PGA Tour

U.S.A. U.S.A. U.S.A.

Imagine hearing the chant encompass-

ing the acreage around Whistling Straits in Wisconsin in September of 2021 all 3 days of the unique competition. It was the chant that has been practiced by fans to help render support for the return of the cup to the USA. The Ryder Cup, that the European team had held for going on 3 years. It was our first time to experience The Ryder Cup and I truly didn’t realize the impact that was going to have on us for the future. We have been to many Professional Golf Events and it really represents the “Titans of the Tour”… battling head to head for the elusive win on the PGA Tour… grab the trophy… thank all the supporters… collect the check and we’ll see ya next week. The Ryder Cup is obviously different. Granted you have the same Titans of the Tour. that battle each week, but this time they are working together as a “TEAM.” The USA vs The Europeans. Now granted that is a battle of golfers going on in some great formats that you don’t see on a day-to-day tour event. It is totally different with Win/Loss records on the line and the ability to hold your emotions in check. The Ryder Cup is a BUCKET LIST event that every golfer must experience. There is nothing like standing close to players like Bryson DeChambeau and hearing the sound that his club makes at impact… or quality wedge play from the youngest player on the team, Collin Morikawa… BUT then there were the fans. You suddenly start to watch the USA Fans… but they weren’t alone. Many Europeans that made the trip across the pond were there to show off their colors as well. Here is just few of the fun that we experience. As we came away from the The Ryder Cup… we were already starting to plan for a trip to Rome in 2023 to continue The Ryder Cup experience.

caribbean golf central Smiling Faces in the Dominican Republic

In America, the game of golf began to

reopen during the second half of 2020. People found that golf courses were among the safest places on the planet. Good for mental and physical health. During the second half of 2021, the rest of the golf world began to reopen. People traveled freely across the country … and they even began traveling to golf destinations around the world. That renewed movement was a saving grace for tourism in places like the Dominican Republic. Long recognized as the finest golf destination in the Caribbean and all of Latin America, the Dominican saw a major resurgence in the second half of 2021. Part of the resurgence was sparked by the marketing company, DR Golf, and its convention that was held at the spectacular Secrets Cap Cana … near the tourist haven of Punta Cana. It brought together golf writers, destination representatives and golf packagers from around the world. “This was not an easy effort,” admitted Teddy De Lara, director of DR Golf. “Some people are still hesitant about traveling. But the ones who came here saw that the resorts and golf courses were committed to safety.” The delegates who attended, along with the growing numbers of visitors at the Dominican resorts and golf courses, all had one thing in common – smiling faces. And that is quite understandable, considering the quality of the resorts and golf courses in the Dominican. “We are very proud of all of our properties in the Dominican Republic,” said Luis Nunez, regional

Punta Espada #10

Teeth of the Dog

commercial director for AMResorts. “But Secrets Cap Cana is a very special property. Most people rate it as their favorite in the area.” Also on display in the greater Punta Cana region are golf courses that represent the Mount Rushmore of golf course architects. Jack Nicklaus has two spectacular designs – the seaside course at Punta Espada and the parkland-style course at Hard Rock. Tom Fazio has Corales, home of the PGA Tour’s Corales Championship. Pete Dye has his collection of three courses at Casa de Campo – Teeth of the Dog, Dye Four and Links. Punta Espada features 13 holes with spectacular views of the Caribbean Sea. The course hosted a Champions Tour event in 2008, 2009 and 2010. The final one was won by Freddy Couples, who established the course record with a 62. Casa de Campo is a worldrenowned resort. The Teeth of the Dog course, the oldest of the three courses, is regarded as one of the finest in the world. It also is regarded by many as the greatest work in the somewhat controversial career of Dye. Corales is a fun stop for the professionals on the PGA Tour. The Fazio design also has many oceanfront holes and provides a great break from the usual weekly schedule. Hard Rock is the newest course in the region, opened in 2010. It is part of a very hip resort that is, not surprisingly, a favorite of American visitors. “I have been living in the area for about 10 years now,” says Casa de Campo golf professional Todd Gilley, who had earlier employment stops at places like Bald Head Island in North Carolina. “The golf in this area, not just my club, is so spectacular. It is truly a golf paradise.” Call it a golf paradise, within a vacation paradise. Golf in the Dominican Republic is open again … and golf travelers are loving it. Secrets Can Cana

Punta Espada #18

one child at a time

As golfers, most, if not all of us have

had the chance to play in a scramble tournament only to be disappointed in the course condition, the lack of organization, the “goodie bag”, the post event food/drink or where the hard-earned entry fee money actually is dispersed. Then there is an event like the Love Haiti Partnership held in early October at the beautiful Huntington Hills Golf and Country Club in Lakeland, Florida. If one needed a blueprint on how to run an event, this was it! Love Haiti Partnership(LHP) is a 501c3 nonprofit organization that was forced to wait a year for this outing due to Covid restrictions, but the 120 golfers were rewarded with all things right about great day on the links. This event checked all the right boxes, starting with the satisfaction of raising money for a great cause. LHP President Scott Davidson was justifiably thrilled with everything that was done to help the cause, “LHP has 13 full time employees in the central Haitian plateau city of Marmont. Our goal is to help educate the youngsters of this area where food is cooked over open fires and water is carried from the local stream. The average child in Haiti gets to 3rd grade and that’s it. We try to help with meals, jobs for teachers and staff as well as medical needs so fundraising is vital.” A huge part of that fundraising comes in the form of sponsorships and Bartow Ford stepped up as the Presenting Sponsor. Bartow Ford is a recognizable name throughout Florida and their participation was vital and rewarding. Benny Robles Jr, the President and GM, said the Bartow Ford involvement was easy decision, “We are sponsors and participants in many events in our area, but this allowed us the chance to step up on an international stage as well. Being here and working with LHP and Huntington Hills gave us great satisfaction for a cause that we believe in strongly.” The sponsors were evident throughout the day as volunteers were on hand at every turn. There was help at the bag drop. The registration went smoothly. Buying raffle tickets was a breeze. The putting contest had long lines that flowed without delay. Most obvious to many of the golfers was the fact that the shotgun start, started on time. The par 3’s not only offered the chance to win a new Bartow Ford automobile with a hole in one but all had

plenty of cold energy drinks, water and snacks were welcomed as temperatures rose into the low 90’s. The long drive hold once again provided the chance to bomb one down the immaculate fairway while at the same time humbling many of the rest of us in the field. “He hit it HOW FAR?” A ball drop from a helicopter concluded the days on course activities in a very comfortable playing time of just over 4 hours. As mentioned, it turned out to be a very hot afternoon so the awards ceremony and fine dinner in the air conditioning was very welcoming. Again, the staff at the club did not disappoint! As I mentioned earlier, this was a superbly run event but the bottom line is that a large sum of money was raised for the Love Haiti Partnership, and that was the real goal. Scott Davidson estimated that up to $50,000.00 will go towards the effort in Haiti. That is an amazing amount but this was an amazing event that will no doubt sell out again next year. They got it right the first time around so topping it in 2022 will be a task indeed. For more information, visit

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