holidays,

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golf outings or with other promotions.) Our restaurant is smoke free!

Fun at The Lake Includes Great Golf...

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In Season

Lake of the Ozarks Golf Courses

Lake Ozarks Golf Course Guide STAR RATINGS ARE BY AREA & VOTED BY READERS. Forms available at www.TeeTimesMagazine.com — Complete and return your! 1. Bear Creek Valley Golf Club 573-302-1000 Rt. 42 Osage Beach Zoysia 72 6796 125 $55 (wd) $71 (we) w/fee Yes 2. Deer Chase Golf Club 573-346-6117 770 Deere Chase Rd Linn Creek Bermuda 71 6544 129 $48(wd) $58 (we) w/fee Yes 3. Eldon Country Club 573-392-4172 35 Golf Course Rd Eldon Zoysia 70 6373 124 $43 (wd) $48 (we) w/fee Yes 4. Indian Rock Golf Club 573-372-3023 State Rd O Laurie Bermuda 72 6380 124 $47 (wd) $55 (we) w/fee Yes 5. Lake Valley Golf Club 573-346-7218 Hwy 54 & Lk Rd 54-79 Camdenton Bermuda 72 6373 124 $60 (wd) $69 (we) w/fee Yes 6. The Cove Golf Course 573-365-8532 State Rd HH Lake Ozark Bermuda 71 6553 136 $25 - $89 Adjustable w/fee Yes 7. The Ridge Golf Course 573-365-8544 170 Seasons Ridge Dr Lake Ozark Zoysia 72 6447 130 $25 - $89 Adjustable w/fee Yes 8. Tan-Tar-A The Oaks G.C. 573-348-8522 1524 State Rd KK Osage Beach Zoysia 71 6432 134 $55 (wd) $75 (we) w/fee Yes 9. Tan-Tar-A Hidden Lakes (9-hole) 573-348-8490 1524 State Rd KK Osage Beach Zoysia 35 3015 N/A $30 (9 holes) $42 (18 holes) w/fee Yes 10. Old Kinderhook Golf Club 573-317-3573 Lake Rd 54-80 Camdenton Zoysia 71 6821 137 $79 (wd) $95 (we) w/fee Yes Please note that the Green Fee Rates Listed are In-Season Rates. For Lower Winter Rates Please Contact the Golf Course. 12. Osage National Golf Club 573-365-1950 400 Osage Hills Rd Lake Ozark Zoysia 72 7150 145 $49 - $89 Dynamic Pricing w/fee Yes 13. Rolling Hills Country Club 573-378-5109 13986 Country Club Rd Versailles Bermuda 71 6590 120 $38 (wd) & (we) w/fee Yes 14. Redfield Golf & Country Club 573-498-011- Hwy 54 & 17 Junction Eugene Bentgrass 72 6720 125 $39 (wd) $52 (we) w/fee Yes 15. Triple Creek Golf Course 660-668-4653 333 Triple Creek Dr Cole Camp Zoysia 71 6029 119 $27 (wd) $32 (we) w/fee Yes NOTICE: Courses have the right to change rates at any time without obligation. ©2018 Tee Times Golf Guide™ Inc. Conceptual Designs Are Proprietary & Reprint Rights Reserved.

Tee Times Golf Guide™ STRONGLY RECOMMENDS VERIFYING INFORMATION WITH THE COURSE YOU WANT TO PLAY.

Many of the courses listed here now offer Dynamic Pricing, which fluctuates throughout the day. This guide reflects average daily rates. For best rates, we suggest visiting course websites. We rely on golf course management to submit any change to the rates listed below. It is not our intent to provide any incorrect information. Rates Can and Do Change Without Notice To Us. Rates are Non-Binding and Only a Reference Guide.

Note to Golf Courses: Please email (Verifiable Email) Any Fee/Rate Changes to: Editor@TeeTimesMagazine.com

TEE TIMES GOLF GUIDE

April 2018

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April 2018

TEE TIMES GOLF GUIDE

] KC Golf News ] Brake and Fitzpatrick Inducted into Callaway’s Hall of Fame Words and Photography by Alan Hoskins

eet Kansas City’s newest golf Hall of Famers – PGA Professionals Ryan Fitzpatrick of the Country Club of Leawood and J.D. Brake of the Jack Nicklaus Golf Club at LionsGate. Both were inducted into Callaway’s Staff Professional Hall of Fame in ceremonies at Callaway’s headquarters in Carlsbad, CA, in February. They were among 40 golf professionals inducted from the PGA’s 41 sections from all over the nation including a third member from the Midwest Section, John Lanham from Prairie Dunes in Hutchinson, KS.

Hall of Fame selection is based on three criteria. No. 1, a club professional has to be on the Callaway staff for a minimum of five years. No. 2, the activity and promotion of Callaway in such areas as merchandising of clubs, balls, bags and other promotions. No. 3, the recommendation of their sales representative, in this case Nate Wright. “Nate makes it easy to be a staff professional for Callaway,” says Brake. “He’s very good. None of this would have happened were it not for Nate.”

refurbishing of the clubhouse at the cost of $3 million; more than $100,000 in improvements in the pro shop; and $600,000 in upgrading the golf course including a complete renovation of the bunkers and drainage system. “We really try to make families feel like this is an extension of their home,” says Fitzpatrick.

A 2000 graduate of Millard North (NB) High School where he played four years on a golf team that finished in the top three in the state tournament in two of his four In addition to their Hall of Fame status, years, Fitzpatrick earned a Professional Fitzpatrick and Brake are both Nebraska Golf Management degree from Arizona natives and share similar positions — the State. That golf program included 18 “Very humbled that Callaway would head professionals at two of Kansas City’s months of internships, which Fitzpatrick choose me,” said Brake. “I asked completed in Omaha and myself why me? There are many Scottsdale. After graduaothers who are more qualified and tion, Fitzpatrick moved on deserving than me. It was very, very to the PGA’s Network of special.” TPC courses in New Jersey and California and then two “Honored,” said Fitzpatrick. years at the TPC course “Working with a company like Callin Las Vegas. “My wife is away has just got better every year. from Omaha, and we’d been This year they’ve focused on helping married about a year and golf professionals, things they can wanted to move back to the do to help in clubfitting, selling and Midwest,” says Fitzpatrick. coming out with great products.” “When Kansas City Country Club posted an ad, I think I The induction dinner highlighted was the first to apply.” Hired a three-day trip to Carlsbad that in 2007, his five years there included tours of Callaway’s headincluded another highlight, quarters, marketing and research a round of golf with Tom areas, a look at the actual manufacWatson, who is also on turing of clubs, and golf. For FitzCallaway’s golf staff. Fitzpatrick, the round of golf was espepatrick and his wife, Linsey, cially memorable. He and Lanham Ryan Fitzpatrick with six years as head pro, the Country Club have three children, Lily, 9; were paired with Chip Brewer, the of Leawood adds Callaway Hall of Fame member to accolades. Graeme, 6; and Palmer, 3. CEO of Callaway. “It was a great opportunity to network, hear from other busiest and most active private courses The Nicklaus Golf Club at LionsGate, club professionals on what they’re doing with memberships at or approaching the of course, is best known for hosting the and learn about the new things coming up.” maximum of 400 golf members. PGA’s WEB.com Tour each August — and being the course where Jack Nicklaus “I didn’t know exactly what to expect Hired February 1, 2012, Fitzpatrick’s played his final round of competitive golf. when I got the invitation, but then I learned six years has been a whirlwind starting “It’s a nice feather in our cap,” says Brake. there was going to be a Hall of Fame cele- 15 months into the job with the members’ “The PGA staff makes it wonderfully easy bration,” said Brake. “I’ve been fortunate sale of the club to Capital Foresight and for us. It’s great to see some of the best to make other trips to Carlsbad, and the the changing of the name of Leawood golfers in the world.” folks at Callaway take such good care of South Country Club to the Country Club us. Absolutely first class, everything they of Leawood. A graduate of Beatrice (NB) High can do for us, which makes you feel very School, Brake played football, basketball special.” Since then, there’s been a complete and baseball. “Just one year of golf as a 36

TEE TIMES GOLF GUIDE

April 2018

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sophomore; I figured I had my whole life to play golf,” he says. “Being from Nebraska where everyone plays golf, I walked on at Northwest Missouri State in Maryville, but when there was a coaching change, I changed gears.”

the national tournament. I wasn’t looking at golf when I graduated, but Randy asked me to be his assistant. The following winter, I played the mini-tours. I thought I was a pretty big fish and found out I wasn’t, and made the smart decision to get on the business professional golf side.”

Transferring to Southeast Community College in Fairbury, he tried out for the golf team — and was cut. “At the end of the first semester, one player left, and I got on the team that way. I was the fifth man on a very good team. We only had three losses in two years.” Brake finished his collegiate career at Marymount College in Salina, KS, earning a BA in Administration in 1987. He was also the No. 1 player on Marymount’s golf team, thanks to head professional Randy Syring at Salina Country Club. “Randy took me under his wing,” said Brake. “Coming out of junior college, I was averaging 87.5 strokes a round, which was laughable. Working with Randy, my first semester at Marymount it was 73.4, and I won six of my last events as a senior and qualified for

After 4½ years at Salina, golf took Brake to Cedar Ridge in Tulsa, OK, for a year and Topeka Country Club (KS) three years as an assistant. He was head pro at Manhattan Country Club (KS) for five years, Plum Creek at Castle Rock in Colorado, Hillcrest Golf Club for nine years and the Golf Club of Kansas for two years before coming to LionsGate in 2010. Married, he and his wife of 27 years, Alison, have a son and daughter, Jeffrey and Abbey, both married and each with one child. An outstanding collegiate golfer after being cut on his community college team, J.D. Brake is in his 9th year at the Nicklaus Golf Club at LionsGate, which annually hosts the PGA’s WEB.com Tour event.

The staff at TEE TIMES GOLF GUIDE Magazine congratulates these two Kansas City area golf professionals — well done! 

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April 2018

TEE TIMES GOLF GUIDE

My Clubs Were Stolen!

recently receive a great letter from an avid reader/retired insurance agent about golf club theft at golf courses. This actually happened to me a few years back. When I got to the first green, I went to grab my putter from the bag only to discover it was gone. My cart was parked right in front of the pro shop and next to the putting green. I assumed that someone needed a putter, so they stole mine. Fortunately, I was able to barrow a friend’s putter who was playing in my group to finish my round. Over the years, I’ve heard numerous stories of club theft at golf courses. Here is what the retired agent had to say about golf club theft and some valuable tips for you to consider.

considering adding their valuable clubs to policies to protect them from theft or loss. It’s very important to do everything you can to save yourself from future problems. Contact your insurance agent and find out the best way to insure your expensive to replace golf equipment. This guy was caught on video at course stealing clubs from the bag drop!

Dear Editor, Enclosed is a copy of a letter that I used to send to my insureds when I was active in the insurance business regarding golf club theft, which is a real problem. I retired a few years ago after 45 years in the business, and now I play more golf and expose my equipment more often. Last May, at one of the top country clubs locally, my clubs were stolen from my trunk and never recovered. The car was in the front row of the lot — not 50 feet from the first tee. I was inside only 30 minutes after my round, so we think someone was watching me put them in the trunk. The replacement cost of the clubs, bag, rain suite, etc. was $5,500! It also took a few weeks to put everything back together. My deductible was $2,500!

Here are some tips on how to protect that new driver, hybrid, irons, putter or your entire set. Share a copy of this with your golf partners; they will appreciate it! • • •

• • • • In talking with the police, they agreed with me that the #1 theft item is rangefinders hanging on the bag, and then, high-end putters and drivers with the manufacturer's headcover on them advertising what is under that cover. I thought maybe you could share this with your readers and save someone from this problem and some money. I am retired, but they can contact their agent to find out the best way to insure their golf equipment.

Save Those Sticks The golf season is approaching full swing and golf clubs steadily become more expensive, yet people choose higher deductibles on their homeowner’s insurance to save on their premium without 38

TEE TIMES GOLF GUIDE

April 2018

• •

Do not use "name brand" headcovers on those new woods or putter. Go with something generic that doesn't advertise what you have under that fancy cover. Record the serial numbers on your clubs (take photos) in case you have to report a loss to the police. Keep a copy of the numbers in your wallet, in your car and with your insurance agent. Put your name on the shafts of the clubs with those printed labels. These sticky little devils are hard to remove. Place a mark on your grips in color to identify your clubs. You can initial with paint or a sharpie. Always put a towel over your clubs when they are setting unattended. Don't advertise what you have in your bag. Do not leave your wallet, keys, phone or other valuables in your bag at any time, just in case. Report any thefts or suspicious activity to club management and the police department immediately. Consider a cable lock for your bag and clubs if you must leave them unattended. Put your travel bag in the trunk of your car or rental car instead of leaving it in the club storage (it has your name and address on it, advertising your house is unattended). When completing your round, take your clubs directly to the trunk of your car before going to the 19th hole. Check to be sure no one is watching you and your truck is firmly shut.

Remember that you can schedule your golf clubs on your homeowner’s insurance, so they are covered with a deductible for a small extra premium. This provides “all risk” coverage to your valuable clubs. If something is stolen from your bag, get a police report. Have a great golf season — safe and secure! Craig J.

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Kansas City Area Golf Options — a Chip Shot Away... Tomahawk Hills Golf Course Plays Much Longer Than It Looks

SHAWNEE, KS — Tomahawk Hills Golf Course is one of the oldest public courses in Kansas City at its original location. Every golfer remembers the final picturesque hole on each nine holes, and every golfer needs to play it at least once. From the tee boxes constructed on a bluff overlooking a wide expanse of Shawnee, it’s a drop-in elevation of 92 feet on the 170-yard No. 9 and another 98 feet to the green on the 178-yard 18th hole. They’re two of the most memorable holes in Kansas City. Located on Midland Drive just west of I-435, Tomahawk Hills is now in its 117th year. A par 70 played at 5,978 yards from the back tees, Tomahawk Hills plays much longer. “People look at 6,000 yards and don’t expect much — only to find out when they get out on it, it can eat your lunch,” head golf professional Jay Lispi says. “It’s not what they expected. If you don’t hit the ball straight, it can be a nightmare. You just have to keep the ball in play.” For example, the No. 1 handicap hole is the 410-yard par-4 4th featuring a tiered fairway that slopes to the right making it difficult to keep the ball in the fairway and on the green. Toughest on the backside is the 390-yard 12th. A dogleg uphill to an elevated green, even the best of tee shots requires a second shot of 150 yards — and it’s all uphill. The forward (red) tees are played at 5,117 yards and are highly recommended for seniors and women. A fun course to play; add it to your 2018 "Must Play" list. Tomahawk’s very affordable non-patron green fees are $20 Mon.-Fri. and $27 weekends and holidays. Carts are $16. Senior rates Mon.-Fri. only $27 with cart. Tomahawk Hills Golf Club, 913.631.8000. Located at 17501 Midland Drive, Shawnee, KS 66218. www.TomahawkHillsgc.com.

by Bill Cromwell

Tiffany Greens Golf Club

Chip Shots

WinterStone Golf Course

A Best of KC Winner Two Years Running!

Ranked a Top 10 Missouri Golf Courses

KANSAS CITY, MO — Tiffany Greens Golf Club has been ranked one of the top 10 courses in Missouri every year since it opened, played host to a past Senior PGA Tournament event and been named the number one golf course in the northland for years. Tiffany Greens is continually working hard to make what is already one of the best golf experiences in the Kansas City area even better!

INDEPENDENCE MO — WinterStone Golf Course opened in 2003 and was immediately tagged “A Touch of the Ozarks” by Bill Cromwell, publisher of Tee Times Golf Guide Magazine. You don’t need to drive two hours south to enjoy the wonders of Ozark golf. This gem, created by Craig Schreiner Golf Course Architects, in Independence, MO, couples scenic beauty and dramatic elevation changes to give KC golfers the closest thing to Ozark golf north of the Lake of the Ozarks.

Designed by Robert Trent Jones, Jr., the par-72 layout played host to the Senior PGA Tour’s TD Waterhouse Championship from 1999 to 2002. While Tiffany Greens is challenging enough to host a tour event, it’s enjoyable for the everyday player. “It’s a destination course,” said golf writer John Baccala. “It has a great course layout, great course conditions, and offers a resort-like atmosphere, amenities and first-class customer service. The practice facilities are world-class.”

For two consecutive years (2015 and 2016) WinterStone was awarded “A Missouri Best Public Golf Course” by Tee Times Golf Guide Magazine. The award recognizes a select golf course within greater Kansas City, MO, for outstanding performance, memorability, superb course conditions and services in all categories. WinterStone consistently achieves all the requirements year after year.

Every hole at Tiffany Greens is exciting, scenic and challenging. “It’s hard for me to talk about just one or two,” said Baccala. “Maybe the best three-hole stretch in the Kansas City area is 16, 17 and 18. The par-5 16th, known as The Great Divide, is a hard dogleg-left that forces you to hit what might be a daunting second shot (if your drive is too far right) over a waste area to a bunkerprotected, slippery-sloping green. The par-4 17th is a dogleg left that can be, depending on the wind, a risk/reward hole for long hitters. And finally, there’s a reason why the 18th is called The Wishbone. If you hit your drive too far right on this short, dogleg right par 4, you’ll wish you had a mulligan. Find the fairway and you still have a challenging uphill approach shot.” Tiffany Greens Golf Course, 816.880.9600. Located at 6100 NW Tiffany Springs Parkway, Kansas City, MO (off Interstate 29, Exit 10, 6100 NW Tiffany Springs Parkway). www.TiffanyGreensGolf.com.

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“I think the first thing that hits you is the dramatic elevation changes,” said Cromwell. “So much so that there’s not a hole in which you’re not either hitting uphill or downhill, which does two things — creates challenges and makes for spectacular views — up, down and across the tree-lined fairways. There’s some pretty incredible views.” The par-72, 18-hole course plays 6,752 yards from the championship tee boxes and 5,611 from the forward tees. Each nine has two par 3 holes, two par 5 holes and five par 4 holes. Its superb greens are large and undulated, while the immaculate fairways are contoured, the terrain offers rolling hills, deep valleys and sculpted mounding. WinterStone has a covenant that does not allow the land for uses of anything but a golf course for 23 years, so there’s no houses lining the course. WinterStone Golf Course, 816.257.5755. Located at 17101 E. Kentucky Road (291 Hwy and Kentucky Road) Independence, MO. www.WinterStoneGolf.com.

April 2018

TEE TIMES GOLF GUIDE

NEWS

KCGA Announces New Competitions

he 2018 Kansas City Golf Association (KCGA) season is officially underway. Registration opened March 1 and tournaments are already filling up. The KCGA begins its season with the first Stateline Amateur Tour event on April 17 at the Country Club of Loch Lloyd and a couple weeks later with the Girls and Women’s Match Play Championship May 4-6 at Swope Memorial Golf Club.

The Stateline Amateur Tour Tee’s Up... The Stateline Amateur Tour, or SLAT, provides players with a series of competitions in and around the Kansas City metropolitan area. For every tournament, there are four divisions: Open division, Players division, Seniors division and Legends division. Women compete in either the Players or Legends division depending on their age. The Stateline Amateur Tour is a great way for competitive golfers to gain confidence and battle it out beginning in April to the end of October with the SLAT Championship at Staley Farms Golf Club. The KCGA encourages all players to get involved and all the great experience that SLAT provides. To play in SLAT events, golfers must register to be a member of the Stateline Amateur Tour, which requires a $50 entry fee. Once registered, golfers may sign up for individual tournaments throughout the season. All events require an $85 entry fee.

pionship. Julia Misemer faced-off against Molly Saporito in the championship match in which Saporito led up until the back nine. Once in the lead on the back nine, Misemer (photo below) was able to hold off Saporito’s comeback and ultimately secure the match and the 2017 championship 2 and 1. The Women’s Match Play saw a very competitive final match between Lacy Shelton and Erin Carney. Lacy Shelton gained her first lead of the match after the 13th hole and rode that lead all the way to the finish. Shelton secured the match and 2017 championship 1-up. Entry fees for the Girls and Women’s Match Play are $80 and Women’s Match Play entries are now open. The Girls Match Play Championship is open by invitation only, and invitations will be sent out by the end of March or early April. The deadline to enter for all KCGA Julia Misemer, the 2017 Girls Match events is one Play Champion. week before the day of the event by midnight. For more information or to register for either of these events, please visit www.kansascitygolfer.org.

Girls and Women’s Match Play Championship Preview...

KCGA New Additions...

Following the first SLAT event, the KCGA will host both the Girls and Women’s Match Play at Swope Memorial Golf Course. The Girls Match Play has been a youth favorite and has revealed some great championship matches. The Girls Match Play saw a new winner last year after reigning champion Taylor Black entered the Women’s Match Play Cham-

The KCGA is excited to announce a couple new features to its 2018 schedule. Starting this year, the first of two new features is the KCGA/KGA Women’s Player of the Year Award. Both associations announced the creation of three new awards based on performance in KCGA and Kansas Golf Association (KGA) women’s competitions throughout the 2018 season — Women’s Player of

TEE TIMES GOLF GUIDE

April 2018

by Taylor Albritton contributing KCGA writer

the Year, Senior Women’s Player of the Year, and Junior Girls’ Player of the Year. Points will be earned for top play in KCGA Regional Championships, KGA State Championships, KCGA Stateline Amateur Tour, KGA Mid-Am/Senior Series, KCGA/ KGA Junior Tour and USGA qualifiers/ championships. The best eight totals for each player will be counted towards the player of the year award. Standings will be updated on both the KCGA and KGA’s websites after the conclusion of each event. The KCGA is extremely excited about this new change and can’t wait to award three recipients with this great honor! Another new aspect of the 2018 season is a new tournament series of Women’s One Day Four-Ball. This new tournament series will feature five one-day tournaments in conjunction with Stateline Amateur events. Each tournament will consist of a fourball stroke-play format in which two-woman teams playing as partners compete against the rest of the field. Unlike the SLAT, players do not have to be a member of a tour but must have an active GHIN number or handicap. Entry for each individual event is $85. The results in this series will also count towards the Player of the Year standings.

The Kansas City Golf Association has something for everyone... We are excited to begin another great season and hope to see great turnouts at all the events. A complete schedule of the 2018 season is available at www.kansascitygolfer.org. If you live or play in the Kansas City metropolitan area, the KCGA greatly encourages you to get involved and get signed up! 

Taylor Albritton, USGA P.J. Boatwright Intern, for the Kansas City Golf Association. For information about the KCGA, call 913.649.5242 or visit at www. KansasCityGolfer.org.

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