Issue 8 • Volume 5 • October 2012
Southern Minnesota Golf
- Legacy Golf Course, Maple Valley, The Bridges, The Bluffs At Coffee Mill, And Willow Creek
Extending Your Season Indoors - Working On Your Game This Winter
Profiles
- Bud Chapman, Bill Homeyer, PGA President Alan Wronowski, And Mike Schultz
Protect Your Clubs On The Road - Bags And Covers For Your Gear
A Guide To Planning Your 2013 Tournament - Lock In Your Date And Course NOW
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Wirth Golf Club 1301 Wirth Parkway, Golden Valley 763-522-4584
Hiawatha Golf Club 4553 Longfellow Avenue, Minneapolis 612-724-7715
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Tee Times Cup
October 2012
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Mississippi Dunes
One Unique Track
Inaugural Season Wrap Up As another golf season comes to a close, despite the PGA TOUR’s soon to be “rolling” calendar, we also conclude the inaugural season of the Tee Times Cup. A huge success, the Tee Times Cup provided excitement surrounding the year’s biggest tournaments, including Minnesota’s own 3M Championship. Early season disappointments by Rory McIlroy and Tiger Woods were offset nicely by their respectively strong performances late in the season. Surprisingly, no one chose Rory as a PGA Championship selection, an event in which he won by a record margin. (Stop me if you’ve heard that one about McIlroy before!) Leave it to fate that no participant in the Tee Times Cup selected an actual tournament winner until the event we were picking came home to Minnesota. An incredible seven of our prognosticators (more than half the participants) selected eventual champion Bernhard Langer, who came back in riveting fashion during the 3M Championship’s Final Round. There were some near misses (in other words, heartbreaking defeats) throughout the year for our players as well. Lee Westwood and Phil Mickelson gave a hard but ultimately unrewarding charge toward the Green Jacket in April, while Adam Scott had “One hand on the Claret Jug” at The Open Championship, as one ESPN commentator put it, but somehow managed to spill right before his name would have been engraved. Still, the Tee Times Cup ended on a high note: every participant collected points at both the 3M Championship and the FedEx Cup, meaning that everyone scored in double digits as well. Jim McNaney correctly selected Brandt Snedeker as the FedEx Cup Champion. However, even with a “maximum” scoring performance (backed by an additional five points thanks to a Top-10 finish by that aforementioned Woods guy), Jim still fell a handful of points shy of our Inaugural Champion, Jimmy Rockelman. Jimmy edged C. J. Meyer in the final standings by the slimmest of margins, 42-41, to hold on for victory. Jay Meyerhoff finished four points off the pace to place third. We look forward to bringing you more Tee Times Cup action for the 2013 season. Hopefully the second season is even better than the first!
PUBLISHER EDITOR DIRECTOR OF INSTRUCTION GRAPHIC DESIGNER VIDEO PRODUCTION CONTRIBUTING WRITERS
Steve Wetzler Kim Benjamin Jimmy Rockelman Kobie Conrath 121 Studios Kevin Blair, Will Brogan, Tim Brovold, Tim Cotroneo, John Green, Eric Hart, Tim Jochim, Matt Just, Brad Parrott, Steven Pease, Pat Reis, Rick Shefchik, R.J. Smiley, Lance West, Steve Wetzler
Interested in contributing an article to Tee Times? Contact Kim Benjamin 651-304-1140 • kim@teetimespress.com
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Tee Times' Readers' Choice Awards
October 2012
We asked you and you answered. Tee Times’ readers have been submitting their votes for the last couple months. Here are the rankings for the 2012 Tee Times’ Readers’ Choice Awards. Thank you to everyone who participated. The Golf Course That Provides The Best Golf Experience 1. Rush Creek Golf Club 2. Willingers Golf Club 3. The Meadows at Mystic Lake 4. StoneRidge Golf Club 5. Legends Golf Club The Golf Course That Provides The Best Value 1. Willingers Golf Club 2. Hidden Greens Golf Course 3. Hudson Golf Club 4. Mississippi National Golf Links 5. Clifton Highlands Golf Club The Golf Course That Provides The Best Hospitality (Service) 1. Deer Run Golf Club 2. Legends Golf Club 3. Rush Creek Golf Club 4. Stonebrooke Golf Club 5. Majestic Oaks Golf Club The Golf Course In The Best Condition 1. Troy Burne Golf Club 2. The Meadows at Mystic Lake 3. Rush Creek Golf Club 4. The Jewel Golf Club 5. Bunker Hills Golf Club The Golf Course With The Best Greens 1. Troy Burne Golf Club 2. The Wilds Golf Club 3. Cannon Golf Club 4. Prestwick Golf Club 5. StoneRidge Golf Club Favorite Golf Course For A Wedding 1. Mississippi Dunes Golf Links 2. The Wilds Golf Club 3. Stonebrooke Golf Club 4. Legends Golf Club 5. Crystal Lake Golf Club Favorite Golf Course For A Tournament 1. Bunker Hills Golf Club 2. The Wilds Golf Club 3. Legends Golf Club 4. Willingers Golf Club 5. Deer Run Golf Club
Favorite Golf Course For A Holiday Party 1. Legends Golf Club 2. The Wilds Golf Club 3. Stonebrooke Golf Club 4. Bunker Hills Golf Club 5. Crystal Lake Golf Club Favorite Clubhouse 1. Mississippi Dunes Golf Club 2. Legends Golf Club 3. Bunker Hills Golf Club 4. Prestwick Golf Club The Refuge Golf Club Best Merchandised Pro Shop 1. Legends Golf Club 2. Troy Burne Golf Club 3. Rush Creek Golf Club 4. StoneRidge Golf Club 5. Willingers Golf Club Favorite Golf Course Restaurant 1. Danny’s Bar & Grill At StoneRidge Golf Club 2. The Legends Grill At Legends Golf Club 3. Girvan Grille At Edinburgh USA 4. The Highlander Restaurant At Rush Creek Golf Club 5. David’s Chophouse At Prestwick Golf Club Finest Private Club 1. Hazeltine National Golf Club 2. White Bear Yacht Club 3. Interlachen Country Club 4. Medina Golf & Country Club 5. Woodhill Country Club Favorite Golf Resort 1. Cragun’s Resort & Hotel On Gull Lake 2. Grand View Lodge 3. Giants Ridge 4. Madden’s On Gull Lake 5. Fortune Bay Favorite Public Course 1. StoneRidge Golf Club 2. Rush Creek Golf Club 3. Willingers Golf Club 4. Troy Burne Golf Club 5. The Meadows At Mystic Lake
Tee Times' Readers' Choice Awards
October 2012
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Best Halfway House 1. Legends Golf Club 2. Bunker Hills Golf Club 3. Majestic Oaks Golf Club 4. Willingers Golf Club
Favorite Par 3 1. Legends Golf Club #13 2. The Legend At Giants Ridge #17 3. Mississippi National Golf Links Highlands Course #17 4. Troy Burne Golf Club #11 5. Keller Golf Course #4
Legends Club #13
Favorite Par 4 1. Edinburgh USA #17 2. Stonebrooke Golf Club #8 3. Hazeltine National Golf Club #16 4. TPC Twin Cities #14 5. Troy Burne Golf Club #2
Edinburgh #17 Photo Courtesy of Tony Hellman Photography
Favorite Par 5 1. Rush Creek Golf Club #18 2. Troy Burne Golf Club #12 3. Chaska Town Course #18 4. Golden Eagle Golf Club #14 5. The Meadows At Mystic Lake #18 Rush Creek #18 Photo Courtesy of Peter Wong Photography
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Fairways & Greens
October 2012
By Brad Parrott Living in the Midwest some people would say we are blessed with the seasons, while others say we are cursed. No matter which way you feel, there are some easy ways to deal with it. Believe it or not, options abound at what most of us might consider only a summer destination, your local golf course. No matter what you are looking for from either indoor or outdoor activities, you will most likely be able to find it at one of the Twin Cities Metro courses. Everything from the obvious, golf simulators, to the not so obvious Dinner Theatre, Comedy Shows or even Cards. For those that want to escape the cold on the north side of the Twin Cities, Bunker Hills Golf Club is a place to consider during the off-season. Not only staying open to host weddings, banquets, meetings or even holiday parties, Bunker Hills also has The Harvest Grill that offers a wide variety of fresh, made from scratch items, using the finest ingredients that Minnesota has to offer in a comfortable, relaxing, cabin type of environment. If you don’t like the cold but want to keep your swing in groove, Bunker Hills also has you covered. They have four simulators located between the pro shop and restaurant where tee times can be made between 8 am and 10 pm daily. Those looking to keep the competitive edge can also be satisfied by joining a winter league at Bunker Hills.
Heading to the south side of the cities (which is warmer?), there is The Wilds Pub located at The Wilds Golf Club in Prior Lake. Whether you are looking for quick snacks and refreshments to a complete luncheon or dinner, they have you covered. The menu is filled with seafood, meats, poultry, pasta, as well as salads and sandwiches. There is casual dining by day, fine dining by night, as well as a Sunday Bruch they boast as “The Largest Sunday Brunch South of the River”. Combining all that with the banquet facilities makes The Wilds a perfect place to hold everything from weddings, to business meetings, as well as holiday parties for either business or family. Also in Prior Lake, you will find the Legends Grill located at the award winning Legends Golf Club. Making every effort to be on par with the award-winning course, the Legends Grill offers upscale casual dining with a full service restaurant and bar. The dinner menu offers something for everyone to enjoy including soups, salads, sandwiches, fish and pasta, from the grill, as well as a light fair for those wanting to minimize what is sometimes referred to as “the winter coat”. During the off-season the Legends Grill is open Wednesday through Saturday starting at 4 pm serving dinner. On the east side of town a couple really nice options are David’s Chophouse at Prestwick Golf Club in Woodbury, and Danny’s Bar and Grill at StoneRidge Golf Club just off Highway 94 in Stillwater. David’s Chophouse at Prestwick is a full service restaurant and bar with signature drinks, lunch menus, dinner menus, as well as brunch offerings. They feature a classic American menu with steaks, chops, prime rib, seafood, pastas, as well as daily Danny's Bar and Grill at StoneRidge specials. Looking for a nice place to watch some football? David’s offers a special during games including drinks and appetizers. For something more on the couple or more formal side, David’s offers wine dinners featuring a vineyard, which includes a five-course meal as well as a guest speaker from the featured vineyard.
Bunker Hills Simulator
Danny’s Bar and Grill located at StoneRidge Golf Club
In the northern suburb of Brooklyn Park, you will find Edinburgh Golf Course and the Girvan Grille. The Girvan Grill offers an American cuisine including everything from a delicious array of appetizers, sandwiches and salads, to choice steaks, ribs, seafood, and wood roasted chicken. They are open year round at 11 am for lunch and dinner as well as a Sunday breakfast brunch from 10 am to 1 pm. On the west side of town, Rush Creek Golf Club has your needs covered. The Highlander Restaurant will appeal to both a night out with the boys as well as a romantic option to bring your significant other. It has received numerous awards from “The most romantic place”, to the “Golden Plate award”. Rush Creek also does a great job helping with the hectic holiday season by offering Halloween parties and a tremendous Thanksgiving Brunch. Backing up the restaurant, you cannot forget about the banquet facilities for weddings, meetings, or special events.
Rush Creek's Highlander
Restaurant
October 2012
Fairways & Greens
offers yet another great option for those looking to get out of the house and avoid cabin fever. The menu features innovative creations by award-winning Chef Ron Bohnert with an emphasis on locally sourced and naturally raised foods combined with quality ingredients. The menu has something for everyone including starters, soups, salads, as well as signature and award winning entrées. Covering you on pretty much every end of the spectrum is Majestic Oaks Golf Club in Ham Lake. Whether you are an indoor person, outdoor person, or just can’t get the golfing bug out of your system, believe it or not, Majestic Oaks has you covered. Before the weather gets bad and winter actually hits, Majestic Oaks offers trail rides and bon fires every Friday in October with a haunted trail ride the Friday prior to Halloween. Also starting in October is the Mystery Café located in the Cedar Room. The Mystery Café is a scripted, interactive, comedy mystery, where a threecourse meal is served during the intermissions.
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8-10 players. Majestic Oaks actually transformed their large cart barn in to what they now call the Oak Center. It houses a 2/3-size rink including a penalty box. The smaller than regulation rink makes it perfect for boot hockey. As you can see, if you only considered visiting your local golf course during the golf season, you are missing out on a lot. Whether you prefer to stay inside during the winter months or like to get out and enjoy the fresh air, there are options at your local golf course. Make sure you go to their websites, and like them on Facebook to keep up with events and parties happening. Also make sure if you are planning your next night out this winter, or even your holiday parties, start with your local golf course, you might be pleasantly surprised.
Returning in November to Majestic Oaks is The Seasons Dinner Theatre with shows running from November 24th until December 31st. After a short break, the Dinner Theatre returns for a spring show running February through March. If you are in the mood for something a little more casual, the 46th Hole Restaurant and Bar will take care of you. They have a full menu, bar specials, holiday brunches along with bingo on Wednesday and Saturday nights. Not to forget the outdoor enthusiasts as well as those that can’t seem to get golf out of their The Seasons Dinner Theatre at Maje stic Oaks system, Majestic Oaks has them covered also. Majestic Oaks is the original home of snow golf as well as boot hockey retuning for the 3rd year.
s
Snow Golf at Majestic Oak
Weather permitting, which seems to be more often than not in Minnesota, Majestic Oaks sets up a 9-hole course with hole distances ranging from 80 to 150 yards. An extremely nominal fee gets you 9 holes of golf along with a club and ball to use during your round. Whether a beginner or scratch golfer, this is a great opportunity to get out and swing the club. The course plans to be open Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays with leagues being played on Saturday mornings. Keeping with the “out of box” thinking, Majestic Oaks also has boot hockey leagues, yes, boot hockey and not broomball. Last year they had 23 teams that consisted of
Boot Hockey at Majest
ic Oaks
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Influential People In MN Golf
BILL HOMEYER
October 2012
By R.J. Smiley
GOLF RUNS IN HIS VEINS
Across America Bill Homeyer is known as the father of U.S. Women’s Open winner, Hilary Lunke. Among Minnesota’s women tournament golfers Bill Homeyer is known as the man who runs all the Minnesota Women’s Golf Association Championships. To the Minnesota Section of the PGA, Bill Homeyer is the father-in-law and often-time caddy of Don Berry, Edinburgh USA Head Professional and golf champion. To the players on the Champion’s Tour Bill Homeyer is known as John Harris’s business partner. To the members of Edina Country Club Bill Homeyer is known as that long hitter who is a very good player and really nice guy. To the USGA Bill Homeyer is known as the two-time qualifier for the USGA Senior Amateur Championship. To the members of the Hiawatha Golf Club Bill Homeyer is fondly known as that successful, country clubber who has been a member of their men’s club since 1962. Bill and Penny Homeyer are very proud of all three of their daughters, Hilary just happens to be the one who achieved golf immortality. With her very nervous father walking the sidelines and her husband, Tyler Lunke, on her bag, Hilary defeated Kelly Robbins and Angela Stanford in an 18-hole playoff for the 2003 U.S. Women’s Open Championship at Pumpkin Ridge, her only tour victory. Hilary was also the first time local and sectional qualifier to win the Championship. Hilary credits her father, Bill, who often caddied for her, as the one who gave her the inspiration to be a champion.
insurance business while both enjoyed membership at Edina Country Club. With Bill occasionally on his bag, Harris regained his confidence and a resurgence of his amateur golf career. Harris earned a place on the winning Walker Cup Team. When Harris decided to return to professional golf on the Champion’s Tour, Bill kept the business running smoothly while John communicated with clients via phone and email. With Harris on the Champion’s Tour and business running very smoothly, Homeyer worked his golf game back into tournament shape. The one time Minnesota Public Links Champion who, for years had been a low handicapper at the country club, spent the time necessary to compete on a national level as a senior golfer. Bill qualified for the USGA Senior Amateur Championship in 2006 and again in 2007. Bill, an extremely inquisitive person, became interested in knowing the Rules of Golf, and understanding all the decisions. The MGA and the Minnesota Section of the PGA know that Bill is a rules expert. With that rules knowledge and his love of the game, Bill was the logical person to assume responsibilities for Minnesota Women’s Golf Association Championships. Bill loves the job. He enjoys setting up the courses for the championships. But he especially loves getting to know the players young and old who are the best Minnesota has to offer. He sees several future stars among the high school and college players who are currently competing in the women’s championships.
Don Berry, many time Minnesota Section Player of the Year, is married to Bill’s stepdaughter, Amy. Bill, who would love Bill is always talking about rules violations and the humor to be a full time tour looper, has been Don’s caddy during that many times surround the game. At a recent round at Woodhill CC a player hit a drive on the blind, dogleg right, many of his professional victories. ninth hole. Thinking he might have hit his ball into the When John Harris, a team mate of Homeyer at the U of M, woods, the player hit a provisional ball. After searching the retired from the PGA TOUR he joined Bill in an already woods for at least five minutes, the player proceeded to a ball thriving insurance business. Harris and Homeyer grew the in the middle of the fairway (he assumed the ball was his provisional ball) and hit the ball onto the green. When he marked his ball he noticed that the ball was his original ball from the tee. Happily, he two-putted and scored himself a par 4. When later questioned about the possible ruling, Homeyer stated. “After five minutes the first ball was lost (stroke and distance penalty) even if he finds it later. When the player hit the ball to the green he incurred a two-stroke penalty for hitting a wrong ball. Then, Bill stated he should have found his provisional ball where he would be playing his sixth stroke.” I recently ran into Bill at Hiawatha Golf Club in a senior 8-man event. When I asked him what he was doing there he said, “I have been a member of their men’s club since the 1962. I usually play a few events per year.” Bill Homeyer, golf runs in his veins, but his heart beats from his roots at a public golf course. Hilary Lunke 2003 U.S. Women's Open Winner
Bill caddying for his daughter Hilary in the 1997 State Amateur at Interlachen CC
Did you know that the city of St. Paul first considered building a golf course at Phalen Park in 1908, when Parks superintendent Frederick Nussbaumer urged the city to acquire “a large tract of land for the establishing of public golf links...”? St. Paul began preliminary plans to build a public golf course in 1910, but a 1913 parks department report said no city parks had enough space to safely combine a golf course with other public activity. After Minneapolis opened the state’s first public course at Glenwood (now Wirth) Park in 1916, St. Paul finally went ahead with its plans. The 9-hole Phalen Golf Course opened on August 7, 1917. In 1919, the year a second nine holes were added, the course recorded an astounding 98,763 rounds.
To read more about this piece of Minnesota golf history as well as other events and people that shaped the Minnesota golf landscape, pick up a copy of Rick Shefchik’s book ‘From Fields to Fairways – Classic Golf Clubs of Minnesota’ at local bookstores or at www.Amazon.com.
October 2012
Minnesota Section PGA
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Congratulations to MN Golf Champions BERRY WINS EIGHTH MINNESOTA PGA PROFESSIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP Don Berry of Edinburgh USA finished at 4-under par 140 to win his eighth Minnesota PGA Professional Championship at Dacotah Ridge Golf Club in Morton, Minnesota August 27-28. Finishing in a tie for second at 3-under par 141 were Brent Snyder of Troy Burne GC, Chris Peterson of University GC and first round leader Mike Barge of Hazeltine National GC.
ISRAELSON WINS FOURTH MN SENIOR PGA CHAMPIONSHIP Bill Israelson from Vintage GC fired rounds of 71-69--140 to win the 2012 Minnesota Senior PGA Championship at Loggers Trail in Stillwater, Minnesota. Two strokes back at 2-under par is Don Berry from Edinburgh USA.
Israelson and Berry will advance to the National Senior PGA Championship next month in Virginia and will be joined by Dale Jones from Mendakota CC, Matt Vandelac from Tartan Park GC, Mike Zinni from Mankato GC and The top eight players advance to Ty Armstrong from GolfTec who all qualified via the their finish in the Championship. the 2013 PGA Professional Championship being held next June at Sunriver Resort in Sunriver, Oregon. Joining Berry, Snyder, Peterson and Barge are Kris Kroetsch of Fargo CC (142), Jeff Sorenson of Columbia GC (143), Scott Cole of New Richmond GC (144) Special thanks to Southworth Development, Mercedes-Benz, PGA TOUR, and Maui Jim for supporting the event. and Eric Chiles of Chaska TC (144). Special thanks to presenting sponsors Club Car, Mercedes-Benz and Omega; and supporting sponsors Titleist, Callaway, Nike Golf, TaylorMade adidas Ashworth, and PGA TOUR.
SMITH WINS MN PGA ASSISTANTS CHAMPIONSHIP Andy Smith from Superior National at Lutsen shot even par, 142 and won the 2012 National Car Rental Minnesota PGA Assistant Championship presented by COBRA PUMA GOLF at Northland CC by three strokes. Tied for second place were Chris Bailey from North Oaks GC and Chris Borgen from Hastings CC. Smith, Bailey and Borgen will advance to the National Car Rental PGA Assistant Championship at PGA Golf Club in early November and will be joined by Danny Sinksen from Elmwood Park GC and Brian Paulson from The Bridges GC who advanced following a one hole playoff.
FREDDY THOMAS & KATE SMITH CROWNED 2012 PLAYERS’ TOUR PLAYERS OF THE YEAR Congratulations to the 2012 Players’ Tour Players of the Year Freddy Thomas of Lakeville, MN and Kate Smith of Detroit Lakes, MN. Freddy finished out the season with a point total of 795.60 and Kate finished with a total of 675.00 points. Congrats on a great season!
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Tee Times Golf Academy
10
October 2012
Get Your Game
By John Green PGA Master Professional Golf Galaxy - Woodbury
Before the season ends, assess your game while it’s still fresh in your mind. ASK YOURSELF THESE QUESTIONS: 1. How did I play this year? 2. Was I happy with my swing? 3. Could my short game have been better? 4. Was my round always ruined by one or two holes? NOW THE REAL QUESTION: Do you want to play better next year? IF YOU DO, READ ON:
YOU No one knows your game better than you. After you determine what you need to work on, get together with your PGA Professional to put together a plan for improvement. The offseason is the best time to make changes in your game. Indoor teaching facilities and the golf domes are the best places to make these changes. This way you can focus on what you are doing in your swing and not worry about the direction of the ball.
1. LENGTH. Length has a big influence on hitting the ball on the center of the clubface. If you consistently hit the ball towards the toe or heel, a professional club fitter should look at the length of your clubs. If you are above average height, look at your golf glove (if you wear one). If you have excessive wear on the heel pad of your glove, you are probably holding the club on the end of your grip. When this happens, the club will actually move in your top hand during your swing, creating friction from the grip to the glove. If there is wear on the glove, there will probably be wear on the end of your golf ONE FINAL QUESTION: Do you want to spend next year working on your game? grip. Why does this happen? Your clubs might be too short for Or do you want to start the new season with your game ready? you and you are trying to add length to your club by holding on the end of the grip. YOUR EQUIPMENT Has your equipment affected your game this year? Let’s look 2. IRON LIE. The lie of the iron has a big influence on where the clubface is pointing at impact. Many of you may have at three main variables that can affect your game:
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Ready For Next Year 4. OTHER VARIABLES TO CONSIDER: Shaft flex, loft, playability of your irons, set make-up are a few more variables to consider. A trained club fitter will look at every variable involved in golf clubs to ensure they fit you and your game. Every golfer’s body and swing are unique to that individual height, arm length, hand size and swing speed all determine how golf clubs should be designed and fitted. Having clubs that are specifically fit to your unique, individual swing will help you hit the ball farther, straighter and more consistently.
been fitted for lie: placing a piece of tape on the sole of the club and hitting shots off a hard surface to create marks on the sole. If the marks are towards the heel of the sole (too upright), the clubface will be pointing left of the target at impact. If the marks are towards the toe portion of the sole (too flat), the clubface will be pointing to the right of the target at impact. If your irons have not been as straight this year, get the lies checked. TWO HINTS: a. Do you slice the ball? Get your clubs bent more upright as this will help you hit it straighter. b. Have your club fitter place a piece of lie tape on each iron, and have them bend each club according to each clubs’ mark on the lie tape. This is the most
Bos Landen
accurate method of lie testing and adjusting. The long irons generally will need to be a little more upright than the shorter irons. 3. GRIP SIZE. Despite what you’ve heard about grip size, from my experience, a grip that is too big or too small for the hands will cause a golfer to grip the club too tightly. This will hinder a proper release motion, which can cause you to leave the ball to the right (for right handed golfers). Two things for you to do: get fitted for the proper grip size, and also hit a club that has the grip size that you have been fitted for. This is one area of clubfitting where feel will trump the fit; if the properly sized grip does not feel good in your hands, stay with the grip size you are comfortable with.
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ON COURSE WITH
THE ASSISTANTS
October 2012
By Tim Brovold, PGA Assistant Golf Professional, Bunker Hills Golf Club / Simulator Center
WINTER GOLF IN MINNESOTA – YES,YOU CAN! ‘Old Man Winter’ is no longer a signal of golf season’s end. There are options to keep those clubs in use 12 months a year. The subject of golf simulators has long been described as inaccurate and inconsistent. What I have to say to those statements is… things have changed. Technology has advanced so far in the last 5 years making simulated golf not only more accurate and consistent, but also more visually appealing.
The winter can also be a time to get into better health to make your game better for the upcoming season. Fitness centers around the area will have programs designed around golfers and the golf swing with emphasis on core strength and flexibility. One option is at the Lifetime Fitness in St. Louis Park where Matt Just, a PGA Professional, has a terrific “golf center” right there in the facility.
Don’t put those clubs in storage!! Whatever your fancy, there is still plenty of golf There are now even some metro golf courses operating golf simulators during the opportunity in the cold blustery winter. winter and some of those have full service restaurants ready to cater to your group, And you don’t have to get on a plane to league or tournament. Our facility here at Bunker Hills offers year round golf in experience it! our 3 state of the art aboutGolf simulators. Our players also get to enjoy and take advantage of the Harvest Grill in our clubhouse for delivery right to their ‘tee box’. Most golf professionals at these facilities provide year-long instruction as well making it a great opportunity to find a teacher that can provide instruction without the need for a 5 month hiatus. The software associated with many of the new simulators can also more accurately depict driver spin, launch angle as well as carry distance. Club fitting has never been easier! Don’t forget the exciting golf courses that most of these facilities offer—Pebble Beach, Spyglass Hill, TPC at Sawgrass and more! Don’t forget about the golf dome! These facilities have what the more traditionalists need…the opportunity to see your golf ball fly in the air. Even though it is for only 30-40 yards, it’s sometimes all you need.
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By Tim Jochim, PGA Professional Director of Instruction, Bent Creek Golf Club timjochim@comcast.net Hitting solid chips is important to all golfers regardless of handicap – and believe it or not, it’s pretty simple to learn. Here is a great drill that you can do indoors or out that will help you hit your chips solid all year long. Set a golf club about 5 inches behind the ball. Set up so that the ball is slightly back in your stance and your hands are slightly ahead of the ball and your weight distribution favoring your front leg. While staying in your chipping posture, remove your top hand and place your fingers in the armpit of your other arm. Squeeze your armpit against your fingers and keep your shoulders pretty level to the ground. Keep your head steady, Keep your weight forward and Keep your fingers squeezed by your armpit as you make your backswing and through swing. By missing the shaft on the ground, you’ll set up a downward strike on the back of the ball. By keeping your weight forward and your fingers squeezed in your armpit during the through swing, you’ll quickly learn how to control your chipping motion with a small pivot of your body instead of the common flicking motion of your wrists that is so destructive to solid contact. A couple of check points: Notice how my chest and belt buckle have rotated through the shot and the club head is still below my belt line on the follow through.
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October 2012
Tee Times Golf Academy By Lance West PGA Professional golfTEC-Minnetonka
TRAIN YOUR GOLF SWING LIKE YOU WOULD A GOLDEN RETRIEVER
Many golfers in the Midwest think winter is the time to put the clubs away until the snow melts. The off-season is the BEST time to work on your golf game! If you’ve taken lessons before, and if you have taken them during the golf season, you’ve definitely gotten frustrated with your game. Why? Because the golf season is the time when you PLAY golf, not make changes. Changes are meant to be made in the off-season.
basics, work on the movements and positions. If you have an issue with swing plane, work on it. If you have an issue with contact, work on it. Whatever the issue is, give it the attention it deserves when you can’t get out on an actual course. Visit a PGA professional and let us help you build an offseason program. He or she will give you specific drills to help with your swing flaws. Give yourself at least 10 - 15 minutes a day working on your “new” move or position. In a week or two go back and have him or her look at the swing to make sure you are on the right path to ingraining the proper move or position. If you are not there yet, they will encourage you to keep working. And if you have a new ingrained swing, they can help you move on to the next step. When the season gets closer take your swing to some indoor simulators and test it out on some virtual golf. If you see things you like then you are doing the right things. If you don’t, keep working!
Consider this analogy. I have two golden retrievers and I’ve trained one of them to retrieve the ducks we hunt. I have trained him myself, and all of our hard work and practice has been done during the summer months. We go outside to work on the basics of being a gun dog: sit, steadiness, fetch, hold, drop, and here. After we have reinforced the basic commands, we then move into the actual work of retrieving: casting, water retrieves, tall grass retrieves, and the sound of gunfire. All of these things are practiced and perfected in the off-season, because during the duck-hunting season, I want my dog and I to be in sync. You don’t want to be in a blind, shoot a bird and have your dog look at you as if to say “you gonna get that?” Golf swing changes are “baby steps”! Be patient with the changes! That way when you get to the golf season, you are The same goes for your golf game. Work on your golf game NOT thinking about it and it is second nature. You build those in the off-season. Go back to the basics first: grip, posture, fundamentals and good positions by reinforcing them in the alignment, and ball position. Once you’ve mastered the off-season!
By Tim Jochim, PGA Professional Director of Instruction, Bent Creek Golf Club timjochim@comcast.net We can easily take the concepts from the Inside 100 yards tip and expand on them for shots Outside 100 yards. This rehearsal can also be done indoors in front of a mirror for some great visual feedback.
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For full iron shots, set the golf club on the inside of your rear foot about 6 inches behind the ball. Position the ball just forward of the center of your stance. Again, be sure your hands are slightly ahead of the ball (as indicated by the red line) and your weight distribution favoring your front leg – about 55% on the front leg and 45% on the rear leg. While staying in your posture, remove your top hand and place your fingers in the armpit of your other arm. Again, squeeze your armpit against your fingers.
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While keeping your head steady, your weight forward and your fingers squeezed by your armpit, turn your shoulder under your chin to the CENTER of your stance (red line). By missing the shaft on the ground, keeping your weight forward and making a centered turn, you’ll make it much easier to deliver the club to the back of the ball and avoid hitting the ground to early. During the downswing, keep your head steady and your fingers squeezed by your armpit while pushing your weight even more forward toward the target. At impact, notice how my hips and hands have now moved forward in front of the ball (red line). While holding this position, put your other hand back on the club to feel a real dynamic impact position! By doing this drill during the offseason you’ll be on your way to solid striking during your winter getaways and next spring!
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Feel free to contact me - I’d love to help you with your game!
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Tee Times Golf Academy
Swing Advantage Swing Advantage’s patented golf training system is professionally proven to deliver a stronger, more repeatable golf swing. What’s revolutionary about The Swing Advantage is that you don’t have to change your swing to improve your game, Swing Advantage will help change it for you. Swing Advantage guides your swing through a series of key exercises and positioning, helping to align your mechanics every step of the way while building a swing path that’s consistent through muscle memory. LAUNCH POSITION With the Swing Advantage training system anchoring you in place, a full shoulder turn will keep your back pointed towards the target. The tension of band stabilizes your head so it remains behind the ball and aligns your wrist so the clubface is square at the top. IMPACT POSITION As the tension of the SA training system band carries your hands through the swing, your head remains behind the ball with arms fully extended. The band guides your left wrist so it is pointing at the target and entire left side of body is aligned through impact. FOLLOW THROUGH In follow through position, the SA training system continues to calibrate the swing, aligning the right side of the body while guiding weight transfer to the left side. Note that the right foot is vertical and the band has kept shoulders virtually square and in alignment with the shaft angle. Swing Advantage technology enables you to quickly and consistently find YOUR perfect swing.
October 2012
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What's In The Bag
October 2012
SKLZ Golf Fitness Package Ron Eskierka, MN Rep
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Visit www.jewelgolfclub.com for more rate information and additional promotional offers. 651-345-2672 Ext. 1 I 1900 Clubhouse Drive I Lake City, MN 55041
Fitness is as important to becoming a complete golfer as swing mechanics and the mental game. And the way to better fitness is through performance training. This package includes 5 tools to improve core strength, stability and balance so you can bring out your best. And hit like a beast. Medicine Ball • Textured surface for optimal grip and handling • Color-coded for easy weight identification • Inflatable for greater bounce • Weights range from 2 lbs to 15 lbs Lateral Resistor • Heavy duty nylon webbing, and adjustable Velcro ankle cuffs • Supports both athletic stances and quick movements • Removes quickly to change up training or swap between athletes • Includes instructional DVD and 6-week progressive training workout plan Recoil 360° • 8’ flexi-cord safely stretches up to 20’ • Partner safety handle for a safe effective workout • 360-degree rotation belt with free-motion ring allows for movement in any direction Balanz Board • 14” diameter • Slip-resistant textured surface • Durable construction is designed to hold up to 300 lbs Stability Ball • Constructed from high-quality, durable material • 1000+ lbs burst rating MSRP $145.99 | www.SKLZ.com
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What's In The Bag
October 2012
Have you ever lugged your golf clubs to the airport from long-term parking? Ever been in the check-in line at the airport and had to pick up your golf travel bag every time the line moved three feet? How about getting from the luggage carousel to the parking lot and through a hotel lobby to your room? Wouldn’t it be nice if someone would invent a bag that simply glided across the parking lot and through the airport?
Your wait is over thanks to the Sun Mountain ClubGlider golf travel bag that offers extendable legs and wheels that support 100% of the weight, while eliminating the repeated bending and lifting required with traditional travel bags. ClubGlider is available in three different models – Pro, Meridian, and the new for 2012 Journey – offering protection for golfers ranging from weekend warriors to touring professionals. ClubGlider Journey offers the same benefits as the other ClubGlider models and is smaller and lighter thanks to a more tapered design. While being more compact, ClubGlider Journey still offers ample space for golf bag, golf clubs, and golf shoes. And, by the time you read this, Sun Mountain will be shipping the 2013 ClubGlider Journey replete with an array of colors and patterns and of course black. MSRP $319 Pro $299 Meridian $209 Journey www.SunMountain.com
October 2012
What's In The Bag
The T-2000 travel cover makes taking clubs along on your next trip simple. It has won several awards for its innovative handle and overall superior design. The T-2000 is the only cover that features a patent pending Pivot Grip handle that rotates 360 degrees, resulting in reduced arm and wrist strain while transporting clubs.
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The Ogio Yeti Travel Cover lets your golf gear travel in style while staying protected at all times. The large compartment fits the largest of bags, and the outer pockets provide additional storage for shoes and other course essentials.
The ergonomic pivot grip is built into the top of the T-2000. The handle rotates 360 degrees to makes maneuvering around airports and hotels simple, never having to let go of the travel bag. The T-2000 is made of durable 1680d nylon and features an ultra-thick wrap-around padded top, sturdy PVC back with an extended ABS base for maximum club protection, two oversized garment pockets and a shoe pocket. The deluxe inline skate wheels provide the traveler smooth and quiet rolling action. The travel cover fits a 48-inch driver and up to a 10-inch cart bag.
The T-2000 is available in three colors red/black, silver/black, and royal/black.
Additional features: • Large main compartment • Easy-rolling wheels • Large, "coffin style" opening with internal cinch-down straps • Twin outer pockets for accessories • Fully padded top • Fits Tour bags and stand bags with ease • Tip-resistant • 50"Height
MSRP $189.95 • www.BagBoyCompany.com
MSRP $149.99 • www.Ogio.com
Additional features of the T-2000 travel cover include dual lift handles, a lockable, full wraparound main zipper which simplifies access and packing, durable padded carry handles and an internal compression strap to stabilize the bag during travel.
Used by more PGA, Champions and LPGA Tour players than any other product, the LAST BAG is the most trusted golf travel bag in the world. Its single piece burst proof construction is ideal for safely and securely stowing clubs for long and short trips. The multiple-compartment design is also roomy enough to hold all the clothing and gear a golfer could need, helping cut down on checked-baggage fees. MSRP $289 For golfers seeking a more compact golf travel solution, the BURST PROOF II is a premium collapsible bag perfectly sized to fit most stand bags or carry bags. Like the Last Bag, it is Made-inthe-USA and constructed from Invisita Cordura, which is three times stronger than similar nylon fabrics and lasts up to five times longer than standard polyester. MSRP $219.99 Both bags feature patent-pending integrated carry handles designed to integrate with the Train Reaction luggage system and are available in 16 colors with unlimited personalization options. www.ClubGlove.com
Specifically crafted to compliment the first class travel experience, the TRS Ballistic line of luggage from Club Glove features a sleek, amazingly functional design. This categorydefining collection is set apart by its Train Reaction System, which allows up to three luggage pieces to connect together, creating a perfect center of gravity to make the bags feel nearly weightless. It is a fantastic help with navigating crowds and moving from one mode of transportation to the next. “I looked for the very best of everything to create a luxury luggage set with a classic look, extreme durability and mind-blowing performance,” says company founder Jeff Herold. “This is simply a better way to pack and that’s proven by its rapid adoption on the PGA Tour.” Inspired by the needs of discerning globetrotters and golfers seeking the most durable and stylish luggage, the TRS Ballistic line consists of a carry-on ($699), check-in ($750) and XL check-in ($799) bags and is also available as a set ($2,248). It is available in two distinct color options –black and two-tone bronze/black. Each piece in the TRS Ballistic line is constructed from 1050d CORDURA Ballistic nylon fabric. The world’s most ideal material for high-end luggage, it offers double the abrasion resistance and four times the tear resistance of other premium fabrics, yet is rarely used by competing brands due to the high cost. www.TRSBallistic.com
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Local Golf
October 2012
By Steve Wetzler
October signals the final hurrah of Minnesota’s short golf season and traditionally the last issue of Tee Times for the year. There are several good weather days and it’s usually the time that we are able to get out and play a few rounds (hopefully at least once a week). We are able to slow down a little and catch our breath, but this year will be different. We are happy to announce that we will continue publishing (in e-edition format) throughout the winter with print editions starting back up in mid February with our annual Minnesota Golf Show edition!
LOCAL INDOOR FACILITIES Just because the course is closed doesn’t mean you can’t still get out and take a few swings. There are several local facilities that provide indoor, and even outdoor, opportunities to smack that little white ball. From golf simulators and golf domes to heated outdoor stalls, you are within a 15-20 minute drive to one of these locations.
HOLIDAY GIFT IDEAS FOR THE GOLFER Main focuses throughout the winter will be destination golf, health and fitness, local indoor Do you have that hard to buy for golfer on your holiday shopping list this year? We can help. facilities, holiday gift ideas for the golfer, winter activities at local courses and a preview of We’ve researched and found golf gifts at every price point to solve your problem. From the 2013 Minnesota Golf Show. stocking stuffers, to a gift for a friend or the gift that will be talked about for years to come, stay tuned in November and December to see what your options are. DESTINATION GOLF We are working with several golf courses and resorts in warm weather climates. We’ve heard WINTER ACTIVITIES AT LOCAL GOLF COURSES from many readers that you are interested in learning about golf opportunities in Alabama, The courses might be closed, but the clubhouses are still open. There are many activities that Arizona, California, Florida, Nevada and Texas. We are also working on delivering great golf revolve around the clubhouse throughout the winter (check out Brad Parrott’s story on pages values for destination golf through our Reader Rewards Program. Please let us know if there 6 and 7). Head out to your local course this winter for snow golf, to watch a Vikings, Wild are particular golf courses or resorts that you are interested in. (let’s hope) or Timberwolves game, for a great lunch or dinner, a holiday party, dinner theatre, a fish fry, to get a round in on a golf simulator, and even boot hockey leagues! Yes, there is HEALTH AND FITNESS much to do when the snow flies. Start out the 2013 season strong by staying in shape this winter. We will focus on tips and tricks from the pros that will prevent (or at least slow) the slide out of shape that a winter THE 2013 MINNESOTA GOLF SHOW slowdown in activity can bring. The offseason is also the time to get the minor or major tune- Believe it or not, the 2013 Minnesota Golf Show is just around the corner! By the time ups (knee, hip, shoulder, etc.) many golfers put off during the season. the golf season ends, you get through the hectic holiday season and the new year starts, the
October 2012
Minnesota Golf Show will just be a month away. We’ll give you the heads up about what you can expect. Last winter’s Golf Show was a huge success keeping golfers informed about new technology, where to play and even what to wear on the links. You can expect more of the same from the 2013 Show. Stay in the loop this winter and don’t miss out on learning about what Minnesota’s winter golf scene has to offer. How, you ask? It’s easy, just go to our website and click on the link for the current issue. You can go to our website at www. TeeTimesPress.com/email or email us directly at steve@ teetimespress.com to be added to our email list as we will
Local Golf
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be sending an email each month when each new issue is up on the website. So stay warm, stay in shape and stay enthused about Minnesota golf. Maybe we’ll run into each other on the links this month. I know we’ll be there.
Tee Times’ e-Edition Read Tee Times online with our new e-edition! You can page through all issues of Tee Times on your PC, Mac, tablet, smartphone, etc.
Tee Times eliminates the off season! We are now publishing our e-edition during the winter months!
Coverage includes destination golf, health and fitness, holiday gift ideas, indoor facilities and much more.
Read Online At www.TeeTimesPress.com
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Local Golf
October 2012
By Tim Cotroneo
Have you ever dreamed of playing golf whenever you want? Now imagine owning a golf course and tailoring its conditions to your liking. As part of our Caretakers of the Game series, Tee Times magazine caught up with two Minnesota golf course owners to take a glimpse into their lives, as well as inquire about their involvement in the Midwest Golf Course Owners Association.
conducts a meeting or holds a golf outing, they’ll cover topics ranging from property taxes, to food and beverage, to maintenance equipment, and marketing.
“Golf course marketing has come a long way in the past decade. It wasn’t that long ago that people looked you up in the Yellow Pages. Now there are smart phone mobile apps so you can instantly book a tee time. A golf course owner needs to keep up with the latest in marketing For Minnesota golf course owners, comparing 2012 to 2011 is like choosing a sunny day over technology,” Malone said. one filled with dark clouds. For owners like the Ridges at Sand Creek’s Mike Malone, 2012 was a breath of fresh air. “2012 has been our longest playing season in memory. Following our rain-soaked 2011 season, this year we opened in mid March and the weather held up beautifully,” Malone said. When Malone isn’t conducting business at his Jordan, Minnesota based public golf course, he serves as President of the Midwest Golf Course Owners Association. This organization represents 88 Minnesota golf courses, as well as a dozen courses in Nebraska, North Dakota and South Dakota. For owners like Malone, the MWGCO is a valued resource to help with golf issues that keep owners up at night. The MWGCO is a great sounding board for both daily and long-term golf course concerns. The MWGCO membership represents decades of golf course ownership experience. EARLY BIRDS – GOLF COURSES THRIVE Our early Minnesota spring generated golf course revenue in a month when profits typically range from soggy to nonexistent. The second dividend to an unseasonably warm March was getting golfers into an early routine. Mike Regan is the owner of the private Indian Hills Golf Club in Stillwater and public The Wilds Golf Club in Prior Lake. Regan is the Secretary of MWGCOA, and he believes March had a lot to do with 2012 being an excellent year. “When we start out with a cold or rainy spring, golfers don’t get into any kind of regular play rhythm. This year golfers got into a nice routine early, and they just kept playing throughout the summer,” Regan said. Malone echoed Regan’s comments. “Usually when we open in the spring, we’ll have two weeks of okay weather and then it turns bad. This year our spring was excellent throughout and players became more enthusiastic. They played and played and just enjoyed their whole season.” EVEN GOLF COURSE OWNERS HAVE ISSUES The glory days of the roaring 90’s gave way to 9/11 and a decade-plus of tough economic conditions for golf course owners. In the 90’s, consumers thought nothing of taking business clients out for a day of golf, writing checks for corporate golf tournaments, and buying an extra drink at the golf course bar after a round. Today’s MWGCOA is comprised of owners who operate in a golf course economy in which customer service is king and turning a blind eye to customer wants and needs is fiscal foolishness.
Ridges at Sand Creek
SEASON IN THE SUN When Regan travels south in the winter, he observes how the golf course industry works differently for owners who operate year-round. “Down south, there is sort of an unspoken impression that a course will close up shop around dinner time. Many warm weather courses are only played during the day and that’s it,” Regan said.
By comparison, Midwest golf courses need to get while the getting is good. That means opening up early in the morning and staying open until the sun drops well out of sight. Evening golf was a huge source of golf course revenue in 2012. For the Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Nebraska courses that participate in the short MWGCOA season, The list of issues facing Midwest golf course owners in 2012 is far reaching. When MWGCOA they go hard until dark. The MWGCOA membership spreads the wealth when it comes to their breadth of golf course ownership knowledge. “We work together rather than against each other. The MWGCOA not only shares what works best for our golf audience, we also boost each others’ spirits,” Malone said.
Local Golf
October 2012
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Midwest Golf Course Owners Association GROWING THE GAME The MWGCOA owners are very aware that for revenues to grow in a competitive economy, they need to not only nurture the current crop of golfers, but also appeal to golf’s next generation. Implementing new software to help a course run more efficiently is closer to the norm than the exception in 2012. Email is another connector that helps keep course names and activities in front of golfers eager for either a familiar or new golf experience. “We’re more tuned into collecting email databases and communicating what’s happening at our courses. Most golf courses are being proactive in reaching out to their customer base,” Regan said. The MWGCOA recipe for growth includes initiatives catering to juniors, women, and beginners. The Ridge’s at Sand Creek’s Malone also acknowledged reaching a valuable niche that hovers under the golf business radar. “We don’t have as many young working professionals playing. These individuals have both time and financial resources. In order to reach this market, we’re working on issues like pace of play and just making the golf experience more enjoyable,” Malone said. 2012 – BACK TO THE FUTURE The uptick in golf rounds experienced this year by Midwest golf courses is a great building block for the future. When the MWGCOA gathers for their winter meetings they’ll discuss how to keep this positive momentum moving forward into 2013. If the Midwest golf course owners could make next March’s weather the same as this year’s, then the prospect of growing the game could be as bright as a sunny day. When asked if he’d accept comparable weather and revenue receipts next year, Mike Malone didn’t hesitate, “I’d sign off on that,” Malone said. Even when you’re living the golf course owners’ dream, sometimes it’s okay to reminisce about the future. www.GolfInTheMidwest.com
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Local Golf
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October 2012
October Book Review By Tim Cotroneo
Solid Contact by Jim Hardy As our weather begins to chill, is there a book worth reading that can keep your golf juices flowing in the winter months? In Solid Contact by Jim Hardy, Matt Kuchar’s before and after testimonial is definitely an attention getter. Kuchar recounts how in 2009, Jim Hardy’s teachings turned his game around in five swings. That’s right… five swings.
either a small plane or a jumbo jet. Hardy matches the small or big angle of a runway descent to a golfer’s steep or shallow swing. He then slots swing hurdles into a plus or minus column.
According to Hardy, there is an antidote or neutralizing companion to whatever swing hurdle you’re dealing with. You merely choose the Ying for every Yang, head out to the practice range, and see if this evens out your problem. Hardy recommends While it’s one thing to proclaim in writing that Hardy’s analysis choosing solutions from one of four categories. helped with Kuchar’s swing, it’s another to go out and prove it. In 2010, Kuchar These begin with downswing options, backswing became the PGA’s leading money winner with $4.9 million in earnings. options, impact options, and address options. It’s probably safe to say that your golf game aspirations aren’t quite as lofty as Kuchar’s. READING BETWEEN THE LINES: Hardy’s The question is: Can Hardy’s teachings help you? The secret sauce of Hardy’s coaching somewhat analytic writings are more geared toward the avid enthusiast than the golfer philosophy can be found in roughly 45 pages of his 147-page book. who doesn’t take the game too seriously. Then again, his plus and minus approach could certainly apply to anyone patient enough to try and improve one’s game. GOLF SWING SELF DIAGNOSIS: Wouldn’t it be wonderful to be able to diagnose what you’re doing wrong? If you slice, what is the cure? If you have a tendency to hit the ball too Hardy doesn’t ask the golfer to model their swing after Kuchar’s or anyone else’s. In fact, low, what is the solution? Hardy’s book breaks golfers into two basic categories and then finds Hardy is fully on board with the idea that we all have our own golf DNA. Kuchar’s game mirror image remedies based on the flight of your ball and the path of your divot. turned dominant in just five swings. For you, Hardy’s methods could mean gold after 55 follow throughs. Here’s one vote suggesting that turning the pages of Solid Contact Hardy compares our swing path to the golf ball, and corresponding ball flight, to landing through the winter could mean diagnosing your golf swing in the spring.
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October 2012
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HAZELTINE’S SCHULTZ NAMED PGA PROFESSIONAL OF THE YEAR By Tim Cotroneo
A Little Help From My Friends
Mike Schultz
Mike Schultz with Majors trophies
Mike and Diane Schultz in Pro Shop
Mike Schultz’s last chapter of his 37-year tenure as the Head Golf Professional at Hazeltine could be titled “whirlwind in motion.” When Tee Times met with Schultz on a sunny September day, the 64-year old Houston native was in the middle of last minute preparations before heading out to the Ryder Cup at Medinah Country Club in Illinois.
Several Hazeltine staff members stood outside Schultz’s office door as his phone conversation took place.
PRESIDENT OF THE PGA ON CALLER ID After Schultz mailed his binder, it was a poorly kept secret among Hazeltine staff that Schultz might be receiving a very important phone call. On August 10, 2012, the phone rang showing “President of the PGA” on caller ID. A buzz swept through the Pro Shop and Clubhouse staff as Schultz picked up the line.
An easier confession came from Schultz when he shared what a club member recently said to a media representative. “The media person asked the member what he thought of me. His reply was perfect. The member said, ‘Mike isn’t just my professional, he’s my friend.’ That’s the best honor of all,” Schultz said with an ear-to-ear grin.
PGA President Allen Wronowski told Schultz that this was his favorite phone call of the year. Wronowski congratulated Schultz and relayed that he would be the 58th recipient of the PGA Professional of the Year Award. Schultz will be honored at a When Schultz isn’t prodding the golf and business wheels that make Hazeltine ceremony to be held at the PGA Merchandise Show on January 24, 2013 in Orlando. run smoothly, he is active in developing the course’s junior program, as well as assisting in a joint launch of a golf beginner’s course with the city of Chaska. For FLASHING BACK ON 37 YEARS AS A PRO a visitor observing Hazeltine’s entrance, clubhouse, pro shop, training facilities, To the outsider, Hazeltine will always be known for its event-driven mission restaurant, and golf course for the first time, it seemed that the multi-tasking statement which describes the course as “suitable for the conduct of national Schultz had everything under control in this picture perfect setting. championships.” During Schultz’s tenure, this mantra rang true with the U.S. Open, U.S. Women’s Open, the PGA Championship, and the U.S. Amateur, all hosted by Schultz will be the first to tell you that the tranquility one sees on the outside Hazeltine. In 2016, Hazeltine will also host the Ryder Cup. is due to two key elements in Schultz’s management philosophy. Hiring topnotch employees and delegating responsibility are business staples that have Schultz is like a proud papa when discussing these events. Interestingly though, rarely failed the Minnesota Golf Hall of Famer. Schultz believes the team he’s when asked what Schultz holds most dear from his almost three decades at built around him played a major role in his being named the 2012 PGA Golf Hazeltine, these events play second fiddle. “Over the course of my time as a golf Professional of the Year. professional, I’ve had the pleasure of spending my career with friends. The events are like blips that come along and are treasured. What’s truly satisfying are the PACKAGE OF THE YEAR friendships I’ve had the pleasure to develop. The course and its members have also On June 10, 2012, Schultz received a FedEx package containing the golf equivalent allowed me the privilege to represent the course nationally. This expanded circle of of the Publishers Clearing House winning certificate. Inside the package were friends is something I’ll cherish,” Schultz said. documents stating that Schultz was a finalist for the PGA Professional of the Year. Schultz would need to put together a biographical binder stating why he ONE FOR THE BOOKS was worthy of this nomination. As the whirlwind chapter of his final month at Hazeltine winds down, Schultz was asked if he were to write a book chronicling his career, what would it be called? For the first Schultz called on Patrick Hunt, a friend in the advertising industry and a Hazeltine time in weeks, Schultz took a long pause and had trouble putting into words what it was member, to assist him in his presentation to the PGA. The clock was ticking as like working with people whose company had given him so much pleasure. “Time Spent Hunt and Schultz had five days to assemble and submit his presentation. With Friends,” Schultz said.
24
Profile
October 2012
By Will Brogan
ONE ON ONE WITH PGA OF AMERICA PRESIDENT
Allen Wronowski and Ryder Cup Captain Davis Love
During Ryder Cup week, PGA President Allen Wronowski was gracious enough to share his thoughts on a variety of matters with Tee Times Magazine. Of course, the next time the Ryder Cup will be contested in America, it will be held at Hazeltine National Golf Club in Chaska, Minnesota.
The Minneapolis area is one of 47 cities to include a Boys and Girls Club in this endeavor. The PGA provides golf training, equipment, and instructional support from PGA Professionals to help youth build character, develop healthy lifestyles, and learn the game of golf.
But the Ryder Cup is not the only reason why Allen Wronowski and Hazeltine National are noteworthy additions to this issue of Tee Times: both are moving on in their own respective ways, but close out their current chapters at the height of success…
The PGA Sports Academy is designed to bring the next generation of golfers to the sport in a fun and interactive program. There are 38 facilities in the Minnesota PGA Section that currently employ the PGA Sports Academy. This program focuses on developing junior golfers using five key areas: Fitness and Nutrition, Golf Skills, Sportsmanship, Rules and Etiquette, Golf and «Near Golf» Experiences, and Golf Tee Times: In case our readers don’t know, you’ll soon be stepping down as the and Physical Assessments. PGA and LPGA Professionals will deliver these five 37th President of The PGA of America. What’s your proudest moment during your areas in a fun and engaging way. This will give every junior the opportunity to enjoy tenure with the PGA? golf either socially or competitively, based on his or her individual desire. Allen Wronowski: It is much too difficult to choose one moment, but I can choose one plan. We hired the Boston Consulting group almost two years ago to give us information from the consumer perspective on the game of golf. We certainly knew that economics were a major factor moving forward for player retention, but learned that time, the game being enjoyable and understanding how to participate were equally important. From the information we collected, we launched Golf 2.0, which is an industry wide plan to grow the sport to 40 million golfers by 2020. The plan has three pillars, which are: strengthening and retaining the core, engaging the lapsed, and the building blocks (introducing new players). From that, programs such as Get Golf Ready, Tee It Forward, and PGA Junior League golf have been developed. It’s an exciting time for the PGA to use our core values of teaching, playing and promoting the game.
Among our initiatives to build minority golf participation, one is hosting events such as the Champions For Diversity Tournament, which began this year and was structured after the Ryder Cup, and involves leaders of business and the golf industry to encourage networking and building new business opportunities. Since 1998, we have hosted the PGA Minority Collegiate Golf Championship at PGA Golf Club in Port St. Lucie, FL, providing extra opportunities for collegiate golfers to showcase their skills and promote diversity among colleges and universities nationwide. TT: In August, The Ocean Course at Kiawah Island hosted the PGA Championship. The second round was the highest scoring round in PGA Championship history, which led to some (undue, in my opinion!) criticism. What was your take on the tournament as a whole?
TT: One of your biggest initiatives has been the further development of junior and AW: The 94th PGA Championship was one of our most successful Championships minority golf. What are some of the key components of that movement, and how will for a lot of reasons. We enjoyed a ticket sellout, had praise from all members of the the PGA improve on those initiatives in the future? strongest field assembled in golf history (99 of the top 100 world-ranked players), and The Ocean Course – voted by Golf Digest panel as the toughest course in the AW: The PGA of America’s mission of building the next generation of golfers is an USA, delivered well for worldwide viewers. Our Champion, world No. 1 Rory ongoing part of a PGA Professional’s job description. It has been my passion since I McIlroy, left a string of special moments that will rank among the best in major became a golf professional to work with and support junior golfers. championship history. The PGA of America has elevated its support of juniors through a variety of TT: Hazeltine National will be the next American course to host the Ryder Cup. Can you programs and initiatives. Together with the USGA, this year we welcomed the Boys share some insight on what goes on in selecting and preparing a venue for the Ryder Cup? and Girls Club of America as an Official Youth Development Partner in a new fiveyear mission that is introducing youth nationwide to the game of golf. AW: When The PGA of America selects a venue for a Ryder Cup or any of our major
Profile
October 2012
25
ALLEN WRONOWSKI
Allen Wronowski took part in a special Tee It Forward outing to promote the nationwide industry initiative
spectator championships, we weight a variety of factors: the golf course, host infrastructure, location geographically, and the host community are all part of the equation. The PGA of America staff takes great pride in teaming with community leaders. Hosting a Ryder Cup is a massive teamwork effort that involves our colleagues from Ryder Cup Europe, the host club, and the host PGA Section. It is one thing to declare a Ryder Cup the pre-eminent team event in golf, and that stature applies to the collective work effort of all behind the scenes.
Allen Wronowski opening the PGA Expo
said that presenting the PGA’s various awards are among the best the award winner said they had to call me back after a very, very perks of the job. What’s that experience like for you? lengthy pause, as they couldn’t get words out about the award.
AW: I’ve been privileged to get to know Mike through association meetings, plus attending our PGA Championship there twice. Mike is a humble man, as are so many of our award winners, who do so much for their fellow professionals and our association. When you call individuals and give them the good news, they are usually very surprised and often times get emotional. To be singled out of 27,000 men and women TT: Hazeltine’s PGA Professional Mike Schultz is retiring soon. whether as the Professional of the Year, Junior Golf Leader, or He was named the 2012 PGA Professional of the Year. You’ve Merchandiser is a tremendous honor. I remember one call when
Where Great Golf & Great Events Begin
Mike Schultz, one of the great PGA Professionals, has served 37 years as a PGA member and his record of service at Hazeltine is marked for his having shaped the careers of more than 40 aspiring PGA Professionals. Mike will retire from Hazeltine at the end of this year and pursue other interests in the golf industry. Mike follows Wally Mund (1969), Jock Olson (2002), and Jim Manthis (2006) as Minnesota PGA members who have received the Association’s highest annual honor bestowed on a PGA Professional.
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Profile
26
October 2012
ONE PICTURE IS WORTH 1,000 WORDS!! By R.J. Smiley
steering wheel, would pick up the other caddies along the way to Interlachen. They all used their tip money to pay for gas, 12 cents per gallon. The caddies were allowed to play the great old golf course on Mondays. In his first attempt at the game, that he quickly grew to love, Bud shot 166 (not counting whiffs - caddy rules). With the flexibility of a dancer and the hart of a champion, Bud soon became the caddy to beat. Now as he approaches his 90th birthday, Bud is proudest of the one record that will never be broken. He has attempted to qualify for the U.S. Open 67 times. When you consider that a player must maintain a handicap index of 1.4 or less just to enter American’s Championship that is an amazing record!! Bud tells the story of his biggest choke! “I was leading the U.S. Open Sectional Qualifying in Chicago (ahead of Sam Snead and Frank Stranahan) when he finished 13, 11, to miss qualifying by one shot.”
No. 17 Wall Street Golf & Cricket Club
Two other records prove how good he was and still is, playing to a 6 at age 90. Bud earned MGA player of the year distinction in three different decades. He won the Minnesota’s Senior Amateur and Senior Open in the same year, at age 69. Chapman has shot his age over 2,600 times. Last week he shot a 77 at Minneapolis Golf Club, missing a few short ones. Bud says he only fails to shoot his age two or three times each year. You probably know Bud Chapman as the artist who created the Infamous 18, those wonderful paintings of “fantasy” golf holes. When asked about Bud’s paintings, Pete Dye, the world-famous architect said: “Bud’s innovative thinking certainly influenced many designers to make the contours a little steeper and the bunkers a little deeper and generally to think outside the box with new designs, and, in that way Bud made a great contribution to the game.” Bud Chapman is a very talented painter, but where does Bud Chapman come up with the ideas for those holes. When asked that question, Chapman simply said, “With eighty years on the golf course, it just seemed easy. I see golf holes everywhere.” Bud Chapman began his golf career as a caddy at Interlachen Country Club at the age of ten. He would take his bicycle or hitchhike to the course and wait around the “Caddy Shack” to see if he could pick up a “loop” that day. In those days caddies were paid 75 cents per round. The following year Bud became the favorite caddy of the famous Patty Berg. He considers himself lucky because the other caddies did not want to “tote her bag” because she carried around 100 practice balls in it. “When she missed a shot she would stand there hitting those practice balls until she had cured that flaw. Then, I would have to hurry and pick them up and then proceed with the round.” Chapman says with a smile. “She used to tip me 10 cents per round. The pay was great!” By the age of twelve, Chapman’s dad would let Bud drive the family car, a 1926 Hudson, to the golf course. Bud, who needed a pillow so he could see over the
To use Bud’s words, “I was never really that good. But when I played in tournaments I would, you know, get in that zone. Hitting good shot after good shot. I really did not care about winning. I just wanted to keep playing. I love playing when I am in that zone, hitting shots perfectly!” After the war Chapman returned to Minneapolis and started a commercial artist business where he still works today. The artist business gives Bud a balance to his life. Working on his art projects and playing golf. He has a new sports/art series to be released soon. Hint: it involves a ball and an athlete in an alley.
No. 13 Lake Superior Yacht & Country Club
Throughout the years Chapman has maintained those two important attributes, at the age of 90 he has retained that incredible, athletic, flexibility that allows him to swing the golf club like a teenager. More importantly, Bud has retained that strive for perfection, that “will to win.” He is soft spoken, never swears and has a smile on his face but he does want to beat you!
No. 1 Victoria Falls Golf Course
No. 15 Caverns Country Club
October 2012
Southern Minnesota
27
LEGACY GOLF
Legacy Golf #4
Quality Golf Within Reach
By Eric Hart
Legacy Golf #8
Legacy Golf #13
Regionally renowned golf course architect, Garrett Gill, has his fingerprints all over the Southern #9, #13 and #18 are equally memorable. Minnesota golf scene. While he is better known for his contributions at the Meadows at Mystic Lake Casino, his creative design a little further south should certainly not be ignored. This is one of those courses that was made for fall golf. It is pretty as the leaves change, but open enough to where the leaves don’t typically interfere with fairway ball searches. Faribault, to non-residents, is considered little more than a pit stop between the Twin Cities The fairways and greens are firm and fast, resulting in long drives and favorable forward and Cabela’s (or the Outlet Mall at Medford). Golfers can’t afford to be so ignorant. The bounces. The service is personal by personable people, the food great, and the attention to Legacy, an 18-hole Championship design, is carved into the plateaus high above the friendly detail evident, demonstrating nothing but invested pride by a small Minnesota town content little town, adjacent to the equally impressive signature towers of Shattuck-St. Mary’s as a pit stop but intent on becoming a repeat one. (Internationally recognized college prep school). Clearly though, the only way to come back, is to come here once first. And you should. For The Legacy project, golf course and community, was conceptualized in the early 1990’s and anyone in the Twin Cities, this is definitely “Quality Golf Within Reach.” developed with plenty of TLC, opening officially in 1998. The course can rather simply be described as “open, unassuming, and community centered.” A golfer from Shakopee, who claimed he’d golfed here every functional week for the past decade (except two) stated, “There are plenty of great golf courses like this one in the cities that are so much more congested. I can travel there, wait on every tee, and be frustrated or play here any time and at whatever pace I’d like… and shoot the same score in either case. I always pick to play here.” We get that. The Legacy feels like it is private, offering memberships if you want one, but giving you a great deal even if you don’t. They serve breakfast to the community in their clean and altogether quaint clubhouse and they seem determined to get to know everyone who enters by name. You feel like you’re in some remote desolated place, like Iowa, but you’re not. You’re a gallon or two of gas from the Twin Cities, mere miles from tranquil uninterrupted golf. Beautiful Vistas Quality Golf Mr. Gill intended for the course to play as if it were three different courses, with three significantly different patterns of golf holes. There are the tree-lined holes, the wide-open flat holes and the hilly, blind shot peppered holes. But holes of the same pattern are seldom consecutive. You can easily see the differences, and they play distinctly so, but they’re mixed to the point you never tire of any. His intent was clearly for you to relax and score well. The first hole does not in any way intimidate, none of the first three do, to be honest. You can start out strong and then settle in just in time to admire the pretty little downhill (Par 3) 4th. The strength of Gill’s creativity will test you over the well-designed final 4 holes of the front, as you’ll play to consecutive greens on 8 and 9 bordered (rather “guarded”) by ponds and wetlands. The back, once again, begins gently allowing you to gain momentum through the first three holes before you’re asked to focus and fine-tune your game for a 3-5-3 stretch that allows little forgiveness for being “too long.” For that matter, on pretty much every hole, short is a much better answer than long, which should favor 90% of all golfers, although, given the nature of the game, we all seem to be consistently long on such courses. To the golfer who hasn’t yet played this course, and is reading this review with interest, I’m sure you’re trying to decide what would make it worth your while to come here and give it a shot. Is it surrounded by houses? Yes and no. Does it feel like you have the course to yourself? Yes and no. Are there memorable holes? Yes and yes. No doubt about it. They are equally distributed on the front and back, so if you only have time for nine as the daylight hours dwindle you’ll be in for a treat on either nine. While our favorites were definitely #4 and #8,
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28
Southern Minnesota
THE BLUFFS AT COFFEE MILL
The Bluffs at Coffee Mill #14
“Value High”
The Bluffs at Coffee Mill #3 Salad Bowl Green
Golf journalists love it when their subjects have so much going for them that the pieces pretty much write themselves. (My wife wishes the same could be said for grad papers.) Such is definitely the case for The Bluffs at Coffee Mill. Under new ownership (and name) since March of 2012, it was a special property before, with amazing views down to the Mississippi and over the entire river valley but The Bluffs (formerly Coffee Mill) used to be about potential vs. the experience. People spoke of it in terms of what it could be vs. what it actually was. Many intelligent golfers tired of that, lost hope and moved on. And then the new owners, Gregg and June Alper, took the closing windows of opportunity and kicked them wide open. Today, the Bluffs stands bolder, faster, better, than it was a year ago, and on every hole there is evidence of what is being done to make it even better yet. But as everyone should know, the quantity of renovations means little without quality in those renovations. The Alpers got that, and with all that they’ve already done it’s evident they still get it. Gone is much of the ball magnet brush that once was so frustrating. Gone are the rock and clay bunkers, replaced with just the right texture and amount of real soft sand. Gone are many tee shots that corrupted great drives into terrible results, with so many of the formerly lumpy, sloped and misdirected tee boxes of yore now smoothed, realigned and/or outright replaced. If you’d ever played Coffee Mill before and said to yourself. “Man this place could be so dang good!” Well…it’s a whole
October 2012
lot better now than it was when you said that, which is more than can be said for many of their local competitors. Yes, while many courses in the area have sat on their hands and economy pinched resources, the Alpers continue to write checks applying generous green to the greens and fairways here, turning potential into reality. Coffee Mill Golf Course was a property. The Bluffs at Coffee Mill is becoming a destination.
By Eric Hart
The Bluffs at Coffee Mill #17 Lokking Down To Future Green
make a highly rewarding 1-2 (one day or weekend) punch for anyone.”
There are several impressive, memorable, holes. Beginning with the innovative salad bowl greens at the consecutive (Par 4) 2nd and (Par 3) 3rd holes, and the always-serene 7th hole. But the best holes on the course are arguably on the back. Signature shots include the approach from the silo to the pond guarded green on #11, and my favorite hole on the And there’s plenty more in the works. The clubhouse has been course - #14, a “100 mile” panoramic tee shot to another renovated. It is bright and airy now, open and welcoming. pond guarded green (Par 3). The menu has been revolutionized, so much so that it now has many of the locals leaving the riverside seats in adjacent And that takes us to the 17th hole. Destined to be THE Wabasha to come up for some bluff view dining. And many “signature” hole at The Bluffs. With insight as keen as a other family enrichment opportunities are on the way. (Think (Wabasha regular) circling bald eagle’s eyesight, the Alpers volleyball, beanbags, etc…) Beyond the golf season, expect purchased a home lot adjacent the green and cut away all an indoor golf center, with simulators, for the winter, yielding the trees, opening up the view to Wabasha’s bridge and the Catholic church steeple miles below. In doing so they also even more lesson opportunities, and more benefits for all. created space for a second green at the edge of the bluff on Where golfers from Minneapolis and St. Paul used to stop the 17th hole, allowing this hole, in the future, to play two 20 minutes north, at The Jewel, they’re now coming further very different ways. When you see it, you’ll agree…the new down to check out The Bluffs. “Most of our golf traffic has tee shot is going to be an incredible one. typically been from Rochester and La Crosse,” June Alper states. “Where we might very well be the best, or favorite, A page is not enough to say everything that needs to be said public golf course in reasonable driving range from each. about this course. The Alpers have added length, added heart, But now the Twin Cities golfers are checking us out, and and added hope to the golf scene in and around Wabasha. the feedback has been phenomenal. We know how great the Their generous investment is to everyone’s benefit, as they Jewel is (pauses) but we’re thrilled that now people are saying remain determined to keep their price low and, as a result, we’re worth the drive as well, and we believe that together we their value sky high.
October 2012
Southern Minnesota
29
THE BRIDGES GOLF COURSE
Bridges #4
“Baby’s Got Back”
Bridges #11 Fairway & #2
Bridges #10
Bridges #17
By Eric Hart Sometimes golf course names don’t fit the course. And then sometimes, in particular with The Bridges in Winona, MN… they do. Rumor has it, the original course designer Ben Knight was such a fan of the card game Bridge that he named the course after the game. Even though I made that rumor up someone, be it Ben Knight or his design compadre Robert Trent Jones, (yes, THE R.T.J) clearly loved bridges. They’re everywhere. There are even bridges built to get to bridges. The 9th and 12th holes… neither with water… each have a bridge. The Signature 2nd, 10th and 11th holes (three very worthy “signature” holes) all have bridges. The fantastic closing pair of holes, both have bridges. The Mississippi River near the course has… you guessed it… bridges. Granted Pleasant Creek, which winds throughout the picturesque Pleasant Valley setting, does come into play on 9 of the 18 holes, but once again even the name of the creek is fitting. It’s as menacing as a baby kitten or bag of peeled carrots. The course, while ranging anywhere from 5,100 to 6,800 yards is as fair and catching as the reflections seen in any mirror in New England Patriot Tom Brady’s house. And while it’s true that it would be hard to build a golf course in this region of Minnesota that isn’t beautiful, it took a lot of work to make this course as playable and well conditioned as it is. The greens are immaculate and very true. A well compensated, uber critical, NBC golf analyst recently remarked on air about the greens at East Lake in Atlanta. “If you putt the ball perfectly you should make the putt.” This slightly less compensated journalist feels the same holds true for the conditions here in Winona. Chances are, if you make the putt it goes in the hole. As a national golf journalist for the past 7 years I’ve played hundreds of incredible golf courses. However, even being based out of nearby Rochester (MN) I’d never played The Bridges. I was missing out. Chances are there are many of you in the Twin Cities area who have driven through Winona and/or do so every single year who have never played it either. You are missing out. Head Pro Bill MacAskill is well accustomed to the surprised reaction he gets from golfers here for their maiden round. “The scenery and conditions catch everyone by surprise. We are very much a personal service operation open, and catering, to the daily fee golfer.” Quite true. From their spectacular Signatures Restaurant to their Visions Event Center, from their professional food and beverage staff to the super friendly golf shop staff, this place is brimming with shiny happy people holding hands… (somehow had REM on my mind)… but seriously, people love it here. Their event calendar is packed. Their restaurant is packed. Their course, well, it should be packed… but the many golfers, regulars and first timers alike, love the fact that they can play it pretty much anytime, and always under ideal course (and financial) conditions. A quick tour of the course reveals some incredible shots. There’s the picturesque tee shot on the Par 3 second hole, over Pleasant Creek. The downhill Par 3 sixth that only a fool would leave short and double bogey. (Don’t worry, I call myself a fool all the time.) There’s the well designed tee shot and uphill approach on #8 to a green that slopes back to front so severely that you’ll wish the pin was in the back left fringe or subsequently ten paces right of the green in the rough, under the tree. (In adhering to standard golf course regulations, it was neither.) But this baby’s got a lot of back and every effort was made to not conceal that in any way. The 10th hole requires an anything but casual little chip shot over three goats and a troll to a wide-
open green you probably won’t hit… or at least stick. And #11, at 600 yards, is a beast of a Par 5, with a bell at the bridge 300 yards out that ominously tolls to sound your defeat before you even begin to approach the bunkered in pin perched high upon the turret shaped hill. The pursuant five holes, while not flashy, are fun, taking you up hill and down valley, presenting shots at every turn that require skill but forgive reality. And then 17 and 18 conclude the round perfectly with two aqua-present gems you’re unlikely to soon forget.
dine || play || relax play | or relax Ascending back to the clubhousedine take the time |to pause at the summit, dine out on their spectacular patio, and take in your surroundings, revel in the pleasant surprise, and relive the dine || play || relax sensational time that was your round at The Bridges. dine
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30
Southern Minnesota
October 2012
MAPLE VALLEY GOLF & COUNTRY CLUB
Maple Valley Golf And Country Club #3
Sweet As Maple Syrup
Maple Valley Golf And Country Club
Maple Valley’s address claims to be in Rochester. Ha! Rochester may indeed have beautiful bluffs, but it doesn’t have bluffs like these. Rochester has many a river and stream, but it doesn’t have rivers that glimmer so sheer, so pure as these. Rochester has many a doctor, but none that could doctor a hole like a dozen of these. Yes, Rochester may have a variety of entertaining golf courses, but it doesn’t have a golf course anything like this. No disrespect intended to any of the other local designs, but Maple Valley is in a league of its own when it comes to golf scenery, and hole-to-hole transitions.
By Eric Hart
Maple Valley Golf And Country Club #7
#16 there is a pond short and to the right of the green just 300 yards from you. Just think about that. If it’s in your head at this point I’ve done my job, and probably messed you up in the process. Oh well. You’ll get over it on the next two holes and walk off the course impressed.
Will you lose some balls, in the leaves, water or an oncoming car’s windshield? Perhaps… Okay, probably. But will you lose a lot of stress and gain a lot of unique perspectives in the process? Absolutely. At 5,900 yards from the tips the length won’t keep anyone away… but then with a utopic setting like this, nothing should. This place is sweet. Maple syrup sweet. The drive out here alone is worth the drive. Uh… yeah, I meant that. As you head south from Nothing like a subtle simile, or a great golf course, to make you smile. Okay so it was as Rochester you can see the beautiful city in your rear view mirror, and then you just stop subtle as Loudmouth pants. looking at it as you take in all the shades of fall… the fields of corn, of pumpkins, of apples… the brightest prism of greens, golds and purples this side of the Metrodome on a Packer game day… it’s a bold and a beautiful sight. A gravel road takes you to a dead end, before which you’ll turn right, after which you’ll discover the pot at the end of that aforementioned fall prism rainbow. When you pass through the pillars to the course’s main driveway, take pause… better yet, stop altogether… and look ahead to your right and your left at the holes adjacent the road. (Numbers 10 and 11) While the management and staff at Maple Valley take great pains to maintain their varied landscapes and hole presentations, they can’t control the people hitting the little white orbs at you… so proceed in a straight line to the clubhouse with diligent caution. You’re welcome. Upon arrival at the clubhouse you’ll be greeted by one of the pleasant “family tree” managers, it seems everyone is related to someone who is related to the owners out here, ever grateful that you’ve made the trip out to play a round on their memorable course. And then they hand you the key to a cart, and in the process their castle, this spectacular setting on a towering hill. Maple Valley already took the cake for most scenic course in Olmsted County. But they aren’t ready to eat it yet. They’re still working, listening, tweaking, and making changes now that they’ve wanted to make for years. New tee boxes. More open fairways. Less brush. More playable areas. Faster greens. Funner holes. (Yes, I said funner.) From the get go, a blind slight dogleg right hole you’ll be kicking yourself for not carding a birdie… not bogey… birdie. The dramatic downhill third over a pond to a green in front of a pond (follow that one) has as pretty a backdrop as there is in Southern Minnesota (with an Autumn nod to #11 at the Jewel). The next three holes are horseshoed by the river, followed by the front’s final three that literally zigzag you back to the clubhouse, and the most intimidating green on the course (#9). At that point you’ll get the opportunity to hit an oncoming car of Packer fans on #10, (they welcome everyone equally) and then a shorter repeat shot at fame on #11, before careening/ plummeting madly (imagine your golf cart on a zip-line) back down into the valley on the “where in the world do I hit this” 12th and fun little 13th. Safe again at the base, you’ll encounter what has to be the prettiest – and most hazardous - Par 5 in Southern Minnesota (no pun and pun intended – because I can). After observing the golf ball graveyard to the right of the 14th green, you’ll unwind on the second of the back-to-back Par 5’s on the back (sorry English teacher) and then begin your ascent back to the clubhouse with a blind tee shot on 16. But let me stop you right here. Hey… I said stop. If you hit even a remotely good tee shot on
Heralded as the most beautiful golf course in Southeastern Minnesota!
Surrounded by limestone bluffs and the Root River. “Places to Play” in Minnesota - GolfDigest Picked as one of their “Hidden Gems” - Minnesota Golfer Picked as one of the “Hidden Gems” in Minnesota - Golf Minnesota #1 Golf Course in Southeast Minnesota ‘98, ‘99, ‘01, ‘03, ‘04 & ‘05 by Rochester Magazine.
We guarantee you won’t be disappointed!
www.maplevalleygolf.com • 507-285-9100 8600 Maple Valley Road SE • Rochester, MN 55904
October 2012
Southern Minnesota
WILLOW CREEK GOLF COURSE By Eric Hart
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Willow Creek
Rochester’s “Daily Double”
Willow Creek Green
Willow Creek deserves consideration as Rochester’s best public golf course. Few in this Minnesota mini-city would dispute the suggestion. Consensus is it’s “top two or three.” Willow Creek won’t argue with that. In truth, it has some scenic competition with Eastwood’s back nine and a half dozen holes at Maple Valley, but face-to-face it goes toe to toe with both and many locals deem it, collectively, head and shoulders above either. (How’s that for the anatomy of Rochester golf?) While, in a Minnesota Fall, beauty is often in the eye of the deer holder, there’s no question Willow Creek is beheld favorably by the eyes of all golfers. The dispersing foliage tapestry is so captivating, and so colorful; in particular when pitched against a clear bluish gray autumn sky, and the greens play as crisp, as brisk as an early October breeze. General Manager and Head Pro, Scott Rindahl, one of the quietest yet most consummate professionals you’ll ever meet, pretty much lives here. He manages the kids’ golf camps throughout the summer, runs the pro shop, and is a fondly appreciated fixture of the southern Minnesota golf scene. Every aspect of this course, his course, is always under his keen and attentive eye, and he’s one of those guys who noticeably (selflessly) bends over backwards to make everyone feel at home on his range. When asked what he loves most about Willow Creek he’s known to respond with a dozen different answers, depending on the day. His answers range from the colors of the fall, to the many regulars he interacts with daily, to his time with the kids (and his passion at growing the game the right way), the presence of the (par 29) 9-hole family course, and even the view out his office (front desk) window. He loves a lot of things about Willow Creek, and with good reason. While few will contest the presence of some quirks, most of the references you’ll hear from those who play (and have played) it are to the perks, the unique features, the fun and challenges the course presents… and of course the excellent greens. I’ve known Scott for years and have been playing Willow Creek just as long. But there are thousands here who could say the same. It is the preferred public destination for golf events in the city, with amazing banquet hall facilities, catering, and service staff. Their rates, for what they provide, are nearly unbeatable, and those fortunate enough to tie their event to the golf benefit from Willow Creek even more. The front nine offers many great scoring opportunities and several revered holes. There’s the downhill 2nd with an approach to a green guarded by a pond. The dogleg 4th to another pond guarded green, and the “signature” 9th along the entry road, an elevated tee, Par 3, whose initial shot takes precision and concentration the surroundings try hard to prevent. While 2, 4 and 9 can evenly compete for best tee and approach shots on the entire course, there’s little doubt that the most intrigue (and sporadic insanity) is contained on the back. The fairways get tighter, the risks higher, the potential for snowmen (absent all precipitation) revealed around every sharp tree-lined corner. The best way to prevent throwing your driver is literally to leave it in the car after 9. You won’t really need it on the back until the 18th… although I realize my chances of getting your ego to agree are slim to none. The “best hole on the back” is a title that many would dispute. What is indisputable, however, is the most polarizing hole (perhaps in all of Southeast Minnesota) is #16, a dogleg right to a protected green; think of the “Clown’s Mouth” scene from Happy Gilmore. It is best to prepare for rejection and not
Willow Creek Gazebo
take this hole personally. Almost no one, regardless of handicap, figures it out in his or her first half-dozen rounds. Thank God for 7th chances. If you plan ahead well enough, and or have an hour or two left on either end of your day, the Family course is an enjoyable fine-tuning romp, carved in the middle of Willow’s Championship 18. Perfect for any age or skill level, it offers many opportunities for birdies and aces… and who doesn’t love either of those. Their elevated tee driving range won’t dampen your confidence either. Yes, a day at Willow Creek is better than a day at the office… in particular if you’re Mr. Rindahl, in which case they’re one and the same… The perfect “Daily Double.” I knew I was in Jeopardy of ruining my cliché free streak. Oh well!
Fall Special At Willow Creek
Bring a copy of this ad in to the golf shop and receive 18 holes with a cart for just $27.50 + tax! Willow Creek Golf Course 1700 48th Street Rochester, MN 55902
507-285-0305 • wc@wpgolf.com www.wpgolf.com/willowcreek
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2013 Tournaments
October 2012
By Pat Reis Even though it is October, and sadly the end of the 2012 Minnesota golf season is in sight, it is the perfect time to begin preparing for your 2013 golf event. Whether you are starting to plan a new tournament or entering the 10th year of an existing successful event, the earlier the better to begin your planning for 2013. Here are some tips that might be helpful as you look ahead to next year.
FOR NEW STARTUP TOURNAMENTS: 1. COMMITTEE: Assuming you have already identified a benefiting charity (or charities), your first step should be to assemble a planning committee for your event. Your committee can be small or large relative to the scale of your event and how much you will be depending on volunteers, but it is important to have people onboard who are willing to take an ownership stake in the effort to sell sponsorships, recruit
golfers and volunteers, solicit for prize and auction item donations, and divide responsibilities that will lead you to a successful event. Ideally, one or more people should agree to lead your committee (chair or co-chairs), and at least one representative on your committee should be a representative from the benefiting charity. 2. GOALS: Once you have a benefiting charity or charities designated, and at least the initial members of a planning committee confirmed, you need to work together to establish goals for your event. Your committee will need to brainstorm to assess what kinds of contacts they have for potential sponsors and foursomes, and from there you should be able to create a menu of sponsorship levels, and work toward setting an end-net fundraising target. I would strongly encourage you to lean more conservative and realistic (as opposed to being overly optimistic) when pricing your sponsorship and foursome packages, and setting your fundraising goals. More often than not, event committees overestimate their ability to sell sponsorships and recruit golfers. It is important to recognize that it is usually a two-five year progression before your event will reach its full potential.
3. FORMAT/IDENTITY: At this point, your committee should share their ideas to create the identity of your event. Tournament name, golf format, morning or afternoon start, meals (breakfast, lunch, and/or dinner), player gift(s) budget, celebrity involvement, auction and/or raffle, oncourse activities and fundraising, etc., are all elements your committee should define before you go out to sell the event to sponsors and golfers. These items might also help you determine the type of golf course you will want to select for your event. 4. BUDGET: Now that you have a fundraising target, a good idea of your price levels for sponsors and individual golfers, and a sense of the kind of event you want, you should be able to estimate a budget per golfer for golf, lunch, dinner, gifts and prizes, while also accounting for other expenses for printed materials and signage, advertising/publicity, staff or professional event management support, etc. 5. GOLF COURSE: Picking the correct golf course can make a huge impact in the success of your charity tournament. Hopefully you will have some golfers on your committee who might have an idea of courses they like, but otherwise
October 2012
you can go to the TeeTimesPress.com website to read about area courses to get your search process started. Golf course websites are very helpful in giving you an idea of the costs, the length and style of the golf course, size of banquet rooms, and the staff support and amenities that are provided by the golf course. We recommend that you contact at least three golf courses during your search that fit within your estimated budget. There are plenty of courses in every price range, and you should be able to find several that fit within your budget if you are willing to do a little research.
THE NEXT STEPS FOR BOTH NEW AND EXISTING EVENTS: 1. CONTACT THE GOLF COURSE: Inquire with the person responsible for outside golf events at the golf course. At most courses, the person responsible for booking golf events is the general manager, banquet manager or director of golf. 2. DATE AVAILABILITIES: Some courses offer full shotgun events only on Mondays (private clubs, municipal courses), while other courses will accept events as many as seven-days a week. There are a variety of golf courses in Minnesota and Western Wisconsin that specialize in corporate and charity events. Once you have an idea for the day of the week and the week(s) or month(s) you would prefer to schedule your event, you should immediately contact courses to identify available dates that match your desired timing. It is imperative that you contact courses now to book your before all of the best available dates are taken. 3. COSTS/PACKAGES: Many courses give detailed information about their tournament packages online, but feel free to ask any additional questions to be sure you have every item covered and to confirm that the information on their website is accurate (they might still have their 2012 pricing listed). Some courses offer all-inclusive packages (golf, cart, range balls, lunch, dinner, pro-shop credit), while others add those items together ala carte. Most courses require a minimum number of golfers for a shotgun event, many courses add a service charge for food and beverages, and there will be a cost for extra meals for volunteers and non-golfing guests. Be sure to compile all of the costs that apply to the needs of your event (read the proposal/contract carefully) so you can compare courses apples-to-apples. 4. SECURE YOUR DATE/COURSE: Once you make a decision, be sure to secure the date and course with a signed contract (you should try to tour the facilities before making a final decision), and as a courtesy, please let the other courses you contacted know that you have decided to go with another course. When you have completed this process, you will be ready to hit the ground running to secure the sponsors, golfers, donations and volunteers that will make your event a success in 2013. Pat Reis is the founder of Tee-to-Green Events, an event management company specializing in charity golf events since 1993. Tee-to-Green Events had planned more than 200 charity golf tournaments and other fundraising events (galas and festivals), ranging from PGA Tour exhibitions, sports and media celebrity events, major corporate fundraisers, to local grass-roots tournaments. Feel free to contact Pat at 612-636-3905 or ttgevents@ aol.com if you have any questions about the tips provided in this article or if you would like to inquire about how Tee-to-Green Events could help your charity or committee with a new or existing tournament.
2013 Tournaments
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34
Characters on the Course
October 2012
“Golf The Country Club”
BUDDY T. By R.J. Smiley Buddy T. loves two things: Playing competitive golf, especially for money. Making the sale, especially with women! For years Buddy T. made a good living in the sports memorabilia business. He loved the action of buying low and selling high. It seemed that Buddy T. could talk people into anything. A real salesman’s salesman. With his movie star good looks, he also made a little extra money as a part time model for a local clothing store chain. “I just stand there wearing nice clothes. They take my picture and pay me money. Easiest job I ever had.” He would say with a twinkle in his eye and that huge toothy smile. He loved to play golf and was a tournament regular since his college years in Wisconsin. Buddy T. won his share of tournaments, but where he was really tough was at his local golf club where he won most of his bets before a shot was ever hit. Remember he was a salesman! As he moved into middle age (over 55) women found Buddy T. intriguingly attractive, with his full head of snow-white hair in contrast to his sun tanned face. He never wore a cap or visor! It was fun to go places with him. As he passed, women would actually turn their heads and stare. Buddy T. and I were paired together and riding the same cart in the Minnesota Public Golf Association’s Senior Championship at Goodrich Golf Course in St. Paul. We had played a few holes when the beverage cart came by. The “Beer Girl” was a nice looking woman of about 35 and Buddy T. immediately started “making the sale”. He ordered a soda and told her to keep the change, a substantial tip. They proceeded with the small talk about how long she had done this and what else she did for a living. Turns out she had a real job working nights in some record-keeping capacity but was working the cart girl job to build up some cash after a messy divorce. As she left Buddy T. said, “Don’t forget about us, we get thirsty when we play golf.” On the back nine there she was, not noticing the other three of us. She was moon-eyed over Buddy T. Then I heard it, the pick-up line of the century! Buddy T. casually said, “Do you date older guys?” Pause. She got a flustered look on her face not knowing exactly how to answer. She knew that if she said no, he would take it as an insult, that he was old and that she did not date older guys. The chess game continued when she answered, “Maybe, I have to go now.” When she caught up with us on #15, she said to Buddy T., after another nice tip, “Yes, I would date an older man.” Now for the close. Buddy T. was all smiles and with us as an audience said, “Write down your number and I will call you sometime, SOON!” The answer she came back with was a little unusual. She replied in a low voice, “I am living with a guy but it is not working out, better if I call you. Give me your number.”
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Buddy T. raced over to our cart and quickly came back with a piece of paper folded over. “Call me soon.” He smiled as she left. As we finished the 15th hole and I attempted to record our scores, I noticed that there was only half a scorecard on the steering wheel. Buddy T. had used the OFFICIAL “COMPUTER GENERATED” MPGA SCORECARD, complete with dots for handicap purposes, to write down his number. Again Buddy T. did his masterful sales job, selling the tournament committee that a sudden gust of wind had blown the scorecard away. Oh, the “Beer Girl” never called. Guess she did not date older guys after all!
www.TeeTimesPress.com
October 2012
Critters on the Course
Top 10 Courses In MN - By Golf Magazine & Golf Digest Tee Times’ Readers Choice Award Winner 2012 The Golf Course That Provides The Best Value
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DEER AT STAR PASS By R.J. Smiley The pressure from work had them both going nuts and still one day left in the workweek! Their Chicago, lakefront highrise condo seemed to be closing in on them. A biting late November wind was blowing off Lake Michigan, a precursor to the long Chicago winter. Even the second martini couldn’t change their mood. “Let’s get out of here. Let’s do something crazy... and fun! Let’s do something romantic!” She said leaning closer. Knowing she meant it, he replied, “OK let’s go to the closet and let the first thing that jumps out at us determine our destination.” “Not the closet.” She smiled, “Let’s go to the storage area for the clue.” The first thing he noticed was a pair of dusty cowboy boots. Her eyes settled on the Ping I-10 driver that had not seen sunlight for years. They turned to face each other, simultaneously, she said, “Lets go someplace neat where we can play golf, eat good food and lay by the pool.” While he said, “Let’s go somewhere I can wear that pair of cowboy boots I bought for the company barbeque.” A quick Google search and they were off to Tucson, AZ and Marriott’s Star Pass Resort. Agreed, only a carry-on each, but they would manage. They would rent clubs; he would wear his boots on the plane. O’Hare to Tucson was easy and Marriott’s shuttle meant no rental car. Two quick calls to work and they were off before lunch on Friday. On the brief drive from the airport to Star Pass, the shuttle driver entertained them with the Pony Express history of Star Pass. He explained that the pre-sunset cocktail hour on the stair-step patio was the crescendo ending each day. “Be sure to secure a snuggle chair facing the golf course, near a fire-pit, and have a jacket, the desert cools off quickly at sunset. The deer of Star Pass will provide natural entertainment.” After making a tee time for, mid-morning Saturday and a quick “nap”, they showered and changed into their southwest outfits, complete with string tie.
Discover your playful nature in ours...
October Special
They shared a bottle of good wine and southwest spiced calamari as the sun began to set. Soon they were part of an eclectic group sitting around the fire-pit seeking the southwest experience. “Oh look there is a deer on the fairway.” Squealed the attractive corporate lawyer from Seattle dressed in western jeans and a beautiful serape jacket. “There is another.” Barked the overweight bond trader from New York who looked like a baked potato stuffed into the too-tight western shirt. As the sun melted into the mountains behind them, casting long shadows over the desert oasis, the deer herd, now twenty or more, nibbled peacefully on the lush fairway. “Where did they come from?” The hospital administrator from Boston wearing the pearl colored cowboy hat with a turquoise band said. “We hiked the entire six mile mountain loop past the ruins, I don’t know how a deer could survive in that beautiful but severe wilderness.”
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The conversation switched from politics to work and kids but always back to the deer performing peacefully on nature’s stage. One by one the desert invaders attempted to capture the perfect image of the smallish mule deer in the amber glow of sunset. Email addresses were exchanged, in case they got a really good shot, and promises to reunite with the new “old friends” tomorrow.
715.259.3910 • www.voyagervillage.com
The flight back to Chicago after their whirlwind getaway was filled with small talk - fun golf, great food, interesting new friends but mostly of the never-good-enough pictures of the deer at Star Pass.
14 miles east of Webster, WI, off County Road A and Kilkare Road
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Health & Fitness
October 2012
A “Quiet Mind” Rescues Golfers from Frustration Quiet Mind Equates with Better Golf - GolfDigest, January 2004 By Kevin Blair “Most people approach golf backwards: from the outside-in,” states David Kramer, Manager of Los Serranos Golf and Country Club. “The real secret to consistency is to approach golf from the inside-out. First, set the foundation with a quiet mind and orderly brainwaves, then play golf from that stability.” Kramer used the analogy of building a skyscraper. “What’s the first thing that happens when a skyscraper is being constructed? They don’t start building ‘up’, they set a foundation first by digging ‘down.’ It’s simple logic, but a profound truth. Simple, effortless, ancient techniques that develop a quiet mind give a practical solution for today’s golfer.” said Kramer.
A new study conducted on world-class athletes in Norway found that, compared to normal athletes, those competing at the highest levels have higher brain integration, suggesting that higher psycho-physiological growth underlies higher performance. The study compared 33 athletes who placed among the 10 best performers in major competitions, such as the World Championships, for at least three seasons, and compared them with 33 athletes who train and As the season begins to wind down, these coming months are a great time to rest your mind compete at a senior level, but don’t place among the top 50% of Norwegian Championships. and prepare it for the next golf season. This article introduces the reader to a new approach to The level of brain integration in world-class athletes is similar to that seen in individuals who a “quiet mind”, the basis of successful golf. had practiced TM for an average of seven years. The study is being published this month in GOLF IS A GAME OF OBSTACLES OR OPPORTUNITIES: Golf is different from the Scandinavian Journal of Medicine & Science in Sports. TM creates remarkable levels of tennis or baseball. The ball is still, you are still, the course is still. There is no reaction, brain orderliness and coherence—the foundation of a ‘quiet mind’. just you and the game. The only thing moving is your mind! This is why a quiet mind is fundamental to success in golf. Every course offers the mind obstacles as a mental challenge. TM also reduces anxiety better than other forms of meditation or physical relaxation, reduces risk Sand traps, water, rough are really mental traps. They are designed to create doubts in the factors in heart disease and strokes, and other chronic disorders, including Alzheimer’s disease. jumbled mind, but create a challenge and pleasure in the quiet mind. The disorderly, jumbled mind is easily distracted. Uncertainty and doubts lead to anxiety and stress and, ultimately, to If you would like to find out more about TM in the Twin Cities, contact the author, an avid fear, the great enemy of the golfer. Fear infects the swing with error, deceiving the mind and golfer, originally from Ireland, at kblair@TM.org, or (651) 308 3371, www.TM.org/twincities. leading to poor drives and missed putts. These errors compound the stress, and under stress, the quiet of the mind is the first thing to go! BRAIN ORDERLINESS IS THE FOUNDATION OF A “QUIET MIND”: A clear, orderly mind comes from a coherent brain. All golfers have the experience of how a bad shot comes back out of nowhere! Actually, these old, undesirable experiences wait for some emotional turmoil, tiredness, or uncertainty to come back into play. But a calm mind creates a platform of maximum clarity and enjoyment of the game. A coherent brain delivers what you want, not what pops out of anxiety, tenseness and doubt. For example, the difference between a good putter and a poor one is the quiet, settled mind. Most golfers think that concentration and control will yield the best putt. But the best putt comes from a mind that is free, relaxed, and alert. The more restfully alert the mind is, the better the focus and concentration. A quiet and alert mind depend upon orderliness in brain functioning. An orderly brain, delivers what you want, not what pops out of anxiety and doubt. Trillions of neural operations are involved in each swing. Intelligent integration and smooth execution originate in the orderly firing patterns in your brain cells. BEYOND SHORT-LIVED GIMMICKS AND MENTAL GYMNASTICS TO ACHIEVE CONSISTENCY: Golfers seek consistency of their game by trying mental and physical strategies. Some work, most don’t. None develop an orderly brain. None produce a quiet mind, unperturbed by the course, ones’ opponents or a choke situation. Looking for the ‘zone’ in golf depends upon the inner dynamics of the mind. To prevent the mind from being scrambled by uncertainty and stress, the brain must be firm in its coherent functioning. And you don’t develop a quiet mind by practicing concentration or trying to quiet the mind. RESEARCHED, RELIABLE TECHNIQUE TO PRODUCE MAXIMUM BRAIN COHERENCE: Since a quiet mind is the basis of consistent high performance, and brain coherence is the basis of a quiet, settled mind, golfers will be happy to discover that science has documented a simple, natural approach to achieve maximum brain coherence. The Transcendental Meditation (TM) technique offers a quiet, settled mind. TM is simple and natural mental technique, easy to learn and practice. Some famous people who practice TM include Gary Player, Martina Navratilova, and Oprah Winfrey. Over 600 scientific studies make TM the most researched program in the field of human development.
Whether you’re teeing off across O’Dowd Lake on the famous 8th hole of our championship course, or dining at our restaurant, lounge or on our open-air terrace, you’ll realize that Stonebrooke is the perfect choice. • • • • •
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visit www.stonebrooke.com to reserve your tee time. 952.496.3171 • 3 miles south of shakopee on county road 79
October 2012
“Hey Pro,
Health & Fitness
37
By Matt Just - PGA Golf Professional Titleist Performance Institute Certified Golf Fitness Instructor, Life Time Fitness, St. Louis Park
Is golf fitness something a common golfer should learn about? PRO:
Great question! The answer is a resounding yes, however, the golf fitness hype must be viewed through a realistic lens. Golf fitness is not greater then the sum of its parts. Unfortunately, I see golf fitness being packaged and sold as an “off season” opportunity to lower your scores. This is not reality! Golf improvement and golf fitness is a long journey and must be understood and respected as such. You will not find a secret core routine or pelvic hip rotation drill that will automatically lower your scores or make your swing more consistent. The common golfer will not find a better game in the gym. I realize you’re shocked I’m saying this, but as a PGA Professional and also a Titilest golf fitness specialist my opinion counts. I can boldly say that nothing is more important than sound golf fundamentals such as grip, set up and alignment. Honestly, if your swing technique sucks and your fundamentals are not clean, your essentially just putting lipstick on a pig.
with Clayton Rask. DING! (Name drop service-bell that Common uses when Rosen name drops.)
I was talking to Clayton on the phone the other day and he was telling me about the rigors of life on tour. For those of you readers that don’t know, Clayton is one of only a hand full of active tour players that hail from Minnesota. Clayton told some really cool stories about various PGA tour and Web.com tour players and went into detail about how fitness is a norm on Tour and will never change. Clayton said fitness for golf has gotten very specific and can be broken up into 2 parts: offseason and in-season. He went on to explain that off-season golf fitness focuses on taking off bad weight and putting on offer extra stamina, more range of motion and personal muscle to essentially bulk up while in-season golf fitness Golf has six equal parts: course management, basic strength. While the aforementioned should be enough for is centered around muscle memory and resistance training. fundamentals, properly fit equipment, short game, mental anyone to sign up, these results will not alone equal lower toughness and physical fitness. scores. We can all flip on the Golf Channel and visually see Fitness for golf is here to stay, and the ‘common man’ will that the game is different at high levels. Physical fitness in the benefit with golf fitness, but must realize that golf fitness is The good news is that a personal golf fitness regimen will game is athletic and this was affirmed in a recent phone call not greater than the sum of all the parts of the game.
RESPONSIBILITY
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38
Tech
October 2012
By Steve Pease What do Minnesota golfers want in an email from a and St. Paul municipal courses offer a multitude of email opportunities, touting golf course? They want a deal at a quality track, outings, promotions and course updates. and they want it now. Clifton Highlands GM Ryan Timm is a standout among course marketers, going L i k e the rest of highly connected Americans, so far as to have his superintendent email suggestions for maintaining your Minnesota golfers have become yard, a pretty innovative approach in the tried-and-true world of milquetoast conditioned deal hounds, looking for emarketing. a discount on greens fees. And courses seem willing to grant their wish, using Some local courses send scheduled eblasts, broadcasting their two cents to their own email addresses. But there’s a upwards of 20,000 golfers (or more than 10 percent of the total Minnesota major hiccup in the path to clear e-mail golfing population) at a time. However, one of the biggest obstacles Minnesota communication; an estimated 1-in-4 courses have when emailing their patrons is competition. That doesn›t mean emails don’t reach their intended target, with every course is continually blasting its loyal followers, it means that between spam filters trapping an email like a nasty pot bunker. golf apps, websites and social media, there are a lot of ways to book that tee time. Even then, one has to question just how effective email is as a social marketing medium, considering the alternatives. "Email marketing is a small thing within the online marketing scheme," says Tyler Brewton, “Most courses still send out email communication, but the online marketing manager for Mississippi open rates and response from eblasts continues to decline,” Dunes, and head of MinnesotaGolfin.com. says Kevin Unterreiner, president of TwinCitiesGolf. "Social media plays a major role in online as com. “We have tracked this carefully with clients, and well." 5-to-7 years ago, nearly 50 percent of emails were opened, compared to 15-to-20 percent here in 2012.” Email is certainly an effective alert system. Note to courses: The aeration updates are certainly Experts say a lot of courses do “email blasts”, but welcome. Brewton says the Dunes was the first to most are to promote specials and tournaments, which open in the Twin Cities in 2012, thanks to the owner is missing the point. Steve Wetzler, President of Tee literally breaking ice off the greens, shoveling Times states, “e-blasts, used effectively, should be an snow and sending out a well-timed eblast. outcropping of courses’ social media, used to "We opened March 10 with three different shotguns engage, educate and entertain. Aaaannnd over the two days," he says. "To promote this, we then throw an advertising pitch or emailed our database two times and within six hours two in every so often. We email filled all of our open spots. That alone shows you the people fun and interesting golf power of emails." That, and Minnesotans love their facts, videos and information. We are very careful about how often we send out golf - the weatherman be damned. an email pitching a golf course.” If a course can find the right formula (no doubt equal parts entertainment and promotional in the right intervals), it can certainly cut down on traditional advertising costs, a topic heavy on a number of course managers’ minds.
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“I am aware of one course (Deer Run Golf Club) that has been able to move to online marketing - eliminating all their traditional marketing budget this year (with one exception, they do advertise in Tee Times) and are actually seeing a better result,” Unterreiner says. Tom Abts, general manager at Deer Run Golf Club in Victoria, writes “Outside the Teebox”, a collection of his honest and entertaining blog posts that are emailed to Deer Run’s 11,000 subscribers. “It’s definitely time consuming, but well worth it,” states Abts. As to his methodology, Abts quotes Abraham Lincoln, saying, “I would have written a shorter letter, but I didn’t have the time’.” “Long, boring e-mails are easy to write,” Abts says. Touche, Tom.
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Eagle Valley, White Eagle and StoneRidge in the east Metro send out emails each week, packed with trivia, round giveaways and dining opportunities. The Links at NorthFork sends periodic hellos to your inbox, while rounding out its emails with truly helpful tips. Not to be outdone (by one another), both Minneapolis
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19th Hole
October 2012
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HALEY LUHMAN Cannon Golf Club Tell us what you do during the ball, they would drive up to a marshmallow instead. They were so confused! golf off-season. During the offseason I attend school full-time What hobbies do you have away from the golf course? I have been president of the at the University of St. Thomas. Gymnastics Club at the University of St. Thomas since my freshman year of college. I love to hang out with my roommates and my family. I also enjoy going to movies and Why did you decide to pursue a career in “beverage distribution” at your golf course? eating at different restaurants in the cities. I have always wanted to be a beverage cart girl. My dad is a member at Cannon Golf Club and thought I might be good at the job. Many of my neighbors and family friends What is your favorite drink? Mountain Dew or any other Pepsi product. also golf at the course, so I love being able to work and have fun at the same time. Do you play golf? How well? Yes, I started playing golf when I started my job at the What’s the best tip you have ever received from a golfer...monetarily or other? course in the spring of 2011. I practice whenever I can find the time and I love watching I usually receive my largest tips during tournaments we hold for different companies myself improve. and organizations. At one of the tournaments, I received a $50 bill for a tip! When your “career” as a beverage cart girl is over what are your goals in life? I am What’s the funniest thing you have ever seen on the golf course? During a tournament, studying accounting at the University of St. Thomas. I plan on getting an internship at a two ladies who weren’t golfing, thought it would be funny to drive around and drop public accounting firm and then working there full-time after I graduate. marshmallows all over the golf course. So when the golfers were trying to find their golf
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