Spring 2011

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avid contents

50

BIG SHOT Brad Carsten of Javelin, Inc., is a quick-thinking, risk-taking entrepreneur who looks to golf to keep him active and balanced. Read his story in this issue’s executive profile.

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avid contents 53

FEATURES

61 Course Opinion: Aberdeen Golf Club The motto at Aberdeen Golf Club in Eureka, Mo., is nothing if not straightforward: “The Scottish Golf Experience,” which is exactly what this course offers.

Join Ryan Scott as he navigates foreign fairway territory, without leaving the Gateway Area.

66 JET: Algodon Wine Estates and Champions Club Get your sip and swing on at the lush Algodon Wine Estates and Champions Club in scenic San Rafael, Argentina, which vino enthusiasts have dubbed “the Napa Valley of Argentina.”

72 SHORT FEATURE: Head of the Class Move over Scotty Cameron, there’s a new boy wonder in town. Meet Clayton Stoker, a high-school sophomore who crafted his first handmade putter last year, and at the ripe age of 16, is starting his own business selling his hand-crafted putters.

76 PGA Merchandise Show: Where a golfer’s dreams can come true Each January, Orlando, Fla., transforms into the most magical place on Earth—for golfers. Find out which new gadgets and equipment we loved, and why this four-day spectacle is one that AVID won’t soon forget.

83 COVER STORY: How to Drink Like a Gentleman There’s no way around it: St. Louisans like their booze.

Make the most of the city’s diverse drinking scene with AVID’s round up of neighborhood bar crawls, and discover the best local microbreweries bringing back craft-style beer.

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34

Departments

13 Letter from the editor 14 Access 19 Bag Check Take a peek inside Tommy Armour’s golf bag to find out what items he can’t live without on the course.

23 The Lab The hottest hybrids hitting the market in 2011, a music-geek approved roundup of top-notch headphones and a quick look at the Scotty Cameron craze.

31 Vice AVID busts four big rosé wine myths and tells real connoisseurs why they should give it a try. Also, learn how cigars are making a modern comeback.

34 Muse AVID welcomes its new advice columnist and relationship guru, Jenn Clark. Let the queries begin.

44 Burn Fitness guru Damon Goddard explains how to use core strength to drive like a pro, and instructor Maria Palozola shares ways to make each swing count.

50 Executive Brad Carsten is a creative, confident marketing pro, not afraid to take risks and challenge himself—and he brings a similar passion to improving his golf game.

53 Stitch As the snow melts, new styles are blooming for spring. Learn how to introduce the coolest colors and patterns into your wardrobe.

98 AVIDDIVA Get to know the most charming cart girls in the Gateway Area.

37 Fuel Food writer Kyle Harsha reports on the haute cuisine at Demun Oyster Bar: it’s not a raw deal.

102 Caddy Shack AVID talks with golfer Sandy Armour, who shares what it’s like to caddy for his brother, and how it felt walking the course where his grandfather won the British Open.

41 The Cut Catch a concert preview of Ted Leo before he plays Off Broadway on May 8. Plus, meet David Wood, stand-up comedian turned clubwielding author.

104 cease & desist Matt Mathison gives his not-sosubtle opinions about the St. Louis Cardinals failing to sign all-star Albert Pujols, and how this gaffe could hurt the city.

sAKs FiFtH AVENuE MEN’s CollECtioN KNoW WHAt You’RE WEARiNG Our Italian-made pinstripe suit is crafted in luxurious super 120s wool

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SPRING 2011 / AVIDMAGAZINE.COM / 9 st. louis

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co-publisher Matt Mathison co-publisher Richard Riney

avid

editor-in-chief Dan Michel associate editor liz miller contributing editors Bryan Hollerbach Michael Wilmering

design NITEWERK Chicago, Ill. hello@nitewerk.com design interns RYAN SULLIVAN ALEXANDER L. VALENTINE III photo assistant COURTNEY WEBER production assistant Richard Kearns

contributing photographers DAVID BURRIDGE; CFX, LINDA MUELLER; MARK CHRISTIAN; RICK GOULD; MATT MARCINKOWSKI; MONTANA PRITCHARD; RYAN SCOTT; LESIA TATARSKY

contributing writers GEORGE ABERNATHY, JENN CLARK, BRYAN FAQUIN, DAMON GODDARD, KIM GORDON, KYLE HARSHA, EVAN C. JONES, MARIA PALOZOLA, RYAN SCOTT, MICHAEL WILMERING, FRED W. WRIGHT JR.

account executives Brett Borgard David Drovetti

avidmagazine.com

AVID Magazine 520 Maryville Centre Drive, Suite 220 St. Louis, MO 63141 314.677.2444

AVID Magazine is published by Flagstick Media Co. and has no affiliation with any other media outlet or publication or any variation thereof.

This magazine may not be reproduced in whole or in part without expressed written consent of the publisher. For permission, please contact matt@avidmagazine.com.

For questions, comments or feedback, please contact feedback@avidmagazine.com.

Back issues, reprints and PDFs are available for an additional charge. For more information, please contact info@avidmagazine.com. special thanks to: DALTON FRANKLIN ANNE MCCULLOUGH

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advertising visual communications photography

The fine art of communication.

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cfx-inc.com

letter from the editor

News To Me When I hear the term “trade show,” I don’t typically stir with excitement.

I’ve been to trade shows in the past, and they can be dull and monotonous. But before attending the PGA Merchandise Show in Orlando, Fla., I’d done my research and knew it would be a bit different, a bit flashier. Even still, when one colleague tried to explain how truly different it would be, I didn’t quite get the picture. In any case, his words couldn’t have done the event justice, no matter how eloquent. It was overwhelming to say the least. (See it for yourself on page 76)

All the vendors, gadgets and equipment—not to mention the massive displays and booming music—induced sensory overload. With so many people handing out samples and pitching their products, it was hard to make sense of it all. To top it off, I was surrounded by thousands of attending golf pros and fanatics who were like little kids with sugar highs running around the Disney World of golf.

duced almost exclusively by men, but no longer.

Now, we get some much-needed insight from the fairer sex, and judging from her first piece (page 34), I think you’ll enjoy it, along with the rest of this issue.

—Dan Michel

Our main feature, on the other hand, was much more relaxing to, um, research. Touring the best drinking establishments in St. Louis, from dive bars to brew pubs to bar crawls, was just as much a treat as the PGA show, but actually required more work than just tossing back some cold ones. (Read all about it on page 83).

Clayton Stoker, the subject of our short feature, isn’t old enough to drink. Hell, he isn’t old enough to vote, which makes him one of the more intriguing characters we’ve interviewed so far. (Read his story on page 72.) The 16 year old from Waterloo, Ill., has already started a small business out of his parents’ basement making putters that he sells on eBay. His business savvy and lofty ambitions are impressive for any entrepreneur, let alone a high school sophomore.

We think he’s going places, and that golf will take him there.

Also on that list of new, fascinating faces in this issue is Brad Carsten (page 50), who does marketing work with high-end clients such as Grey Goose and Bacardi. The New York-born executive is a die-hard businessman and golfer. He weaves the sport into his life in a way that AVID hasn’t seen from anyone thus far.

Hailing from the opposite coast, our new columnist, Jenn Clark, brings something that this magazine has needed for some time: a woman’s perspective. Up until now, AVID has been proSPRING 2011 / AVIDMAGAZINE.COM / 13

ACCESS

AVID Magazine’s monthly round-up of facts, figures and useless information from the world of golf.

42

FIFTEEN

Number of golf-themed covers that The New Yorker has published since 1925.

3

in

The age when Clayton Stoker crafted his first putter. Turn to page 72 to get his full story.

250,

Number of estimated spectators at the annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade in downtown St. Louis. Didn’t party on St. Patty’s? Check page 83 for drinking tips.

Midwest GolfLab on Manchester Road in Des Peres, unfortunately, closed its doors in February.

15

Holes-in-one Champions Tour player Tommy Armour III has. See what’s in his bag on page 19.

Congratulations to women’s all-star Yani Tseng, who bagged three tournament victories in three weeks, including a five-shot triumph over Michelle Wie in an LPGA Thailand event.

3

Tee’s Golf Grill, located at 103 Chesterfield Valley Drive, opened on February 18, featuring 10 full-size golf simulators.

UNDISCLOSED

$$ $55 mil+$ $$$$$$$$$

Tiger Woods was given an undisclosed fine for spitting on the 12th green at the Omega Dubai Desert Classic in February.

Amount Tiger Woods received, according to Arabian Business, to promote his new golf course at Tiger Woods Dubai, which was abandoned less than a month later. See page 16 for more.

1,440 67

2,050 Number of acres that are home to Argentina’s Algodon Wine Estates, which also has an 18-hole golf course.

Turn to page 66 to see the pictures.

335+

Number of professionals in the Gateway PGA section.

Guinness World Record for most holes of miniature golf played by two teams in 24 hours.

59.6

Percent of Missouri Golf Association (MGA) members who voted The Club at Porto Cima in Sunrise Beach their favorite Missouri golf course in 2011.

10 miles Length of aisles at this year’s PGA Merchandise Show. See page 76 for more.

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MARCH

29 When Tiger Woods PGA Tour ’12, featuring Augusta National for the first year, hits store shelves.

Score that D.A. Points and Bill Murray landed to secure the win at the Pebble Beach National Pro-Am in February.

1.2 MILLION Number of Twitter followers that Stewart Cink has, making him the most followed tweeter in the golf world. Not following him yet? Get on it— and while you’re at it, be sure to follow @avidmag.

Tweet of the Month: @jpnewport: “Fun fact via Michael Breed: average shoe size on PGA Tour in 1993 was 9½. In 2010: 11½.

Bigger, stronger players.”

SPRING 2011 / AVIDMAGAZINE.COM / 15

ACCESS

Know Your Pro: Kyle Whittaker Course: The Links at Dardenne Golf Club Pro Since: 2010 Handicap: 6 Course You Learned On: Whitmoor Country Club. My grandpa owned the course, and he always wanted me to play, so I played with him every day when I was little.

Golf Mentor: Also my grandpa, Bob Whittaker.

Definitely. He brought me out on the course all the time. He loved the game, and he always told me, “If you want a sport you can play for a lifetime, you should play golf.”

What’s in Your Bag?: Right now, I have a Nike Sasquatch driver, Nike Sasquatch 3-Wood, TaylorMade Hybrid and Titleist DCI irons. My putter is a Scotty Cameron. I’ve had the same one since I was 16 years old.

Most Notable Golf Partner: My great grandfather, Charlie Haynes. I played with him 3 or 4 times a week. He was in his 80s at that point, which showed me how great of a game golf really is.

Favorite Golfer to Watch: Johnny Vegas. He’s new on the scene this year. He’s awesome. He’s the firstever Venezuelan player to win on the PGA Tour. He’s, in my opinion, the next Tiger Woods. I also enjoy Bubba Watson. He hits the ball like crazy. Plus, he’s a family man.

Greatest On-Course Accomplishment: That would be when I was 15 years old. I hit a ball out of bounds, dropped another one, and I holed it out from the tee box. So, it’s not technically a hole-in-one, but that was cool. Also, the first time I hit 75, when I was 17, was a big accomplishment for me.

Best Tip: I love teaching people how to putt. It’s the most important part of the game. I tell them to go nice and easy as they swing and to say out loud “tick tock”—tick on the backswing, tock on the followthrough—to help them get a feel for their short game. It’s something I’ve always been taught by the pros that taught me.

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TAKE FIVE Construction company Dubai Properties Group announced in February that it would cease construction of The Tiger Woods Dubai golf and luxury property development, a project that has remained untouched for the past two years. The former world No. 1 Tiger Woods had designed the course himself.

Dubai Properties Group stated that the project is on hold because there’s a rough market for luxury properties. We could’ve told them that.

This Month’s Mulligan

“I’ll tell you this: I’ll never go back to the Hope, and I’ll never go back to Phoenix, no matter what happens.”

—John Daly about the Bob Hope Classic and the Phoenix Open after being overlooked for sponsor exemptions so many times.

PRIME PARKING Michael MacKenzie Joyner, a 53-yearold insurance agent from Fort Myers, Texas, allegedly ran down three people in a golf cart with his SUV after the ACE Group Classic golf tournament in 2010. Joyner is charged with leaving the scene of a crash with personal injury, which is a third-degree felony that carries a five-year maximum prison sentence. What we still can’t figure out is does that make him an angry driver or an angry golfer?

TOUR TRACK The PGA Tour has recruited Darius Rucker, former frontman of Hootie and the Blowfish, to record a song for its new charitable campaign. Rucker, a longtime golf enthusiast, recorded “Together, Anything’s Possible,” the proceeds from which will benefit PGA Tour charities. Let’s just hope this new ditty doesn’t get stuck in our heads for the next three years, a la “Hold My Hand.”

BANKRUPT The Grand Wailea Resort Hotel & Spa on Maui; the Doral Golf Resort and Spa in Miami; The Club at PGA West in La Quinta, Calif.; the Claremont Hotel Club & Spa in Berkeley, Calif., and the Arizona Biltmore in Phoenix have all filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. Does this mean we could actually afford to play them soon?

Sources: Arabian Business, Associated Press, bloomberg.com, golfchannel.com, Guinness Book of World Records, marconews.com, MGA, nytimes.com, pga.com, golfweek.com

AVID Magazine’s monthly round-up of facts, figures and useless information from the world of golf.

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Graeme "G-Mac" McDowell

BETTER.

2010 U.S. Open Champion

The reason G-Mac and so many other tour pros and amateurs are switching to Srixon golf balls is simple – they’re better. The core is the engine of a golf ball. A larger core means greater distance. We make the largest core in golf. A soft cover means maximum spin. We make the softest cover in the game. And we offer pure white and tour yellow for visual performance.

Because what you see better you play better. Make the switch to Srixon. Play a better ball.

SRIXON.COM Srixon is a registered trademark of SRI Sports Limited. Z-STAR is a trademark of SRI Sports Limited.

SRI Sports is a company of Sumitomo Rubber Industries Group.

18 / AVIDMAGAZINE.COM / SPRING 2011

BAG CHECK AVID peeks inside Tommy Armour III’s golf bag to see what clubs he carries and what he can’t live without on the course

E

Photos: Getty Images; Courtesy of Adams Golf, Apple, Janis Birins, Nuun

P OTY T O PR

+ Almonds, a jar of dimes used as ball markers, a gray fur steering-wheel wrap for his golf cart, an iPhone, a BlackBerry and hydration tablets.

Clubs, from top to bottom: Driver: Adams Speedline F11 (8 degrees) Fairway Wood: Adams Speedline F11 3-wood (13 degrees); Hybrid: Adams A12 Prototype (17 degrees); Irons: Adams Idea MB2; Wedge: Cleveland CG15 (53 degrees) Putter: Scotty Cameron Newport 2 (custom black) SPRING 2011 / AVIDMAGAZINE.COM / 19

SH T Tony La Russa’s Animal Rescue Foundation “Stars to the Rescue” Sponsor Reception January 14, Lumen The Animal Rescue Foundation’s (ARF) “Stars to the Rescue” Sponsor Reception was held at swanky event space Lumen in Midtown in January for event sponsors, VIPs and their guests. Tony La Russa, the St. Louis Cardinals manager and co-founder of ARF, actor and director Billy Bob Thornton, comedian Kevin Pollack and St. Louis-based band Story of the Year, as well as several other stars, were all in attendance.

Proceeds from “Stars to the Rescue” provided essential support for ARF’s lifesaving programs, which find homes for dogs and cats who have run out of time at public shelters.

A

Heather Hebson, Albert “Red” Schoendienst, Theresa Corbett, Barry Weinberg

Photos: Blacktie Missouri

Tracey Edwards, Herb Half, Shana Lindsey

Bob and Theresa Corbett, Tom and Heather Hebson

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Linda Morgan, Keith Ogbourne

Mike and Christine Kociela

Debra Hollingsworth, Mark Stacye, Patty and Kent Chapin

Ann Schwarz, Beth Hackett

Amanda Moehle, Amy Brindisi, Angela Schoenherr

Lori Bergman, Mike Shannon

Tiffany Walker, Judith Anderson

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THE LAB

Sign Me Up, Scotty

Putters Scotty Cameron collectors go crazy for his putters’ perfect balance of design and performance WORDS: Michael Wilmering

At the start of the year, putter-maker extraordinaire Scotty Cameron quashed speculation that he would be moving away from his more than 15-year partnership with Acushnet, the parent company of Titleist.

When Acushnet sold Cobra to Puma last spring, rumors swirled about what else it might dump, and some in the golf world assumed Cameron, now 48, might seek investors for his top-of-the-line putter empire.

But Cameron, apparently as loyal as he is brilliant, put an end to the speculation on his blog earlier this year: “And, just to set the record straight, I have not been making plans to create putters for anyone other than Titleist… There have not been, nor will there be, any changes to my overall goal to create the finest products for the best players in the world.”

Cameron’s putters aren’t just immaculate from a technical standpoint. They’re damned pretty, too.

His creative signature touch has spawned a die-hard subculture of Cameron collectors, including ridiculously priced eBay auctions, numerous fan clubs and even a Scotty Cameron Museum and Gallery at the Hamamatsu Sea Side Golf Club in Japan.

Photos: Courtesy of Titleist, Scotty Cameron

Collectors look for vintage and rare putters, signed and numbered limited editions, tournament-used items and unique covers. A recent auction at the museum in Japan fetched ¥136,000 (about $1,660) for a cherry blossom–adorned prototype putter cover, and eBay routinely hosts auctions that fetch several thousand dollars for each putter.

Although Cameron’s clubs are highly sought-after works of art in some circles, that doesn’t mean they’re all designed and priced to simply hang on a wall. Cameron’s 2011 line features three major players: the Studio Select, the California and the Studio Select Kombi, with basic models starting at around $325.

Cameron’s putters are a favorite on the national golf scene, too. At the Farmer’s Insurance Open at Torrey Pines earlier this year, 57 golfers wielded Scotty Cameron short sticks—more than any other model.

Cameron’s putters are precision-milled with removable weights and stepless shafts. All the grips, logos, decals and weights are customizable, too.

Bracelet by Sabona, $63, Norwood Hills Country Club, 1 Norwood Hills Country Club Drive, 314.521.4802, norwoodhills.com

With so much quality to back up the hype, it’s easy to see how a small collection can quickly turn into any golfer’s obsession.

A

SPRING 2011 / AVIDMAGAZINE.COM / 23

THE LAB Wallets

Above the Fold Brighten your look with these polished pocketbooks

Spring is a time for new beginnings. Sandals season, spring cleaning and fantasy baseball are all under way. But while you’re changing things up, you might consider retiring that threadbare, bursting-at-theseams, George Costanza-style wallet you’ve had since college.

Although you may be inclined to simply replace your traditional brown or black leather billfold with another just like it, try injecting a bit of color into your arsenal, keeping in mind that you don’t have to restrict yourself to just one.

FROM TOP TO BOTTOM

$195, Saks Fifth Avenue, Plaza Frontenac, 314.567.9200, saksfifthavenue.com; $30, Tasso Elba, Macy’s, multiple locations, macys.com; $30, Fossil, West County Center, 314.821.2989, fossil.com; $88, Cole Haan, Plaza Frontenac, 314.997.3460; $30, Fossil, West County Center, 314.821.2989, fossil.com

SPRING 2011 24 / AVIDMAGAZINE.COM / MARCH

Photo: Mark Christian

Whether you prefer a classic billfold or front-pocket wallet, these vibrant yet functional selections are the perfect marriage of practicality and panache.

petermillar.com

peter millar Lifetime of style

SPRING 2011 / AVIDMAGAZINE.COM / 25

THE LAB Golf

Rescue Me Say goodbye to your long irons and fairway woods, and say hello to these new hybrids for 2011.

Callaway RAZR X Hybrid

Adams Golf’s new V3 hybrids are designed to reduce turf interaction and improve weight distribution. The all-black club’s super-thin face increases ball speed, while the almost nonexistent crown (just 0.6 mm) creates a slightly bottom-heavy club head for improved ball flight upon contact.

Rather than evenly distributing the additional weight across the bottom of the club head, the Idea Tech V3 has weights at the heel and toe of the club, which help straighten off-center shots.

The V-shaped, recessed sole is designed to minimize contact with the ground during your swing, which, depending on consistency, could immediately shave strokes off your handicap. $200, ProAm Golf, 3174 S. Brentwood Boulevard, 314.781.7775, proamgolftr.com

Nike VR Pro Hybrid The slick new VR Pro hybrids use Nike’s compression channel technology, which makes for a hotter club face by transferring more power to the ball, even when you don’t hit it dead center.

Nike says this year’s model also uses variableface thickness to give it a more effective club face than previous versions.

Callaway also increased the size of the club head to produce a bigger sweet spot, offering more forgiveness, which comes in handy when attempting a hard rescue attempt from a bad lie.

The VR Pro’s tour-ready design comes in four loft angles (15, 18, 21 or 24 degrees), and the variable-sole chamber differs on each to minimize contact with the ground through your swing.

The RAZR X is available in either a standard model, which encompasses angles between 21 and 30 degrees, or a tour model, which has 18 to 24 degrees of loft. The standard model features three graphite shaft options, and the tour-caliber model offers regular, stiff and extra-stiff shafts.

Combine this with Nike’s massive array of custom shafts, and the VR hybrids can help take your game to the next level.

$160, Golf Galaxy, 90 Brentwood Promenade, 314.962.9100, golfgalaxy.com

$170, Dick’s Sporting Goods, 200 West County Center, 314.649.1400, dickssportinggoods.com

SPRING 2011 26 / AVIDMAGAZINE.COM / MARCH

Callaway enlisted the help of staff pro Phil Mickelson to develop its latest offering, the RAZR X hybrid. It features Callaway’s patented Zero Roll technology, designed to give added loft on shots struck low on the club face for greater distance and a softer landing.

Photos: Courtesy of Adams Golf, Callaway, Nike Golf

Adams Golf Idea Tech V3 Hybrid

THE COURSE NEVER LEAVES YOU

\11 SPRING & SUMMER LOOKS FRED COUPLES. PGA Tour Professional

SPRING 2011 / AVIDMAGAZINE.COM / 27

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THE LAB Headphones

A Little Bit Louder Now

Feed your inner music geek with these funky headphones.

More than 30 years ago, the Sony Walkman revolutionized the way people listened to music with the introduction of lightweight headphones.

Although the bulky hi-fi ’phones of generations past offered quality sound, they didn’t offer much in the way of portability. Sony’s breakthrough not only helped spark a multimillion-dollar worldwide industry, but also changed how, and more importantly when, people could listen to music.

The white ear buds that seem to dangle from the ears of every man, woman and child may be sufficient when you’re hitting the treadmill, but you shouldn’t have to sacrifice sound quality while rocking out on the go.

1

$150, Bose Store, St. Louis Galleria, 314.726.5350, bose.com

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$50, WeSC, Urban Outfitters, St. Louis Galleria, 314.727.6262, urbanoutfitters.com

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$70, WeSC, Urban Outfitters, St. Louis Galleria, 314.727.6262, urbanoutfitters.com

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$150, Skull Candy, Apple Store, West County Center, 314.965.3213, apple.com

So revisit the days when it was all about the music— not the convenience—with these stylish, high-quality headphones.

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Sign up or find a Mercy doctor at mercy.net

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VICE CIGARS

New-School Stogies words and photos: Ryan scott

ON THE COURSE: GET A GRIP

Cigars are on the verge of a new boom era, similar to that of the ’90s when every day there was a new must-try smoke hitting shelves. This time, the surge will be on a smaller scale, with a higher concentration of new, top-quality names.

Sure you can manage smoking your cigar without the Callaway Cigar Clip, but once you have one you’ll wonder how you did. No more dropping it in the grass and forgetting where you left it. The Callaway Cigar Clip holds your cigar level so it burns more evenly, but gently enough not to crack the wrapper.

Clip it to your bag or anywhere on your cart.

The days of cigar makers trying to outdo each other with the most potent smoke are over, and it’s a good thing or we’d start to see brands such as Chevron and Goodyear on tobacconists’ shelves. Sanity has seemingly returned to the cigar maker’s mantra, and that means an excellent array of quality choices.

But did you know that cigars, like wine, are blended by vintage? The Macanudo you smoked 10 years ago isn’t the same Macanudo on the shelves today, or any other brand for that matter. It’s the blender’s job to select the right combination of binder, filler and wrapper to provide a consistent flavor from year to year. Here’s a sampling of some successful new brands, as well as our 2010 vintage favorites.

A

Ashton Cabinet #7 This is a cigar I thought I knew, but this year’s blend gave me a pleasant surprise. While it is traditional in flavor profile, it adds a very enjoyable level of complexity. The ash and draw could not be any more perfect. $10, The Havana Room, 3868 Vogel Road, 636.282.2975

Yes, it’s a simple device, but it gets the job done. For any cigar-loving golfer, it’s an invaluable addition to any weekend outing. $20, Callaway Get-A-Grip Cigar Clip, Golf Galaxy, 16 THF Boulevard, 636.537.8400

Zino Platinum Limited Edition ’10 Emperor If my mom were here, she’d slap me for spending $28 on a cigar.

Believe me, I love saying that expensive cigars aren’t worth the price of admission, but this is a fantastic smoke. It’s rich and flavorful with lip-smacking complexity packed with a perfect construction. $28, Brennan’s, 4659 Maryland Avenue, 314.361.9444

Arturo Fuente Anejo #55 The Fuente Anejo is released every year right around Christmas.

Along with Guinness and the fireplace, they were one of the few nice things about winter. The ’07–’09 vintages lacked pizzazz, but I’m happy to say that the Anejo is back. This vintage has tons of flavor and spice, making it impossible to put down. Most retailers are sold out, so if you see one on shelves, grab it. $12, Top Hat Cigars, 124 W. Jefferson Avenue, Suite 107, 314.966.1002

SPRING 2011 / AVIDMAGAZINE.COM / 31

VICE ROSÉS

WAR OF THE ROSéS WORDS: KYLE HARSHA

As winter fades, it’s time for the clubs to come out of storage, patios to open up and warm-weather weekend getaways. A change in season typically calls for a change in wine selection, too. For most guys in St. Louis, this means steering away from red wines and opting for either white wine or beer. Rosé wines rarely enter the discussion.

Now, before you dismiss this underrated wine category for its color or any other preconceptions you might have, several myths about pink wines need debunking. Because no misguided insecurity or palate-depriving prejudice should keep you from enjoying one of the greatest, most refreshing wines on the market, even if its appearance is lessthan manly.

Myth #1: All rosés are sweet Many people’s exposure to rosé is limited to the Mateus or Lancers of decades past. These are not the standards by which modern rosés should be judged. Certainly there are sweeter examples out there, such as most white zinfandels, but the latest trend is a drier, more complex wine. Winemakers have started using grapes that you would find in pinot noir (County Line from Santa Barbara), malbec (Crios from Argentina) and grenache (Cortijo from Spain). These grapes typically make dry “normal” wines, so it stands to reason that they’d make dry rosés as well.

32 / AVIDMAGAZINE.COM / SPRING 2011

Myth #2: Rosé is plonk In the past, this notion was true, but recent innovations have produced some well-made, nicely priced rosés. Take, for example, the Tavel region in France. Located near the Rhone Valley, this area is almost entirely dedicated to the production of rosé, most commonly made from grenache and cinsault grapes, with a touch of syrah. They are well-crafted, are incredibly balanced and can age for years. These wines normally retail for $7 to $50 per bottle.

Myth #3: Rosé just isn’t sophisticated If the proponents of this myth mean to say that wine experts don’t like rosé, then they’re dead wrong. Wine lists across the country now have entire sections dedicated to rosé, and the sommeliers working at many establishments will state without hesitation that they are one of the most foodfriendly wines out there. This is because rosé has the best of both wine worlds: the refreshing style of whites and the flavor and complexity of reds.

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PINK PALATE For those of you who need to ease into rosé, try making a pitcher of this delicious concoction for your next spring get-together: 2 bottles rosé 1 cup brandy 4 tablespoons orange liqueur Chopped fresh fruit (apples, pineapple, grapes, oranges, lemons and limes all work) ½ cup sugar 1 tablespoon lemon juice Just stir ingredients in a pitcher, serve over ice and top with club soda.

It makes a great patio refreshment to start the spring off right. Unless, of course, you’re afraid the chopped fruit might send the wrong message, too.

SPRING 2011 / AVIDMAGAZINE.COM / 33

MUSE “We want a guy who calls us and plans dates.

We enjoy chivalry and manners. We want to feel special and not to be treated as an afterthought or taken for granted. We want to be treasured and valued; whether on the first date or after 25 years of marriage.” trial and error (mostly error), infused with common sense—resonated with both men and women.

These Treacherous Waters

If you’re like most people, navigating matters of the heart can be difficult at best. And you men rarely have it easy when it comes to understanding the enigma known as “women.” That’s where this column and I come in; to give you a female perspective on the tough topic of love.

So for my first column in AVID, I thought I’d start with a couple of the basics on what women want.

Women want men who are men. What defines a man?

In the female dictionary, a man is solid, strong and stable. He has good character. He is true to his word and loyal. He sets out to achieve his goals and is undeterred

If you’re like most people, navigating matters of the heart can be difficult at

by Jenn clark

best. And you men rarely have it easy when it comes to understanding the enigma known as “women.”

Although I approached single life with excitement, just a few months of match.com, Facebooking and scores of bad first dates left me waterlogged. I was less a confident woman in my late 30s and more the clueless girl of my 20s, drowning in a sea of uncertainty and confusion. So I decided to write about it. And the blog that began as a memoir of my post-divorce dating disasters quickly turned into something more.

As soon as “Jenn X: 30Something & Single” hit cyberspace, I was flooded with readers’ questions. “How do I know if he/she likes me?” “Why is my guy/girl acting like this?” My answers and “relationship advice” columns—formulated over years of research, observation, 34 / AVIDMAGAZINE.COM / SPRING 2011

by setbacks. He is confident. This is the man women respect and admire. This is what we want in a partner.

Women want men who treat them like women. Generally speaking, women like to be pursued. We want a guy who calls us and plans dates. We enjoy chivalry and manners. We want to feel special and not to be treated as an afterthought or taken for granted. We want to be treasured and valued; whether on the first date or after 25 years of marriage.

Sound easy? It’s not. Rocks and shoals abound. So it’s important to think of the preceding as a springboard as we dive deeper into men, women and relationships in the coming issues. I know I have. And as a result, I’ve become a much stronger swimmer.

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Have an issue you’d like Jenn to address?

Send your questions to jclark@avidmagazine.com.

Photos by David Burridge

To say that I dove back into the dating pool after my divorce is an understatement. It was more like a backward takeoff from a handstand with a reverse 4 ½ pike from the 10-meter platform. Degree of difficulty? Well, for this girl (who is a big fan of neither heights nor water), it was a 5.0.

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FUEL : DEMUN OYSTER BAR

Crustacean Cravings Fulfilled at Demun Oyster Bar St. Louis’ coolest new seafood joint makes a splash

words: kyle harsha PHOTOS: Rick Gould

Are you familiar with Kusshi, Kumomoto or Shigoku? No, they aren’t famous battle sites in the South Pacific, nor are they beasts from a Godzilla movie. They’re types of oysters, and they can be found at the hippest new raw bar in St. Louis—Demun Oyster Bar. Opened in late December by Alan Richman of Sasha’s Wine Bar fame, the cozy little joint located on Demun Avenue near the border of Clayton and Richmond Heights is the new “it” spot for fans of gourmet crustaceans and fine Champagne.

Much in the vein of his other local haunts, Richman was specific in his desire that the Oyster Bar be a neighborhood-style space.

“I wanted to create a place for me to go to,” Richman says. “We noticed that there was already plenty going on in the Loop, in the West End, Soulard, etc. Those places didn’t need anything added to them.”

When the small corner space opened up at Demun and North Rosebury—just two blocks south of Sasha’s—Richman and his team were immediately interested. “We didn’t want to compete with Jimmy’s, Kaldi’s or Sasha’s,” he says. “We considered [opening] a lot of different venues, including a Mexican restaurant and a gelato store.” However, Richman wanted a place where you could order from a half-dozen types of oysters, shrimp, crab, clams, lobster and more. So a raw bar seemed like a natural fit.

When you enter the 40-seat restaurant, its quaint, late-19th-century design begs you to grab a seat and start ordering. The reclaimed 1880s tile floors, antique chandeliers and wall of vintage mirrors combine with the enormous handmade copper horseshoe bar to create a venue that’s SPRING 2011 / AVIDMAGAZINE.COM / 37

perfect for date night. In nicer weather, the massive custom windows open out to cover another 48 seats on the patio.

As expected, the menu is very oyster-centric. The front page details the establishment’s desire to provide only the freshest seafood available, and the inside has enough information to put rookies at ease. The daily oyster selection covers six different varieties, ranging in price from $2 to $4 each. For those who don’t favor raw oysters, there are numerous other selections to be had. A hearty start to the meal is the house-made oyster chowder ($7)—a creamy, thick stock filled with sweet, plump fruit of the sea. The fried shrimp ($13) have a generously crunchy panko crust and are served with a tart and some slightly spicy chipotle aioli. The pan-seared scallops are served beautifully cooked and are a wonderful break from the chewy, over-buttered plugs that are served elsewhere around town. The tour de force of the menu is the Seascape, a massive mound of oysters, shrimp, steamed mussels, clams and scallops. At $25, it’s the priciest item on the menu, but throw in a bucket of pommes frites for $7, and you’ll be stuffed to the gills.

There is one item available for those that don’t dig fish: the grilled tenderloin ($23). It seems a wild departure from the menu, being the only beef (and the only Asian-styled) dish, served with a mushroom, soy and ginger sauce, over a bed of cabbage. It is, however, cooked perfectly to order and wonderfully savory.

The only dessert offered is the $6 order of beignets— light donut-style pastries that are really more like sopaipillas. Unremarkable—you might be better served just ordering another drink.

Speaking of drinks, Demun Oyster Bar’s list features cocktails created by mixologist and bar manager Chad Michael George—many of them modern twists on classic cocktails. Those who prefer fruitier, whiskeybased beverages should try the Crispin’s Manuscript for its cherry and apple notes, while those who desire silky drinks with a touch of bitterness should order a Silver and Sand.

38 / AVIDMAGAZINE.COM / SPRING 2011

The establishment’s 50-selection wine list appropriately leans heavily toward sparkling and white wines, with highlights being the Baumard Cremant de Loire ($12 per glass) and the Muscadet from Domaine Tourmaline ($8 per glass). Both perfectly match the sweet, salty and cucumber notes of a dozen Penn Cove Select oysters. Bottles on the list run from $27 to $125.

Demun Oyster Bar has all the elements to succeed in what is becoming—as Richman describes it—the “micro-Loop” neighborhood of Demun. So if you’re in need of a place to cool your heels this spring, Demun Oyster Bar is worth a try.

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AT A GLANCE 740 Demun Avenue 314.725.0322 Hours: 5 p.m. to close every day (opening for lunch in near future) Pricing: $$$$$ Style: Cozy, upscale and neighborhood-style Cuisine: Haute cuisine with a turn-of-the-century Parisian vibe Chef: Je Kang

Kyle Harsha is a certified sommelier and certified specialist of wine. kharsha@avidmagazine.com

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THE CUT: preview

ted leo

Who: Ted Leo with Blind Eyes Where: Off Broadway, 3511 Lemp Avenue, offbroadwaystl.com When: May 8

Indie hero Ted Leo strips down his set and brings his genre-bending solo act to Off Broadway words: evan c. jones

B

P L AY L I S T

The 10 Best Songs of 2011...so far “Need You Now”

Cut Copy

“Marathon”

Tennis

“Weekend”

Smith Westerns

“Jejune Stars”

Bright Eyes

“The Great Pan is Dead”

Cold Cave

Photos: Courtesy of amazon.com, Matador Records

“L.I.F.E. G.O.E.S.O.N.”

Noah and The Whale

est known for his work with backing band The Pharmacists, rocker Ted Leo will bring a stripped-down set for his solo performance at Off Broadway in May. Armed with only a guitar and more than 20 years of music experience, Leo plays selections from his lengthy collection, as well as covers.

There isn’t an easy way to describe Leo, as he wears many hats. It would be easy to compare him to fellow New Jersey musician Bruce Springsteen, but he doesn’t conjure up images of folk- and bluesinflected rock. Instead, Leo’s music is cut from more of a punk-rock cloth, earning his stripes in the early ’90s playing in New York City hardcore punk outfits Animal Crackers and Citizen’s Arrest before starting Chisel in Washington, D.C. The politically driven punk trio catapulted Leo into the forefront of the D.C. music scene.

It would also be easy to compare him to a 1970s punk rocker. Despite his musical history, that’s not his whole story. Before moving to D.C. and founding Chisel, Leo went to the University of Notre Dame and graduated in 1993 with an English degree.

He also volunteered for Bill Clinton’s 1992 presidential campaign, although his experience wasn’t the best. In an interview with Boston University’s Student Underground

how much: $10–$12 Tracks to Get You Started: “Me and Mia” & “Where Have All the Rude Boys Gone?”

paper, Leo said of Clinton, “He seemed more hopeful than he turned out to be.”

Leo’s personal life is similarly nonconformist. He is vegan and a strong advocate for PETA, appearing in a PETA2 ad campaign titled “Love Animals—Don’t Eat Them.” In the ad, Leo talks about turning vegetarian at 18 before later diving into a completely vegan diet. He also jokes that he bases his tours in cities where he can grab a good vegan meal. Supporting the arts is also close to Leo’s heart; he frequently contributes to radio station WFMU in Jersey City, N.J. So how did we get here, with Leo becoming an indie musical force for more than 10 years? After Chisel broke up in 1997 due to creative differences, Leo bounced around the East Coast making music with friends. When someone finally mentioned to him that he should record some solo material, Leo took off running with studio experiments.

He didn’t give up and organized a group of musicians to back him called The Pharmacists. In 2000 the new group recorded an EP titled Treble in Trouble, which gained plenty of accolades, and went on to produce seven additional albums, including the recent The Brutalist Bricks. And if there’s a hankering for more Leo, check him out on Twitter—he loves interacting with fans.

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“Under Cover of Darkness”

The Strokes

“Sick of You”

Cake

“Young Blood”

The Naked and Famous

“The Words That Maketh Murder”

PJ Harvey

SPRING 2011 / AVIDMAGAZINE.COM / 41

THE CUT

Set YOUR COURSE words: dan michel

W

hen stand-up comedian and longtime golf enthusiast David Wood got the idea to play the world’s most remote golf courses, he risked everything to make it happen.

“I sold my only asset—my condo—put 10 golf clubs in a bag and played 80 rounds over a year,” says Wood. “I wanted to see the world. I had some notion of writing a book [at the time], but really I just wanted to play the courses.”

Around the World in 80 Rounds Publisher: CreateSpace

Wood started out at the world’s southernmost course in Tierra Del Fuego, Argentina. From there he played the world’s driest course in the Atacama Desert, an area with no rain in recorded history that uses blue rocks as water hazards. After that things only got hairier.

“I then played in La Paz, Bolivia, which was the highest

course, during a civil war,” he says. “I also got arrested at the Ukraine border going from Budapest to Moscow because I didn’t have a visa, so I was held in jail overnight.”

Despite run-ins with the law and bouts of sickness along the way, Wood got to play some of the best golf in the world. “I’m a public golfer, so I tried to play where idiots like me play,” he says. “New Zealand is golf heaven. I had the time of my life there. I could live in New Zealand.”

Wood says that he wouldn’t have done anything differently about his trip: “Even when I got sick, I wouldn’t want to go through that again, but it gave me great stories.” His next book is a crime novel that intertwines golf and the witness protection program. Let’s just hope he doesn’t immerse himself too much in that project.

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S pring comedies on the silver screen

TAKE ME HOME TONIGHt

YOUR HIGHNESS

PAUL

Perpetually retrofied That ’70s Show star Topher Grace moves his act up to the ’80s to play Matt Franklin, a dweebish, smart-ass MIT graduate trying to figure out his life while working part-time at a video rental store. In a cheeky, comingof-age fashion, Franklin has to go to extraordinary lengths to impress the out-of-his-league girl of his dreams. Set in the summer of 1988, this movie’s saving grace might be the comic relief of up-andcomer Dan Fogler (Balls of Fire), allowing it to escape the fate of most romantic comedies. And let’s face it, they had us at Eddie Money.

Put James Franco, Zooey Deschanel and Natalie Portman in the same movie, and you’ve got one good-looking flick. Add in some Danny McBride, and you’ve got a good-looking film that’s actually worth seeing. In a modern, young-Hollywood twist on the medieval damsel-in-distress tale, Your Highness is a light hearted, sometimes raunchy comedy directed by David Gordon Green, who directed the instant cult-classic Pineapple Express. Green and McBride’s series Eastbound and Down and their previous work together are more than enough to get us into theaters.

Simon Pegg and Nick Frost (Shaun of the Dead, Hot Fuzz) bring their buddy-comedy charisma back for a third installment, and this time they’ve got a rock-star cast that includes Jane Lynch, Jason Bateman, Kristen Wiig, Bill Hader, Jeffrey Tambor and the voices of Seth Rogen and Sigourney Weaver. Rogen voices Paul, a fugitive, extraterrestrial mischief-maker who hitches a ride aboard an RV helmed

by UFO enthusiasts Graeme Willy (Pegg) and Clive Golling (Frost). With government agents in hot pursuit, Graeme and Clive must help Paul escape Earth—while breaking for munchies along the way.

Director: Michael Dowse Fubar, It’s All Gone Pete Tong Release Date: March 4

42 / AVIDMAGAZINE.COM / SPRING 2011

Director: David Gordon Green Eastbound and Down, Pineapple Express Release Date: April 8

Director: Greg Mottola Superbad, Adventureland Release Date: March 18

Photos: Courtesy of CreateSpace, Relativity and Universal

How one golf nut’s pipe dream turned into a book deal

SPRING 2011 / AVIDMAGAZINE.COM / 43

BURN FITNESS

a swing in progress

at fault Common swing faults usually occur for physical reasons.

Let’s examine three such faults and their possible causes.

Words: Damon Goddard, CPT, PES Photos: Mark Christian

agement and physical conditioning all influence how they approach the game. Read this last sentence again, and one phrase should hit you right between the eyes: physical conditioning.

Did you know the average driving distance on the PGA Tour in 1990 was 262.7 yards and in 2010 improved to 286 yards? How many of us can say we’ve improved our distance by at least a yard each year? Driving distances are increasing on the pro tours, so why isn’t the average golfer seeing similar improvement? What’s causing this gap?

“Think of a golf swing as shifting gears in a car.”

In the past, we approached our golf game with only equipment, instruction and mental coaching. Now pro players are taking a multifaceted approach toward improving their performance. Equipment, advanced instruction, mental coaching, course man-

A golf swing is a complex sequence of movements that requires efficiency from the address to the followthrough. One factor to consider while pondering the gap between pros and amateurs is the ability of the pro to train his or her body for all the elements that go into a fluid and efficient swing.

1

2

3

4

5

Think of a golf swing as shifting gears in a car. In the downswing, the first gear moves the largest muscle mass, the lower body (legs and pelvis). The second gear moves medium muscle mass, the upper torso (spine and shoulders). The third gear moves smaller muscle mass, the arms and wrists. The fourth gear involves the smallest mass, the club, and the fifth gear concerns club rotation.

If there is muscle tightness, muscle weakness, lowerback pain or poor coordination of movements, it can substantially affect the way you sequence your golf swing and cause swing faults. Advice from a golf instructor and golf conditioning specialist can help you match your technique with specific physical attributes—and thus build a more repeatable and efficient golf swing.

The pros have long understood the impact conditioning can have on extending and improving their careers. By integrating conditioning into your game, you, too, can help reduce your risk of injury, increase your performance and, most important, enhance your experience each time you go out on the course. So save the $500 you were going to spend on that new driver, and make an investment in the most important factor in your golf swing: you.

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Damon Goddard is a certified personal trainer and performance enhancement specialist who trains several PGA, Nationwide and Canadian Tour players. dgoddard@avidmagazine.com 44 / AVIDMAGAZINE.COM / SPRING 2011

Sway and Slide Sway is a lateral shift away from the target in the backswing, and slide is an excessive lateral motion toward the target. The slide is a common reaction to sway in the backswing, and both are caused by hip instabilities, poor rotation in the hips and the inability to get the upper torso to move around the lower body.

Thrust in the Backswing Thrust in the backswing occurs when the lower body moves closer to the ball on the backswing. This causes the loss of body angles and affects the sequencing of the swing.

It’s usually caused by tightness in the calves, weakness in the glutes and a general lack of core control.

Chicken Winging Chicken winging happens when the lead arm lacks external rotation after impact. As a result, the lead elbow folds up and resembles a chicken wing. This can cause elbow and shoulder injuries, and the lack of club face rotation promotes a slice.

Special Thanks to Sage McCullar

How to avoid faults and drive like the pros

Golf AVID magazine Weekly

listen in…

BEGINS WEDNESDAY

March 30th | 6pm

SPRING 2011 / AVIDMAGAZINE.COM / 45

BURN INSTRUCTION

break on through How to improve your golf game for good WORDS: MARIA PALOZOLA

Many students come to see me because they’re tired of shooting the same score year after year and not seeing any improvement. They set goals, take lessons, put in additional time and buy new equipment, but to no avail. This doesn’t have to be the case for you.

Be realistic.

One of the most well-known golf gurus used by tour pros is Chuck Hogan. In his book Five Days to Golfing Excellence, he claims that it takes 60 repetitions a day for 21 days in a row to change a habit. Dave Pelz, the short-game guru, says it takes 10,000 repetitions to begin to form a new habit and 20,000 to ingrain it. Repetition aside, did you know that the average handicap for men is around 16 and for women is 28? It’s been said less than 10 percent of golfers ever achieve a single-digit handicap. So I’m asking you to be realistic.

Achieving your goals won’t happen overnight, no matter how much you stress over doing so. Change is a process.

You don’t have to get caught in the trap. Not the sand trap—worse: the Insanity Trap. Practicing the same thing over and over with no results. Why do some of us fall into the Insanity Trap? Because we don’t like change. Change is hard, so I’m asking you to make a stand this year and embrace it. Try these tips for making a huge swing in your score:

Be precise.

Now that you have an idea of where you fit in with your handicap, let’s pick an actual number. The higher your handicap, the more strokes you can shave off quickly.

When you get to single digits, only one stroke a season is realistic. For instance, let’s say you and your pro decide five strokes is a good goal. Here is where you should be precise.

With what part of your game can you lose five strokes the quickest? Putting? Preshot routine? Physical fitness? Attitude? Direction? Distance?

A combination thereof? List where those shots are going to come from. That will help you set a precise goal in each of those areas.

46 / AVIDMAGAZINE.COM / SPRING 2011

Assemble your team.

Hardly anyone can improve successfully alone. Tiger Woods takes lessons nearly every day. What makes you think you don’t need them? According to your goals, do you need just a golf instructor, or do you need a fitness trainer, mental game coach or clubfitter, too?

Work with your instructor to get as many qualified (not to mention certified) people on your team as possible, and see them regularly. That’s what the tour players do. Why shouldn’t you?

Embrace changes, and practice correctly.

Honor your own word. You weren’t happy with what you had, so you set goals to do something different. Don’t let yourself down. Confusion is a sign that learning is taking place. If you feel as though you’re not getting it right away, that’s normal. Just make sure you’re practicing your new moves and not letting the old moves sneak back in. That will only slow your progress. Make repeated, slow-motion moves in front of a mirror. If you go slow, you’ll be able to feel what you’re doing. If you associate an image with each movement, you’ll learn much faster. You’ve read it before, but I’ll say it again: Repetition is the key.

Maria Palozola is the founder of The St. Louis Women’s Golf Academy and the Naked Golf Academy. She is ranked as one of the Top 50 Best Teachers by the LPGA and currently instructs at the Big Bend Golf Center. mpalozola@avidmagazine.com

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AVID presents

date: Thursday, April 14 from: 6 pm to 8 pm

Johnnie-O Trunk Show Celebrate the launch of AVID's April issue, while browsing the latest clothes for men, women and kids from Johnnie-O, designed by St. Louis native John O’Donnell. Enjoy complimentary hors d’ouvres, beer, cocktails and cigars with a $10 suggested donation.

venue: Bar Napoli 7754 Forsyth Boulevard Donations and raffle proceeds, along with 10% of all Johnnie-O purchases, will benefit HavenHouse.

Clayton, MO 63105

Don't be a spectator. Be AVID. avidmagazine.com

SPRING 2011 / AVIDMAGAZINE.COM / 47

BURN RULES

Rule Busters The PGA’s fiercest officials are watching from home WORDS: George Abernathy

If you’ve been watching as much golf as I have, then you can’t help wondering about what’s going on with all the viewers calling in rules violations. I don’t get it. First, I don’t believe for a second that any player who’s worked so hard to make it to the tour would maliciously break the rules.

It’s intriguing that these vigilante rules officials feel obliged to call the tournament and tattle while sitting at home. You’d think someone was encouraging them.

people who watch the telecasts get excited about something they see.”

Enter PGA Tour Commissioner Tim Finchem. “We like the fact that people call in,” says Finchem. “We like the fact that

In many cases, these individuals cost players hundreds of thousands of dollars, if not a major championship. If the viewer has this

My questions is: Who do you call? Who do you ask for? And once you get someone on the horn, do you simply plead your case?

Provide proof? All we ever hear is that a player was either penalized or disqualified because a viewer called in. At the very least, we should be made aware of the accuser— or should we say the tattletale?

kind of power, the tour officials should make the details available to the rest of the viewing public.

I’ll admit that there are some areas that could probably be revisited when it comes to the rules of golf, but allowing call-ins opens up a whole new set of problems for the enforcement of rules.

Let’s ride this slippery slope. Are instant replays that far off for golf? Golf is currently the only sport we can think of that allows viewers to call in, and what’s worse is that the governing body of professional golf is encouraging it. I wish we’d had the number for the MLB umpires’ office back in 1985, when the Cardinals were robbed of the World Series. Even today the call stands, despite indisputable evidence that it was incorrect.

Thousands of people screamed and yelled at Faurot Field back in October 1991, when Colorado took it upon themselves to line up and run a fifth down. Are the screams of those fans not a more legitimate way of checking the officials than a viewer call-in?

The point is that if a call gets missed, it simply gets missed. Allowing a viewer to call in and then disqualify a golfer after the fact is not a best practice. Golf is a game of honor, integrity and respect. It’s the only game in which players call violations on themselves. Do you remember the last time an NFL lineman told a ref he was guilty of holding after his team scored a touchdown? It would never happen. In all other sports, players will do anything they can to get a leg up on the competition, if they can get away with it.

Grounding a club in a questionable hazard, a ball oscillating 1 millimeter or swinging a training aide while on a 30-minute tee box don’t give golfers an advantage. It’s not cheating, and as a golf fan, I understand that a professional golfer wouldn’t look the other way if he or she violated the rules.

However, in each instance of a viewer callin, every player who fell victim said the same thing: “Those are the rules of golf.”

That says something about the caliber of players and the great game of golf. If call-ins continue to be fair game—and I think they will—I’d encourage the PGA to publish the relevant phone number, then put all of the calls on its website, so we can hear them. At the very least, it would increase traffic on the PGA’s website.

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48 / AVIDMAGAZINE.COM / SPRING 2011

Humane Society of Missouri

Helping Missouri Animals Every Day

Adoption Centers

Rescues

More than 20,000 animals aided annually at 3 area locations.

Our Animal Cruelty Task Force is the only organization in Missouri rescuing abused or neglected animals from puppy mills, animal hoarders, dog fighting rings and other acts of cruelty.

Full service adoptions of dogs, cats and critters (such as rabbits).

How You Can Help Make a gift.

Become a Humane Hero.

Volunteer.

Call 314-951-1542

Veterinary Medical Centers Open to the public and certified by the American Animal Hospital Association—our 3 full-service veterinary medical centers see 47,000 patients annually.

Last year, the ACTF conducted more than 4,400 investigations of possible animal abuse involving more than 25,000 animals.

Adoption and Veterinary Medical Center Locations: Headquarters/St. Louis City Center – 1201 Macklind Ave., St. Louis, Mo. 63110 Westport Area Center – 2400 Drilling Service Dr., Maryland Heights, Mo. 63043 Chesterfield Valley Center – 17357 Edison Ave., Chesterfield, Mo. 63005 Longmeadow Rescue Ranch – 480 Josephs Rd., Union, Mo. 64084 Veterinary Medical Center Appointments 314-951-1534 Report Animal Abuse and Neglect 314-647-4400

SPRING 2011 AVIDMAGAZINE.COM 49 www.hsmo.org | www.longmeadowrescueranch.org /

/

[ E xecutive ]

Brad Carsten The St. Louis marketing guru shares how his passion for golf helps him physically, spiritually and professionally words: Kim Gordon

photos: Matt Marcinkowski

Marketing maverick Brad Carsten loves to play public courses. Born and raised in Brooklyn, he didn’t have many country clubs in his rough New York City neighborhood.

“I’m a city guy at heart,” says the senior partner at Javelin Inc., an international, experiential marketing agency headquartered in downtown St. Louis. “I love the diversity and challenge of public courses— I like being a free agent.”

The risk-taking entrepreneur’s gritty, unstructured style—a potent combination of adventurer, innovator and exhibitionist—gives him an edge on the golf course and in the boardroom.

“Playing it safe can be risky,” he says.

“We champion the entrepreneurial spirit by continuing to take shrewd, calculated risks.”

With a client roster that boasts the likes of Grey Goose, Bacardi, Discovery Network, Coors Light, Sony, Nestlé, E! and People, Javelin produces large-scale events, marketing programs and digital platforms to create brand awareness and publicity for thousands of major brands across the globe.

Take Grey Goose: Javelin negotiates and manages Grey Goose sponsorships for more than 650 celebrity and charity black-tie events through the year, including eight prestigious PGA events—among them the Tavistock Cup—annually. It also just wrapped Grey Goose gala events at the Golden Globes and the Oscars.

Javelin likewise produces a Grey Goose event at Tiger Jam, an annual Vegas-based fundraiser hosted by Tiger Woods, with past performances by No Doubt, Sting, Van Halen and Bon Jovi. Javelin is also helping to develop “Vegas Caddies,” a reality show pitting caddies against one another on the greens under the neon lights of Las Vegas.

Carsten’s partner, Jen Novak, who runs Javelin’s luxury marketing accounts, says Carsten’s enthusiasm for golf gives Javelin an edge with clients. “Brad’s love of golf and his knowledge and enthusiasm for the 50 / AVIDMAGAZINE.COM / SPRING 2011

“Golf is spiritual for me. It allows me to live in the moment, really focus and let everything go.” — BRAD CARSTEN

game gets brands excited about committing to golf sponsorships,” she says. “Brad helps bring the golf world to life for our clients.”

Producing an event where he was standing three feet from Tiger “was pretty damn memorable,” says Carsten. “I love Tiger Woods; always have, always will.

He’s like [Derek] Jeter, [Michael] Jordan and Ray Lewis—guys who can’t stand to lose because they’re true competitors.”

Carsten also possesses that competitive edge and provocative moxie that top athletes often embody. He’s a competitive, strategic entrepreneur who loves modern art, playing craps, timeless design and old golf courses: “I’m a dice-shooting, cashcarrying, public-course-playing rambler who’s ready to [expletive] go.”

Beneath all that raw urban grit lies a classic, old-school charm, as well as a Zen-like approach to golf and life. “Golf is spiritual for me,” he says. “It allows me to live in the moment, really focus and let everything go.”

With Carsten’s affinity for the traditional game, it’s no surprise he prefers to carry his own clubs.

“Carrying clubs makes you slow down and think about your next shot,” he says.

“You feel the terrain, the slope of the course. It’s like life—everybody is always racing to the next thing. Walking the course truly let’s you be in the moment.”

Carrying his clubs is one part of Carsten’s physical training program, which includes cardio, core training and lifting weights five days a week. “Golf is my sport,” he says, adding that golf is what got him into the gym. “Like any sport, if you want to be good, you have to work out, practice and train. If I’m fit and strong, my expectation is that I’m going to make my shot. Golf is all about confidence.”

As a college athlete, Carsten played rugby at Saint Louis University. The first time he stepped on a golf course was at Forest Park, which was a nine-hole course back

Quickfire How passionate are you about golf?

I’m addicted—it’s in my blood.

My parents are Scottish immigrants. I think I’m genetically disposed to playing golf.

What are your dream courses?

One is possible: St. Andrews, which I’m playing later this year with a business client. And one is probably not: Augusta National. It is simply the most stunning place I’ve ever seen.

Carstens poses in his downtown workspace at Javelin Inc., where he handles such upscale accounts as Grey Goose, Bacardi and the Discovery Network. in 1974, when he was a freshman. “My very first shot, I hit a car,” he says with a laugh, adding that his worn Billikens baseball hat now brings him good luck. “I’ve been hooked ever since.”

Although he’s played on and off since college, Carsten didn’t get serious about golf until five years ago. Now he strives for a handicap in the single digits and has broken 80 many times.

Carsten feels just as comfortable playing 18 holes with the CEO and president of Bacardi at Doral in southern Florida (which he has planned this summer) as he does playing a game of skins at Ruth Park in the dead of winter.

“I’m just a blue-collar guy from Brooklyn who now has lots of expensive clothes and specialty clubs,” he jokes. “I’m totally addicted to golf and its lifestyle—it’s my passion.”

A

What are your favorite local courses?

Ruth Park, Gateway National and Annbriar.

Ever thought of joining a private course?

If I joined a club, then I’d end up playing with the same people. You always have challenges with the weather and wind, but ultimately you’re playing the same course with the same people.

What’s in your bag?

TaylorMade drivers, Mizuno irons and wedges, and I really love my Scotty Cameron putter. I play with Nike One Vapor balls.

Favorite golf clothing line?

Dunning Sportswear Who’s your favorite pro golfer?

Anthony Kim. He’s a gritty, American guy with a little flash.

SPRING 2011 / AVIDMAGAZINE.COM / 51

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STITCH

Spring’s Back

Real men wear color.

This season, try mixing shades and patterns to make your look more noticeable and confident. photographs by Cfx, Linda Mueller

Hat: Block Headwear, Saks Fifth Avenue, Plaza Frontenac, 314.567.9200, $48 Cardigan: Scotch & Soda, Saks Fifth Avenue, $156 SPRING 2011 / AVIDMAGAZINE.COM / 53 Shirt: H&M, West County Center, 314.821.7767, $25 Tie: Urban Outfitters, St. Louis Galleria, 314.727.6262, $24 Pants: Hugo Boss, Saks Fifth Avenue, $125 Shoes: 1901, Nordstrom, West County Center, 314.255.2000, $100

STITCH Take It Down A Notch This spring, do away with that stuffy top button and wear your tie a bit looser. The more comfortable you feel, the better you’ll look.

Try on a navy windbreaker to mix up your style on the course or to dress things down afterward. Not every tie requires a blazer or a sport coat.

Golf shoes should be simple and easy to mix and match. Good rules of thumb are that white goes with everything (if you can keep it clean), and you can’t go wrong mixing brown with navy.

Jacket: H&M, West County Center, 314.821.7767, $35 Shirt: Nordstrom, Nordstrom Rack, 1585 S. Brentwood Boulevard, 314.785.1030, $25 Tie: Thom Browne, Nordstrom Rack, $68 Belt: Urban Outfitters, St. Louis Galleria, 314.727.6262, $12 Pants: Dockers, Macy’s, Chesterfield Mall, 636.532.3800, $30

SPRING 22001111 54 / AVIDMAGAZINE.COM / WINTER

THE LINEUP Gingham is this season’s most accessible and flattering print. It delivers an eye-catching burst of color, and goes well with solids or larger patterns.

Striped canvas belts are a cheap, easy alternative to leather. Mix complementary colors together to create contrast and show everyone you’re more stylish than the average man.

Not all chinos are created equally. Try a bold color on bottom while you keep things basic up top. It will break up your outfit and get you out of the monotonous black and brown you wore all winter.

Shirts (from left): Ralph Lauren, Saks Fifth Avenue, Plaza Frontenac, 314.567.9200, $98; H&M, West County Center, 314.821.7767, $25; Neiman Marcus, Plaza Frontenac, 314.567.9811, $145; Nordstrom Rack, 1585 S. Brentwood Boulevard, 314.785.1030, $40 Pants & Shorts (from left): J. Crew, St. Louis Galleria, 314.727.2534, $70; J. Crew, $60 H&M, $25; Paperbacks, Neiman Marcus, $85 Belts (from left): Urban Outfitters, St. Louis Galleria, 314.727.6262, $28; Saks Fifth Avenue, $78; Peter Millar, Neiman Marcus, $80; Polo Ralph Lauren, Avalon Exchange, 6388 Delmar Boulevard, 314.725.2760, $8 / 55 / 55 SPRING WINTER 011 / AVIDMAGAZINE.COM 2011 /2AVIDMAGAZINE.COM

STITCH

on the fly Comfort and style don’t have to be mutually exclusive. Cotton henleys are a good spring-time alternative to the predictable T-shirts and button-ups.

Try layering with neutral shirts. It’s a good way to introduce small bits of color and to prepare for unexpected cold weather.

Shirts: (Grey) H&M, West County Center, 314.821.7767, $10 (Yellow) H&M, $6 Pants: Dockers, Macy’s, Chesterfield Mall, 636.532.3800, $30 Shoes: Polo Ralph Lauren, Journey’s, St. Louis Galleria, 314.721.8355, $55

SPRING 56 / AVIDMAGAZINE.COM / FALL 20120011

Hair & Makeup: Kat Hinkle

Rolled cuffs aren’t only for jeans. Give your chinos some turn-ups (as the British call them) to show some ankle and give your look a bit of personality.

The WHOLE SPECTRUM Polos are the default attire on the golf course, but that doesn’t mean you can’t change up your routine. Try introducing some bright, fluorescent colors into your closet—just don’t go overboard (see Rickie Fowler).

Have fun with patterned or brightly colored socks.

Just don’t match them to your shirt. Leave that to the ladies.

With spring clothes come spring fabrics. Try 100 percent cotton, or if you want a material that will shed moisture (e.g. sweat), look for clothes made with a cotton/ polyester blend, nylon or microfibers.

Shirts (from left): Izod, Macy’s, Chesterfield Mall, 636.532.3800, $44; Zegna Sport, Neiman Marcus, Plaza Frontenac, 314.567.9811, $145; Theory, Neiman Marcus, $75; Polo Ralph Lauren, Saks Fifth Avenue, Plaza Frontenac, 314.567.9200, $85; Peter Millar, Neiman Marcus, $78; Polo Ralph Laren, Saks Fifth Aveue, $85 Socks (From Left): Morris Fashions, 26 Maryland Plaza, 314.361.6800, $30; Saks Fifth Avenue, $18; Nordstrom Rack, 1585 S. Brentwood Boulevard, 314.785.1030, $6; Morris Fashions, $30; Morris Fashions, $30

Shirt: Polo Ralph Lauren, Saks Fifth Avenue, $85 Pants: J. Crew, St. Louis Galleria, 314.727.2534, $60 Belt: Saks Fifth Avenue, $78

SPRING 2011 / AVIDMAGAZINE.COM / 57

STITCH

watch

Time Squared for modern men, a daily commute, a desk job and an always-ready iPhone means you know what time it is—but that’s not why you wear a watch. Finding the perfect pairing of sophisticated functionality with sleek, signature style is a tall order, but with its latest timepiece, Panerai has met that challenge head-on. Panerai, endorsed by the Royal Italian Navy (and Sylvester Stallone!), recently released the Radiomir 8 Days Ceramica 45mm—a refined, sharp take on the current square-face trend, housed in a black matte ceramic case with a see-through smoked sapphire crystal backside and a wire loop leather strap. It’s engineered with hand-wound movements, and its expertly crafted black dial is as precise as it is sharp.

The 8 Days Ceramica’s simple design makes it a versatile piece, enhancing a buttoned-up weekday look while giving an edge to after-hours ensembles. This staple timepiece hits the mark on so many levels, we’re not afraid to say it: if you could, you’d wear this one eight days a week. —L.M.

Radiomir 8 Days Ceramica 45mm, $8,000 ________ Simon’s Jewelers 8141 Maryland Avenue 314.725.8888 simonsjewelers.com

58 / AVIDMAGAZINE.COM / SPRING 2011

Photo: Courtesy of Officine Panerai

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314-647-8054

SPRING 2011 / AVIDMAGAZINE.COM / 59

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course opinion

Aberdeen Golf Club

co u rs e opinion Words: Ryan Scott

Photos: Courtesy of Abderdeen Golf Club

Discover a genuine Scottish golf experience (without the trans-Atlantic flight)

B

uzzwords like “links” or “Scottish-style golf” can certainly help a course separate itself from the crowd. But the marketingspeak often doesn’t deliver a golfing experience that differentiates itself from other tracks. Most of us have played one of these self-proclaimed links-style courses, only to leave the 18th green without any lasting impressions.

Aberdeen Golf Club makes the same promise, proudly displaying the motto “The Scottish Golf Experience.”

Designer Gary Kern certainly chose an appropriate piece of real estate for the course, which is situated just north of I-44 in the Meramec River flood plain just outside Eureka. Free of the elevation change and heavy woods often found in the area, the flood plain instead features grassland dotted by gentle rolling hills, just as you’d find on centuries-old Scottish courses.

The gently undulating zoysia fairways, sod-faced bunkers and use of native grasses hark back to courses of the motherland.

Aberdeen even has a general manager and superintendent from the U.K., Matt O’Dell. Born and raised about an hour north of London in Castle Hedingham, O’Dell attended business school at the Colchester Institute.

He then moved to the United States in April 2000 and completed an internship at Bellerieve Country Club in association with Ohio State University. In 2005, the position of assistant superintendent at Aberdeen presented itself, and it was a natural fit for both O’Dell and the course.

From the first tee box, it’s immediately apparent that Aberdeen differs from other courses in the area you’ve played. The par-4’s rolling fairway is laid out in front SPRING 2011 / AVIDMAGAZINE.COM / 61

course opinion

of you, begging for a big hit, but a closer look reveals obstacles that require precise shots to avoid.

Water and lakes are a rarity in true Scottish links courses, but Aberdeen has two lakes that are used for irrigation. The second hole brings the first and smaller of these lakes, Wee Loch, into play. A par-4 that plays 361 yards from the back tees, this makes for a great birdie opportunity. Hole 3, or “Kern’s Knoll,” is a par3 that again brings Wee Loch into the mix. The wind is often in your face here. When it combines with the down-sloping green, first-timers will likely leave shots short of the pin.

Hole 4 is one of the more difficult on the course.

Choose your club and shot carefully as you approach the elevated green, as the bunker here carries the ominous name “Timothy’s Torment.” Missing the green to any side will almost certainly add a stroke.

Burns, or small drainage canals, are a common feature of Scottish courses. Hole 5, or “Wee Burn,” is the first of many to exhibit such a feature and must be considered when choosing your shot.

Although I’ve never played a course on the other side of the pond, holes 6 and 7 epitomize how I imagine Scottish courses. The rolling dunes on either side of a long, open fairway and obstacles scattered across the terrain create holes that you’ll likely remember.

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SPRING 2011 / AVIDMAGAZINE.COM / 63

course opinion

The first holes on the front and back nines share the same green, with number 9 being the first that brings the larger of the two lakes, Loch Myst, into play. It’s a straight and open hole that gives players a great opportunity to make the turn with a birdie.

To start the back nine is an uphill par-4 with a green guarded by deep sod-faced bunkers. This is a short hole that plays much longer, and offline shots could result in a bogey or worse.

On the other side of this hill is the down-sloping, par-3 number 11. It demands careful club selection, as shots that fall short will end up in the deep front-side bunkers, and long shots will have to get up and down from the thick native grass.

Holes 12 through 15 are a stretch of long par-4s and -5s that are unmistakably Scottish-inspired and lots of fun. They all have plenty of hazards, both obvious and unseen, and present a rewarding balance of wideopen and strategic shots. The many burns found on these holes must be considered before hitting a tee shot, and the location of greens must be known before making your approach. Wind is often a factor on these holes, and wayward shots that find the rough will give the player trouble just trying to get back onto the fairway. This stretch of holes will likely make or break the round for many players.

Emphatic golfers may recognize the term “Redan,” which is the name of the 16th hole. The term was originally coined by British officer John White-Melville to name North Berwick’s sixth hole in 1869. Redan was a Russian fort, the battle for which cost the lives of 20,000 British and 80,000 French soldiers. WhiteMelville compared the difficulty of this hole to that of capturing the fort. Today, Redan-style holes have a 64 / AVIDMAGAZINE.COM / SPRING 2011

the d e ta i l s

Year Opened: 2001 Course Length: 6,665 yards (from middle tees) Designer: Gary Kern Head Pro: Matt O’Dell Grass: Zoysia, native grass Rates: $25–30 weekdays (not including cart fee) Other Info: 4111 Crescent Road, Eureka, Mo. 63025 636.938.5465 aberdeengolf.com

green that’s wider than it is deep and angled away diagonally from the tee box. They are guarded by deep bunkers along the right and left front, and often have a partially or fully blind shot onto the landing. Aberdeen’s Redan incorporates all of these design aspects and poses a stiff challenge. Fortunately the longest tee box is 183 yards, so gather your composure and land the green for a birdie or par.

Each drive on the par-5 number 17 must find the fairway. To the left is out of bounds, and to the right are deep, rolling hills and grass that will swallow anything that strays in that direction. If your driver isn’t working for you when you reach 17, play smart and pull a 3-wood. If you do find the fairway with your tee shot, the green is reachable in two.

The final hole, known as “Fortitude,” is a wonderful par-4 ending note. Loch Myst is carried with your drive and then lines the entire left side of the hole. The perfect drive will land mere feet from the water, but the slope of the fairway will let such a shot run out, giving an easy approach for a finishing birdie. Miss that shot to the left, and you’re wet; miss to the right, and you’re into heavy dunes. My advice is to take a couple of balls with you to the tee box, because even if your first shot is a beauty, hitting drives from here is too much fun to try only once.

Aberdeen delivers on the promise of Scottish-style golf. The course truly is one of a kind in this region and is a must-play for any St. Louis golfer. The rates are also quite reasonable for the level of golf delivered.

I’m impressed with the immaculate condition of the course every year. Even in brutal extended stretches of 95-degree-plus weather, burn spots are near impossible to find.

O’Dell says his team has added more than 300 yards to the back tees in the last couple of years. This has given Aberdeen a slope rating that makes it the eighth toughest in the St. Louis area. But the playability for higher handicappers has also been maintained, making Aberdeen eminently enjoyable by any golfer.

A

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66 / AVIDMAGAZINE.COM / SPRING 2011

Fairways & Vineyards Sampling the good life in Argentina PHOTOS: Courtesy of Algodon Wine Estates and Champions Club

WORDS: Fred W. Wright Jr.

Getting There

There are daily flights, lasting less than two hours, from Buenos Aires to San Rafael Airport via Aerolineas Argentinas. The airport is about a 25-minute drive from the Algodon Wine Estates. Guests are provided free airport shuttle service both ways, even2though they might not be all that / 67 SPRING 011 / AVIDMAGAZINE.COM anxious to leave.

JET Your Own Vintage Want to live the good life year-round?

Residents and nonresidents alike can co-own portions of more than 197 acres of common vineyards at the Algodon Wine Estates, allowing them to create their own private labels and stock.

All vineyard owners have exclusive access to reserved, private wine cellars, where they can store their own bottles or barrels, sample their wines with friends and enjoy the luxury of having a private wine label.

“The Mendoza region sees an average of 300 days of sun a year, making it ideal for most any activity—especially golf.”

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O

n some golf courses, players can’t wait to get to the 19th hole to drown their bogeys. But at this course a glass of local vino is encouraged between tees. After all, this is the Algodon Wine Estates and Champions Club, near San Rafael, Argentina, where juicy, ripening grapes surround each fairway. Here, golfing can be taken seriously—but never too seriously.

The estates stretch across more than 2,000 acres in the midst of what many wine enthusiasts call “the Napa Valley of Argentina,” the Mendoza region of this South American country. This is a landscape of sprawling ranches, rural open countryside and wine estates.

The climate here is nearly unbeatable. The Mendoza region sees an average of 300 days of sun a year, making it ideal for most any activity—especially golf.

The estates’ nine-hole course is laid out with a sense of order and control, and players follow the holes like clockwork: The par-36 course plays out clockwise starting with the first hole, a medium par-4, next to the clubhouse. The holes then wind around an inner core of vineyards.

Four to five tee boxes at different elevations at each hole allow golfers to play 36 or more different drives and approach shots in the nine holes, depending on time and energy. The variety of tee boxes also makes the course ideal for family members with varying skill and handicaps. The full nine holes can be played over a short 2,618 yards or stretched out to 3,543 scenic yards.

It’s easy to become distracted on this course. In addition to the vineyards, there are groves of 80-year-old walnut, olive and pear trees planted in neat, symmetric rows. The Andes and the Sierra

Each guest also gets his or her own golf cart, which can be used on or off the Champions Club course. Many use the carts to tour the estate’s vineyards and groves.

Pintada frame the horizon, always providing a glimpse of snow regardless of the season.

From the first through the ninth, each hole plays differently due to the design around the surrounding nature. The first hole, for example, a par-4, is called Olivos, as it plays through an antique olive grove. Located adjacent to the clubhouse, driving range and tennis center, the fairway is bordered by tall poplar trees. In fact, a single poplar sits in the middle of the fairway and provides the only real challenge to the drive off the tee.

The par-5 fifth hole is the longest on the course. Bonarda vineyards border the fairway. When played from the back tee, the hole runs 600 yards. A straight shot is an absolute must; hit it to the left or right, and you’re in the vines. A solid drive from the first tee will leave you 250 yards from the pin. The green is banked by bunkers in the back and on both sides.

There is history here, too. Ricardo Juardo Jr. designed the course as a tribute to his grandfather, Jose Juardo, the greatest Argentine golfer of his era. The senior Juardo (1899–1971) is considered the “Father of Argentine Professional Golf.” He is best remembered, perhaps, for a less-than-ideal double bogey on the 17th hole of the 1931 British Open at Scotland’s Carnoustie Golf Course, where he lost to Tommy Armour by a single stroke.

Thus, the ninth hole, the Carnoustie, is the course’s signature hole and its most challenging. A par-4, the Carnoustie is a replica of that infamous 17th hole back in Scotland. Players are challenged to successfully drive over a small river that snakes throughout the fairway SPRING 2011 / AVIDMAGAZINE.COM / 69

JET << As one might expect, dining at the Algodon Wine Estates is a wine-rich experience. The lodge’s Chez Gaston Restaurant features floor-to-ceiling windows that look out on olive groves planted more than a half-century ago. Its menu offers such well-known wine varieties as Malbec, Melbec Rosé, Bonarda, Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay and the estates’ Grand Reserve, all from the Algodon’s more than 300 acres of vineyards. They wonderfully complement Argentina’s regional cuisine, prepared in clay ovens and flame broiling pits.

not once but twice. Most second shots are toward a green obscured from view and banked by bunkers and small mogul-like hills.

Caprile Golf, which has designed nine courses to date, is expanding the course to 18 holes while maintaining the theme of blending the fairways and greens with the natural landscape. The new nine should be ready by October, according to Greg Gassoso, co-owner of Algodon Wine Estates.

As it stands now, this isn’t usually a crowded course. Golfers often find themselves playing alone, if they choose, taking their time to enjoy the serene surroundings. “After you play the ninth, you can make the turn, grab a drink of wine, have something to eat and then go out and play more,” Gassoso says. “You can have the whole course to yourself. No one’s rushing you.”

Of course, there is more than wine and good golf at the Algodon.

The hotel’s accommodations are among the best in the country.

Each suite comes with a working fireplace for chilly nights. (Remember, Argentina is in the Southern Hemisphere, so seasons are reversed. March in the U.S. is September weather in San Rafael.)

Other suite amenities include private patios, high-speed Internet access and flat-screen LCD TVs with satellite access.

For those who enjoy tennis, the Algodon Wine Estates recently completed 10 new courts with a menu of surfaces—seven clay courts, one hard court and two grass courts. Jose Luis Clerc, one of Argentina’s most famous tennis stars, will manage the new tennis center complex and will serve as the central figure in the forthcoming Clerc Tennis Academy at the estates.

In addition to the on-site golf and tennis, guests can take tours of other area vineyards and wineries, which include wine seminars and, of course, tastings. Other optional activities include horseback riding, swimming in the estates’ outdoor pool, hiking and even riding nearby rapids. The estates also have two polo fields scheduled to be added later this year.

The area offers tourists the Valle Grande, called Argentina’s “miniature Grand Canyon,” just 20 miles from San Rafael. With the Sierra Pintada so close at hand, skiing is a popular option at nearby Las Lenas. And because San Rafael is located between two of the country’s largest rivers, the Rio Atuel and the Rio Diamante, visitors can go white-water rafting, canoeing, rock climbing and fishing.

The abundance of recreation in the area is one of many factors that have led people to make the Algodon Wine Estates their permanent home. There are more than 300 home sites on the estate, ranging in size from 1 to 15 acres each, plus 50 condominiums and 12 tennis villas—all for sale.

It’s a tempting investment.

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©2011 Taylor Made Golf Company, Inc. adidas, the 3-Bars logo, and the 3-Stripes mark are registered trademarks of the adidas Group.

PGA TOUR PROFESSIONAL

DUSTIN JOHNSON

BE GREATER: PLAY YOUR SHOES.

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Head

of the Class Putter craftsman and high-school student Clayton Stoker masters the golf world from all angles WORDS: Kim Gordon

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photos: Lesia Tatarsky

s

tep aside, Scotty Cameron.

High-school sophomore Clayton Stoker already has a seven-year jump-start on the world’s most famous putter maker, who was 22 when he made his first pro-quality clubs.

Stoker began crafting handmade C. Stoker Putters in 2010 at age 15, but he started laying the groundwork for his business when he was just a boy. As a fourth-grader, Stoker—under the name hustler@htc. com—raked in thousands of dollars selling off his collectable die-cast toy cars on eBay. And like any savvy businessman, he reinvested most of his $8,000 profit. Stoker then purchased a milling machine to make handcrafted putters, and his venture into the golf business began in his parents’ basement in Waterloo, Ill. “You need money to make money,” Stoker explains. “This year my goal is to make one putter a week, and then I’ll have enough money to buy a CNC [computer numerical controller], which will allow me to dramatically increase production—and make even more money. That’s what I admire most about Scotty Cameron: his marketing ability.”

C. Stoker handmade putters fetch about $500 each, which means the 16-year-old is on target to pull in more than $26,000 this year. The CNC (which costs around $5,000) will allow the precocious putter-maker to move beyond basic metal and work with exotics such as copper and Damascus steel

to offer a greater range of products, which translates into more profits.

“Clayton was researching, designing and making putters before he was old enough to drive,” explains J.R. Siracusa who formerly owned the Midwest GolfLab. “He bought a mill and started a business before he owned a car. Do you know any other 16-year-old kids who do that?”

A few years ago, Stoker sought out the staff at Midwest GolfLab because of the store’s reputation and knowledge of specialty and handcrafted clubs. He came in to get fitted for Japanese Miuras. “Most adult golfers aren’t even familiar with Miura handmade club heads,” says clubfitter John Kelly, who was recently named a top 100 clubfitter by Golf Digest. “Clayton is a golf club aficionado. He appreciates and understands what separates the handmade top-quality heads, like the better forging process, center of gravity and the feel of the clubs. Clayton’s knowledge and commitment to the game is incredible.”

Siracusa adds that he’s continually impressed by Stoker’s dedication to researching and studying the design and engineering of clubs, so that he can make the highest-quality product possible. “Clayton also loves to play the game; he’s a great golfer for his age,” he adds. “He really understands all sides of golf: the business, the equipment and the game.”

Although Stoker admires Scotty Cameron for his marketing acuity, he’s much more

Stoker crafting a clubhead in his workshop—located in the basement of his parent’s home in Waterloo, Ill.

Start to Finish 1. Stoker starts with a two-pound rectangular block of steel.

2. He aligns the block on the drill press.

3. He begins shaping the head and toe of the putter with great precision.

4. The result is a clubhead that features exacting angles and specific dimensions.

5. Once the connecting shaft is welded on, the putter will fetch around $500.

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QUICKFIRE Do you play with your handmade putters?

Sometimes, but I see all the imperfections that I’d never notice if I weren’t making them myself. I like my Bettinardi best.

How long does it take to mill a handmade putter from start to finish?

Fifteen hours.

Why such an affinity for putters?

People collect putters. For most golfers, the putter is their favorite club. And a putter can save you strokes and salvage your game.

How often do you work on your putters?

It’s hard juggling it all with school, but I try and work on one every day.

Do you play on any teams?

Waterloo High School and for the American Junior Golf Association. I used to play other sports, but now I just focus on golf.

Favorite golfer?

Ricky Fowler because he’s young and different.

Where do you play locally?

I play at Annbriar, but I’d like to play Bellerive.

Which are your dream courses?

Augusta National and Long Island National.

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drawn to traditional, old-school putter makers like T.P. Mills. He’s fascinated with the history behind handmade, rare and vintage putters, and how Mills transformed the worst club in the bag into the most coveted.

When Stoker decided to pursue making putters, he looked to Mills and classic PING Ansers for design inspiration.

After seeking out a few experts online at golfWRX.com and talking with puttertalk.com bloggers about the basics, Stoker designed a blueprint, bought a block of raw metal and began milling his first putter.

On the work surface below, a black Sharpie marker, carpenter’s pencil and old clipboard share space with thousands of silver shards cast off from endless hours of milling down two-pound blunt rectangular blocks of metal into precision golfing instruments with exacting angles and specific dimensions.

Bag Check Driver: Epon AF-151 Wood: Epon AF-201 Hybrid: Adams Pro Black Irons: Niura CB-202 Wedges: Scratch Tour Department Putter: Bettinardi Jam Tour Stock

Trial by fire is how Stoker likes to learn.

“It’s all trial and error— there’s only so much you can learn from books,” Stoker says, sitting in his basement workshop.

“Life is the best experience.”

Incredibly Focused A lone Titleist golf ball sticker and a few wrenches hang alongside the back panel of Stoker’s standard Husky workbench. Small jars of bright orange and green paint for hand-stamping are stacked beside a protractor, digital caliber pen and cutting wax.

As Stoker carefully aligns a metal block on the drill press, the sharp stench of burnt rubber and the piercing sound of shredding metal invade the quiet basement studio. The central focus of the room is the impressive mill, designed with X, Y and Z axes for concise cutting and precision milling.

With the skill of a seasoned blacksmith forging and casting raw metal into smooth designs, Stoker shapes the head and toe of the putter with intense focus. “It takes a hundred percent concentration at all times,” he says, as he adjusts the lathe to mill the pocket. “Even the slightest misalignment can destroy the design—it takes your complete and undivided attention.”

Clayton’s father, Steve Stoker, explains that his son has always possessed an uncanny ability for spatial design and mathematics (he built a playground in his backyard when he was 9). “Clayton has the insight and precision of an MIT engineer, a scientist’s exacting research skills and the sense of a savvy businessman,” Steve says with palpable pride. “He is mentally, socially and intellectually mature way beyond his years.”

Clayton’s parents, who both work in sales, have always pushed education (he’s an honor student with straight A’s at Waterloo High School) alongside good old-fashioned capitalism.

“He just takes the capitalism direction literally,” Steve jokes. “Recently Clayton bought a Scotty Cameron University of

“To make as much money as possible is really my goal.”

Clayton Stoker Illinois head cover on eBay for $150. I thought he was crazy. He sold it later that day for $500—he made $350 in just hours. You can’t teach someone how to do that from books or in school. Clayton has big dreams and ambitions; he’s the only 16-year-old kid I know who wants to manage hedge funds.”

Ivy-covered ambitions of earning an MBA or Ph.D. from Harvard or Yale, serving as the CEO of a major corporation, negotiating international business deals in the Pacific Rim and arriving to work in a helicopter are a few of Stoker’s current aspirations. “I want to make high-powered business decisions,” he says. “There are more opportunities at a big company, and the amount of money you can make is unlimited—to make as much money as possible is really my goal.”

And golf, Stoker explains, gives you an edge in the business world. “There is so much business that takes place on the golf course,” he says. “My dad told me a long time ago that the better golfer often gets the better job or lands the better business deal.”

When he was 8, Stoker began taking lessons and playing golf with his dad on Sundays at Waterloo Country Club. He also plays for the Waterloo High School golf team and for the American Junior Golf Association, and he takes regular lessons from golf pro (and AVID contributor) Maria Palozola. “I’m a realist. I’m not going to be the next Tiger Woods,” he says. “I want to play college golf, but a good education is my first priority. I want to major in international business or economics.”

Stoker knows exactly what he wants, and he’s determined to get it, adds Siracusa, with whom Stoker regularly talks shop.

“I’ve never met a kid like Clayton—he’s a prodigy,” Siracusa says. “Seriously, watch out, Scotty Cameron.”

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Where a golferâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s dreams come true

The PGA Merchandise Show

WORDS: Dan Michel 76 / AVIDMAGAZINE.COM / SPRING 2011

Outside a giant tent on a sunny, brisk day in southwest Orlando, Fla., a line is forming, its participants giddy with anticipation. They share stories of past visits and what they expect inside. Some have lived this moment before, and many are feeling the excitement for the first time.

This giant tent isn’t the entrance to Disney World, though; it’s demo day at the PGA Merchandise Show.

WORDS: Dan Michel

T

PHOTOS: Montana Pritchard/PGA of America he PGA Merchandise Show—touting itself as the world’s largest gathering of golf industry professionals—is the convention to end all conventions for any self-admitted golf geek. What serves as a launching pad for golf manufacturers, inventors and publicists to display and promote their newest products and services is a veritable Candy Land of gadgets, clothing, swing aids and every other golf-related indulgence imaginable.

For this, the 58th annual convention, there are almost 1,000 golf companies and vendors who will attract 40,000 visitors to one of the largest convention centers in the United States.

As I make my way through the large white tent at demo day, I hit a gauntlet of vendors peddling their new products: golf tees, bottled water, lip balm, tote bags. Before I take my first 50 steps, my arms are full of samples. As I gather myself, I look out onto the huge circular practice green at Orange County National Golf Center, which has been transformed into a ring of tents—more than 200 in all—where buyers and golf pros are in line to test the latest clubs and training aids from all over the world. Every major golf manufacturer is SPRING 2011 / AVIDMAGAZINE.COM / 77

brand,” says Michelle Kryscio, a sales rep for women’s golf line Golftini. “There was a guy from Mexico who stopped me to ask who I was wearing. We had people from Australia, Canada, Germany and the U.K. come into [the booth].” The show attracted visitors from 88 countries in total.

Kryscio, like many first-time visitors, was taken aback by the event’s size. “I wasn’t expecting that scale—how big it was. And the booths…some of these companies’ displays were amazing. I was pretty much in awe.”

Although the sheer size was impressive, it’s not as big as the show used to be prior to the economic slump of the late ’00s.

here. In the show’s 58 years, demo day has only been around for the past eight, and it’s already garnered a lot of attention.

“Everyone talks about technology, but new technology without performance makes no sense,” says Pete Samuels, director of marketing and public relations for PING. “So, we’re using this demo day as an opportunity to let PGA professionals and everyone else see the performance characteristics of our new equipment.”

Local professionals, such as Garth Bayer, head golf pro at Old Warson Country Club, agree. “Demo day is the smartest thing the merch show could’ve done,” Bayer says, adding that it’s become the most significant part of the show for him. “The convention doesn’t lend a lot of time to hit balls. Demo day is something we all begged for. There’s a big difference between buying clubs and buying clothes.”

Over the next 12 hours, visitors will get their first hands-on taste of what’s in store for the next three days—an unrelenting barrage of golf equipment, clothing, gadgets and merchandise that will equip the golf world for the upcoming season.

The Big Show As I walk toward the north concourse of the Orange County Convention Center, I pass a massive metal globe with the PGA logo inside. I slide through a line of charter busses and pass through giant glass doors to join the storms of people filtering through the main lobby toward the golf world’s biggest show.

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With nearly 1 million square feet of display space, this is considered a kind of mecca for golfers everywhere. The lobby is crowded with people who have excited, almost mischievous smiles on their faces.

The lines of people waiting to get their badges go back farther than I can see. Faint thuds of the music inside echo throughout the lobby. Once I make my way through the main doors and pass over the threshold, hundreds of people weave in and out of one another, obstructing my view. For just a moment, though, the crowd parts to reveal the true scope of this show. To my right is 150 yards of booths and spectators. To my left, another 150 yards. This place is huge.

Shuffling through the aisles, visitors are mostly dressed in traditional golf gear, but some stand out, like those dressed in Loud Mouth, John Daly’s design, which is one of the first booths I pass.

The music I heard earlier is now clearly audible. It’s an impromptu fashion show at the Callaway stage, featuring bright looks for the upcoming golf season. As I navigate the show’s aisles, I see among the training aid and golf clothing vendors a few odd balls, such as companies with tricked-out golf carts, an artist who makes furniture out of golf clubs and an instructor who teaches lessons dressed as a clown.

Bayer adds that where the show has lacked in these last few years, it’s made up for it with growth in areas such as demo day.

Foot traffic at the show is heavy and chaotic for all three days. It’s often fairly spread out, but every so often, fans will huddle around, trying to catch a glimpse of a golf celebrity: Annika Sorenstam giving a speech, Greg Norman promoting his golf line, David Leadbetter signing autographs.

It’s either wait in an impossibly long line or keep moving, but if I’m going to see this whole show, I’ve got to get a move on.

After three days of walking, talking and meeting new people, weaving in and out of the more than 10 miles of vendor aisles, I step out to take a breather.

Upstairs, just past the media section of the show, which is big enough to hold more than 1,000 people, I walk through a set of double doors to find a place to sit. Walking through hallways scattered with visitors eating lunch on benches, I turn the corner and step out onto a catwalk, where I see the whole show laid out before me—a sea of lights and people that is literally commerce in motion. The enclosed glass walls bring an eerie silence to an otherwise jumbled, chaotic landscape.

PHOTO: Courtesy of the Upper Engadin Tourist Office

Editor-in-Chief Dan Michel in front of just one half of the main floor at the 58th annual PGA Merchandise Show, which had approximately 40,000 attendees.

“It’s approximately half the size from what it used to be,” says Bayer. “I’ve only missed a couple times in the last 30 years. The last four years has really cut into the size of it.”

Every other person will give you a business card, if not a demo of their product. For the smaller vendors, the show represents a chance to be noticed by large-scale buyers.

I stop to think for a moment about the sheer scale of the show. The decisions made here start at the wholesale level. Pros and commercial buyers then decide what clothes and equipment their customers will have access to. It’s where the fate of everyday golfers is decided. Essentially, this show kicks off the purchases that will define the world of golf…

“My objective for the show is to grow our

Until next year.

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Best in Show AVID scoured hundreds of booths to find the most

impressive new products and companies to watch.

Here are our favorite finds from this year’s show.

Coolest Display Travis Mathew

At AVID we embrace the historic, classic golfer look, but we’re also fascinated with designers who aren’t afraid to mix up golf attire with modern trends. California-based designer Travis Mathew is doing just that. With golf pro endorsements by Bubba Watson, John Mallinger and Chris Kirk, to name just a few, the brand is definitely making an impression in the golf world. At the show the company’s booth was far and away the most trendy and dynamic, housed in a minimal, contemporary black-andwhite space, featuring fun attractions including table tennis and a glossy, rehabbed Volkswagen bus that solidified the company’s cool factor.

Best Fairway Wood Adams Speedline F11

Although drivers and hybrids are constantly undergoing innovative makeovers, many manufacturers have been slower to roll out more sophisticated fairway woods. With the recent release of its Speedline F11, Adams has stepped up its fairway wood game, and AVID couldn’t be happier. Adams bills the supersleek, stainless-steel F11 as increasing ball speed by up to two miles per hour and stretching swinging power by up to 12 yards. Factor in the improved forgiveness, and we’ve found our next club purchase.

Coolest Shafts Oban Shafts

Without top-notch shafts, high-performance clubs won’t get you very far, which explains why we are so enamored with Oban’s latest offering. In 2011, Oban is releasing a line of four new composite shafts: Revenge, Kiyoshi, Devotion and Tour Prototype V430—all designed to optimize trajectory and change the performance and feel of your game. Made of premium graphite, this brightly colored equipment is sure to attract attention.

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Best Driver TaylorMade R11

In AVID’s Winter 2011 issue, we featured the brandnew, all-white TaylorMade R11, so we were more than a little excited to see people’s reactions to it at the show. This ultracustomizable, adjustable driver features an Adjustable Sole Plate (ASP), allowing players to alter the face angle without affecting square-impact loft. The centerpiece of TaylorMade’s epic setup, the R11 was displayed in a stand-alone plexiglass case and was the hot topic throughout the show. So needless to say, this smart driver definitely tops our—and everyone else’s— list of new, must-have equipment.

Most Helpful Training Aid T2Hole

In a perfect world, there would be no obligations or rainy days to thwart our golfing trips, and we’d have a coach to help us improve our game every step of the way. The days of dreaming about that magic golf sensei are over, thanks to the T2Hole Golf Improvement System. The precision and customization of this U.K.-designed practice aid left us wanting more time with it, and we found its built-in drills and visual aid for understanding the correct swinging path particularly useful. This is truly a gadget for golfers who are looking to improve their fundamentals, and its portable design means that although it won’t take care of those pesky obligations, it’ll be around for rainy days.

Best Green Product Epoch Tees

Today, eco-friendly products flood the market, so it can be tough to distinguish hype from hitting the mark. That’s why Evolve Golf’s new Epoch Tees, combining innovative design with eco-friendly materials left us doubly impressed. These durable tees are made with 70 percent postindustrial recycled materials and are designed with radius posts that considerably lower friction and eliminate deflection. Aside from improving your game, Epoch Tees have another edge over wooden tees—their sturdy design means fewer broken tees, lowering costs over time. A SPRING 2011 / AVIDMAGAZINE.COM / 81

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the

Gentleman’s Handbook to Drinking

in St. Louis

AVID explores the St. Louis area’s poshest pubs, grittiest dives and most underrated watering holes.

WORDS: Kyle Harsha, liz miller, dan michel and michael wilmering photos: matt marcinkow SPRING 2011 / AVIDMAGAZINE.COM / 83

Trailhead Brewing Company Address: 921 S. Riverside Drive Vibe: Laidback yet lively, with a rustic, cozy feel Price: $$$$$ Don’t miss: The behind-the-scenes brewery tour

Brew Me

Independent local brewpubs thrive in St. Louis The Stable Address: 1821 Cherokee Street Vibe: When you want to take a “sip back in time” Price: $$$$$ Don’t miss: Bacon-wrapped dates

Schlafly Tap Room Address: 2100 Locust Street Vibe: Cool and casual Price: $$$$$ Don’t miss: Seasonal ales, the classic Hefeweizen

The Stable opened a couple of years ago in Benton Park, bringing the brewing business back to the historic Lemp family property—Lemp was one of the most successful breweries in America until it was forced to close during Prohibition. With much of the family’s original brewing equipment situated around The Stable, guests immediately feel drawn to the building’s fascinating history. The menu consists of dishes ranging from burgers and Potchos (the ultimate nachos for chip aficianados, made with potato chips, pulled pork and Sriracha) to a decent selection of pizzas.

Adventurous eaters should try the “plate of food” special, which lets the kitchen send out whatever foodstuff it chooses for a flat $9.95. The brewery is owned by Amalgamated Brewing Company, and serves a rotating menu of its beers. Fans of truly funky beers will enjoy the Zoigl, and those who prefer something a little more mainstream can opt for the Cali Bette Brown ale.

There’s no doubt that the Schlafly Tap Room led the local craft beer revolution in St. Louis, founding its flagship downtown brewpub 20 years ago. This year, the company will celebrate its milestone anniversary by releasing four new beers. The atmosphere at the Tap Room has set the standard for independents. It’s welcoming and casual, with a large restaurant on its main level and an equally roomy bar area above. Upstairs is where the Tap Room shines as a premiere brewpub, offering a rotating menu of its beloved beers, including pale ale, Hefeweizen and its famous seasonal ales. Most nights and weekends you can expect to see live music and entertainment at the Tap Room, where local favorites and new up-and-comers often perform. As for its food menu, Schlafly is known for its contemporary take on classic, international fare, offering diverse dishes such as British steak and lamb burgers.

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Buffalo Brewing Co. Address: 3100 Olive Street Vibe: Good for channeling your inner cowboy Price: $$$$$ Don’t miss: Bourbon Barrel Stout Buffalo Brewing Co. is a great addition to the Midtown area, featuring a rotating beer menu that always offers six of its 20 house-made ales. The brew house’s menu stays true to its buffalo theme, offering hungry drinkers everything from a buffalo burger to homemade buffalo sausage. The Buffalo Drool Ale, an interpretation of a classic American brown, and its slightly sweet Dubbel ale are mustsips. The décor pays homage to the West without being kitschy, and servers are knowledgeable about the brewery’s tasty selections.

In 1995 Trailhead Brewing Company opened as an offshoot of Lewis and Clark’s Restaurant, and it has grown to become a staple on Main Street near the St. Charles riverfront. Since that time, Trailhead has made a name for itself with a diverse menu and its handcrafted brews, including its signature Hazelnut Brown Ale, satisfying Missouri Brown Dark Ale and the classic Trailblazer Blond Ale. Housed in an old gristmill in historic downtown St. Charles, the brewery’s exposed and unfinished woodwork gives the place an even deeper rustic feel, and its brew tanks, which are visible to drinkers and diners, give a behind-the-scenes look at the brewing process.

Because Trailhead can get pretty busy on Friday and Saturday nights, reservations are recommended, but the ambiance of this brewpub, coupled with its Main Street location, make it worth the trip.

IN THE MASH TUN Six Row Brewing Company Address: 3690 Forest Park Avenue Vibe: When you want to loosen your tie after work Price: $$$$$ Don’t miss: Buffalo chicken nachos Opened in late 2010, Six Row Brewing Company has a comfortable, modern atmosphere for enjoying its various house-made brews, which are certainly the stars of the show.

One standout brew, the Six Row Porter, has a slight maltiness and goes down smoothly.

The menu features typical barroom fare, with a heavy selection of pizzas and flat breads.

The space is clean and new, but will benefit from a few years of wear-and-tear to develop a true “pub feel.”

Ferguson Brewing Company Address: 418 S. Florissant Road Vibe: Simple but inviting with a food-and-beer focus Price: $$$$$ Don’t miss: Pecan Brown Ale Joe Lonero’s efforts to revitalize Ferguson brings his hometown its first brewpub, which offers a wide array of local ales, 14 of which are on tap. A recent deal struck with Lohr Distributing Co., will soon make Ferguson’s brews available at restaurants and bars citywide, and head brewer Josh Wilson says honey wheat summer seasonal will be the next addition to Ferguson Brewing’s selection. Slow-smoked barbecue and award-winning hot wings anchor this fresh, newly renovated North County space.

Square One Brewery Address: 1727 Park Avenue Vibe: A fun, urban space Price: $$$$$ Don’t miss: Pentabulous Ale Square One’s list of seasonal and perennial ales will satisfy most any beer savant. The Lafayette Square mainstay also distills its own vodka, rum, tequila, schnapps and other tempting libations. With so much

Urban Chestnut Brewing Company Address: 3229 Washington Avenue Vibe: Warm and casual with a sophisticated aesthetic Price: $$$$$ Don’t miss: Tart Zucker Weisse

Perennial Artisan Ales 8125 Michigan Avenue perennialbeer.blogspot.com

In January, Urban Chestnut Brewing Company became the newest craft brewery to hit the St. Louis scene. Founded by former Anheuser-Busch employees, it offers two distinct types of brew: “Revolution Series” with modern American beers and “Reverence Series” with classic European brews.

This new pub also offers a variety of syrups and additions to spice up its suds. UCBC is an inviting, enjoyable brewpub thanks to its warm ambiance and rotating menu.

to choose from, a beer flight is the way to go for anyone who hasn’t sampled what Square One has to offer. The menu, which comes with beer recommendations for every meal, is diverse and a step above “bar food.” Its beer-centric items, such as the Black & Tan Nachos and Bavarian Weizen Chicken, are not to be missed.

With undeniably fresh drinks and a casual, exposed-brick interior, Square One feels cool without trying too hard.

With a focus on barrel-aged, farmhouse-style brews, Perennial Artisan Ales hopes to fill a special niche in the St. Louis beer scene. With for a July opening, Perennial will have a beer garden and a 1,500-squarefoot tasting room, featuring a clean, modern aesthetic (think industrial loft) with a bamboo and stainless-steel bar. Plus, patrons will be able to view the brewing process at the adjacent 6,000 square-foot brewery.

The Civil Life Brewing Company 3714 Holt Avenue thecivillifebrewingcompany.com Tower Grove South will soon be home to The Civil Life Brewing Company, the microbrewery brainchild of Jake Hafner, who started 33 Wine Shop. Civil Life will focus on “session beers,” which are lower in alcohol but high in flavor. It will supply locally owned restaurants and shops and focus on beer education for the curious consumer when it opens in June.

Morgan Street Brewery Address: 721 N. Second Street Vibe: Fun and lively—full of energy Price: $$$$$ Don’t miss: Golden pilsner It’s always a party at Morgan Street Brewery. Situated in the heart of Laclede’s Landing, the brewery offers a welcome respite from some of the Landing’s more exasperating bars.

The building has three floors for patrons to try housemade brews and food—the makings of an overindulgent night that you should pace yourself to remember.

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chain of booze AVID posed some of St. Louis’ best bartenders a question that most of them struggled with: “If you could have only one last drink, what would it be and who would make it?”

Chad Michael George, Demun Oyster Bar “I’d go to Monarch and have T.J. Vytlacil make me a Blood and Sand. It’s one of a few drinks we used to make for people who said they don’t like Scotch. Its been the basis for a lot of other drinks.”

them, to make them properly is one of the hardest things to do. Every time I go up there, I almost always want to drink the eclectic gins and wind up with a classic, old-school martini.”

Lucas Ramsey, Eclipse

T.J. Vytlacil, Monarch Restaurant & Wine Bar

2 parts Plymouth gin 1 part Dolin dry vermouth 1-2 dashes orange bitters

1 ounce The Balvenie 12-year-old Scotch 1 ounce of cherry harry liqueur 1 ounce of fresh-squeezed orange juice 1 ounce of sweet vermouth

Combine all ingredients in a mixing glass, add ice and stir for 30 to 40 seconds. Using a julep strainer, strain into a chilled cocktail glass, and garnish with a slice of lemon peel.

Combine all ingredients, shake, strain into cocktail glass, and garnish with a flamed orange.

“I’d have a Carpano Antica Formula Negroni with Ted Kilgore from Taste by Niche. It’s a pre-Prohibition-era cocktail, and it’s one of my favorites. The [Tiki] sweet vermouth is aged a lot longer, so it makes the negroni that much better. ”

Ted Kilgore, Taste by Niche 1 ounce Broker’s Gin 1 ounce Carpano Antica Formula Vermouth 1 ounce Campari Stir over ice, strain into a glass with fresh ice, and garnish with a flamed orange zest.

“I’d have a classic wet martini, preferably with Plymouth Gin, dry vermouth and a lemon twist stirred straight from Lucas Ramsey at Eclipse. It’s one of my all-time favorites; even though a lot of people make

“I’d have Matt Seiter at Sanctuaria make me a pisco pour. Its got egg white, which nicely balances out the mouth feel. It’s clean and delicious.”

Matt Seiter, Sanctuaria 1.5 ounces of Don Cesar Pisco ¾ ounce fresh lime juice ¾ ounce simple syrup ( flavors optional) 1 egg white Combine into a Boston shaker, and shake without ice for 10 seconds. Add ice. Shake for 15 to 20 seconds. Fine strain into an oldfashioned glass with no ice. Top off with two dashes of Angostura Bitters.

“I’d have Robert at The Royale make me a Corpse Revivor #2. I don’t know what he does. I can’t make one for myself. I’m infatuated with what he does. It’s a classic cocktail, and it’s a little sweet and a little tart with a dash of absinthe, and ever since I came across it, I love drinking them.”

Robert Griffin, The Royale ¾ ounce Plymouth Gin ¾ ounce Cointreau ¾ ounce Lillet Blanc ¾ ounce lemon juice A few drops absinthe Combine all ingredents, and shake hard with plenty of ice for 10 to 15 seconds, then strain into a cocktail glass. Garnish with a stemless cherry.

“Roxanna Ratossa is one of my favorite bartenders. I’d choose Scotch on the rocks because it’s what she often has, so she’d put the right ratio of booze to ice in it. We’d have some laughs, and I could have a last cigarette there, too.”

Roxanna Ratossa, CBGB “The ice makes a difference in a Scotch on the rocks. Use big pieces so they’ll take longer to melt and won’t water down your drink.

Just a splash of water can also help bring out flavors. Not overdoing it on the ice or the water is the trick.”

“I’d have a Maker’s Mark Manhattan. It has the right balance for me. I’d have Justin Denning at the Silver Ballroom make it.

That’s a fun, newer place.”

Pictured, clockwise from top left: Lucas Ramsey of Eclipse, Ted Kilgore of Taste by Niche, Robert Griffin of The Royale, Matt Seiter of Sanctuaria, Roxanna Ratossa of CBGB, T.J. Vytlacil of Monarch Restaurant & Wine Bar SPRING 2011 / AVIDMAGAZINE.COM / 87

A look to the city’s best bar crawls

tour pours de

gladstone’s

reet

stre

et

s. 10

th st

best variety

The cons of drinking downtown are well known and include recruiting a designated driver, snagging free parking and avoiding the cliché tourist and underage crowds. With this is mind, make your first stop Thaxton Speakeasy (1009 Olive St.), where knowing the password—check the bar’s website—lets you bypass the cover charge. At this ’20s-themed lounge housed in the historic Thaxton Building, you can knock back bathtub gin while taking in its vintage charm. For a different swanky experience, head down Olive Street to N. 14th Street, where you’ll drop in Lola (500 N. 14th St.) for one of its signature top-shelf cocktails, such as the Avenida, which mixes LeBlon Cachaca with fresh lime, cane sugar and ginger beer. Next, head down Washington to The Pour House (1933 Washington Ave.), where getting drinks takes an interesting turn thanks to out-of-the-box bar games, such as life-size Jenga. For an even greater beer selection, head down the street to Hair of the Dog (1212 Washington Ave.). This old-school dive bar has survived the glitzy renovations of the loft district and still offers the same great pizza and shuffleboard it’s made its name with. Finally, the last stop on your downtown tour is nearby Flamingo Bowl (1117 Washington Ave.). The appeal here is simple: This trendy, multilevel bowling alley and cocktail lounge stays open until 3 a.m., making it ideal for an entire night of fun or for a few hours of debauchery after other neighborhood bars have closed.

McGurk’s Irish Pub & Garden Johnny’s Restaurant & Bar

hammerstone’s

russ

Soulard

wash ingto n ave arles nue stree t Hair of the Dog

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stree

n. 11th

stree

t

Flamingo Bowl

olive

ell b

oule

vard

classic crawl

The Pour House

lola

s. ni

nth

Downtown

st. ch

international tap house

t Thaxton SpeakEasy

One of the oldest and best-known destinations for parties and bar crawls in St. Louis is Soulard. Start off for beer and a bite at John D. McGurk’s Irish Pub & Garden (1200 Russell Blvd.), where the beer list offers a solid selection of Irish brews. Guinness and a burger will be just the thing to fuel your nocturnal activities. Make your second stop at Johnny’s Restaurant & Bar (1017 Russell Blvd.). There, drinks are served up by busty women wearing lingerie, which should distract you from the fact that the drinks are a bit pricey. As you keep crawling down Russell Boulevard, stop into Hammerstone’s (2028 S. Ninth St.) for a more laid-back, relaxed scene and a whiskey. Your next stop should be right up Ninth Street at the beer-geek haven that is International Tap House, a.k.a. iTap (1711 S. Ninth St.), which stocks more than 400 types of bottled beers and offers 44 varieties on draft. If this brew-centric bar doesn’t have something you like, then you simply don’t like beer. The space is wide open, with plenty of comfortable seating and a knowledgeable staff. Your night wouldn’t be complete without at least one Soulard dive bar, so walk over to Gladstone’s (1800 S. 10th St.). This will likely be the last stop of the night, especially if you take full advantage of the daily $3 drink specials.

cusumano’s Pizza

mar aven

sutton boulevard

shall

ma

es nch

ter b

vard

oule

ue

schlafly bottleworks

boogaloo las palmas

trendiest crawl

saratoga lanes

Central West End best neighborhood feel

Maplewood

ue

Your next stop might be a hard one to move past. Schlafly Bottleworks (7260 Southwest Ave.), where all the Schlafly suds are brewed, not only has a phenomenal beer selection, but also has great food. Pick up a #15 and some pretzel sticks or Billy Goat Chips while you enjoy live music (check schlafly.com for event schedule). If your party is still ready for more, slide down Manchester to Cusumano’s Pizza (7147 Manchester Ave.), where you’ll find cheap cocktails and a dance-friendly, clublike atmosphere. And because it’s technically in St. Louis city limits, the party won’t end until 3 a.m.

dressel’s pub

n. euclid aven

If you’re looking for a bar crawl without all the hustle and bustle of the city, then head to Maplewood for a crawl that’s a bit closer to home (or feels like it, anyway).

Start out with some beer, billiards and bowling at Saratoga Lanes (2725 Sutton Blvd. #A), a bar that’s off the beaten path and has an old-school feel. Then it’s time to hit the Maplewood strip. Head into Las Palmas (7356 Manchester Road) for some margaritas and karaoke. If you’re hungry, the fish tacos are not to be missed. A bit further down Manchester is Boogaloo (7344 Manchester Road), where you can sit on jungle-themed swings while you sip on sangria. It also has a great outdoor patio, if the weather is nice.

If you’ve never been, The Scottish Arms (8 S. Sara St.) is the perfect place to start a bar crawl through the classy-but-cool Central West End. Its beer and Scotch selection is as eclectic as its menu (try the Scotch Eggs or Haggis Fritter), and the friendly atmosphere should get you in the right state of mind for what’s to come. The newly redesigned Brennan’s (4659 Maryland Ave.) is a great next stop for a glass of tasty vino or fine bourbon. Head up to its private cigar club, the Zino Platinum Room, or buy a few top-quality cigars and slip them in your pocket for the end of the night. Just across the street, The Drunken Fish (1 Maryland Plaza) offers great sushi and is a frequent hangout for St. Louis Blues players. Knock back a flaming sake bomb at the bar to bring the night to a fever pitch.

SubZero Vodka Bar (306 N. Euclid Ave.) is a dangerous next step for bar crawlers, with its selection of tasty cocktails, you might just never want to leave. With more than 350 vodkas from 26 different countries, you’ll have to practice restraint if you plan on continuing the crawl. If you can pull yourself away, head to Dressel’s Pub (419 N. Euclid Ave.) to end the evening. It’s a distinct and welcome departure from the CWE’s ultra-trendy vibe, making it a lowkey, satisfying way to end the evening.

subzero vodka bar the drunken fish

the drunken fish mary land ave

nue

lacle

de av enue

the scottish arms

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tour pours de

Hide Away

arsenal st

reet

sandrina’s

avenue

After a few glasses of vino, you’ll be ready to grab a bite to eat at BARCelona Tapas Restaurant (34 N. Central Ave.). In addition to tasty small plates, this tapas bar is known for its house-blended sangria, which should help you wash down dinner.

From here, Barrister’s (15 N. Meramec Ave.) is the next step, with more tempting appetizers and entrées and a laid-back atmosphere that offers a unique spin on the sometimes-stuffy Clayton bar scene.

Kilkenny’s Irish Pub (20 N. Central Ave.) or John P. Field’s (26 N. Central Ave.), which sit side by side one another are both perfectly suitable for never-ending nightcaps.

n. meramec

Pomme CafÉ & Wine Bar Barcelona tapas restaurant

barrister’s

vard

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n. central av enue

John P. Field’s Kilkenny’s Irish Pub

three monkeys

road

tin can tavern & grille

wild card crawl

South City / Tower Grove

morgan ford

If you’re planning to cram a decent bar crawl into one wild night, then time is of the essence. So skip the trip home and get the party started as soon as you leave work.

Your first stop: Pomme Café & Wine Bar (44 N. Central Ave.) for a glass or two of French wine in a relaxed setting. Pomme also has a decent beer selection (try the Bell’s Two-Hearted Ale), and it offers the perfect ambiance for unwinding after a long day at the office.

s. kingsh

Clayton

forsyth boule

the royale

ighway bo

ulevard

most convenient

Any pub crawl centered in the Tower Grove area has to start at The Royale (3132 S. Kingshighway Blvd.). With fresh-juiced cocktails; décor that’s a mash-up of democratic political statements, Warhol and boxing posters; and its almost-nightly entertainment, this hipster joint is a great place to grab a signature Continental cocktail and some fish tacos to prepare for the crawl to come. From there, proceed on to Morgan Ford Road, where you will find Three Monkeys (3153 Morgan Ford Road).

If you want a “fancy” drink (i.e., not a domestic bottle or well cocktail), get it now— your night is about to get weird. Cross the street to the Tin Can Tavern & Grille (3157 Morgan Ford Road). As the name suggests, it serves possibly the largest selection of canned beer in town. After pounding the requisite PBR or Mickey’s, get in a car (with a sober driver, of course), and make the short jaunt to Hide Away (5900 Arsenal St.). If you get there after 9 p.m., you’ll catch Mark Dew, the blind crooner who belts out Sinatra, Neil Diamond and Willie Nelson from behind his keyboard. After downing a few cheap wells, head back up Arsenal Street to Sandrina’s (5098 Arsenal St.) to fill your tank. Local restaurant industry folks love this bar, and you’ll likely find yourself enjoying a duck confit slider with a local foodie until the wee hours.

SPRING 2011 / AVIDMAGAZINE.COM / 91

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AVIDDIVA

The Gateway Area’s most charming cart girls sit down with AVID to answer some of life’s less important questions.

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AVIDDIVA

Q+A How old are you?

28.

How long have you worked at Stonewolf?

I’ve been there for two and a half years.

Do you play golf?

I don’t play whole rounds, but I’ll take my daughter up here, and we’ll hit balls.

What music are you into?

I like alternative music like Red Hot Chili Peppers and Katy Perry. I also listen to country music like Rascal Flatts.

“what i really love about my job is working outside and soaking up the sun.”

What’s your favorite drink?

Bud Select or possibly a Captain and Coke.

Do you recall the best or worst pickup line you’ve encountered on the course?

That would have to be this one guy who told me, “You sure do look like my third wife.” Then he said, “I’ve only been married twice.” I also had a guy give me $100 each round when I saw him, and I only made him one drink!

What’s one food you could eat over and over?

I could eat McDonald’s every day over and over. And I do, normally!

Where’s your favorite place you’ve traveled to or would like to?

My favorite place would have to be Cancun, Mexico. It was so beautiful!

If money were no object, what would you do every day?

Probably something that involves caring for animals.

I have a Papillion [dog] and a ferret. I like ferrets because they’re just funny, different animals.

A

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CADDY SHACK

Sandy Armour The lifelong golfer shares what it’s like to caddy for, and play alongside, his brother.

I played for about 12 years, at home and overseas. I played the Australian tour, the South African tour and the Asian tour.

What’s it like caddying for your brother?

I think it’s probably more difficult than what the other caddies think. I’ve got it easier in that I can go into the clubhouse and eat with the other golfers and their families, and I can drive courtesy cars, which caddies are not usually allowed to drive. I can fly into a city where a tournament is being held, and they’ll pick me up at the airport, so there are some perks.

Has he ever fired you?

No. It’s kind of funny. In November he said, “I’m going to quit smoking.” I smoke too, and he said, “When we start the year, if you don’t want to quit smoking, then I’ll have to find another caddy because I can’t have you smoking on the golf course.” So I don’t smoke on the golf course, which is good for me, and it helps him.

That’s the only time he’s ever said, “I’m going to have to find another caddy.”

Any holes in one for you or Tommy?

Tommy has 15 holes in one. I’d say about half of them were in tournaments. That’s where I’ve got an up on Tommy. I’ve had five holes-in-one, but I have two double eagles. Tommy doesn’t have a double eagle.

What are some courses you dread as a caddy?

Carnoustie [Golf Links]. The layout at Carnoustie is flat, and it’s all right there in front of you, so you better have a plan, and you better execute it on every shot. The greens are relatively flat, and it’s right there by the water. The first time I went around the course was at the British Open last year. It was a special week for me and Tommy, because our grandfather, [Tommy Armour], had won the British Open on that course 80 years earlier. So, I was amped up to see the place anyway, and when I walked off 18, there were writers there asking us how we felt.

That’s easy: the old Castle Pines [in Colorado]. They don’t play there anymore, but it was at kind of a high altitude and very hilly. And La Cantera [in Texas], where Tommy set the record [with a score of ] 254.

Who is one of your closer caddy friends on tour?

“H” and I are really close.

His real name is Mike Hartford. He caddies for Pat Perez on a regular tour. He and Pat went to high school together, he’s the only caddy that Pat’s ever had.

A

Age: 50 Hometown: Dallas Caddy for: Tommy Armour III

Is ThE SENIOR’S TOUR more relaxed than the typical PGA environment?

Yes, I believe it’s much more relaxed. They’re hungry, and they’re competitive. Don’t get me wrong—they’re very competitive, but it’s just a lot more of a relaxed atmosphere.

The guys talk to each other a bit more. It’s a nice sight; it really is. There’s no other sport where you can watch Hall of Famers compete. You get four and half hours with each guy— sometimes more than that.

You both bear a FAMOUS LAST NAME. What was THAT like for you growing UP? Growing up, golf was not cool.

In high school, the baseball coach wanted me to pitch for the team, and golf and baseball were held at the same time. My freshmen year, [the baseball coach asked] “Are you going to pitch for us?,” and I said “No, I’m going to play golf.” He was like “Golf? Golf is for wussies.”

Obviously it’s changed quite a bit since then.

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Photo: Courtesy of Getty Images

DID YOU EVER GO ON TOUR YOURSELF? WHERE TO?

Favorite golf course you’ve ever caddied?

AVID CALENDAR March / April / May March 12 St. Patrick’s Day Scramble Ballwin Golf Club, Ballwin, Mo. 636.207.2355, ballwin.mo.us March 19 March Madness Tournament Annbriar Golf Course, Waterloo, Ill., 618.939.4653 annbriar.com April 4–April 5 District 7 PGA Challenges Match LedgeStone Country Club, Branson West, Mo., 417.335.8187, ledgestonegolf.com

April 11 MAGA Amateur Series Event 1 Bogey Hills Country Club, St. Charles, Mo., 314.675.3701 metga.org April 17–April 18 Gateway Cup Matches Glen Echo Country Club, St. Louis, Mo., 314.383.1500 gecc.org April 19 Pro-Superintendent Challenge Norwood Hills Country Club, St. Louis, Mo., 314.521.0682 gatewaypga.org

April 8 Michael Palumbo Memorial Golf Classic Forest Park Golf Course, St. Louis, Mo., 314.367.1337 blacktie-missouri.com/calendar

April 25 Central MO Classic Pro-Open #1 Meadow Lake Acres Golf Club, New Bloomfield, Mo., 573.491.3356 gatewaypga.org

April 11 Players Championship Norwood Hills Country Club, St. Louis, Mo., 314.521.0682 gatewaypga.org

May 2 Tapawingo Pro-Open #2 Tapawingo National Golf Club, Sunset Hills, Mo., 636.349.3100 tapawingogolf.com

May 2 Jim Butler Auto Group Charity Golf Tournament 2011 Sunset Hills Country Club, St. Louis, Mo., 314.652.8300 jimbutlerautogroup.com All proceeds benefit the Herbert Hoover Boys & Girls Club of Saint Louis May 9 Scratch Pro-Am Jefferson City Country Club, Jefferson City, Mo., 573.893.3306 jeffersoncitycountryclub.com May 17–May 19 MWGA Senior Championship Glen Echo Country Club, St. Louis, Mo., 314.383.1500 mowomensga.org May 23 Joe Buck Classic Golf Tournament Old Warson Country Club, St. Louis, Mo., 314.286.0987, stlouischildrens.org All proceeds benefit St. Louis Children’s Hospital

May 23 Saint Louis Crisis Nursery Golf Classic, Forest Hills Country Club, St. Louis, Mo., 314.292.5770, crisisnurserykids.org All proceeds benefit Saint Louis Crisis Nursery May 23–May 25 Match Play Championship Annbriar Golf Course, Waterloo, Ill., 618.939.4653, annbriar.com May 31 Tower Tee Invitational Tower Tee Golf Club, St. Louis, Mo. 314.481.5818, towertee.com

Want to see your event in the AVID calendar? E-mail us at listings@avidmagazine.com.

All entries must be submitted by the 15th of each month to be included in the subsequent issue.

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cease & desist

A Franchise in Jeopardy Why won’t baseball’s greatest team fight for its greatest player?

WORDS: Matt Mathison

It’s not often that you’ll see me or anyone at AVID write about the rest of the sports world.

But it’s not too often that you’ll see your hometown fail to sign the best player in baseball either. I honestly would like to ask Cardinals General Manager John Mozeliak one question: Do you really think you made a good offer to Albert Pujols? Does everyone in Cardinal Nation remember this quote by our illustrious GM? “We felt very good about the offer we made.” I haven’t seen someone lie to the public like that since Bill Clinton exclaimed to the world that he “did not have sexual relations with that woman.”

Now, I don’t know all of the particulars when it comes to contracts in professional baseball, but what I do know is this: Albert Pujols is the best player

in baseball. Period. That’s not up for debate, and rarely does one player epitomize an organization like Pujols does for the Cardinals. Are you paying attention, Cardinals ownership? Listen closely. He is the face of this franchise.

He is the face of the National League and is beyond great for the game of baseball.

This is a no-brainer. We’ve basically had the equivalent of an 10-year Groupon for Albert Pujols. What he’s done for the Cardinals and the city of St. Louis is amazing. The amount of money he has made far outweighs anything you could pay him over the next 10 years.

Frankly, I don’t blame him and his camp for ending talks.

He’s a team player who’s given everything but the shirt off his back to the Cardinals organization. How they couldn’t

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get this deal done prior to the beginning of the season is beyond me. Sure, you could argue that I don’t understand the economics of baseball. But I do understand the economic impact his departure would have on not only the Cardinals but also the city of St. Louis at large. You’d think someone would have told them about the devastation Lebron James left in Cleveland.

Sure, baseball is a business, but with ownership of one of the greatest franchises in all of sports comes a fiduciary responsibility to the rest of the city—an obligation to take care of those who have taken care of you. I hope for the sake of the organization and for the sake of this city that things work out. At the end of the day, the ownership will remain, but if Pujols isn’t signed, I give

Mozeliak one season before he’s out. The sad part for him is that the failure of this agreement would haunt his résumé forever. He would always be remembered as the hapless GM that didn’t sign Pujols.

There is a flip side. Mozeliak can sign Pujols. We can go on to win a few more pennants and perhaps another World Series. In that case, Mozeliak would be one of the hottest GMs in all of baseball.

There is no middle road here. It’s sink or swim for the Cardinals’ ownership. The same goes for the economics of the franchise. In the end Pujols deserves to be signed at any cost. He has done more than his due diligence and has done so in a quiet, professional manner. I’m not looking forward to seeing him in the free-agent market. His price there would be much higher than what he should’ve gotten this time around. In fact, it would be astronomical. Hell, even an arbitrator would have made him the highest-paid player in baseball. For Pujols I don’t think it’s about the money. If it were, we’d know it.

But he definitely deserves to be shown a little more respect than the money that the Cardinals management has offered, paying him the same as other top-10 players. That’s just insulting.

A